Elegant Clothes and Feminine Accessories

The Boutique ~ 1 Year Anniversary!

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Good Morning Everyone!

It has been such a busy week at the office. I have barely had time to take lunch breaks! But I always make sure to do that. I either bring my lunch or go out and grab a salad or sandwich. Then I eat at my desk in my office with the door closed. I usually read while I eat (a book) and try not to touch my cell until I have finished eating. After that, I usually get on my phone and check emails. I make an effort to enjoy some quiet time during my lunch hour.

While I was on my break recently I realized that I did not discuss the one-year anniversary of the boutique! I can’t believe it has been a year already. It actually turned a year old on March 8th! I am still astonished that I made it this long. I have seen a few boutiques start last year and end immediately! It is a LOT of work! I don’t think people realized how much work it would be trying to get exposure for your items!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Running an online boutique is extremely time-consuming and takes a lot of management. The setup is really hard. You have lots of registration fees, trying to find vendors, and filling out applications to shop online. Yes, you have to apply to shop on vendor websites! The vendors that I use wanted all of my business info! After all of the setup work the fun really begins! And by fun, I mean trying to get the “pulse” of your consumer. The good thing for me was that I had my blog. So I had already taken the time to build an online base. 

I started this blog in 2014 and I still can’t believe that I am still going! 

 

 

I love shopping for the boutique but there is a lot of second-guessing. I always have to ask myself. “Do I love this piece?” “Will it sell?” “Does it fall in line with what I am trying to build”? On and on and on. Again, there is a lot of management that goes into running an online boutique. In addition to keeping the boutique stocked there is the blog. I have to make sure that I find inspiration in order to provide content. I love my blog more than anything and hope that I can continue to do it for years to come. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

The last part is money. Most small business entrepreneurs don’t make a lot of money from their businesses the first few years. I am here to say that this is true. Well, GOOD entrepreneurs usually don’t pay themselves. I am not taking a salary or paycheck from my business. All of the money that the blog and boutique make stays in the business account to help support the business! I refuse to pay myself at this time. It will probably take a few years to get it to where I want it to be and that is okay! I am really trying to enjoy the journey. This is something that I have always wanted to do and I am loving every minute of it. So thank you! Thank you for reading the blog, shopping my boutique, shopping my favorites, and the LTK app. I appreciate it all! 

To celebrate the boutique’s one-year anniversary you may use code “boutique10” to get 10% off of anything in the boutique! I do hope that all of you are enjoying it! Have a great weekend and Happy Easter! 

 

 

 

 

 

How I Shop for Vintage Earrings

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Good Morning,

I don’t know about any of you but I am having the hardest time trying to get some ideas of where to travel to this summer. I have so many places that I want to visit but it is so hard because I have to consider my family as well. I would love to visit the “Breakers” this year and do some antique shopping. I wrote about visiting in 2019. I have so many ideas for a vacation but we will see what we end up doing. 

In today’s post, I wanted to share how I find my gorgeous vintage earrings online.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Jasmine Pearl Brooch

 

Now the vintage earrings in this photo are a new Poshmark find. I am talking about the crystal earrings with the gold wings. These are stunning in person. Whenever I am on the hunt for vintage clip earrings my first stop is Poshmark. I love Poshmark because you can negotiate the price. These I paid under $30 for. The next go-to website is eBay and then Etsy. 

The phrase that I always put into the search bar is “vintage Weiss clip earrings”. This works every time! It doesn’t even matter if the earrings are Weiss or not beautiful vintage earrings always appear. I just purchased two pairs from Poshmark and I won’t be looking for any more until the holidays. Let me know in the comments below if you wearing vintage clip earrings. 

They will always remain my classic go-to’s for style! 

 

 

This post is not sponsored. 

 

 

The Elegant Wisteria

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Good Morning,

It’s been a quiet weekend. I am hoping that the temperatures will get better. On Friday, when I was out going for my morning walk snow, began to fall! I felt myself growing frustrated. It’s almost April for crying out loud! Last weekend my husband and I went to Lowe’s to look at some new lantern lights for the sides of our garage. While we were there I found some more peony bulbs to plant. I am hoping that it will get warm soon.

In addition to the snow, we have had nothing but cold rain. I recently saw an elegant umbrella on Instagram and could not resist!

 

 

Isn’t it stunning? I stared at it for days and then saved the photo to my wishlist on my phone. I then did the inevitable. I ordered it!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It is so stunning! It is also so well made! I love Sarah’s products. You can tell that she takes TIME to create things. That is something that I dream of doing in the future.  This umbrella came with its own carrying case. 

 

 

Beautifully crafted. The handle is authentic Italian leather in navy. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The details are impeccable. The gold tones and navy are a beautiful combination. I love how the wisteria print peeks above the navy canopy. 

 

 

 

 

And here is the inside…. it’s like a dream!  I love the print! It is such a beautiful design and is timeless. I know that this umbrella is so expensive so I found some similar ones on Amazon. I placed them on my favorites page if you are interested. I have not used it yet but I am looking forward to it. I did bring it to the office last week because we had rain and one of my co-workers saw it. She just stared and said, “oh my”. It does have that effect when you see it. 

Let me know in the comments section below what your thoughts are on interior print umbrellas. Also, the boutique has a beautiful new arrival. The Ballet Lace Cardigan is available in light pink and mauve as well as 1x, 2x, and 3x. It’s a great addition to church, weddings, and other ceremonies. You can also wear it with jeans!

 

Have a great Monday! 

 

 

A New Lavender Perfume…

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Good Morning!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! The up and down temps continue. Saturday was freezing and then Sunday was beautiful and sunny. This is never fun but we are used to it by now. I did my normal chores this weekend and then I decided to call my local Ulta to see if they have the new scent from Philosophy that I saw on their Instagram page. Did any of you see the new lavender perfume that Philosophy just launched?

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Oh my goodness! I love it. I adore it just as much as the jasmine scent that I picked up last year. The scent is so light, floral, and subtle. It is a wonderful addition to my feminine wardrobe for sure. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you intend on going to smell this new fragrance. I would love to know what you all think, good or bad. I am also going to be taking the rest of the week off from the blog. Our daughter is on spring break and I want to take a few days to spend some time at home and get some things done. If I do anything fun or find some wonderful things I will be sure to share it on the blog. The boutique is still open for business. I do intend on ordering a new item for the plus-size section. I really want to order the lace cardigan for the plus-size section below. What do you all think? I want to order it in this beautiful mauve color and the light blush color.  

 

I love it! But let me know your thoughts below. I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you all soon!

 

 

 

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 New Company Discovery

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Good Morning,

Spring is so near. I am looking forward to seeing the spring blooms. I went outside to see how my buds are doing. I see some life. I am hoping that everything will bloom this year. 

Speaking of new things, I forgot to talk about this new company that I found in the last issue of Victoria magazine. This particular entrepreneur was a part of the Victoria Magazine 2022 Business of Bliss Entrepreneurs.  That is where I found her. I went to her website and took a peek at all of her products and she has some beautiful designs.

 

photos via Notiq.com 

 

I especially love her Saffiano Structure totes. You all know how much I love a structured tote. The travel tote (the middle one) is my favorite. I love a tote that is wide and can stand on its own. 

 

 

Oh goodness! I really love the dusty rose and the gold hardware. I think it has a subtle shimmer finish and has rose gold feet stud on the bottom! 

 

 

She also offers other types of designs. This has a very “Chanelish” design and beautiful dusty rose color. I just love the combinations that she is creating. 

 

photo credit: Notiq.com

I really loved reading how she started her company with just $1,000! How awesome is that? I hope you all enjoyed this new find. If you have already ordered from her please let us know your thoughts below. I am seriously thinking about ordering the dusty rose wide structure tote and affirmation drinking bottle.  I am posting the video below if you wish to see her products. Have a great Wednesday!

 

 

This post is not sponsored.

 

 

 

The London Ring ~ Princess Diana

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Good Morning!

I have the day off today for the holiday. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have an extra day. This morning I went for a morning walk! I have not been able to do this since early November. I miss my morning walks. I have been getting on the elliptical instead. But there is something beautiful and exhilarating about walking outside in the mornings. I get to hear nature, talk with the Lord, breathe fresh air, and have peace. I am looking forward to being able to walk again soon. 

Today I do have a jam-packed schedule. I have two appointments and I need to drop off some items for donation at the women’s center. I am also working on trying to get some new items for the boutique. I can’t believe that I am closing in on one year already. Seriously I can’t believe I lasted a year. I am so grateful to all of my customers. I do hope that everyone is loving their purchases.

Speaking of new purchases. I recently took a leap and purchased a piece that I was on the fence about. I have shared my purchases from Nicola Bathie before and I was hoping that this piece would not disappoint. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The second jewelry piece that I ordered was the London Blue Ring. I LOVED this ring when I first saw it. Now it’s obvious that this ring is inspired by Princess Diana’s ring well now Kate Middleton’s ring. But isn’t it the most elegant ring ever? It speaks royalty and class. It does come in green but I had to order the blue. 

 

 

I did find some more affordable versions on the Etsy website. There is this one, this one, and this one. I hope these will get you started on your quest for one. This is a classic ring. One that could be worn for ages. Have a great Monday!

 

This post is not sponsored. 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.

 

 

 

Breakfast with the Madame…

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Good Morning Everyone!

Happy MLK Day! Dr. Martin Luther King was always a wonderful leader that I enjoyed studying in school. I hope that we continue to have wonderful leaders like him. Today I plan on taking a 2-mile walk around my neighborhood and finishing up some house chores. I also plan on vising my local Homegoods store to see what goodies they may have. It is always a hit or miss with that store.

This weekend I did some house cleaning, scheduled some more house chores that I need to get to. Like I really need to clean my chandeliers and wash my blue and white gingers jars that are in my kitchen on top of the cabinets. I am still in tax mode and hoping to get that finished in the next few weeks. Also, I don’t know if I mentioned this but this was going to be the month where I was going to go to my first concert! BUT… Diana Krall has postponed her tour for now and I am so devastated. I was so looking forward to it but we will wait and be hopeful that we will get some new dates here soon. 

I did get a wonderful package this weekend…. 

 

 

I started following this company called MME.Mink on Instagram. And it’s pronounced, Madame Mink. I had to search some videos to figure out how you say it. I watched this interview on Instagram to get an understanding of what Jane the owner was like. 

 

 

It was a wonderful interview and I knew that I was going to love her products. I originally wanted this tote here but I decided to go smaller. That tote is super large but I do still love it. I don’t know you guys I may order it later. 

I ended up ordering the LadyJane in Moss and I could not love it more!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

I love the fox and the gold details. The tag does have “Mrs. Shockley” on it! I grin every time I look at it. 

 

“Having tea with the Madame”!

 

This is a super high-quality basket bag. I mean you can tell when you hold it. It is not some flimsy wicker bag. It is structurally sound and has weight to it. On the inside, there are two pockets for your cell, a side zipper pocket, and tons of space. 

 

photo credit: L. Shockley 

 

This bag is definitely going to be a classic for me and I am hoping to pass it down. Maybe a granddaughter will want it! 

 

I did share this on my Youtube channel. You may watch it below.

 

 

 

This post is not sponsored.