Blog posts that inspire

Loving Your Season

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photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Good Monday Morning,

I had a good and hard weekend if that makes sense. Within 48 hours three people that I knew died. Two of them died from Covid and the other was a young man who was shot. I don’t understand all of God’s reasonings for these deaths. I try not to get into my “head” too much because I could get really sad and that would not be good for me or my family so I try to do what I can and pray. 

Okay, now on to today’s post. I was watching another video from Dominique Sachse and I heard her say, “love the season that you are in” and that stuck with me. My 39th birthday is approaching and with this year getting close to the end, I am trying to understand some things and learn to trust God more. It is very hard for me to trust the Lord. I don’t trust easily it is a hard thing for me to do. I think my childhood has a lot to do with it and the older I get the more I realize that. 

 

photo credit: Brigitte Tohm

 

As I am looking toward the future and also reviewing my past. I am seeing a lot and beginning to understand why I went through a few things. That’s another reason why I am so glad that I journal. I talked about this before. Journaling is so important. Especially when you are trying to grow as a woman. 

I was just recently thinking about how much I hated my 20s. I won’t lie I hated my 20s. I was super stressed all the time. I had a baby young, married young, and took on two stepchildren in addition to working full-time, trying to build my career, make a beautiful home, and don’t forget about the normal cooking and cleaning. My 20s were hard! I tried to enjoy them as much as a could because Lauren was young but it was so hard! 

 

photo credit: Brigitte Tohm

 

I journaled the entire time in my 20s and I am so glad that I did. Now when I read it there are a lot of, “oh that’s why that happened, or awe now I understand that”. I am so glad that I did. My 20s were hard but there were a lot of good things going on. The kids were healthy and growing, we bought our first home, purchased a brand new car, I started a new job at my current office with better health benefits and more money so that season was not all lost. “Love your season”.

Then my early 30s got a little better. There were still some challenges of course. The crazy ex-wife couldn’t stop being petty, then the co-worker crap began but in the midst of that blessings were still flowing. My husband’s company was doing well, I got promoted, we built our second home, got to go on more vacations, I traveled more for work, and started the blog! And honestly, this is when I started to “fight to enjoy my season”. 

 

There were still things going on but my mid-thirties was when I began to understand okay, you can’t control everything. Do your best and trust the Lord. Now here I am approaching 40. I got promoted! Honestly, this was the final position that I was attempting to reach. I didn’t believe that I would get it so soon but here I am. I am still blogging, I started a boutique (I hope to keep it), and I am really enjoying this journey so far. I am trying to love my seasons. I am hoping that I can. There is so much going on in life right now and it is very short. So I say this to you as well as myself. Love your season!

Have a great Monday!

 

 

 

Laurel Hall ~ A Historical Venue in Indy

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Happy Friday All,

So I made it through my first week of walking around my neighborhood. I got up around 6:15 each morning and left my house at 6:30. I walked for 2 miles and it took me about 30 minutes to walk the 2 miles. Each day I felt better and better.  And I noticed that in the evenings I would begin to look forward to walking in the morning which is a good sign. I hope to keep this up. I will keep you guys posted. 

Alright, so today I wanted to share this beautiful historic venue that I discovered on Instagram. I am always surprised when I find something beautiful in my city. I found this venue called Laurel Hall. Laurel Hall was built in 1916 for one of Indiana’s wealthiest families. 

 

 

photo credit: Instagram 

 

It’s stunning, isn’t it? 

 

photo credit: Instagram 

 

It is the perfect backdrop for insanely chic wedding photos!

 

photo credit: Amy Mulder Photography

 

 

photo credit: Ashley Link Photography

 

photo credit: Instagram 

 

I would love to take a tour of this home. It has wrought iron front doors as you are greeted, timeless details, luxurious oriental rugs, and rich hardwood. 

 

photo credit: Instagram

 

This is the romantic sweetheart table! What a great date night setup!

 

 

photo credit: Amy Mulder Photography

 

Oh I love this! I still can’t believe this is available in my city! What a great bridal shower dinner table setup. I love everything about it. It’s so regal. 

 

photo credit: Instagram

 

I would love to know where they got these beautiful roses from! They look almost like the roses from Grace Rose Farms. This venue has me thinking about my Renewing Vows post. I would love to have my renewal here. I may have to share this with my husband. I don’t think it would hurt having a tour in the future. But honestly, I think I just found my venue. Let me know in the comments section below what you guys think.

Well, it’s the end of August and summer is beginning to end slowly. The boutique is having its end-of-summer sale! If you use code End50 it will take 50% off of anything in the boutique with the exception of the Lillian Dress and the Autumn Mauve Cardigan. Those are my new arrivals and are not on sale yet but you can use it on anything else! Please don’t forget that I am offering international shipping. If you have any questions, please use the Contact page. Have a great weekend all!

 

 

 

 

Autumn Review

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It is still horrible hot here, but I recently heard about some terrible storms around the country. I hope everyone is safe. This morning I decided to try something different. It has been years since I have walked. I normally work out on my elliptical but I have been craving some walking recently. I have a lot of neighbors that walk around the neighborhood so this morning I decided to get up and walk two miles. It went great and I hope to keep it up for the next several months.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I recently watched Jennifer L. Scott’s video about Fall Wardrobe Planning and thought, “well great minds think alike” because I was already planning on going through my wardrobe here shortly. Even as a glance at my closet, I already see several pieces that I will be donating to charity. I have so many items that I have not worn in over two years. It’s time… 

 

The boutique’s new cardigan arrival. 

 

I am very much looking forward to the autumn this year. I love those crisp mornings. Goodness, I always feel so good going to the office on those days or running errands. I am excited about my grass turning green again and being able to take my dogs on evening walks. It has been way too hot the last few weeks. 

As I glanced at my closet this year I realized that I am prepared for autumn. I have everything I need. I have TONS of dresses. I purchased so many dresses this year and last. I found so many that I loved and that would be great transitional pieces. The area that I am struggling with is skirts. I can not seem to find decent skirts. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I have searched high and low for skirts and can not seem to find any that I like. I checked Ann Taylor, J Crew, etc. I even checked Amazon and still had no luck. But I will continue to search. I like for my skirts to look a certain way and trying to find what I want feels like a needle in a haystack. Very hard…..

The other item that has been on my list is black heels. So I ordered a pair from Ann Taylor Loft and they are way too tight. I wanted to return them but they were clearance so I couldn’t at that point. I am still on the hunt. I don’t own a pair of black heels but I did find a pair of studded black kitten heels from Poshmark. Those just may have to do. 

 

 

I will be working on my closet the weekend of Labor Day. We get that Monday off so having that extra day will give me time to go through everything. I will also be putting out my autumn decor that day. I will show you guys the process then. Let me know in the comments section below if you are preparing for autumn as well. Have a great Monday!

Also please send me an email if you would like to be added to the blog’s weekly emails. Every week, I send out an email with recent blog posts, new arrivals, boutique news, discount codes, recent internet finds, and favorite Youtube videos. Please email me at ahomeforelegance@gmail.com with your info. If you have a friend that you think would love my emails forward them to her!

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges in the Office ~ An Update

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Hello Everyone,

Today is our third golf meet for this week. I only pray that Lauren is enjoying this season. We are trying to keep her involved but that’s been a chore on its own. I ordered some new vintage Weiss earrings on Etsy. I sure hope that they are as lovely in person as they were in the picture but we will see.

In today’s post, we are going to get a little serious. Well, I can’t really say that. I am going to give you all an update on the “classless co-worker” situation at my office. Some of you probably remember my post from 2016 called, “Challenges in the Office.” In that post, I discussed a classless co-worker that I work with who has been “Petty Patty” for years. You have to read that post in order to understand this situation. 

 

photo credit: Pinterest

 

Okay, so now I hope that you have read that post. What’s interesting is that when I read it I just smiled. I mentioned that I wanted to be a paralegal supervisor and I accomplished that goal in April! I still can’t believe it! I am a supervisor. I am so glad that I stayed the course and ignored her. So the environment for me has changed. Since I am in management now my office was moved. I am now far away from her and it is so great! I know some of you have been wanting an office tour but I don’t feel quite comfortable doing one now. Maybe in the future. 

 

photo credit: Pinterest

 

Since I am a supervisor I now have staff to train, keep track of workloads, attorneys to communicate with, trials to prepare for, meetings to schedule, so I really don’t have time for her shenanigans. She still rolls her eyes every time she sees me which has become comical because I think goodness, it has been about 6 1/2 years and you still have not grown up. I mean honestly, there has been no growth in her! I think she is almost 50 which is really sad. 

I have also talked with other staff who have said that she did the same things to them and all of them have said that they just ignore her. Honestly, it’s the best thing to do in this situation. The good thing is that she is not in management and probably never will be because she can’t get along with people and everyone knows it. It’s a little sad. 

I continue to paint my Sistine Chapel and just ignore her. I know she was not happy when I got promoted. You could see it and you could tell. I just continue on with my path and run my race. It has been hard dealing with such a petty person but I knew that somehow and in some way the Lord would work it out. I prayed constantly that I would not fall into the trap with her and that I would eventually get to the “snake line”. 

Have any of you heard of the “snake line”. There is a line in the mountains that poisonous snakes cannot live. Below that snake line, you are subject to all kinds of deadly reptiles. Above that snake line is clarity and peace. Nasty people live below the snake line. Sometimes in life we have to live in that environment and deal with all of the attacks while we are there. But if you keep your eyes on the Lord and on your path eventually you get above the snake line and the snakes cannot live there because they are not meant to climb that high. I finally reached above the snake line. She can’t be where I am because she isn’t built for it. With the Lord’s help, I will continue to climb. Keep climbing, you’ll eventually get above the snake line. 

Have a great Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100 Ways to be Elegant ~ An Update

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Good Morning,

Well, we have had our first half week of school and it is going well so far. Golf season begins next week and it is going to be a busy time for us. We will have at least 2 golf meets a week and that is always hard but Lauren needs the activity so here we go!

In today’s post, I wanted to talk about a post that I share the first month that I started my blog in 2014. It was called “100 Ways to be Elegant”. Now I of course did not write this list but still love reading it.

While reading it I noticed that this list was created 11 years ago! I can’t believe it’s been that long already. I started reading the list and I still do so many of these things but one of them stuck out to me the most this time and that was number 53 “be quietly self-confident”. As I approach 40 I find myself rethinking things a lot and re-evaluating my life. 

 

 

photo via Instagram 

 

Now that I have a new position at the office and I am in management I find that my expectations of myself are higher. I don’t want to get caught up in the petty office shenanigans. I always want to rise above things and it is not easy. But having quiet self-confidence is something that I am striving for now. 

Another tip from the list that is sticking out to me is number 74, “think before you speak and act. Ask yourself, can anything good come from this”? I have asked myself that questions a few times in the last few months. “Is it really necessary for me to address this?” 

Using wisdom these days is becoming an elegant thing to do. Using wisdom brings peace to the mind and emotions. As I continue to read this list, I am reminded that I do many of these items every day, and makes me smile. It lets me know that I am a woman of substance and I care deeply about beautiful living. How about you? Have you read this list more than once? Has it helped you in any way since you have seen it on the blog? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that the boutique’s new arrival is ready for purchase. The Stella Bow Satchel is a new addition and comes in two colors, rose pink and grey. I hope you all enjoy the new arrival and don’t forget to share photos of you in your purchases! I would love to see everyone in their boutique item.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

Common Introduction Mistakes

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Good Morning,

Boy this week flew by. I don’t really have plans. Our daughter is going to Kings Island with her brother on Saturday so we will have the day to ourselves.  Mr. Shockley and I may have dinner and I may run my normal errands but we don’t have much planned. I do need to send my iRobot Roomba in for repair. It is not working right. I need little Alfred to help me keep the house in order. I do miss him and his daily vacuuming. 

Okay in today’s post I wanted to share more tips from my Emily Post Etiquette book. Have you ever screwed up an introduction with someone? You got nervous and asked something that you feel like you should not have? I have and love getting tips on what not to say and what to say. 

The first thing you should NOT do is look away. Eye contact is critical in an introduction. People who look over others’ shoulders and around the room while involved in introductions are saying by their actions that they really don’t care. 

I ALWAYS try to make sure that I am looking at someone when speaking to them. I want that person to feel like their presence is welcome and so is the conversation. 

 

photo credit: MainehouseBlogspot.com 

 

Next was making too-personal comments. This gets a LOT of people in trouble. Divorces, bereavements, job losses, illnesses, and/or rehab history are topics too intimate to raise during an introduction. I never ask personal questions. But I am always amazed at what people ask or feel like they have the right to know. 

The third is interrupting. When others are engaged in serious conversation, don’t break in to introduce someone else. Wait for a more convenient moment. 

 

photo credit: Pottery Barn.com

 

The fourth is deferring to one person at the expense of the other. Be sure that both parties are included in any conversation that follows an introduction.  The fifth tip is gushing. Most people are embarrassed by overly enthusiastic introductions. 

And the last tip is making someone wait to be introduced. When someone new joins a group already in conversation, put the conversation on hold and make the introduction. “Excuse me. Hi, Jane, nice to see you. Have you met Abby and Jack?”

I hope you all have found some value in these tips. It is always nice to have reminders. It is amazing how good manners do follow you. My husband went to the car wash recently and he was telling them that I was his wife and one of the team members said, “Your wife is always kind to us and we appreciate that”. 

People are watching. Have a great weekend!

 

 

Tips from Emily Posts Etiquette, page 18

 

 

 

 

Etiquette Is….

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Hello Everyone!

Goodness, I woke up yesterday morning and had to remind myself of what day it was. I am always off when Monday is a holiday. Yesterday I was tagged in a gorgeous video from my very dear friend Rosenda from the Little Pink Casa. I was really shocked by the feature. I did not ask her to do this so this made it even more special to me. I LOVED the video and have linked it here so you all can watch it. She is wearing the Claire Cream midi and she looks absolutely wonderful in it. She does such a wonderful job with her videos. I adore them! 

Okay, it’s etiquette time! I am still reading my new etiquette book and wanted to share a little snippet from it. On page 6 the author talks about what etiquette is. 

 

Photo credit: Pinterest

 

Fluid… not a set of rigid rules. 

Manners change over time and reflect the best practices of our times. Etiquette isn’t a set “prescriptions” for properness” but merely the guidelines for doing things in ways that make people feel comfortable. 

 

Etiquette is…

For everyone….. not something for the wealthy or wellborn.

Etiquette is a code of behavior for people from all walks of life, every socioeconomic group, and of all ages. Good manners are a valuable asset that costs nothing to acquire. 

 

photo credit: Eugenivy Upsplash 

 

Etiquette is….

Current… not a thing of the past. 

The bedrock principles of etiquette remain as solid as they ever were. Manners change over time and across cultural boundaries, but the principles are universal and timeless. 

And lastly, etiquette is…

Unpretentious….

A polite person doesn’t try to be someone he’s not, nor does he look down on others. 

This last note is something that I wish society would embrace. The world is becoming a hard place and manners are being squeezed out. I always grieves my soul to see rude people. But I always go out into the world hoping for the best. I hope you all enjoyed these tips and let me know your thoughts below. Have a great Wednesday. 

 

 

Tips from Emily Post’s Etiquette, 19th Edition