Blog - Page 2 of 187 - A Home for Elegance

The Hunt for Quality Accessories

March 6, 2025/2 Comments/in Fashion Posts, Inspiring Books /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Friends,

How is everyone doing? I have been trying to focus on my goals that I put in place this year and try to remind myself of who is in charge. And it is the Lord. That is where my heart is, and trust is still a part of my goals for life.

This week we are celebrating a few birthdays. Lauren turned 20 on Monday, my stepson Ely will turn 25 on Thursday and my husband will be 50-something on Sunday! I had brunch with my Guild girls last week and one of our friends brought in this beautiful strawberry cake that was so delicious! I got one for this week for us to enjoy for the birthday celebrations.

Okay moving right into my hunt for quality accessories. I think that every couple of years I bring this up. Bogus shopping. I mentioned this post in 2019 and shared my thoughts again in 2023 as I learn to shop with discernment. My desire to get better at this continues.

I was on the hunt recently for a quality leather bag. The Coach Empire Carryall 48 popped up in my feed. How? I am not sure, but I was smitten. Of course, I go to the website, and it is sold out. I then took to YouTube as I normally do to get a glimpse of it or watch an “honest opinion” video about it. That is where I found out that it went viral last year! I had no idea but here we are. I let it go but then had a feeling that I should go to my local Coach store just to see if I can take a peek and….

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

I FOUND ONE! UNBELEIVELABLE! I walked right into my local Coach store and there she sat on the top shelf! I held it and then was going to leave it until I realized that it was the last one, the quality was phenomenal, it has Hermes Birkin vibes to it, and I just knew that it was going to age well. So, I purchased it and have no regrets. Now I am not interested in all of the charms that people are putting on theirs. I love a classic looking bag, so I ordered this elegant leather swan charm. It is suppose to arrive soon. I will let you all know if the quality is good when it arrives.

I am also on the hunt for a cream leather bag. I ordered this tote from Caroline Hill and it is beautiful in person. It is not real leather, but the size and color are perfect for me. I will still continue my search for a leather cream bag because I think something classic, and genuine leather will stand the test of time.

Silk scarves are always on the list. Lately I have been trying to purchase vintage designer scarves from all sorts of places. One of my favorite shops on Etsy is called Pure Scarf Vintage. It is where I purchased my vintage Dior scarf that I am wearing in this photo. You may be able to find some at consignment stores, Goodwill, and even antique stores. Right now, my silk scarf collection is wonderful. I even love the scarves that I have in my boutique. I think the elegance that they provide in your everyday look is essential. I don’t just wear them to the office. I wear them on the weekends as well. If you need scarf tying inspiration, take a look at Jamie Beck’s Instagram page. I believe that as time goes on I will continue to grow this accessory in my wardrobe. There are a few scarves that will be replaced, and I might even make the collection smaller.

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

Next is jewelry. I have really been getting out of my element lately. I don’t know why but I have been drawn to different kinds of pieces. I was doing a search on Poshmark and this crocodile choker from Zara appeared in my feed. Now it looked like it was not my style, but the seller had it priced at $25 and I thought, why not! So I ordered it and it is quite beautiful in person. I wore it to the office and my goodness; I was not expecting so many compliments! I did find something similar on Amazon for the same price. Finding unique jewelry pieces has been on my radar in the last few years. I think having pieces that no one has that are classic, and different will set your wardrobe apart.

Here is another unique jewelry piece. This is a gold leopard bracelet that I purchased from Garland Bags. I found this shop in Instagram and love their sophisticated designs.

I wanted to share these gloves before it got really warm. Gloves are another item that I am trying to bring quality to. I found these on Amazon. When I heard Nathan Rollison mention his story about the gloves that he purchased over 10 years ago it inspired me to look into this accessory and buy better quality gloves. I shared my long opera gloves a few months ago and cannot stop wearing those either. They are so beautiful!

Now because I am going through my closet and I am beginning to post items for sale on my Poshmark closet. You are more than welcome to make an offer on any of the items. Thank you so much for reading and let me know how your quest for quality is going.

affiliate links attached

February Favorites ~ 2025

February 26, 2025/in Monthly Favorites /by mrs.sshockley

Hello,

Well this felt like the shortest month ever! February always feels this way. We are celebrating our 21-year wedding anniversary this week. Lauren will be 20 next week! Can you believe it? Good gosh! I have a 20-year-old. We are already preparing for her junior year in the fall. It’s crazy how time is flying.

For Valentine’s Day, my husband and I went to St. Elmo’s. It was our first time, and I have to say that the food was really good. I was hoping that it would live up to the hype and it did. He also got me some lavender roses from Grace Rose Farms. Watching these open for the week was truly a treat.

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

First on my list is the new Aerin Lauder vanity collection. This collection is inspired by 19th century Italian decor. I am in LOVE but it is a little pricey. I have it on my wishlist so we will see.

photo credit: Aerin/ Instagram

My second favorite are these cherry blossom trees from Amazon. I saw Nitra B. share these on her Instagram page and I had to take a risk and order them. They are a DREAM! I love them so much! I ordered two. One for my office and one for home. I love them and I am now on the hunt for some blue and white planters to place them in.

My third favorite has been a pleasant surprise. Lydia Millen mentioned these faux collars that she ordered. Now I have seen these before but never thought about trying one. I have a few dresses that I have to use a brooch to close up the chest part because I feel like it is a bit too low. I decided to go ahead and give these a try and all I can say is WOW! They are a perfect fit for my dresses and look so elegant on.

Oh my goodness! I am loving these spring scents from Bath and Body Works. I purchased the springtime greenhouse, backyard honeysuckle, and white cucumber & mint. I am looking forward to using them this spring season.

I saw these gorgeous floral ginger vases and jars and HomeGoods a few days ago and had to grab one. Check your local store. They may not last long.

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

These wonderful yogurt cups have been a wonderful luxury to my life. I add my favorite yogurt, granola, blueberries and pumpkin seeds and I am in heaven. If you love yogurt but want to add your favorite toppings to it, you should definitely try these cups!

Now it has taken me years and I mean YEARS to find a shelf that would fit in the corner of my garden tub and this one seems to work. I wanted something to store all of my products near the tub and it has been so hard trying to find something. This stackable shelf from Amazon has worked wonderfully and keeps everything where I need it.

Now I don’t know about you, but I love a good “What’s in my Bag” video. I recently saw Nicholas with this new bag in one of his vlogs and was dying to know what it was. In this video he finally shares it. I love being inspired to buy quality items and to be expose to beauty and elegance. That is one of the things that I love about vlogs. The exposure that you get from another person’s world.

I hope you all enjoyed my finds for this month. I have been planning to post a video to my YouTube channel for about a month now, but have not gotten around to filming the intro. I will do that soon. Take care!

affiliate links attached

Overcoming Hesitations- Living with Quality

February 20, 2025/in Elegant Living, Inspiring Posts /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Everyone,

I have recently been having some “feelings about things”. I have been having this “feeling of quality” or a desire for quality which explains my title for this week’s blog post.

It could be the books that I am reading, the old movies that I am watching, but I am having this desire for beauty and quality. Have you ever had that? You are in a store, and you are looking at something. The price is great, but the quality of the item does not satiate that desire that you have. I have had this feeling multiple times when buying bags, jewelry, furniture, flowers, I mean you name it. It has been happening in some of my current shopping experiences.

I can’t explain it but while I am out and about I have this feeling of things needing to be better and it could be society that is bringing on these thoughts, but I just want better. I used to be afraid of wanting better but not anymore. That fear is slowly leaving my emotions.

photo credit: Instagram

I purchased this book sometime last year. It is an eBook that unfortunately it is not available right now. There was a section in the book that inspired the title of this blog post. The author Miranda stated, “I understand that the thought of using tableware can be a bit dauting. There is often a fear of mishandling or misplacing something so steeped in history and value. But here’s the thing- these pieces were crafted to be admired and used, not just displayed. And you deserve to use them to create extraordinary moments in your life”.

I don’t care how much something costs or how “fancy” it is use it!

That is why I continue to live the way I do. This is my newest FBMP purchase! It is a vintage or antique wardrobe. I believe it is from the 1950s. It is sold and the maker is Hickory Manfacturing Company since 1911. The company is known for their high quality craftmanship and timeless designs. This wardrobe is a solid piece, and I cannot wait to put it to use. I gasped when I saw it on FBMP.

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

The photo above is my kitchen counter. I recently purchased this bust from HomeGoods and the plate is from an antique store. It is Limoges china. I now know that I have a deep passion for elegant things and elegant living. I can’t seem to separate it from any part of my life. When I styled this counter and stood back and looked at it, I just smiled. I am overcoming hesitations. Why not have antiques in your kitchen!

My sitting room currently.

Another tidbit that Miranda mentioned in her book in regard to her tableware was, ” Antique tableware is not merely a collection of objects, it is a tapestry with history, art and legacy. These pieces carry an elegance and sophistication that modern items seldom capture. They hold the power to transform a simple meal into a grand affair, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. In a world where everything feels so transient, these antiques offer a tangible connection to the past- a bridge to bygone eras of charm and elegance”.

I could not agree more. I think that this quote from Miranda can be used in every item in our lives. Our furniture, china, clothes, shoes, accessories. I want my life as a whole to be a tapestry. Everything should be connected to elegance and sophistication. It should be made of quality. I really want to live a life with quality and for my life to be quality. What are your thoughts on quality? Do you seek it as well?

To read more about Miranda here is a blog post about her on Maison Carlyle. Also let me know in the comments below if you purchased her eBook!

Want to hear someone express how important quality is? Just listen to the current owner of Hermes express his thoughts on quality. It’s truly inspiring!

Inspiration for Simple Luxuries at Work

February 12, 2025/in Elegant Living, Inspiring Posts /by mrs.sshockley

Hello,

Can it really be the middle of February? I still can’t believe that Valentine’s Day is this Friday. I told my husband that I only wanted a book and that was it. I don’t have a lot on my list this year.

I hope everyone is doing well. I am still reading my goals and listening to some great podcasts in the mornings while I am driving to my office. I had to share something that I listen to recently and it made me think that maybe I needed to update my list.

Now I have shared new things that I have purchased for my office in the last few years, and they are scattered in the many blog posts that I have so I thought I needed to combine everything into a current post of what my offices look like today.

Now I have two. I have an office downtown for my regular job, and I have an office at home for the blog, home life, the boutique, and my telework days. I love learning from other women what things they have added to their lives in order to bring about elegance to it. Especially with everything going on in our worlds now. I listen to Kaylee Hackney’s podcast called “Simple Ways to Add Luxury to your Workday” and I thought that I would share her list so that maybe we all can get some inspiration for our spaces.

First on her list is gourmet coffee. Now I am not a coffee drinker, but I do love my teas and I have shared my favorite tea which is Harney’s and my vanilla chai tea that I buy from Kroger. I did get a Nespresso machine and talk about lux! I love that thing, and it does start off my morning in luxury!

This is my morning luxury. My vanilla chai tea and foam oatmilk that I am pouring into Royal Albert Old Country Roses teacup and saucer. Use your best at work if you can.

Her second item was fresh flowers. Of course! These are always a part of my luxury items for work and if you have not tried having these around you by now then take a leap! They are so affordable at the grocery store and sometimes on clearance! Give this lux a chance seriously!

Now her third idea was a flameless candle. Now I have not considered this, but this sounds like a great idea! I love a little light in my office. I have lamps around but if space is an issue, then this could be a great lux idea! I saw these on Amazon as well as these and these.

Next up is a standing desk. Now I have not thought of these either but what a great idea. I have had one of these before but the one I had a work was much heavier. This one here looks like a great option!

Of course, I could not forget a wonderful and comfortable office chair! You all know that I purchased this last year and have no regrets. As you know there are several on Amazon. I did find these for only $65! This is my current office now. I enjoy it so much!

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

A simple luxury for work that you may have not thought about are pens and pads. I cannot tell you how important these items are if you work in an office setting. Having great working pens and notepads at your figure tips is a great luxury. I purchased these notepads and pens from Amazon and love them both. These pens are blue ink! My favorite! I love blue ink. Don’t forget about these sophisticated clipboards from Notiq as well as the pen cases. I have both!

Another item that I just got for my office is the space heater. She mentions it in her list and she is right! Having this for this season of winter has been a game changer. My office is so cold in the mornings. I just hit my remote control for my heater and warmth comes my way. It’s a luxury for sure.

We cannot forget about cord organizers. I just got these from Amazon and they work magnificently. I got a pack of ten so that I can use them in my office, car and home. She mentions noise cancelling headphones in her blog post. I have never tried these before but may consider them for traveling. I do love my ear buds for listening to my favorite podcasts. She also mentions artwork and I could not agree more. I would just recommend buying what you love and buy quality. A lamp for your desk is a must. I have two lamps in my office and love having them both. I love Jonathan Y lamps and purchased this one about 3 years ago. There are so many more things that I could add to this list. A few more items of work luxury would be a wonderful work tote, stapler (I love this one), or get a set for your desk. You will be amazed at what this will do for you work life.

I hope everyone enjoyed these tips and I certainly enjoyed Kaylee’s podcast. If you have a moment, you should listen to her podcast. You can also read her blog post and find more inspiring ideas for your lux office. Life is short, make it beautiful!

Affiliate links attached

My Sitting Room Refresh

February 6, 2025/in Home Décor /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Friends!

How is everyone doing? I am repeating my goals in my mind and I recently read this quote from James Clear…..

“People can sometimes be held hostage by their expectations. They have a dream of something they would like to achieve or a path they intend to follow, but their mindset falls apart when things don’t work out how they had hoped.

The key is to reach for an extremely high bar, but to be adaptable enough to reframe the failures, disappointments, and defeats into fuel for the next thing. Give your best effort, but no matter how it works out, trust that life will be good for you. Focus on how the world is working with you, not against you.

Everything you are given is material for the next move. Everything.”

I just keep asking the Lord to guide me. I get sent this nuggets every time.

Well my FBMP shopping has not slowed down. I am just on this journey where I want to add better furniture pieces to my home and why not. I have been wanting to change things up for so long and I am now unafraid to try things. You all know that I love a good room refresh and this time I decided to change up my sitting room.

The photo on the left is one version of my sitting room. I believe this was taken in 2019 or maybe 2018. I was starting to feel like it looked “too yellow”. I had the cream, fuzzy rug which was suppose to be cream but it looked yellow. I also had “cream” curtains which looked yellow as well. I wanted to add some fresh whites to my sitting room. The photo on the right is what it currently looks like right now since I have refreshed it.

I purchased the new rug from Amazon. I love the design and color and believe it fits the room perfectly. The rug is from influencer My Texas Home. I have been wanting one of these for some time now. I also got new pillows from HomeGoods. White ones of course to brighten up and freshen up the couch.

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

The space look so different and I am here for it! It really updated the “shades” in my sitting room and gave it a clean look. I also got new curtains from HomeGoods. They are white as well and no longer have that yellow look to them.

Can you see something else? Well for one thing I got two new lamps instead of one. I had one lamp in this room for 13 years and decided that two lamps would balance the room.

I got KING CORBRA lamps! I could not believe it myself. I could not understand why I was attracted to these lamps. My husband and I were walking around HomeGoods when I saw these and I said, “Those are sharp”! My husband then turned and looked at me with astonishment and said, “are you serious”? I then grabbed my mouth because I could not believe that came out of it!

I looked at him with such confusion because I could not make sense of it but I LOVED them! I then spent the next 45 minutes in anguish trying to figure out why I wanted them. We “googled” the meaning of King Cobra because I was so worried if this meant something about my faith. I had all kinds of crazy thoughts, but do you know what the meaning of King Cobra is? It means transformation, wisdom, royalty, strength, rebirth, and knowing oneself better. WOW! The two meanings that stuck out to me were transformation and rebirth as I am going through a transition in my life and change. Plus, the girl who does my nails just told me that it is the year of the snake! Can you believe that! Wow! Any way I do love my king cobra lamps and no longer have regrets. They did come with a black snakeskin lamp shade but I thought white would look better with my decor and room.

I also redid my floral arrangement. This arrangement was on my table next to my couch in a gold old vase and needed to be refresh so I got rid of the gold vase and decided to use my giant blue and white ginger vase, and it looks so much better.

A new candle was also added to the space. I normally don’t buy candles at Target, but I think this is becoming one of my favorites. If you love a beautiful floral candle, then this candle by Theshold called sunflower and ivy will certainly please you. I am already going to order more! It’s lovely and comes in this beautiful canister.

This was not a part of the sitting room refresh but I purchased this from T.J. Maxx. I needed a new lamp for my dresser in our bedroom and saw this lovely swan lamp there. I could not leave it. It looks stunning on my vanity.

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

Well, I will be honest. I am feeling much better being in my sitting room and spending time in it. I was not using the room for months because I was just so unhappy with it. Now I look forward to my “rest mornings”. It’s when I go down to that room grab my At Home in the Garden book and just enjoy the space. It is such a treat in the early mornings.

FBMP has been such a wonderful tool for me to purchase pieces and curate my home. I now have my search fine tuned and don’t have a problem looking for items. If you want to see my other blog posts regarding my past searches you may read them here.

Let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are. Have a great week!

Affiliate links attached

January Favorites ~ 2025

January 23, 2025/in Monthly Favorites /by mrs.sshockley

Hello Friends,

It was so nice having a nice long weekend. I so needed it. I spent the weekend going thru old paperwork and getting it ready for shredding. I just learned last week that I was suggested to our learning facility to be an instructor for the upcoming year. So that means that I will be on a panel teaching other paralegals later this year. I will also be doing a virtual training in April! I am so excited for these new opportunities and extremely nervous. I also have another office to evaluate this year in Boston and a potential training in Washington. We will see how things go.

You will also notice some items have begun to vanish from the boutique. I did an inventory check this weekend and remove some things. I have some different ideas this year for inventory so we will see what I come up with. I may be taking a break from dresses and just focus on accessories. Let me know in the comments below what items you would like to see in the boutique this year.

Now let’s move on to some favorites.

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

First is my new devotional that I ordered from Amazon. This was a suggestion from the late Dr. Charles Stanely. I have been listening to him for years and read his recent book Living the Extraordinary Life -Nine Principles to Discover it. In this book Dr. Stanley mentioned My Utmost for His Highest devotion written by Oswald Chambers. It is so good and really challenges one’s faith. I read this passage in it this week… My best for his glory. At first, the call comes gently. Then it grows louder, until finally God produces a crisis in our lives that demands we make a choice. For or against, yes or no; stay or go.

There was another devotional that has stuck with me for months now. It is called the Law of Antagonism. The law if antagonism means that in order to stay healthy, I have to fight. Health is a kind of balance between things that would harm me and my ability to resist them. Physical health occurs when there is a balance between my body and those things in the external world that are designed to put me to death. If I have enough vitality, enough fighting power, I will produce a healthy balance.

If you are a person that enjoys devotionals then I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

My second is the Fresh Balsam candle from Bath & Body Works. This candle gives such a clean and fresh pine scent. It has been perfect to start off my year and I love smelling it in my home. I also saw this lovely blue and white teapot plugin. I had to grab one!

Speaking of blue and white I did not stop my hunt for the Love Shack Fancy Stanley cup. I did find this in August of last year but could not share it because I was getting one for our daughter in law for Christmas and I did not want to give up my gift idea! I found mine and purchased it from Poshmark. They are sold in various places. Just make sure that you have the Stanley stamp on the bottom, and it comes with a box and the straw with a bow. I heard that there are some fake ones out there.

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

Fourth on my list is this glorious brand. Now of course I learned about Holland Cooper from the British influencer Lydia Millen and loved them immediately. I mean can we talk about the super elegant branding? The rich colors? It’s stunning. I decided to take a leap and order my first candle from them. Then I could not resist the Chelesa Emerald Green makeup bag! When Lydia shared this on a video I was foaming at the mouth. It is so elegant and every time I pull it out to use it I stare at it. It is now on sale. It’s still a little expensive but it’s a wonderful piece for the elegant wardrobe that you want to build.

Don’t you just love a good antique find? I know I do! I found this while at a friend’s house. She mentioned this antique store to me, and I thought, well okay, I’ll take a look! I ended up finding this beautiful French blue armchair. Score! I love it and have moved it to my office downtown. It looks wonderful!

In addition to adding my new chair to my office and purchased this gorgeous cashmere scarf from Amazon and it is double sided. It is a stunning emerald green color and I have gotten lots of compliments on it. I am thinking about going back and ordering it in the khaki.

And lastly on my list is this classy video from Parisian Vibe where photographer and artist Jamie Beck demonstrates how to tie a scarf or “foulard”. I love that word. This video is the epitome of elegance, and you will enjoy the scarf techniques from Jamie, the Hermes scarves that she wears, and the home! It’s a beautiful video.

I hope you all enjoy my monthly favorites as usual! Please let me know in the comments below if there are things that you would like to see in the boutique and have a great week!

This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached.