Wonderful Books to Read

Chateau Inspiration ~ A New Book

/2 Comments/in /by

 

 

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

/4 Comments/in , /by

 

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!!!

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

 

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

/2 Comments/in /by

 

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.

 

Simplify Your Life

/in , /by

 

Good Afternoon Everyone,

It’s back to the daily grind for me and my family. Our daughter has returned to school part-time so we will see how it goes. My step-son is suppose to return to college this week. Fingers crossed he does. This has been a long, long Thanksgiving vacation and I want my couch and fridge back! Speaking of all of the things that go on in our lives I wanted to share this book that I purchased back in 2008. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It is called 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer.  I was looking at my bookshelf and my eyes just landed on it and I thought, wow this might help someone. We are all facing challenges this year already. I know for us we are losing lots of restaurants in our downtown location. It has been really sad to watch it all fall apart. But I am trying to trust that God has a plan. 

 

 

This book is full of short chapters that provide great impact. I do have my favorite chapters and wanted to share them. The third chapter is called, “Keeping God First”. It starts off with a wonderful quote, “Man’s life is of God, not of his goods, however abundant they may be”. ~ Henry Alford.

Joyce says, ” I believe it is God’s will for his people to be prosperous in every area of their lives, including finances, and material goods. Psalm 35:27 says that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His people. I find no scripture saying He is pleased when his people do not have their needs met.”

I try to keep this in mind when things are tight or when I believe something ought to be my way and it isn’t. Another favorite chapter of mine is “Don’t Make Mountains out of Molehills”. Boy, can I make things worse in my mind. I am trying to learn to keep things in perspective. 

 

 

There is also a chapter on “Minding Your Own Business, Refuse to Live in Fear, and Don’t Fret over Evildoers”. I need a refreshing course on this! I feel like evil is running wild! But the quote in this chapter helped me to but this back in order, it said, “I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?” ~ Henry Ford 

I hope you have found some peace and inspiration in this post. I am just as confused and lost about what’s happening in our world today. But I just keep praying that God will lead us in the right direction. I hope you have a great Wednesday!

 

photo credit: Nina from Pinterest 

 

fyi: This post is not sponsored. I use affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links.

 

Weekly Beauty Inspiration (LABL) ~ 8

/in , /by

 

Good Morning Everyone,

I can’t believe that Christmas is coming and that Thanksgiving is over. 2020 is closing up shortly and I know most of us could not be happier. For me, I am just praying for a better 2021 for everyone.

In today’s post, I am wrapping up my Living a Beautiful Life inspiration posts. I have finished the book and wanted to share a few last tidbits that I have learned and loved. 

I will mention this quote that Alexandra had in the last chapter.

What is elegance? Soap and water! 

~ Cecil Beaton

My goodness, I could not agree more! It’s amazing what a bath can do for some people. It also surprises me that a number of people do not actually bathe nor wash their hands but that’s another story. 




photo credit Ronnie George

The second to last chapter in the book was about your bathroom and how to create your own private oasis. Alexandra discussed taking good care of yourself. Taking every opportunity to exercise, and pamper your overstressed, highly pressured body. 

My photo at home.

In the grace notes, she mentioned having a favorite picture or piece of art in your bathroom so that you can look at it while relaxing in your bath. In the photo above I have this picture hanging. I take a bubble bath every day and stare at this while listening to a podcast. 

In the very last chapter of the book, she discusses creating a life with others. I am sure a lot of us have been experiencing this because of the global quarantines that we have been in. It has been a very difficult time being with family for some of us. I know for me it has made me aware of some things. 



Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash

I have become more aware of family needs and dreams. I have been able to get more involved in our daughter’s school work and help to navigate some decisions. 

My home has become more organized, less cluttered, and now I can sit and try to get a vision for what I want my home to look like. 

I have truly been inspired by this book and I hope you have too. It has been great reading it and has been a wonderful journey as well. I do anticipate ordering another book of hers but for right now I will be reading my Victoria: The Art of Tea book and hopefully trying some new recipes. 


Thanks for reading!




Weekly Beauty Inspiration LABL ~7

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

photo credit Mariah Hewines 
Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a good weekend. With all of the Covid news constantly it can really get depressing. I did have a wonderful weekend. My very good friend (whom I met from my blog) came to Indy this weekend to visit and to dine at the Cake Bake Shop!

We had a wonderful weekend full of laughs and antiquing! It’s been a long time since I have been able to hang out with a friend and discuss girly things! I hope we can get together again soon!

photo credit Mr. Shockley 

Let’s move right into our weekly inspiration from Living a Beautiful Life. I finished Chapter 4 which is called “The Bedroom: Maintaining Balance Between Busyness and Solitude.” I am going to start off with this quote that Alexandra mentioned, “To be in hell is to drift: to be in heaven is to steer.” Wow…

That quote from George Bernard Shaw spoke volumes to me. Even the Bible says, “write down the vision make it plain”. Everything we do should have a purpose even solitude.  

Virginia Woolfe said, ” In solitude, we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us” and indeed we do. 




















Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Alexandra said to do things that will refresh your mind and relieve tension. To say “no” without going into fictitious details. Create an atmosphere in your private place, an atmosphere with the illusive ingredients of mystery, feminity, dreams, hopes, fantasies, and love. 

“Once you’re settled in bed, a bottle or pitcher of cool, fresh water with a drinking glass at your bedside is a simple luxury. Sipping water is a satisfying health aid. Squirt in some fresh lemon or lime juice when in the mood, or add a paper-thin sliver of orange peel.” 

Sounds wonderful!



Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash


Alexandra continues with more wonderful ideas She said, “Most important is that you do things for your own enjoyment. William Solane Coffin, said there is great joy in self-fulfillment. An evening alone in bed in a lovely nightgown could make your solitude an extra-special blessing.” 

I couldn’t agree with him more….

photo credit: Tumblr

I hope everyone enjoyed today’s tips from Alexandra. I still can’t believe this book was published in the 80’s. I would have love to have this as a teen! I hope everyone has a great Monday!


Enjoy!