Current Favorite Beauty Products

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Good Morning,

We had snow earlier this week! SNOW! Goodness, it happens every year. I don’t know why I think we are out of the danger zone when March gets here. I really doesn’t matter. We always get snow!

I don’t have much planned this weekend which makes me happy. I will be doing a house review and try to do some website work. I also want to go to Whole Foods so I hope that I can fit that in.

Today I am sharing my beauty regimen favorites. I try to update my creams and try new things, but I am such a creature of habit. The first thing that I want to share are my facial cleaners. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I am still using the Purity by Philosophy. It has been a constant in my facial cleaning regimen. I recently tried Estee Lauder’s Soft Clean facial cleanser and I like it very much. My Estee Lauder Perfectionist Pro Rapid Brightening serum is perfect for my dark spots and scaring that I have on my face. It clears them right up in a few weeks. 

 

 

For day cream I have been trying the L’Oreal Age Perfect cream. I absolutely love this! It’s a beautiful blush color and gives your skin a lovely hint of color. The Fresh Floral Recovery Calming mask is great in the evening. The Estee Lauder Nightwear Plus is still my evening go-to as well as the Revitalizing Supreme Night cream. Advanced Night Repair is an influencer favorite, and the Clarins Double Serum is life changing! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

New products that I have been trying are the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour mist. This is such an affordable luxury. I think trying and owning a facial mist is such a treat. I saw the Estee Lauder Swiss Performing Extract serum at Von Maur. I could not help myself. I put this on at night and the smell is HEAVENLY! It’s a great moisturizer and helps with tone and elasticity. 

 

 

For those pesky blemishes, I use the Neutrogena Cleanser Mask. Now this is very STRONG. It has benzoyl peroxide in it. I only put some on my pimple, I let it sit then wash it off. It gets rid of them pretty quickly. 

 

 

Now let’s get into some makeup. For my eye shadow I love my Gucci eyeshadow palette. It is currently sold out, but this Laura Geller palette has some similar colors. I also have the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy palette, but the Mary Kay eye shadow is another good option. If you are looking for a Mary Kay consultant reach out to Rosenda. She is my Mary Kay consultant and would be happy to assist you! If you do reach out, please tell her that you are an A Home for Elegance follower. In regard to my eyebrows, I have been using the Anatasia Beverly brow dip for years. I also just found this brow pencil from Amazon. I am quite intrigued by it. For my blush I am using the Laura Mercier face illuminator, but this looks promising, and I may have to try it. Let’s not forget the Laura Mercier Kabuki brush! 

 

 

Lastly are my lips. I keep it very simple when it comes to my lips. I ABSOLUTELY adore a Clinique chubby stick, but I did find this similar item on Amazon. I am still carrying the L’oreal Paris lip balm in my bag. I did splurge on our trip in Atlanta, and I purchased the Hermes lip oil. I have no regrets. It’s wonderful and as you can see almost gone! For Mary Kay please contact my friend mentioned above. 

I hope that you all loved these beauty products. Let me know in the comments section if you plan to purchase any or if you already use some of them. 

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  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

Shall We Return to Refinement?

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Good Morning,

We had a very quiet weekend. I did a little antique shopping. I found a birdcage that was absolutely beautiful! 

 

Now I don’t intend on getting a bird, but I love bird cages. I want this just for home decor. I know that may sound weird, but I do love it. I am hoping to get the price dropped. The owner has it marked for $220. I want to maybe pay half of that, but we will see. 

It’s been a while since I have shared an article that intrigued me. An interior designer that I follow shared some info from this article called “We’re Ready for a Return to Refinement”. Reading this title captured me immediately. Now that we are post Covid, it just seems as though the world cannot pull it together. Maybe it’s me but every time we go to a restaurant all I see is sloppiness. For a period of time, it was driving me nuts, but I am trying to settle into the thought process that I cannot control everything.

In the article, it starts off reminding us that “sofas that make you sit up a little straighter, and heeled pumps that give you a more graceful gait are unabashedly elegant essentials” necessary for your beautiful life.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley (Ralph Lauren Store, Manhattan)

 

The article goes on to discuss setting your table for dinner, decorating your home, and shopping. Now with inflation out of control, living your best life on a budget has become a motto for most of us. I have been trying to very best to find affordable pieces on Amazon to organize my home and to live in a lovely manner. Don’t get me wrong I love Amazon but having some substantial pieces in my life to balance out those Amazon purchases is how I want to live. I have an affirmation that I have been saying almost daily for over 10 years. “Lord help me to buy quality, not quantity”.

One thing that I have learned these last few years is that our time is very short. I want to live my life in beautiful ways as much as possible. 

 

 

 

Experiment with your Home

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Hello!

I completely forgot to tell you all that last Saturday my family and I went to Cincinnati, Ohio to do a little shopping. I found out that Frontgate, Ballard Designs and Grandinroad had an outlet store! I have always wanted to visit Ballard Design so when I called and got their location they told me about the other two stores. We also stopped by the Cincinnati outlet mall as well. I will be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the stores, but it was nice to see the quality of the inventory up front. What scared me away was the prices. Everything was still too high! I feel like you mind as well order online. But that is just my opinion you can check it out on your own. 

Home decor has been on my mind a lot lately. I am always looking for inspiration. I was at the showhouse recently and saw some of the rooms. I cannot wait to share the beautiful rooms with you here on the blog soon. 

I also read this recent magazine article in Victoria from Courtney Davey at Tuft and Trim. 

 

photo credit: Tuft & Trim

 

Courtney Davey’s Instagram content and blog is one of my favorites. I love the floral print couch in the photo above. That is my inspiration for my new FBMP find. One part of the article that I loved was the encouragement to experiment with your home. She said…

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Trying something new with your home décor doesn’t have to be daunting. “If you don’t love it, change it,” says Courtney. Move furniture around, hang things on the walls, try a new paint color and see how it looks. Sometimes you have to put a style choice to the test to discover whether it works in your space. “I always have a wall repair patch kit and spare paint on hand for an easy fix,” the designer continues. “I think there’s so much pressure on getting it right that it holds people back, but if you just go for it and keep a flexible mindset, it’s amazing what you can create!”

I could not agree more. There are a lot of new ideas that I have for my home and reading this passage has inspired me to move forward in my home decor ideas. 

 

 

photo credit: Tuft & Trim

 

I hope this post has inspired you to give your home ideas a try. We are only going to make this journey once. Enjoy your home and your space. Stop decorating your homes to sell them. Add color and beauty! Have a great weekend. 

Easter is fast approaching! The Belle Rose Maxi and Gatsby Pearl Necklace are on sale! Get both for only $40 (plus shipping)!

 

 

 

It’s Been 10 Years for the Blog!

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Good Morning Everyone!

It is still cold here, but we are used to it. I have swapped out my fall/winter shoes and accessories for my spring/summer items! I think this past weekend just staring at my shoes and accessories made me feel a little sad and that’s when I realized that changing things out will not hurt. Our weather has gotten a bit warmer but wearing a few spring items will certainly cheer me up! I just ordered these amazing green roses and ivory sandals from Dillard’s. I can’t wait to wear them this spring and summer. The dress is on my radar, but I will have to wait a moment for that. 

Please share below how you are preparing for spring!

As you can see from the title, it has officially been 10 years since I started my blog A Home for Elegance. Pretty incredible to me honestly! I cannot tell you how many times I have contemplated quitting. Blogging is hard, coming up with daily inspirational posts is hard! It is SO HARD! 

But I love the space that I have created for myself and for all of you. This blog has also become a journal for my life. There I have been times where I have come to my blog to try to remember what I did or what was the name of a certain place or location. I do hope that you have found inspiration as well!

In honor of my 10 years, I am linking my very first blog post here. As I journeyed back to my first month of blogging, I still remember what I felt and how my home was back then. So much has changed in the last 10 years. I only hope that the blog will get better. That I will be allowed to create my own brand and that beautiful things continue to follow. Thank you for reading all this time. 

Please comment below how long you have been reading A Home for Elegance. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

How I Romanticize my Life Daily

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Good Morning Everyone!

Busy, busy I have been. Lauren is home this week for spring break and we are just trying to keep things simple. I have been trying to pay attention to my daily life and look at what is working for me and what is not. Organizing my home and life has not been easy. Lots of things are being purged and lots of small changes have happened. In the mist of these changes, I have been also trying to keep things beautiful in my life. 

I was recently inspired by a video that I watched. There have been a few influencers who recently shared ways that they are romanticize their daily lives and I thought I would share my list as well.

First are my morning walks. I can’t tell you how these have become so important to me. I started these walks in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. I felt a need to get out and get fresh air and try to capture my emotions and put things into perspective. I am still doing that and need these walks to listen to podcasts, talk with God, and lay out my dreams. It also gives me the opportunity to see flowers, and watch the sun rise. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The second is pouring myself a vanilla latte at the office every morning, and using my fine china. I LOVE doing this! I had a co-worker who came in after my oatmilk finished in my frother and she saw me pour this into my china cup and she said, “you treat yourself so well”. Now that comment struck me. I thought, “this is treating myself well”? Really, this is something that I do every day and I don’t give it any thought, but she did and at that moment I knew that I was blessed. 

 

 

Third is making my bed. I cannot leave my house without doing this. Having a well-made bed speaks volumes to me when I come home. After a long day at the office, I head upstairs to my bedroom to drop things off and seeing my bed made and waiting for me is a beautiful way and relaxing way to end my day. 

 

 

Along with seeing my well-made bed, making myself a pitcher of lemon and cucumber water has been another way of romanticizing myself. It is so refreshing and delicious. I have had a glass almost every night while watching Designing Women from 1986!

 

 

Fifth is setting a beautiful yet simple tablescape. I love seeing a beautiful set table every day. Having this brings beauty into my life and gives me the opportunity to use my best. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Sixth is and you should not be a shock but fresh flowers. I have shared multiple bouquets on my website. I don’t think that I need to explain how buying yourself a bouquet (even if it’s from the grocery store) is a beautiful way to romanticize your life! Please try it. You will not regret it. 

 

 

Seventh are candles. Lighting candles in the evenings or in the mornings when I have teatime brings me such solace. I loving smelling my favorite candles while reading a book, writing in my journal, or sipping a cup of hot tea. 

 

 

And the last items are art museums, ballets, and classical music. I always try to schedule beautiful events in my life to romanticize myself. There is an upcoming event called Art in Bloom that I want to go and see. I also calendar the ballets and other events to make sure that I can schedule a time to seek the arts. I also set my alarm to classical music. It makes me smile when I hear it in the mornings. 

I hope that you have gained some inspiration from this post. Add small things in your life that fit with your character to bring about beauty. Life is so very short. Enjoy your best!

 

  • Affiliate links attached.

 

 

February Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning!

I can’t believe it is the end of February and our wedding anniversary is this week. We have officially been married 20 years! I can’t believe it. I remember back in 2016, I wrote a blog post called Renewing Vows and I shared how I wanted to renew my vows when our 20 years approached. 

I must say that in that short amount of time, my views have changed a little. I recently brought it up to my husband about renewing our vows and he imposed a very interesting question to me. He said, “would you want to spend that kind of money on a vow renewal or would you rather travel”. I must say that I thought about it, but my heart strings were pulled by the opportunity to travel. I believe more people are becoming more interested in experiences than things and I can understand why. I am not saying that my desire to have a large wedding is gone but that question did make me think twice. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. 

Now let’s into those favorites for this month…

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

First on my list are my new custom stationary notes cards from Etsy. I was stalking these for a while on the website. So glad that I ordered them. They remind me of the English countryside. 

 

 

I have been adding new organizing items to my home and office and I spotted these. This clear file sorter is perfect for your office and home. I love the gold tips on the corners. I also added this gorgeous gold and white ginger jar that I found at the At Home Store. My ginger jar is not available online, but this one is similar. 

 

 

Nothing like antiquing on a beautiful day. I recently got to go, and these are two of the pieces that I picked up. The clear candelabra and crystal ice bucket are perfect additions to my tablescape inventory. I got the candelabra for only $20 and the small crystal ice bucket for $5. When I looked up the price for the candelabra it was over $150! Wonderful find! 

 

 

My home office has been receiving some small updates here and there. Having my antique finds in my office space means a great deal to me. I could not resist these swan candle holders from Bath and Body Works. They are so beautiful! I went and got two! If you are interested in getting one don’t wait too long. Once they are gone, they are GONE!

 

 

These were so wonderful to enjoy this week. I volunteer at Random Acts of Flowers and sometimes we have an overflow of flowers. This month it was blue hydrangeas! Can you believe it? It was so nice being able to take a bundle of these home. It really made my day. 

 

 

Small organizing tools can make life easy. I saw this fridge Lazy Susan and I thought I would give it a try. It does save a lot of space and is so easy to use. Installing it was nothing as well. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Continuing with home products, my dream is to update my laundry room but until then adding helpful tools to the room has made taking care of my clothes much easier. I found this stain brush on Amazon and have been wanting to give it a try. I must say it was the best $15 I have spent! Being able to add my stain remover to my dresses and scrub it in with my brush. Game changer!

 

 

I have seen these Amazon belt organizers in several influencer closets, and I have always wondered about them. So I order three for my closet and must say that I have no regrets! These are great! I can see my belts and I feel like it takes up less space. 

 

 

 

 

Another organizing addition to my closet are these wardrobe organizers. You can use them for just about anything. I am using them to organize my longer and thinner scarves. Another game changer for me. It keeps them nice and neat, and I don’t have to worry about where they are. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

And the last favorite for this month is my vintage Christian Dior silk scarf that I found on Etsy. It is so beautiful and one of a kind. I have been watching it for months before I decided to order it and I must say that I have no regrets. It’s stunning!

As usual I hope that you have enjoyed these finds for the month of February. I wanted to also tell you that the boutique is having a $10 dress sale! Some of the boutique’s dresses are only $10. Order as many as you want. Enjoy!

 

  • Affiliated links attached. 

 

A Barbie Tea at the Propylaeum

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What a wonderful, long weekend! I truly enjoyed it. I watched Suspicion with Cary Grant and set my DVR for recording the new Jane Austen inspired movies on Hallmark. They have been really nice so far. I have also been adding LOTS of new Amazon finds to my lists and my Shop my Favorites page on my website.

A few days ago, it was my turn to watch the Showhouse. As a Guild member we take turns assisting the contractors and designers. I always enjoy this. It gives me an opportunity to meet the local designers and learn about companies in my area. 

Another great perk of being a Guild member is exposure to wonderful organizations. I was recently invited to a Barbie Tea theme party at a women’s historical society called the Propylaeum. The Propylaeum was started in 1888 and was created to provide a center for cultivation for women. 

When I pulled up to the historical home, I knew that I would love it.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It has a very grand entrance. You can also rent some space at the historical home for parties or weddings. 

 

 

Loving the staircase, even with the dated carpet. 

 

 

The floors….

 

 

photo credit: The Propylaeum

I decided to be a good sport and take a photo in the Barbie themed photo-opt area. Not usually my thing but I did enjoy it! I kept my outfit simple yet comfortable. I am wearing a pink blush dress, ballerina cardigan from my boutique, my Tory Burch cap toe heels, and my vintage Louis Vuitton. (I have a 2xl left in light pink of the ballerina cardigan on my website). 

 

 

I stopped, grabbed a glass of pink Moscato, and headed to my table. 

 

 

The room was put together so well and was a wonderful welcome to a drury Saturday morning. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I sat next to my friend Amy who immediately made me try Earl Grey tea. Yes you read that correctly. I have NEVER tried Earl Grey tea until that ladies tea and I must say it was so good! I also loved seeing all of the vintage china, tea sandwiches and pastries as well. 

 

 

Now most of us at the table did not know each other but that did not stop me from asking who was a member of the Propylaeum and who was not. I wanted to know more about the institution and the leadership opportunities that they offered. Sadly, no one at my table was a member. It was nice catching up with Amy and Margaret, but it was also wonderful to meet new people. 

 

 

Loved the paintings on the ceilings. People put so much more effort into elegant living back then. 

 

 

After the tea, I decided to go upstairs and do a self-guided tour of the home. This room was my absolute favorite. I love the pink paint color, detailed fireplace and floors. This home had tons of rooms. It felt as if the house went on and on. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I also could not get enough of this vintage bed and fabric headboard. Oh magnifique! Just beautiful! There is a Mother’s Day tea scheduled soon. I really would like to go so we will see if I can fit it into my schedule. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you have made any new recent tearoom discoveries in your city.

 

  • Side note: the Elizabeth Arden Vintage Vanity Collection has been added to my Poshmark page. Take a peek, make an offer!