Rituals ~ Do you have any?

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I was inspired to write this post after reading Shannon Ables blog post called Why Not…Establish Weekend Rituals?   


Are you a routine kind of person? Do you have rituals? I know I do and I get easily frustrated when someone tries to break it. I am learning that things happen and that sometimes you can’t control everything. It is during those moments that you learn to “go with the flow”.



























photo credit Alex Papachristidis Instagram account


I have some rituals that I do every day or every weekend and I make sure that I enjoy my weekly rituals.

1) During the week I stop by my favorite restaurant called Panera and pick up their pumpkin muffie for breakfast.


And oh my goodness is it soft and delicious!


2) I always make sure that the current books that I am reading are packed in my bags. 


Read my blog post here about this book.

I recently heard about this book from another author. 
So far it has been wonderful! I downloaded it to my Kindle. 




3) I have a cup of hot water, lemon, and honey along with my fruit fusion water every morning. See my blog post here about that.
My cup and china at home.

4) I cook our favorite meal which is roasted chicken about twice a week. We do love it!
Our meal at home.

5) I love to watch certain Youtube channels every morning while exercising. One channel I love to watch and follow is Sharon Santoni. I love this recent video she posted about the French cheeseboard. It was absolutely wonderful and if you watch it below pay attention to the beautiful decor of the home. The french live so beautifully to me….

6) Last and certainly not least is my daily devotionals. Yes, I am a Christian. Sorry I know that is not popular but I should be free to say that. I love to read my bible and other devotionals. My faith is very important and it keeps me in order. Trust me, I would not be searching so diligently for the “elegance” that I love so much without God. 
















photo credit Nicolas Fairford Instagram account

I hope you enjoyed this post and share some of your rituals. It is always interesting to see how other women live. 






Small Details Around the Home ~ Part 3

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Each year I try to share little details of my home life. These are just small photos of items around my home and how we live…..

My poinsettia in my sitting room

My Christmas plates

My table for Thanksgiving
Our kitchen. I love my chandelier!

My Ralph Lauren ginger jar that I found a T.J. Maxx.
Love….
My Christmas cactus in my office. It’s blooming!!!

Another view in my office. Yes, I have poinsettias every where. 



I hope you enjoyed the small details of my life. If you wish to see the other posts about this see here and here.
You can also read this post from last year, see here.

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Gelato Cream

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Snow has finally hit Indiana and it is cold! So with that comes the dry skin problems. I am not sure where I saw this cream but the Clinique Gelato Cream is just heavenly.

This cream is so rich and soothing that I take it to work and bring it back home!

My jar at home
The fragrance that I picked was sugared petals. It has a light floral scent. Very subtle and luxurious. 
The other fragrances that they have are Clinique Happy and Berry Blush. All three are wonderful and lightly fragranced. I hope you are able to go to your local beauty store and give them a whiff. They are quite delightful. 


(photos via Mrs. Shockley )

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)