Lovely Christmas Accessories

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Well it is after Black Friday and some of the good deals have vanished from the internet. Like this gorgeous necklace from Ann Taylor.


I was hoping to share it with everyone but it sold out the day mine shipped.  No fun…..

I did happen to pick up these pretty Christmas wreath inspired earrings from Ann Taylor. These are called the pearlized ribbon hoop earrings. Very chic! 




Here they are on the model and I got a lot of compliments on them. They are great for this holiday season. 


Other wonderful Christmas clothing items that I have found are….

This great skirt is from New York and Company. It is called the Mari Tie-Waist Skirt from the Eva Mendes collection. I also bought it in the maxi version, see here. I purchased it in black and pink. Love them both!!
Here it is in the pink maxi version. I wore it to a wedding this weekend. Just lovely…



The shoes are from Payless. I could not resist getting them. They are so comfortable. I know Payless is cheap but I have gotten great shoes from there. I purchased these in black and silver.

Fioni

I hope these pieces help and inspire you to look your best this holiday season. Remember #beeleganteveryday! 










(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Allegra Statement Necklace

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This is always the perfect time to find great statement necklaces. For the most part Ava Mendes’ collection at New York and Company never seems to disappoint.

The Allegra Necklace
I was able to get this in black and green….

The necklace is very comfortable and extremely chic. Better click on the link soon! The necklace usually sells out pretty quickly. 
If you want to see my statement necklaces from years before see here.  Enjoy!!!
(photos via Google and Mrs. Shockley)

The Organized Wallet ~ Kate Spade Travel Wallet

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Being that I love fashion and all things girly, I pay attention to how women dress and accessories. I was in Bed Bath and Beyond a few weekends ago and there was a very chic women in front of me.

She pulled out her wallet to pay for her items and I could not keep my eyes off her wallet! It was so chic to me and the size was just wonderful. I love big bags and wallets and I don’t know why.

I got a glimpse at the front of it and it was Kate Spade. So I came right home and googled it! I found it at my fav store Von Maur for $228 (see here) and I thought, “Well I just don’t want to pay that much for it so I went to my second source which is Ebay.

I love all the card space. Great right?
I found it on Ebay for $103! I was so happy! That sounded much better. There are some more on Ebay if you wish to take a peek….
I had this on my “watch list” but decided to go with the black.

I found this one here.
This one was also on my list. I still may go back and get it. I just love it!
Kate Spade Newbury Travel Wallet
If you decide to buy one move quickly. They don’t stay on Ebay long. Enjoy!!!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley & Ebay)

Swarovski Stardust Pen

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This is such a beautiful stocking stuffer that I had to share it….

It is called the Swarovski Crystalline Stardust Pen. My husband picked it up for me for only $26 during Black Friday! Fantastic right?
The regular price is only $35 and comes with a velvet pouch for safe keeping. They come in four different colors. Enjoy!!


(photo Mrs. Shockley)

Wonderful Reminders for Elegance

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In 2004 the very talented Kate Spade wrote wonderful books. They were called Manners, Style, and Occasions. In each book Kate gave wonderful notes, ideas and suggestions on how to accomplish each of this items.

I purchased her book called “Style” a couple of years ago. It talked about everything from travel, to colors, posture and wardrobe classics. It has been a great addition to my library.

Recently, I remembered her other book called “Manners”. I decided to jump on Amazon and take a peek at it and ended up purchasing it right away. I am excited to read it and will share some tips from it once I receive it.




















I did however ended up seeing this list in her book and wanted to share it….


10 Gentle Reminders

~ Making others feel at ease is the essence of etiquette, yesterday and today

~ There are few words more elementary or more welcomed than please and thank you

~ Good moods are contagious. Hopefully, yours will be pleasantly catching

~ Be aware and considerate of personal space- physical, visual and aural

~ Showing respect is a gift, one that costs nothing and is endlessly appreciated

~ Think of your tone of voice as a telegraph. To the listener, it speaks volumes

~ A short fuse does nothing but burn. Should you find yourself with one, steer clear of others

~ Never underestimate the message that’s sent by your poise and your posture

~ Clothes count. Appropriate attire is not only respectful, but it’s also refreshing 


~ Let common sense by your guide and graciousness your goal








~ The Daily Life of Manners, Kate Spade



Inspiration from High Society

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High Society is one of my favorite classic films. Every time I watch it I draw inspiration from it. I especially love the scene with Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra. They play reporters at the “wedding of the season.”
The room full of “elegant junk” is just something to swoon about if you love antiques. Above is a look book from Veranda magazine. Carisha Swanson pulled together some current décor items that would come pretty close to that elegant room that Celeste was talking about.
I love item number 4. The Tyntesfield wallpaper. Oh goodness so beautiful! If you have not seen the movie High Society then you should definitely add it to your list to watch. It is sure to inspire you. But I have included the scene with Fred and Celeste below. Enjoy!
(photo via Veranda.com)

Date Night ~ Autumn in Italy Cooking Class

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My husband and I are trying to incorporate different activities into our lives. The children are growing up and we are now in a time where we really don’t need a sitter anymore.

So we recently decided to take a cooking class at Sur La Table. We have one location here in our city and we booked a date night called “Autumn in Italy”. It was wonderful I tell you!

We had such a good time!!!

We showed up for our class at 6:30 and they had the room ready to go. There were stations for each couple and you shared a station with another couple.
Both couples share the tasks. So we put on our aprons, washed our hands and started having fun!

Our station

The first thing that we made was prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with gorgonzola. It was delish and very simple. We opened the dates down the middle and stuffed them with gorgonzola cheese crumbs. After that we wrapped them in strips of proscuitto. Put them on cocktail toothpicks and placed them in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 425 degrees. The dates were sweet and the proscuitto gave that perfect amount of salt taste. Wonderful….
The next thing that we made was the Tuscan herb rub for our chicken breast.
First we salted our chicken and put finely chopped rosemary leaves, parsley, olive oil and toasted fennel seeds. 
The sauce was 3 tbls of unsalted butter, 1 large shallot, 1 large garlic clove minced, 1/2 of Chianti or red wine and 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth. We mixed that all in a bowl and poured it into a skillet. We browned the chicken then put it in the oven a 425 degrees. 
Very tasty!!!

My husband cutting up the squash for the next dish which was winter squash risotto with walnut gremolato. 
This was my favorite!!!
The ingredients for this was:
So wonderful! I could not stop eating it!
The last item was dessert and it was called maple budino.
It was so creamy and delicious! Budino is an Italian word for custard or pudding. 
–Recipe for Budino-
-3 cups heavy cream
-1 1/2 cups milk
-1 large egg
-3 egg yolk
-5 tablespoons cornstarch
-1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/1/8 cups brown sugar
-3/4 cup of maple syrup


After all the hard work it was time to enjoy our meal….

I had a wonderful time and we will be doing this again soon!!!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)