Principles of A Gracious Life ~ Appreciation

/in , /by

photo credit Melnychuk Nataliya
When we have a quick recognition of excellence, when we’re able to value someone or something, fully aware of the magnitude of their qualities, our illumination leads to being thankful, increasing the value of esteem. Being aware of the worth of appreciation is key to a gracious life. Whenever we esteem highly, we are validating life, its merit and worth.

When we are thankful, we ourselves increase in value, transcending time and place, becoming one with eternity. Of all the qualities of a gracious life, appreciation is the most essential. When we’re conscious of all the good and beautiful things and people in our lives, not judging, but living in continuous gratitude, we’re free to connect with the great, timeless truths. When we show appreciation, we’re recognizing the divinity within us, our true identity. 



~The Principles of a Gracious Life
by Alexandra Stoddard

The Details of Home ~ 2

/12 Comments/in , /by

Small details around one’s home are everything. I love going to visit a friend or going to a home show and viewing all the “small details”. I look at everything. I look at the paint colors, plates, towels, carpets, the floors, bed linens, I mean you name it I pay attention to all the details of home.

Home can be a wonderful place. It is a place of safety and serenity. I wrote a post about 2 years ago called “Small Details Around the Home”.  This post is a continuation of the details around my home. I have made some changes and have added some things. I do enjoy my home and I am very grateful for what I have.

My black and white chairs that I picked up at Costco.

My sitting room. To get the details on my pillows see here.

Our bedroom. I love my wing~back bed. To get the details on the bed see here.
My home office

Fresh flowers in the bedroom

My kitchen chandelier. I still love it! To see the details click here.
A new chandelier in my closet. 

My elegant arm candy.

Fresh flowers everywhere in my home…







My art on my wall in the office.

My favorite body spritz perfume (Amazing Grace).
The bottle says:
Philosophy: how you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get 
down the mountain. and so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big
gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. in the end, it all comes down to one word.
grace. it’s how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck,
the darkness and the light. 




Roses in my home office. To see more of the candles click here.
The scent in this photo is called “Garden”. 

The new dinner plates I found at T.J. Maxx. I love blue and white dinnerware. 




Lilies in my blue and white vase in the family room.
I hope you enjoyed the small details of my home. I hope to do another post soon showing other details of my home that I enjoy. Remember celebrate you life and do not let toxic people stop you from seeing the wonder in your life because they can’t see theirs. 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Are Flowers Good for You?

/2 Comments/in , /by


I had the biggest smile on my face when I saw this article Can Flower Bouquets Actually Make You Healthier? As most of you know I LOVE flowers! I buy 2 to 3 bouquets a week.

I love having a bouquet at work and at least two at home. There is just something about waking up and seeing fresh roses on my nightstand or coming home and opening my mail on my kitchen island and having a big vase full of white lilies.

The scent and beauty just take me away for a moment. Then I look over and see my daughter smiling at me. She loves red roses so I buy her a bouquet twice a month for her bedroom.

But reading this article about some of the benefits to having flowers and plants around is just another reason why I celebrate beauty. Here are some of the reasons….

“Some plants can really help us, while others can be a trigger for patients with lung disease such as asthma,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, a pulmonary sleep doctor and professor at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.
Most plants, however, will help you breathe better, says Dr. Dasgupta. (It’s probably best to talk to your doctor about potential triggers or allergens if you do have any lung conditions, though.) On a cellular level, plants give the human body the oxygen it needs to create food, while humans exhale carbon dioxide—grub for plants. In case you’re rusty on 7th grade science, that healthy relationship is called symbiosis.
My peony bouquet at the office
“Little things can go a long way,” he says. “Research has found that patients who have flowers and plants in their hospital rooms take less pain medication and have less anxiety.”

photo credit Mrs. Shockley
Plants can also reintroduce humidity into the air by releasing water, helping lubricate the nasal passages and the back of the throat.
“Lack of humidity creates an environment in your body that breeds infections,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “That’s why in the dry wintertime you see so many people getting the cold and flu. Water released naturally by plants will help with sore throats, dry skin, and heavy dry cough.”

WHAT A PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS: Bouquets can help you reach your goals.


On a more primal level, flowers appeal to our two most important senses: sight and smell.



“Smell is one of the most primal of our senses, and sight is our primary sensation,” says Kopec. “Combining our primary sensation with our primal sensation evokes strong feelings, happiness, and brings about a lot of positive moods.”



photo credit Aerin Lauder Instagram account



Barnard’s advice: Strategically place a bouquet where you’ll see it when you open your eyes in the morning. “If the first thing you see every morning is natural and beautiful, rather than, say, a turned-off television screen, it’s going to give you a more positive start to your day.”


I really enjoyed this article of course. I absolutely adore flowers. If you wish to read more about my flowers at home see here, here, and here.

text via Town and Country 

Principles of a Gracious Life ~ Elegance

/6 Comments/in , /by

My photo of the greenhouse at the Biltmore.
If you would like to read about my visit to the Biltmore Gardens see here.
“When we are sensitive to beauty in simplicity and mildness in manners, and choose to conduct ourselves in this consciousness, elegance results. Being refined in appearance, form, and style indicates that we not only respect and care for ourselves, but that we take others seriously as well. Showing interest and concern for and being receptive and responsive to those we come into contact with makes us examples of grace.”





~The Principles of a Gracious Life
by Alexandra Stoddard













Principles of Gracious Living ~ Authenticity

/2 Comments/in , /by
photo credit Aerin Lauder Instagram account

“When we are true to ourselves and to others when our character is one of integrity, we have the quality of being authentic. Our personality is genuine, absolute, and reliable, and therefore worthy of trust and credibility. When we believe in ourselves, we are free to grow in our own soil, in the direction of our pure nature, which is grace-filled.”

~The Principles of a Gracious Life

by Alexandra Stoddard











(photo via Facebook)

Cooking is ~ A list of why cooking is Beautiful…

/in , /by

I jump on Amazon from time to time to check out new books. I have always been quite fascinated with how the French live. (see my blog entry here about how I am inspired)

I recently saw this book called ” French Women Don’t Get Fat”.  So I took a “peek” inside and found this great list called “Cooking is”. I think that it reminds us of how important home-cooked meals are and how to enjoy our lives. I had to share this list….

~ Cooking is an act of love, for sure, as those of us who’ve cooked all our lives know that to spoil others is a great source of pleasure, even though for some who cook dinner every night it may sometimes seem like a chore.

~ Cooking is self-expression, a way of finding the aromas, colors, and flavors that define your personality.

~ Cooking is contemplative experience reaching and probing deep in our thoughts and emotions.

~ Cooking is memory, as it links to a person’s culture and values. Whenever we eat something, the taste and memory of all the times we have eaten that dish live in the present.

~ Cooking is seduction, from creating the atmosphere and setting, to the giving of what is loved and shared, to the cumulative engagement of the senses and being.

 My Mediterranean salmon 

~ Cooking is relaxing, and focusing on your preparation can be a getaway from daily stress.

~ Cooking is good for the mind, good for mental health, using your hands to craft a delicious and complete finished dish or meal.

~ Cooking is conversation, as a meal gathers values, tastes, rituals, and words that are passed on for generations and play an extremely important social role not only over holiday seasons.

~ Cooking is reading from a recipe in a cookbook or on the Internet, thus absorption and learning.

My chicken piccata, see recipe here.




~ Cooking is pleasure and an integral part of what is called l’equilibre alimentaire, a balanced approach to eating. 
~ Cooking is the reward for shopping.
~ Cooking is healthy. 
~ Cooking is slimming. 
I really enjoyed this list. It is much longer! I will be purchasing this book. I am sure I will enjoy it!
Thanks for reading!!!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)
(List via Mireille Guiliano 

~The Cakebake Shop

/3 Comments/in , /by

Lately I have been on this “let’s find beautiful places around my city” kick” and it seems that people keep giving me information about new consignment stores, restaurants, home decor stores, just everything! And the funny thing is I have not announced this to anyone.

This information just keeps coming to me! It’s great and a little strange. I guess that James Allen quote that I heard years ago might have some truth in it. “You attract what you are”. So since I am searching for beautiful things they are finding their way to me.

One of my co-workers told me about this wonderful little place in Broad Ripple in Indianapolis. It is called the Cake Bake Shop. My husband and I decided to go there for lunch and it was a wonderful experience.

I loved every bit of it. See my gorgeous photos below…

Beautiful 1940’s cottage

The entryway..

The treats…

Love the little teacups

Raspberry Champagne Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Lemon Cream Pie

My lunch; sun dried tomato quiche with agrula salad

My husband’s lunch; a turkey panini with potato salad 

My dessert; lemon blueberry cake, delish!
Me enjoying my lunch with my husband

Take home boxes

Cute little bag isn’t it?
I really enjoyed this place! I hope to go again soon with some friends. It is always packed! So reservations are a must! If you are ever in town please visit it.
Thanks for reading!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)