Home Updates, Accessories & Tours

Art in the Closet

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I love decorating!! I will decorate any room in my home including my closet!! I have been putting small decor items in it for the last year. I recently just hung this picture in it. I love it. Beauty should be everywhere you are.

photo via Mrs. Shockley

The Details of Estee Lauder’s Bedroom

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Last month I purchased Aerin Lauder’s book Beauty at Home and it has been absolutely stupendous! I have really enjoyed reading about the history of the Lauder Family and Estee’s home. On page 191 of the book, Aerin explains in detail Estee’s room. These details were so profound to me I just had to copy it from the book and share it…



“Estee’s devotion to blue and white was clear in everything she touched, from the design of a jar of face cream right down to the Porthault linens on her bed…….


She preferred twin beds- both of the original bedrooms had them- and these are French, made of white-painted wood.


On the bedside table, she would always have a pad of paper with a matching pen, a vase of flowers, family photographs, and a white porcelain lamp- the more ornate, the better…..


But my favorite thing in the room is Estee’s Louis XVI-style dressing table. When Eric and I first came here to stay and I opened the drawers, her hairbrushes, and combs, her lipsticks and sunglasses were still there- as if she had never left. On top of the table was an array of perfumes. She felt every woman should have a wardrobe of fragrances- one floral, one spicy, one sporty, one black-tie formal. A silver tray held a selection of compacts-golden, enameled, sometimes set with semiprecious stones. She was a genius at the packaging and she knew how alluring a pretty compact could be. Some, shaped like Faberge eggs, held solid perfume. “

(from Beauty at Home)



The book to me is a must-have for those of us who love beauty and the details that come in making it.

Estee’s vanity
(photo from Aerin’s Instagram)

Table Skirts

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I recently read an article called “The Skirted Table“. It was in the House Beautiful 2015 Issue. I had a skirted table about 10 years ago but I must admit it was not a chic as these tables are!



I love the idea and may have to “revisit” that with a more updated and fresh look. I think a skirted table would look great in my home and would add more storage and beauty. Looks like I maybe visiting my local Homegoods store and maybe Pier One. 

(photo of Nicolas Fairford Home, via the Glam Pad)

The Making of My Shelfie

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I heard the term “shelfie” sometime last year while reading some of my favorite blogs and thought, “what in the world is a shelfie”? To me a shelfie is a small space in your home to place things that you love. You can use books, bowls, plants, pictures, boards, statutes, basically just about anything.

It’s how they are placed that determines the beauty. I think if you have an eye for beauty and organization you can decorate a “shelfie”. It’s all about personal style and things you love. I believe that you should always use things that you love in your decor. So for my shelfie I used just that. See for yourself.

(My shelfie)
Okay, this is a file cabinet that was moved into my office a week ago. So I decorated the top of it as my “shelfie”. I used my poster board photo that I found at the Goodwill last year. I purchased some frames from the flea market and printed some photos off of Pinterest and placed them in the frames. Gorgeous pictures aren’t they? Then I purchased some branches and tall flowers and placed them in a vase. I added a blue and white cup for my decor and color. I placed my new Aerin Lauder Beauty at Home book (which I love) on the cabinet and I thought my Amazon Kindle (1st generation) looked good there also. I love my “shelfie” because it’s another extension of me. 
Thanks for reading!!!

Heart of the Home

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Photo by Flaunter on Unsplash
I read this recent quote from Vicente Wolf out of Southern Home magazine….
” In the most successful spaces, you don’t see everything at once. The more time you spend in them, the more you discover. They open up like flowers.”
I couldn’t agree with him more…..

Shopping for Faux Flowers

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I love faux flowers! I know a lot of people don’t but I just think they are a great substitution for flowers when the weather is cold. Here in Indiana, it’s hard finding certain flowers. But Hobby Lobby has made it easy to have beautiful flowers until the weather gets warm!

I went a few weekends ago to get some new floral pieces to “refresh” my bouquets at home and work. The selection was so grand! I had such a hard time narrowing down which flowers I wanted. But I purchased a few and will be back for more. See below what I bought and how I placed them. 
Gorgeous aren’t they!




So many to choose from.

The stargazer lilly. My absolute favorite!!



These would be great fillers.

Faux kale bushes… yes please!!

I loved these!! I will be going back for them!
I purchased these for my nightstand. I am not sure what they are.

I purchased a second bush for my reading area.

This is my big floral arrangement in my sitting room. I put some long green vines in it. 
I think it makes the arrangement look lush!

Another bouquet in my sitting room. 

This is a bouquet at work. I love it! It looks so grand on my desk!

As always thanks for reading!
(all photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Blue and White at Pier 1 Imports

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I recently made a trip to our local Pier 1 store. I must admit I have not been in years!!! It was a wonderful surprise when I walked in. All the beautiful dishes and decor. I loved the faux flowers. It was just stunning. They have now been added to my list of stores to visit for home decor.

What captured my eye were the beautiful blue and white ginger jars. They were on sale that day and I was able to purchase this one for about $23!! I was so excited!! I would encourage anyone to visit their local store. It will inspire you to create beauty….
My desk at work. If you wish to purchase this ginger jar click here. 
The vase is from T.J. Maxx and the faux flowers are from Pier I. 
(photo via Mrs. Shockley)