Lunch at a New Tea Room

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Good Morning Everyone,

I am sorry for not posting on Friday. I just got extremely tired by the end of the week. I did not sleep well a few days last week. I don’t know why but I was falling asleep at 11:00 p.m. and waking up at 2:30 in the morning! It was awful. So by the time Friday hit my body just caved. I don’t know what was going on but I was just so tired. I sleep in a bit on Saturday and sleep in until 9 on Sunday. Sleeping until 9 is pretty late for me. I am normally in the bath by 9 on the weekends. 

I feel a little better today. Happy Valentine’s Day or should I say Happy Galentine’s Day to all of you! I actually looked up the definition for that and it said: “a day in which women celebrate their female friendships”. I do consider all of you my friends and hope you all treat yourselves to some wonderful “take-out” and a bouquet of flowers. Why not?

Speaking of treating yourselves I treated myself to a wonderful solo lunch early last week. I think I mentioned that I found a new tea room in my city. This tea room is actually only about 10 minutes from me. I have been wanting to go but could not find anyone to go with me so I decided to take myself. So I left the office early and had lunch at The Tea Room of Rustic Root. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

I made a reservation for one and I requested the Lilac Room. I loved the space. 

 

 

I brought some reading material to enjoy while I ate. I did not want to spend the whole time on my phone. I felt like reading and enjoying the atmosphere. 

 

 

I also ordered a hot cup of tea. I loved using their china. I had the ginger & lemon green tea. I added a teaspoon of honey and it was wonderful. 

 

 

I was really surprised when my meal arrived. I didn’t expect a huge portion but it was pretty hearty. I ordered the turkey panini and it came with a small garden salad. I ordered raspberry vinaigrette to eat with my salad and I loved it. It also came with a cinnamon scone. The turkey panini also had this herb mayo on it which was pretty tasty. 

 

 

Okay, I have never had a scone this good but it was so good!!! This was also the first time that I had clotted cream. I wanted to eat all of it. What a treat!

 

 

I sat, ate, read…. it was a nice afternoon. 

 

 

Loved the chandeliers. 

 

 

This was on one of the walls in the lilac room. I love it and kept thinking about how I could accomplish this at home. I know Amazon has lots of plate hangers now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beautiful lilac wallpaper was on another wall. I could see this in my master bathroom. But you all know my husband….. he hates wallpaper. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Above all, it was a wonderful afternoon that I got to spend alone and enjoy a wonderful meal. I do plan on going again. I promised myself that I would. I think it is okay to dine alone. I am seeing more people do it now. We need to take the fear out of it. Spending time in solitude is a wonderful thing and can be done well. This place also reminds me of the Kopper Kettle Inn that we visited a few years ago. I may have to go back.  Have a great Monday!

 

 

 

 

Morning Things….

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Good Morning,

Our snow is melting and it is a bit warmer this week. I did something fun yesterday. I will share it on Friday! I did forget to mention in Monday’s blog post that I did go antiquing again. I found a NEW antique store. It is called SoBro Vintage Market Antiques. I will be honest it looked pretty crappy outside but when I walked in and was blown away! These booth owners have really good taste. I will be returning in the spring when the weather gets better. 

I have begun a new furniture quest. I am on the hunt for a secretary desk and a Chinoiserie-inspired table that I will use as a desk. I have the vision in my head and will give examples of what I am looking for later. I will start with Facebook Marketplace for my search. 

Today I wanted to talk about my “morning things”.

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I have changed my morning routine this past year. Because of working from home and my new position, I have had to move things around. Most of you know that I am in a new office and this space is quite larger but there is no window for light. I must admit sometimes I miss my windows but this location is so much better! I am also on the intermittent fasting routine. I now have my first meal or my “tea time” does not start until 11:00 a.m. It is still an adjustment. When 10:00 a.m. hits I tell you it’s hard for me now to start tea time! 

My “morning things” are my china. Of course, I love the small blue and white plate that I use for my cinnamon raisin English muffin. I toast it in our breakroom and while it heats I use our water machine to add hot water to my “tea for one” teapot. You guys know that I am loving my new teacup from Homegoods. I only purchased two teacups. One for home and one for my office. 

 

 

You will also notice that I have a sandwich bag full of grapes. I have to have some sort of fruit in the mornings with my muffin and tea. The tea that I have been drinking for the last 2 years is chamomile and roasted dandelion. I love this combination together. You will also notice in the first photo that I have my painting of the Water Tower along with some “table beauties” nearby. Above are some of my table beauties. Every morning when I walk into my office I look at my table. I must admit my eyes go right to my new porcelain rose. I purchased one for my office as well. 

Once I come back from the breakroom, I sit down say a quiet prayer, eat my grapes, muffin, and sip my hot cup of tea with honey. While I am enjoying “tea time”, I am listening to Mozart, checking emails, and looking around my office. Morning things…..

 

Have a great Wednesday! 

 

 

 

Would You Travel Alone?

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Good Monday Morning!

My Mondays always seem to be hectic to me. I do have a routine and system so everything is ready in the morning except for my body. It does not like Monday mornings. This weekend was okay. Since I worked from home on Thursday and Friday of last week it felt as if I had more time off. It was so nice teleworking those days. I’ve got to take a least one day a week to telework. I think that would help bring a little peace throughout the week. 

I ordered too many things online. I have about 7 packages coming from Amazon. I think I shared that I am trying to order Lauren a few things as well. During some of my downtime this weekend I watched a few videos on Youtube. Since I love French living a video was “suggested” to me from Youtube. It was called, “I went to Paris Alone- How to find Joy in Solitude”. The title alone pulled me in….

 

photo via: Instagram

 

That got me thinking and honestly, I have been thinking about this for a while now. Could I travel alone? I mean if I were single and had no husband or child would I be traveling. Could I be brave enough to travel alone?

And the answer is yes! I have dined alone several times especially when I am traveling for work. Being in my own company has never bothered me. 

What about any of you? Have any of you ever traveled alone? Anyone ever traveled overseas alone? I am mainly interested in women traveling alone. That intrigues me. 

 

 

I have posted the video here. I do hope that you all enjoy it! Helena has lots of wonderful thoughts on traveling alone and the culture in Paris. Watch the video and let me know your thoughts! Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

Vintage Roses- A New Book

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Good Snowy Morning,

And we have tons of snow! It is so cold here and it will be in the negatives tonight! I am working from home today as well. I am hoping that I can go out and run errands on Saturday but we will see. I am trying to get some things ordered for Lauren’s 17th birthday! Can you guys believe she will be 17 next month? Her favorite party of mine was the flower arranging birthday party that I threw for her in 2015. She was only 10! Her paint party was a blast as well. Time is slipping away, really fast. 

I think most of you know that I ordered the Georgianna Lane Book called “Vintage Roses” and I could not be happier with it. It not only has beautiful photography but is very informative. I wanted to share some snapshots of it below. 

 

 

 

 

I love a soft pink rose. I wish I could find these at my local grocery store. This is called the Heritage rose. It was introduced by David Austin in 1984. 

 

 

This flower is called Tasogare. This is a sugary, sweet-pea lavender in hue. This is a Japanese rose introduced by Morji Kobayashi in 1977. Tasogare means “sundown time” in Japanese, and is also used as a metaphor for old age. 

 

 

 

Queen of Sweden! Isn’t she beautiful? This is a beautiful English Musk hybrid that was introduced by David Austin in 2004. It is a cross between an Old Rose and a Noisette. David named it to commemorate 350 years of friendship between Sweden and Great Britain. 

I could just stare at it for hours. I may have to take this book with me to the garden nursery when it gets warm and ask if I could grow these here. 

 

 

These deliciously blowsy roses are called Penelope. I have ALWAYS wanted something like this growing on the sides of my home. I think these became popular again by Sarah Jessica Parker in the television series called Sex and the City. It is a hybrid musk and can grow around 59-79 inches. It can grow taller in warmer climates where it can turn into a climber. It is tolerant of shade and can withstand poor soil if it must. It was created in 1924 by Reverand Joseph Hardwick. 

I hope you all enjoyed this little snapshot of this stunning book. Please stay warm and enjoy your weekend!

 

 

Winter Antiquing

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And a Good Morning to you All! 

Well, we have not received much snow here in Indy but we are forecasted to get 14 inches from now until Friday!!! Yes, you read that correctly 14 inches in my area! So my plan today is to get into my office quickly, get some of my work done, grab my laptop, and work from home the rest of the week. I will be leaving my office early today. I don’t want to get stuck in the ice storm that will be arriving BEFORE the snow! Wish me luck!

It will be nice to work from home for a few days. Lauren will be home as well e-learning so it will be nice not having to rush out the rest of the week. One of my new books just arrived. I ordered Vintage Roses and I cannot wait to take some time this week and read it! It is so beautiful!

Okay now let me share what I found at my favorite antique store.…

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I spotted these gorgeous plates as soon as I walked in. I have no idea what the name of the pattern was but I loved the blue!

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The next item were these charming pink vases. It was only $12 for both! I am still regretting not buying these!

 

 

The next thing that I spotted was this elegant green dish. I have no idea what it was but I loved the color. Beautiful right?

 

 

I walked around some more and spotted these vintage wine glasses. I wish I had room for all of these things. I adored the wine glasses to the right on the second shelf. Goodness, I should have just purchased them. 

 

 

Here are some more goodies in this chair. I could not pass up that blue and white trinket dish or the pillow. Just look at all the rich colors and textures. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

In the end, I purchased a pink-tinted vase, a gold rope tray, a Chinosiere ginger jar, a Limoges floral platter, the textured tasseled pillow, the blue and white vintage tray, and the gold plant stand. I spent under $50 on everything. I am so excited about my finds. I can’t wait to use everything. I do use my things. If they are beautiful that just makes life so elegant to me. Now I am going to get my day finished and come home. We will see how much of this 14 inches we will get! 

Enjoy your Wednesday!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January Favorites ~ 2022

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Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a restful weekend! On Friday I came home drank a glass of wine and relaxed. My husband picked up my favorite dinner from the Cheesecake Factory and it was a really good night! 

On Saturday I took my shoes in for repair, went antiquing and grocery shopping. I found some wonderful finds at the antique store.  I will share them later. For right now let’s get into my favorites for the first month of 2022!

 

 

First on my list is this gorgeous blue and white scarf from Amazon! I still can’t believe that this beautiful accessory came from Amazon. You know they do surprise me sometimes. 

 

 

Second is this elegant hair clip from Jefferson Lane. I knew when I ordered it that I was going to turn it into a brooch. I just added a brooch pin to the back and viola! An elegant piece for my wardrobe. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Third are my chinoiserie-inspired teacups and new teapot from HomeGoods! I still can’t believe that my location had these! I had the biggest smile on my face when I spotted them on the shelf. I have been using them ever since. I wish I could find the link for them but I found this one and this one on Amazon. I did manage to find this coffee mug as well. 

 

 

It has been REALLY cold here in Indy and so I pulled out my faux mink coat that I found during the summer at H&M for only (and get this) $44! What a steal! This coat is so warm! I love it so much. My coat is sold out but QVC has this one, this one, and this one. 

 

 

Fifth has been my floral tights from Target. They are back in stock!!! You better hurry and order your size!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The sixth has been this incredibly chic and vintage-inspired soap dish from Amazon! It is super heavy and amazingly good quality! It was under $20!

 

 

Seventh is my winter antiquing trip that I just took. I will share my finds later this week! If you follow me on Instagram I posted a reels video on my feed. 

 

 

And lastly are my new Coach heels. I have been stalking these online for a while. They do have a pair that is on sale and they are here. There are more items that are on my favorites list but this list would get too long and I have already posted most of them on my blog. 

Oh I almost forgot. Last weekend we had our monthly Chic Society Zoom call and I enjoy these so much. I did learn about a new Youtube channel called Lazy Dancer Tips. I am really enjoying this channel. It is helping me so much with my posture, how I stand, and how I sit. My favorite video has been the “Look More Elegant with 3 Simple Tips”. I hope you all enjoy this video and this month’s favorites. Have a wonderful Monday and stay warm!

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oprah’s Rose Garden…

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Good Morning Everyone!

It is freezing here in Indy. Yesterday’s high was only 12 degrees! Goodness! But I think some warmer temps may be coming our way next week. This weekend I plan on doing a “closet review”. I plan on purging, donating, and posting new clothes to my Poshmark account. I also plan on taking in another pair of shoes in for repair. 

Honestly, I do want to have a day to just sit in my bed and watch movies. I just want to relax. It has been so cold this week. With all of the talk about colder temperatures I thought I would share a recent rose garden that I stumbled on. It belongs to Oprah….

 

photo credits: Veranda Magazine 

 

This is Oprah’s property in Montecito California and it is 65 acres! Oprah said that when she purchased this property she had no idea how or what she wanted to do with it. 

 

 

She ended up hiring a master rosarian. I didn’t know that a job like that even existed! Master Rosarian? Wow! She hired a gentleman named Dan Bifano. I may be looking into this profession soon. When I continued to read the article Oprah went on to say that she helped her rosarian plant, and arrange her flowers in her garden. This task is so rewarding. I love gardening especially if there is a plan. 

 

 

I love this section in her garden as well. I would love to have something like this in my backyard. This is simply a dream. I could see me having alfresco dinners here regularly. Especially during the spring and summer nights. 

Oprah said,  “Sometimes I stand under the arbor, close my eyes, and allow myself to take in as much as I can: I hear birds splashing in the fountain and literally smell the roses. This garden makes me present.” 

If you want to read the entire article you may do so here. You know this garden reminds me of the Butterfly Garden that I visited in 2015. Looks like I may need to take a second visit in the spring as well! Have a great weekend!