Joining the Guild

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and an excellent Mother’s Day! If your mom is no longer around I am sorry. I know that mothers hold a high place in our hearts and homes and for some people, this can really be a hard time.

I had a great weekend! On Saturday I got up early and got ready for our subdivision HOA sale. I set up the boutique in my garage and it looked like a mini-store. I got LOTS of compliments on the setup. The boutique did so well! Half of my inventory is gone! I am so happy that everyone who made a purchase loved the dresses that I had.  I am working on ordering another plus-size dress as well as a regular size so we will see what my vendor has available. 

After the sale, I went to get my car washed, visited HomeGoods, and went grocery shopping. I found a new mirror at HomeGoods. I needed a bigger one to do my selfie photos because my silver one was way too narrow to work with. I also found this tray table to use in my bedroom. I will share all of these in my “May favorites” blog post.  On Sunday, I got up early to start a few house chores, work on my blog and boutique, finish some laundry and receive my Mother’s Day gifts. I got a beautiful bouquet and this gorgeous ring from Nicola from my husband. Lauren also wrote me a wonderful Mother’s Day card and those always mean a lot to me because she sketches them herself!

This week is going to be a busy one at the office. We have a trial scheduled this week and another one in about another week but we are ready. In today’s post, I wanted to talk about some of the other activities that have been grabbing my attention.

I shared last week about going to the Indiana Decorator’s Showhouse and touring the home. I didn’t go into details about what happened while I was there. I do talk about it in my recent Youtube will be uploaded tonight or tomorrow.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

The entryway of the showhome

 

When I approached the home there was a hostess outside giving us the facts about the home. After she spoke with us about the home she invited us to come inside. When I begin to approach the home she stopped me in my tracks. She looked at me and said, “you need to be doing this”. I looked at her and said, “I just want to see the house”. She said, “no you need to join our committee”. She then told me to take the tour and then come back and see her. 

 

photo credit: Aerin.com

 

So I finished the tour and came back. She then told me about the committee and all of its activities. They are involved in the volunteer work for each home that is picked, they do fundraising, host social events, and network. I have a conference call scheduled this week with the president and I am so looking forward to meeting new women and volunteering. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and I will update you guys on this new adventure!

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother’s Day Weekend

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Good Morning,

I have a very busy day today. My division is preparing for a 3-day trial next week and there is a lot to do. It will be my first trial as a civil paralegal supervisor and I am a little nervous. But I believe we are ready for the challenge. I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day! I have a few things planned that I want to do but we will see. Tomorrow our subdivision is having its yearly spring garage sale and I will be setting up the boutique! I hope to get some items sold but we will see. Last year we had two garage sales and I did great at both of them so wish me luck!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My husband got me these roses yesterday from Costco for Mother’s Day! They are so fragrant. Do you spy a Sarah Flint shoebox in the background? I will be filming a new Youtube video this month giving a life update and showing a new pair of shoes! 

 

 

Beautiful azaleas right? These were on the back porch of the showhouse that I went and toured this week. On Wednesday I went to the new members meeting and next Tuesday I have a conference call to discuss membership. I will be giving you guys an update next week! 

Also, I saw this gorgeous gazebo in the paper and begged my husband to go and get it! I have been wanting to dine al fresco at home during the spring and summer for years! He should be setting this up for me this weekend! I also have a table and chairs that need to be repainted and he is going to paint those. Hopefully, I can get some flowers and create a beautiful oasis in my backyard! I will be sure to share photos of the progress and finished product. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend!

 

 

Sarah Flint ~ A New Business Adventure

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Happy Wednesday,

For the last few days, I have been on Cloud 9. Last week I think most of you read my “Shoes that Inspire” post where I shared the beautiful Perfect Pump 85x in Peacock from Sarah Flint. I shared the photos that I took on Instagram and I also did an Instagram reel for it unboxing my shoes. I tagged the company and Sarah herself. About a week later, I got an alert that I had a message on Instagram. I go to check it and it’s Sarah Flint herself!

I froze for a second….. I read her message and she offered me a spot as a Brand Ambassador for her company! I just started screaming! I know that it may sound juvenile but I have been wanting to work with a brand for a very long time. I have been blogging for 8 years and have been on Instagram since 2014 so it’s been quite a long journey for me. I have had other brands try to offer me partnerships but I just could not. I didn’t like what they sold or how they represented themselves. 

I had a few swimsuit companies offer me partnerships but I thought no way. I want to work with a company that sells elegance and is elegant and I think Sarah Flint is a perfect fit! It could not have been a better company for me! I love all of the shoes and accessories and it takes no effort on my part to blend her beautiful products into my life. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

Me in the Perfect Jay Pump 85  in Mademoiselle Cerise and carrying the Pasotti Umbrella

I shared this umbrella on my blog as well. I love her shoes! When I first saw this fabric design last year I knew that I had to have a pair. The fabric designs are so timeless. You could wear this shoe 20 years from now and everyone would still love it! That’s the wonderful part about these designs. And they are SOO high quality. You certainly can tell a difference between this shoe and the others that you have in your closet. There is just something about quality and beauty. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Just look at this stunning umbrella! Oh my goodness! It is quite beautiful! Everyone loves it. I actually let someone use it to run across the street and she just stared at it. It is the most beautiful umbrella I have ever owned! 

 

 

To celebrate this new partnership I have a coupon code for you to use to get $50 off your first shoe purchase! Use code SARAHFLINT-BASMSSHOCKLEY when you check out to use the $50 toward your purchase! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I want to thank you all for continuing to read the blog and for following me on this journey. I hope that you use the code on a beautiful pair of shoes and make sure that you tell me if you purchase a pair. I would love to know what your favorites are! Have a wonderful Wednesday! 

 

 

This post IS sponsored! Yay! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022 (part 2)

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Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I certainly did! The weather was perfect. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I was able to get my favorite dish, herb-crusted salmon with lemon sauce. Sooo good! I also have some exciting news that I will be sharing later this week. For right now let’s finish this gorgeous home tour that I took last week. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

We are going to start with this gorgeous half bathroom that was off of the kitchen. I loved everything about it. This bathroom was designed by the same woman who designed the kitchen. Tiffany Skilling is a local interior designer. I started following her on Instagram last year after I saw her work on the previous home. 

Don’t you just love the wallpaper? It’s by Kelly Ventura and this flawless vanity was custom built! Trust me I asked the guides if I could buy it or find it!

 

 

I wanted more pictures of the space but people were waiting behind me to take a look.

 

 

As I mentioned before all of the artwork were by local artists which I thought was a wonderful addition to include the local creativity in my city. It was very eye-opening to see all of the talents. This painting caught my eye because one of the guides told me that this was a local Italian restaurant in my city! I thought, “You’re kidding me right”. So I looked it up and sure enough, it was. It’s called Iozzo’s Garden of Italy. My husband and I were going to go this weekend but it is closed for renovations but will be open here pretty soon! Yes were are going! It looks like Italy. I have to go!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

So we came upstairs and passed that beautiful wallpaper and we walked into this room. Can you say Tory Burch vibes? I mean the couch!!! I was walking around with an older lady and we both looked at the couch and said, yes please! This room was designed by interior designer Todd Otterman and his inspiration was the Chiang Mai Dragon curtains. 

 

 

The next room was this bedroom and it was my favorite. I loved the chairs and the colors. This is the primary bedroom and bathroom in the home. This room had lots of antiques and french inspiration. It was designed by MJ Coyle and Blake W. Richardson. 

 

 

The pillow….

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I spy blue and white… 

 

 

This was in the bedroom as well. A photo of C.Z. Guest! 

 

 

This room did have an attached bathroom and closet. I tried to get photos of everything but it is hard when you want to absorb the tour as well. 

 

 

This was one of the kid’s rooms. It was the cutest room! I love the candy-coated color palette. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I love this bed. It’s a canopied bed that provides space to sleep and curl up with a book but it also had a bottom bed great for sleepovers. 

 

 

This was the wallpaper in the adjoining bathroom. OMG! I love it. This room and bathroom were designed by Compass Design, LLC. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We then headed down to the basement. This space was so big but I only took one photo because I was trying to learn about the space and be in the moment. The designers turned this space into the family room. I love these chairs! I have no idea where they are from but they are stunning to me! The chalky green paint color is a winner. It’s called honed soapstone 9126 by Sherwin-Williams. This room was designed by Shine Design, LLC. 

 

 

Afterward, we went outside to the backyard to shop the vendor tables and take a look at the space which was stunning! It was a wonderful tour and I so enjoyed it. I will share this. Before I entered the home the host that was giving us information before entering the home stopped me. She looked at me and told me, “you need to be doing this”. I then looked at her and said, “what”? She then proceeded to say that I need to join their committee and be a part of hosting and volunteering at these yearly home shows! Now I have never met this woman in my life but I took her up on her offer and decided to learn more about it. She has invited me to the new member meeting set for this Wednesday. I will update you guys on what happens! To read about last year’s home tour see here and here. 

The boutique also has a new arrival. The white dress for the season has arrived and I have decided to name it Chrissy. The Chrissy Ruffle Maxi is available in sizes small – extra large. It has a beautiful silhouette. Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022

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Good Morning,

I had such a great time yesterday at the 2022 Indiana Decorator’s Showhouse & Garden tour! I got up early, did my normal routine, had some grapes, toast, and 2 cups of tea and I headed out! I had to park a block away from the home because it is on a busy street but the walk was wonderful. The weather was nice and I dressed my best for the occasion. I had my new MME.Mink tote, peacock pumps from Sarah Flint, and my lilac coat! Ready for spring indeed!

 

photo credit: Showhouseindy.com 

After checking in I approached this year’s home. This is the Rhodehamel house built in 1920. The home is 10,452 square feet and has 4 levels. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

Walking in was this gorgeous antique chandelier. 

 

 

My goodness! The wallpaper!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I loved this vintage table that I believed was purchased at an auction. The peacock lamps were a nice touch as well as the painting! Most of the art in the home were from local artists around the city. 

 

 

This was the dining room. The deep dark paneled walls wrapped the room. The dark paint color was called Andiron 6174 by Sherwin Wiliams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was the kitchen. I actually love the contrast between the light cabinets and the dark cabinets. It actually looks good together and has given me inspiration for my kitchen. The colors are mindful gray 7016 and web gray 7075 by Sherwin Williams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Loving the farm sink and faucet fixture. It pulls out like a hose which is my favorite part. 

 

 

 

These floors look original right? They are not! They are actually laminate that were stained to match the original floor! There are those perfect cabinets again. I just love that color! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The tiles are handpainted! I was told by one of the hostesses that each tile was handpainted. Talk about a lot of work. I love those pot fillers. I think they are so convenient and posh. We will finish the rest of the home tour on Monday. It was a great day! I really enjoyed it. 

I have a new dress arrival coming today. I hope that they are beautiful but we will see. Don’t forget about the 10% off code for the boutique. Just use code “housewife10” to get 10 % off! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I am loving this combo! I am wearing the Ballet Lace Cardigan with the Maxine Balloon Sleeve Midi and I think they look fabulous together! It looks great for weddings, church functions, Mother’s Day events, date nights, or just everyday wear. They are both plus-size as well. I hope you can order a set! 

 

 

If you would like to see last year’s first tour you may view it here. Have a great weekend! 

 

 

A Simple Spruce Up Checklist

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Good Morning!

I am so excited! Tomorrow I am taking the day off to attend this year’s Indiana Decorator’s Show House & Garden Tour! Last year was my first year attending and I am looking forward to this year. I am still dreaming about that desk from last year’s tour. My goodness…

I was able to purchase a new Day Designer from Target this past weekend. I would link it but my particular design is not available online. This particular planner was a collaboration with The Home Edit so it was a different format. 

In the back of the book, they had an extra credit section and in that section, it gives you “home edit” ideas for each month. Since we are finishing the month of April I thought I would share their “spruce up for spring” ideas. 

 

photo credit: Pinterest

 

It said, “Don’t feel like staging a deep spring cleaning this month? Create space and clarity by purging outdated, unwanted items that are taking up valuable space.” Then they give a list of items to purge:

  • Stained or frayed dishtowels
  • Outdated technology and accessories
  • Appliance manuals (you can probably find them online now)
  • Outdated bills and policies
  • Medicines, drugs & cosmetics

Now looking at this list you are probably saying to yourself, “I can absolutely organize those items”. I know I plan on getting rid of old wash rags myself. I need some new ones. As far as technology items I have most of my cells phones since 2004! I really need to get rid of them. There are only about 6 of them but I need to purge them. I am hanging on to them because they have Lauren’s baby pictures stored on them. I need to find a way to get those off!

 

 

photo credit: Murphey Beckerart Instagram 

 

When it comes to outdated old appliance manuals we have a drawer dedicated to such books and now since it has been brought to my attention that we can get these online I will be purging that drawer! I would love to have the extra space. I always get rid of old medicine and cosmetics pretty easily. 

I hope everyone enjoyed this quick list of sprucing up. If you want something with a little more substance then read my “The Butler Speaks” blog posts about cleaning. Those are still reader favorites. Have a great Wednesday! 

 

 

 

April Favorites ~ 2022

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Good Morning,

And we have finally hit 80 degrees! I can’t believe it. I don’t know how long it will stick around. We actually had snow last Monday! Good grief! I hope everyone had a good weekend. I did some normal shopping, ran my errands, did a few house chores, and got ready for the workweek. My mother-in-law’s birthday is Tuesday so we took her a gift yesterday. 

We are still trying to figure out vacation plans for the summer. I know we are going to have to narrow things down here soon. Lauren gets out of school next month and then we only have about 8 weeks before school starts up again. Nuts right? 

Well on to my favorites for the month of April…

First on my list is my gorgeous new umbrella from Sarah Flint. Honestly you guys I have not had the chance to use it yet. We are expecting some rain this week so maybe I will have the opportunity soon…

 

photo credit: Sarah Flint.com 

 

The second is a dear sweet friend that I met on Instagram. Her name is Olivia Claggett and she is an accomplished harpist! She reached out to me and sent me her album and I have to say that it was such a joy to listen to. I love songs 1, 6, and 11. She is very talented and has a beautiful album. Check out her Instagram page and purchase her album. I listened to it while I was working and it was WONDERFUL! 

 

photo credit: Olivia Claggett

 

Third, are my lavender bath bombs from a company called the Honey Pot. I have been using their feminine products for over 6 months and I have to say that I am VERY pleased with the results. I use a lavender bath bomb every Sunday morning and I love the smell and enjoy all of the ingredients. I also love their feminine pads. They have mint in them and when you use them there is this overwhelming freshness in the area. It’s extraordinary!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The fourth was my delicious dinner at Carrabba’s. It is an Italian restaurant that my husband and I enjoy. I love their Tuscan grilled chicken, red mashed potatoes, and sauteed spinach. The bread with garlic herbs is delectable as well. Of course, I could not pass up a glass of white Moscato wine. Such a wonderful evening!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Fifth is a new Amazon purchase. I am loving this casual but chic dress. It comes in different colors. I have worn it a few times already. It’s easy elegance. If you are interested in my shoes they are here and my new cell phone case is here. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The sixth is my morning walks. I love taking my morning walks. I walk about 2  1/2 miles around my subdivision and I enjoy every minute of it. Especially now with our trees beginning to bloom. Oh my….

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Seventh is a new recent purchase but a gorgeous one! I was on the fence about ordering this tote from MME. Mink but I went ahead and took the risk. I am so glad that I did. As soon as I opened my package just I sigh….

 

 

Stunning isn’t it? I am going to love this bag for all time. Oh my goodness the details. I love the gold accents. The chain, gold tag (with my name on it), the gold fox, the gold purse feet, and the “H” on the side. It’s one of those bags that you just stare at not knowing what it is but it exudes elegance. People just stare at it….

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Well that it is for April, well ….

 

 

I do LOVE this photo! My daughter took it. She helps out with some of my photos, videos, boutique, and blog. I may have to use this for future business photos. I hope you all have a great Monday!

 

 

fyi: This post is not sponsored. I use affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links.