Home Updates, Accessories & Tours

A Beautiful Decanter

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Good Morning!

No work on Monday! I love having these 3-day weekends. I plan on going to Cincinnati tomorrow. I want to do a little bit of shopping, not too much. I think I shared that they had the best outlet mall. I just want to take a day trip, have dinner, and then return home. For Sunday, I just plan on hanging out at home. I may get caught up on my house chores. Then on Monday I just want to get caught up on some blog posts, get some inspiration, and then sit and watch a movie or two. Maybe ride my bike, or sit on the porch, there could be a lot of things that we can do. Just having the extra day is a wonderful thing. 

This is going to be a very short blog post today, but I wanted to share a recent find and new “elegant idea”.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I was looking at my garden tub and noticed that I did not like the plastic bottle that my bubble bath liquid was in. I stared at it for a few minutes and a crystal decanter popped in my mind. I can’t explain it but that’s what happened. So, I made a mental note to look for one when I decided to go antique shopping. 

I found this one. It’s pretty heavy and absolutely exquisite! I paid about $50 which was too much but it’s a very substantial decanter. Now I have had it for about a week and I have no regrets. I would encourage you to change up your items. If you use bubble bath, then why not put it in a beautiful decanter. I found some pretty reasonable ones on Amazon. See here, here, and here, if you are interested. 

Let me know what your long weekend plans are and if you already use decanters! Have a great weekend!

 

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.

 

 

 

Ginger Jar Haven- Victoria Magazine

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Good Morning All and Happy 4th of July!

Today we are taking it easy and just grilling at home and enjoying the firework shows in our neighborhood. We have quite a few neighbors who set off fireworks during this time of year. We stop going to firework shows at parks. For one it’s always crowded, two there are never any bathrooms around, and three it’s just so hot out! We also realized that the shows don’t start until around 9:30 and we normally have to work in the morning. So now we just hang out at home and try to get into bed at a good time. 

Tomorrow I am meeting someone for lunch. She is on the board for the Indiana Paralegal Association. I have been trying to do more networking this year. I am considering joining this group so we will see how the meeting goes. 

In today’s post I just wanted to share something fun. You guys know that I love Victoria Magazine and in the recent magazine a beautiful home tour was shared. I hope you all enjoy the photos below!

 

photo credit: Stephanie W. Steele

 

I loved how Kelli Kot from KD Hamptons decorated her home. Also can we talk about the dress that she is wearing? Gorgeous! Kelli’s home is a Victorian style abode that has bay windows and is truly picturesque. 

 

photo credit: Stephane W. Steele

 

Kelli has a vast collection of blue and white porcelains. They are weaved throughout the home. Kelli describes her interior design as, “updated traditional with a touch of Scandinavian influence. 

 

photo credit: Stephanie W. Steele

What a dream! I only hope that my hydrangeas become that gorgeous and hearty! Kelli mentioned that she had lived in New York for years and after she married her husband Mark, she became enthralled in gardening.  She and her husband have different views and taste on gardening but both of them give each other the space they need to create their own special gardens. I believe that it is so important to be able to make your home into the vision that you have in your dreams. Having a spouse that does not see eye to eye can make that hard. I am very fortunate that my husband doesn’t mind my taste in decor. He makes a remark sometimes, but he usually gives me my freedom. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and pick up a copy. This blog post is not sponsored but I think you would really enjoy the other photos if you just took a look inside. Have a wonderful 4th!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bedmaking with Bunny Williams

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Good Morning,

This past Monday my supervisor took me and the other ladies in management out to lunch to a new restaurant. I love going to new places around my city. This restaurant was called The Hulman. It was a very sophisticated restaurant. I ordered the veggie omelette. Oh my goodness, it was so good. I am still thinking about it.   

Now let’s stop thinking about food and move on… 

Okay I might be the only person on the planet who is not making their bed this way. I recently saw a video from the Schumacher Youtube channel from Bunny Williams on how to make the perfect “Bunny” bed. 

 

 

I watched this video over and over trying to learn some of the techniques. Now I have to say I have seen pillows stacked like this on beds in almost every interior design book that I have but I never really paid much attention to them until this video. 

I am one of those people that Bunny mentioned that lined their pillows down the bed. I never saw anything wrong with it and honestly there is still nothing wrong with it but what I did notice is that this trick from Bunny does save more space on the bed. 

 

 

I decided to give it a try. So, I stacked our pillows to see how it would work. This is my husband’s side of the bed. He has these funny pillows that he lodges in all sorts of places for his body. 

 

 

This is my side of the bed of course. You see the flowers and decor books. I only have a few pillows compared to him. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now here is the front. I will say that I love this look more. It does give the bed a more uniform look in the front and looks a little “crisper”. Let me know in the comments section below how you make your bed. Do you make it the “Bunny” way, my old way or a different way. I am curious. Have a great Wednesday! 

 

Oh I almost forgot the boutique’s new arrival is available. It is called the Vera Blush Maxi. It’s a beautiful pink color of course. I love my pink dresses. They simply look good on everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hanging Plates ~

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Good Morning,

The weather has been soo good! I just wish the humidity would stay away. I am looking forward to the weekend. I will be attending an outdoor antique fair on Saturday. This will be my first time going and I am hoping to find a blue and white chair or a floral arm chair for my downtown office. Wish me luck! 

Speaking of new things, I remember some years ago I watched a video from Martha Stewart about hanging plates and ever since I saw that video I knew that I wanted to try it some day. I could never find any plate wall hangers and I couldn’t really afford to buy a bunch of plates and honestly had no inspiration. But now with Pinterest, bloggers, and Instagram the inspiration is just over flowing. I went antiquing a few weeks ago and found this platter below…..

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I paid about $35 for it. It’s quite large and the colors were perfect for my home decor. I loved the blue, white, and gold. It has beautiful details and the size… I could not pass it up. 

 

 

I searched Amazon and found this super plate hanger for large platters. There are so many options but I wanted something that I knew would fit my platter and this was a perfect fit! It comes in a pack of two and the price was outstanding as well. 

 

 

I decided to hang it in our bedroom next to our mirror. Now I don’t have a platter on the other side and it might look unbalanced but I love the platter here. For some reason it just looks so good to me here. I may move it down the road but for now I am loving it in this spot. 

Please let me know in the comments section below if you have plates hanging on your wall in your home. Oh and I wanted to let everyone know that the boutique will have a new arrival soon! Have a great weekend! 

 

 

 

My Small Backyard Oasis

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Good Morning,

I am back from Chicago and I had a great time! I met a lot of wonderful and beautiful people. Everyone was so nice and I am so glad that I took the time to go and network. I am not sure where it will lead but we will see. Sometimes taking small steps can lead to bigger ones. I will be sure to share my adventure soon! 

A few weeks ago I shared on my Instagram account a photo of me setting up for our Memorial Day grill with our kids. It turned out to be a great day and everyone enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised at how pretty my little oasis turned out to be. I have been wanting an outdoor area to eat meals and read. But with two dogs, now one, it has been hard to take an interest in my backyard. It is used primarily by our dog and it has been really hard trying to figure out what we can do since it’s his bathroom basically. 

I am hoping that in the near future we can create a concrete area for me to be able to set up furniture and have some big blue and white planters. But for now this little area worked out just fine. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I wasn’t sure how my umbrella would look with my table. I ordered it last year from Amazon and I am so glad that I did. I also ordered an umbrella anchor so that I can take it with me when we have beach adventures! 

 

 

The table cloth I found at the Goodwill ages ago! I only paid a few dollars for it. I did have to cut a slint in the middle in order to use it for my table. I really don’t mind. I have not used this cloth for anything and I am glad that I finally can. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The beautiful peonies are from of course JP Parker, and the blue and white ginger jar/vase was a Mother’s Day gift from my step-son and his girlfriend. Well done right?

 

 

The first day that I set it up it was early in the morning and I would not wait to get out there and have my breakfast and plan my week! It was so nice. 

 

 

It was a nice change of scenery, and the weather was perfect. I sat out there for hours. My husband could not help himself. He came out and joined me as well. 

 

 

 

I had to pull out some dishes and play around with it for a while. I decided on using my Aerin Lauder plates from Williams Sonoma. They are currently sold out but I did find these on sale that are similar. They were a perfect match with my green goblet glasses from my mother in law. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I also set up a little sitting area. This bench rocks back and forth and was quite cozy after I added the cloth and outdoor pillows. I could not resist putting my blue and white planter back here as well. We grabbed a few more chairs and everyone was able to find a place to sit and talk. It turned out well. I hope this post inspires you to use whatever you have. This outdoor furniture that we have is old and needs to be repainted but with a few lovely linens and pillows it gave the furniture a fresh look. Have a great Wednesday!

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Tulipiere ~ Do you own one?

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Good Morning,

By the time you read this I will be in the road headed to Chicago for the Sarah Flint Brand Ambassador meet-up! I am so excited! I am hoping for a good turn out and a wonderful opportunity to network and meet new people! I will be sure to share my adventure once I return. 

Now on to a recent beautiful find…

Do any of you own a tulipiere? I have seen numerous versions of these and for the most part they are quite hideous. I haven’t seen one that I really love until Katherine from Peony & Pender shared this one on her Instagram feed.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I love it! It is called the Artichoke Tulipere and it is stunning! It looks wonderful with the white tulips on top of my antique cabinet. Now it is sold out on her website but I found it on Wayfair. They also have it in a light blue and white. 

I do want to share this video of P. Allen Smith from Youtube sharing his tulipiere. This was the first time I had seen one. 

 

 

Isn’t his beautiful? Wayfair does have his version in white as well. Let me know in the comments section below if you own one. I would love to know how you use it! Have a great Monday!

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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!