Posts that inspiring an elegant life

A Few Reminders About Etiquette

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I love a good etiquette list. Especially one with great reminders on it. I saw this list about a week ago called 25 Etiquette Mistakes You Need to Stop Making by 30. Some of these actually made me chuckle. “Wait a minute, people are still doing some of these”? Oh, I should know better. I see people do some of the craziest things all the time. 



















photo credit Elaine Howlin 
For instance, this past weekend when we were at the fair, I was watching my daughter on one of the rides and a woman came and stood next to me. She then turned around to get something out of her bag. While she was bending over she displayed about 7 holes in her leggings near her butt area! I hurried and turned my head. Oh my goodness! And another reason why it was so frustrating was that her boyfriend and/or husband was standing there watching her bend over! Did he not see those holes? Why not tell her!!!!  I was so confused. There was no way he could have missed those when they were leaving the house. But let’s move on…

Etiquette along with healthy eating, dressing well, and living well has become such a huge part of my everyday life. I wanted to share a few of these mistakes from the article. 

1) Sneezing into your hands
It took me about a year to break my daughter of this habit. If you sneeze into your hands just think of all of the germs that you are spreading. It’s your saliva in your hand. Eeewww, so gross! Please remember to sneeze into your elbow or away from people. If you feel more coming on, excuse yourself to the restroom. Very simple…



photo credit Nicolas Fairford
2) Using your napkin to blow your nose
Okay, I thought I was the only one who thought this was gross. The etiquette coach from this list says that drool, tears, and food are okay to wipe. Not your boogers! Please excuse yourself and go to the bathroom to clean your nose. I know if I had to wash those napkins I would not want to see that lurking inside! 

3) Sending error-filled texts or emails from your phone
YES!! I still believe in spelling words out and using correct grammar. I am not an English major but I believe those things are important.  The etiquette coach says, “Grammar and spelling should be properly presented and proofreading is a must. Remember, it may be “just a text”, but this is still representing you, your values, the quality of your work, and overall leaves an impression on the reader of who you are and the sophistication you possess.” 

4) Failing to RSVP
Oh..my…gosh! This drives me nuts! Not only do people not RSVP then they end up showing up anyway. Are you serious! Not only is it poor taste to not RSVP now you are making an appearance anyway? You are an uninvited guest my friend. You didn’t respond to my invite. So guess what you are not included. Dulles said, “Send your reply as early as possible- the reply by date is not a challenge for you to eke out at the eleventh hour. If you do miss the reply date, RSVP anyway and follow up with a phone call or email with a brief apology expressing your oversight and express gratitude for their kind invitation”. See… easy and simple!!! 


photo credit Annie Spratt 

These are just a few from that list. Please click on the link above to continue reading the article. It was pretty interesting. I was really intrigued by the tip on how to greet your boss. One of the experts said, “There is real power in a formal greeting, especially when interacting with other cultures or countries, etc”. Don’t greet your boss with Hey. Be respectful. 

I hope that you all enjoyed these tips and read the article. There is more information that may help you elevate your standards of living. 


Enjoy!
( tips via Charlotte H. Anderson)

Healthy Eating is Elegant

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Good Monday Morning Everyone! I just wanted to post a quick little entry today about a recent holistic nutritionist that I found by the name of Meghan Livingstone.  


I found her just surfing on YouTube one night looking for healthy recipes. Meghan had some issues with her digestive system a few years ago and her story piqued my interest.


Learning how to eat well, continuing with my food education, and health journey has been on my radar constantly. Just yesterday we went to the county fair and I shared a funnel cake with my husband. Oh boy, did I feel like crap after I ate some! It’s amazing how foods can affect your health!


My salmon dinner at home

I have really enjoyed Meghan’s channel. I especially liked her “10 Foods I Always Buy” video. I have watched it a few times already and have started a routine list of excellent foods to buy.

Another favorite video of mine is her “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating”. This is another great video if you need ideas on how to get started on your health journey. 
I hope that you all enjoy Meghan’s channel. I look forward to her new videos every week. Now I am not interested in her minimalist living but I am still inspired by her ways to eat right and her education as a nutritionist.  
My dresser at home

Have a great Monday!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley, videos via Youtube)

Royal Albert Breakfast Set

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My table at home



It’s Friday!!!!  I always feel bad when Friday comes around. We should be enjoying all the days of the week right? I am trying to work on that. I should not be celebrating just when Friday comes around. Really all of life…. we should be enjoying. That is a goal of mine. All days have value. 


I was texting my friend earlier this week and we both have a love for Royal Albert Old Country Roses china. Now I only have one teacup and saucer. One…. I have been wanting more pieces but my goodness it is expensive!


She sent me a snapshot of her breakfast set!!! Oh my gosh, do I love it! So, of course, I jumped on eBay immediately and naturally I found her set for $349! Hmmm, excuse me? I believe she paid under $50 for hers! NO FAIR!!!! But I did manage to find one teacup and saucer set for under $30 so I made an offer and it arrived this week and I couldn’t love it more. 

The small one is the regular size and I purchased it about 5 years ago. I bought it online from eBay and I think I paid around $20 for it. The bigger one is the breakfast cup. Gorgeous isn’t it?  

Such a lovely print!
It was fun comparing both of the prints and sizes. I know that I would like at least one more of the breakfast cups and I know that I want some of the dinner plates too. I wanted to bid on some this week but the seller was on vacation. I will try again next time. 

Well, I hope that you all enjoy this post. Enjoy your days always. I know that the older I get the more I want to run my own race and enjoy my own journey. If any of you have any Royal Albert Old Country Roses china at home let me know in the comments section. I am always on the lookout for new pieces to purchase. Have a great weekend!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Flowers are Life

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Summer begins officially this week and I am already dreading the summers here. It is so hot and humid in Indy. For the first time this year, I felt like we actually had a spring! We have had 60-degree weather for most of the spring. Some nights have even gotten down to 40 degrees! I love it! I love those crisp mornings. Especially heading into the office during the weekday. I love those morning walks. 


Some mornings I get a chance to look at Instagram for a bit and I always smile when I see a post from Cathy Graham’s account. If you are not following her than I would suggest that you should. Cathy is an awarding winning artist and fashion illustrator. Her first book Second Bloom: Cathy Graham’s Art of Table was published in 2017. In her book, she covers elements that will make any event shine.  Her beautiful photos will put a smile on your face every time. 

I love all of the colors that she uses and her whimsical style. I have been taking a second look at single stem arrangements. 






Beautiful and yet so simple. 

Her gorgeous vanity. 

A recent arrangement on her Instagram account. 
Someone recently asked me, “Why do you love flowers so much”? Was it because of a grandmother or parent”? I simply told her, “I don’t know”. I just do”. But honestly, how can you not love flowers. It’s natural beauty. They are just splendid creations. I have always loved flowers and I always will. I hope that you have found inspiration in this post and follow Cathy’s account. I have also attached a video of her doing what she does best. Creating beauty. Have a wonderful Monday!!!!





(photos via Pinterest & Instagram)
(video via Youtube)



Thinking about Weddings

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I was recently reading some of my first year’s blog posts. I remember my first post about weddings. I was so inspired at that moment. I had just started my new Pinterest board and was getting the swing of social media. 


Do you ever look back on some of the pins that you posted to your own boards? Do you see a change in how your taste in clothes and decor may have evolved? I know for me my taste in things is changing but I still love weddings!


In 2016, I wrote about Renewing Our Vows and we still want to. Our 20 year anniversary is about 4 years away so we will see. I was recently pinning some new photos to my wedding board and wanted to share a few that are just so magical and elegant. I thought this would be a wonderful way to start a Friday morning. Looking at wedding dresses….













photo credit Jonathan Borba 

I really love how delicate and exquisite this is? It’s stunning!
I don’t know why I love this dress but I do. I love the white and blush together and how the shoulders are showing. I don’t mind that at all. I could definitely see myself wearing this with my hair down and lots of curls. 
I also love this. I believe you could wear this again. It’s simple yet elegant. 
Another dress you could wear again. I don’t know why I am drawn to these simple dresses. I guess it could be a sign of age? Not sure but I want much more feminine and delicate clothing. 
Love the details in the sleeves and the layers and layers of tulle. 


Other photos that I have been pinning are ceremony decorations and details. 
I would love to have a ceremony like this and renew our vows in dress one or two. 
Like a dream….



I hope you all have a wonderful Friday. Oh, fingers crossed you guys! I posted my new dining room table and hosts chairs last week. They are suppose to deliver my four Queen Anne chairs, a new host chair (the zipper is broken), and my daughter’s new bed on Tuesday. I hope everything comes. It’s been a long wait and we have not been able to use our new table. Then on June 22nd, my new dresser will arrive I am looking forward to that new piece also. I may not post anything on the blog on Monday but hope to have a full blog post on Wednesday with my new complete dining room set. 

We will see…




(photos via Pinterest)
If you wish to follow my Pinterest wedding board you may do so here.







Everything Beautiful in its Time

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I was recently in the car with my husband and I started thinking about certain events, foods, and flowers that I enjoy throughout the year. For instance, it’s peony season!!! I love this season and I went a few days ago to check and see if they were available at my local florist shop and I was able to get a few bouquets!


 My peonies

I told my husband about a vintage Martha Stewart video that I have about weddings and how the florist in that video was talking about how he loves to WAIT for certain seasons to come for certain flowers. He said, “I don’t want lilac when it’s not in season, nor do I want roses. I love waiting for those seasons to come around so that I can enjoy those flowers in their proper season”. Now this DVD was from 2006 so I was about 23 years old.


My peonies at home




I recall thinking, “No, I don’t want to wait!” I want these flowers now! I want blueberries now, I want grapes now!


So now that 13 years have passed and I am a little older I can now appreciate why that florist said that and why it’s a wonderful thing to wait for things until it’s their season. For instance, I used to buy blueberries all the time and when it’s not their season those things tasted awful! So I would waste money! Same thing with certain flowers. They would die and I would be so mad!

My sitting room full of my faux arrangments

So now I have learned and realized that everything is beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11, he has made everything beautiful in its time…..




Last year’s peonies

Each year I calendar in advance what events I want to attend, when is the best time to buy this or that and I enjoy doing this. Blueberries taste blissful this time (April to late September). Peonies are from now until June. Grapes are good from now until October but the peak is September. Lilies are beautiful in late summer.

During the summer I look forward to the  Lunch Break at the Symphony. I have already purchased my ticket for the first show which is music from Romeo and Juliet. This is a wonderful time for me to enjoy the symphony. I grab a salad on my way there and sit in the audience and eat my lunch while listening to the orchestra. It’s fantastic and only in June each year! 











My desk last year

I started growing peonies in 2017 and I believe I will have my first blooms in a few days! I still volunteer at Dress for Success and love doing the personal shopping during the summer because of all of the beautiful new donations we will have.


So everything is beautiful in its time and I am learning that slowly. You don’t have to have it all now. Honestly, I am still furniture shopping for a new dining room table and chairs. But I don’t want to settle and I know when it’s time it will be there in the store waiting for me.


Our bedroom 


He (God) has made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time. The blueberries, strawberries, peonies, the symphony, lilies, the weather, everything about life. And I want HIS time. That’s all I want. Enjoy your Wednesday!










(photos via Mrs. Shockley & Pinterest)

Beautiful Morning Rituals

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Rituals and routines are my favorite thing in the world. It’s how my mind operates. I live by these and I have shared them on the blog (see here and here). I believe in order and consistency. Most of you know that I reading a book by Martha Stewart and I am now in a section called “Welcome the Day”. 








Photo by judith girard-marczak on Unsplash









Martha gives lots of wonderful tips on how to start your day. The first tip is to lie quietly for a few moments before getting out of bed and give thanks for this new day. Being grateful for your life is a great way to start your day. Dab a few drops of an uplifting essential oil (grapefruit) on a cloth that you’ll use solely for this ritual, and breathe in the aroma. 



















Photo by melethril on Unsplash

The second tip is to get up and stand in front of a mirror. Smile at yourself and affirm that this will be a good day, full of blessings, opportunities, and wonder. Say aloud, “I look forward to a wonderful day, “or any affirmation with personal significance. I do this every day!!! I love saying affirmations to myself about my life. If there are difficult meetings or decisions ahead, affirm that you will tackle these with ease. “I will take the challenge of this day in stride”.  

photo via Pinterest 

And the last tip is to make a list of all family members, friends, and pets that matter the most to you. You could even include material things. By writing one or two reasons why each is important to you, you’ll clarify your thoughts and honor the people and things in your life that shouldn’t be taken for granted. 


Wonderful and pretty simple tips. It is so easy to get away from being grateful. That is always one of the things I write in my day designer. BE GRATEFUL! Once that is in your heart, I believe the Lord will honor that and bless your life. 


Have a great Monday everyone! 






(tips via Living the Good Long Life, page 176)