Be Too Big to Care

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Good Morning,

I am so looking forward to this weekend. I have a few “home things” planned but nothing major. Next weekend I am praying for excellent weather. I will be attending the Indiana Peony Festival and I can’t wait! I have never gone before so this will be my first year. It looked wonderful and I am trying to get out and find beautiful things to do in my city. 

Thank you to everyone who reached out about my “Activities Outside the Office” post. I think we all need a reminder from time to time. Did any of you watch Jennifer’s recent video? It is called “5 Reasons to Take the High Road and Remain Unbothered”. 

 

 

OMG… I loved this video. Especially number one, “be too big to care”. That pierced my heart. It is so true. People always and I mean always want to pull you into the dirt with them and sometimes it can be hard to ignore them. 

I have my moments where I want to match their pettiness but I quickly pull back and say, “No, we are rising above this”. “Don’t sink”. 

 

photo credit: Marchionesshg

 

This has been a life journey for me. I did not grow up in a home where manners and character were taught. I did not see good relationships or friendships so immaturity was matched with immaturity. As I got older and left my home and begin being around other people. I learned lots of things. I learned that class was something worth being sought after. 

I loved the definition of the word that she discussed in her video called magnanimous. Did you all read it? Being forgiving toward a rival or less powerful person. Wow… “less powerful person”. That phrase is everything and I am beginning to put my enemies in that category. Less powerful person…..

What are your thoughts? Do you think that you can be too big to care? Let me know in the comments below and have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Activities Outside of Work

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Good Morning,

I can’t believe it hit 80 degrees yesterday! It was beautiful a little warm but beautiful. I placed my chinoiserie rug outside on my porch recently and I need to visit the nursery to get my mandevilles for the year. My lilac bushes are blooming and my peonies are beginning to bud. The beautiful flower season is upon us! 

I am planning on having a picnic at our favorite park soon and I will be sure to share some of my favorite items from it. With all of these summer activities coming up it and all of my new adventures beginning it got me thinking about “activities outside of work”. 

 

 

photo credit: Randi Garrett

 

I am on a committee at my office called the Women’s Leadership Initiative or “WLI” and we recently had a panel of women in leadership roles speak to some of our guests. We discussed topics such as motherhood, being wives, taking care of ourselves, being leaders in male-dominated fields, and being involved in activities outside of the office. All of these subjects were wonderful but the one that struck a chord with me was “activities outside of the office”. One thing that I noticed about some of the “trouble-makers” or “petty Pattys” in our office was that none of them were involved in anything significant outside of the office and you could tell!

 

photo credit: Pinterest

 

When you are involved in activities outside of your normal job it gives you balance. Because then your time and efforts are put into something else that you love! When you have nothing going on then you begin to try to find your value or worth in your current job because that is where all of your efforts are going. Don’t do that! Find other activities to do! I will be 40 later this year and I am finally at a point in my life where I can finally start getting out a little more. By me joining all of these committees and volunteering I am making friends and meeting people. 

Don’t put all of your value in your job. It is not healthy. Because what ends up happening is when so and so gets the promotion you want you then begin to devalue yourself because all of your worth is in that job! You also tend to start drama with other staff and gossip because your focus is on everyone else because you have nothing going for you. So now everyone is a target! Don’t do it. It’s not worth it and trust me people see it. 

I would say pour yourself a cup of tea, get out a pen and paper, jot down your favorite things to do and then search your city! Or you can do what I did. Speak it! When I take my morning walks I speak things out loud to the Lord. He hears and if it is his will he will get you there. I said I wanted to network. He heard me and here I am. There will be some work on your part but you can do it. Build the life you want. Don’t be one of those petty sour women in the office that thrives on drama. Rise above it! Have a great Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

Joining the Guild

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and an excellent Mother’s Day! If your mom is no longer around I am sorry. I know that mothers hold a high place in our hearts and homes and for some people, this can really be a hard time.

I had a great weekend! On Saturday I got up early and got ready for our subdivision HOA sale. I set up the boutique in my garage and it looked like a mini-store. I got LOTS of compliments on the setup. The boutique did so well! Half of my inventory is gone! I am so happy that everyone who made a purchase loved the dresses that I had.  I am working on ordering another plus-size dress as well as a regular size so we will see what my vendor has available. 

After the sale, I went to get my car washed, visited HomeGoods, and went grocery shopping. I found a new mirror at HomeGoods. I needed a bigger one to do my selfie photos because my silver one was way too narrow to work with. I also found this tray table to use in my bedroom. I will share all of these in my “May favorites” blog post.  On Sunday, I got up early to start a few house chores, work on my blog and boutique, finish some laundry and receive my Mother’s Day gifts. I got a beautiful bouquet and this gorgeous ring from Nicola from my husband. Lauren also wrote me a wonderful Mother’s Day card and those always mean a lot to me because she sketches them herself!

This week is going to be a busy one at the office. We have a trial scheduled this week and another one in about another week but we are ready. In today’s post, I wanted to talk about some of the other activities that have been grabbing my attention.

I shared last week about going to the Indiana Decorator’s Showhouse and touring the home. I didn’t go into details about what happened while I was there. I do talk about it in my recent Youtube will be uploaded tonight or tomorrow.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

The entryway of the showhome

 

When I approached the home there was a hostess outside giving us the facts about the home. After she spoke with us about the home she invited us to come inside. When I begin to approach the home she stopped me in my tracks. She looked at me and said, “you need to be doing this”. I looked at her and said, “I just want to see the house”. She said, “no you need to join our committee”. She then told me to take the tour and then come back and see her. 

 

photo credit: Aerin.com

 

So I finished the tour and came back. She then told me about the committee and all of its activities. They are involved in the volunteer work for each home that is picked, they do fundraising, host social events, and network. I have a conference call scheduled this week with the president and I am so looking forward to meeting new women and volunteering. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and I will update you guys on this new adventure!

 

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother’s Day Weekend

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Good Morning,

I have a very busy day today. My division is preparing for a 3-day trial next week and there is a lot to do. It will be my first trial as a civil paralegal supervisor and I am a little nervous. But I believe we are ready for the challenge. I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day! I have a few things planned that I want to do but we will see. Tomorrow our subdivision is having its yearly spring garage sale and I will be setting up the boutique! I hope to get some items sold but we will see. Last year we had two garage sales and I did great at both of them so wish me luck!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My husband got me these roses yesterday from Costco for Mother’s Day! They are so fragrant. Do you spy a Sarah Flint shoebox in the background? I will be filming a new Youtube video this month giving a life update and showing a new pair of shoes! 

 

 

Beautiful azaleas right? These were on the back porch of the showhouse that I went and toured this week. On Wednesday I went to the new members meeting and next Tuesday I have a conference call to discuss membership. I will be giving you guys an update next week! 

Also, I saw this gorgeous gazebo in the paper and begged my husband to go and get it! I have been wanting to dine al fresco at home during the spring and summer for years! He should be setting this up for me this weekend! I also have a table and chairs that need to be repainted and he is going to paint those. Hopefully, I can get some flowers and create a beautiful oasis in my backyard! I will be sure to share photos of the progress and finished product. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend!

 

 

Sarah Flint ~ A New Business Adventure

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Happy Wednesday,

For the last few days, I have been on Cloud 9. Last week I think most of you read my “Shoes that Inspire” post where I shared the beautiful Perfect Pump 85x in Peacock from Sarah Flint. I shared the photos that I took on Instagram and I also did an Instagram reel for it unboxing my shoes. I tagged the company and Sarah herself. About a week later, I got an alert that I had a message on Instagram. I go to check it and it’s Sarah Flint herself!

I froze for a second….. I read her message and she offered me a spot as a Brand Ambassador for her company! I just started screaming! I know that it may sound juvenile but I have been wanting to work with a brand for a very long time. I have been blogging for 8 years and have been on Instagram since 2014 so it’s been quite a long journey for me. I have had other brands try to offer me partnerships but I just could not. I didn’t like what they sold or how they represented themselves. 

I had a few swimsuit companies offer me partnerships but I thought no way. I want to work with a company that sells elegance and is elegant and I think Sarah Flint is a perfect fit! It could not have been a better company for me! I love all of the shoes and accessories and it takes no effort on my part to blend her beautiful products into my life. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

Me in the Perfect Jay Pump 85  in Mademoiselle Cerise and carrying the Pasotti Umbrella

I shared this umbrella on my blog as well. I love her shoes! When I first saw this fabric design last year I knew that I had to have a pair. The fabric designs are so timeless. You could wear this shoe 20 years from now and everyone would still love it! That’s the wonderful part about these designs. And they are SOO high quality. You certainly can tell a difference between this shoe and the others that you have in your closet. There is just something about quality and beauty. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Just look at this stunning umbrella! Oh my goodness! It is quite beautiful! Everyone loves it. I actually let someone use it to run across the street and she just stared at it. It is the most beautiful umbrella I have ever owned! 

 

 

To celebrate this new partnership I have a coupon code for you to use to get $50 off your first shoe purchase! Use code SARAHFLINT-BASMSSHOCKLEY when you check out to use the $50 toward your purchase! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I want to thank you all for continuing to read the blog and for following me on this journey. I hope that you use the code on a beautiful pair of shoes and make sure that you tell me if you purchase a pair. I would love to know what your favorites are! Have a wonderful Wednesday! 

 

 

This post IS sponsored! Yay! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022 (part 2)

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Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I certainly did! The weather was perfect. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I was able to get my favorite dish, herb-crusted salmon with lemon sauce. Sooo good! I also have some exciting news that I will be sharing later this week. For right now let’s finish this gorgeous home tour that I took last week. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

We are going to start with this gorgeous half bathroom that was off of the kitchen. I loved everything about it. This bathroom was designed by the same woman who designed the kitchen. Tiffany Skilling is a local interior designer. I started following her on Instagram last year after I saw her work on the previous home. 

Don’t you just love the wallpaper? It’s by Kelly Ventura and this flawless vanity was custom built! Trust me I asked the guides if I could buy it or find it!

 

 

I wanted more pictures of the space but people were waiting behind me to take a look.

 

 

As I mentioned before all of the artwork were by local artists which I thought was a wonderful addition to include the local creativity in my city. It was very eye-opening to see all of the talents. This painting caught my eye because one of the guides told me that this was a local Italian restaurant in my city! I thought, “You’re kidding me right”. So I looked it up and sure enough, it was. It’s called Iozzo’s Garden of Italy. My husband and I were going to go this weekend but it is closed for renovations but will be open here pretty soon! Yes were are going! It looks like Italy. I have to go!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

So we came upstairs and passed that beautiful wallpaper and we walked into this room. Can you say Tory Burch vibes? I mean the couch!!! I was walking around with an older lady and we both looked at the couch and said, yes please! This room was designed by interior designer Todd Otterman and his inspiration was the Chiang Mai Dragon curtains. 

 

 

The next room was this bedroom and it was my favorite. I loved the chairs and the colors. This is the primary bedroom and bathroom in the home. This room had lots of antiques and french inspiration. It was designed by MJ Coyle and Blake W. Richardson. 

 

 

The pillow….

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I spy blue and white… 

 

 

This was in the bedroom as well. A photo of C.Z. Guest! 

 

 

This room did have an attached bathroom and closet. I tried to get photos of everything but it is hard when you want to absorb the tour as well. 

 

 

This was one of the kid’s rooms. It was the cutest room! I love the candy-coated color palette. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I love this bed. It’s a canopied bed that provides space to sleep and curl up with a book but it also had a bottom bed great for sleepovers. 

 

 

This was the wallpaper in the adjoining bathroom. OMG! I love it. This room and bathroom were designed by Compass Design, LLC. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We then headed down to the basement. This space was so big but I only took one photo because I was trying to learn about the space and be in the moment. The designers turned this space into the family room. I love these chairs! I have no idea where they are from but they are stunning to me! The chalky green paint color is a winner. It’s called honed soapstone 9126 by Sherwin-Williams. This room was designed by Shine Design, LLC. 

 

 

Afterward, we went outside to the backyard to shop the vendor tables and take a look at the space which was stunning! It was a wonderful tour and I so enjoyed it. I will share this. Before I entered the home the host that was giving us information before entering the home stopped me. She looked at me and told me, “you need to be doing this”. I then looked at her and said, “what”? She then proceeded to say that I need to join their committee and be a part of hosting and volunteering at these yearly home shows! Now I have never met this woman in my life but I took her up on her offer and decided to learn more about it. She has invited me to the new member meeting set for this Wednesday. I will update you guys on what happens! To read about last year’s home tour see here and here. 

The boutique also has a new arrival. The white dress for the season has arrived and I have decided to name it Chrissy. The Chrissy Ruffle Maxi is available in sizes small – extra large. It has a beautiful silhouette. Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022

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Good Morning,

I had such a great time yesterday at the 2022 Indiana Decorator’s Showhouse & Garden tour! I got up early, did my normal routine, had some grapes, toast, and 2 cups of tea and I headed out! I had to park a block away from the home because it is on a busy street but the walk was wonderful. The weather was nice and I dressed my best for the occasion. I had my new MME.Mink tote, peacock pumps from Sarah Flint, and my lilac coat! Ready for spring indeed!

 

photo credit: Showhouseindy.com 

After checking in I approached this year’s home. This is the Rhodehamel house built in 1920. The home is 10,452 square feet and has 4 levels. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

Walking in was this gorgeous antique chandelier. 

 

 

My goodness! The wallpaper!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I loved this vintage table that I believed was purchased at an auction. The peacock lamps were a nice touch as well as the painting! Most of the art in the home were from local artists around the city. 

 

 

This was the dining room. The deep dark paneled walls wrapped the room. The dark paint color was called Andiron 6174 by Sherwin Wiliams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was the kitchen. I actually love the contrast between the light cabinets and the dark cabinets. It actually looks good together and has given me inspiration for my kitchen. The colors are mindful gray 7016 and web gray 7075 by Sherwin Williams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Loving the farm sink and faucet fixture. It pulls out like a hose which is my favorite part. 

 

 

 

These floors look original right? They are not! They are actually laminate that were stained to match the original floor! There are those perfect cabinets again. I just love that color! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The tiles are handpainted! I was told by one of the hostesses that each tile was handpainted. Talk about a lot of work. I love those pot fillers. I think they are so convenient and posh. We will finish the rest of the home tour on Monday. It was a great day! I really enjoyed it. 

I have a new dress arrival coming today. I hope that they are beautiful but we will see. Don’t forget about the 10% off code for the boutique. Just use code “housewife10” to get 10 % off! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I am loving this combo! I am wearing the Ballet Lace Cardigan with the Maxine Balloon Sleeve Midi and I think they look fabulous together! It looks great for weddings, church functions, Mother’s Day events, date nights, or just everyday wear. They are both plus-size as well. I hope you can order a set! 

 

 

If you would like to see last year’s first tour you may view it here. Have a great weekend!