Posts that inspiring an elegant life

Linen Inventory ~ For the Guests

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Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend! I did, it was rainy the entire time but I ordered some more vintage Weiss earrings from Poshmark, got a new purple plant for my blue and white planter, planted some beautiful purple stock in my new swan planter, and did some dress shopping for the boutique.

Have any of you started any garden work in your yards yet? What are your special projects for the spring? I did get some rose bushes from Costco and planted those so we will see how they do.

On Friday I talked about the linen list that author Jane Scott Hodges mentioned in her book. Today I wanted to share her linen inventory list for the guest bedroom and bathroom. 

 

photo credit: Jane Scott Hodges 

Jane suggested having the following to provide your guest:

Guest Bedroom:

  • 2 sets of sheets (flat, fitted, and pillowcases)
  • 2 blanket covers (styled for summer and winter)
    2 sets of shams to match the blanket covers
  • 1 duvet cover
  • 1 throw quilt
  • 1 boudoir pillow or neck roll

I still have not found a neck roll that I like. I am still on the hunt!

 

photo credit: Julia Berolzheimer 

For the guest bathroom:

  • 4 linen guest towels
  • 4 bath sheets
  • 6 bath towels
  • 6 fingertip towels
  • 6 washcloths
  • 2 bath mats

I hope this list was helpful to you all. You can use this as just a starting point to begin your linen inventory. My dream is to have a bigger linen closet one day. I hate smashing everything into my small hallway closet. I don’t understand why linen closets are still so small. Do any of you have large linen closets? I really would love to turn my step-son’s bedroom into a decor room but we will see. 

Thanks for reading and have a great Monday!  

 

 

 

 

 

Linen Inventory~ Thoughts?

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Good Morning Everyone,

The weekend awaits and again I don’t have much planned. My daughter has a hair appointment and I really want to visit a thrift store. I haven’t gone to one in a while and I have the “itch” to go and take a peek. I am in the office today and have a lot to do on my list so hopefully, everything will get done. I hope you all have had a chance to see my new arrivals at the boutique. I am really loving my new accessories and I am offering a first-time purchase coupon code. If you type in FTP10 in the coupon code box you will receive 10% off of your entire purchase!

I am also offering a 15% off code to those who have already made a purchase. If you would simply post a review on the boutique of your item I will email you the code. Okay, let’s get into today’s post. 

I am still reading Linens for Every Room and Occasion and yesterday I came across her linen inventory list. Now, this caught my attention because I have been thinking about this recently. I have been checking my linens and trying to decide if they need to be replaced. I did just purchase a new sheet and comforter set for our bed and it is so hard to get my daughter to commit to a new set. She doesn’t want anything floral…. so that limits me. 

However, I did want to share this list with you all and get your thoughts…

Master Bedroom:

  • 2 sets of sheets (flat, fitted and pillowcases)
  • 2 blanket covers (styled for summer and winter)
    2 sets of shams to match the blanket covers
  • 1 year-round blanket
  • 1 duvet cover
  • 1 throw quilt
  • 2 his and hers wedge pillows for reading (this sounds good)
    2 boudoir or neck roll shams (I really need one of these)

 

photo credit: Jane Scott Hodges (Paul Castello)

 

Now time for her Master Bathroom list:

  • 6 bath sheets
  • 12 bath towels
  • 12 hand towels
  • 12 fingertip towels
  • 12 washcloths
  • 2 bath mats

Okay, so I looked up fingertip towels and bath sheets. I found these fingertip towels on Amazon and these monogram ones as well. Do any of you own these? We do own a few bath sheets. We love them! They cover your whole body not just half.  Let me know in the comments section below if you already own most of these items. I am really curious. Next week I will be sharing her list for the guest bathroom, guest bedroom, and tabletop. Until then have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

fyi: This post is not sponsored. I use affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links.

 

Easter Evening at Home

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Morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! I did! The weather was superb and I did some shopping for the home. On Saturday I went to the grocery to get the rest of my items for Easter, took my car to the car wash, and then headed to HomeGoods. I found some wonderful items there for my yard!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

This is a snapshot of my cart! I had some faux flowers, a basket for organizing, a swan for my yard (whom I have named Charlotte), and a gorgeous watering can! I love this watering can. I can’t wait to use it for my porch flowers!

 

 

This is a snapshot from my video. I recorded a small video while I was in the store. Save me from HomeGoods!

 

On Sunday we spent the day at home watching service online and preparing for my in-laws to come by for an early Easter dinner. I decided on meatloaf this year because I wanted something different. Most people have ham (I think) but I wanted something a little more savory so I made my favorite meatloaf recipe from Martha Stewart. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was so delicious! I have used this recipe twice and both times my meatloaf was sensational! It has carrots, onions, parsley, and celery. I also made roasted greens and tossed them with butter. 

 

 

This was the table setting. I purchased purple stock and baby’s breathe from the grocery store. I also loved using my Johann Haviland china that I purchased from Facebook Marketplace. It looked beautiful! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My mother-in-law made the mashed potatoes. I love her mashed potatoes. They taste so good! Then I put some southern style buttery biscuits in the oven from the Schwann man. He still delivers here in Indiana and I love their biscuits. 

 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

For dessert, my mother-in-law brought a vanilla whip cream cake with fresh berries in sugary syrup. SOOOOO good!

 

 

 

Oh mercy, it was delicious!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The cake was so moist, the cream was delicious, and the berries… oh my! It was superb! All in all, it was a wonderful dinner and a great time with my in-laws. Oh and we also tried a new wine. It was called Oliver Lemon Moscato Wine. Oh, I think I just found my new wine for the summer! It was so refreshing and just sweet enough. It was divine!

It was a wonderful weekend. The weather was great, the food, shopping, and morning worship remembering why we celebrate Easter and why we serve a wonderful God! Have a great Monday!

~ Oh and just in case you are not on Instagram I am having a giveaway that will end today. I will be picking a winner tomorrow. I am giving away my garden tassel pouch to a lucky follower. If you are interested in entering please comment below and I will put your name in. This is for US residents only. Good luck!

AND… my new rose shell purse scarf/scrunchie is ready for purchase! I hope you enjoy it! 

 

 

 

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 Beauty of Collecting ~ 3

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Good Morning Everyone,

It’s Friday and I have a few things planned for today. First I wanted to let everyone know that I am having an Easter sale on some of the items in my boutique! Some of my pieces will be $10 off! The items that are going to be on sale are the gray garden dress, ivory & pearl cardigan, pink mauve cardigan, the blue peplum top, and the preppy vintage dress! This sale will be for about a week and then these items will go back to the original price. So I hope that you all find an item that you will enjoy! 

A new dress will be arriving in the boutique and I absolutely love it! I will be posting it on the website today! I am also going to be headed out to do a little shopping with my daughter. 

 

photo credit: Cathi’s Place 

 

Well, let’s finish the Beauty of Collecting with Aerin Lauder. We are now down to her last two tips from her book Entertaining Beautifully. Aerin mentions, “Don’t be afraid to use your collections. My mother, who collects very fine antique pottery and glassware, actually sets the table with it. If there are pieces that are especially valuable (even for sentimental reasons), consider displaying them on the wall- as Daniel Romualdes does with his seventeenth-century delft plates- or on plate racks, as my mother does in the Hamptons. That way you can enjoy them every time you pass through the room, not just when you’re entertaining.” Again, I could not agree with her more. I love having the antique items that I collect out and around so that I can see them.

 

photo credit: Nicolas Fairford Instagram 

 

And the last tip from Aerin is, “by the same token, take good care of your collections. Store platters in cabinets with vertical tray dividers, or on secure plate racks. Place felt rounds or foam dividers between antique plates. Store silver in lined chests or bags made of anti-tarnish cloth. Fine crystal and glassware should be stored right side up, so as not to put pressure on delicate rims. Or invest in quilted, divided cases to store and protect infrequently used pieces”. 

I hope you all enjoyed these simple yet helpful tips from Aerin. I know that from now on I will be enjoying my mismatched pieces. I now feel like I have the freedom to enjoy those items as well. If you missed the other tips from Aerin you can read them here, here, and here.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone and look out for my new arrival coming soon!

 

 

(tips and text taken from Entertaining Beautifully by Aerin Lauder, page 80) 

 

The Beauty of Collecting ~2

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Hello Wednesday,

I am actually working a half-day today. I need to pick up my contacts and I also want to take one of my recent Gal Meet Glam dress purchases to the seamstress. It’s a bit big and I need to have the top part taken in. This will be my 6th Gal meet Glam dress (I think). This is the Elsie dress and it’s in a beautiful green color and is very flowy. I am looking forward to wearing it this spring. 

Alright, let’s continue with our lesson on the beauty of collecting. Yesterday, I mentioned from Aerin’s book, Entertaining Beautifully, that your collections don’t need to be valuable but instill joy and have meaning to you. Aerin continues with her tidbits on collecting. She says, “once you start a collection, learn about it. You will get greater enjoyment from your collecting and will make better, more informed purchases. You can learn by talking to knowledgeable dealers or shopkeepers, researching online or in books, or connecting with other collectors”. 

 

photo credit: Aerin Lauder Instagram 

 

The second tip is, “don’t feel you have to find perfect matching sets (I was so happy to read this!!!). I love my collection of mismatched floral china in the Hamptons. The mix of floral patterns in similar colors, with touches of gilding, makes for a lively, individualistic table”. 

 

photo credit: Victoria Magazine Instagram 

 

My eyebrows raised when I read the comment above. I can not tell you how many china pieces I have walked away from because they did not match. I will no longer be doing that! If I love it, will use it, have room for it, and if it brings me joy, I will be buying it! 

 

I hope you enjoyed Aerin’s collecting tips for today. I will be posting the last two tips on Friday and hopefully will be sharing another new arrival for the boutique! Enjoy your Wednesday!

 

 

The Beauty of Collecting ~ 1

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The first weekend of Spring has begun. I went out to my front yard to check the progress of my lilac bushes. Everything is beginning to come in! I am looking forward to my blooms this year. I also went and spent WAY TOO MUCH money at HomeGoods. I wanted some new bed linens and purchases about two bed-in-the-bag cases. One is sage green and I am loving the way it looks.  Alright, so last Friday I talked about the beauty of collecting and shared how I was going to be discussing Aerin Lauder’s thoughts on collecting. 

One of her first tips is, “your collections do not have to be valuable (yay); they only have to instill joy and have meaning to you. Sometimes they start quite spontaneously- when you realize you’ve accumulated more than four sets of salt and pepper shakers or you’ve inherited your grandmother’s willow-ware china, or you start picking up antique linens at flea markets. Whatever attracts your eye, pay attention to it”.  

 

photo credit: Rodolfo Marques 

 

The second tip is to “look for meaningful additions to your collections on your travels, both to enhance your journey or conjure happy memories once you’re home. I’ve bought napkin rings on safari in Tanzania, colorful candles in London, and plates in Panama. I often find inspiration through travel”. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Whenever we go out of town I always have at least one antique store or Goodwill on my list to visit. I have found some of my best pieces on my travels. My recent obsessions has been Facebook Marketplace. I keep finding the most beautiful vintage French provincial furniture. I really don’t have the room for it but it doesn’t stop me from looking. I am also learning that I have a small obsession with china. I love china and here again, I don’t have the room for it. Makes me so sad! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Another recent find at an antique store has been my Wedgwood piece. It is stunning! You know maybe in the near future I could add antiques to my boutique. It’s a thought, isn’t it? I hope you all enjoyed this post and I am happy to report that the new arrivals for my boutique have been added. You are more than welcome to purchase anything on the boutique’s page. I also have one more plus-size dress on the way and another regular-size dress. I am also trying to get a few more accessories. I will keep you all posted! 

 

 

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The Beauty of Collecting

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And here we are…. Friday again and fast! This weekend I have a few things planned. Not much. One of my good friends and co-worker is getting married but we can not attend.  She just wanted a small ceremony so we will be watching via Zoom. I am happy for her and will be smiling from afar. 

I have some new arrivals for the boutique coming soon. One of my dresses arrived yesterday and I am in love with it! I can’t wait to get it posted to the website! 

 

Well in today’s post I wanted to share the beauty of collecting. I have been reading my copy of Aerin Lauder’s book Entertaining Beautifully and absorbing every beautiful idea that I can. Every time I read her books I always wonder what life would have been like for me now if both of my grandmothers were still here. I miss them dearly. Hearing Aerin’s stories about her grandmother always puts me in a place of bliss. 

 

photo credit: Julia Newman Photography/ The Glampad 

 

On collecting Aerin says, “collecting is a very personal passion, sometimes connected to value, history, or rarity, but more importantly to meaning, memory, and pleasure. It’s all about embracing what you love and enjoying it”. I could not agree with her more! 

 

photo credit: Harper’s Bazaar

 

I will be sharing more of Aerin’s beliefs on collecting and ideas we can take as our own. In 2016, I wrote about collecting and feminine pursuits. You may read my post here about that. Until then have a wonderful weekend and “live elegant everyday”.  

 

 

 

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.