My Waterford Crystal Vases

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I know many of us have heard or seen the beautiful vases called Waterford. If you have purchased a gift for a wedding registry, I am sure that you have seen those beautiful crystal, glasses, dishes and vases on the shelves or cabinets at those stores.

Honestly and truly I have never paid much attention to these items until my favorite Youtuber Trina Leavers shared her home and talked about her Waterford vase that stayed in tact when her roof collapsed on it!

Once she said that I decided to take a closer look at these beautiful and slightly majestic vases.

This is my Waterford vase. It is called the Normandy vase and it is on sale now.  I have four so far. My husband got me this one for Valentine’s Day this year. 
This is my Waterford Grant vase. My husband got it for me 2 years ago for Mother’s Day. 
Now I have 2 of the Waterford Cassidy vases. My husband purchased one for me and than the second we found at a thrift store for only $15! I could not pass that up even though I already had one. 
I keep the second one at my office. Would you have passed it up? It had the box and everything. No, I could not leave that there. My heart would not let me. 🙂 
I do enjoy having these vases. I think they are wonderful heirlooms. I look forward to passing them down to my daughter. Click on the link above to read the history about this wonderful company. 






(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Coffee Table Update

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I know that I have expressed my love and admiration for Aerin Lauder’s gold furniture numerous times. I have been watching and waiting patiently for the perfect gold coffee table and I finally found one this past weekend.


This was my old coffee table. It is faux bamboo and I picked it up at an antique store about 2 years ago. It served its purpose but honestly, it was too small. I only paid about $40 for it so I got my money’s worth from it. 

This is my new gold coffee table and I love it! I follow a Facebook page called Salvage and Company and it is located here in our city. 


They posted two photos of gold coffee tables. The other was a little smaller and honestly, I was looking for that one but it sold already and the lady that works there said that this one was better than the other one. 


Honestly, I love the way it looks! I don’t know if I will be keeping my brown couch. I really want to get rid of it and I probably will soon. I just want to take my time building my home. I am in no rush. 


I do love the color of my gray chairs. If you follow my blog you would remember these from two years ago. They were burgundy but I had them reupholstered. See here to read about it. 

I am happy with the way it turned out and I love having space. I can put books on the second shelf or more happy little trinkets to enjoy. 

(photos via Mrs. Shockley

Elegant Cover-Ups

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How many of us have had a heel snap or a button burst? I know I have and anytime you go out myriad things can go wrong.

And as Kate Spade put it in her book Manners when these things happen, laugh, throwback your shoulders, and move on.

I have been reading this book for the last couple of months and in the section called, ” Dressing Disasters: Slips, Rips, and Broken Heels”, Kate gives wonderful advice on how to handle these mishaps.

~ The blouse with the missing button-  You notice this during a business lunch. If you’re wearing a blazer, draw it closer; otherwise, pull up your napkin to cover the offending wink of skin. 

photo credit Ilyas Bolatov

~ A hole in one-– You walk into a room, sit down, and realize you’ve got a large run in your stocking. Excuse yourself and remove the stockings. Even on a cold day, a bare leg is preferable.  (I have done this a number of times)


~ Great dress, wrong bra– When you put on your sleeveless dress it didn’t occur to you to check that no straps showed in back. If you have a shawl or sweater, drape it over your shoulders, or ask a friend to borrow hers. 

photo credit Charisse Kenion 

~ You’re stepping out of the car and whoops- the heel on your shoe breaks off. Ask yourself which looks funnier- one barefoot with one shoe, or two bare feet? Sometimes it makes more sense to jettison both shoes. 






















~ The one time you borrow clothes from your best friend, disaster strikes– the zipper breaks, buttons burst, or you become a magnet for mustard. The sooner you can change, the better. Afterward, be honest and tell your friend what happened; inform her you’ll have the garment repaired and dry cleaned. Return it with a short note and a small token expressing your appreciation. 




~ You missed the fine print- you’re the only one in formal wear. Slip off your jewelry, unpin your hair, and quickly wipe off excess “party” makeup. Then flag down the nearest waiter with the champagne tray. 






~ You thought the restaurant was casual, when in fact it’s dressy, as are all the people already there. Comb your hair, apply lipstick, and don a confident smile, then glide to your table as though you were in ermine ( and pray for a banquette seat). Once the table’s pushed in, who will know you’re in jeans?























Photo by Greta Farnedi on Unsplash









~ Your date sees the tags you forgot to remove hanging inside of your new coat. Laugh it off, then quickly get into your coat and head out the door. 





These were some fun and helpful cover-ups from Kate Spade. I do hope that you enjoyed these and that you think about picking up her book. It is quite delightful.

February Finds

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I am always on the “hunt” for beautiful things and wanted to share some of my fav finds for February.

This shoe is really comfortable and super chic.
Franco Sarto Calix Wedge
This shoe has been really popular on my blog, see here if you missed it. 
It is so chic and people do stare at this shoe. 
It is very stunning. I have in black and white. 
Darron Pump
Pretty stud earrings!!
Stud Duo

Tassel Earrings

I found this gorgeous tote at T.J. Maxx for only $60!
Anne Klein Sandra Large Tote
I have been wanting a Louis Vuitton Neverfull for some years now. My fav store Von Maur has been selling them consignment and I got a wonderful deal on this one!
If you are interested in purchasing a used one I would suggest this website called Tradesy. I have purchased two Louis Vuittons from them and I love them! 
Also, if there is a Von Maur near you I would try them too!
And last but certainly not least I found this wonderful teacup and saucer at T.J. Maxx.
I tried to find a link but was not as lucky.
As always thank you so much for stopping by. I hope that you enjoyed these finds as well!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Random Posts from 2014

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I wanted to share some of my first year blogging posts today. I thought it would be fun to share those and to see how much I have changed in the last three years. I hope you enjoy them…..





Well Hello (first post ever!)













































photo credit Mrs. Shockley 





Elegance for Bed


















photo credit Mrs. Shockley 



I certainly enjoyed my first year of blogging and hope to continue with more.


Top 10 Rules of Table Manners

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In society today things are so different. We are taking pictures of our food and doing crazy things at the table. I know… I am guilty of these myself. When a dish I picked looks wonderful I am always impelled to take a photo but I always keep the “flash” off and I try to do it quickly without anyone seeing me.

My husband here lately has been waiting until everyone is served before he begins his meal. I love it and it has inspired the children to do the same. I have been wanting to have better table manners lately and have been trying to pay better attention to how I act during dinner.

Even at home, I want to be excellent. I was flipping through my book The Butler Speaks and found his Top Ten Rules of Table Manners. Some of them are reminders while others give you something to think about…..

1) Your Dinner Napkin: Never tuck your napkin into your collar. When you want to use your napkin, put your cutlery down first and pick it up from your lap. When you are done with your napkin, place it back on your lap, and resume eating.



























Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash


2) Elbows: As your mother always said, no elbows on the table. Also, don’t let your elbows stick out at your sides like wings. Keep them tucked into your body, especially when lifting food to your mouth.

3) When you don’t like what is being served: Inevitably there will be times when you don’t like the dish being served. Take a little of what is being served, try it, and try not to look unhappy. You don’t need to finish it.



4) Bringing your fork to your mouth: Never lean over the plate. Instead, bring your fork to your mouth. ( This is a new one for me)

5) Your cutlery: Speaking while holding your cutlery and, worse yet, pointing with your cutlery while speaking is considered very rude. And avoid holding your cutlery “as if you are going to war”, as my mother always says. Put cutlery down while chewing.

photo credit Randi Garrett.com
6) Reaching: Never reach for the salt. Ask the person beside you, “Would you pass the salt, please?”

7) Speaking: Never speak with your mouth full, I know, you’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating.

8) Blowing your Nose: If you must blow your nose, never do it at the table. Excuse yourself and go to the restroom or elsewhere. Be as quiet as possible so you do not disturb the other guests at the table.



9) Dealing with spills at the table: If you accidentally spill something, don’t make a big deal about it. If there are servers, motion for one of them to bring you additional napkins. Deal with the problem as quietly and quickly as possible. If you accidentally spill something on someone else, resist the temptation to wipe down yourself. Instead, offer your napkin.




10) Concluding your meal: At the end of every meal, the napkin always goes on top of the table, never on your chair. Push your chair back into the table; don’t leave it where you got out of it.

I do hope that you enjoyed these tips from Mr. MacPherson. I know I did. I also found a vintage Martha Stewart video on table manners 101. The link is here.  I do hope you enjoy it!

(list via Charles MacPherson) 

The Art of Conversation

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We all have those awkward moments when you don’t know what to say to someone during a party or class. I have been there. For me, I usually remain silent so that I don’t say anything strange or offensive.

Luckily, Mr. MacPherson has some great ideas on mastering the art of conversation. First, make an effort to speak with those on either side of you, and at a normal volume. Yelling at a dinner party will dominate others’ conversations- and it’s a mark of poor etiquette all around.





























photo credit the French Manoir Instagram account

 
Second, if you’re lost for conversation subjects, say something flattering to your neighbor. Don’t gush with false flattery, but find something kind, gracious and sincere to say.


Third, come prepared with something to speak about. I recommend reading the newspaper every morning, especially before an important dinner. Alternatively, listen to the news on the radio or on television. Doing so keeps you abreast of current events, and will give you many relevant topics to converse about.  


photo credit Murphy Beckerart Instagram account


And lastly, be careful what stories you tell and how you tell them. Always think before you speak! I know I need this but I am sure that we have all had those moments of, “Oh goodness, I wish I had not said that”. 



I hope you enjoyed this great set of tips from The Butler Speaks. This is a wonderful book and a great guide! 


(text Charles MacPherson)