My Feminine Workweek Outfits

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Good Morning Everyone,

Goodness we are back in the 40s! It is freezing here! So disappointing but oh well. On Friday, my husband and I went to our first Guild cocktail party! We had a really nice time. 

 

I wanted to be comfortable, so I wore my fav blush lace blouse, shimmer skirt, Ann Taylor pumps, and Ann Taylor pearl clutch. My husband wore is white blazer and navy slacks. I told him that he had a “Great Gatsby” look. Do you also notice the Sarah Flint scarf in his handkerchief holder? 

 

 

We had a great time! I also finished my first shifts as a docent. I will be sure to share the Showhouse for this year later this week.

In today’s post, I am sharing what I would wear to work on a normal basis. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

In this photo you will see a pink blush blouse. It is the same blouse that I am wearing in the photo with my husband. I try to have pieces in my wardrobe that I can wear to multiple places. I actually have this blouse in cream and blush. I love it! It is from Express (last season). The skirt is actually from Amazon and I have it in 3 different colors. The floral tote is from Express . It’s still available and only $47! The cream sandals are from Ann Taylor and are so chic! 

 

 

One of my favorite work week perfumes is Aerin Lauder Rose de Grasse. Every time I wear it people follow me and ask what it is! It’s lovely!

 

 

Next is this beautiful lace top that I found on the Express clearance rack! I paid only $20 for it and I normally wear it with a cardigan if the office is too cold and I brooch to close up the chest part. My skirt is from H&M. I purchased it about 10 years ago. My shoes are the beautiful Rose’s Parker Sling from Sarah Flint and my handbag is the Louis Vuitton On the Go tote. 

 

 

I would wear these vintage clip earrings with this outfit to the office. They add just enough sparkle to my outfit. 

 

 

This is a third example of what I would wear to the office. My blue blouse is from Ann Taylor (last season). I have it paired with a regular black skirt, my Sarah Flint Perfect Emma Gracie. My handbag is from MME.Mink. Everything in this photo is sold out. 

 

 

I would pair this outfit with my earrings from Nicole Bathie. 

 

 

Here is a fourth example. I love this sage green blouse that I got from Ann Taylor about 4 years ago. The skirt is the navy version of my pink skirt from Amazon, the heels are from T.J. Maxx, the pearls are J Crew (you can find these on Poshmark), and the floral tote is Tory Burch which I found at the outlet mall 2 years ago. 

 

 

I have paired this with one of my favorite scents, Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan. 

 

 

And my last outfit inspiration is this blue and white dress that I found at Old Navy last summer, my Sarah Flint Perfect Emma Gracie, my Mme.Mink tote and J Crew pearls. I have never been afraid to mix colors and patterns. I believe mixing colors and patterns makes your wardrobe fun and you will wear more of it. I am not matchy-matchy and never will be. Wear what you love! 

 

 

With this outfit I wore my favorite scent from Bath and Body Works, Night Blooming Jasmine. I hope they bring it back. I adore it! 

I hope that you found some wardrobe inspiration from my looks. Let me know in the comments section below what your favorite items were. I would love to know. Have a great day!

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

 

 

 

 

April Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Friday Morning,

It has been a very tiring week for me. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and had to do a glucose test which was awful. In addition to drinking that extremely sugary drink, the nurse could not find my vein, so I ended up getting stuck two extra times! Not ideal for me but I got it done and now I can talk about some options with my doctor next week. I just hope everything goes well. 

This evening my husband and I will be attending our very first cocktail party! It’s the opening party for the Guild’s Showhouse and I am a little excited about it. My first shift as a docent will be this weekend so wish me luck. I will share a few photos of the home in addition to last year’s home and the year before. Now let’s get into some favorites for the month of April. 

 

 

My first favorite was our daughter’s college visit. It turned out to be a very pretty day and I wore a dress, beautiful scarf, and my glitter pink sneakers! I am so glad that I did! I was so comfortable, and I still felt chic. I also ordered this lace slip shorts to wear under my dresses. They are so good! I need more! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My second favorite is this beautiful room in a church where we have our Guild Meetings. This is one of the other rooms. I just love the decor and paint color! It’s the “perfect pink” for me. 

 

 

Third on my list is my new Nespresso machine! I adore it. I can now make my own chai tea lattes! I have had it for a week now and love making my own foam oatmilk. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Next are my lilac bushes! They are in full bloom. I wish these lasted forever!

 

 

Fifth on my list are my new mules from Ann Taylor. Now how elegant are these? These have been my weekend go-tos! They go so well with my dresses and cardigans. I still feel put together comfortable and elegant. 

 

 

 

Sixth is a new organizational find from Amazon! I saw one of the influencers that I follow have this in her bathroom and I had to order it. It’s outstanding! Everything fits on it and I still have room for other beauty items. It’s great and look at the gold buttons! 

 

 

As I mentioned earlier the Guild Showhouse starts this weekend. This stove is in the kitchen at the Showhouse. It’s my dream stove. I love it so much! After I heard the price on it I now know that it will stay a dream stove!

 

 

And lastly are these new tea bag filters that I found on Amazon! I have teatime every day and some of my tea bags fall apart and I don’t have a filter to pour tea. So, I ordered these and could not be happier! You get both the silver and the gold. 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for the month of April. The monthly newsletter should be going out soon! Have a great weekend!

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

 

 

 

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas ~ Small & Elegant

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Good Morning,

My busy month of May is about to begin. I am serious. I barely have any free time in the month of May. I will be sure to share what is going on but let’s get into some gift ideas for Mother’s Day which is May 14th!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

First on my list is this beautiful lettuce ware candle from Tory Burch. I purchased mine last year and have been slowing using it. I don’t want the scent to go away! I love it so much. The scent notes are jasmine, gardenia, and pink pepper. It is such a lovely gift for the floral lover and grandmillennial at heart. The Oiseau candle would be perfect as well. 

 

 

My second suggestion is the Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask. I have been using this for a month straight and I have seen great results! So I wash my face with my normal facial cleanser then put this cream over my face and go to sleep. In the morning I follow my normal skin care regimen. Everyone has been coming up to me asking me what foundation I am using or makeup! I just look at them and say ” I am not wearing anything”! It has really changed the tone and texture of my skin. It’s a wonderful gift to help mom moisture at night! 

 

 

Another beauty suggestion. I love Sally Hansen nail products and I use this product on my nails at night. This is the Color Therapy Nail and Cuticle oil. It has a light scent and I just rub it on my nails and cuticles at night. Such a small but glorious luxury. 

 

 

Fourth is a new tote organizing luxury. I have been eyeing this pencil case from Notiq for quite some time now. I am so glad that I ordered it. I can now find my pens pretty easily and it stops my bags from having pen mark everywhere! Mom might move this! I think the Notiq water bottle is a wonderful gift as well. I love using mine!

 

 

Last on my list is a wonderful pair of mules. This is one of my weekend outfits and I paired it with my Ann Taylor patent mules. These are so elegant as well as super comfy! I have the plaid print coming soon. It’s a perfect, elegant, low heeled shoe for mom or you for that matter! 

There is also the glorious Amazon wrap! I love this and will be ordering it in black and gray this week. This quilted tote from Amazon is still a favorite and mom might like the size as well. There is also my Vintage Vanity Collection! It has launched on the boutique website! Please go and check it out! One of those vintage items might be great for mom as well! 

I hope you enjoyed my Mother’s Day gift guide. Please let me know if you have purchased one of these items for your mom. I would love to know. 

 

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

Adding Something New…

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone is well! I have been so busy the last few days trying to get things done for Lauren. Our college list is full of to-dos! I am also gearing up for the Showhouse. It is done and the house tours start next Saturday! I am nervous but excited at the same time. My mother-in-law’s birthday is next week, and I am still trying to get her birthday gifts. She is so hard to purchase for. There are a lot of events coming up and I am just trying to make sure that I stay on top of everything. 

I received a great response on my recent Instagram poll about adding the vintage Elizabeth Arden beauty jars! I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek below. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Beautiful, aren’t they? What I learned is that they date back to the 1970’s -1980’s era. I am still trying to find out more information on them. I think that they are so beautiful and if you love a beautiful vanity like me then having one of these is perfect for you. They will be on the website soon! Have a great weekend! 

 

 

A Desk Update

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Good Morning,

Everything is in full bloom here! My Canadian choke cherry tree is blooming and so are my lilac bushes! My peonies are coming up as well! I’ve got the Peony festival scheduled on my calendar. I hope we can attend this year!

Lauren’s college visit went very well. There is a lot that we have to do. She got to see the campus, her potential dorm room, and meet her Art Director! It was a very productive day. I on the other hand, got a new delivery recently…

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was my desk in my office. It is actually my dining room table from my first apartment in 2002! I have been using it as a desk all this time. It has been great. It has provided me with the space that I needed and saved me a lot of money! Most of you know that I have been on the hunt for a new desk for some time now. I have been collecting office inspiration for a few years now and I am still trying to find items and decor pieces that fit into my style and what I need. 

 

 

I went back to the furniture store that I purchased my new dining room table and dresser from and found the desk version of my table! 

 

 

I do love it. It is called the Charthouse Office Desk and I got it on sale 2 months ago! I got a steal! It’s not on sale now so I am really happy that I got it while it was. 

 

 

It has so much table space. I love having all this room. I can actually do some paperwork in my office and write! I have never had that before. My old dining room table was not big enough if you can believe that. Also, the color goes so well with my office decor. My office is my next project area. I am trying to wait until the kids go to college. I can’t believe that I am staying that but they both will be going in the fall. My stepson is taking his furniture in his bedroom so I can finally clear out his room! Yay! I am going to move some things in there and get rid of some other items. I can’t wait to purge both of their rooms! 

Another idea that I have been thinking of is adding vintage pieces to sell from my antiquing adventures to my website. This past Sunday I found these gorgeous vintage Elizabth Arden vanity jars. 

 

They had “made exclusively for Elizabeth Arden in Japan” on most of the porcelain jars. I had to buy two!

 

 

Gorgeous! Now my question to you all is if I went back and purchased a few more of the jars and added them to my website would you purchase any? Let me know in the comments section below! 

 

Easter Sunday & A New Recipe

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Good Morning!

Happy Friday Morning! We are headed to our daughter’s future college today! They are having a “welcome freshman” kind of day and we want to get a head start on events and deadlines to come. Wish us luck! I have a feeling it is going to be a busy day.

I am still thinking about my Easter dinner. It turned out to be such a great day with family. We really sat and enjoyed ourselves. I love sitting at the table and just enjoying a meal. Hearing how the boys are “adulting” now has been so interesting. Hearing them discuss marriage and families had been eye opening! I am always praying they God will lead them in their decisions. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

This year I added more rabbits to my decor. I purchased the gold rabbit from the At Home Store. He is actually on sale right now for only $10! Get it while you can! 

 

 

I really did experiment with my table setting this year. I brought in my blue and white of course and I wanted to use my lily plates from Pender and Peony but I didn’t have enough. They sure did look great on my table while it lasted. I matched them with my lily goblets from Pottery Barn. It looked so pretty!  

My family wanted turkey and dressing this year so that is what I made along with some mashed potatoes and green beans. We love dinner rolls so I baked some of those as well. Now for dessert I made Jennifer L. Scott’s black forest cake!

 

 

I was really nervous about making this cake because I have never made anything like this nor have I tried it. Baking the cakes was really easy. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I think most of the trouble and time went into making the whipped cream frosting. I have never made this before, so I was quite nervous. It took about 10 minutes to finally get stiff but once it did, I felt relieved. 

 

 

I added the cherry pie filing right from the can and putting it together was so easy! I am so glad that I tried this!

 

 

I LOVED the way it looked! I thought it was so pretty! It was simple, tasted good, and was elegant. What more could you want for a beautiful celebration?  I hope you all try Jennifer’s cake and let me know in the comments section below if you have already made black forest cake? Let me know if there are different things that I could add. I would love to read your comments. Have a great weekend! 

 

Becoming a First Lady in your Life ~ Thoughts on Elegance Series

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday! We kept things simple and spent time with the kids. We sat at the dinner table and just talked about life. It turned out well. The weather here this week is suppose to be outstanding. It will be sunny the whole week and in the 50’s and 60’s! So happy! 

For Easter dinner I did try Jennifer L. Scott’s black forest cake. I will be sure to share that later this week and my new desk finally arrived! I will be sharing that as well but today I wanted to share a beautiful email that I received from a company called Notiq. I have shared this company before and absolutely love their products. On a weekly basis, Notiq sends out these very inspiring emails. I had to share the one that I got this week. It was called “Elegant Secrets/ Become a First Lady”.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

In her newsletter, VJ, the founder of Notiq, said, “What if you were a First Lady? Who will you be? What will you be known for?

While the term First Lady is often associated with the wife of a president or leader of a nation or state, the Oxford English Dictionary defines First Lady as the leading woman in a particular activity or profession. I am here for the latter. 

As a student and (humbly) connoisseur of Elegance, I have learned that while I may not be the First Lady of a nation, I can choose to live as an elegant First Lady in my private life. How? You might ask. 

It all begins with a mindset.

For a long time, and for many reasons, I suppressed my dream of fully living an elegant life. The truth is, I was afraid of distinction. I was scared of what people might say if I showed up and was (one of) the most stylish, thoughtful, graceful, or refined in any room. The idea that I could carry a secret dream of living as an elegant first lady in my own right was terrifying yet possible.

Today, I wish to inspire a fresh perspective. 

Will you consider seeing and carrying yourself as an elegant first lady? I know life is not always easy or perfect. However, what if you and I embrace a meaningful mindset that inspires us to live out dreams others judge impossible or unrealistic? What will a renewed perspective like this do for you? 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I imagine:

  • You’ll show up differently everywhere you go. 
  • You’ll look and feel your best. 
  • You’ll take better care of yourself.
  • You’ll commit to speaking better.
  • You’ll give more thought to what you wear or what you eat.
  • You’ll likely work on your posture and decorum.
  • You’ll be more likable and approachable.
  • You’ll stand out and become more.

Remember, many first ladies were (are) ordinary people like many of us who were not born with the position of First Lady. They simply grew into their roles with intent and dedication to learning. (Hint! Hint!)

From history and in no particular order:

  1. Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was admired and revered for her impeccable grace and style until this day. (1961 – 1963)
  2. Lady Michelle Obama commands our attention with her intentional style, fashion, and poise. (2009 – 2017)
  3. Lady Nancy Reagan’s refinement and support of the arts will remain unforgettable. (1967 – 1975)
  4. Lady Bird Johnson’s warmth and love for beauty inspire diligent care and devotion. (1963 – 1969)
  5. Lady Louisa Adams’ sophistication and fluency in music and arts are noteworthy. (1825 to 1829)

Frankly, every first lady from history has something we can learn from. I simply selected a few to inspire you.

For now, I am grateful for the person you are. Might I add? I am excited about the person you are becoming. I am also confident you (too) will make a memorable and noteworthy impact.

Until next week,

VJ | Founder & Chief Elegance Officer

 

Now how inspiring was this email? I was thrilled and absolutely enjoyed this email from VJ. I just had to share it. I hope you all enjoyed this motivating email and absorb it into your mind and soul!