Home Updates, Accessories & Tours

Peony Season ~ 2022

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Good Morning,

I spent a nice quiet weekend at home. I was really tired. I think all of the running around from the last two weekends kind of wore me out. On Saturday I started my day early and went grocery shopping then spent most of the day at home doing a few house chores and then sitting on the porch and reading!!! Oh I loved it! 

While I read I went and put my favorite dessert in the oven, a berry tart. I then put it on my favorite blue and white plate and took it outside to enjoy on the porch. It was a nice afternoon. On Sunday I finished laundry and watched the Schmacher1889 channel on Youtube. 

On Friday I did walk to Whole Foods to look around. I forgot that once the weather breaks I normally take a stroll there once a week during my lunch break. I got some more peonies and I found white tulips for my tulipiere!  I will do a separate post sharing that later. Now let me share my beautiful peonies for this season!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I still can’t get over how beautiful these were! This was my first peony bouquet of the 2022 season. I purchased these at JP Parker of course. The corals are my favorite. They don’t smell as wonderful as the pink and white ones but they are still expectational!

 

 

This bouquet was actually from my front yard garden! My peonies did so well this year! My husband and I kept going to smell them every day. They were truly wonderful! 

 

 

My husband said that we should plant more in the backyard! I am totally on board with that but we still need to get some other things done back there before we plant. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

These are my white ones. They bloomed first and where the most fragrant. I don’t remember what they were called. I think we have the peony called “bride’s dream”. I remember it being something like that.  I took some to my office the first chance I got. 

 

 

These are also from my garden. I still can’t believe that these were mine! Each year they get bigger and I get more of them. I hope it continues to grow.

 

 

photo credit: L. Shockley 

I don’t remember if I mentioned this already but while we were at the peony festival I got to meet Mrs. JP Parker herself. She was incredibly nice and enduring. I have to give credit to my husband for walking around and talking with people. He networks pretty well. Because of that I got to meet her and her husband and I told her how much I loved the flowers and the company. She then gave me 10 free peonies! I went to pick them up and they were stunning! Just look at them!

 

 

My house has been so beautiful and so fragrant these last few weeks. Each morning that I came down to go out and do my walk I would just stare at them. It’s the small beautiful things in life that make it wonderful! Enjoy your homes!

 

 

 

 

A New Antique Piece

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Good Morning,

Happy Memorial Day! Did you miss me? I am having the worst computer troubles. I did a computer update almost two weeks ago and my computer just crashed! I still don’t know what happened and I am still working out the issues. I just knew that I was not ready to buy a new computer. We purchased this desktop that I have in 2017 and I am not ready to let it go yet! I hate buying electronics. I was already having issues with my new phone. It seems to be one thing after another.

So my husband took my computer to the gentleman who created my website and he reset my computer. So fingers crossed that everything is okay!

I did have an incredible weekend about a week ago. If you follow me on Instagram then you would have seen that I went to the peony festival here in my city! We had a wonderful time. I will share photos later. I also submitted our passport applications!!! I am so excited. I told my husband I am going to Italy one way or another!  It won’t be for a year or two but I am working on it!  

Now I have been waiting to share my new chain cabinet.

 

 

This is my old one. My mother in law gave it to me about 9 years ago. Honestly, I never wanted it but she insisted on me taking it and I can rarely so no to her so I did. It’s a solid piece and is good quality but it’s just not something that I would pick out. I knew that eventually I would find a piece that suits me and I finally did!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I saw this piece while antiquing and new immediately that I wanted it. 

 

 

I could not wait to get it home. Now the original price was $400! I talked her down to $250! What a steal right? I was so excited when she accepted my offer. I got it home and clean it and sprayed it. 

 

 

I was able to fit all of my china teacup sets. It’s a wonderful fit and it goes well with my home decor. It is the perfect size. I didn’t want a huge cabinet because I knew that I did not have the space for it so this works well. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Here is a up-close look at my teacups and teapots. Most of these pieces are probably familiar to you. At the bottom I have my new soup tureen that I purchased from the same antique store. 

 

 

This may sound weird but it was so fun cleaning this out and placing all of my china inside. I finally have a beautiful piece that goes with my home decor and personality. This looks really similar to my vintage nightstands that I purchase a few months ago. 

I am looking forward to having this piece for a very long time. I just love antiquing. There are a few more things that I want to replace in my home and I will be sure to share those items once I find them. 

The boutique does have a new plus-size arrival! The Maggie Stripe Midi is available in two colors mauve and navy. It is super comfy and incredible chic. I hope you enjoy it! Order it in both colors!

 

Have a great Monday! 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom Time ~ Antiquing!

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Good Morning,

It was a great weekend! The weather was perfect and I was able to get everything done on my list. I am starting to have problems with my home computer. I hope I can work them out but we will see. I hate buying electronics! I placed two orders with my vendor for some new dresses for the boutique. A plus size dress and regular size dress. We will see if those orders can be filled. Everyone is having issues with supply. 

Our trial last week went well. I am glad that it is finished and off my radar. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

Our courtroom ceilings…. beautiful aren’t they?

 

On Friday I had a light day at the office so I left a few hours early to have some “mom time” before I came home to start the weekend. I wanted to go antiquing. I just love antiquing. I could do it every day if you let me. One thing that I added to my list was a bike ride. 

 

photo credit: L. Shockley

It was a wonderful evening for it. We went as a family. 

 

Now let me show you the beautiful items that I purchased!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I purchased this lovely little Lenox swan, a Haviland Limoges beautiful soup tureen, Waterford Marquis small vase, Spode blue and white plate, and a Wedgewood Jasperware pitcher. I paid about $70 for all of it! Wonderful deal, I think!

 

 

The swan has a home on my dresser. I love seeing all of my vintage and antique pieces placed on my dresser. 

 

 

And the small Waterford Marquis vase is on my second clear table in my bedroom which I will share later. This little vase is the perfect size for a small bouquet. I really enjoyed my few hours of antiquing. I did see something else that I wanted from there and I went back to get it. I will share it tomorrow! Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022 (part 2)

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Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I certainly did! The weather was perfect. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I was able to get my favorite dish, herb-crusted salmon with lemon sauce. Sooo good! I also have some exciting news that I will be sharing later this week. For right now let’s finish this gorgeous home tour that I took last week. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

We are going to start with this gorgeous half bathroom that was off of the kitchen. I loved everything about it. This bathroom was designed by the same woman who designed the kitchen. Tiffany Skilling is a local interior designer. I started following her on Instagram last year after I saw her work on the previous home. 

Don’t you just love the wallpaper? It’s by Kelly Ventura and this flawless vanity was custom built! Trust me I asked the guides if I could buy it or find it!

 

 

I wanted more pictures of the space but people were waiting behind me to take a look.

 

 

As I mentioned before all of the artwork were by local artists which I thought was a wonderful addition to include the local creativity in my city. It was very eye-opening to see all of the talents. This painting caught my eye because one of the guides told me that this was a local Italian restaurant in my city! I thought, “You’re kidding me right”. So I looked it up and sure enough, it was. It’s called Iozzo’s Garden of Italy. My husband and I were going to go this weekend but it is closed for renovations but will be open here pretty soon! Yes were are going! It looks like Italy. I have to go!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

So we came upstairs and passed that beautiful wallpaper and we walked into this room. Can you say Tory Burch vibes? I mean the couch!!! I was walking around with an older lady and we both looked at the couch and said, yes please! This room was designed by interior designer Todd Otterman and his inspiration was the Chiang Mai Dragon curtains. 

 

 

The next room was this bedroom and it was my favorite. I loved the chairs and the colors. This is the primary bedroom and bathroom in the home. This room had lots of antiques and french inspiration. It was designed by MJ Coyle and Blake W. Richardson. 

 

 

The pillow….

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I spy blue and white… 

 

 

This was in the bedroom as well. A photo of C.Z. Guest! 

 

 

This room did have an attached bathroom and closet. I tried to get photos of everything but it is hard when you want to absorb the tour as well. 

 

 

This was one of the kid’s rooms. It was the cutest room! I love the candy-coated color palette. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I love this bed. It’s a canopied bed that provides space to sleep and curl up with a book but it also had a bottom bed great for sleepovers. 

 

 

This was the wallpaper in the adjoining bathroom. OMG! I love it. This room and bathroom were designed by Compass Design, LLC. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We then headed down to the basement. This space was so big but I only took one photo because I was trying to learn about the space and be in the moment. The designers turned this space into the family room. I love these chairs! I have no idea where they are from but they are stunning to me! The chalky green paint color is a winner. It’s called honed soapstone 9126 by Sherwin-Williams. This room was designed by Shine Design, LLC. 

 

 

Afterward, we went outside to the backyard to shop the vendor tables and take a look at the space which was stunning! It was a wonderful tour and I so enjoyed it. I will share this. Before I entered the home the host that was giving us information before entering the home stopped me. She looked at me and told me, “you need to be doing this”. I then looked at her and said, “what”? She then proceeded to say that I need to join their committee and be a part of hosting and volunteering at these yearly home shows! Now I have never met this woman in my life but I took her up on her offer and decided to learn more about it. She has invited me to the new member meeting set for this Wednesday. I will update you guys on what happens! To read about last year’s home tour see here and here. 

The boutique also has a new arrival. The white dress for the season has arrived and I have decided to name it Chrissy. The Chrissy Ruffle Maxi is available in sizes small – extra large. It has a beautiful silhouette. Have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

A Delightful Home Tour ~2022

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Good Morning,

I had such a great time yesterday at the 2022 Indiana Decorator’s Showhouse & Garden tour! I got up early, did my normal routine, had some grapes, toast, and 2 cups of tea and I headed out! I had to park a block away from the home because it is on a busy street but the walk was wonderful. The weather was nice and I dressed my best for the occasion. I had my new MME.Mink tote, peacock pumps from Sarah Flint, and my lilac coat! Ready for spring indeed!

 

photo credit: Showhouseindy.com 

After checking in I approached this year’s home. This is the Rhodehamel house built in 1920. The home is 10,452 square feet and has 4 levels. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

Walking in was this gorgeous antique chandelier. 

 

 

My goodness! The wallpaper!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I loved this vintage table that I believed was purchased at an auction. The peacock lamps were a nice touch as well as the painting! Most of the art in the home were from local artists around the city. 

 

 

This was the dining room. The deep dark paneled walls wrapped the room. The dark paint color was called Andiron 6174 by Sherwin Wiliams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was the kitchen. I actually love the contrast between the light cabinets and the dark cabinets. It actually looks good together and has given me inspiration for my kitchen. The colors are mindful gray 7016 and web gray 7075 by Sherwin Williams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Loving the farm sink and faucet fixture. It pulls out like a hose which is my favorite part. 

 

 

 

These floors look original right? They are not! They are actually laminate that were stained to match the original floor! There are those perfect cabinets again. I just love that color! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The tiles are handpainted! I was told by one of the hostesses that each tile was handpainted. Talk about a lot of work. I love those pot fillers. I think they are so convenient and posh. We will finish the rest of the home tour on Monday. It was a great day! I really enjoyed it. 

I have a new dress arrival coming today. I hope that they are beautiful but we will see. Don’t forget about the 10% off code for the boutique. Just use code “housewife10” to get 10 % off! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I am loving this combo! I am wearing the Ballet Lace Cardigan with the Maxine Balloon Sleeve Midi and I think they look fabulous together! It looks great for weddings, church functions, Mother’s Day events, date nights, or just everyday wear. They are both plus-size as well. I hope you can order a set! 

 

 

If you would like to see last year’s first tour you may view it here. Have a great weekend! 

 

 

Lilies and Easter Sunday…

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Good Morning All,

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Day with your families. I am always humbled by what the Lord did. I always try to put myself in that situation and I always come up with, “there is no way”. I am being honest. That took so much to die for all. It really did…

We celebrated at home. It was just me, our daughter, and my husband. I kept things simple with a slow cooker chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and southern-style biscuits. It was a nice quiet Easter celebration at home. The weather has been cold but it is bright and sunny. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Since there was only the three of us I filled the rest of the table with flowers. I mean why not! My local grocery store had these huge stalks of baby’s breath. They were gorgeous as well as the pink lilies that they had. I placed the lilies in one of my ginger jars. It looked wonderful! 

 

 

I also used my new (to me) vintage lily of the valley plates that I purchased from Pender and Peony. She also has an Instagram page where she auctions her vintage items. I ordered these last week and have been enjoying them ever since. This was also the perfect time to pull out my lily of the valley goblets from Monique Lhuillier. Everything looked wonderful on the table and were the perfect pieces for our Easter dinner. 

Let me know in the comments section below what you did or cooked for Easter dinner. I would love to hear about your family celebrations. 

Have a great Monday! 

 

 

 

My Office…

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Good Cold Friday Morning!

Goodness, I still can’t believe how cold it is here! So frustrating. We are suppose to finally climb into the 70s next week. Hallelujah! I have been m.i.a. from the blog and social media a bit. I had to upgrade my phone and it has literally taken 2 days to get everything transferred from my old phone to my new phone. I still have to move some of my videos! 

I like my new cell. It is a huge upgrade to my old one. I have a better camera for photos and videos! So we will see….

In today’s post, I wanted to share a few photos from my downtown office. I know I have not shared much from this space. I have a different position now and wanted to give it some time before I did. I still won’t be showing the entire office but I thought a few photos would be okay. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This is the doorway to my office. When you open the door this is the first thing you see. It is a little bigger than my last office but the downside to this space is that I do not have a window view. I do miss my view in my old office but this location is soooo much better. 

I have my faux flower arrangements, my blue and white ginger jars on my wall, my beautiful “lady in blue” picture, and beautiful antique items on my desk. I love my chinoiserie tissue holder, ginger jar vases, and family photos. 

 

 

Here is another view from the door. These items were in my previous office. The tall brown piece of furniture in the distance is a coat closet.

 

 

 

 

Here is another view of the sitting area. I do love this area. All of the colors that I have just seem to blend together so nicely. I am still loving the painting that I found at the antique store. I stare at it every time I can get a moment.

I do hope that you enjoyed this tiny tour of my office. I hope that it provided some inspiration for your very own office space whether downtown or at home. Have a wonderful Friday!