Posts that inspiring an elegant life

My Flower Garden Thus Far…

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Happy Friday and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 

Thank you to everyone that has served our country. We know what it costs to keep our freedoms so thank you!

 

In today’s post, I wanted to share my flower garden so far. It is always a struggle to grow flowers and learn about them. I am certainly not an expert but my husband and I try our very best and sometimes it works out. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

If you have been following the blog then the flowers above will not shock you. I am a huge fan of mandevillas and have to have them every year. They grow so well and I enjoy having them on my porch. It makes me happy when I begin to see the vines get longer and how they droop from the planter. It’s so gorgeous to me. 

 

 

My rhododendrons bushes are doing okay this year. For a few weeks, I didn’t think that they would bloom, but they surprised my husband and me. But I think we may be replacing them next year. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This year was the first year that I purchased roses bushes. I actually purchased these from Costco. I didn’t get a chance to put them in the ground because we couldn’t get over 30 degrees at night and we had snow! So I just put them in the planter because they had already begun to grow in the box!

 

 

They are doing well in the planter. I am beginning to have some rosebuds open, but I noticed that something has begun to eat the leaves! So frustrating! I have no idea what little bug is doing this. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This new azalea bush did excellent this year! This was another plant that we were worried about. We purchased this last year from the Biltmore and we didn’t have any flowering last year but this year it was beautiful! I was so happy with it! 

 

 

Next are my peonies and I am in absolute bliss with these! They multiplied! I couldn’t believe how many more blooms we had this year!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

They are so healthy and strong!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

So happy!

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We only had a few white ones and they smelled like a dream. My husband just kept going over and smelling them. It was quite enjoyable! Well, I hope you all enjoyed my little garden tour. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and enjoys the DRESS SALE for the boutique!

Some of the dresses are as low as $15! Head on over and grab a dress or two! No coupon code is needed! Thank you again in advance for your support and have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Shares…

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Good Morning Everyone,

Today’s post is going to be short but I forgot to add my recent Youtube video to Monday’s post. I show my peonies, talk about my beautiful gifts from a subscriber, and show the Beverly tote from the boutique. I hope that you enjoy it. 

 

 

And one more thing, I wanted to share my recent order from Anthropologie. I ordered their peacock trinket tray and I could not LOVE it more! It has an incredible vintage-inspired look to it. It looks like a piece passed down to me from my grandmother. It is a wonderful item to have. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

Isn’t it stunning? It is a beautiful piece. I believe that I will have this piece for a long time. I hope you all enjoy the video and have a great Wednesday!

 

 

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 Weekend with Peonies

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Good Morning Everyone,

It was finally warm here in Indy. We were in the 80s and it felt very nice. On Saturday I ran my normal errands and I went to JP Parker Flowers to pick up some peonies and they did not disappoint this year! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I always try to get a “bucket of peonies” photo when they bring it out to me. They always pull out the bucket and let me pick my favorite ones. I just love this photo!

 

 

Initially, they did not have the bucket of coral peonies out, but I ask for some, and I am glad that I did. They were gorgeous!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I could not wait to get home and create my bouquets. It was such fun putting these together. The greenery I picked up at Kroger. It was only $4 for the greenery.

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I could not get enough of the coral ones! Goodness! The color is just breathtaking and the scent was amazing as well. 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I was so pleased with this years’ peony loot! I really want to go back this weekend coming up and get more. We will see. I also wanted to let everyone know that my new dress arrival is available for purchase. The Audrey Ruffle Maxi is a gorgeous addition to the boutique and is plus-size! The blue and white color is classic and the quality is wonderful! I was very pleased when I tried the dress on. This dress is available in 1x, 2x, and 3x. I hope you all enjoy this post and the new arrival. 

 

Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking… A New Breakfast Tray

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a good weekend. I just ran my normal errands and then came home to watch some movies. My new arrival is here. The Claire Cream Midi is available for purchase and is so beautiful for summer. It is the perfect white dress to me. It’s not a stark white color but a beautiful cream color. The dress is fully lined and I would recommend wearing nude color undergarments. I believe those always look great under white. 

I am gearing up for another busy week. I have a few new organizational projects that I have to start at the office and a few meetings. I don’t know why but having a picnic popped in my brain gain. We still have not had a picnic and that is still on my radar. It has been rather cold here but I think the weather is going to take a turn here soon and we should be getting into the ’70s soon. 

Now on to a beautiful new find. I recently saw a beautiful breakfast tray on Instagram. I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of a breakfast tray. I use mine every morning on the weekends. During my time while working from home I used it. I think I may have even shared that on Youtube. 

 

photo credit: Anthropologie 

 

I am loving this Natasha breakfast tray from Anthropologie. I have seriously been stalking it for weeks! I go back often to see if it has gone on sale. I will be keeping my eye on it. 

 

photo credit: Anthropologie 

 

This is another beautiful tray that I found on their website. This is made of tropical hardwood and is easy to clean. I checked Amazon for a few trays and found this one and this one! 

Let me know in the comments section below if you use a tray of any kind. I would love to know where you got it and how long you have had it!

Have a great Monday! 

 

 

 

 

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.

The Kentucky Derby- Dream Trip

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I remember when I was in high school and a friend of mine was telling me about how she was going to the Kentucky Derby. This had to have been around the year 2000 so we were still juniors in high school. I went over to her house to see what she was going to be wearing and she showed me a very skimpy outfit that was very distasteful. Now in my mind, I thought what a minute from the pictures and from what I have seen on T.V. the women at the derby did not dress like that. So what derby was she referring to? 

As I got older I realized that there were different groups that went to the “derby” and she was not in the group that actually attended it. I have always wanted to go to the derby but I actually wanted to be inside the track not hanging around it with skimpy clothes on. 

 

photo credit: ocregister.com

 

Last week was the derby and I saw a lot of photos and videos on Instagram of people having “derby parties”. I thought what a fun idea. Especially now during the pandemic, this would be fun and easy to accomplish. But my heart still yearns to actually attend the derby so I have added it to my list of to-dos. 

 

photo credit: GardenandGun.com

 

Or should I just throw a Derby party? I don’t know. Honestly, most of the people I know would not even bother wearing a dress let alone a derby hat. I think attending the derby would be the best for me. I really want the experience. Please let me know in the comment section below if you have attended a derby party or have actually gone to the Kentucky Derby! I would love to know what it was like for you and some do’s and don’ts. Please share!!!

 

Have a great Wednesday! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things I Savor in Life ~ Part 2

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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

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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.