On Vacation ~ Florida and the Biltmore Estates 2016

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Well, today is Friday and next week I will be on vacation! My family and I are headed to Florida but we have a wonderful stop along the way!

We are stopping at the Biltmore Estates! I have been wanting to go here since I was a kid. I first saw it in the movie called Richie Rich in 1995. Once I found out it was a real home I have been longing to see it ever since!

photo via Ms. Shockley 

We are taking the 2 -hour self-tour of the home. Then it’s on our way to tour the gardens…



After the tour of the gardens, we will then head over to the winery for a complimentary glass of wine…


Once we finish taking in the Biltmore we will stop in Savannah and then head to Florida!


I can’t wait to hit Cocoa Beach! Then I hope to do some antiquing, take my daughter to the American Girl Store in Orlando, and just enjoy my family. 



I will do my very best to take photos and maybe a small video at the Biltmore. I am not sure if we are allowed to. So enjoy your week and I will see you soon!



photo credit: Guillaume Lorain

Things I Savor in Life

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I love it when an author, designer or favorite blogger shares a “fav list”. Those are always so fun and interesting to read. You find out a lot about a person reading their “fav list”. I was inspired to do this list after reading Shannon Ables “Why Not… Savor Life?

Other lists that I enjoy are “Ways to Uncomplicate Your Life” and “100 Ways to Be Elegant” which has been an A Home for Elegance favorite (it has about 500 hits since 2014!).

Below is my “savor list”. I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to begin your list today.

1. Fresh flowers every week at home and at the office.

                Roses in our bedroom

2. A new bag


3. My daughter’s giggle.


4. My roasted chicken and red potatoes (dinner favorite)!

5. French bread


6. Polished nails


7. Kitten heels


My Jenn heels from Sole Society.:
My heels from Sole Society 



8. My piano lessons. I am practicing Bach at this moment.


9. The smell of floral perfumes.


10. My husband’s hair cut


11. Cooked salted broccoli




My Aerin Lauder perfume Lilac Blossom.:
My Aerin Lauder perfume Lilac Path



12. Louis Vuitton


13. A silk scarf


14. Psalm 90:17


15. Vintage earrings


16. Chinoiserie wallpaper


de Gournay Wallpaper ~ Aerin Lauder:

Aerin Lauder’s chinoiserie is so gorgeous!



17. A good conservation (life changing or revelations)


18. Beautiful china


19. An oriental rug


20. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12


summer in provence http://vickiarcher.com/2015/07/summer-in-st-remy/:





21. Vanilla ice cream with spanish peanuts 


22. Fresh water pearls (my blog entry about mine is here).


23. A glass of Risata moscato 


My glass at home



24. Weddings


25. Jennifer L. Scott’s books


26. The Bible


27. Instagram (my link is here).


28. My blog (but of course)


29. My husband in Ralph Lauren


30. Vintage Martha Stewart shows


31. Diana Krall music


Diana Krall...love this album!:
Gosh I love all of her cd’s!



32. The Fixer Upper- HGTV


33. New York City ( my visit to Rockefeller Center here).


34. Goodwill and consignment shopping


35. A BMW 535 (my dream car)


36. Chandeliers


A Home for Elegance: My Spectacular Visit to Restoration Hardware on my blog...:
Me at Restoration Hardware

37. Classic movies (my blog entry here about my favorites)


38. The Biltmore Estates (which I hope to be visiting soon)


39. Arabella Golby’s personal vlog to Florence 


40. Candles 





I hope you enjoyed my list! Of course I could continue and add more but I figured 40 was enough. If you have a “savor list” please post it below.

(photos via Pinterest and video via Youtube)


Ideas for Laundry

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Washing clothes is a chore that most of us really don’t like doing. I don’t really mind it because I like clean clothes and I love it when I can get tips on how to make it better.

One of my favorite bloggers and interior designers Nicole Gibbons gave some great tips on some daily items. See her tips below…

How Often You Should Wash Your Jeans
Every 4-5 Wears. While some say you should never wash your jeans, I recommend washing them every four-five wears. Be sure to turn them inside out and always hang them up to air dry! Here is a favorite product for washing your denim.
How Often You Should Wash Your Bras
Every 3-4 Wears. Try not to wear the same bra more than two days in a row which will help it keep its shape. The best way to wash them is the good old fashioned way… in the sink with a little gentle detergent. If you’re too busy to wash your bras by hand, put them inside a mesh bag specifically made for washing lingerie and run them on the cold, gentle cycle in your washing machine. And your bras should never go in the dryer- it will break down the elastics making them less supportive and also cause your underwires to pop out over time. Lay them flat to dry. If you’re looking for a lingerie wash bag, find some great options here, here and here.












How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets
Even I am guilty of this one but you should be washing your sheets once a week in hot water to kill any germs that have accumulated. A great hack is to put a tennis ball in the dryer with your sheets which will help keep them nice and fluffy.
Clean Your Mattress! 
Now, this is one surprising item you’re probably not cleaning! But – over time, dust mites and other gross stuff buries into your mattress – yuck! So its a good idea to give the top of your mattress a good vacuum once every six months to suck up all the dust mites and any other living organisms. If your mattress has any stains, just use a cloth and an upholstery shampoo to clean it. I also recommend using an allergen protecting cover for your mattress which will help prevent dust mites.  Any hand vac will do but here’s one specifically made to remove microscopic dust and allergens from your mattress.




Photo by Trend on Unsplash

Clean Your Purse!
Inevitably, you’ll set your purse down somewhere that’s bacteria-infested… A table at a coffee shop, a bar stool at a restaurant or even the floor which is swimming in bacteria – ew! To keep it clean, use a disinfectant wipe to clean off the bottom and inside of your purse once a week!
See my blog entry here about how I clean my bags!
Wash Your Dishwasher!
Wait, what? Yes, that’s right. While your dishwasher doesn’t seem like an obvious item that needs cleaning, the moist environment is a breeding ground for mold and fungus. To combat this, an all-natural hack is to fill a cup with vinegar set it on the top rack with the dishwasher otherwise empty and run a cycle on hot. This will naturally sanitize the inside of your dishwasher!
I do this once every couple of months. 

I love these tips and will be printing this list out. To read the original article from Nicole see here. Also, read my blog entry here about the Laundress. Enjoy washing!!!
( text via Nicole Gibbons)

Floral at Ann Taylor

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A few weekends ago my husband and I took a trip to Carmel, Indiana. Now Carmel is like the Beverly Hills of Indiana. It is very beautiful and all the nice stores are located there. They have a gorgeous Ann Taylor store.

We don’t have any Ann Taylor stores left in the city but Carmel does. So, of course, I walked in and saw these gorgeous floral earrings. It was very hard for me to pass them up….

Crystal Flora Earrings

Me in the earrings. I love!




Pick them up now before they vanish! Incredibly chic!


Enjoy!


(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

The Bee Brooch

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I love a good brooch! Especially a vintage one. I have been on the look out for a “bug” brooch for sometime now and I found a small one at Banana Republic see here. But something in my gut told me to go back for another visit and I am glad that I did. I found the perfect bee brooch….

Sparkle Bee Brooch

Here are both of my brooches from Banana Republic. Incredibly chic aren’t they?
Hurry on over and get your brooch today!
#beeleganteveryday (my hashtag on Instagram)
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

What I Learned About Pearls

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I love pearls and I have said that over and over on the blog. I have learned quite a bit about this glorious jewelry statement piece. What I learned is that they are timeless, chic, and make any outfit look wonderful and they get better with age. I recently read this simple yet informative list from Matchbook Magazine about what you should know about pearls.

Freshwater pearls: come in all shapes and sizes and a wide variety of colors.




Me with my freshwater pearls that I got from Von Maur last year, see here.
Saltwater Akoya Pearls: are round, pinkish in color, and known for their luster.


Tahitian Pearls: range in color from inky-black to bluish-silvery white. 



Golden South Sea Pearls:  are rare and lustrous with warm and golden tones. 



Now pearl necklace lengths are something else you should know. 


Collar: 12-13 inches

Choker: 14-16 inches

Princess: 17-19 inches

Matinee: 20-25 inches

Opera: 35-36 inches

Rope: 37 inches


Cultured pearls are “induced” in the shell and Natural pearls grow naturally. I hope you have enjoyed this list. Understanding this little bit of information can help you to pick out the best pearls for you. Thanks for reading!




(photo Mrs. Shockley) 
(To read the original article see here) 

Spring blooms in my life….

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I have had some great blooms for spring so far. Everything from the items I planted in my yard two years ago to the home and office bouquets I have been able to pick up at my local store. I wanted to share some of the beauty that I have had for the past couple of months.

My front yard

My “Miss America” peonies that I picked up from the nursery.

My pink flowering tree

My lilac bushes

My white lilac tree. My husband will be putting it in the ground.

Our Canadian cherry choke tree. It is so fragrant in the spring.



An up close photo of the blooms on the tree.

An up close photo of my rhododendrons. 

My pink lilies at home.

These were at my office.

And last but not least my peach roses from Costco. 


I look forward to my flowers this year. Enjoy the beauty in your life. 
(all photos Mrs. Shockley)