Items that I loved for the month

November Favorites

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Good Morning Everyone,


I hope everyone had a great weekend. We did! My daughter’s friend invited her to go ice skating. It was a great night out. There were little shops around to buy hot apple cider and food. It was a great couple of hours watching her skate at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt and guess what was in walking distance? The Cakebake Shop!

So my husband wanted to walk over and have dinner there? Nice right? He loves the chicken velvet soup so that worked out for me. 


The restaurant now has all of the Christmas decor up and it is just as beautiful and elegant as ever!

So for our dinner choices this time I got the roasted salmon filet with Maille dijon sauce, roasted potatoes, and Haricot vets. For my cake selection, I got the incredibly moist red velvet cake with pink vanilla bean buttercream. It was all delicious!


It was a great evening.


Okay, let’s get into my November favorites. I will start with this wonderful new tea that I found at the supermarket. 


It is called TeaWell Organic Matcha Green and I love it! As you can see it helps with antioxidant support, immune support, mental vitality and what I need digestion support! It has a wonderful earthy taste to it and tastes wonderful with a teaspoon of honey. And not to give to much t.m.i. it has been getting my juices flowing properly. 


And my new tea selection could not be complete without a new teapot. 

I found this beauty at Homegoods and they don’t let you shop online yet. So if you have one nearby go and check it out. This teapot was only $14.99!


Fourth on my list, and it would not be complete without a favorite scent this month. I am loving the Tis the Season scent from Bath and Body Works. The combination of sweet apple, cinnamon, and cedarwood has been filling my hallways lately. I absolutely adore it!



As some of you may have heard my Christmas trees are up (I put up four in the house), and I can not get enough of them. I love my blue and white ornaments. I promise to post a video on my Youtube channel of the rest of my trees sometime soon. If you have not watched my video of our Barbie Ornament tree you may view it below. 




Sixth on my list has been these Thomas English muffins! I don’t know what possessed me to get English muffins but I did and I love them! I bought a few into the office and I placed them in the toaster, spread some butter on them, and enjoy them at my desk with my blueberries and hot matcha green tea. That is how I start my morning when I get into the office! 


Seventh on my list and this list is getting quite long, are these bow mules that I ordered from Ann Taylor Factory. I talked about these on my blog a few weeks ago. See here if you missed it. They are so comfy and most of my co-workers love them! Don’t miss out!




And last but certainly not least has been the Vince Guaraldi- Charlie Brown Christmas Songs! Now I know it may be a little soon for some but my daughter and I love listening to these on our way to school in the morning. 



They are so classic, timeless and simple. For some reason, these songs put my soul at ease and bring about some peace which is what this country needs so much. 




Well, I hope that you all enjoyed my favorites for the month. I will be prepping this week for Thanksgiving and will be really busy. I hope to film a little of it. We will see.


Enjoy your Monday!










(photos via Mrs. Shockley)









October Favorites

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Good Morning All,


Back to the normal schedule this week. Our daughter is heading back to school after two weeks off for fall break.


I do enjoy it when she has breaks. It’s nice to have some time off from the morning school rush. My family and I finally went and saw Gemini Man with Will Smith this weekend. It was very good! Not too much blood, profanity, and no sex! Thank goodness. We were able to enjoy the entire movie.  


Alright, let’s get into my favorites for this month. 


My first was this wonderful surprise from a fellow Youtuber. I talked about her channel before. It is called Inspired by Nikki and my closet was featured in one of her videos! 

My photos start at minute 6:10. Enjoy!


Second, on my list was the private cosmetic party that I got invited to by Von Maur. We had to check-in by 8:00 a.m. but it was a wonderful time and I got lots of free products!

My first mimosa!

My bag full of free goodies and gift card!

Third, on my list is a poem that I recently heard on one of my favorite podcast shows. I listen to David Jeremiah every morning and it always helps me to start my day off right. Love his sermons and teachings. Last week he recited a poem that has just stuck with me for the last two weeks now. 


There are two natures that beat within my chest.
One is foul, and one is blessed.
The one I love; the one I hate.
The one I feed with dominate. 


It makes you think, doesn’t it?




Fourth, on my list are these beautiful BCBG wedges that I ordered from Poshmark. And yes, I got them for the $19 listed at the bottom of the photo. The original price was $228 and she barely wore these! Fantastic right?

Fifth on my list is the beautiful pinkberry sweater that I picked up from Ann Taylor. I have already worn it and it is incredibly comfy and chic. It’s on sale right now if you are interested. 


And last on my list are my beautiful red mums that we picked up in Brown County, Indiana. We paid about $25 for both but they were so worth it. I love them! These are the best mums I have ever had. 


I hope you enjoyed these favorites and have a great Monday. I have printed off my Christmas list and I am working on getting it done before Thanksgiving. I am already halfway there! Wish me luck!



(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

September Favorites

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Good Morning All,


I’ve got a busy week this week. I am filling in for my friend while she is away. She is the executive assistant to the U.S. Attorney in our district. It always overwhelms me that she picked me to be her fill in for this. I am truly grateful and honored by it. 


I hope you all had a great weekend. It always feels like these weekends only last for one day. It goes by too fast. I am so excited you guys! I can’t wait to visit the Cake Bake Shop on Friday! I hope it is just as nice as the smaller location. 


Let’s get right into my favorites for the month of September….

First on my list is this new Estee Lauder replenish lip balm. Oh my do I adore this! My lips are so hydrated after using this and I love the hint of pink. So perfect!

Second on my list is this velvet wristlet by Ann Taylor Factory. It has sold out unfortunately so I can’t share the link. I am using this as my makeup bag for my tote. I think it will be a great addition to my autumn accessories. 

Third on my list is the beautiful faux pearl necklace from H&M. I could not find it online. This is the closest that I could find. Sorry… I only paid $5.99 for it and I think that it is so chic. 

Fifth on my list is my sophisticated and lovely cocktail ring that I found at the Toggery Consignment Store here in my city. I have no idea what it is or where it is from but it is wonderfully exquisite. 


My closet at home
And last on my list has been my closet. I have been purging like crazy. I am being really honest with myself as far as my clothes and my true style. The photo above is from last week. This is what I usually do. I place my clothes, accessories and shoes out for the next day. I always like having what I am going to wear in order. I don’t like go through my closet the day of. That is a nightmare to me. 

Other favorites have been fresh pears in the morning with my breakfast. My cherry blossom tea that I purchased while we were in D.C. in March. Some recent pink roses that I found at the organic store and did you guys hear that Lady and the Tramp will be released in November of this year? I hope that it will be good. It’s so hard to find good films to watch these days. 

I hope that you all have a great Monday and enjoy your day!


Thanks for reading!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

August Favorites

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Oh my goodness. I am still wiped out and it’s only Monday. I don’t know what it is but I feel like something is sucking the energy out of my body. I think it could be the new school schedule for my daughter. Leaving the house almost an hour earlier has been a huge adjustment for us. Well, let’s go ahead and get started with my favorites for this month. 

Let’s start with the photo above. I have really enjoyed all of my floral arrangements this month. I have had LOTS of arrangments. My local grocery store has been running sales left and right. Even this past weekend I was able to get three dozens of roses at $6 each! Amazing right?
My second favorite has been my dowel tote handbag from Target. I have been carrying non-stop and have received numerous compliments on it. It’s chic, cheap and spacious. It’s a winner!
My third favorite has been a bit of a surprise. I purchased these pearl hair clips from H&M but Target also has them here. I have seen a few YouTubers and Instagrammers with these and I was a little hesitant but I love them! They look great and add a bit of a whimsical look to your appearance. Give them a try! 

My fourth favorite has been Jennifer L. Scott’s video about her vintage Victoria magazine from 1994. I can’t tell you guys how many times I have watched it. It’s been a few. I was inspired by this and recorded my own flip through on my Youtube channel with my own vintage Victoria magazine. My magazine is from 2002 not quite as old but it was the beginning of who I am today. I hope that you guys got a chance to watch her video and mine. 
Her video

And here is my video

The fifth favorite on my list is my newly painted bedroom. I know that it has not been an entire month yet but I do love it! Color makes such a difference in a home. It can change how you see a room completely.

And my last favorite was the vintage purse/truck show that I got invited to last week. I enjoyed that so much and really loved looking at all of the vintage Louis Vuitton’s and Gucci bags. I did not make a purchase but loved having an opportunity to visit, shop, and have a mom moment. 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. Share some of your monthly favorites below. I am curious about what has made you smile this month. 


Thanks for reading!!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

July Favorites

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Hello Everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I wish I had more time. I have already decided that once December gets here I am taking off that week of Christmas. I want to spend time at home. I think that would be nice. 

Well let’s go ahead and dive right into my July favorites for this year. First is this fruit infused pitcher that I picked up at T.J. Maxx. I found it online at Target if you are interested. I look forward to putting fruit in this every week along with some herbs maybe. We will see what concoction I can come up with. 

Second on my list was a special day this month where I got to entertain. My husband and I don’t have guests over often but we have been trying to work on that. This past month we had a couple over for a simple dinner. We ordered pizza and I made a salad and picked up some cherry turnovers at the bakery. Everything was delicious and it was so simple! I also LOVED having my jasmine on the table. It smelled so wonderful!
Third on my list was this vignette of beauty. You guys know that I can’t get enough of my new dresser but I found it really extraordinary when I had it filled with flowers. I was moving some things around and had to get these out of the way so I placed them on my dresser. When I turned I saw this. My heart just began to sing. It was soooo beautiful to me. So simple yet so pleasing. 

Fourth on my list is the blue and white collection at H&M. When I walked by and saw these I shrieked! So fantastic! I had to purchase this dress and this one. If you love this collection then head to your local store soon. These dresses will not last. Trust me!
And finally, last on my list is my straw raffia tote. I already wrote about this on the blog. See here if you missed it. Right now it is on sale for $23! Hurry and grab one if you are interested. 

I hope that you all were able to get some goodies from this post. Please let me know in the comments section if I should continue this every month. I do love sharing my favorites and I hope you enjoy seeing them too!


Thanks for reading!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

June Favorites

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It’s the first full week of summer and honestly, it has not felt like it yet. It’s been rather chilly here in Indy. I am NOT complaining! There are a lot of us here that are enjoying it.


It’s time for my June favorites…. already. I have a few new favorites this month. Most of them you guys know about already so let’s jump right in…


First on my list is this YouTube fitness channel that I found called Popsugar Fitness. Oh my gosh, it is so wonderful! I use to be able to look at my on demand and find free fitness videos but like all things they are no longer free. So it forced me to take a look at YouTube. I have an app screen on my t.v. so I can use the big screen to watch these great fitness videos and work out to them. I have been working out to this latest video below….



And this one as well.


They are awesome!


Second, on my list has been my spring dresses and skirts. I have purchased quite a few for this season and it has been great being able to just grab one from the closet, add a cardigan, some great kitten heels, pearls and head out the door!

Third on my list has been (of course), my new dining room table. I have had it for about three weeks now and could not love it more. I am so pleased with our table and chairs. It’s so elegant to me.

Fourth on my list has been my recent crock-pot dinner. On Father’s Day we kept things simple and just ate dinner at home. My husband wanted to put some filet mignon on the smoker but it would not stop raining. So I just suggested that he let me put them in the crock-pot. They turned out so wonderful! I am not a steak person but it was delicious! I added some bourbon brown sugar marinade, some salt, butter, and they cooked for 10 hours. The steak feel apart in your mouth! My family loved it!

Fifth on my list has been (of course) this year’s peony season. It was such a great season this year. I had over 5 bouquets that were flawless. Thank you Lord for creating such beautiful flowers!

My office 







Sixth on my list has been this season’s blueberries! Oh my gosh! I can’t stop eating them which honestly is a good thing. They have been so good! I am glad that I am learning how to eat things in their proper time.

Seventh on my list has been my new canvas pictures from Tuesday Morning and Homegoods. There is nothing like a new photo to make a room feel brand new. Switch out some of your pictures and change the look of your rooms in your home.


And last on my list is my new pink polish color for spring and perhaps summer. It is called Fuzzy Wuzzy. Hysterical right? But it is the perfect pink for me. I do love it and will probably wear it the entire summer.

That is it for my favorites for June. I could add more but this is enough. I hope you all find some inspiration in some of my favorites and make sure that you look up the perfect season for buying your produce. I guarantee you, you will not be disappointed.

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

May Favorites

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It’s the end of May already and time to share things that have captured my heart for this month. It’s been a really busy month because of my mother’s recent knee surgery and my step son’s upcoming high school graduation and pending college departure. Lots of changes to come. 


There have been a few things that I have been able to enjoy this month. It’s been a great month for our yard! Everything is blooming and our grass is so GREEN! It’s lovely. 

First has been this wonderful faux floral spring wreath that I found at At Home. It’s a home decor store here in my city. The flowers are fake but the sticks are real which helps pull the look together. It looks great hung up on our porch. 
Next, are my crystal jug dispensers that I found at TJ Maxx. They looked so great on the table and worked wonderfully! I loved having my fruit infused water! It was a big hit at my step son’s Open House! 

Third, was filming my faux floral arrangements video. I loved having all my arrangments in one place. It was glorious if only for a moment. If you have not seen my video you may view it below. 
Fourth, are my Chanel inspired brooches. Boy, these are head turners. Every time I wear one of these someone is always staring at it. I don’t know what they are thinking but they sure do stare. I think they are so elegant and elevate an outfit quickly. You should check out Etsy to find one. 
Fifth, is the new decor items in my office. I adore my new Ralph Lauren floral pillows.  I wish I could share a link for these but I found them at Homegoods. 




Sixth and I think I may have mentioned this before has been my at home salmon, lime and dill meals. Oh my goodness, after a long day at the office, I love coming home lighting my candles, putting some french bread in the oven, munching on that and then putting my salmon and veggies in the oven to cook. It is a wonderful way to end my work day and start my wonderful evening at home. 

Seventh on the list are my new purse accessories. I love these and have been putting them on pretty much all of my handbags. They look great on all of them. I hope some of you were able to purchase these. They are a great and elegant find. 
And last but not least is a quick update on my recent Ann Taylor orders. So I received my pink skirt and it was way too short so I went to Ann Taylor this weekend to exchange it for something else. I found this great embroidered polka dot scarf. It was only $12 in the store and these striped leather slingbacks were also on sale for only $35! 
I also picked up this drapery cami and this great boyfriend cardigan. Both are very chic and will be great additions to my wardrobe. I am much happier with these purchases than with the pink skirt. It was lovely but a little too short for me. 

May was a great month. I hate seeing these months slip away like this but I am trying to embrace my moments more and take it all in. Enjoy life!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)