Items that I loved for the month

August Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning Friends,

Empty-nester week 2! It has been going well so far. Lauren will be coming home this weekend because there are no classes on Monday so we will be so happy to see her. We do have some running around. She has a hair appointment and I have my first waxing appointment! Oh my goodness you guys wish me luck! I have never done waxing before, but I need to try it. Shaving is causing me all sorts of issues! And I mean issues! If you would like for me to share my experience, please let me know below. 

Okay, let’s get into my favorites for the month of August!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

First on my list is this beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas from my very kind neighbor. I was opening the windows to my home office and saw his huge hydrangea tree and thought, “oh I would love a few of those for my crystal vase”. I sent my husband over to ask and he cut me a few! How grand is that?

 

 

Second on my list is the new Aerin Lauder Rose de Grasse perfume called Rouge. I had to go and smell it and it smells just like red roses. It’s quite lovely. If you want to try a sample here is the link to order that. Enjoy! 

 

 

Third on my list is my new monogram tote from Abbot and Lyon! I have always wanted to try a monogram tote and I actually got to see this tote in person while I was in South Carolina in May. A woman walked by me, and I stopped her and asked about it. The quality is quite exceptional, and the price is incredible! I have no regrets ordering it. It is quite large and has lots of organizational compartments on the inside. 

 

 

Fourth was my delicious meal that I got at Ford’s Garage. It was a new restaurant that my family and I decided to try and it was really good. The lime vinaigrette was outstanding! Oh so good! 

 

 

The fifth is my new Kate Spade Leopard tote. I saw a beautiful influencer with this bag and went on the hunt for it. It is sold out everywhere. I managed to find it on Poshmark. Yay Poshmark! This is going to be perfect for the fall. 

 

 

Sixth on my list are these travel contact lense containers. I found these on Amazon and they come two in one pack! Great for traveling or keeping in your handbag for easy access! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Seventh is this incredibly chic white umbrella that I also found on Amazon. I love the gold handle and gold hardware. It is so elegant and comes in different colors. I ordered it and took it to my office immediately. It’s quite lovely.

 

 

The eighth item is this lovely goat milk soap from Beekman 1802. Now I have been watching this company on QVC for years and was always curious about their products. I saw a recent show of their bar soap and after seeing how it lathered on t.v. I had to give it a try, so I ordered it from Amazon. I have been using it for a month and I LOVE IT! Oh my goodness, it is so creamy, and the lavender smell is very light. I love using it. 

 

 

And the last item is my new lip balm from Elizabeth Arden. I found this on Amazon and wanted to give it a try and I must say it moisturizes my lips very nicely. I use it daily and carry it in my handbag. You should give it a try. I will be ordering the 8-hour hydrating facial spray, and hand cream as well. Those items will go nicely in my handbag especially with winter on the horizon. 

I hope you all love my favorites for the month of August. My monthly newsletter will be hitting your mailboxes soon! Please make sure that you check your spam folder if you are not getting it! Have a great day and…

 

 

 

 

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July Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning Everyone!

I am on a mission this week to eat less sugar (food in general) and get into the bed on time. I felt awful this past weekend. I was so tired. I know it was because of my bad bedtime habits this past week and my bad eating habits for the last two weeks. I really need to get it together! 

I also have some fun news! I found my vintage cabinet that I will be using for my books. I have a photo of it down below but I have not moved it to its new spot in my office. I am waiting on my step-son to clear out his room next month. He will be taking most of his furniture to college so that will be exciting. 

Now let’s get into my favorites for July!

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

First on my list is my English inspired floral pillow cover. I love it and have gotten so many compliments. It is the perfect and quintessential English inspired pillow cover. 

 

 

Second on my list is my matching English floral inspired napkins from Pottery Barn. I have enjoyed using these at meals. They are large and look lovely sitting on my lap. These are small things in life that make it lovely. 

 

 

My third favorite is my new Chanel-inspired travel luggage bag from Amazon. I could not resist ordering this! I saw it and watched a few videos on it and just had to give it a try. I knew that if it was really bad, I could send it back. Amazon had an awesome return policy. I have not used it yet. I may use it in September for our Atlanta trip. 

 

 

Fourth on my list is my garden. Now it’s very small but I love what little flowers I do have. This year’s hydrangeas turned out so well! I have cut a few and put them inside the house and taken them to work. They are so beautiful!

 

 

The fifth favorite are my beautiful, elegant blouses from Express. I love a blouse with sheer sleeves. It is the epitome of elegance to me and whenever I can find one under $50 then I must have it. They are so versatile and offer simply the best coverage and sophistication. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The sixth favorite is my new MME. Bentley tote with rose ribbon. I have been stalking this on the website since it launched and really wanted a beautiful straw bag. The bigger one that I have is not something that I could carry every day and the Bentley is. So glad that I ordered it! They come in smaller sizes. 

 

 

And last on my list is my (new to me) vintage china cabinet. A few of you know that I have been on the hunt for a vintage china cabinet with wood shelves so that I can use it as my new book library. I am so excited! I found it on FBMP of course and it is in incredible condition! There is hardly any damage. This was the fourth cabinet that I went to go see and this was the BEST looking one. It is from the 70’s and I can’t wait to clean it up and style it. I am waiting until August to move it to its new spot in my office. My step-son will be moving out of his room next month to attend college with Lauren! I will style it and show photos then. I may even record a YouTube video! I will let you all know soon! Also should I paint it? Let me know in the comments section below!

 

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June Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning Everyone,

I had a pretty good weekend. Although I did go and look at a new cabinet for my bookcase and I walked away from it. It just had too much damage and the seller did not want to drop the price so the quest continues. I had some glorious purchases from Poshmark recently. I will be sharing them below as some of my favorites. 

 

First on my list is our daughter’s Open House party. I still can’t believe that she has graduated from school and will be headed to college in the fall. It is so incredible!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

We decided to keep things simple. We ordered most of her food. I really didn’t want to cook anything, and it turned out very well. She was happy and so were we! I was thrilled when she said that she wanted blue and white as her colors. I thought, “well that is just perfect”. 

 

 

Second on my list is my new sage green or pale green nail color. I found this at the grocery store and it is called “Thyme is money”. I was actually inspired by an influencer to try this color. I will share her down below. 

 

 

My third favorite for the month is florals. I don’t know why but I am extremely inspired by florals this season. I always have flowers around, but I am craving an English garden aesthetic. I want it in my clothes, shoes, accessories, and home decor. I just want it in everything! I wore this outfit to work last week and my chief says, “you look absolutely wonderful today”! I said, “thank you. I was trying to channel an English garden today”. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Speaking of florals, my fifth favorite is my new but old vintage Gucci Scarf. I have been searching on Poshmark for years for a vintage floral Gucci scarf. Every time that I found one it would be priced too high. I found this one a few weeks ago and went ahead and made an offer. I love it and I think it fits perfectly into my wardrobe and provides the English garden aesthetic that I want. 

 

 

My sixth favorite are my new vintage insect brooches. I found these on Poshmark as well. I did a search for “bug brooch” and these popped up. I originally made an offer on the green spider but then I received a message from the seller offering me the other two bee brooches as well. I paid only $50 for all three! What a steal! They are a great size as well! Not too small at all, very elegant! 

And my last guilty pleasure for the month has been Lydia Millen’s Youtube channel.

I have found so much inspiration for this channel. I think I may have fallen more in love with pale or sage green. I simply adore Lydia’s dressing closet which you will see in her videos. Her sage green nail polish, bright smile, English accent and exquisite taste. I hope that you enjoy her channel just as much as I do. 

I hope you all enjoyed my June favorites. I wanted to let everyone know that my spring sale is still going on for the boutique. Just use code spring15 and get 15% off of your order. The Vintage Vanity Collection still has pieces left! 

 

 

May Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning Everyone,

It is so good to be back home and finished with traveling. I had a wonderful time in South Carolina. I got the management training that I needed and networked! I met more people and got more connections. Networking is so important, and I didn’t realize that until the last few years. I would encourage anyone to try to network. Get people around you to help you with succeeding and training people if you need to. It helps! Trust me it does!

Lauren graduated on Saturday, and we are so excited for this next chapter for her. It was so nice seeing her with her friends’ taking photos and making memories. Now we are in open house party planning mode, and I hope to get that list completed here soon.

Now let’s get into my favorites for the month of May.

 

 

First on my list is another bathroom organizing idea. I found these simple, yet beautiful bathroom storage containers from Amazon. They have been just wonderful having and using on my vanity. I have my cotton balls and reading glasses wipes in them. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Second on my list is my new lunch bag and card holder from Notiq. These two items have been on my wish list for some time now. I have been getting lots of compliments on my lunch bag. It is so elegant and chic. It will inspire you to grow in your meal planning and be an elegant lunch companion!

 

 

Third are my new candles. There is a new candle collection at Bath and Body Works created by Chiaki Nomura. I absolutely love this new collection! It is rare for me to like all of the scents and I love all of the scents from this collection. What I dislike about Bath and Body Works is that most of the scents smell like foods and are just a little on the juvenile side to me. I want scents that are light, beautiful and classic. I purchased all of the scents that I could and will enjoy them. This collection will not be around for long so go and give them a try. 

 

 

The fourth item was my Mother’s Day gift to my mother-in-law. I saw a beautiful advertisement for these on Instagram and decided to take a look at their website. What I discovered was a company that made these giant, lifelike floral bouquet cards for all kinds of celebrations. I ordered the Nantucket Hydrangea card and she loved it! It was all she kept talking about. I also ordered the Cherry Blossom one for myself and the Sunflower card for a friend. I hope you order one for someone! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Fifth on my list is my new Sarah Flint Royal Kingdom Scarf! My husband got this for me as a Mother’s Day gift. I love it! I remember when Sarah was sharing this on her Zoom call with us. I fell in love then. Right now, there is a 60% off sale going on with an additional 20% off markdowns! And don’t forget about our brand ambassador codes that you can use and are now $60 off instead of $50! You can get a lot of elegant pieces with these sales. Use my code: SARAHFLINT-BASMSSHOCKLEY for your discount. 

 

 

And the last thing is my newest adventure, eating Vietnamese food for the first time! So on my recent work trip, a group of us wanted to go have dinner but one of our friend’s has severe food allergies so she mentioned Vietnamese food. I thought, “oh dear unknown territory for me”, but I felt my heart open to it and so I agreed. We went to a place called Pho Viet. I ordered the beef noodle soup and some spring rolls. It was so delicious!!! I immediately came home and began to Google places near me. I found one and will be going next week. 

That is all I have for my favorites lists. There are more items to share but they will be put into separate posts in the upcoming weeks. Also if you have subscribed to my newsletter please make sure to check your spam folder. I have been checking the reports and some of you are not getting the newsletter because they are going to spam. Please make sure to check that folder. I hope you all have a great day!

 

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April Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Friday Morning,

It has been a very tiring week for me. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and had to do a glucose test which was awful. In addition to drinking that extremely sugary drink, the nurse could not find my vein, so I ended up getting stuck two extra times! Not ideal for me but I got it done and now I can talk about some options with my doctor next week. I just hope everything goes well. 

This evening my husband and I will be attending our very first cocktail party! It’s the opening party for the Guild’s Showhouse and I am a little excited about it. My first shift as a docent will be this weekend so wish me luck. I will share a few photos of the home in addition to last year’s home and the year before. Now let’s get into some favorites for the month of April. 

 

 

My first favorite was our daughter’s college visit. It turned out to be a very pretty day and I wore a dress, beautiful scarf, and my glitter pink sneakers! I am so glad that I did! I was so comfortable, and I still felt chic. I also ordered this lace slip shorts to wear under my dresses. They are so good! I need more! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My second favorite is this beautiful room in a church where we have our Guild Meetings. This is one of the other rooms. I just love the decor and paint color! It’s the “perfect pink” for me. 

 

 

Third on my list is my new Nespresso machine! I adore it. I can now make my own chai tea lattes! I have had it for a week now and love making my own foam oatmilk. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Next are my lilac bushes! They are in full bloom. I wish these lasted forever!

 

 

Fifth on my list are my new mules from Ann Taylor. Now how elegant are these? These have been my weekend go-tos! They go so well with my dresses and cardigans. I still feel put together comfortable and elegant. 

 

 

 

Sixth is a new organizational find from Amazon! I saw one of the influencers that I follow have this in her bathroom and I had to order it. It’s outstanding! Everything fits on it and I still have room for other beauty items. It’s great and look at the gold buttons! 

 

 

As I mentioned earlier the Guild Showhouse starts this weekend. This stove is in the kitchen at the Showhouse. It’s my dream stove. I love it so much! After I heard the price on it I now know that it will stay a dream stove!

 

 

And lastly are these new tea bag filters that I found on Amazon! I have teatime every day and some of my tea bags fall apart and I don’t have a filter to pour tea. So, I ordered these and could not be happier! You get both the silver and the gold. 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for the month of April. The monthly newsletter should be going out soon! Have a great weekend!

 

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.

 

 

 

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas ~ Small & Elegant

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Good Morning,

My busy month of May is about to begin. I am serious. I barely have any free time in the month of May. I will be sure to share what is going on but let’s get into some gift ideas for Mother’s Day which is May 14th!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

First on my list is this beautiful lettuce ware candle from Tory Burch. I purchased mine last year and have been slowing using it. I don’t want the scent to go away! I love it so much. The scent notes are jasmine, gardenia, and pink pepper. It is such a lovely gift for the floral lover and grandmillennial at heart. The Oiseau candle would be perfect as well. 

 

 

My second suggestion is the Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask. I have been using this for a month straight and I have seen great results! So I wash my face with my normal facial cleanser then put this cream over my face and go to sleep. In the morning I follow my normal skin care regimen. Everyone has been coming up to me asking me what foundation I am using or makeup! I just look at them and say ” I am not wearing anything”! It has really changed the tone and texture of my skin. It’s a wonderful gift to help mom moisture at night! 

 

 

Another beauty suggestion. I love Sally Hansen nail products and I use this product on my nails at night. This is the Color Therapy Nail and Cuticle oil. It has a light scent and I just rub it on my nails and cuticles at night. Such a small but glorious luxury. 

 

 

Fourth is a new tote organizing luxury. I have been eyeing this pencil case from Notiq for quite some time now. I am so glad that I ordered it. I can now find my pens pretty easily and it stops my bags from having pen mark everywhere! Mom might move this! I think the Notiq water bottle is a wonderful gift as well. I love using mine!

 

 

Last on my list is a wonderful pair of mules. This is one of my weekend outfits and I paired it with my Ann Taylor patent mules. These are so elegant as well as super comfy! I have the plaid print coming soon. It’s a perfect, elegant, low heeled shoe for mom or you for that matter! 

There is also the glorious Amazon wrap! I love this and will be ordering it in black and gray this week. This quilted tote from Amazon is still a favorite and mom might like the size as well. There is also my Vintage Vanity Collection! It has launched on the boutique website! Please go and check it out! One of those vintage items might be great for mom as well! 

I hope you enjoyed my Mother’s Day gift guide. Please let me know if you have purchased one of these items for your mom. I would love to know. 

 

 

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.

March Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning,

It’s the last day of March… wow! And it’s still cold here. It’s quite annoying but I am trying to make the best of it. We are gearing up for prom! Lauren and I dropped off her prom dress earlier this week for alterations. I scheduled her hair and makeup appointment. I purchased her jewelry and glitter clutch. I am not sure if I will post a picture or not. I will have to wait and see how she feels about it and how things go. But so far so good. I will try again to film a video for YouTube. Every time I schedule this something comes up, but I will try. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this month’s favorites. 

First on my list for March favorites are my recent Loeffler Randall dupe find from Amazon.

 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

I absolutely love these! I went and ordered them in black as well. They are so comfy and so pretty on. I hope that they get them in pink. I would love a pair in pink seriously! 

 

 

Second on my list are my new scarf rings! Now if you follow me on Instagram then you would have seen a reel of me showing you how to use this. It is so easy to use and so elegant! I took one to Washington with me. It was so chic and they are so affordable. 

 

 

Speaking of Washington, D.C., the azalea garden at the National Gallery of Art was a dream. I have shared this before. It never gets old. If you ever go there stop by and look at the art and make sure to see the azalea garden. It is for the most part always there. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

The fourth item is my new jewelry travel case. I am ashamed to say that when I travel, I normally just put my jewelry in a box. It usually works out okay but having an actual jewelry travel case is soo much better! I worry constantly when we travel about my vintage earrings being damaged or lost. I remember a few years back; TSA opened my suitcase and went through it for whatever reason and dumped everything everywhere! I was so upset. Now if I would have had a jewelry case then I think my suitcase and jewelry would have been in better shape and protected! 

 

 

Speaking of organized suitcase, I purchased my first set of packing cubes. I watched a few videos on YouTube and was convinced to try some. I am so glad that I did! Above is how I packed for my trip to Washington. I felt so organized, my clothes stayed in place, and everything had its place. It was so wonderful! I felt like I got more packed in my suitcase because of the packing cubes. 

 

 

Sixth on my list is my monthly luncheons with my friends from the Guild. I love having these! Honestly, I did not understand the importance of female friendships until recently. I never saw healthy female friendships when I grew up.  I only saw my mother have her “friends” and as soon as they left her sight, she would just talk about them so bad! So I assume that’s what friendships were, and I never wanted it! But now that I am older, I now know that friendships are so much more and that what I saw was not correct. We have so much fun during our monthly luncheons and I look forward to them each month! 

 

Okay one more shoe favorite….

 

 

Now I have never been a white shoe kind of person, but I saw these on the Ann Taylor website and could not resist! They are so pretty on! The heel is the perfect size, and the color is outstanding. It has a bit of cream in it and will go with a LOT of items in my wardrobe. I can’t wait to wear them this spring and summer. 

I hope flowers and trees are beginning to bloom in your world. My heart is longing for beautiful blooms right now. Have a great weekend!

 

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.

 

Oh I wanted to tell everyone that some of the boutique’s dresses and accessories are on my Poshmark page! If you want to make an offer you can and shipping is cheaper! Here is the link!