My French Country Home ~ A New Book

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Sharing new books with people is a great way to communicate and share beauty. I could not wait until my copy of this book arrived. I knew that it was going to be special.

My copy at home
My French Country Home is such a reading and visual treat! I loved how Sharon discussed in the beginning chapters how she was purchasing her chateau in Normandy. She said that French real estate agents do not share information easily. She had to fax and write letters to all the local realtors and notaries but none of them got back to her!  WOW, I did not know that it would be that hard to house hunt in France. 

Makes me a little nervous as an American….

Cherry Clafoutis
I don’t want to tell the rest of the story but it is a wonderful read and a real eye opener for someone like me from the states who wants to buy a chateau someday. It won’t stop me but I now know that I must be patient. 

Rose Petal Jelly
The recipes look scrumptious and easy. I also enjoyed looking at all of the vintage china that Sharon picked up at the local brocante fairs. That is something that I would LOVE to do! Attend a brocante fair in the countryside of France. 
Pages from the book, lovely aren’t they? 

And here is a lovely photo of Sharon Santoni. I have enjoyed her two books and I love her blog. I am always excited when she posts real estate property for sale. Especially, when it is a chateau. Oh my heart just sings. I would love to see one in person. 
I do hope that you check out Sharon’s book. I know for me when I read it; it takes me away for awhile. Into the countryside walking around the cherry blossom and magnolia trees. It is truly elegant. I also wrote about her first book here. It is very inspiring also. 
(photos via My French Country Home)

South Carolina ~ 2018

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Well, once again I must travel for work this week. I will not be blogging but I hope to return back the following week.

I don’t know if I will be able to have or go on any adventures but I will enjoy myself. Traveling for work has truly been a great perk for me. I do enjoy the training opportunities and the networking. 
I hope you have a great week and see you soon!
(photos via Pinterest)

A Closet Update

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This past week my husband was working with a client on a closet renovation. She was having her closet re-done and was getting rid of some of her cabinets.

Can you believe that she was throwing these away? I couldn’t believe it and neither could my husband. So he gathered them up and brought them home. 
I was not expecting this so it was a pleasant surprise. These are my original shoe shelves in my walk-in closet.

My shoes were piled high on these shelves. 
This is what it looked liked after removing my shelves and adding the cabinets. 
I still can’t believe that she was going to throw these away!! It’s incredible! 

I love all the drawers. I can add jewelry.

Or my silk scarves! I actually love the way this looks and will be leaving these in there. 
I found this cute little blue and white ginger jar at Homegoods this weekend!

I put some blue and white pieces at the top also. I do adore the way it looks and I am so grateful to my husband and his hard work and the gracious client who gave them to me.  Thank you!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

My Inslee Calendar

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Oh my goodness!!! I have been an Inslee fan for a few years now! I first saw her work on another blogger’s page. I just admire her artwork. It is truly beautiful.

I signed up for her emails so I get notices about sales. Well she recently had a sale on her 2018 calendars. I had to order one.

It arrived in this wonderful box. It is very sturdy and chic!
Opening up the package….
Beautiful illustrations and the easel comes with it!
I have to say this one is my favorite! I am headed to D.C. again next month for work. Fingers crossed that I get to see the cherry blossom trees! I certainly hope I do!
I noticed her little Chanel inspired pumps in the illustration and realized that I have the same pair! Well isn’t that chic? Please visit Inslee’s website and view her work. You can also Google some of her paintings and illustrations. They are truly exquisite! 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Monique Lhullier Collection

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This has been one of the most beautiful collections that I have seen so far in 2018. I follow Pottery Barn on Youtube and watched their video of Monique Lhullier’s lastest botanical collection. I WILL be going to our local Pottery Barn to see this in person!

Beautiful, isn’t it?
Monique Lhullier Dinnerware collection

It is only $48 for a set of four dinnerware plates!!
How fabulous is that?
Even the table linens are lovely.
Table linens
She has added bed linens to the collection also. I can’t wait to see this in person. 
I think I may have to buy some of those plates and some tea towels. 
Here is the video, enjoy!!!!

(photos via Pottery Barn.com)

My Denim Shirt

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Denim, denim. I have never been a fan really but I recently saw this beauty on the New York and Company website.

It is called the Ruffled Denim Jacket. It is really chic and I really like it!

I wore it to work on a casual Friday and it worked really well. It was comfortable and still classic. I was very happy with this purchase. 
Of course everyone around me was saying, “oh goodness, you’re in denim”!!! It was a shock to many but I was still able to keep my normal attire and I made it work for me. I added the brooch and a gold bracelet. It was great! 
I hope that you enjoy this jacket. It is the ONLY denim item in my wardrobe. If they keep making chic pieces like this I might be able to add more. 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Faux Pas to Avoid at Work

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Here is another great list of etiquette rules from expert Myka Meier. In this list she discusses office etiquette. Myka says, “Having good etiquette at work mostly simply means to be considerate and respectful of everyone around you”.


If you have a door, close it if you take personal calls. If you don’t have a door or are in an open-plan space, keep private calls short by saying you’ll call the person back on your next break, or walk to an area that is more conducive to personal calls like a lounge area or even outside. If you work in an open office space and professional phone calls distract you, remember that it’s probably not the person’s intention to bother you. Try to be understanding of the situation and keep a good pair of headphones nearby.
Keep your computer and phone muted or on silent so that every time you get an email or message it does not alert everyone on your floor.
Do not use a conference room to take long personal calls or treat it as your personal office. Squatting is for the gym—not the workplace.
In addition to doing your part to keep the bathroom clean, do not use the restroom to socialize, whether you need to call your mom or catch up on the latest office news. It’s called water cooler chat for a reason.
photo credit This is Glamorous
If you’re in a meeting, give your undivided attention to the person speaking. If you must send off a quick note or check something on your phone or computer, keep it short and sweet.
Unless everyone is in on the joke, keep loud conversation to a minimum. There might be a distraction but you don’t want to become one.
While eating lunch away from our desks is a luxury these days, remember those sitting around you. Try to avoid foods that splatter or slurp or have a lingering smell in a shared office space. As much as you may love steamed fish, the rest of your team will probably won’t.
You might love your gardenia-bomb perfume, but the office is a place to keep scent subtle. If you choose to put on fragrance, remember it’s meant to go on pulse points only and not clothing—it can permeate the whole room.
(I have to be so careful with this, I love a wallflower in my office but I can’t leave it in. Not everyone will appreciate smelling apple all day). 
To read the rest of Myka’s list visit the website here. I also wrote about office faux’s. You may visit them here and here. Enjoy!!!!
(photos via Pinterest)