Evening with Designers ~ 2026

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Hello Dear Friends,

I am posting this a little late but that is okay. I am trying not to keep myself to such a strict schedule when it comes to posting on the blog when it is a busy week. We had our Influencer/ Press Day at the show house. We had lovely weather and great people. This is always an exciting time!

 

 

This was me on Influencer Day! We had a great turnout and the house looks WONDERFUL! It always surprises me how our designers pull it all together each year. It sort of magical!

 

photos via: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

Here are a few snippets of the from our show house! We have some great new designers, lots of colors, and very supportive sponsors.  This particular home was built in 1930 as one of the first spec homes in Indianapolis. It is 5,700 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. 

 

 

This is the dining room. Just look at the amaryllis paint color! There are lots of layers, Staffordshire Dogs, and Waterford Crystal. I will have more details in the next few weeks.

 

 

The weather turned out so great! It was nice to thank our sponsors and celebrate our designers. It’s a great start to our show house year and to catch up with members as well. 

 

 

Mr. Shockley, always joins in on the festivities. He serves with me as a docent each year and everyone is getting to know him. Oh brother! But it is nice having a very supportive husband and someone willing to serve this wonderful organization! If you are local, please stop by the show house. We have lots of events going on including a Mahjong event! The link is here if you are interested. Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Reflective Post ~ Thoughts on my Youth

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Hello Friends,

I am trying to start my week off in the right direction. I am focusing a lot on planning around my energy and my thoughts. This past Easter weekend was lovely. We had family over and spent time with the new granddaughter.

 

 

I kept the table setting simple this year. Our adult kids wanted baked spaghetti for Easter dinner. It is a family favorite. I also picked up this vanilla cake with whipped icing on the outside and inside. It was so delicious! This cake has been a family favorite for years. 

In today’s post I wanted to revisit a post that I wrote and shared in 2020. I can’t believe it has been six years already, but a lot has changed in me since then. It’s called Thoughts on my Youth, and I wrote it during a time where I was working from home and FINALLY got a chance to breathe and actually sit down and think about what has happened in my life for the last 15 years. 

I went back recently and re-read that post and watched the video of Beyonce making her comment. I sat with it for a moment and what makes me happy is that I wrote that post six years ago and it documented where I was. It also helps me to understand why I made some decisions in the years after. 

 

 

Photo via: Aerin Lauder

 

 

Now I still wish I had studied abroad and visited a few countries, but who is to say that I can’t do it now? There is a comment in that post from a reader named Arabella and she mentioned that maybe this is the time, when I am older, that I am suppose to have my adventure. Perhaps I will appreciate it more now than I would have in my 20s. And you know what, she is absolutely right! Now since I am working on my health and building my life team a lot has changed in the last 6 years. The Lord has given me adventures. They are small, but I think he is building my confidence to have bigger adventures in the future. 

I think at that moment I needed time to sit and rebuild. As most of you know I started therapy two years ago and have started my hormone journey.  I honestly think that time is working out as it should. That post that I wrote was the beginning of me entering my “seeking season”. I shared what I learned about those seasons in this blog post. 

So, with all of this being said I am saying, my time is working out the way it should. I am learning to trust HIS process. It will still be a journey. I am still learning but I want to have my journey with God when I should. 

Have a great week! 

 

March Favorites ~ 2026

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Hello Friends,

I had a wonderful quiet weekend. I spent most of it at home. I needed a weekend to get chores done. I clean up my flower beds, swept out the greenhouse, and reorganize it. I cleaned my bathrooms, washed some clothes, and even gave myself a pedicure! The weather was wonderful! I even enjoyed some ice cream and watched a few movies. It’s been a while that I have had a weekend that I felt productive. 

I am still learning to “plan around my energy” and I am trying to pay attention to if I am living well. Let me know in the comments below how your spring cleaning is going. 

 

photos: via Mrs. Shockley 

 

First on my list of favorites is a floral bouquet that I purchased for myself. I normally purchase flowers from my grocery store. They have not been great but this month I actually found some wonderful blooms. It was nice and speaking of blooms my tulips are coming up in my raised beds! It has been such a nice surprise.

 

 

Next up are handbags! I got a call in early March from my SA at Coach. She told me that Coach was requesting that all of the green Coach Empire 48 bags be returned to the warehouse! I have no idea why, but when you try to search for them now you cannot find them. I was glad that I grabbed one before they were sent back! My second tote purchase was the Knightsbridge Travel Bag from Holland Cooper. Jade the founder of Holland Cooper posted a video about it in October of last year and I was finally able to purchase it this month! It is sold out already but get on the list to be emailed about it being restocked if you are interested. 

 

 

Next is another FBMP purchase! If you watched my recent video you will know that I am working on my guest bedroom. I share more details in my video, but I found this beautiful vintage queen size headboard and footboard on FBMP. I am now on the hunt for a mattress and then let the fun begin! I can finally put the room together.

Now that spring is here, I can finally open the windows. I ordered these curtain tiebacks after another influencer shared them on her page. They are what I call Amazon chic!

 

 

 

 

This was such a beautiful moment at home. At this moment I was planning my week for beauty and wanted to capture it. I shared a small reel on Instagram. I had a candle burning, it was quiet, and very enjoyable. I am trying to take moments like this once a week to work at my desk and embrace the beauty that I live in. 

 

 

 

Here are some of my pockets of peace! I went antiquing last week and drove to Thistle and Thyme. It is an amazing antique store in my city. The owner does such a beautiful curating her store. I just love how everything is decorated and placed in the store. You can tell it is with purpose. While I was there, I spotted this red and white faux floral arrangement. Now I don’t have any red in my home, but I could not stop looking at these. They have been there for a while because I remember seeing this arrangement months ago. I decided to buy it. It has landed on my desk for now. I actually don’t mind it being there.

And last is my home office. I was sitting at my Mahjong practice table one morning, I was there practicing, and I saw this area in my office. I loved my settee with the faux fur throw, my pillows, chinoiserie stool, and Mrs. Alice urn. It just made me smile.

My newsletter will be hitting your inboxes soon. Have a great week and Happy Easter!

 

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Laundry Room Update ~ Part 2

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Hello Friends,

It is finally spring and I am hoping that I can get rid of my coat soon. I have been wearing a coat most of this month and it has not been fun. My tulips are starting to peek out of my flower bed, and I am headed out to my greenhouse soon to do a clean out. We really need to get in the yard and do some cleaning up. I hope to get that done in the next few weeks. There is always something when it comes to home life. 

The latest project has been the laundry room. The last time I reorganized this room was in 2020. I loved what I did then but lately it has gotten worse to me, and I wanted to install some cabinets, so we did. Finally! 

 

 

This is what the room looked like before. I really needed to go through all of my linens and blankets. I needed to look at all of the products that I had. I needed to get rid of extra hangers. There was so much decluttering that needed to happen. 

Once we got everything out of the room, I was able to see the space and figure out how I wanted it to look. I donated bags and bags of old sheets, blankets, and other linens. I threw out old products, swept, and moped the floor. It felt so good getting rid of everything. 

 

Cabinets installed by Mr. Shockley

 

Ahhhh! It felt so good getting these installed! I smiled like a kid! We went to HomeDepot and purchased these beautiful Hampton Bay shaker wall cabinets in the gorgeous dove gray color. I also picked out these handles as well. Everything looks so good! All of our products and cleaning supplies are stored away. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now does this look familiar? This is my old closet organizer from my 2018 update! I did not want to get rid of these. I knew they would be a perfect fit in the laundry room. It looks so wonderful and provides more storage. I ordered some valet rods to install on the cabinets to use to hang my clothes from. 

I also could not resist adding some blue and white ginger jars. What inspired this was Randi Garrett’s laundry room. Oh my goodness do I LOVE this room! I would also love a dog bath and a separate linen closet. I mean a whole room! I am so happy with the changes and have already loved the difference that this has made. 

Don’t you just love decluttering? Have a great week and be elegant! 

 

 

  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

Antiques & Brie

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Well, it’s a snowy cold week here! Yeah you read that right, we have snow in March!!! Now the good thing is it will not stick but good grief! I am so worried about my tulips. I hope they will be okay. 

I am still trying to “plan around my energy”. If you watched my latest video, then you will know what I am talking about. I have a very low stress weekend planned. I really want to head to an antique store, but we will see how things go. 

We (the Guild) had an event a few weeks ago and it was marvelous! I have been wanting to share it. It was an antiquing event at Midlands. Now I have shared this place before numerous times, and it is still a feast for the eyes! 

 

photos via: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We walked in a saw a vintage table laid out with wine, tea candles in wine glasses (I will be stealing this idea), cheeses, nuts, crackers, pita bread, chocolate, and this amazing brie! I love that the antique store used crystal and silver in the table settings.

 

 

This was the amazing brie. One of the hostesses told me how to make it but I seriously needed it written down. I know it had brown sugar in it, almonds, and layers of gooey brie cheese. It was truly magnificent!

 

 

 

Look at this fantastic table setting! Now this is how you greet your guests. I loved the many layers that it had and all of the antiques surrounding it. We had vintage chairs, and beautiful Asian screens. 

 

 

The store is huge. It’s an old warehouse with probably hundreds of vendors. Everyone carefully curates their spaces and makes it look like a store. 

 

 

 

I love it when a vendor styles their space in a way where you can visualize the items in your space. I think it provides or assists in giving you ideas and inspiration. Now here is one of my favorite rooms in the building. I call it the chandelier room! It’s a dream when you walk in and has so many layers. There are linens, and vintage pieces, pillows, curtains, lamps, and on and on! 

 

 

I found this charming vintage inspired vanity. The fabric is a showstopper! I had to grab it. I have nowhere to put it, but I will figure it out later. I could not leave it there. The price was only $50 so I thought it was a steal. 

 

 

 

It also has a lot of storage in addition to its beauty. Who knows, it may end up in my closet or dressing room. That’s what I want to call it. 🙂 I really hope that we can do this event again. I loved it and thought it incorporated so many things. It involved supporting a small business, friendship, connecting, and food.

 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Office Space

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Hello Friends,

Well, I have been sick. Last week I had the flu and could barely get anything done in my life. I took a break from the blog and honestly should have taken more time from work, but I was finally getting caught up when I got sick. 

This past week Rick and I had our 22-year wedding anniversary, Lauren turned 21, Rick turned 50ish, and Ely turned 26! It’s crazy to know and realize that I am now in this pocket of life with adult children and a new grandchild! 

I am also trying to get back on track with my health, food, and rest. I hope you all enjoyed the newsletter and enjoy Jennifer’s video. This month I am trying to focus on “planning things around my energy”. Because of daylight savings I thought this would be a good nugget to take from Jennifer’s video. I hope to continue to explore that list this year. Okay, now onto my new office space downtown!

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now let’s start off with my vintage secretary. I have already shared this on the blog, and I was a little nervous about it being in my new office space. Now I can’t imagine my space without it. It is the perfect piece. My US Attorney has complimented on it several times already. It houses all of my personal items and some office needs. It is truly and dream and helps me to live a beautiful life in this space as well. 

 

 

Next up is the front of my office. I brought along my vintage chairs. Of course, chairs are needed in my space for guests, but I like having my own chairs. We also have my nesting tables from FBMP and my vintage mirror that I purchased during the pandemic. Everything flows so beautifully and makes the space so comfortable. On the wall is a new picture. I found this chinoiserie style painting at HomeGoods and everyone loves it! It looks like a vintage scarf or wallpaper. Again, it ties in my chairs, mirror and, colors. 

 

 

Here is a snapshot of my desk and windows! I finally have windows. You can see my floral arrangement, Ralph Lauren dragon lamp, my porcelain tissue holder, Wedgwood dish (it holds my paper clips and paper clip remover), elegant storage box, pink Stanley and office chair. There are hints of blue and white everywhere. The large piece in the back is my wardrobe, and it houses my coats and other accessories. 

 

 

Now I did add curtains a few weeks ago. I decided to add some cream and white ones but then I realized the next day that the cream looked more yellow and I did not like how that looked so I took them down. I think the sheer white looks better but now I feel like my curtains need to hit the floor. What do you all think?

Overall, I am loving my new space and enjoyed bringing in new vintage pieces and using them. I always say you should enjoy the space that you are working in. It should be elegant and functional. It’s so funny sharing my spaces over the years. Here was my space in 2022, and this was my space in 2014! How funny! You can definitely see my growth. 

 

Have a great week!

 

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February Favorites ~ 2026

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Well, that went by fast. February is over. I honestly didn’t realize until last week that we only had one week left. Geez, I was going to post something else but then realized that I need to do my February Favorites. I have been trying some new things this month so here we go… 

 

 

My first favorite is my Galentine’s Day lunch with my girls! We always have a great time at lunch, and it is so good to catch up with each other and spend time together! We had lunch at Restoration Hardware which is always a treat! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Next up is my new nightgown! Don’t you just love a new nightgown? I purchased this from Amazon and have been wearing it non-stop! It is so elegant and so comfortable! I need it in more colors. Then I decided that I needed a new hairbrush for my downtown office space. I found this leopard one on Amazon as well. It’s functional and chic!

 

 

Okay, don’t make fun of me but I got an email about two weeks ago sharing this Disney Princess castle candleholder from Bath and Body Works. The little girl in me took a gasp! I had to have it! Those of us with VIP access got to shop first so I ordered mine right away. Then it sold it in less than 48 hours! Keep your eye on it. They might restock it. 

 

 

 

Next up are some office beauties. I will be sharing some more photos from my new space soon. I wanted a new sophisticated trinket box for my space and ordered this decorative box from Amazon. It is huge and so elegant! It comes in many different colors. I think I need a second. Then my husband sent me some pink roses my first week in the new office. That were so beautiful and smelled wonderful! He then sent a second bouquet for Valentine’s Day!

 

Speaking of elegance did any of you see Jennifer’s video about Elegant Planning? Oh, I loved it and hope you will enjoy it as well. 

 

And last on my list is a new health product. I have been really interested in collagen and wanted to try some to help with my joints, skin and possibly help me get more protein. I found Quince’s Collagen Peptide Plus and it is sooo good! I have been putting it in my morning lattes for the last month and have really enjoyed the taste. In addition to the collagen, it has 20 grams of protein! I also saw that it is third-party tested which is a huge plus for me.  

 

 

I add some warm frothy oatmilk and it becomes a real treat. Let me know in the comments below what collagen are you using. People have been stopping me saying, “your face is so radiant, and it is glowing”. Hummm I wonder if it is working? 

I hope you enjoyed this month’s favorites. The newsletter should be coming out soon! Have a great week. 

 

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