Posts that inspiring an elegant life

A Few Beautiful Things

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Have you ever had a weekend where you found lots of beautiful things? It happens to me more than often and sometimes I like to take a step back and just take it all in. 


I did some shopping recently and decided to change my curtains in my home. I have always been afraid of white or cream curtains. I like to keep my privacy so I always steer clear of these but I decided recently to take a chance.

I really love these beautiful cream DKNY curtains that I found at HomeGoods. The room feels like it has been refreshed some how. The original curtains that I had were gray and with these cream curtains the room now feels bright. The price made the decision easier too. I only paid $29 per set! Wonderful right? 

Once I saw how great they looked I hurried to HomeGoods to get the last set and hang them in our loft. This is where the office is. I love the way these look and they are nice and thick. So my room looks elegant without showing the inside of my home. 

The next item that I found was this beautiful blue and white pillow from Ralph Lauren. I also found this at HomeGoods for only $20! It’s gorgeous in person! 



Last weekend my family and I went to our outlet mall here in Indiana. I am not a huge fan of our outlet mall. We don’t have a lot of selections there. I did stop by the Coach store and picked up this beautiful cognac tote for under $200. These beautiful nude Coach pumps I found on Poshmark (brand-new) for under $60!

I also saw these down in the Ann Taylor Factory store. It is so much better to see items in person. These rhinestone pumps are stunning in person!  I had to get a pair. 



And last but not least is this arrangement sitting in my clear chair. Now that may not be a big deal to anyone else but I just love it there. You know how you may be moving things around in a room and you place something somewhere and look over and think, “well I actually like that there”. That is how this happened.  Accidentally beauty…. 

I am still in a funk at the office. Trying to decide what to do, see here if you missed my blog post about that. But I am trying to find the beauty in things and focus on gratefulness and learning to just be still and know that he is God.

I have searched and read some of my past posts about beauty and poise. Life is interesting but worthwhile when you found your purpose. 




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)








Chinoiserie Gift Bags

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Good Morning and Welcome to November!


I can’t believe we are saying that… November. Well, we had an interesting weekend. My step-son called and said that he wanted to come home for the weekend…. with his new girlfriend. 


Oh Lord…. so they came down and we all had dinner and she slept in his room and he was downstairs (she is from Ohio and has no family here in the city). It was a little awkward to me but I wanted to make her feel welcomed. 


It turned out okay. She is a very nice girl and is studying to become a pediatric surgeon. Lots of school ahead of her so we all hope she does well. 


In today’s post, I wanted to share a recent beautiful find. You all know how much I love blue and white so when I saw these on The Enchanted Home’s website I knew that I had to purchase a few. 

Gorgeous aren’t they? Now the blue and white chinoiserie gift bag is pretty sturdy and wonderfully beautiful. 

The inside is spacious and is the average size of a gift bag.




The ginger jar and pink blossoms gift bag is lovely also. She has it in large and small so make sure that you pay attention to the description box if you order one. 



Such classic and beautiful bags. They come in sets of two so you will get two bags with each order. I am interested in ordering the classic topiary gift bag. That looks pretty chic too. Now I am keeping my gift bags to myself. I will use them to carry things to the office and other office-like tasks. I would not recommend gifting one to someone unless you know that they are a die-hard blue and white fan. 

Most people would just throw these away. These are something to be enjoyed over and over. I hope all of the blue and white fans enjoy these. Can’t you just see these with beautiful tissue showing at the top of these? So beautiful. Have a great Wednesday!


(photos via Mrs. Shockley)


Eat Like the Queen

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Good Morning Everyone,


This was a very short week and honestly, it went by rather rapidly. I don’t have much on my agenda this weekend. Although, I can’t wait to get to the nail salon. I need a “fill-in”, and I need my nails cut down really bad. I hate it when they get too long. Typing is my profession and having long nails is not an elegant feature that I would like to have.


I am also torn about the color. Since autumn has arrived I would like to leave my pink blush color and get back into my reds. I think that might be the color that I get this weekend. I was also thinking about a lilac color but I don’t know yet. Maybe for my toes. 


I still want a do-over for my movie day. I will try to convince my husband to take me to see Gemini Man but we will see. I am also catching up on my favorite Netflix series called “Call the Midwife”. I am currently on Season 7. I just finished Season 6 and I am still loving it! 


Okay, let’s get on with my Friday post. I recently read an article called “ I Ate Like a Member of the Royal Family for a Week and Here’s What Happened”. I found this article very intriguing. I have never read about what any of the Royal Family members eat let alone the Queen. 

















Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash







The author Elizabeth Licata talked about her experience trying to follow what the Queen ate for a week. It was quite interesting but what intrigued me the most was what the Queen ate and how often. She eats four small meals a day! I know for a fact that I can’t do that. I have to keep my schedule at three and that is okay. I have different genetics to fight with!



I learned that she doesn’t like garlic (not even in the palace), she plans her meals a week in advance, and she likes her food, fresh, seasonal and local. Okay, your Highness! Those are tips that I will take in as my own!

I also learned that she has a very strong cup of tea in the morning and Special K is her favorite cereal. That’s fun to know! She also thinks that brown eggs taste better than white. I couldn’t agree with her more! I noticed a difference in taste. Her jam is homemade and she has a cocktail before lunch. Interesting…

































photo credit Alessia Cocconi 






She also doesn’t eat starches. Huh? Oh boy, I would struggle with that. I love some roasted potatoes! Other than that the Queen has a pretty good diet with lots of items that keep it interesting. I doubt she eats a whole lot. She is so tiny. 


I hope you all enjoy the article and can maybe take some tips for yourself. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading!












My New China Additions

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Good Morning Ladies,

Sorry for the no-post on Friday and for not having a video this past Sunday. I have been really busy! I took Friday off to go to the license branch to renew our plates and to get information about our new driver’s licenses that we all have to get. 

It’s insane! I don’t know about you all but by October of next year we (residents here in Indiana) all have to have these Real ID driver’s license or we won’t be able to fly or enter federal buildings. I have a feeling that these licenses are going to be required for lots of other things. 

So after I dealt with that we took our daughter to see the new Adams Family Movie. It was okay. Okay, I won’t lie. I fell asleep in the theater. It was quite boring. It’s for smaller children which is fine. Once we left I looked at my daughter (who is in high school now) and said, “We should have gone to see Gemini Man and she said, “Yes”! 

I also got another private invitation from Von Maur to attend their cosmetic show this past Saturday! It was wonderful! I had such a good time and got lots of free products! I also had my first mimosa. Not bad if I may say. 

Alright, let’s get into my new (to me) Royal Albert Old Country Roses plates that I ordered from eBay. 


Let me start off by saying that I have been trying to win a bid on these plates since 2014. It has been a very LONG journey. Normally when I place a bid someone always bids higher than me at the last minute. It has been very frustrating. 

When I placed my bid for these I truly did not think that I would win. So I was shocked on the last day of the auction that I was the only bidder and that I had won!
I got four dinner size Royal Albert Old Country Roses plates. They were from an estate sale and I paid $35 total! Outstanding! 

I cannot tell you how excited and happy I am! I have loved these plates the moment I saw them. I remember Trina Levers from Youtube showing her collection. I really miss her!

This is a simple table setting at home. This is nothing fancy just a typical dinner night. 

I’m loving my new napkin ring holders. I found these at Sur la Table last year. They look vintage but are not. I just love them!

This is where I would sit. I am the only one who would have a cup of tea with dinner. This is the only Royal Albert teacup that I have. I have my large breakfast tea set but that one stays at the office. I am hoping to get more soon. 

I feel like home life is elevated when you can dine like this. As simple as it is. Dining well and living well at home can cause you to forget some of the crazy people out there. 

I always move my large arrangments to the end of the table. It’s mostly just me, my husband, and daughter. They don’t mind it being a garden at the end of the table. 

I also have this Royal Albert set. This is called Hawthorn. All I need is one teacup and saucer. I have three so I need to get on eBay soon!

Okay, ladies, I am going to start my day. I have today off because it is a federal holiday and I have a list of things that I need to get checked off. I plan on posting a new video today as well so we will see. Enjoy your Monday!




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)






Welcome Autumn!

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Well Hello Autumn Morning,

Yesterday we all got up early to go to the 9:30 service at our church and when we open the garage door the crisp autumn air hit. It was 50 degrees and raining. It was wonderful! I put on a chunky cardigan and grabbed one of my cozy scarfs and beautiful brooch and just grinned at my husband who just shook his head. He hates the cold….

I have started transitioning our home and my clothes over to welcome in the changing trees and cooler weather. Last weekend I changed my bright pink and lavender wreath over to the wreath above. I love it and think that it adds just enough to our porch. 

I pulled out my faux light blue and white pumpkins and moved my mandeville over and placed it on the blue and white stool. Love the way that looks!
I also pulled out my pillows and placed them on the chairs. You can see my noisy dogs in the window. They are always watching what I do. 

This is what the other side of the pillow says. I try to remind myself of that every day. 
Now is the time to start swapping over my shoes. Sorry for the mess, but this is just a glimpse of what I do when seasons change. 

I actually wore these to church on Sunday morning. A little glitter never hurt anyone!
I’ve been looking at my faux fur scarves and trying to determine what I can wear now and what can wait. We have a few days this week where the low will be around 40 degrees! 

Love my pink blush scarves!

Ann Taylor Orange tote (Poshmark find)

Time to pull this out. It is the perfect orange for the season.

I also took a look at all of my cardigans. I have A LOT of cardigans. I don’t know why but they are my favorite thing to buy. 

It was also nice to have a hot cup of tea on Sunday. I sat down and watched the Phantom of the Opera on Netflix. It was free so I had to take a chance. It was wonderful! I watched the 2004 version with Gerard Butler whom I thought did a nice job. 

Well, I hope you all are receiving cooler weather in your parts of the world. I particularly enjoy this time of year. Let the reign of pumpkin spice begin!



Thanks for reading!




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Lovely Birthday ~ The Cake Bake Shop in Carmel

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Happy Monday Morning Everyone!


Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! I had a great weekend. I didn’t do a whole lot but going to the Cake Bake Shop was everything. 

Walking into the shop this is what you saw. Grand chandeliers everywhere! Gwendolyn did not skimp on the glamour for this restaurant. 

Loved the mirrored walls and elegant sconces. They were everywhere!

This was our table. The tables and chairs were just as stylish as the walls and floors! I adored these salt and pepper shakers. I asked if they were available to purchase and they were! If you are interested here is the link.

Once seated I immediately ordered the sparkling lavender lemonade and it did not disappoint. It was delicious! I love lemonade that doesn’t taste like a cup of sugar! The hint of lavender was just enough. I loved the real fresh rose petals too!

I ordered the turkey and gruyere sandwich. It was on a toasted french baguette with maille dijon. It was served with an arugula salad lightly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and parmesan cheese. Delicious!

I could not help myself. I ordered a side of the herb potato salad. It’s baby red potatoes with dill, Italian parsley, basil, green onions, lightly dressed with lemon. It was mixed with their homemade mayonnaise.  

My husband ordered the lemon parmesan chicken breasts with pommes frites. He also could not help himself and ordered a bowl of the chicken velvet soup. It was sooo delicious ladies! We ordered four bowls to go!

And lastly, for my birthday cake, I ordered the millionaire cake. It is three layers of Valrhona french chocolate with house-made caramel, vanilla bean buttercream, and house-made butter shortbread cookies. It was topped with Callebaut Belgian chocolate fudge, more shortbread, and caramel.  

Once we finished lunch I had to visit the ladies room. I know this is weird but I love beautiful bathrooms. Is that bad? This one had beautiful sconces and gold hardware. It was hard not to admire. 

Mrs. Gwendolyn’s article in Tea Time Magazine. 

Love the paint color and gold hardware!

Sorry I know it’s toilet paper but how chic!



Once I was finished in the ladies room, I decided to visit the bakery section of the restaurant. 
Tasteful Halloween decor in the bakery

Look at all of the lovely Lenox china. I really wanted the teapot but the price was a little scary.

More and more delicious desserts. We did grab a few of the macaroons before they sold out. 

I thought these snow globes were so charming!

Of course, I could not leave without seeing the teacups and saucers. 


I also loved these silicone spatulas! These would make great gifts!

Oh, the cookies and cream cake!

I still have not tried the red velvet cake. I really need to try that!
I took one more walkthrough before leaving.

The bar scene was pretty elegant also.

Of course, I could not leave without a teacup and saucer. These are pricey but I only purchased one which is enough. 

I also could not pass up these gorgeous pink pens and the ink is blue! Yay, my favorite!

It was a wonderful birthday lunch with my husband.

We enjoyed ourselves very much and look forward to returning.




Thanks for reading!

Cake Bake Shop Visit 2016

Cake Bake Shop Visit 2018




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Lovely Friday

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My office bouquet this week

Good Morning!


It’s a lovely morning. I am taking the day off! I am so happy that I did. Today should be a great day (I hope)! I am going to take my daughter to school and then come back and make a lovely breakfast, get some housework finished, then head to the Cake Bake Shop for lunch!


I hope that it is just as lovely as the smaller location in Broad Ripple. My husband and I visited that location in 2016 and 2018. It is suppose to big bigger and have more items on the menu. I have been following the renovation from beginning to end on Instagram. Based off of the photos and videos it looks absolutely stunning. 


I will take as many photos as I can. I took a look at the menu and narrowed down my selections. For my drink, I plan on trying the sparkling lavender lemonade. For my entree, I am torn between the broccoli quiche and the turkey gruyere sandwich. I love her herb potato salad. It’s made with red potatoes which are my favorite. I also saw that she has the chicken velvet soup which is an L.S. Ayres Tea Room classic and for my cake selection this year I want to try the millionaire cake which has layers of French chocolate, in house carmel and homemade shortbread butter cookies. I am also looking forward to maybe buying one of her teacup and saucer sets but we will see if those are available. 

Lastly, there is a Goodwill nearby and I am hoping to slide in there and take a quick peek after lunch. My 37th birthday is Saturday ladies and I plan to do nothing but we will see! 


Enjoy your weekend!



(photo via Mrs. Shockley)