Nordstrom Rack Room ~ Store Tour

/in , /by

Nordstrom is an upscale fashion retail store. The company began as a shoe retailer and has expanded their inventory to include clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics and fragrances.

In the Nordstrom Rack Room the prices are cut in half! All of the designer items you want for half the price! It is just fantastic! They have men’s, women’s, kids, and home decor.

It is a great place to shop if you are wanting some designer items for yourself or your home. Below are some photos from my tour of the store. There was so much to take pictures of I just captured what I could. Enjoy!

The Nordstrom Rack Room located at 4036 East 82nd Street, Indianapolis

Michael Kors bags

Kate Spade earrings for $25!

More Kate Spade jewelry 

Kate Spade leather bag; I believe it was $225!
Michael Kors travel bag

Coach Bag

XL Coach Bag

Dooney & Bourke

Men’s Dept. 

Racks with clothing for $16.97!

Cute shirt for $16.97

Another cute shirt for $16.97

Another clothing rack with items for $26.97

Designer suits for $79.97!

This was a Calvin Klein suit  for $79.97!

Shoes, Shoes!

Tory Burch flats, Coach shoes & Kate Spade heels

I loved these Tory Burch heels!

Tory Burch

Kids Dept. 

Home accessories

Cute pillows, “Money can buy cupcakes & champagne”!

Classic Movies I Enjoy

/in , /by

I love, love, love classic movies! They don’t make movies the way they use to. I am a big fan of the 30’s and 40’s. Honestly, anything before the 1960’s I am a fan of. The costumes of the movie stars are just breathtaking and so elegant.

I love seeing the women in their gloves and hats and the men in their suits. Looking presentable on a daily basis was normal back then. But times have changed and that does not mean that I can take a look back and enjoy some of the best movies out there.

Below is a list of the movies I have in my collection so far. There are still quite a few I would love to get but I am having a hard time finding them. I have watched these movies over and over. I just love them. Here is the list:

An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr
I am such a Cary Grant fan. He was just stupendous!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard
This is an all-time classic! I want every piece of Audrey’s wardrobe in this movie!

Carmen Jones  with Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte
I adore Dorothy in this movie. She was so glamorous and sultry!

Coco before Chanel (2009) with Audrey Tautou
One of the best stories of Chanel I have seen.

High Society  (1956) with Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong
What a cast! Great film and music!

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) with Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall
Again the wardrobe is fantastic! I thought Marilyn Monroe was a hoot and Lauren Bacall was such a class act!

Little Miss Marker (1980) with Walter Matthau and Julie Andrews
I saw this movie on Netflix and I just enjoyed it so much. Walter and Julie come together at the end to save the little girl! Just great!

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) with William Holden and Jennifer Jones
I think Jennifer Jones is just a gorgeous woman! The politics in the movie was great also!

Murphy’s Romance (1985) with Sally Field and James Garner
An older man falling in love with a single young mom. Just fantastic! I love James Garner’s line at the end. “Separate the men from the boys Emma”. I show some wear I don’t deny it”. “I am faithful and steady”… it’s just something you don’t hear anymore.

My Fair Lady (1964) with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison
This movie has it all. The clothes, the scene, the music & the acting. I love the song at the end of the movie sung my Dr. Higgins. “I’ve grown accustom to her face”. Just lovely.

Only You (1994) with Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei
Oh my gosh, this movie is filmed in my dream vacation spot, Venice, Italy. Each scene is just stunning! The story is a bit funny. Marisa who plays “Faith” is following a man by the name of Damon Bradley whom she thinks is her true love. She gets the name from the Quija board game when they were kids.

People will Talk  (1951) with Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain
This is one of my favorite movies. “Debra” played by Jeanne Crain faints in a classroom while being taught by Dr. Praetorious, played by Cary. She then ends up at his doctor’s office. She shoots herself once she finds out that she is pregnant. Dr. Praetorious marries her to stop her from “trying again”. It’s a great movie with Cary Grant. Did I mention it had Cary Grant?

Remains of the Day (1993) with Anthony Hopskins, Emma Thompson and Christopher Reeve
This is a very special movie to me. It’s about an English butler who is fanatical about his work. Emma Thompson plays as the estate’s housekeeper. Hopskins and Thompson gradually fall in love and neither of them admit it. But you see it in their fierce arguments with one another.

Sabrina  (1995) with Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond & Greg Kinnear
This is my favorite movie! My top five! The Larrabee estate is a dream home. Being sent to Paris for a year to study fashion, another great bonus! Having a makeover by Vogue, need I say more. Also, having two brothers being in love with you, oh my……

Somewhere in Time (1980) with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour
To travel back in time to meet someone whom you have fallen in love with just by looking at their picture. I bet a lot of people would be doing that if it were possible. What was interesting was the fact that she gave him a gold watch in the future and told him to come back to her.

Working Girl (1988) with Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith & Sigourney Weaver
I can relate to this movie. I am a secretary and it feels as though you work your tail off and get no where with it. But then an opportunity comes along and changes the atmosphere. I thought Sigourney and Melanie were very classy and sensational in this movie!

Well these are some of my favorite movies. I have watched all these over and over. I hope you can find some of your favorites from this list.

The movies that I am still going to buy or I can not find are:

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge with Halle Berry

Do not Disturb (1965) with Doris Day

In the Pleasure of his Company with Fred Astaire & Debbie Reynolds

The Birds & the Bees (1956) with Mitzi Gaynor and George Gobel

Sabrina (1945) with Audrey Hepburn




(photo via Mrs. Shockley)

The Container Store- Store Tour

/in , /by

Recently, I took a visit to the Container Store.  The Container Store was started in 1978 by Kip Tindell, Garrett Boone and John Mullen. They opened the store offering an exceptional and eclectic mix of products devoted to helping people organize and simplify their lives.

The Container Store has everything you need to organize you life. It is a wonderful store. It will inspire you to live your best life and inspire you to be and live elegantly. You must make the trip to visit this store. You will enjoy it!

The Container Store located at 4120 East 82nd Street, Indianapolis, IN.

Plastic storage containers

Different color hangers

Organizing boxes for your drawers

Closet tools

Office supplies 

Gift Packaging 

Items for Traveling

These are fantastic. Plastic bottles for putting your
toiletries in while traveling on a plane. 
Yeah! Look at what I found! The Container Store also carries
The Laundress products! I purchased the Delicate Wash bottle.
It smells wonderful and works great! I will be coming back for the Stain Solution. 

More of the Laundress products. Read my blog entry on 
The Laundress. 

Organizational products for the Kitchen

Products for organizing your kids. These are kid’s stacking baskets. 

More products for the Kitchen 

Storage blocks for Lego’s. I thought these were neat. 

I love these black gift boxes. They are so chic!

They have fantastic linen spray. I purchased the Cucumber melon. 
I love spraying this on bed sheets. 

Lastly, products for organizing your jewelry. 

Office Inspiration

/in , /by

I work a 9 to 5 job and sometimes just staring at my computer all day just drains me! So I bring in fresh flowers and a few decor pieces to brighten up my day!  I also have a fragrance bulb from Bath and Body Works so my area smells great also!  I figured I am here 8 hours a day I should have things around that I enjoy!

I have an office at home also. Home is where I am more inspired. So I just have a few pieces here also. Below are some photos of my offices and also photos of other offices. Let them inspire you to bring in some decor pieces of your own. Even if you have just a cubicle. I think your space should reflect you and you should make it a joy to be there. So take a look at these photos below and check out my Rooms that Inspire board on Pinterest. 

Photo by OhTilly on Unsplash

My desk at home. I love my little decor eggs. They
are music boxes that I purchased at T.J. Maxx over 10 years ago.




My desk at home 





Always have inspiring computer wallpaper. This is Tory Burch at her office. 





(photos via Mrs. Shockley)
 

Decorating with Vintage Pieces

/in , /by

I always take advantage of those moments when you are standing in line at the grocery check-out to look at and catch up on decor and fashion magazines. The magazine that caught my eye this time was the Special Collector’s Edition of Southern Living.

On the front, it had “Style Guide: which was like lights to me! I picked it up and immediately became captivated by all the ideas and instructions on how to decorate a room. So far this is the best decor magazine I have purchased this season. The magazine really focused on collecting and how to decorate with antiques.

I have been trying to learn more about antiques and how to train my eye for good finds. One thing that you will learn about my style of decorating is that I am not “matchy, matchy”. I love putting different pieces into a room to pull it all together. That is the fun part of decorating.

The one item that caught my eye in this book was the idea of taking vintage champagne buckets and trophies and using them for flower arrangements. One of the blogs, I follow called Simply Put Vintage put this idea to use.

I thought how creative! You can collect vintage silver pieces and use them to put gorgeous fresh flowers in? Fantastic! I’m in! So I searched eBay for a champagne bucket that I liked and purchased one! I love it!

 I went to the grocery store and purchased a few bouquets of flowers and Voila! Take a look below and search eBay for your vintage bucket or trophies.  Also, watch the video by One Kings Lane with decorating queen Bunny Williams and train your eye for vintage finds!





The vintage champagne bucket that I purchased from eBay for $35.





Simply Put Vintage 



Train Your Eye for Great Finds with Bunny Williams – YouTub

Laduree- the Iconic Bakery

/in /by

Laduree is a french luxury bakery & sweets maker house created in 1862. It is the top premier seller of the double decker macaron. I first learned about Laudree when Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Weddings was giving wedding ideas and discussing the macarons.

I have heard nothing but good things about the macarons and the stores are so beautifully decorated. Laduree has become one of the most iconic bakeries in the world. With their delicious treats and superb decor, Laduree is in a class by itself.

Not only does Laduree have its beautiful pastries but there is also a makeup collection that was created in 2012 that was inspired by the colorful macarons. In February 2014 jewelry designer Marie-Helene De Taillac collaborated with Laduree to create a beautiful necklace inspired by the delicate macarons.

Laduree has been featured in movies and has collaborated with fashion designers such as Christian Louboutin. They sell keychains, makeup, totes, scarves, candles and books (see here). I purchased a Laduree tote this past summer after seeing it on Pinterest. I also ordered the Laduree: Decoration and Inspiration book this past December.

And finally there are also the beautiful tea salons at Laduree. The salons are decorated in 18th and 19th century decor. With the pastel colors, marble floors and gold accents, the tea salons offer an ambiance of elegance. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the salons. Unfortunately, the only country in the US that has Laduree is New York. Needless, to say once my husband and I make a second trip, I will be going! 

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
My Laduree tote

(photo Mrs. Shockley)

Wicks and Willow Teacup Candles

/in /by

Wicks and Willow  is a small candle company where Melissa Johnson Warke makes scented soy wax candles with vintage teacups and saucers.

I first saw these candles on a blog sometime last year. I then went to her facebook page and started looking at all the feminine and chic cups. Melissa personally selects all the cups and containers from antique stores, auctions and flea markets all over the country.

These delicate treasures can be given as gifts for Mother’s Day, bridal showers, birthdays or just to say thank you! She has different scents for each cup. I just adore these. They are so special and original and after you are finish burning your candle you have a one of a kind vintage teacup to use!

She also offers wholesale cups and a refill service! I am very happy with my purchase from this company. She was very nice to work with and offers shipping! So take a look at her work below and visit her Etsy page also. Enjoy!

Bridal Shower 

A bridesmaid gift
Melissa Johnson Warke, owner 

Gorgeous for a party

My teacup candle I purchased last year in Sandlewood scent