I hope everyone had a great weekend. We did! My daughter’s friend invited her to go ice skating. It was a great night out. There were little shops around to buy hot apple cider and food. It was a great couple of hours watching her skate at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt and guess what was in walking distance? TheCakebake Shop!
So my husband wanted to walk over and have dinner there? Nice right? He loves the chicken velvet soup so that worked out for me.
The restaurant now has all of the Christmas decor up and it is just as beautiful and elegant as ever!
So for our dinner choices this time I got the roasted salmon filet with Maille dijon sauce, roasted potatoes, and Haricot vets. For my cake selection, I got the incredibly moist red velvet cake with pink vanilla bean buttercream. It was all delicious!
It was a great evening.
Okay, let’s get into my November favorites. I will start with this wonderful new tea that I found at the supermarket.
It is called TeaWell Organic Matcha Green and I love it! As you can see it helps with antioxidant support, immune support, mental vitality and what I need digestion support! It has a wonderful earthy taste to it and tastes wonderful with a teaspoon of honey. And not to give to much t.m.i. it has been getting my juices flowing properly.
And my new tea selection could not be complete without a new teapot.
I found this beauty at Homegoods and they don’t let you shop online yet. So if you have one nearby go and check it out. This teapot was only $14.99!
Fourth on my list, and it would not be complete without a favorite scent this month. I am loving the Tis the Season scent from Bath and Body Works. The combination of sweet apple, cinnamon, and cedarwood has been filling my hallways lately. I absolutely adore it!
As some of you may have heard my Christmas trees are up (I put up four in the house), and I can not get enough of them. I love my blue and white ornaments. I promise to post a video on my Youtube channel of the rest of my trees sometime soon. If you have not watched my video of our Barbie Ornament tree you may view it below.
Sixth on my list has been these Thomas English muffins! I don’t know what possessed me to get English muffins but I did and I love them! I bought a few into the office and I placed them in the toaster, spread some butter on them, and enjoy them at my desk with my blueberries and hot matcha green tea. That is how I start my morning when I get into the office!
Seventh on my list and this list is getting quite long, are these bow mules that I ordered from Ann Taylor Factory. I talked about these on my blog a few weeks ago. See here if you missed it. They are so comfy and most of my co-workers love them! Don’t miss out!
And last but certainly not least has been the Vince Guaraldi- Charlie Brown Christmas Songs!Now I know it may be a little soon for some but my daughter and I love listening to these on our way to school in the morning.
They are so classic, timeless and simple. For some reason, these songs put my soul at ease and bring about some peace which is what this country needs so much.
Well, I hope that you all enjoyed my favorites for the month. I will be prepping this week for Thanksgiving and will be really busy. I hope to film a little of it. We will see.
I hope all is well with everyone. I just wanted to say thank you to all of my new readers! For those of you who don’t know I was featured on author Jennifer L. Scott’s A Homemaker’s Presentation series. I was absolutely shocked that she asked me to be in it but also very humbled.
It was great being featured in her video. Because of this I have obtained more followers so I just wanted to say HELLO to everyone and thank you for following my blog!
In today’s blog post I wanted to talk about my recent struggle with chores! Yes CHORES! Now I have NEVER had an issue with housework and I mean NEVER! But for the last four months it has been a struggle and I finally found out why.
Since I moved out of my mother’s house in 2002, I have always scheduled my housework for Saturday and half of Sunday. I have kept the same cleaning schedule for 17 years! Well in the last few months I have found myself not wanting to do any housework or limited housework on my Saturdays. I want a free weekend!
I was beginning to feel guilty because I didn’t want to do chores and it bothered me quite a bit. I love my home and love keeping it up so I thought, “why in the world do I feel like this”. Now I am not trying to sound all spiritual but I prayed about it and then it came to me that I needed to switch up my schedule.
I have had the same schedule for WAY to long and needed a change. So now, I have planned one chore a day each day and it has made it much easier on the weekends. So I now do certain chores throughout the week that I would never do. I have also added my daughter to it to teach her the home-keeping ways.
To give everyone an example I now do loads of laundry. Like this past Tuesday, I washed my curtains.
The next day, I washed my decorative pillows for our bed. Nice!
The following day I washed more items around the home.
So now when Saturday comes along I no longer have a list of things to do maybe just 3 or 4. I can hear the Hallelujah chorus!
I can now sit down and watch a Hallmark movie, have a cup of tea or get some inspiration for the blog!
I am sharing this because I think it happens to the best of us. You get stuck in these routines and they almost become like jobs and then it dawns on you that you don’t have to keep these militant routines.
Days should be enjoyed as well as your home. With my step-sons gone and our daughter getting older I think that our house will become less messy anyway. So if you need to change your cleaning schedule, then change it! Give yourself permission. Lord knows I had to give myself the “okay” to do this.
Brighter weekends ahead!
Thanks for reading!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)
https://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Chores.jpg16001200mrs.sshockleyhttps://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Website-Logo-4-1030x579.pngmrs.sshockley2019-11-22 18:37:002020-12-15 17:16:54One Chore at a Time…
It’s Wednesday already and today I will be volunteering at Dress for Success. I’ve got some clothes that I need to drop off. I am having one of my “massive purge” feelings. I love these but also hate them because it’s usually a year later I began looking for whatever I got rid of and then I totally regret it.
It takes a few weeks for me to move on and then I feel good about my closet being “lighter”. Well, the word is getting out in my office. How I adore elegance and beautiful things. Oh boy, I have some co-workers giving me the stare down but no matter I will keep moving forward.
One co-worker, in particular, shared how she went on a historical home tour in Rhode Island. It piqued my interest so she came to my office to tell me about it. Oh me, oh my. I now want to take a tour of the Breakers!
photo credit Annie Spratt
I have never heard of these homes before and was very grateful that my co-worker shared her experience with me. I quickly hoped on the website and learned about all of the homes on this fabulous tour.
The Breakers were these massive homes that were considered to be “summer cottages” in the 1800s. Can you believe that these homes were considered to be summer cottages? Nuts!!!
photo credit Marjorie Bertrand
The Preservation Society of Newport County has 10 homes listed on the website as apart of the tour. My friend said that you could buy a ticket to tour all of the homes and even see the gardens. Sounds like an elegant dream to me.
It should be no surprise that most of these homes have a connection to the Vanderbilts. I toured the Biltmore Estates in 2016 (see here if you missed it)
I am thrilled to learn about more places that my family and I could possibly tour. Well, maybe just me. I have already thought about how I could add these to our time when we visit New York again.
If you have visited the Breakers please let me know in the comments section below. I would love to hear about your experience and your time there.
I have been feeling wiped out for the last few weeks. I don’t know if it’s the weather or all of my lists that I have going on.
I am just about finished with Christmas shopping and I have most of my Thanksgiving feast purchased. The only items I have left are the fresh ingredients which I try to wait until the last minute to buy.
Today I wanted to share a lovely and affordable find. With the holidays fast approaching I thought these beautiful Victoria Style Earrings from Amazon would be the pretty item to add to your holiday outfit!
I purchased the champagne, ruby, and the emerald. They are so beautiful and comfy! Each set comes with its own gift box and jewelry pouch. There are even extra stones and an extra comfy pad for each set.
The emerald…
The ruby…
And the champagne, my favorite!
The price is only $12.99 each and free shipping! I am thinking about going back and ordering more colors. Maybe the amethyst or the navy.
I hope you all enjoyed this find and order a pair for yourself!
Happy Friday to all! Boy, I tell you, inspiration is everywhere. I was in Pinterest recently, lots of inspiration there, and saw Bunny Williams‘s party closet!
Oh, something else that I would love to amass!
photo credit Jennifer Greenburg
Now wouldn’t this be great? Well, I guess if you like to entertain it would be great but some people may see this as another area that they have to organize and keep clean.
I see beauty and whatever ways to serve others with it.
The party closet has been coined as, “a place to get creative and make entertaining at home easy and fun. It has also been declared as the new shoe closet! I can definitely agree with that.
Photo credit Jennifer Greenburg
She even has all of her linens hanging on hangers. How chic! This would feel like a shopping trip in your own home. It’s a great way to see everything you have and not buy doubles of anything.
photo credit Jennifer Greeburg
Designer Becky Boyle said, “I also have all of my vases and containers on one shelf so I can see everything at once. Not only does it help me plan a table or quickly pull something together if someone pops over, but it also helps me know when to add or replace things.”
There are so many ideas and inspiration for a party closet. You may read the article here to find some.
I hope you all enjoyed this post and even if you have a small home you can use a small antique cupboard to convert into one. Enjoy your weekend!
photo credit Elizabeth Georgantas
(photos via Veranda.com)
https://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Party2BCloset2B3.jpg1104736mrs.sshockleyhttps://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Website-Logo-4-1030x579.pngmrs.sshockley2019-11-15 11:46:002020-12-15 17:10:22An Elegant Party Closet
Sorry for the no-post on Monday. I was wiped out from Christmas decorating on Sunday. I am grateful that we had Monday off. That helped! I had a request to show what my nightwear collection looked like.
At the time of the request, I was working on getting new nightgowns. It is really cold here in Indy. Our high yesterday was below 30 degrees and I needed to get some thicker nightgowns.
So below are the current nightgowns that I own. They may be a little frumpy to some but it’s cold here and I have step-sons that pop-up and I don’t need to be wearing anything revealing.
I just purchased this recently. It’s the Secret Treasures Collection from Walmart! Yes, Walmart and I do love it! Now I know that a lot of people are not a fan of Walmart (including myself) but sometimes you can find a great thing or two.
Here is my second gown from Walmart and it is blue and white. Yay!
My third winter nightgown (also from Walmart). I think I got this a size too big but it works. It is so soft and keeps me warm.
I have a silk gown that I wear during the summer and winter. I can’t remember where I got this from but here is a similar one if you are interested.
Here is my last silk gown. I wear this in the summer and spring also. The robe I did find at Walmart but I can not find a link to it. Sorry!
I did feel kind of weird writing this post and posting pictures but I don’t think that I am revealing too much so it should be okay. If you have any sources as to where you find your presentable sleepwear please post it in the comments section below. We all read them and love to hear what others are wearing.
Thanks for reading!!!
If you wish to read Jennifer L. Scott’s blog post about her nightwear you may view it here.
I’ve got a busy weekend planned. I am putting up my Christmas trees! Yes, I know it is early but I must get a head start because I put up about six and I want to enjoy them for more than a month. So I will be starting that this weekend.
We also have Monday off for Veterans Day (thank you to everyone for your service) so I will be using that day to run some errands. There is a new consignment store that I wanted to visit so we will see how that goes. I’ve got to return some purchases at the mall and Von Maur’s beauty week starts so I may take a peek at what they are offering.
Today’s post is a beautiful home tour from one of my favorite bloggers. I follow Gal Meets Glam (Julia Engel)’s blog and website religiously. I have been such a fan of her style and home decor for about six years now.
I saw this home tour on the Southern Living Magazine website recently and just became enamored with all of the inspiration from the home. Even if you don’t like everything about it there is still so much decor inspiration to pick from it.
Gorgeous curb appeal!!! I love the splash of blue on the home. See….serious home decor inspiration!
They have a beautiful wrap around porch. She and her husband always do a great job of decorating their outdoor space.
The breakfast nook area is bright and inviting and the butler’s pantry area is something that most of us will kill for!
Now the kitchen is spacious, full of color, and simply stunning. But… there is a but for me. I am not a fan of the light fixtures. I am a vintage chandelier kinda girl but as I stated above, you don’t have to like everything about someone else’s space. You can just use it as inspiration.
These chairs are my favorite thing. They have the chinoiserie look and they are just classic!
Now, this photo is from a couple of years ago. I remember seeing this peony on her wall and thinking, “I must have it”. I asked her and she said that it was made by an artist in San Francisco named Tiffanie Turner. Here is her website if you are interested.
Doesn’t this look like a wonderful retreat? I only dream of having bed linens like this. I am working on it but they are quite expensive. I’ll get there.
I don’t want to show all of the pictures so if you wish to see the rest of the tour click on the link above to view and take it all in.
Home tours are so wonderful. It’s amazing how someone else can decorate their home in a way that you would have never thought of. Enjoy your weekend!
(photos via Gal Meets Glam.com)
https://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Website-Logo-4-1030x579.png00mrs.sshockleyhttps://ahomeforelegance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Website-Logo-4-1030x579.pngmrs.sshockley2019-11-08 11:28:002020-12-15 17:12:28A Charleston Home Tour
