April Cornell~ Vintage Inspired

I stumbled on this company April Cornell a few weeks ago while reading some of my favorite blogs. April sells vintage clothing, home decor and linens. Her company seems to be inspired by the 1940’s which is one of my favorite decades!

The fashion and home decor was so simple and functional back then. The women dressed nice everyday and so did the children. It was a time when people took honor in the way they looked and families had sense of love and devotion for one another.

Please visit her site and let it take you back in time with a little kick to it! There is so much that her company offers. They have nightwear, skirts, pants, bridal dresses, dresses and plus sizes! There is a girls section, baby, linens & kitchen, home decor, accessories, and the Ladies Attic.

Now in the Ladies Attic section every thing is half off! Also, there is the April’s Attic Sale where more treasures have been discounted for everyone! I really enjoyed visiting her site and I intend on buying some of the kitchen linens, one of the aprons and who knows what else! There are so many goodies in her store!

Lastly, April has a channel  on Youtube. Go and watch some of her videos about her products. Enjoy!

Ladies Coral Dress (one of my favorites)
Girls

(photos via April Cornell.com)

Elegant Baby Shower Ideas & Checklist

I love throwing baby showers! It’s another fun way to celebrate with friends and family. Last year my brother had his first baby and I was so thrilled to host the shower. There are so many ideas out there. Martha Stewart has a great baby shower website and so does Style Me Pretty. Below is the checklist I use when planning a baby shower.

*  Set the Date
*  Pick a Host
*  Send invitations
*  Pick a theme
*  Choose a menu
*  Pick a drink (if you choose)
*  Pick out games
*  Get gift list together (make sure the soon to be mom is registered)
*  Get a baby memory book (I love these!)
*  Encourage everyone to get a book for the nursery library (if you choose to do so)
*  Pick up party favors for guests

Baby shower games are always a fun way to get people to communicate and have fun. Below is one example. These are so easy to find on the internet. I found this game on Baby Shower Savvy.


Here are some more baby shower ideas and inspiration. I hope it inspires you to throw a simple elegant shower for your loved you. Enjoy!

The “Girl” Baby Shower that I hosted for my brother. 




More pictures from the “girl” baby shower. 







Shower favors I gave to each guest. I saw this idea on Pinterest.
Pink polish, easy and fantastic!







This is from the “Boy” shower that I hosted for my cousin. 






More photos from the “Boy”shower. 






Also, please click on the link below and watch the Youtube video from Vera Bradley. The shower was hosted by The Tomkat Studio. It has great ideas also!

Vera Bradley Baby Shower by The TomKat Studio – YouTube




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)



Crate & Barrel- Store Tour

Crate & Barrel has some of the best home decor and accessories. I love going and looking inside the store. It is always decorated beautifully and the prices are affordable.

Crate & Barrel offers a variety of “upmarket” housewares, furniture and related merchandise. Items are displayed in the “vignette” style which means items are grouped together as they might appear in a home. Crate & Barrel has two sister stores. CB2 is a home furnishings division geared toward young adults and The Land of Nod sells home furnishings and gifts for children.

It is a great place to shop for items to update your home. So take a look at my photos from our store at the Keystone at the Crossing mall. Enjoy!

This was the entry. So gorgeous! I purchased some of the
blue hydrangeas. 

Elegant glasses for $2.95 each!

Dining decor

The silverware was great too. I purchased some forks. 

Bright bedding 

More decor and the stairs to the second level. 

I really liked this chair. 

Office furniture 

Outdoor furniture, I would love to have this for our backyard!

Panko Crusted Chicken

 A few weeks ago I went to pick up my daughter from my mother-in -laws. She is always cooking fantastic dishes. On this day she was cooking Panko crusted chicken with rice-a-roni. It looked and smelled delicious! So when I got home I was inspired to try it. It turned out great. The recipe is below. Enjoy!

* 2 Tbsp flour
* 1/2 Tsp salt
* 1/4 Tsp pepper
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup Progresso plain panko bread crumbs
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 2 Tbsp oil or butter

Directions:
1. Place flour, egg and bread crumbs on separate plates.

2. Mix salt and pepper into flour.

3. Coat chicken with flour mixture, dip in egg, coat well with bread crumbs.

4. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

5. Cook chicken in oil 8-10 minutes, turning once, until thickest part is 165F and coating is golden brown.

Baking option: (for fish, chicken or pork)


Heat oven to 375F. Spray baking dish. Follow steps 1-3 above. Bake chicken or pork 20-30 minutes, until thickest part of chicken is 165F and  is no longer pink in center.

My crusted chicken

Jo Malone Perfume~ Timeless & Elegant

Jo Malone  is an international perfume and cosmetics brand owed by Estee Lauder Companies. They are known for layering their scents. When I visited our Saks Fifth Avenue store last weekend I decided to visit the Jo Malone booth.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I immediately fell in love with most of the perfumes. My favorites are the Peony Blush & Suede, Orange Blossom and Nectarine Blossom & Honey. There were so many scents I didn’t have time to smell them all.

I love the idea of layering these scents for a more personal and signature scent. Everyone’s scent can be different with these colognes. They also sell body wash, shampoo & conditioner,  lotions, soaps, vitamin E, bath oils and body cremes. For the home they sell candles, room sprays, linen sprays, diffusers and soaps.

I encourage you to visit their beautiful website and take a look at all the products. Also, when reviewing new perfumes always ask for samples. That way you can test it before you buy the whole bottle. The sales rep. gave me two samples and I have enjoyed them. Also, watch the Youtube video from Bride de Force. They had a wedding fragrance consultation at the Jo Malone store in London. It was gorgeous!

These are samples that the sales rep gave me.  It’s the
Peony Blush & Suede sample and both bottles spray!



The table full of Jo Malone scents and candles




Wedding Fragrance Consultation at Jo Malone – YouTube

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Hermès Hosted A Really Great Fashion Show And Party – The Martha Stewart Blog

Hermès Hosted A Really Great Fashion Show And Party – The Martha Stewart Blog

This was truly elegant.

Simple Eyelashes

Eye lash extensions; most of us love them and wear them. I love my eye lash extensions! I have been wearing them for about 2 years. I get many compliments all the time. It took me about a year to find a length that I was comfortable with.

I think a person should try different lengths. It can really change up your look. I have found that with lash extensions I don’t need eye make up as much. They add such a feminine and finish look to the eye. A few months ago I was in Talbots looking at some clothes and jewelry and one of the sales reps came up to me and starting chatting.

I have become friends with this individual and so we talk about practically everything. As I was talking she was staring at my eyes. She then said,  “Your lashes are gorgeous!” I smiled and thanked her. She then proceeded to say, “Your lashes look real, some of these other lashes that I have seen look like bat wings!”

We both began to laugh! I thought, Oh my she is right! They do look like bat wings! Some of the lashes I have seen look like they have been caked on with tar! I don’t want that so I try my best to put my lashes on with minimal mess.

I wear the strip lashes. I tried the individuals and I like them I just don’t want to sleep in them. So I wear the strips because I can take them off everyday. And that’s what I do. I take my lashes off everyday and wash my face. I put my lashes back in the case and use them for a week then throw them away and get out a fresh pair. This has worked for me. So below are photos of the lashes that I use and what they look like and best wishes on you finding your perfect pair of lashes!

I wear Response Remy Natural Lashes. If you want to purchase
these locally they are available at Kings Beauty. 
The lash glue I use is Lash Grip Eyelash Adhesive which
can also be purchased at Kings Beauty.