My Victoria Tea Set

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Good Morning Everyone,


I am actually in the office today. I have been given more days to work throughout the month so we will see how this “back to office” transition goes. 


I just had to share my recent order. I know most of you are avid readers of Victoria magazine and follow Jennifer L. Scott on The Daily Connoisseur so this should not come as a surprise to anyone that I ordered that beautiful tea set from the magazine. 


I am sure most of you have seen it. It’s stunning!

This is the April Cornell Blue Roses Tea Set and if you love blue and white this is something to swoon over. The delicate roses and gently scalloped surfaces is something to sigh about. The set is completely porcelain and is going to be a true classic. 

You can order it piece by piece if you like but I would recommend getting something from it. Even if it’s just the pair of tea cups. I guarantee you it will not be a regret. 
This was an excellent collaboration. Especially with such a classic artist like April Cornell.

I am going to enjoy this set for years to come. I only hope that my daughter will eventually begin to appreciate some of the items that I have. You know those teenagers….. 


They think differently then we do. 


Enjoy!




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)





Beautiful Past Ideas & Stories ~ Past Posts

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nicola bathie mclaughlin on Instagram: “dreamy views and window treatments of dreams via @arielokin”

photo credit Nicola Bathie

Good Morning Everyone,


I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We did, however, I had a picnic scheduled for yesterday afternoon but it got humid too fast and my step-son couldn’t make it. 


I told him that I would re-schedule it because he wanted to be included. I will be sure to do a blog post about it once we go. 


I am super excited today. I don’t know if any of you follow Jennifer L. Scott (although, I am sure that some of you do) but I watched her recent video about her new blue and white tea set that she got from Victoria magazine and I just fell in love with it. My set is scheduled to arrive today!!!! Yay!!!! I am so excited to see it you guys! I can’t wait. 


photo credit Victoria Magazine 

In today’s post, I wanted to share past posts about how to live well. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did writing them. As I was going through them I was reading them myself. They are such wonderful reminders, wonderful ideas, and great short stories. Enjoy! 


2016:


Enjoy La Dolce Vita


2017:


A Paris All Your Own ~ A New Book


A Paris All Your Own ~ Part 2


2018:


The Civil Life

Summer Dresses from Walmart

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Good Morning Everyone,


I hope everyone is well and still enjoying their homes. As for me I took a small break from social media. There was just too much going on. 


So let’s get into something a little fun and girly. So I ventured into Walmart recently. I haven’t been in months because of Covid and other reasons. Walmart sometimes is not a fun place but while I was there I did take a peek at their summer dresses and I was very impressed!

Now this first dress is called the milkmaid dress and comes in 4 different colors. I loved this print and it fits true to size. Honestly, if you went down a size I don’t think it would hurt. 

It is so comfy and I just love the way it fits!

I love that it is lightweight and there is smocking in the back. 


Here is dress number 2, it’s called the flutter sleeve dress. It’s thicker than what you think. Great material, comfy, and machine washable. 

It comes in 3 different colors. 


It’s a great spring and summer dress. It can be worn anywhere and the price is great only $24.88! 

Now the last dress can be used for a date night, girls outing, church, bridal shower, or wedding! 


This is the prospect dress and it is only $31! It comes in 5 different colors and is made of polyester and spandex. I am wearing it in the extra large and I would say it runs true to size. 


I love the way this dress looks. I saw it on a fellow Youtuber’s video and had to give it a try and I am glad that I did. It’s lovely. 

I hope you all love these affordable finds and take a look at the links. They are all great dresses and will help you looked pulled together and chic. 

Enjoy!



(photos via Mrs. Shockley)



Radiate Calm ~ Part 2

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I don’t know about most of you but I really had to “dig deep” this past weekend and find my solitude and radiate calm for myself and my family. 


To be honest I could not believe the madness that took place. I understand the concerns and worries of our country but to destroy businesses and take advantage of a horrible situation just really shocked me!


I could not believe what some people were doing. Even here in my own very city they spray painted our monuments, busted windows, set fires, fought, and stole. I never thought that I would say this but I hated my own city. It was horrible to watch. 


Not only that a jewelry store that I visit often for repairs and go look at vintage jewelry was broken into Saturday. All of their jewelry was stolen, including the vintage pieces. My heart sank…


To know that their our individuals out there who took these items knowing that they are not there for “justice” but for greed just infuriated me. 


So I took the weekend and a few days to calm myself…. Yes buildings can be fixed and items (some) can be replaced but that still does not make it okay. You are still committing crimes. I had to remind myself that God is in control and to stay off of social media especially Facebook because there are some individuals who don’t share the same beliefs I do. 


I searched my blog for past posts on calmness and found this one that I wrote in 2018 called Radiate Calm.





My porch at home. We spend a lot of time here. 

I read my post and reminded myself that I do not have to act like that. That staying calm is assertive. When you remain serene, you’re communicating that you have the situation under control and there’s nothing to worry about…… It’s tempting to fly off the handle in a confrontational moment, but far more valuable to bring goodwill and order back to an unraveling situation. Maintaining a sense of equanimity even when matters are tense disarms antagonists, builds trust, and forces everyone involved to focus on the problem logically rather than emotionally, allowing for a better and quicker resolutions”. 


I pray for our country constantly. We really need some guidance and peace at this time. Until then I will do my very best to respect all people and remain as elegant as I possibly can. 






(photos via Mrs. Shockley & Pinterest)





Home Life ~ Quarantine

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Well, I don’t think any of us saw this lasting this long. When this all started in March (for our city), I initially thought, “We’ll be back in the office in April”. Well, April has come and went and now May is gone. I really didn’t think it would last this long but here we are.


I know for me I have been trying to find the bright side of this madness. This has some similar feelings as the shutdown that we all went through in early 2019. I actually read my post from that and saw that I am doing the same thing I did then. Just being patient and trying to trust the Lord. 

I know the very first thing that I have been enjoying is my front yard garden. I have so many beautiful plants. My peonies this year look outstanding!


The second is the food at home. I love eating at home. I am not a restaurant person so when they said that they were closing them I did not feel bad for me but for the workers. I could eat at home any night and every night. I saw this packet of veggies at the grocery store. It was called “steak topper” and the ingredients were, mushrooms, parsley, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. I thought this would be great in spaghetti! 

So that’s what I made! It was sensational!
I am still reading magazines and following inspiring people on Instagram. I can’t remember where I saw this gorgeous room but I am taking notes! I definitely would like to find the 26×26 pillowcases with the tan trim. Gorgeous right? 

Of course, I have not stopped visiting my favorite resale clothing app. I love Poshmark and have been finding wonderful clothes, shoes, and home decor. Like these gently used and might I say extremely chic Coach flats. I paid only $30 for them. They are practically brand new and I am helping a fellow Posher make money. Everyone wins!

I found this gorgeous houndstooth JCrew tray and Kate Spade earrings from Poshmark!
For Mother’s Day, we spent a quiet evening at home but my mother in law did give me these beautiful vintage Christmas ornaments. I can’t wait to see these on the tree this year.


And lastly, I still get up every morning, work out, bathe and dress completely. Just because we are stuck at home doesn’t mean I can’t look good. This is a true testing time. This moment right now really lets you know if you dress for people or you. And I can truly say that I dress for me. I am still wearing heels to the grocery store! This virus won’t stop my show not if I can help it! 

Have a great weekend everyone! I am really excited and nervous. I dropped a dress off with my seamstress this week to make some alterations. I pick it up this weekend. We will see!!!


(photos via Mrs. Shockley)




My Customized Cell Case

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Good Morning Everyone,


I wanted to get this posted right away. There was a lot of interest on my social media accounts so without further ado…..

This is my customized floral cell case holder from Etsy. The price was great and so was the service. This is actually my second order. My original order was in March and it was the week that everything shutdown. The Esty shop that I ordered this from sent it out and we both believe that it got lost in the mail. 

So they sent out a second one this month and I was so grateful that they did. They sent it will no problems whatsoever. 



My case was designed for my Samsung S9. They make it for several different devices. You just select your device, your pattern cover, and personalization if you want it. This is a photo of the inside. It does have three card slots. 


This is the backside. Both sides have the floral design and your name and did you all see the price? Yes, it only cost that much! The only issue is time with shipping. For me, my order was sent out on May 7th and I received it yesterday. There is no tracking number so you will just have to trust the system. 

If there is an issue let them know and they will send out a new one. But you have to wait for the 15-20 days before you can request a replacement. That is what I did. 

I hope you all enjoyed this great and new find. I have been looking for a new cell case for about a year now and I am glad that I found this company. I am going to wait a bit but I will be ordering a second one. I am thinking about patterns 2 or 5.

Enjoy!




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)




May Favorites ~ 2020

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Hello Everyone and Happy Memorial Day!!!


Things sure are different this year. No swimming, visiting people, just hanging out at home and doing some simple grilling. I hope you all are enjoying your families today and thank you to those who have served this country!


Now let’s get into my May favorites. The first is a new item above. I purchased this lovely dark blue garden stool from Target. I have been wanting one with the blue being the major color and the white being the subtle one. It’s so chic!

My second has been my grand hydrangea from QVC. I talked about this in my lastest youtube video. I said that I was going to order another one. I haven’t yet. It’s really big and I would not know where to put a second one. 

Third has been the organic raw honey from Costco. I LOVE this stuff! I put a teaspoon sometimes 2 in my hot tea in the mornings. It is so good. I have been buying the package every time we go. I need to slow down on it!  


Fourth, has been peonies! Of course, it is peony season! I found these gorgeous stems at the grocery store. I called my local florist to see if they had any and she told me that they are harvesting this week. I can come this week to pick up a few as long as I have my face mask. Not a problem, I can’t wait!
Fifth, has been my new Amazon shredder. I love having a new shredder in my home office. I was able to get old documents shredded. Like our closing documents from our first home, checks from my first bank account, old bills, etc. It has been wonderful having it.  

And the last item has become essential, and it’s my face mask from Gossamer.

I saw these on their Instagram page and had to order it. I got two sets and paid I think under $30. They have been comfortable and do the job! 



I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. I will try to get a video filmed this week for Youtube. Enjoy your holiday!



(photos via Mrs. Shockley)