Archive for category: Elegant Living

Good Morning,

I wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I have to host this year and just want to keep things simple. I will be making my usual dishes. My herb roasted turkey, fruit and nut dressing, homemade mashed potatoes and of course the two new additions, cranberry sauce and caramel cake. I will be making something new on Thanksgiving morning and that will be banana bread. It’s been years since I have made it and wanted to give it a try. We plan on having just our kids and my cousin will be stopping by. I hope you all enjoy the holiday!

And of course, with the holidays approaching dealing with family and friends can be difficult so I did want to share some lessons that I found on Instagram. One of the interior designers that I follow shared this on his page a few weeks ago and I thought it might be helpful to you all as well. 

It’s called 8 Lessons People Learn too Late in Life…

1. Important people come and go, and that’s okay. Unfortunately, the most important people in your life can become strangers overnight. Fortunately, total strangers can become the most important people in your life overnight. This process hurts, but if accepted, it serves to improve the quality and suitability of the people in your life. 

Photo credit: Habitually Chic via Pinterest 

2) Your diet isn’t just what you eat. As you get older you realize that your diet isn’t just what you eat, it’s what you watch, what you read, who you follow and who you spend your time with. So if your goal is to have a healthier mind, you have to start by removing all the junk from your diet. 

3) You have to let people down to be happy. You and your mental health are more important than you career, more money, other people’s opinions, that event you said you would attend, your partner’s mood and your family’s wishes. If taking care of yourself means letting someone down, then let someone down. Your self-love must always be stronger than your desire to be loved by others. 

4) Never let rejection lead to self-rejection. A person who has experienced rejection fears rejection, and a person that fears rejection tends to push or run away before they can be rejected. In their subconscious mind they have avoided rejection. In reality they’ve been rejected again this time by themselves. 

photo credit: Carolyn Roehem

5) Own your responsibilities, own your future. You’re not responsible for your trauma but you are responsible for breaking the cycle and not hurting more people because of what happened to you. You will never control your future if you let your present be controlled by your past. What happened yesterday may not be your responsibility, but how you behave today is. 

6) Quality over quantity. Life is about quality, not quantity. One quality friend gives you more than 100 acquaintances. One quality relationship gives you more than 100 flings. One quality experience gives you more than 100 drunken nights. 

7) Fairytales will make you unhappy. Obsessing over the things that society said you’re “supposed to do” will kill your happiness. Don’t listen to the fake fairytales of how your life is suppose to be going. You don’t have to go to university at 18, or get a job at 21, or buy a house at 25, or get married at 30, or have kids at 35.  Everyone is different, and your path to happiness will be too. 

8) Fun is yours. If you want to enjoy your life, don’t subscribe to other people’s definition of “fun”. Fun doesn’t have to mean drinking, partying and socializing. Fun can be a night in alone, getting lost in a book, a deep conversation, a walk, creating art, playing music or doing work that you love. Your fun belongs to you, make sure you define it. 

I hope you all enjoyed these lessons, honestly, they are reminders for some of us. I know sometimes I have to be reminded of these that I don’t have to do. It is hard sometimes. Really hard. But I will say knowing who you are what your goals are can help keep you grounded.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and the boutique is having a Black Friday Sale! Use code blackfriday22 and get 15% off of everything! That does include clearance items! Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

It is Veterans Day and of course I want to thank everyone who has served this country. I have shared this before but my husband is one of them. Thank you! I don’t have to be in the office today so I booked a few things to get done. Last night my group the Guild had a Wine and Design Event. It was a lot of fun! We got to meet the new designers for the upcoming Decorator’s Showhouse!  We got to see their plans for the room that they are assigned. It’s really exciting! Our Christmas luncheon will be coming up soon as well as the fashion show! I’ll try to share photos if I can. Now on to my most recent “seek the arts” adventure. 

During fall break we went to Nashville and visited a few places. What we also did was take Lauren to the Monet Art Exhibit at Newfields. 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

The exhibit transported you to 19th century Paris and displayed the works of Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Cezanne. The exhibit had music which was set to include Europe’s most renowned composers! 

I found a seat and just enjoyed the exhibit. I believe this was “Woman with a Parasol” from 1875. 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

I believe this is the “Water Lily Pond” from 1900. 

I only took a few photos. I wanted to pay attention and enjoy the moment. It was a pretty long presentation, and it also displayed the works of the other artists. Lauren and I both love the water lily piece. There are a few more that I love from Monet and they are Camille (the Woman in the Green Dress), On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt, Houses on the Achterzaan, Bouquet of Sunflowers, and there are so many more. I am trying to find ways to enjoy the arts in my city. Please let me know below what you are doing to explore your town!

Don’t forget to check out the boutique! A few dresses are on sale! Have a great weekend!