Posts that inspiring an elegant life

The Peony Festival ~ 2024

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Good Morning,

I have been in my greenhouse every evening since it has been installed. I am on a bit of a learning curve, but we will get there. Right now, I am trying to defy the odds. Most of the individuals at the nurseys around my city are telling me that I cannot grow a flower cutting garden in my greenhouse! I WANT TO PROVE THEM WRONG! I know that flower bulbs need to freeze but I really want to try this. I am not saying that I don’t want to plant vegetables down the road but for right now my goal is my very own flower cutting garden. I am hoping that the Lord can guide me.

Did any of you get a bouquet of peonies this year? It seems like the season came and went so quickly! I tried to get out and get more peonies but it seems like everyone in my city was looking for them. 

One place that had tons of peonies and people was the Peony Festival this year. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I saw these walking up to the festival this year. There were so many peonies and so many people! The word has gotten out and now everyone is coming. I think they may need to stretch it for two days. 

 

 

One flower that caught my eye this year was the Christmas velvet peony. Have any of you ever seen this version or color before? It was quite striking but so beautiful! A company called Mimi Made it by Lattia had these beautiful flowers. 

 

 

These little peony bouquets were so adorable and chic. I loved the pink blush containers and the little statute sitting on the table. This company was local as well as was called Louloudi. 

 

photo credit: L. Shockley – My handbag is the Bentley from MME.Mink. 

 

This was Louloudi’s photo area. Wonderful isn’t it? I am normally not a photo area person, but I could not resist the mannequin with the peony dress. I mean no one could! 

 

 

 

I walked around the festival with my flowers in my tote like this and EVERYONE stopped me about the bag and flowers. Lauren said that as I was walking thru the crowd women were leaning over to smell my bouquet. Love it!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

As we were leaving the festival a door was opened to a historical home and the owner was standing there. I looked over and said, “Can I come in and look around”. He said, “SURE! Come on in!” Turns out it was a newly renovated historical home turned into an Airbnb called Timeless on Tenth. 

 

 

The interior designer took me through the entire home giving me a tour and telling me about all of his FB Marketplace finds! I could not believe how much he find on FB Marketplace. 

 

 

It was truly a gem to find after the festival. I loved getting the tour and learning about the Indiana Historical Society. 

 

 

We left the Airbnb after the tour, had some brunch with friends and then I got home, and began to place my lush peony bouquets all over the house. I love this part as well. Smelling them throughout my home is such a treat. I also stopped at my favorite local candle vendor called Linnea.  I purchased their Moss and Rhubarb candle from their Botanik Collection. It is so good! I also ordered a few of the travel candles which I will share in a different post. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I truly do enjoy going to the Peony Festival every year. As I said, beauty is so important to me in life especially with so much ugly in this world. Just having a snippet of it in my daily life is a necessity for me. 

 

  • This post is not sponsored 

 

 

The Guild- Show House 2024

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Good Morning Friends,

This past weekend was actually a good one! My family and I attended the Indiana Peony Festival, got to tour a new Victorian Airbnb, and had brunch with some friends. The weather was perfect and so were the peonies. I also made time to just sit. I have been craving some porch time. So, I carved out about two hours on my Sunday to just sit on the porch and read. It was so wonderful! This week I am taking two extra days from the office. I need it! I want to get some house chores done. I really need to get my new vintage plates hung on my wall. I am about done with purchasing them and can’t wait to share my end result. I was inspired by the showhouse to do the plate wall and hope that you all enjoy this year’s home. 

 

photo credit: St. Margaret’s Guild 

 

This year’s showhouse was called the Sylvan House and was located in the Northern Estates in Indianapolis. It was built in 1927 was about 9,000 square feet! It was a huge house! One thing that I loved that we were able to do was keep the original floors. Most of the floors in the home were the original floors. How wonderful is that! We had 21 different local interior designers all assigned to different areas in the home. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now I did not take photos of all of the areas. I really wanted to enjoy the showhouse this year. This was the foyer. It was designed by Julie O’Brien Design Group, and it was the “koi fish” room. Designers Megan Watson and Joel Contreras created a hand painted mural with 3D fish. It was quite incredible. 

 

 

Now when I saw this area I gasped. Of course, this spoke to my “grandmillennial” or “granny chic” style that I have! This space was designed by Jennifer Eggers who also invited me to her recent tag sale. 

 

I spoke with Jenni about her space, and she told me that this space was inspired by an English country home. She had the couch reupholstered and the plates were found at different antique shops. I actually managed to find a few of them and will be hanging them in my sitting room very soon!  

 

 

Off of Jenni’s lounge area was the powder bathroom where the original tile was kept, and Thibault wallpaper was added. I actually love the chinoiserie fishbowl sink! Jenni said that she found this on Amazon!  

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Woosah! I was actually a docent in this room twice! It was wonderful. It was the sunroom and greenhouse. I wanted to take a bunch of photos but then I decided not to. I wanted to enjoy the space. This sunroom was actually orange previously, so I was happy to see that Monica Due from Cornerstone Interiors painted this room a beautiful green color. The floors were original, the table was vintage, and the ferns were real. All of the rugs from the showhouse were from a company called Joseph’s. The greenhouse was original to the home from 1927 and was still intact! It was so beautiful. I could see myself having tea in the sunroom and having my English flower garden in the greenhouse. The greenhouse was decorated by Allisonville Home & Garden by Sullivan. 

 

 

Vintage inspired plates made another debut in the sunroom. I used my “Google Lense” on my phone to figure out what these were, and I managed to find a few. I will be sure to share them soon. 

 

 

As you went upstairs this was the guest bedroom suite. It was designed by Stacy Thompson of Compass Design, LLC. I loved the bed linens from Parkside Linen. The chinoiserie prints were wallpaper I believe from Thibaut Honshu. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Attached to the guest bedroom suite was a guest bathroom. The tile was original, and I was glad to see that Stacy worked with it. I think that the wallpaper in this room was a 1920s Japanese inspired Thibaut Honshu wallpaper. 

 

 

Now down the hall was my favorite room of all, and it was the master bedroom designed by Sassy Green Interiors. That name should sound familiar because it is the same interior design firm that I did my first collab with last month.  

Maryellen and Christy told me that the lush woodland landscape in the window was the inspiration for their design. Their bed linens were from Parkside linens and Schumacher. The antiques were from Architectural Antiques of Indianapolis which I hope to add to my radar to visit soon! I loved the Schumacher damask fabric draping over the bed. 

 

 

This was the office area in the master bedroom. The Babylon willow wallpaper was from House of Hackney was supported by deep greens and soft neutrals. 

 

 

This was to the left of the master bed. I loved the double vintage lamps. These sold at the showhouse. 🙁 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Another focal point in this room was the double chaise lounge chairs and this beautiful painting. This painting was done by local artist Deb Slack. 

 

 

Across the hall from the master bedroom was the summer sleeping porch room. This photo does not do this space justice. This room was decorated by Blake Richardson of BWR Home. I actually got to speak with Blake about this room. The centerpiece of this room is the vintage Chinese wedding bed that he found in an antique store in a corner in pieces, with dirt all over it! Now what a find! 

 

 

This is the other side of the summer sleeping porch room. These chairs were another centerpiece. Can we talk about the color? How bold and grand! The walls were covered in curated statement art pieces and custom furnishings. 

I am already looking forward to the next showhouse. I can’t wait to see what the designers will come up with next. Another great part about this organization is that all of the money from our showhouse ticket sales goes to our charity Eskenazi Health. 

And I have news… 

Speaking about all these chinoiserie pieces in these homes, the boutique has a new chinoiserie item! 

 

 

The Chinoiserie Silk Scarf is available to purchase! It is 100% silk and measures about 53×53 inches.

 

 

I also have it in blue. They are the perfect addition to any elegant woman’s wardrobe. The Cameo Blush earrings are also on sale for only $10! Order a scarf and a pair of earrings for your events this summer!

 

 

 

Working with My Second Brand!

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother’s Day and I do extend my heart to those of you who no longer have your mothers. I am sure that this day can be quite hard around this time. I stayed home for Mother’s Day and quite enjoyed it. We went to dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I love salmon tacos! They are so good! I also tried some fried ice cream. What a treat! 

I just puttered around the house trying to get some home chores done. I worked in my yard a bit and went to a new nursery! It was called Allisonville Gardens and it was such a delight. I really loved the nursey. They had lots of flowers, supplies, a coffee shop, restaurant, and they had a wonderful gift shop. It was really nice. 

It got some wonderful Mother’s Day gifts that I will share in my May favorites blog post!

In current AHFE news, I have begun my work with a second brand. I have shared their products before and have wanted to work with them for quite some time, so I was really excited to receive an email about their new brand affiliate program. The company that I referring to is NOTIQ! 

 

photo credit: Notiq.com

 

I discovered Notiq during the pandemic. I was looking for organizational items for my life especially the workplace and I stumbled on this brand on Instagram. I loved how elegant the planners were and how sophisticated the totes looked. But what I loved even more was the founder’s, V.J. story. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I loved V.J.’s tenacity and bravery in pursing her dreams. I connected well with her story and found tidbits of myself in it. My very first purchase was the I Am Becoming Affirmation water bottle. I cannot tell you how many people have stopped me and asked me about my water bottle. Everyone loves the color and the affirmations. I was in a meeting with our second person in command in my office and he said, “Can you turn your bottle around? I want to know what you are becoming!” Now how fabulous was that! I have TWO of these!

 

 

Next on my list was the Saffanio Structure Tote bag. I have it in the blush. I love this tote. It holds EVERYTHING! There is a card and phone holder on the inside and a clasp to keep the bag closed. If you are thinking of ordering this, you may want to soon. This bag will be retiring shortly. Inside my tote is another organizational item and it is my pen case. My pen case is in every tote that I carry. I DON’T leave home without it. I no longer have to dig in my purse or tote to find a pen. They are all there in my feminine pen case. 

 

 

She also has elegant lunch bags! This is the lunch bag/backpack satchel in mauve pebble, and I have had numerous women ask me about this. This is such a lovely lunch bag and holds your containers and small water bottles. There are also the pouch sets as well. The pouches are on final sale so don’t wait too long. Both items come in multiple colors.  There is also the bundle if you want a set.  I think I may get a red one!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

There is also my card key case. This goes everywhere with me. I carry my government office cards in it. I also use it to store my garage pass card. This is always in my tote and looks lovely when I pull it out to use it. It comes in multiple different colors and textures. 

 

 

I almost forgot that I had this. I ordered this last year. This is the envelope laptop case in leopard. Isn’t it great? If you don’t like the leopard then get it in the other 16 colors available. 

 

 

And lastly are my new Executive leather clipboards. These are a new release on the Notiq website. When I saw these in the reel, I knew that I wanted one especially for my meetings and for traveling! They are so well made and so excellent. I want to order more! 

I am so happy to be working with this brand and honored. I think V.J. and her team do an excellent job with executing the vision of the brand, they provide excellent customer service, and seek to help the planet. Here is my original blog post if you wish to read it. If you want to see my reels about the products you may watch them here. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you have already purchased a Notiq item!

 

  • This post is sponsored and has affiliate links attached. 

My First Elegant Tag Sale

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Hello!

We had a very busy weekend. We had to move Lauren out of her dorm room and then move my step-son out of his college apartment. Busy, busy! Then we had to go back to campus and attend his graduation which was a wonderful thing! I still can’t believe that he has graduated, and our daughter has finished her first year of college already. The time, the time….

The show house will be wrapping up here soon. There is always a lot to do and a lot of parties. This week I had to attend a private party from one of the interior designers and I finished my last show house shift! Rick had to help me because there were a lot of shifts this year.

One of the perks of being in the Guild has been meeting some of our local interior designers. This is my second year with the Guild and this year I got to meet several designers. With that came invites and one of the invites that I got was to a private tag sale!

I have never gone to a tag sale, so I was so excited to get this invite!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The tag sale was at Jenni Egger’s Interior Design office. I love that fact that her location is in a historical home near downtown. How great is that?

 

 

 

Now Jenni had two tag sales going on. She has two design studios, but both were in these gorgeous historical homes. On the invite it told you which sale had what. There was a tag sale for the grandmillennial and then a tag sale for the minimalist people! Loved the idea. So of course I went to the grandmillennial sale. 

As soon as you walked in you saw this beautiful emerald green vintage inspired couch, artwork, gorgeous chandelier, and rugs. 

 

 

This was one of the sets of chairs that I was eyeballing. I did think about purchasing a chair for my home office, but I left it alone. Needlepoint chairs with caning…. lovely!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

There was lots of porcelain, china, pillows, and silver. There was something in every corner of the home. I had to walk around a few times to take everything in. 

 

 

I did spot this unique and chic ginger jar. It was blue and white, but I loved the florals on it and knew I had to take it home. For only $20, of course!

 

 

There were also linens, and pillow covers. I found this pillow cover and thought it would be perfect for my bedroom. I paid under $20 for it.  A steal!

I had such a great time at the tag sale and hope to be invited to more. These events have been so wonderful to attend and to experience. Life has truly taken on a different form this season in my life and I am here for it! Elegant adventures continue!

Also the boutique is having a sale! Use code MTDY20 for 20% off your entire order. I sold a lot of dresses recently, so my inventory is low! There are only 3 of the Belle Rose Maxis left! 

 

Incorporating Timeless Design into Your Style ~ AHFE interviews Sassy Green Interiors

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all have been well. I am excited to finally share my recent collaboration with Maryellen Hodapp and Christy Soldatis of Sassy Green Interiors! This interview was such a wonderful opportunity for me. It occurred in the primary bedroom that they designed for the upcoming Indianapolis Decorators’ Show House & Gardens. I have never had a collaboration like this before, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was also a joy to feature some of my Sarah Flint accessories. It put a smile on my face to see Maryellen and Christy wearing the beautiful silk scarves. It was as if they all belonged in the room together. Now, without further ado, you can read the interview below. Enjoy!

 

photo credit via: Lindsay Martin of Southern Sky Photography

 

1. Could you please tell my readers what your inspiration was? What inspired the beautiful fabrics, colors, and antiques?

We started with the House of Hackney Babylon pattern. We repeated the use of the “willow” fabric and wallpaper in the room design in the alcove, on the lampshades, the nightstands, and the bolster pillow on the bed. We added more fabrics, rugs, and accessories for a complete layered look.

 

photo credit: Whitney Kinkel 

 

2. Do you think one’s interiors could inspire one’s personal style?

Absolutely, yes! We see both interior design and fashion design as an art form. We love and celebrate the arts and encourage our clients to invest in art. We want our clients to pay attention to art, though it is sometimes the last part of what we do in a room; we love for people to consider it essential and leave enough space in their budget for art. A room doesn’t look complete when art is missing, just like a beautiful outfit looks unfinished without the right accessories. You can create a personal style by developing an artistic aesthetic in your fashion selections. 

 

photo credit: Whitney Kinkel 

 

3. Can anyone use one’s love for classic, timeless home interiors to inspire one’s style?

Yes! You can select traditional design styles with well-made, good-quality fabrics. A traditional style is timeless and easily updated. It will last a lifetime. 

 

photo credit: Whitney Kinkel

 

4. Who are your favorite fashion designers? 

Probably Ralph Lauren.…he blends the two, both interior design and personal fashion. He has an incredible eye for design. Whether you see one of his interiors or clothing designs, you immediately know it is Ralph Lauren. He’s a master of design, classic and timeless.

 

photo credit: Whitney Kinkel 

 

We wanted to leave your readers with this thought: good classic design, whether fashion or interior design, will start to build a story of you both in your home and closet. 

 

photo credit: Lindsay Martin of Southern Sky Designs

 

 

Announcements & Sarah Flint Secret Garden Collection!

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Hello Friends!

The weather here in Indy has been fantastic! We have had sunny skies and 80 degrees! It is so nice to be coat free. I have been working on some new things and I have some announcements.

The first is that I am a second ambassador for a new brand, and I will be sharing that soon. The second announcement is that I was asked by an interior design firm here in my city to do a collaboration with them this Friday!!! I am so excited for this new opportunity, and I can’t believe that they asked me to do a collab! This is my first collaboration in this format, and I am really nervous but looking forward to it. Sassy Green Interiors is a local design firm, and their work is so beautiful. They are one of designers in the St. Margaret’s Show House this year and I will be conducting a Q & A with them called “Timeless Classic Living & Quiet Luxury”. I do hope that you all enjoy the photos and the interview! Another tidbit is that I will be bringing some of my Sarah Flint scarfs and shoes to place in their room to take photos! So exciting!

Now speaking of shoes and beautiful things, I wanted to share some of the new Secret Garden Collection at Sarah Flint.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

First off, I have to share that I finally got one of the pairs of Gracie’s that I wanted. Sarah sent out an archive sale link and I was able to get this for only $199! I know that is still a lot of money but compared to the original price of $595, I have to say that this was a good deal. They are still on sale for $299 and they only have a few sizes left. You can still use my code SARAHFLINT-CCMRSSHOCKLEY for %15 off of your first purchase. 

 

 

Just stunning…

 

 

Of course there is a new scarf in this collection. I shared this on my recent YouTube video, and I have seriously not stopped wearing it. I just love it. The Secret Garden Scarf 45 is a stunning piece to have in your wardrobe. It is made of silk and is utterly timeless. I have gotten lots of compliments already. You truly will be able to have this in your wardrobe forever. 

 

 

I normally don’t like flats, but these Mauve Lace Parkers are sensational! Aren’t they adorable? 

 

 

One more item that has just launched on the website are these silk ties. They are originally for the Grear Sandals but can be worn in different ways. I especially love this way. I can’t wait for mine to arrive. I will be using them as purse scarfs and scarfs for my neck. 

Don’t forget to use my code: SARAHFLINT-CCMRSSHOCKLEY for %15 off your first shoe purchase! Let me know in the comments section below if you order anything. I can’t wait to share my collaboration with you all next week as well as my first tag sale that I got to attend! 

 

*This post is 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.