Posts that inspiring an elegant life

An Elegant Routine

/in , /by

We all have routines. I have a routine for Monday thru Friday then I have a different routine for Saturday and Sunday. During my work week I get up around 5:45 and put on my exercise clothes and do a brisk walk on my treadmill for 45 minutes. I then stretch, use my arm weights and then check the blog and post my entry for the day (which is only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays).




photo credit Micheile Henderson







I run my bathwater, read my bible, and pray. I love this morning routine. No one is awake. I finish getting ready and then wake up my daughter. I head to work, spend the day working at the office, and then come home to make dinner (I have a dinner rotation list). I check my daughter’s homework, review home notes, sign her agenda, then eat dinner.


I always set my table with dishes (see my entry here for my table setting). No paper plates here. I clean up then it’s bath-time for my daughter and piano practicing for me. She finishes bathing, gets ready for bed and we say prayers. I then get ready for bed (see my post here about dressing for bed) and watch a little of the Barefoot Contessa or Martha Stewart.

                                                    Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash


This is my routine. Nothing fancy but I love it! It works for my family. I read this recently… Life’s fretfulness is transcended. The different and the novel are sweet, but regularity and repetition are also teachers… And if you have no ceremony, no habits, which may be opulent or may be simple but are exact and rigorous and familiar, how can you reach toward the actuality of faith, or even a moral life, except vaguely? The patterns of our lives reveal us. Our habits measure us. Our battles with our habits speak of dreams yet to become real. -Mary Oliver



I adore this quote. Sometimes I get teased for being so routine but they are necessary. Because I have set the tone in our home my daughter is obedient to the routine. She knows to get clothes ready for school the night before. She knows to floss and brush her teeth. She even knows that mommy is going to the grocery store every weekend with her list and I will be picking up fresh flowers for our home and my office.



                        

                        photo credit Vika Fleisher 
       


But as I said, I love it. Create a routine for your life that is beautiful and fitting. I believe that with elegance there is also order. Routines can be elegant. Just make sure it is….


Speaking Well ~Polish Your Poise

/in , /by


I am still reading Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott. Her books are always wonderful reads! The section that I want to share today is Ways to Practice Good Diction.

Jennifer gives 11 ways to clean up your language and to speak with clarity and intelligence. I have been on a quest to become an elegant bearing woman and in today’s society, it is NOT easy.

Rude people are everywhere and always want to challenge “your elegance”. But we must remain strong and continue on the right path.

Here are her tips:

1) Become an avid reader


2) Read classic literature


3) Learn a new word each day and use it in your speech


4) Listen to yourself when you speak


5) Eliminate vulgarities


6) Avoid excessive use of “like” and “um”


7) Avoid slang in most social situations but sill remain au courant with the culture


8) Pause (and think!) before you speak


9) Become okay with silence


10) Listen to audiobooks and be inspired by the eloquent readers


11) If you’re feeling nervous in a social setting, choose silence over mindless babbling 


I love these tips and would encourage everyone to include them in your thinking. It’s a rude world out there let’s try to overcome it!





Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
(text author Jennifer L. Scott)
















Chic Stationey

/in , /by


I am always on the lookout for beautiful things. While flipping through the pages of House Beautiful magazine I saw these beautiful and chic stationery sets from Paperless Post. 







This is called Birch Monarch Suite and it is my favorite. 





Here is another chic option it is called Mandarin Grove. 






Tea Tree




I just wrote a post last month about handwritten notes (see here). I would encourage anyone to make beautiful stationery apart of your beautiful life. 




(all photos via Rifle Paper Co.) 




Inspiring…

/in , /by

photo credit Aerin’s Instagram account
“Along with colors, textures, and fragrances you need music in your rooms to round out the sensory experience.”

~ Charlotte Moss








The Bouqs ~Monthly Flower Club

/in , /by


As most of you know I love flowers!!! I buy at least 3 bouquets a week. I have one at work and two at home. My daughter is now starting to enjoy having a fresh bouquet in her room. I love that! It makes my heart sing.

But there is nothing like getting a bouquet of flowers delivered to your office. If you enjoy fresh bouquets every week and love the thrill of having some delivered to you then the Bouqs can help fulfill that need.

I just learned about their monthly flower club. From $40 a month, you can have an artful floral arrangement of your choice delivered to you every week! Just go online and sign up! Fantastic right?


Photo by Melnychuk Nataliya on Unsplash

Polish Your Posture

/in , /by


I have just been a reading queen recently. I am still reading the third installment of Jennifer L. Scott’s book Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic. I am in the chapter about posture.

We have all heard about the benefits of good posture but sitting up straight can be annoying sometimes. I must admit there are days where I just don’t feel like it! But then I remember who I am and what life I am trying to live.

Jennifer talks about making a commitment and becoming aware of your posture. After sitting at the computer for awhile she suggests standing up and rolling your arms backward to reverse the effect. Make an effort to sit up straight while you work. Bring this awareness to everything you do.

Jennifer also mentioned that she got to ask principal dancer Allyssa Bross about a ballerina’s secret to great posture. Here is what was said:

Many times ballet dancers are known for their great posture, and automatically people assume it is because they stand with their shoulders back and spine straight, but posture is more than the way one stands. Posture is the way one carries oneself in any social setting. It starts from within and then moves outward.


Controlling one’s body and posture starts with the mind. Thoughts affect our actions, body, and the way we take care of it. Here are five helpful tips to keep good posture:

1. Loving yourself
2. Confidence
3. Exercise (when you have strong, nimble muscles, posture is easier to maintain.)
4. Chin up and neck long
5. Eye contact

I hope you enjoyed these tips from Jennifer and purchase her latest book Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic.





photo credit Marchionesshg Instagram account

Lunch at the Ayres Tea Room

/in , /by

The L.S. Ayres store was the focal point of downtown Indianapolis. People would stand in line to have lunch at the Tea Room. It was the Tea Room that epitomized the Ayers experience. Now with our fast food saturated culture, the Tea Room was more than a quick bite to eat. It was about waitresses who knew regular customers by name and food preferences. It was about real china, clean tablecloths and fresh flowers. It was about a menu rich in elegant, yet comfortable, food- chicken velvet soup, apricot bread, chicken pot pie, club sandwiches and chicken salad. ~S.L. Berry 

My boss took me to lunch there for the first time after Christmas. I was in heaven. The atmosphere was elegant but not over the top. It was sensible, friendly and classy. I adore the room. It was not too noisy, and not crowded. It was shear perfection! I made reservations for my family after church service. They enjoyed it! Especially the chicken velvet soup. I will be returning again very soon.

The room, lovely isn’t it?

The waiting area

I love the wallpaper.





The classic chicken velvet soup! The recipe is 110 years old. 




The chicken pot pie with pastry crust! Scrumptious! 

The tea experience, it was lovely. 


Dessert, very good!
(photos via AHFE)