Home Updates, Accessories & Tours

A Simple Snowflake Napkin Ring

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We had Monday off for Veterans Day and I just want to say (I know it’s late) but thank you to all who serve our country. We are eternally GRATEFUL! My husband served with the Marines so I am really grateful!

For my day off I just wanted to do a little window shopping and we stopped by Sur La Table. Love this store! It’s beautiful to the eyes and such a tingle to the organizational “bug” in you if you have one. I could not help but to notice these beautiful napkin rings.

Okay and also these light pink pitchers! These are called the Mosser Milk Glass Pitcher. Very pretty in person. 
These snowflake napkin rings add just enough sparkle and festive glamour to your Christmas table. 
They look beautiful with the red and white holiday plates. 
I hope these have inspired you to add a little more sparkle to your table this year. I just had to share these on the blog. They were too lovely to pass up!
Enjoy!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

The New Couch…..

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A few weeks ago I posted an entry called “Ideas for a New Couch”.  In that post I talked about how I was just so ready to get rid of the brown furniture that I had.

We have had brown furniture for over 10 years and honestly I didn’t like the pieces when we purchased them. But we were on such a tight budget and needed to get rid of the horrible pieces that we already had so I just went with it.

I mentioned that I was on Wayfair taking a peek around and I found some couches or settees that I was interested in.

A lot of people liked the second one that I mentioned.

This is the Versailles sofa and it is lovely but it just didn’t sing to me. I read all of the reviews and they were good but I also looked at some of the actually photos from people’s homes and I just did not like it. 
The piece that “sung” to me was this. I just loved it! Now I didn’t purchase this piece either. This is the Barryknoll settee which is what I was going to purchase but I wanted to find one similar but with a little more substance. 
So this is what I found and purchased…..
This is the Laurel Foundry settee in beige. I am so HAPPY!!! I do love it. It has changed our sitting room dramatically. It is very similar to the Barryknoll but cost a little more and is a little bigger. 
I love the texture and the color. 

I am loving it with my new brass arrangement that I found at the antique store this past weekend. 

I can’t decide if I want it with my fluffy white pillow or the blue velvet pillow.
I think it looks great with my other tufted furniture pieces. 
Still loving my re-purposed cabinet. If you missed the blog post about this you may view it here.
I do look forward to spending more of my weekend mornings in my sitting room now. I am up before everyone else on most days so it will be nice to come down and have a cup of hot water, lemon and honey, read a devotional, plan events and organize my week with my new day designer and just enjoy the morning. Bonjour!!!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley and Wayfair.com)

Shopping for Bedding Sets

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Let’s continue our Wayfair journey. Since I was already on the site looking at couches, I started to think about other items I would like for my home. Bedding…..

I really like this set. The beige color would like great with any decor. This is called the Bridgestone Comforter Set. Lovely isn’t it?
Okay, I know that this is super girly but I just love the color. It’s so beautiful to me. This is the Oraine Comforter set and it has great reviews!
I am not a bed pattern kind of person but I think that this is quite charming. It is called the Rosedorf Seren Set. It is beautiful. 
I am leaning toward the first one but I just love the mauve color of the second one. Another item that I was taking a look at is area rugs. 
And last but certainly not least……I really like the Upham area rug. So many ideas in my head but we will see. 

(photos via Wayfair.com)

Ideas for a New Couch

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Okay, there is nothing wrong with the couch that I have now in my sitting room but I have been wanting something different for so long now.

This is my sitting room now. It is a hodge-podge of items and honestly I like it. I don’t like to buy “uniform” or living room sets. I think buying items separately and buying different items from all over the place takes creativity and imagination. 

I do like my blue and white with my brown couch but honestly I am just sick of brown furniture. You guys remember our gray sectional that we got last year (see here if you missed it). That was just the beginning of my brown furniture purge. 

This whole weekend I have been watching Hallmark movies and commercials for Wayfair just kept coming on. Honestly, I have never really paid much attention to them until I saw a black and white couch on the commercial and I thought hummmm, why don’t I just take a look. 
I found this beauty. It is called the Barryknoll Standard Settee. They have it in several different colors but I really like the gray and for $250 why not! They also provided a video for it. How wonderful is that? 
The next couch that I saw was this. It is called the Versailles Sofa. We can see that I want another gray sofa with tufts and studs. I just think that it is classic. 
The next one was this Menyauthe Settee.
These are just a few of the couches that I am interested in. I am not sure which one I want but I will update everyone on the blog if I end up purchasing anything. It is always fun looking for new furniture pieces. I just want to find something that I will love. 

(Photos via Mrs. Shockley and Wayfair.com)

My Summer Porch

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I posted the photo below on my Instagram page. I talked about how I put a vintage run on my front porch.

I love the way it looks. I didn’t intend on putting a rug on my front porch. I actually washed this rug and just left it out to dry. I figured the summer heat would take care of that. 
But once I saw how it looked on the porch while it was drying, I soon began to love the texture and the idea of having a place to put my feet. So I decided that it would stay. I do love sitting on my front porch with my husband. We always have a glass of wine while we relax and talk. 
I am going to enjoy my porch this summer with my husband. Go out and enjoy yours if you have one also. 
Enjoy!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Recent Project…

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A few weeks ago husband’s company had a weekend project. It is rare that they work on weekends because my husband believes in spending time with family but this project had to get done.

My husband knows how much I love decor and interiors so once the project was finished he sent me a few photos of the home that they were working at and I just could not believe that this home is located in my city.

Isn’t it magnificent? I love the details in the archway and the pillars look so stately and grand. Take a look at the floors. There were so many attributes. Now this is a grand entryway. 
My husband said that they had art all down the halls. He said that he felt like he was in one of the Smithsonians in Washington again. Looking at this I can see why.
Do I spy blue and white? Of course, a home like this has it. It is elegant and timeless. But take a look at those beautiful sconces. Now aren’t those impressive?
This was one of the bathrooms in the home. They have marble walls and just look at the mirror and chandelier. My goodness….. I was just in awe with the entire space. 
Okay, this is the outdoor space that I dream of! Blue and white lamps outside. Genius! The fireplace looks cozy and did you notice that they have a mirror above it? Wow, I would not have thought of that. It’s just beautiful. 
When my husband sent this photo I just stared at it. The stairs alone are a work of art. And speaking of art do you see it all around on the walls? I wish I could have been there on sight at this project.
I think I would have been driving the owners nuts asking questions about the art, the marble, and all of the features of the home. It’s just splendid. 
I was so happy that my husband shared this pictures with me and so happy that he got the opportunity to work in such a beautiful place. It was truly an honor. 
(photos via Mr. Shockley)

A Chic Entryway

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I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am reading a book called Home Sweet Maison. I am still at the beginning of the book. I was recently reading the section about entryways. I love entryways. I believe that they can tell a story about you and your family.

They can give hints and clues if one is paying attention. The author Danielle Postel-Vinay shared how the french like to use their entryways to tell stories.

She talked about her friend and how she used fragrances in her entryway. That is one of my favorite things that I like to introduce people to when they enter my home. A fragrance……
She also discussed her in-laws entryway.  She said it told a story about them. They had shelves of packed medical books, a human skull, a collection of 18th century beakers, medieval pharmacy jars, phrenological markings, a few old microscopes, and other countless objects. So what did that entryway tell you about her in-laws? That they were interested or were professionals in the medical field. 
I found that to be so fascinating! It was so interesting reading that. How they shared their lives within their entryway.
She shared other tips on how the french decorate their entryways. 1) Your entree should look like no one else’s entrance. Use objects to create a map of your tastes, your interests, and your life. 2) Choose books, artworks, or objects that tell your personal story- objects from your past, present, and even future. Don’t be afraid to dream. Use objects that express hopes for your future endeavors, such as my father-in-law’s typewriter. 3) Create a place for shoes, and coats. I love a big, old-fashioned wooden coat-rack, which is a staple of many of the French homes, but hooks on a wall, an armoire, or a coat closet will also work. 4) Choose a case, bookshelf, or cabinet to display your own memory theater. This will showcase small curiosities and give your guests a glimpse of the microcosm of your life. 
And lastly, place a natural home fragrance, perfume, incense, diffuser, or candle in your entrance that offers a scent to which you have a personal connection. 
These are some great tips and I may “open” up my entryway more and tell a story of my own. 

(Tips from Author Danielle Postell-Vinay, photos via Pinterest)