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Eat Like the Queen

October 18, 2019/9 Comments/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Everyone,

This was a very short week and honestly, it went by rather rapidly. I don’t have much on my agenda this weekend. Although, I can’t wait to get to the nail salon. I need a “fill-in”, and I need my nails cut down really bad. I hate it when they get too long. Typing is my profession and having long nails is not an elegant feature that I would like to have.

I am also torn about the color. Since autumn has arrived I would like to leave my pink blush color and get back into my reds. I think that might be the color that I get this weekend. I was also thinking about a lilac color but I don’t know yet. Maybe for my toes.

I still want a do-over for my movie day. I will try to convince my husband to take me to see Gemini Man but we will see. I am also catching up on my favorite Netflix series called “Call the Midwife”. I am currently on Season 7. I just finished Season 6 and I am still loving it!

Okay, let’s get on with my Friday post. I recently read an article called “ I Ate Like a Member of the Royal Family for a Week and Here’s What Happened”. I found this article very intriguing. I have never read about what any of the Royal Family members eat let alone the Queen.

Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash

The author Elizabeth Licata talked about her experience trying to follow what the Queen ate for a week. It was quite interesting but what intrigued me the most was what the Queen ate and how often. She eats four small meals a day! I know for a fact that I can’t do that. I have to keep my schedule at three and that is okay. I have different genetics to fight with!

I learned that she doesn’t like garlic (not even in the palace), she plans her meals a week in advance, and she likes her food, fresh, seasonal and local. Okay, your Highness! Those are tips that I will take in as my own!

I also learned that she has a very strong cup of tea in the morning and Special K is her favorite cereal. That’s fun to know! She also thinks that brown eggs taste better than white. I couldn’t agree with her more! I noticed a difference in taste. Her jam is homemade and she has a cocktail before lunch. Interesting…

photo credit Alessia Cocconi

She also doesn’t eat starches. Huh? Oh boy, I would struggle with that. I love some roasted potatoes! Other than that the Queen has a pretty good diet with lots of items that keep it interesting. I doubt she eats a whole lot. She is so tiny.

I hope you all enjoy the article and can maybe take some tips for yourself. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading!

My New China Additions

October 14, 2019/4 Comments/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Ladies,

Sorry for the no-post on Friday and for not having a video this past Sunday. I have been really busy! I took Friday off to go to the license branch to renew our plates and to get information about our new driver’s licenses that we all have to get.

It’s insane! I don’t know about you all but by October of next year we (residents here in Indiana) all have to have these Real ID driver’s license or we won’t be able to fly or enter federal buildings. I have a feeling that these licenses are going to be required for lots of other things.

So after I dealt with that we took our daughter to see the new Adams Family Movie. It was okay. Okay, I won’t lie. I fell asleep in the theater. It was quite boring. It’s for smaller children which is fine. Once we left I looked at my daughter (who is in high school now) and said, “We should have gone to see Gemini Man and she said, “Yes”!

I also got another private invitation from Von Maur to attend their cosmetic show this past Saturday! It was wonderful! I had such a good time and got lots of free products! I also had my first mimosa. Not bad if I may say.

Alright, let’s get into my new (to me) Royal Albert Old Country Roses plates that I ordered from eBay.

Let me start off by saying that I have been trying to win a bid on these plates since 2014. It has been a very LONG journey. Normally when I place a bid someone always bids higher than me at the last minute. It has been very frustrating.

When I placed my bid for these I truly did not think that I would win. So I was shocked on the last day of the auction that I was the only bidder and that I had won!

I got four dinner size Royal Albert Old Country Roses plates. They were from an estate sale and I paid $35 total! Outstanding!

I cannot tell you how excited and happy I am! I have loved these plates the moment I saw them. I remember Trina Levers from Youtube showing her collection. I really miss her!

This is a simple table setting at home. This is nothing fancy just a typical dinner night.

I’m loving my new napkin ring holders. I found these at Sur la Table last year. They look vintage but are not. I just love them!

This is where I would sit. I am the only one who would have a cup of tea with dinner. This is the only Royal Albert teacup that I have. I have my large breakfast tea set but that one stays at the office. I am hoping to get more soon.

I feel like home life is elevated when you can dine like this. As simple as it is. Dining well and living well at home can cause you to forget some of the crazy people out there.

I always move my large arrangments to the end of the table. It’s mostly just me, my husband, and daughter. They don’t mind it being a garden at the end of the table.

I also have this Royal Albert set. This is called Hawthorn. All I need is one teacup and saucer. I have three so I need to get on eBay soon!

Okay, ladies, I am going to start my day. I have today off because it is a federal holiday and I have a list of things that I need to get checked off. I plan on posting a new video today as well so we will see. Enjoy your Monday!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Trying New Things (Organic)

October 9, 2019/2 Comments/in Beauty & Health, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Hello Everyone,

Today is going to just be a quick little post about natural products that I am trying. I have been reading and watching a lot about natural living. I believe it is important but it will be a slow process for us all.

I am starting with these natural candles that I found at my neighborhood grocery store. These are called Nature’s Own Natural Candle. I found these in our cleaning section and wanted to give them a try. Now they are not as powerful as the other candles that I use but they are lightly scented. They do smell wonderful and burn quite well. I purchased the Wild Tuberose (smells like roses) and White Thyme and Tangerine.

Next is this Ultra Downy Nature Blends- Plant Base Softener. It smells DIVINE! I purchased the rosewater and aloe scent. We love it! Now I must admit I have not used fabric softener in years! Everything I purchased made us itch! We have been using this for a month and now I believe that I can’t live without it. It was a great find and did I mention it was plant-based!

And last on my list is this Simple Truth Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray. I use cooking spray every day and then it dawned on me that maybe I should try some organic spray. I love it and did notice a change in taste with my food.

I hope you all enjoyed these products and if you have found something organic that you would like to share please do so in the comments section! I love reading about all your home ideas!

Thanks for reading!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Welcome Autumn!

October 7, 2019/2 Comments/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Well Hello Autumn Morning,

Yesterday we all got up early to go to the 9:30 service at our church and when we open the garage door the crisp autumn air hit. It was 50 degrees and raining. It was wonderful! I put on a chunky cardigan and grabbed one of my cozy scarfs and beautiful brooch and just grinned at my husband who just shook his head. He hates the cold….

I have started transitioning our home and my clothes over to welcome in the changing trees and cooler weather. Last weekend I changed my bright pink and lavender wreath over to the wreath above. I love it and think that it adds just enough to our porch.

I pulled out my faux light blue and white pumpkins and moved my mandeville over and placed it on the blue and white stool. Love the way that looks!

I also pulled out my pillows and placed them on the chairs. You can see my noisy dogs in the window. They are always watching what I do.

This is what the other side of the pillow says. I try to remind myself of that every day.

Now is the time to start swapping over my shoes. Sorry for the mess, but this is just a glimpse of what I do when seasons change.

I actually wore these to church on Sunday morning. A little glitter never hurt anyone!

I’ve been looking at my faux fur scarves and trying to determine what I can wear now and what can wait. We have a few days this week where the low will be around 40 degrees!

Love my pink blush scarves!

Ann Taylor Orange tote (Poshmark find)

Time to pull this out. It is the perfect orange for the season.

I also took a look at all of my cardigans. I have A LOT of cardigans. I don’t know why but they are my favorite thing to buy.

It was also nice to have a hot cup of tea on Sunday. I sat down and watched the Phantom of the Opera on Netflix. It was free so I had to take a chance. It was wonderful! I watched the 2004 version with Gerard Butler whom I thought did a nice job.

Well, I hope you all are receiving cooler weather in your parts of the world. I particularly enjoy this time of year. Let the reign of pumpkin spice begin!

Thanks for reading!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

The Enchanted Home Desk Calendar

October 4, 2019/in Home Organization, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Good Friday Morning,
It’s the beginning of fall break here for our students. I know that our daughter and my step-son are really excited! Honestly, I am too. It’s nice to get these holiday breaks so that you can reset yourself to get your schedule back in-sync.

At the beginning of the school year we were leaving the house at 7:30 in the morning. Now we have slipped up to 7:40 which is killing us! I’ve got to get it back together. It’s amazing how that 10 minutes is everything.

In today’s post I wanted to share a recent item that I received last week. I did the pre-sale order for the Enchanted Home Desk Calendar.

And it’s in blue and white of course!

I already have it on my desk at the office and can’t wait to use it in 2020.

This one happens to be my favorite. She has her signature orchid on top of the table with all of her gorgeous blue and white ginger jars at the bottom.

And look at December. Isn’t that picturesque? The nutcrackers, the ginger jars, the stockings and fire.

Very nice!

I think that Tina and the artist did a wonderful job with these. They are simple yet still elegant but we should not be surprised. Tina’s Blog is just beautiful and she has wonderful taste. I did not purchase the easel from her. I actually purchased this last year from Inslee. I ordered her desk calendar last year and it came with the gold easel so I was in luck! I did not have to purchase one.

I hope that you enjoyed this new chic little office find and thank you to everyone who watched my mid-week video on Youtube. I actually had fun filming that one. Have a great weekend!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

An Elegant Skinny Scarf

October 2, 2019/2 Comments/in Fashion Posts, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope you all are enjoying your week. Today I just wanted to post about this elegant skinny scarf from Ann Taylor. I actually tried to order this online about two weeks ago but could not. I don’t know why but there was an error on the Ann Taylor website.

Luckily, I got to visit the store recently and they had it there in person. I always love it when that happens.

It’s a beautiful silk scarf and would look lovely on anyone. I spoke with the sales associate about if they were staying. We have lost so many locations. I just hope we are able to keep ours. I hate ordering online! I like to be able to see my clothes and accessories in person. She told me that so far we would keep our location here in Indy. So fingers crossed! I hope everyone enjoys this find!

Have a wonderful day!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley )

A Lovely Birthday ~ The Cake Bake Shop in Carmel

September 30, 2019/4 Comments/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Happy Monday Morning Everyone!

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! I had a great weekend. I didn’t do a whole lot but going to the Cake Bake Shop was everything.

Walking into the shop this is what you saw. Grand chandeliers everywhere! Gwendolyn did not skimp on the glamour for this restaurant.

Loved the mirrored walls and elegant sconces. They were everywhere!

This was our table. The tables and chairs were just as stylish as the walls and floors! I adored these salt and pepper shakers. I asked if they were available to purchase and they were! If you are interested here is the link.

Once seated I immediately ordered the sparkling lavender lemonade and it did not disappoint. It was delicious! I love lemonade that doesn’t taste like a cup of sugar! The hint of lavender was just enough. I loved the real fresh rose petals too!

I ordered the turkey and gruyere sandwich. It was on a toasted french baguette with maille dijon. It was served with an arugula salad lightly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and parmesan cheese. Delicious!

I could not help myself. I ordered a side of the herb potato salad. It’s baby red potatoes with dill, Italian parsley, basil, green onions, lightly dressed with lemon. It was mixed with their homemade mayonnaise.

My husband ordered the lemon parmesan chicken breasts with pommes frites. He also could not help himself and ordered a bowl of the chicken velvet soup. It was sooo delicious ladies! We ordered four bowls to go!

And lastly, for my birthday cake, I ordered the millionaire cake. It is three layers of Valrhona french chocolate with house-made caramel, vanilla bean buttercream, and house-made butter shortbread cookies. It was topped with Callebaut Belgian chocolate fudge, more shortbread, and caramel.

Once we finished lunch I had to visit the ladies room. I know this is weird but I love beautiful bathrooms. Is that bad? This one had beautiful sconces and gold hardware. It was hard not to admire.