Items that I loved for the month

October Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Friends,

Can it really be November so soon? I have started buying my Thanksgiving dinner ingredients as well as December’s. I don’t want to be running around here in the next few weeks trying to locate items. I want to be prepared. My favorite brand of turkey has arrived in the stores but I am waiting on them to drop the price. It is still too much per pound. I have started Christmas shopping as well. 

This week has a lot going on. Taylor Swift will be here at the end of the week downtown and I am dreading it because the Indiana Conference for Women will be on the first day of her concert! Oh my! And I am on staff! I wanted to just enjoy this conference but I am so worried about the traffic. I keep telling myself just go and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about the concert. There is nothing that you can do. 

We have some excellent speakers this year! I don’t think that I can stay of the entire conference but I already have the agenda and I am at the registration table this year which means my duties will be done around 9 a.m. Technically I can leave but I want to hear Valerie Bertinelli and Grace Puma. Wish me luck!! 

Okay here are my favorites for the month of October. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

First on my list is this beautiful Chanel and dahlia canvas that I found at Burlington. Now I have not been in Burlington in years and we have a new one that was built in the downtown Indianapolis area. The beautiful colors and large gorgeous dahlias caught my attention. I normally do not like these types of perfume bottle paintings. They are normally pretty cheap looking but this one was beautiful! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next on my list are my parrot tulip bulbs. This particular flower has literally been on my Pinterest board for years! I have always wanted these but could never find them in store. So I ordered some from Easy Grow and they arrived a few weeks ago. I planted them in the greenhouse recently and look forward to how they will turn out next season. 

 

 

Third are my set of two teacup and saucer from Williams Sonoma. This is from the collaboration from Bridgerton. I was not sure what these were going to look like but when I opened the box I gasped. The size is perfect, the details are lovely and just look at the box. They are so beautiful! 

 

 

Most of you know that I just had my color analysis done for my birthday and true red is one of my colors. Needless to say that I was shocked but after leaving my appointment I immediately thought of these shoes. This are from J. Crew and were made in Spain with quality leather. I had to order a pair when they dropped the price. I also ordered this extremely chic Chanel inspired cardigan. I am so inspired to try jewel tones in my wardrobe now. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

Whenever I go to the Cake Bake Shop I always stare at the china. It is so expensive but I think that Gwendolyn recently added this teapot at a lower price. It is still made from Lenox so it is not really cheap but then again beauty and quality does have a price. I love using my teapot on the weekends! 

 

 

Sixth on my list are my Pilates shoes! I absolutely love these! I feel like a ballerina every time I wear them. They are perfect for my class but also perfect to feel elegant walking around the house in. You should get a pair! 

 

 

 

Next are my new books! I got these for my birthday. I have glanced at both but have not had a chance to dive in. The Art of Gracie and de Gournay are both based on hand painted chinoiserie wallpaper.  There is a lot of inspiration in these books and I love forward to reading them. They are both exquisite! 

 

 

 

Last on my list is my recent Amazon favorites video. I am sharing my most current Amazon favorites. I use all of these items and love them. I hope that my video gives you an idea of how these items work and encourages you to try them. 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. My October newsletter should be hitting your inboxes very soon! Thanks for following along. 

 

 

September Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday evening I had another girl’s day with my friends from the Guild. We went to Newfields to visit the gardens, and had dinner at a restaurant called the Meridian.

 

 

The gardens were lovely and the weather was perfect. We had such a wonderful time. Now on to my favorites for the month of September!!!

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

My first favorite is this beautiful scarf from a company called Fable England. This is the Morning Song Narrative Square scarf. It depicts a tranquil woodland scene and a whimsical doe. What also captured me were the colors. It’s a beautiful pink color. 

 

 

I also got the Rose scarf from Fable England. It contains Dr. Robert John Thorton’s painted roses. Both scarfs are made from 22% silk and measure about 90 cm. They are both large, light weight, and very elegant. 

My boutique’s scarves are still on sale as well. 

 

 

Have any of you heard of Create Academy? If you are a member I would LOVE to know your thoughts. Their advertisements have been appearing in my social media feeds for sometime now and I reached out to ask about their classes and memberships. I really want to take the A Year of Cut Flowers course. That really captured me. I will be signing up soon! 

 

 

My fourth favorite was a new find. I noticed that during the summer my lips hurt sometimes or burn. Then it dawned on me (after 20 years) that my lips needed to have an SPF (duh). So I did some googling and found this on Amazon. It is the Beekman 1802 Goat Milk lip tint with SPF. It is wonderful and I truly feel a different now. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I feel like such a dork saying this but “I GOT NEW POTS AND PANS AND THEY MATCH”! Sorry but my pots and pans usually don’t match and I feel like such an elegant woman with a set. This is the GreenPan pot set . I wanted something that was going to be toxic free, easy to clean, beautiful, and non-stick. I thought this was a lovely set to try. I am in love so far. 

 

 

Most of you know that I love my totes but sometimes my handles can get a little worn. My bags are “work horses” for me and I need them to last. I found these faux leather handle protectors on Amazon and now I don’t need to worry about frayed handles. They work great and come in several different colors. 

 

 

Of course the new home items did not stop at the pots. I started to look around my home, and noticed that my curtain rods were looking a little worn and they were black. My goodness I have had these same curtain rods since we moved in around 2013. It was time for an update. So I ordered these gold heavy duty curtain rods from Amazon and they worked perfectly. I was a little worried about the color but they look phenomenal! 

 

 

 

I also got rid of my black light fixture in my office and replaced it with flush mount light fixture. It gave my office a completely different look and the lighting was much better in the room. 

 

 

 

And lastly is my new sparkling water drink called Bonsai. Now the only place that I could find this online was my store Kroger. I don’t know if it is available anywhere else but I love this drink! It only has 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar. It is so wonderful! I asked my dietitian if this was okay to drink and she said yes! So happy! 

Of course I hope that you all enjoyed my favorites for the month of September. On Saturday, my birthday, I will be having my first appointment with a color analysis. I am so excited you guys and will be sure to share it soon! Have a wonderful weekend and keep an eye on your mailboxes for this month’s newsletter. 

 

August Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Everyone,

The last week of August, can you believe it? It’s crazy to think that. Although I am so ready for some cooler weather. This past weekend was very nice. My husband and I just ran a few errands, had breakfast, and I picked up a new FBMP find! I will be sharing it soon. I am so looking forward to this longer weekend that is coming up. I plan on getting a few things done around the house and styling my new FBMP find. 

While grocery shopping I picked up the latest issue of Traditional Home magazine and saw that Gracie wallpaper is releasing a new book next month! If you are a fan of their wallpaper then you will probably want to add this to your Amazon favorites list. It’s now been added to mine and Aerin Lauder’s new book Living with Flowers which will be released in February of 2025. So exciting! Okay, now time for my favorites for August. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I cannot and I mean cannot get over that these are at my home. I have David Austin roses! These have been making me and my husband so happy. Each day we cannot wait to get home from work and go to the side of our house and see what has bloomed today. They are just so elegant, so fragrant, and so classic! I just keep hoping that they will grow and grow. What a dream! 

 

 

Second on my list are these sparkling water drinks called Bubly. I have been meeting my dietitian at least once a month and she has been helping me to find better food options. She wants to me eat less carbs and sugar and it has been really hard. The first thing that I wanted to cut out was my sugary drinks and these have been so wonderful. I have one everyday with my lunch and have been having them with dinner. You should give them a try. They have no sugar and no calories. My favorites are lemon, cherry and blackberry. I will have to give the lime a try. 

 

 

Third are my vintage garden stools that I picked up from an antique store. These are a little smaller than my other ones but are perfect for the greenhouse. I got both for only $30 each which was a steal honestly! I love them in my greenhouse. It’s the perfect classic décor item to add. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The fourth item is this stunning clutch. I saw this on Lydia Millen’s channel a few weeks ago. It comes in all sorts of colors and can be used as a clutch, makeup bag, or a small travel bag. It’s quite lovely.

 

 

Next are my new sports bras. I desperately needed some new ones. My old ones didn’t look that great and these fit wonderfully and look smooth under my workout clothes. I highly recommended these!  

 

 

 

I got a portable label maker and I love it! Oh my goodness, I was a bit skeptical when I ordered it but I love this thing. It was easy to set up. It does require an app on your phone but it only comes on when you open the app. It’s so handy and I feel like I can label just about anything. A big thumbs up!

 

 

Okay you guys. I have fallen. I have fallen into the Stanley cup trap! Now it has taken me a lot time to even buy one but when I heard that they keep water cold all day… I had to give it a try. So my husband purchased me one. I got this one and honestly they were not kidding. It does keep water cold all day long. I have had mine for about 2 weeks and having ice water with my lemon, lime, and mint has been a real treat. If you are looking for a more affordable one I was told that these were a good option. 

Another new item that I have ordered is a Britta filter pitcher. I have been using it to fill my Stanley cup. This has been the best thing ever! It was so easy to use and I love having fresh water everyday without the plastic water bottle. 

 

I do have a new video on my YouTube channel. I am sharing a flip-thru of my Estee Lauder book. I do hope that you enjoy it. 

Please don’t forget about the $10 dress sale going on right now for the boutique. The Chinoiserie Silk Scarfs are on sale for only $25! Order one or two for your wardrobe. 

 

 

AND we have a new arrival! 

 

 

The Garden Satin Cardigan is available in plus size. It comes in 1x, 2x, and 3x. It comes in a gorgeous dusty blue color and black. I am tempted to keep one for myself. 

I hope that you enjoyed my favorites for the month of August. Enjoy the boutique sale, and new arrival! Order while you can. I do have a pop-up shop coming up soon. 

 

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July Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Everyone,

Well, I am trying to get back into the swing of things. My work trip was last week and honestly it really kicked my butt! I was so tired most of the time. We had late meetings and I had lots of interviews, reports to write, and still had to manage my workload back home. Whew!!! I am taking a few days later in August as “puttering days” because I just want to hang out at home and do things around the house. I have a few antique stores to visit, and I want to move around furniture in my office. I am really looking forward to being home. 

Okay, let’s get into my favorites for this month. Thank you to everyone who reaches out to tell me how much they love my monthly favorites posts. This are not easy to put together, so I am glad that you all enjoy them. 

My first favorites have been a working horse in my wardrobe lately. I have been looking for chaffing shorts for years and I mean years! I finally found a pair that do not “ride up”, sink, or move. 

 

These have been so wonderful and come in various sizes and colors. Get you some! I have 9 pairs now! I have been wearing them under my dresses non-stop. They are perfect. 

 

My second is my new phone sanitizer from Amazon! It can sanitize any phone, any size. It’s great!

 

 

Third is my new bikini trimmer. I have been on the hunt for one of these for a while and you know what else it does? It’s a nose hair trimmer! Yes! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

It comes in other colors and with a $15 off coupon. 

 

 

Fourth is my new to me but vintage armchair that I found while antiquing last weekend. I saw it in one of the booths in Midlands and could not leave it there. It was only $35 and I immediately saw it in the greenhouse. It’s perfect. 

 

 

This was such wonderful purchase. This fly/bug trap has been a summer dream this year. I hate seeing flies and gnats flying around my home so I have been on the hunt for something that would work. I saw this on QVC and found them on Amazon and had to order them. They are so easy to install and use. Order you some! 

 

 

The sixth favorite was my new dress that I purchased from JJs House. My stepson was recently married, and I went on the hunt to find a dress that I could wear to the wedding, but I also wanted this dress to be something that could stay in my wardrobe for other events.  This dress worked wonderfully! I got lots of compliments and the price was fantastic! I order the dress as a try on and only paid $10. I ordered two different sizes and kept one and returned the other. Once I decided to purchase it they gave me 20% off. The dress was only $99 then with the 20% off I paid around $79! Wonderful transaction! Would highly recommend. 

 

 

My seventh favorite is actually for the fall season. I tried this on at Von Maur and initially I didn’t like it when I smelled it in the bottle, but I decided to spray it on and walk around. After a few minutes, my daughter turned and looked at me and said, “Mom is that you? You smell good!” Okay at that point I knew that it was a winner. I already have a few of the Aerin scents and honestly, she never disappoints. The notes are violet leaf, cedarwood, and amber. A little scared of scents? Order a sample here or the bottle here. 

 

Next on my list is this divine video of Dame Joanna Lumley at Wimbledon explaining afternoon tea.

Simply wonderful to watch. Now I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. My newsletter should be hitting your inboxes soon. Here shortly I will be sharing the status of my plate wall, sharing two new bags, and my new vintage birdcage! It is stunning! 

I am also about to start putting items on sale for the boutique. I need to start trying to clear out inventory. With that being said the Gatsby Pearl Necklace is now on sale for only $10! The WooPay option is easy to use and accepts all cards. Order a pair for your wardrobe to enjoy and to wear when you feel the need to be elegant. WEAR THE PEARLS!

Enjoy!

 

  • Affiliate links attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning!

It’s been a moment since I have updated you all on the greenhouse. Well last week was dreadfully hot! I lost some of my plants! It was so horrible. My husband and I still have not found a fan to install in the greenhouse, but we are working on it. I need one badly. I did plant more seeds and got a butterfly bush to put in it but it’s still a work in progress. I also found a small birdcage to place inside of it. I thought a birdcage in it would be wonderful to have. I will share photos later. 

Friends, I must tell you about a movie that a co-worker shared with me recently. It is called Mr. Malcolm’s List. If you are a Bridgerton fan then you will certainly enjoy this movie! I LOVED it and have watched it a few times already. It’s such a treat without all of sex scenes. I am a little tired of that and probably will not continue to watch Bridgerton. It’s just a bit much!

Now let’s get into my favorites for this month…

 

 

My first favorite is my David Austin Roses. I shared these in my post about my greenhouse earlier this month. They are truly elegant. I love all three of them and they each have their own scent and a certain charm. Make sure that you watch Nicolas Fairford’s recent video. He actually takes you on a small tour of the original David Austin Rose location in England. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Second on my list is my personal fan. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this thing! It’s easy to charge and fits right into your bag or tote. I carry it everywhere. We have had some horribly humid days and having this to refresh me has been a game changer!

 

 

 

 

Third were these gorgeous pale pink and gold plates from Amazon. I ordered them for a recent baby shower and they were perfect! The quality was unbelievable. Everyone loved them. They came with dinner plates, dessert plates, utensils, napkins, and cups for under $40! 

 

 

Oh my goodness! This fantastic blue and white dress from Bloomchic was a steal! It is under $40, available in plus sizes and it’s blue and white. Need I say more. Look at the wonderful details. 

 

 

Fifth are my solo dinner meals. Sometimes my daughter goes and has dinner with her friends and my husband runs late while working on projects so I get dinner alone and it’s great! On those nights I make my salmon with lemon and dill, steam rice, and roasted cherry tomatoes with spinach and mushrooms. It is a wonderful self-care moment. 

 

 

As I mentioned in my greenhouse post I had to get some garden shoes and these shoes have turned out to be the best thing for me while I am gardening. They are perfect. Easy to slip on and comfy! Now I don’t wear these any other place but my garden and the greenhouse. 

 

 

My seventh are these newly launched scarf ties from Sarah Flint. They can be worn in multiple ways. Around your neck, bag, wrist, you name it! The pattern is lovely and classic. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was another OMG moment. I was a little unsure about this mouse pad but when I saw how much it was, I figured why not order it. It’s outstanding! I love it. It will be my travel mousepad while I am on my work trips. It’s easy to pack away and extremely chic! Order while you can! 

 

 

These days are hot and I love having my Notiq water bottle. I have the large you can order the small. Both are very becoming. I am telling you people will ask you about it. I always get asked about it. It also comes with its own bottle cleaner and is BPA free. Also check out the new arrivals. Like this beautiful blue and white gift box. It’s perfect for putting your gorgeous gifts in and sending it to friends and family. 

 

 

 

Last on my list has been such a gem. I think I shared this in my newsletter last month but finding this was truly incredible. I love having this play on my screen when I am working around my home. I truly does look like a work of art. I would encourage you to take a look at this channel and save all of these beautiful works of art to play on your screen. It will uplift you and bring about elegance in your home. 

As usual I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. I will be sharing my travel favorites soon as I prepare for my work trip to Virigina. Have a wonderful day!

 

  • Affiliate links attached. 

 

 

 

 

May Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Everyone,

Well, I had a wonderful few days off. It was so nice to be home and to be able to get some housework done and read a little. I also had resting on my list. I wanted a few moments just sitting on my porch resting and reading. 

I have a few days in the month of June where I don’t have things scheduled so I am hoping to take advantage of that before my work trip in July. I do have some news… MY GREENHOUSE HAS BEEN INSTALLED! I am so excited and honestly in love with it. My husband has been watching lots of reviews on YouTube and we have seen nothing but good things. I will be sure to share it very soon!

Now I have some wonderful May favorites to share with you this month if I do say so myself.

 

 

First on my list are new beauty products that I have been trying (for a year) for the summer. So far this has been the best anti-chafe stick that I have ever had! If you are a plus size gal like me then chaffing legs is your worst nightmare during the summer. I mean my legs have blistered because of chaffing. I have used this stick for over a year and love it!

 

 

The second beauty product is this Dove Melanin Even Tone bodywash. I saw that it was co-created with dermatologist of color and thought I would give it a try. I have been using it for several months now and can say that my armpits are a little “lighter” in color. They had some dark spots in them, but those spots are now gone! I will continue with using it in other areas. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Third is the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens candle. I co-created this with some of my fellow Guild members. I shared this on the blog back in February and this was such a fun project. We sold several at the show house this year and I hope to make another for next year’s home. My team at the office loved this and want to have a “team building” session making one this year. I hope to do this in August with them. 

 

 

My organizational projects continue. Fifth on my list is the registration and insurance card holder for your vehicle. I will admit my registration and other car info were just thrown into my glove compartment and I have been looking into finding something and saw this. It is wonderful and comes in many other colors. You will love it. I promise you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sixth was finding something to hold my EarPods and charger. I would just place this in my bag and have the charger hanging from it. It was really bothering me, so I ordered this hard case to carry both in. It works wonderfully!

 

 

With spring arriving, I was on the hunt for some new faux florals to have in my home. With all of the recent Homeworthy home tours I was so inspired to try some new arrangements. I found these gorgeous faux lilac bushes at Michaels for a steal! If they don’t have them in store order them online. 

 

 

I simply could not pass this up! I saw this on an influencer’s reel and had to order it! I wear glasses in the evenings, and I am always looking for a “safe place” to put them at night. This has been perfect! It comes in several different colors!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now this find here has been a TREASURE! I saw this on another influencer’s reel and had to have it. My goodness if you work from home and use a laptop this is a hidden gem! I ordered this screen extender and I now I cannot go back to just working on one screen. I have two screens at my office downtown and I honestly dread working from home because of the small laptop screen. This has truly made my life so much easier, and I now love working from home again! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

And lastly is Winston. I have been wanting this faux golden doddle since December and my husband got him for me for Mother’s Day. I just love him. I was inspired by Nicola’s antique sheep that she had in her home. Once I saw those I knew that I could have Winston in the office with me. I changed his collar to this beautiful emerald green and I think it suites him.

 

 

I hope you all enjoyed this month’s favorites. I have several more but I am going to wait until June to share those. Please don’t forget about the beautiful new boutique arrival. I now have two chinoiserie silk scarfs available and they are stunning! Order both for your neck and handbag. 

 

 

  • Affiliate links attached 

 

April Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning Everyone!

Whew! Busy, busy! I have had no time to do anything related to AHFE. I hope that you all have been doing well. You all saw my post from last week. That collaboration meant everything to me and to be ASKED instead of asking was huge! I have made some new wonderful friends in the interior decorating world and hope that this will open more doors for my brand. 

The Showhouse has started, and the home looks wonderful! I do have my favorites and will be sharing those soon. Our candle is doing well and is selling! I wish you all could smell it. I am very proud to be included in this special project. Now onto my favorites for the month of April. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The first is this beautiful bouquet that I created from grocery store flowers! I love greenery and always love to have lots of it in my bouquets. This was colorful stock, scented baby’s breathe, and Queen Anne’s lace. Just marvelous!

 

 

Second are my new house slippers from Amazon. These memory foam, velvet house slippers are so fun to wear and look lovely. I will definitely be ordering more pairs. I really want a green pair, red, and black!

 

 

Third is a new book that I ordered. Jennifer L. Scott mentioned this book in one of her videos and I tell you I am so glad that she did! This book is wonderful! I just started and cannot wait to continue it. It’s so informative and will really shed light on your life!

 

 

The fourth is my new spring/summer pink nail polish color. Now this is a dip nail polish that I get at my local salon, so I have no idea what the name is. It has taken me 2 summers to find it! Once I like a nail color, I take a picture of the number and save it to my nail polish gallery. I now have my winter colors, spring colors, summer colors, and autumn colors! Yay!

 

photo credit: Williams Sonoma

 

The new season of Bridgerton is about to begin and everyone is taking part in it. I will say that I am loving some of the items that have launched. Especially, these new Bridgerton plate sets from Williams Sonoma. Aren’t they lovely? Perfect for a beautiful spring tablescape. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Alice.com

 

Last on my list is an item that I recently added to my wish list. I want to add this beautiful chinoiserie tole tray to my tea-time in the mornings. I mean this is an absolute showstopper. It is a perfect soft green color, pops of orange and a gold border. Just stunning!

 

Oh wait a minute. There is one more discovery for this month….

 

 

I found another delightful YouTube channel! This video was suggested to me earlier this month and I have watched it 3 times already! I love her decor and I think you will too! 

I hope you all enjoy my April favorites. Sorry it is posted late but the showhouse calls! I am almost done with my docent shifts, and I cannot wait to share my favorite rooms. I also hope to post a video soon of the home. 

 

  • Affiliate links attached.