December Favorites ~ 2023

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Oh my goodness friends, I hope you all have been well and had a wonderful Christmas! I had a wonderful Christmas but boy was I sick! I don’t know if I got food poisoning or if it was upset stomach, but I was down for the count last Thursday thru Saturday. I didn’t feel better until Tuesday of this week! It was horrible! I couldn’t move and liquid was leaving my body from every hole possible. Ugghhhh!

But I got through Christmas, that sounds so bad but I did. My family could tell that I was exhausted and was gracious and helped out a lot. I got some great gifts. I got some gift cards to my favorite places but one gift that stood out to me was my Hermes pop-up book that was given to me from a co-worker! It’s fabulous! I will share photos soon.

Now let’s continue with my December favorites…

 

 

First on my list are my wreaths that I picked up at Michaels. They were on sale, and I have been on the hunt for quite some time. I added them to my stair rail and could not be happier. I do want some thicker ones but what I could do is order two more to have for next year and just add those to the ones I have for a thicker look. I added some satin ribbons as well. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

In addition to the satin ribbon, I got some houndstooth ribbon from Michaels as well. I dressed some of our gifts with it. My husband was a fan!

 

 

More beautiful boxes… I was so surprised when the Estee Lauder counter ladies gave me these beautiful Chanel gift boxes. They are very small but fit perfectly on my vanity as Christmas decor. I will be sure to add them next year as well. 

 

 

The fourth item was my new Julie Vos Monaco cuff. This cuff has literally been on my list for almost a year. I was so happy when they dropped the price by $100 and then I got 20% off! Yay! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My fifth favorite has been my home office. That’s right being home as much as possible this month has meant the world to me. I loved my Christmas decor, holiday candles, snuggle blankets, and delicious treats. Every time that I had a day to be home, I did not want to leave! My space truly made me happy this holiday season. 

 

photo credit: Laudree.com

 

Okay, I saw a LOT of advent calendars this year but this was the first advent calendar that I REALLY WANTED and sadly did not get. It was Laudree’s 2023 Advent calendar and it was gorgeous! I saw it on Instagram and stalked it for weeks. I told my husband, but he did not order it in time. It’s okay. I will be stalking Poshmark for the next several months. Someone is selling their advent calendar from last year but I don’t want that one. I want this year’s so we will see. I also fell in love with the Dior advent calendar but that one was almost $1,000! I will be stalking Poshmark for that one as well. 

 

And lastly…

 

Have you all seen this video from Helen Mirren? It is wonderful! I looked up some of her beautiful products and I ordered them from Amazon. I ordered her L’Oreal hydrating lip balm, and the L’Oreal Perfect Rosey Tone face cream. I’ll let you all know if I like them. 

I hope you all enjoy this month’s favorites. I have some beautiful tours to share with you all very soon! 

 

  • Affiliate links attached. 

 

Christmas Happenings…

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It’s the end of the year already and here shortly I will be sharing the top posts for this year. But I just wanted to say thank you! Thank you to all of you who are STILL reading the blog. My 10-year anniversary for the blog will be coming up soon and honestly, I am surprised every year that I am still blogging.

My blog and/or website has truly been a blessing for me. I really needed something other than my job and this blog has given me new friends, and new opportunities! I do love it and hope that you still enjoy reading it and being inspired. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

I really enjoyed the Christmas decor around my home. I look forward to going out in about a week and looking for decor that might be on sale. Especially at the antique stores.

 

We had our Guild luncheon and it was a lot of fun! I love seeing the Woodstock Country Club all decorated and festive. It is truly a beautiful place. 

 

 

I had to sneak in a “bathroom selfie”. The wallpaper in this room….. I just love it! We had a speaker at our luncheon this year and I will be sure to share her in another blog post. 

 

 

 

I was on the decorating team this year and it was a lot of fun being there early to help set up the dining room for our luncheon. This year we kept things simple and added poinsettias, velvet fabric, glitter ornaments, and vines. I will tell you this, I learned a lot working with these ladies about affordable decor options. Our favors this year were these cute compact mirrors that we ordered from Amazon. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

After the luncheon I decided to go on over to the Lily House and tour it again. Truth be told this is my dream home and I have it saved to my wish list gallery on my phone. I can’t get enough of the chinoiserie walls and beautiful fabrics. 

 

 

This hall is always fun to walk down. The beautiful lanterns are the perfect pop of color in this area. And the floors don’t disappoint. 

 

 

This is the dining room in the Lily home. If you missed my tour of the Lily house you may read it here. This past weekend Lauren and I went to see the Nutcracker as well. My husband and I went and toured the new RH Indianapolis gallery and a good friend of mine took me to tour the Columbia Club downtown. I will be sure to share these elegant adventures in the days to come. Until then have a Merry Christmas and don’t forget to shop the boutique. The BLKFRIDAY23 code is still available, and you get 20% off the entire boutique when you use it! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toile for Me

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Hello Friends,

All of my luncheons and office holiday festivities are complete. I took a deep breath yesterday. I was so happy that everything was done. Now I can relax a little and prepare for Christmas and Christmas Eve dinner. I really need to catch up with some blog and boutique work and next week. I will be taking a few days and hope to do just that. I also want to have a day to just sit, read, and watch some home tours on YouTube.  That would be wonderful. I am also trying to find a vision board. I think having one in my personal office would be great! I saw a beautiful one that Lydia Millien had on her channel and I cannot for the life of me remember which video that was, but I am now in the hunt!

One new decor item that I have added to personal my office is the Harlem Toile from Sheila Bridges. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I shared this new collection on the blog in October. I shared a few pieces that really caught my eye, and I knew that I wanted to order them. One of those pieces was this teacup and saucer from Wedgwood. I loved the “vanity” scene, and the colors reminded me of Laudree. I use this teacup and saucer set every weekend! It’s marvelous! 

 

 

The next item that I ordered was this pillow cover made of 100% silk and hand stitched. I only ordered one and thought that the black was a great contrasting color to my sage green settee. 

 

 

The third item that came in that order was this set of old-fashioned glasses. I saw Sheila put peonies in these glasses in one of the reels! What a brilliant idea! I loved it and had to try it. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

And the last item that I ordered was the L’or de Seraphine Morningside Park candle.  I absolutely loved the colors! It also has my favorite scene “vanity” and I could not resist ordering it. I think that this will be something in the future that one will not be able to find. Once the candle is finished burning it will be a wonderful work of art. I can use it to store pens, put flowers in, and the ideas will be endless. The candle is light floral scent. Very feminine and subtle. These little decor items are great additions to my home decor and have blended beautifully in my home. 

I hope you all have finished your Christmas shopping and are ready for the holiday season. Lauren and I will be attending the Indianapolis Ballet this weekend for our holiday tradition of seeing the Nutcracker. I just hope our seats are good. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

  • Affiliated links attached 

 

Victoria Magazine’s New Journal

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Good Morning Everyone!

We are almost in the home stretch! I have one more holiday luncheon for this season and one more party to attend. I am looking forward to being done! I know that sounds bad, but I have been the lead for two of these parties and I tell you it is a lot of work! Today I am working from home. Rick and I will be going to the new Restoration Hardware Gallery and restaurant that just opened in my city later this afternoon! It is located in the Christal DeHaan estate. It is gorgeous! I hope to share photos soon. 

Today I wanted to share a beautiful new journal that I purchased from Victoria Magazine. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

If you follow Jennifer L. Scott on the Daily Connoisseur, then you would have seen this beautiful journal on her Christmas holiday gift guide video. I knew as soon as I saw it I wanted it!

 

 

Just look at the inside. The journal is well made and has lots of beautiful photos from the magazine. I love that feature. I think that when you write an entry and have a beautiful photo next to your entry it could provide so much inspiration, hope, and beauty. I think adding this to their journal was brilliant.

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

The French blue cover with gold letters truly beckons your heart to write. It also has gilded page edges and a satin bookmark. It truly is a timeless journal. I am not sponsored but I would really consider ordering one especially if you journal like me. It will be a great addition to your collection. I love to journal and my blog entry from 2016 explains why. I hope it inspires you to journal as well! 

 

 

My First Signature Drink

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Good Morning Everyone!

Let my busy first week in December begin. Today is our office luncheon and I just hope that it all goes well. On Friday I will be attending the luncheon for the Guild and helping with set-up. I will try to take photos if I can. 

This past weekend I had a few packages arrive. Things that I have been on my wish list for quite some time were on sale for Cyber Monday and I was extremely excited. I will try to remember to share those in my December favorites. 

With Christmas closing in, I am trying to make sure that I have everything I need to cook and prepare. One thing that was a hit for Thanksgiving was my new signature drink!

 

 

A few weeks ago, one of our Guild members had a small party at her house and she gave us all this time. Well I loved it and wanted the recipe asap!

So it’s a glass of half Prosecco (white wine Moscato), half cranberry wine (of your choice), some fresh cranberries, and a cinnamon stick. So easy right? 

 

 

It was so delicious and was a hit with our family. I am so excited about this drink. I have never served a drink before so this was quite exciting to make and try. 

Let me know in the comments below what your signature drink is! 

November Favorites ~ 2023

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Hello!

Happy Friday! I don’t have much planned this weekend and I am happy about that! Yesterday my team and I went to the Ayres Tea Room for lunch. It was so good and we really enjoyed ourselves. The temperatures are dropping, and it is starting to feel like Christmas. I have 3 more luncheons to attend and then it will be time to go and see the Nutcracker with Lauren. I am looking forward to it this year.

And now here we are with my November favorites. It’s actually December! So crazy but anyway here are the things that I loved this month…

 

 

First on my favorites for November is my white mum. This was the biggest mum that I have ever had, and I still have it! It looked absolutely beautiful on my blue and white garden stool this fall. 

 

 

Second was my floral arrangement session at Random Acts of Flowers. I try to make sure that I volunteer at least once a month. This was so fun! I met a lot of women and I felt like I was creating something beautiful and meaningful for someone else. #Volunteeringrocks

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Third was the new showhouse! I am so excited to see what the designers are going to do at this year’s showhouse. Did I mention that there is a vintage greenhouse attached to this home? 

 

Fourth has been my Christmas decor for this year. I posted a video on my YouTube channel if you missed it!

 

 

 

Fifth has been this merlot vintage Micheal Kors bag from Poshmark. I was on the hunt for a red or burgundy tote, and this come up in my search! I could not believe it and the color was perfect along with the gold hardware. I got it for a steal!

 

 

 

The sixth is the Barbie Dreamhouse ornament from 1999! My mother-in-law purchased this when it debuted in 1999 and I have wanted it for my tree for years. I found it on Poshmark as well! I made an offer, she countered me and then I accepted! Yay! 

 

 

And last on my list are the gorgeous gift bags from Aerin Lauder. So I went to Von Maur to get some more moisturizer for my face, and I always ask the Estee Lauder counter girls if I could have certain gift bags. I have only been turned down once and was so happy that she gave me two! Aren’t they wonderful? 

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend! The boutique’s sale is still going on. Use code BlkFriday23 for 20% off your entire order. New arrivals included! Have a great weekend! 

 

 

My Branding Project Complete

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Good Morning Everyone!

I had a wonderful 5 days off for the Thanksgiving season! Goodness it was really hard to return to the office this week. In the next two weeks I am going to be planning 3 holiday luncheons. Out of the 3 luncheons I am the lead of 2 of them! I don’t know what I was thinking!!! But I do enjoy being on teams just not the lead so wish me luck.

Today I wanted to share my branding project that I started in late August. I shared about this project in early October and we just wrapped up everything. I am still shocked that I took this step in my blog and small business. I just felt like having a custom logo for my brand would help me keep the vision in front of me. 

After sharing my thoughts with Mary on Pinterest and having our Zoom meetings we finally nailed down what I wanted for A Home for Elegance.

Crest via MK Design

 

It all started with this crest. I love it so much! When I spoke with Mary it seems as though she could read my mind. I think she looked at my website, Instagram page, and immediately knew that a crest would suit my brand and she was right. 

So this crest, as I previously mentioned, was sketched by hand for me. Mary knew that I loved chinoiserie and I told her that I wanted to incorporate that in my logo somehow. 

 

 

I now have this logo in lots of different colors. 

 

 

Another feature that was created and included in my brand package was my brand colors! This is my color palette for my brand. I just love everything about it! Beautiful pinks, blues, greens and creams. 

 

 

This is one of the secondary logos. It has the name and the crest in the background. It also had the tagline and the year that I started the blog. So creative. 

 

 

These are samples of my new logos. I have my main logo, crest, and do you see my hummingbird logo? I have a hummingbird logo! You may have noticed it on my website’s home page. 

 

 

Above are more samples of my crest and logo in my brand colors. So beautiful and elegant! I love seeing my brand in this way. 

 

And last but not least, is my new chinoiserie pattern. That’s right Mary created my very own chinoiserie pattern that I can use for my brand projects, and I thought about using it to create my very own silk scarf. What do you all think? A silk scarf with my chinoiserie pattern?

I am looking forward to using my new logo, colors, and patterns. Having this for my brand is a dream and I look forward to what the Lord will allow me to do in the near future. Thank you all for your support since 2014!