Wonderful Books to Read

Books I Return To…

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Hello Everyone,

Our daughter’s golf meets have been kicking our butts! It has been soo hot lately. Oh my gosh! I hope it cools down next week, geez. I quickly wanted to ask everyone what their favorite books were. I was inspired by Victoria Magazine’s recent article called, “Our Top 10 Favorite Books”. I already shared three new books that I found on Monday. I hope you got to read that post. I have a few books that I just keep going back to and I wanted to share my list.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

The first on my list is my bible. I use the Life Principles Bible by Dr. Charles Stanley. I have been listening to him for over 15 years. I love his teachings and his sermons. My second book or favorite health book is my Woman’s Herbal Apothecary book. I wrote about this some time ago and I still love this book. It’s so informative and I have learned so much about my body from it. 

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

 

For decor inspiration, I always go back to my books by Aerin Lauder. I love her Beauty at Home book. Estee Lauder’s home is such a dream to me, and to read about it and see the photos is a real treat. 

 

 

For cleaning and organizing, I love these two books. I love the Butler Speaks and Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook. Both books provide education as well as tips for cleaning. I talked about the Butler Speaks on my blog before. 

 

 

 

The next set of favorites are the Madame Chic series by Jennifer L. Scott. Most of us know and love Jennifer’s books. I have gone back to these books time and time again. They are great to read if you want to take a refresher course in being a lady and living beautifully. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

This last book is a new addition to my library. I have not had a chance to read it yet. It is called Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. It is a great introductory book to wine if you are a beginner which I am. The entire book is filled with pictures so it is a pleasure to look at. I will be diving into this soon. 

What are your favorite go-to books? Do you have a few that you just keep returning to? Share what they are in the comments section below. We would all love to know what they are. I hope everyone has a good weekend and remember there are a few sales going on on the boutique’s page. Enjoy!

 

 

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.

 

In the Garden with Jane Austen ~ New Book Find

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And Good Morning Everyone,

It was SOO hot this weekend. Good Lord! The humidity was insane. I am dreaming of brisk mornings and cool evenings already. The air conditioning in our daughter’s school went out over the week so they are e-learning until they get it fixed. I am a little relieved. My mornings won’t be as hurried for a few days. 

I had a pretty good weekend. I came home from work on Friday and made my favorite salmon, dill, and lemon pepper dish. I love it so much. I always have brown rice with it and sauteed spinach. It is so good! I also opened up a bottle of Oliver Lemon Moscato wine. It was so cold, crisp, and delicious. I especially enjoyed it in my Wedgewood wine glasses that I picked up last month. I sat on the porch and watched my butterflies. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Isn’t he beautiful? I loved watching him this weekend. Okay on to my new book find. So I was on Pinterest this weekend looking for inspiration and trying to fill my boards when I stumbled on a book called “In the Garden with Jane Austen”. 

Now I have never heard of this book before. Have any of you?

 

photo credit: Pinterest

 

I had to look up this book to see what it was about and it discusses the gardens that Jane would have known. It also talks about her gardens and gives you a sample plan of flowers grown there now. 

As I am reading the book’s description, I then see a second book with a similar title called, “At Home with Jane Austen”. This book tours the homes and settings of Jane Austen. With gorgeous photography and illustrations, this book explores the world of Jane and her physical surroundings. 

So then a third book is suggested to me. This book is by the same author and is called, “Tea with Jane Austen“. 

 

photo credit: Amazon

 

 

And this book shares the secret tea rituals of Jane. This book also discusses how Jane took her tea, what times, and it also gives recipes. All three of these books sound like they would be a real treat! Please let me know in the comments section below if any of you own any of these books or have read them. 

I do hope that you all enjoyed these new book finds. I love finding books like this. They provide so much substance and joy in a chaotic world. 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Etiquette Matters

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Good Morning Everyone,

Sighing…. it’s Friday and I have had a very busy week. This weekend I plan on taking our daughter to Marshalls and Ross to look for a few things for school. She will be starting her junior year soon. Goodness, I can’t believe it. I will also be uploading a new dress arrival! I am super excited about this dress. It is quite lovely and I hope you all enjoy it! 

 

In today’s post, I wanted to share something that I read in my new etiquette book recently. I wanted to share the paragraph called, “Why Etiquette Matters”. 

 

Photo by Flaunter on Unsplash

 

“Etiquette is the fuel that powers relationships. Emily Post said, “Etiquette is the foundation upon which social structure is built. Every human contact is made smooth by etiquette, or awkward by lack of it. “Grounded as it is in timeless principles, etiquette enables us to face whatever the future may bring with strength of character and integrity. This ever-adaptive code of behavior also allows us to be flexible enough to respect those whose beliefs and traditions differ from our own.”

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

“Civility and courtesy, the outward expressions of human decency, are the proverbial glue that holds society together -qualities that are more important than ever in today’s complex and changing world.” 

I completely agree that when you are a civilized person you can have conversations with people who don’t share the same beliefs as you. With this chaotic world now it seems that people have zero tolerance for anyone different than them. It’s really bad. I know my beliefs are too conservative for some people but that is no reason to be cruel. I wish we could get back to respecting one another. I do pray that we can. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I sent out my second email newsletter yesterday evening. Please check your spam folder to see if you received it. If you would like to be added to the list please send me an email on the Contact Page. 

 

 

tips and text from page 7 of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 19th Edition 

Chateau Inspiration ~ A New Book

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Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had an excellent weekend. I ran my normal errands. I actually made it to Target this weekend. One of the items on my list was a new bottle of the Tide Studio Delicates detergent. They were sold out so I came home to order it online and I can’t find it anywhere!!! Are they no longer making it? I am so upset! The closest product to it is the Tide Studio Darks & Colors. I read up on it and it does have the same cleaning and protective qualities as the Delicates formula. So I am going to give it a try. We shall see…. 

 

In today’s post, I wanted to talk about a new book that has just been released. It is called Provence Style: Decorating with French Country Flair.

 

photo credit: Dorian Mongel Upsplash 

 

 

photo credit: Amazon.com

 

I don’t know if any of you follow their Instagram page but you should. It is like looking at a dream over and over again. I would love to stay here, live here, celebrate here, I just want to go here! This is an 18th-century farmhouse in Provence. The property sits on 65 acres has a working pear orchard, sunflower fields, culinary staff, and laundry staff. 

 

photo credit: Julia Engel (Gal Meets Glam)

 

This photo above is what lead me to this beautiful chateau. Julia posted this on her blog and I saw the room and just fell in love. Isn’t it gorgeous? This bedroom is called the Chambre Fontaine and is the original master bedroom of the home. 

 

photo credit: Amazon.com

 

 

It has seven bedrooms and is about 13,000 square feet. It is a stunning property and I can’t wait to order this book to read about it. I hope it takes me away to this beautiful chateau. It has been my dream to own a chateau someday. Honestly, if I could just visit one in Italy I think that would be enough for me. 

I hope everyone has enjoyed this post and enjoys looking at all of the photos that they have posted to their Instagram account. This property truly sings to the elegant being in you. Have a great Monday!

Also, I wanted to mention that I sent out my first email newsletter a few days ago. My apologies if you received it without me telling you first. My system picked those emails from individuals who made purchases from the boutique. If you would be interested in receiving an email from the blog please send me an email on the Contact page. I will add you to the list. Thank you again!

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Host Gift Ideas

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Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who has purchased from the boutique. It is such a joy for me to pack an order. I always smile when I get to process and pack an order. Thank you so much! 

I am a little sad right now. We are normally planning our vacations around this time but due to my recent promotion and my husband’s horribly busy schedule, we are finding it hard to plan a vacation this summer. Plus it is so hard being “married” to our daughter’s school schedule. She goes back at the end of July which gives us only 8 weeks to try to plan something! I tell you what I am getting really tired of it!

So after talking it over with my husband we are considering planning a getaway in October. Our daughter will be on fall break and we have two weeks to get away and hopefully, our schedules will calm down at that point. 

Because this is our normal vacation season that had me thinking about staying with friends and family during this time. I always have a hard time trying to figure out what to buy for a host gift. I always like to bring something when we arrive and it is so hard to figure out what to buy our host. 

 

 

photo credit: Aerin Lauder Instagram

 

This week during my lunch break I have been flipping through my new Emily Post Etiquette book and landed on the “Twelve House Gift Ideas”. On this page, she discussed that houseguests are expected to give a gift to their host. She said for an overnight stay a bottle of wine is sufficient. If it is longer something more substantial is required. 

If the host has children it is also nice if they can partake in it as well. She suggests a box of chocolates or a family game. You can take the gift with you and present it once you arrive or have the gift sent as soon as you leave. 

 

photo credit: Cathy Graham Instagram

 

Here are the twelve gift ideas that were suggested:

  • New best-selling book
  • Consumables, such as gift basket of gourmet treats, fruit, or chocolates
  • Hand towels or beach towels
  • Placemats, napkins, and napkin rings
  • Bottle of liqueur or cognac you know your host is fond of
  • Sturdy canvas tote bag (monogram optional)
  • Two or three unusual kitchen utensils, or a set of nice nesting bowls
  • For a golfer, a dozen golf balls
  • Set of nicely packages herbs and spices
  • Picture frame, with a picture taken during your visit sent later
  • Candles and informal candlesticks
  • Houseplant in a decorative pot

 

Great tips right? I will be keeping this list handy. I hope you all have found some ideas for your houseguests’ visits. It is always a wonderful thing to have friends that will allow you to stay but it is also a wonderful thing to be able to bless them with a beautiful gift.

Here are my other blog posts about being a houseguest, see here and here. 

Stay elegant my friends! 

 

 

 

Tips from Emily Posts Etiquette, page 268

 

 

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.

 

 

The AHFE Boutique Official Launch!!!

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! The weather here was fantastic! We had lots of sunshine and the temperature was great for Indiana. We took our daughter bowling this weekend with her bestie. I actually bowled you guys! Yes, I did and in a dress! My dress was past my knees so I was still comfy doing this activity. I actually didn’t do too bad. My score was about 92 this first time and about 84 for the second time. I haven’t bowled in over 10 years. It was fun but I was sore! Then on Sunday, I ran a few errands. I went to Ulta to check out the new Philosophy jasmine scent and it was so good! Oh my gosh, I sprayed some on my wrist walked about the store, let it dry then smelled it. I then immediately walked up front to pay for it. So good…. 

So tomorrow is the big day! Tomorrow is the first day of my boutique. I can’t believe it! Honestly, and I think I may have shared this, I have been wanting to do this for some time now but really didn’t think that I had the courage to. At the end of last year, I had a conversation with myself. We all have those from time to time and I told my heart, “listen we need to at least try this”. If it fails then so be it but at least we can say that we pursued a dream”. 

Seriously you guys I have notebooks from as early as 2002 filled with my business ideas. Now back then Facebook and Instagram didn’t even exist and forget about setting up a website. Now that technology has improved it had given all of us a small platform to try a dream.  So I am going to try this. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I really hope that everyone enjoys the clothes from the boutique. I do realize that I will not be able to make everyone happy but I will do my very best to ensure that you are pleased with your purchase! As of right now, I cannot do international shipping. The costs would be too much. I have not let that go. I am still working on getting info from my post office about it so I am hoping to offer it in the near future. All purchases will be sent by the USPS and will have a tracking number. 

 

 

If you have any questions you may use my Contact page to send a note. I promise to respond as soon as I can. Again, thank you all in advance for your purchase! I am really looking forward to this journey. Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

New Inspiration ~ Vintage Victoria Books

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And it’s Friday! Good Morning Everyone,

So I am actually headed into the office this morning. I am scheduled for in-office work today and Monday so these next few days will go by fast. Tomorrow we are taking our daughter and her bestie out for bowling a little small birthday celebration! I hope they enjoy it. I am also hoping to film a Youtube video this week. Fingers crossed I can get that done. 

Okay lets into today’s post! Did any of you watch Jennifer’s recent video? I will place it below if you have not. 

 

This was a really fun video! I loved watching it but in the first part of the video, I was spying her books under her nightstand. Did any of you do that? I paused it a few times to try to get the titles. Most of them were vintage books published by Victoria magazine. 

I have never heard of any of these titles. The first book was this Colefax and Fowler: The Best in English Interior Decoration. Then the second title I got was Victoria: At Home with White: Celebrating the Intimate Home. 

 

 

photo credit: Pinterest 

 

This then lead me down a rabbit hole of vintage Victoria book inspiration! I was so excited to find more books! I am seriously considering ordering The Business of Bliss: How to Profit from Doing What You Love.  I think this would be a wonderful read. I love reading the entrepreneurship articles whenever they publish them in the magazine. I guess this book was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and was published in the early 2000’s. 

Other books that I have moved to my books list on Amazon are: The Pleasures of Staying in Touch, Victoria: Bedrooms: Private Worlds & Places to Dream, Victoria Romantic Touches: Charming Handmade Projects for Every Room, and last and of course I must include a tea book of some sort the Essential Tea Companion. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I love finding any inspiration wherever I can. I hope this list may inspire you to order one or two. Also, let me know in the comments section below if you own any of these. I would love to know your thoughts.

Now time for some boutique news. Some of you have asked about the boutique. Right now technically it is ready but I am being so paranoid about things. So I think I just may pull the trigger and say that March 9th is the launch date and you may place an order then if you wish! I did some testing yesterday and everything worked great. I am sure that there will be issues along the way because I am learning but I am excited and hope that you guys will enjoy the items.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 

 

 

 

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.