Home Updates, Accessories & Tours

Thanksgiving Table ~ 2024

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Good Morning Friends,

There is so much going on around us. I found myself praying more than usual now. But let’s start off my blog post on a good note. This past weekend my husband and I attended the Art, Wine, & Design party for the St. Margaret’s Guild and we had a great time. I got to talk with our upcoming interior designers, have a glass of wine and enjoy the night. Here is a photo of me and some of my Guild friends! 

 

 

photo credit: St. Margaret’s Guild 

 

Lauren came home this weekend as well. We got to love on her and plan for Thanksgiving which is next week! I can’t believe it. I have been moving things around in my home and still purging a lot. Coming up with a Thanksgiving table setting this year was a little difficult but then I remember these gorgeous leaf placemats that I found at HomeGoods a few years back. 

 

 

Aren’t they lovely and they are so different. I have not seen anything like these in the stores since I found them. These were a wonderful tablescape find. I found them in HomeGoods but the designer or company is Rachel Ashwell. These were the closest that I could find. Macys has some similar as well. 

 

 

 

I placed my Spode Woodland dinner plates on the leaf placemats, and I was in heaven. I really loved how everything came together. My cream table cover (similar one here), the table runner (similar here), and antique finds always seems to come together in the end. My green goblets are from my mother-in-law and I will probably need to replace them here soon. I did see these on Amazon and maybe adding them to my cart. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I pulled out the soup tureen that I found at an antique store several years ago. I found this one on Etsy it is similar, but I also found this one. 

 

 

 

 

The browns, creams, and greens are flowing quite nicely together. You have seen these candlesticks before. They appear and disappear from my table settings throughout the years. I have not picked up my fresh flowers yet. We are still a week away and I am not sure what my grocery store will have. The flowers at my local grocery store have been horrible for about a year. It’s the young girls that are in charge. They don’t seem to care. When I go to different grocery stores under the same company and ran by older women there are beautiful flowers to choose from. It just drives me nuts! 

 

 

 

My Bath and Body Works gold turkey candle holder is always popular. I have to admit I love it as well. I did manage to find two of them on eBay. I found one here and one here. They are about the same price. The rest of them were over $100 or just about. It holds a 3-wick candle and whenever I pull it out someone is always asking me about it. 

I also posted a video of me creating this on my Youtube channel!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and my video. My Black Friday newsletter will be going out on Friday with a code “BlkFriday24” for 10% off of the entire boutique. You can even use it on clearance items! Have a wonderful weekend! I will be taking next week off from the blog but will return the following week with my November favorites. Don’t forget to shop my favorites page for some Christmas gift ideas! 

 

 

 

 

A Canopy for My Bed

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Good Morning!

I am tried but I managed to get a lot done this weekend. I only have the produce items left on my Thanksgiving dinner list, we only have a few Christmas items left to buy, and my Christmas are up and the house is decorated! It’s a good feeling when those items are checked off my list. I have some beautiful new finds on my favorites page here on the website. 

I don’t really like to talk politics on my blog or on my social media platforms but all I have to say is I just pray. For whatever president is in office, I always pray. I don’t care what side that they are on. I just pray because I still believe in the Lord. The Lord has always taken care of me and my family regardless of who is in power. In the words of Charles Stanley, you fight your battles on your knees, and you’ll win every time.  Now let’s move on. 

I will be sending out a black Friday/Cyber Monday newsletter here soon. I will be offering a discount code for all items on the boutique’s website so stay tuned. 

Have I mentioned my desire to have a canopy above my bed? I think that I have especially during last year’s show house. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Seeing this room last year, designed by Sassy Green Interiors, inspired me to actually take a leap of faith and attempt to accomplish this in any way that I could. I have been toying around with this idea for years and I mean years! But actually, seeing it in person, and speaking with MaryEllen and Christy gave me the confidence to just try it and if it didn’t work then it’s not the end of the world.

I searched on the web and managed to find this DIY canopy frame on Etsy. It comes in multiple sizes. It ended up ordering the 54 inches and it was a perfect fit for our California King. 

 

 

The installation was pretty simple, and the product is a simple product. I was a bit worried about it begin too big but once my husband got it secured to the wall, and we added the curtains I was a happy camper!

 

 

 

It took my husband about an hour to get it hung up and to add the curtains. I knew that I wanted green, or emerald-colored curtains. I don’t know why but that is what my heart wanted. I found these at HomeGoods as well as the chinoiserie inspired Martha Stewart curtains. If you are looking for similar curtains you may find some here, here, here, and here. 

 

 

I love how it turned out. I love all of the colors and different textures. Now of course this will change as the years go by but for right now, I am happy. If you are interested in my peacock pillow cover you will find it here. I also found this gorgeous one with green. I also purchased these white pillow covers for my three large pillows, and I love these! This bed skirt is on our bed as well. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Sometimes you just have to take a risk in your home. I had a co-worker recently ask me about some linens she is considering for her home and one linen she really loved and she said, “oh I can’t use that”, and I asked why. She said, “isn’t that linen just for bedrooms”. That comment really sadden me a little because I thought you should be free to try things in your home wherever you want and that is what I told her. If you want to use this linen in your living room, then use it! Life is short, take some risk! 

I hope you enjoyed today post and remember take some risk in your home. It’s your beauty, enjoy it! 

 

*Affiliated links attached 

 

 

 

Autumn Table Centerpiece ~ 2024

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Is it really only a week left in October? Goodness, I am runny a bit behind on my autumn table decor post! I am very proud of myself for not buying new pumpkins this year. I just felt like I had too many. This year I kept things simple for my table. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I did purchase these famille rose bud vases from Williams Sonoma. They are so dainty and quite lovely to add to your autumn table. I think they are a very versatile decor item. They could be use for all seasons. Now of course I cannot find my pumpkins for you but I did locate these lovely blue and white pumpkins on Amazon.  I love adding blue and white to my table. 

 

 

Ballard Designs also had some beautiful blue and white pumpkins. I honestly have been thinking about changing my dining room table from a long rectangle table to a round one. Let let me in the comments below if you have a round dining room table and how difficult it is to decorate it. If it is. 

Oh and we have finished hanging the canopy! I will be sharing that sometime soon. Next week will be my October favorites. This month has flown by! Share below if you are using blue and white pumpkins to decorate your table this year.

A beautiful new boutique arrival has hit the website! It is my first shoe! The Gigi Velvet Pump is a gorgeous block heel shoe. It is faux leather, velvet, and the heel measures about 3 inches high. It is perfect for this upcoming holiday season!

 

 

Photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

  • Affiliate links attached 

 

An Entryway Refresh

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Good Morning Friends,

The crisp mornings and cooler air feels so good right now! This past weekend was spent in the greenhouse. I threw out plants, cleaned out containers, swept, and re-arranged the space. I feel like it is ready for the autumn season. This weekend is our HOA sale and I am hoping that the rain will hold out. I have quite a few items to sell. 

The St. Margaret’s Guild season is about to begin. We had our fabulous luncheon on Tuesday to start the season and it is always a good time to see the ladies. We do have our next show house lined up for next year! Yay! 

Friends, I can’t seem to stay off of FBMP. I stumbled on a recent find and could not resist it. I have been wanting a vintage secretary for quite some time but they are so expensive! I have envisioned having one in my entryway. 

 

 

So when you walk into our house this is the entryway. I must admit I have always hated it. My husband purchased this shelf-hook combo at a garage sale about 15 years ago and I hated it then! I have always felt like this was not inviting and it appears to be cluttered. It has taken me years to get this shelf-hook removed and clear out the area. I desperately wanted a refresh! It has looked the same since we have moved in the house!

 

 

The first thing that I knew that I had to do was find a hoodie hanger replacement for my husband. He grabs these on his way out the door and it would nice to also have a location for guests to hang their coats so I found this coat rack on Amazon and it works perfectly. I also have my blue and white umbrella holder which looks so chic in this area along with my vintage garden stool. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This is my newest FBMP find! The gentleman originally wanted $80 but then said that I could take it for only $50! I was so HAPPY! Now it does need a glass shelf inside and there are some scratches but I don’t mind those little things. I think its a beautiful piece that I can enjoy for years to come. I placed my white arm chair there so that I could see what it would look like if I were to write there. 

I did end up using my desk to write some pen-pal letters and to journal. It was wonderful. The desk is right by the front door so I could look out and enjoy the sunshine. I am still on the hunt for a china buffet table for my bedroom. I will be using it as a t.v. stand so the hunt continues. 

I am loving this FBMP era that I am in. I do enjoy a good antique hunt and have been really blessed to find so many wonderful pieces for my home. Since the children are practically adults and we have no dogs, I feel like I am in a time in my life where I can bring in beauty and I will to the best of my ability. 

If you have been reading my blog for a while I would really appreciate it if you would share my blog posts with your friends! It helps me reach other beautiful, like-minded people such as yourself and spread the things that we love the most! Share it on FB, Instagram or Pinterest. Not on any of these platforms? Send an email with a link! 

The boutique’s Chinoiserie Silk Scarfs are still on sale! Order one for yourself and one as a gift! Enjoy your week. 

 

  • This post contains affiliate links. 

 

The Vintage Birdcage

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Good Morning Friends,

I feel like a new woman. I changed around my office and I swear it feels like a completely different space. I told my husband that I need a refresh in this house. I am going to be replacing all of my curtain rods here soon and hopefully buying some new curtains. I got a new office rug, a new lamp, and I moved around some art work on the walls. I now love going into my home office again. I knew that I was due for a change because I didn’t enjoy going into my office space. Not a good sign. But now the space feels new. Sometimes that is all we need. A little change. 

With this new office change I have also been going thru cabinets and drawers. I feel like we needed to purge some things as well. I will be going thru my closet here again soon and getting things ready for our neighborhood HOA. I am trying to encourage my husband…. wish me luck. 

New antique items are being added to my list. I really want to change up my entryway as well. I have so many ideas for my home. Purchasing antiques and furniture with a little more substance is where I am headed and trying to stay. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I spotted this vintage birdcage at an antique months ago. The owner of the store told me that this gentleman sells lots of items on FBMP. I found him and began following him. The original price was $220 and I did not want to pay that.

 

 

A few more months went by and I saw that he dropped the price about $100! A part of me wanted to purchase it then but something on the inside told me to wait a bit longer. Now this birdcage is really big! I loved the color, and the details. It reminded me of a Victoria greenhouse honestly. I thought it was stunning. 

 

 

Then one weekend I was on my phone checking for other antiques when I got an alert that he dropped the price to $80! What a steal. I immediately reached out and asked if I could purchase it. He said of course and met me and my husband at the antique store. He is quite the collector. He goes to estate sales all the time. I have no idea where he finds these sales! All I ever find is junk! We asked him if he knew anything about it and he said no. He didn’t know the year or what the history was. I really wish he knew the details. That would have been the wonderful part about this purchase. I love learning about antique pieces.  

I hope to have this piece for years to come. I think having a few “whimsical” decor items in your home makes life interesting. This is definitely one of those pieces for me. I hope that my “future” grandchildren adore it and that it will always remind them of me. 

 

 

 

 

My First Plate Wall ~ Home Decor

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Good Morning Friends,

Goodness, it is still hot here but it is August. My David Austin roses are doing so well. They are blooming beautifully!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Oh my goodness! I am so happy! My English Garden dreams are coming into fruition. I have always wanted an English inspired garden. I will be going to Costco to try to find another trellis here soon. 

Okay friends. I have finished my plate wall for now. I want to add more plates, and I am on the lookout for some smaller ones to add but for now the project is complete. If you recall the room below was the inspiration for this. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

If you want to read more about this room, you may visit my blog post here. 

 

 

Now it took me a few weeks of searching Poshmark, Ebay, and antique stores to find plates that I liked. Honestly it was harder than I thought! Everyone is keeping their “grandma” china and selling it. I hardly found anything in the Goodwill stores here in my city. Those locations were filled with junk! It blew me away! 

Only two of my plates were found at the antique stores the rest were from Poshmark!

 

 

If you recall the blue and white plate on the far left was a plate at the showhouse this year. I did the Google lens feature on my phone and found it online. There was a seller on Poshmark that had two. I purchased both of them. The bottom middle plate was plate on the wall in the room designed by Jenni Egger. I found that on Poshmark as well. It was called the Andrea by Sadek Japan Buckingham Porcelain Floral Paisley dinner plate. There were quite a few on Poshmark. 

 

 

This is the right side. Some of the small plates are on this side and they were found on Poshmark as well. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I found this plate on Poshmark and I was not sure what it was going to look like in person. When it arrived and I saw this, I went on the hunt to find a second one! It’s stunning. It’s made by Asahi Japan. I have never heard of it but it’s stunning. 

 

 

This plate was another favorite. As I mentioned it was at the showhouse. It’s called the 222 Fifth Avenue Adelaide Dark Blue and White Dinner plate. It’s very affordable and should be easy to find. 

 

 

Despite the searching and looking this was so fun to do. I did find a new Instagram store called Tulip Home Design. I purchased one of my plates from there as well. Now I am thinking about adding about 8 desserts plates to the wall, but I want them to be a set. I think that would bring a cohesive look to the collection. The plate hangers that I used are from Amazon and came in a pack of 12 with different sizes. They were so easy to use. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you have a plate wall or you are considering creating one. I would love to know.

I was going to wait to share this news, but I am too excited! Sarah Flint has changed the brand ambassador program, and it is a good change! Now when you use my NEW code SF-SHOCKLEY-15 you get 15% off of your purchase and that means ANY purchase! You can use my discount code on all items including accessories! All you have to do is spend $230 or more and you can use my code and you can use it MORE THAN ONCE! Now how great is that! 

I am thrilled about this change! So I hope that you can order your dream shoes or scarf, or belt soon! 

 

 

 

The Guild- Show House 2024

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Good Morning Friends,

This past weekend was actually a good one! My family and I attended the Indiana Peony Festival, got to tour a new Victorian Airbnb, and had brunch with some friends. The weather was perfect and so were the peonies. I also made time to just sit. I have been craving some porch time. So, I carved out about two hours on my Sunday to just sit on the porch and read. It was so wonderful! This week I am taking two extra days from the office. I need it! I want to get some house chores done. I really need to get my new vintage plates hung on my wall. I am about done with purchasing them and can’t wait to share my end result. I was inspired by the showhouse to do the plate wall and hope that you all enjoy this year’s home. 

 

photo credit: St. Margaret’s Guild 

 

This year’s showhouse was called the Sylvan House and was located in the Northern Estates in Indianapolis. It was built in 1927 was about 9,000 square feet! It was a huge house! One thing that I loved that we were able to do was keep the original floors. Most of the floors in the home were the original floors. How wonderful is that! We had 21 different local interior designers all assigned to different areas in the home. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now I did not take photos of all of the areas. I really wanted to enjoy the showhouse this year. This was the foyer. It was designed by Julie O’Brien Design Group, and it was the “koi fish” room. Designers Megan Watson and Joel Contreras created a hand painted mural with 3D fish. It was quite incredible. 

 

 

Now when I saw this area I gasped. Of course, this spoke to my “grandmillennial” or “granny chic” style that I have! This space was designed by Jennifer Eggers who also invited me to her recent tag sale. 

 

I spoke with Jenni about her space, and she told me that this space was inspired by an English country home. She had the couch reupholstered and the plates were found at different antique shops. I actually managed to find a few of them and will be hanging them in my sitting room very soon!  

 

 

Off of Jenni’s lounge area was the powder bathroom where the original tile was kept, and Thibault wallpaper was added. I actually love the chinoiserie fishbowl sink! Jenni said that she found this on Amazon!  

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Woosah! I was actually a docent in this room twice! It was wonderful. It was the sunroom and greenhouse. I wanted to take a bunch of photos but then I decided not to. I wanted to enjoy the space. This sunroom was actually orange previously, so I was happy to see that Monica Due from Cornerstone Interiors painted this room a beautiful green color. The floors were original, the table was vintage, and the ferns were real. All of the rugs from the showhouse were from a company called Joseph’s. The greenhouse was original to the home from 1927 and was still intact! It was so beautiful. I could see myself having tea in the sunroom and having my English flower garden in the greenhouse. The greenhouse was decorated by Allisonville Home & Garden by Sullivan. 

 

 

Vintage inspired plates made another debut in the sunroom. I used my “Google Lense” on my phone to figure out what these were, and I managed to find a few. I will be sure to share them soon. 

 

 

As you went upstairs this was the guest bedroom suite. It was designed by Stacy Thompson of Compass Design, LLC. I loved the bed linens from Parkside Linen. The chinoiserie prints were wallpaper I believe from Thibaut Honshu. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Attached to the guest bedroom suite was a guest bathroom. The tile was original, and I was glad to see that Stacy worked with it. I think that the wallpaper in this room was a 1920s Japanese inspired Thibaut Honshu wallpaper. 

 

 

Now down the hall was my favorite room of all, and it was the master bedroom designed by Sassy Green Interiors. That name should sound familiar because it is the same interior design firm that I did my first collab with last month.  

Maryellen and Christy told me that the lush woodland landscape in the window was the inspiration for their design. Their bed linens were from Parkside linens and Schumacher. The antiques were from Architectural Antiques of Indianapolis which I hope to add to my radar to visit soon! I loved the Schumacher damask fabric draping over the bed. 

 

 

This was the office area in the master bedroom. The Babylon willow wallpaper was from House of Hackney was supported by deep greens and soft neutrals. 

 

 

This was to the left of the master bed. I loved the double vintage lamps. These sold at the showhouse. 🙁 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Another focal point in this room was the double chaise lounge chairs and this beautiful painting. This painting was done by local artist Deb Slack. 

 

 

Across the hall from the master bedroom was the summer sleeping porch room. This photo does not do this space justice. This room was decorated by Blake Richardson of BWR Home. I actually got to speak with Blake about this room. The centerpiece of this room is the vintage Chinese wedding bed that he found in an antique store in a corner in pieces, with dirt all over it! Now what a find! 

 

 

This is the other side of the summer sleeping porch room. These chairs were another centerpiece. Can we talk about the color? How bold and grand! The walls were covered in curated statement art pieces and custom furnishings. 

I am already looking forward to the next showhouse. I can’t wait to see what the designers will come up with next. Another great part about this organization is that all of the money from our showhouse ticket sales goes to our charity Eskenazi Health. 

And I have news… 

Speaking about all these chinoiserie pieces in these homes, the boutique has a new chinoiserie item! 

 

 

The Chinoiserie Silk Scarf is available to purchase! It is 100% silk and measures about 53×53 inches.

 

 

I also have it in blue. They are the perfect addition to any elegant woman’s wardrobe. The Cameo Blush earrings are also on sale for only $10! Order a scarf and a pair of earrings for your events this summer!