Posts that inspiring an elegant life

Things I Savor in Life ~ Part 2

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

Whew… I have finished my first week as a paralegal supervisor and it was a busy week. I am enjoying it so far. I sure hope that this continues. In Wednesday’s post, I talked about how I was missing the arts. I talked about how I am missing the symphony during my lunch breaks, my piano lessons, and my daughter’s violin lessons. I also asked if any of you have any elegant activities which lead me to my 2016 post called “Things I Savor”.

It’s been four years since I wrote that post and some things have changed and some things have not. I wanted to update my list if you guys don’t mind….. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

1) I still enjoy fresh flowers every day and all day. That has not changed and if I can help it never will!

 

2) Do I still enjoy a new bag…. oh yes! Right not I am still loving my Tory Burch tote with my beautiful blue floral Coach scarf! The combination together is lovely!

 

3) I am still loving my daughter’s giggle. Although, it is no longer a giggle but a large laugh. It has changed in the last few years. 

 

4) Still loving my roasted chicken and red potatoes dish. But I am also loving my salmon with brown rice and sauteed spinach. That has become a new weekly favorite!

 

 

5) Oh yes, still enjoying the french bread but we are trying different variations of it. We recently found the Cheesecake Factory’s brown wheat bread at Kroger! Game changer!

 

6) Polished nails? Absolutely! I am still going to the nail salon. I actually started going back in February. I went a year without going. It was hard but worth it in the end. 

 

7) Am I still wearing kitten heels? OMG! Yes! My Ann Taylor shoes are the perfect kitten heel. Women stop me everywhere about those shoes and they are now 50% off! I just got the second print for $44!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

8) Well in my previous post, I was still taking piano lessons and I really miss that. My boutique has taken the place of those activities. I adore my boutique and I am so excited about some of the new dress arrivals coming soon!

 

9) Am I still wearing floral perfumes? Oh yes, my most recent love is the Philosophy jasmine scent. It is beautiful!

 

10) My husband’s haircut….. I still like it. But I am enjoying my new hairstyle! I feel like my appearance has more sophistication to it. I do love it!

 

11) It has changed from cooked salted broccoli to salted brussel sprouts. Yum!

 

12) I will always love Louis Vuitton but my heart has begun to venture to other designers and non-designers. I am learning to buy what I love. 

 

13) In my previous post this was a silk scarf. I still love them of course but for this season I have been enjoying my plush pink cardigans. 

 

 

 

14) 2 Chronicles 20:12

 

15) Pearl bracelets

 

16) Blue and white grandmillennial prints (toile)

 

17) Attending events or having dinner with friends

 

18) Beautiful bed linens

 

19) Psalm 37:1

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

20) Berry Tart from Kroger

 

21) Chris Botti’s “It never entered my mind”. 

 

 

22) My morning bubble baths

 

23) The movie “Three Coins in a Fountain”. The scenery and wardrobe are a dream to me and I love the storyline. 

 

 

Well, I think that is enough for now. This list could get really long. My last list had about 40 items. That was too many. I hope you all enjoyed this post and share below some of the things that you savor in life right now. I just realized that I am not reading anything (except for my Bible) right now. I need to find a good novel to read. Until then enjoy your Mother’s Day weekend and don’t forget today is the last day of the boutique’s sale. Use code MTDY25 to get 25% off of your purchase! 

Enjoy!

 

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

 

 

 

 

 

Missing the Arts

/4 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

I have officially moved to my new office and everything is in place. I am excited about this new journey. I did order a new piece of art to place on my wall. I can’t wait for it to arrive!

Summer is drawing near and some of my favorite events are starting to pop up on my calendar. During the month of May, I normally check the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra calendar to see what the times, themes, and dates are for the Lunch Break Series. I mentioned this event before and have gone several times. Sadly I don’t think they will be having it this year due to Covid.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I am going to miss these events so much! I loved going to the symphony during my lunch break. It provided education, culture, food, and socializing. It provided everything an elegant being could want. 

I also really miss my piano lessons from my teacher Ms. Julia. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Me with my piano teacher Ms. Julia in 2016. 

 

These lessons gave me something to work toward. It caused me to use my mind in different ways. It encouraged memorization, technique, and note reading. It is truly a subject to study and one that I miss greatly. I still stay in touch with my piano teacher. She misses teaching as well but after COVID hit she had to make some life changes as well.  I also miss taking my daughter to her violin lessons. I didn’t realize how much we were doing until everything stopped. 

What arts are you missing this year? Has the pandemic affected any of your activities? Please share below. I would love to know what some of you do for elegant activities!

 

 

 

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link. 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~ 2

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

And a Happy Monday to you all. It’s May already. It’s suppose to be a little warmer this week. I certainly hope so. Today is moving day. I move into my new office today and officially start my new job. On Friday, me and our officer manager took a look at my new space and tried to come up with a way for me to change it. I don’t like the setup now but I am hoping that we can get things moved and into an arrangement that I will enjoy. Fingers crossed!

I wanted to finish my home tour today. There are a few spaces left that I need to share.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Now the Study was my second favorite room in the home. Well, maybe a close first to the dining room. I adored this room. I loved the french doors, the navy floor-to-ceiling draperies, and the oriental rug. 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Now I LOVED this desk! Oh my goodness, I just stared at it when I saw it. Isn’t it an elegant dream?

 

 

Just sheer beauty. I read in the booklet that Catherine Wright decorated this room and that Solomon Paris Antiques was one of the sources. I looked them up and they are local! I am planning a visit now.  Couldn’t you see yourself in this room with a cup of tea and writing some letters?

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Then we walked upstairs and into the master bedroom suite. 

 

 

They had chinoiserie wallpaper! Honestly, I am not a big fan of the bed but it compliments the wallpaper well. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Here is the chinoiserie wallpaper up close. I do love the deep purple and golds. 

 

 

What do you guys think about the yellow vintage sofa? I love the structure but the color…. not my taste. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

Now on to the master bathroom. I do love the dual vanities. Lots of space and beautiful details. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

The lady’s side…..

 

 

 

The walk-in closet which we could not go inside to see… sad face. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

Loved the light fixtures and details. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

A Juliet balcony… well almost. It is lovely. 

 

 

 

The outside was an oasis itself. The tents housed the gift shops. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

And of course I could not end this post without showing the beautiful pool. The gift shops had jewelry, flowers, cookies, and tea towels. I purchased some baked goods, tea towels and some peony thank you notes. 

I hope you all enjoyed this tour and let me know below which room was your favorite? Have a great Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~ 1

/3 Comments/in , /by

 

Well Hello Friday, and I am tired. For the last two weeks, I have been so busy! With me learning my new role and still trying to keep tabs on my current one it has been very hectic, but I have been down this road before. Yesterday I shared how I would be taking half of the day off to attend the Indiana Decorators’ Show House and Gardens tour! I loved every minute of it. First off I had no kid and no husband, yes! 

Secondly, I was doing something that I love… going to a historical home and looking at beautiful decor. It was a wonderful 2 hours that I got to spend alone and it was so worth it. I will be sure to do it again next year and do it alone. Let me share some of the rooms!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This is the home as I walk up the driveway. This home is called the Columns on Meridian and was built in 1930. It is 5,536 feet on the main and upper levels and 2,110 square feet in the basement. 

 

 

 

As you walk in you see this beautiful door and flooring. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

This was the living room. I don’t know the details, unfortunately. I did notice the beautiful Hermes throw in the piano chair. This room was decorated by Audrey Studley of Kittle’s Design Studio. 

 

 

This was the sunroom. I wasn’t a fan of the tropical wallpaper but it brightens up the room. The name of the wallpaper is Urban Nature AF440 and provided by Ukuta Lafayette Interior Fashions. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Then I walked into the dining room and saw all this beautiful blue and white china! 

 

 

And these gorgeous chandeliers that are original! They have been with the house since 1930! And did you see this beautiful tablesetting?

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I wish I knew the sources for everything. I keep searching my booklet for the information but can’t find it. 

 

 

This room was my favorite. It was decorated by Rosalind Brinn Pope of Pope Interiors. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The chandeliers are original but this insert is not. I do love it. It gave the room a much more custom feel. 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Then you walked into the kitchen which was updated. I love the huge island and the paint color on the kitchen cabinets. I believe it is called cotton ball by Benjamin Moore or it could be Tarrytown Green. 

 

 

Lots of color!

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

And of course blue and white are throughout the home. I actually love this faux peony arrangement. Well I hope you all have enjoyed this half of the tour. I will share the rest of the home and another favorite room of mine on Monday. If you follow me on Instagram you may get a sneak peek of it sooner. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and don’t forget about the boutique’s Mother’s Day Sale! Use code MTDY25 for 25% off of your order! 

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

Affordable Table Setting Pieces

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

Good Morning Everyone,

I am peering out of my bedroom window hoping that I don’t see snow! This time last week we had about 2 inches of snow on the ground! I couldn’t believe it. Yesterday evening I went out and checked my lilac bushes, rose bushes, and peonies and everyone looks great! My lilac is even blooming. I went to smell the bushes and they smelled wonderful. My husband and I sat on the porch for a moment and enjoyed the scent. Fingers crossed we have no more snow! Geez! 

I also wanted to tell everyone that the Beverly tote is ready for purchase! Please know that since this is a new arrival the Mothers Day sale code (MTDY25) cannot be used on this purchase since it is a new arrival. It can be used on anything else in the boutique. I do hope that everyone will be able to enjoy the sale and thank you again for your purchases!

 

photo credit: Etsy.com

 

Now on to today’s inspiration…. during my lunch hour on Tuesday, I was looking at my Aerin Lauder book and saw a lot of beautiful table linens and dishes and I thought, “there has to be some affordable tableware out there. So I did a quick search and found a few things. I found this beautiful sheer chiffon table runner on Amazon! It has great reviews and is under $20! 

 

photo credit: Amazon

 

Next was this gorgeous set of 4 Portmeirion Botanical glasses. They are under $50 for all 4!

 

 

Third, are these shatterproof Godinger glasses! Even your kids could use these! They are stunning and only $21 for a set of 4! 

 

photo credit: Amazon

 

Fourth are these spring-inspired dessert plates. All four are under $40 and would be a great addition to anyone’s china collection! Oh and I found this set of six Blue Room Georgian plates for under $80! What a steal! 

 

 

Next is this adorable Garden soup and sandwich set! Great for an afternoon lunch or a snack by the fire with a good book. It is under $30 with 5% off right now with Amazon! 

And last on my list is this beautiful garden pitcher! Can’t you see it filled with flowers or lemonade with fresh lemons? So gorgeous….. I hope you all enjoyed these affordable china finds and have found some inspiration. Tomorrow I am going to the Indiana Decorator’s Show House and Gardens. I am going all alone and I can’t wait!!!! I am taking the afternoon off. I have been wanting to attend this for some time now so I am really excited. I will share photos if I can. Have a great Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hunt for Floral Danica

/3 Comments/in , /by

 

Oh my goodness you guys, I am furious right now! As I look out my home office window I am seeing SNOW! You read that correctly snow! I am so upset right now. My Canadian chokecherry tree is leaning over to the side. He looks so sad. Just this weekend I was out smelling his sweet floral scent and looking at his beautiful white and creamy blooms. The same for my lilac bushes. The purple buds are beginning to come out and now everything is covered in snow!

I feel like screaming! And in a few days, we are suppose to be back up to 60 degrees! I am so mad right now but let’s talk about something else I love and that is china. 

 

photo credit: Victoria Magazine

 

I saw this beautiful china pattern in the Flowers & Gardens Victoria Classica Magazine in July 2020. I love this design. It is called the Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica collection and it is extremely expensive! 

If you read some of the information about this china you will quickly learn that each piece is handpainted and each one is different! Now how fantastic is that! You ladies should know that I have already checked my local Facebook Marketplace section to see if anyone has a listing for any piece. I will be checking often and I hope to stumble on some plates. Fingers crossed!

 

photo credit: Victoria Magazine

 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and I hope that none of you have snow right now! This is dreadful! I will be covering my bushes tonight because I think we are due for one more freeze and hopefully that will be it. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you had snow these last few days or if there is a china print that you have been after for some time now. I would love to know what it is. Have a great Wednesday. 

 

 

Curious About Wisteria

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

It is the beginning of a new week and the starting week of training for my new position. I have truly been in awe all weekend. I still can not believe that I am a supervising paralegal in my office. It still shocks me. And now this week I begin training with my co-worker that I will be replacing. I can’t believe it…

This weekend has been rather quiet. I ran some errands on Saturday and processed some new orders for the boutique. Thank you to everyone who watched and subscribed to Rosenda’s channel. I hope that you all enjoyed the video and it was great to see my dresses being modeled on a wonderful person. The pinkcasa code for the discount will be good until Wednesday. I hope you all get a chance to use it. 

On Sunday, I pulled out some old and new Victoria magazines to find inspiration and stumbled upon an article about wisteria. I don’t know much about it. My very good friend Lyndsey grew some a few years ago and it looked gorgeous on her trellis up against her home. I am so afraid to grow certain things in Indiana. We seem to have unpredictable weather. 

 

photo credit: Stephanie Welbourne Steel (Victoria Magazine)

When I was reading the article it said that the burley vines can be trained to clamber up walls, pergolas, and other sturdy supports. Another tip that it gave was that once you cut the vines special care must be taken. Removing most of the foliage will allow for better water absorption. 

 

photo credit: Stephanie Welbourne Steele (Victoria Magazine)

 

What are your thoughts? Have any of you planted or have wisteria? I would LOVE to know if you do and how you are managing it. Please comment below and have a lovely Monday!