My trips or places I would love to visit

First Empty-Nester Vacation

/3 Comments/in , /by

 

Hello Everyone and Happy Friday,

Of course, I am really excited for this weekend. My husband and I will be fine-tuning (well me) our agenda for our first empty-nester vacation. As I have shared with you all before, my husband and I have NEVER taken a vacation without the kids, so we are really excited for this trip and plan on just taking our time.

 

photo credit: Getty/Pinterest

 

I have always been fascinated by this home. I know that it is not big and does not compare to the homes in Newport but I still wanted to visit this gorgeous historical home. The Swan House to me is what my dream home would look like. There would be a few changes to the front but not much. 

But first on our list would be driving and stopping at Love Shack Fancy in Nashville. I have not told my husband yet but I would love to stop there on our way to Atlanta. I also wanted to stop at the Sarah Flint store but the Nashville location is closed! I couldn’t believe it but so happy that I got to see it last year. 

Once we got to Buckhead we are going to check into our hotel and then I hope that we have time because I want to go to the Sarah Flint store there, visit the Dior store nearby, Hermes, and then stop at a consignment store called Sac De Lux. 

For dinner I found a restaurant near our hotel called South City Kitchen and I really want to give that a try. I found a few other restaurants nearby to have dinner or lunch as well. 

The second day that we are there will be reserved for the Swan House and the Swan Coach House. 

 

photo credit: Pinterest 

 

I don’t think that we will be there all day, so I found some antique stores nearby to go and visit. One is called Antiques & Beyond and the other is 14th Street Modern & Vintage Home. I also found a HomeGoods nearby, of course, and another consignment store called Label Resale Boutique. 

I am really looking forward to this vacation and it will be so different without kids and not having to worry about our home either. We are truly in a different season of life. I’ll see you all when I return! 

 

 

A Busy Worktrip…

/4 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a great week last week! I am happy to be home but I really enjoyed my work trip. We worked pretty late most nights. I didn’t get back to my room until about 6:30 sometime almost 7 but I learned so much this trip! I have a lot of work ahead of me in my office this week but I am glad to be back.

This was the first trip that my husband and I have ever taken without kids. It was so weird to be honest, but it was very freeing. Our daughter and step-son really enjoyed being home alone and have a little bit of freedom.

When we got to the airport, I was a little worried about how my TSA precheck would go. I signed up for it back in January and got a “known traveler number”. I put that number when booking my flight and was curious as to how this would work. I am NEVER going back you guys! Oh my goodness! I literally went to a different line at the airport and practically walked through security. It was wonderful!

Once we landed we checked into our hotel room. I will be honest. I did not like our hotel room but I was not paying for this trip so beggers can’t be choosers. After checking in we headed to the National Gallery of Art. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Here is my airport outfit. Comfy and chic to me. These shoes were my saving grace! The office was a 12-minute walk from my hotel room. I am saw glad that I purchased these. I got them from DSW. My lilac coat was a Goodwill find from several years ago, and tote from Kate Spade which is now sold out. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I always love coming to the National Gallery of Art. I love seeing the Monets’ and the azalea garden. Isn’t it stunning? It truly takes your breath away when you see it in person.

 

 

So pretty….

 

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

 

I did not take a lot of photos this time. I really wanted to walk around and look at the art. There were a lot of kids everywhere too. I completely forgot about spring break. There were kids and guides everywhere. You can never really enjoy it when it’s crowded. So my husband and I did the best we could. 

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My favorite painting this year was this. It’s Daniel in the Lion’s Den. I did not get who the artist was, but I just could not stop starting at it. I loved it so much. I loved how Daniel’s eyes were focused on the Lord and not his fears. It spoke to me greatly!  

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I will say this. Our hotel was located on the same street as the Capital. Now how great of a view is that? Just lovely! I hope everyone enjoyed catching up with me today. I wanted to let everyone know that I have reached out to a few of my favorite influencers to ask their thoughts on elegance. I am calling it my “Thoughts on Elegance” series. I hope that they all reach back to me and I can post their ideas on how to be or live in an elegant way. Have a great Monday! 

 

 

 

Dinner at Restoration Hardware Cafe

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Happy Monday!

On Saturday I am happy to say that I did not do much! It was wonderful. I went grocery shopping and that was it. So nice. On Sunday same thing. I just puttered around the house, got a few chores done and tried to relax. 

On Friday I shared my visit to the Sarah Flint Store. I also talked about my husband taking me to dinner at the Restoration Hardware Cafe. It was truly magnificent and wonderfully chic. I shared my visit to Restoration Hardware here on the blog a few years ago. I was not surprised at how beautiful the cafe was and how it matched the elegance of the store. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was the view looking into the restaurant! Now how wonderful is that? It is a bit intimidating but if you are confident in living beautifully then embracing places such as this is nothing. 

All of the furniture is from Restoration Hardware of course as well as the chandeliers. I also just learned that there is one in Columbus, Ohio which is really close to me!

 

 

 

The staff was incredibly nice and you could not stop looking around. It was that beautiful! 

 

 

 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

There was a chandelier above each table….

 

 

 

My view from where I sat…

 

 

 

I ordered the roasted chicken of course. You guys know that I love a roasted chicken entree. This came with roasted garlic, olive oil potato puree and natural jus. It was so good! For dessert we stopped by Hatti B’s. I wanted to try their peach cobbler. I will be honest. It was okay. Nothing I would go and try again. After dinner we hit the road and headed back to Indy. I wanted to stay over but I felt like we were so close to home why spend a fortune at a hotel when I can be home in just a few hours. I am so glad that we did. Let me know in the comments section below if you have visited either one of these restaurants. I would love to know about your experience. Have a great Monday!

 

 

 

My Wonderful Visit to the Official Sarah Flint Store!

/7 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a great week! I don’t have much planned this weekend. I am going to try to film a short YouTube video. I am so behind I know. I try to post one video a month and the month of October just slipped away from me. I honestly want to stop posting videos for YouTube. Let me know in the comments section below what you think about that.

I know one thing that I am excited for and that is for daylight savings time. We get our hour back! Now sometimes I have mixed feelings about it but I just feel like I get so much done with that extra hour. How do you all feel about it?

Next weekend I will start decorating for Christmas and I am hoping to get some inspiration here soon. I have grown tired of some of my decor so we will see what I end up with. I want a more sophisticated Christmas but with my family they love the old decor. We will see…

Now let me share how my adventure was going to the Sarah Flint store in Nashville, Tennessee!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It took us a little over 4 hours to get here. This was such a nice mall! It was big and really clean. The Sarah Flint store was on the second floor at the end. 

 

 

I smiled from ear to ear once I walked in. I was greeted by the assistant manager. She was so warm and kind. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I loved looking around. Seeing all of the custom blue and white fabrics, the sisal rugs, I wanted to just take in all of the decor inspiration! Now I did learn from a fellow brand ambassador that this store used to be the Free People store but they left a few years ago.

 

 

Now this was one of my favorite vignettes in the store. I love the faux chimney, vintage blue and white plates, and yes the framed Sarah Flint scarves! Such a wonderful idea! Oh and don’t forget about the tea set as well. I believe the assistant manager said that Sarah is considering selling china from her line! Now how fun would that be!

 

 

Loved the rich colors in the scarves! 

 

 

 

It was such a treat to see the belts there and I did try them on. I told the assistant manager it would be nice to see those in bigger sizes. I think that is being consider as well.

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

I loved seeing how all of the details, the furniture, and the decor, fit right into the brand of the company.

 

 

I could not stop staring at the scarves! There were so many good ones to chose from!

 

 

 

More framed scarves, and these were the everyday silhouettes. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I had to try on the Grace’s Perfect Mary Jane Pump! Lovely fabric!

 

 

 

I could not resist looking at this scarf! It was one of my favorites!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was on my radar as well. Again I am loving these rich colors. Such good quality!

 

 

 

 

In the end I ended up purchasing this one. This was my husband’s favorite! I have worn it a few times already!

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I did not want to miss one detail. I simply adored the vases and lamps. I believe this tablecloth was from Sarah’s linen line as well. 

 

 

 

Don’t forget about the beautiful Pasotti umbrella from her collection. I have this as well and always get compliments on it. 

 

 

 

I wanted to try this one but they did not have my size! Beautiful color and leather.

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I brought my pair of Perfect Round Toe Pump 70! This is such a classic silhouette. You will not be disappointed with this shoe. It is completely timeless and comes in 7 colors! 

 

 

 

Now let’s not forget about slippers. Our evening feet must be chic! I have a pair of these in navy. I have them out and ready for the winter season. 

 

 

Me wearing the Rose’s Parker Sling

 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I am so glad to be apart of this brand. Working with Sarah Flint had honestly been a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to work with an elegant brand, and I am so happy that the Lord has allowed me to have this opportunity. I am truly grateful! I hope you all had fun reading my post and of course if you decide to order a pair don’t forget to use my code SARAHFLINT-BASMSSHOCKLEY for $50 off your first order! 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

This post is sponsored.

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 Elegant Ralph Lauren Store & Vintage Mercedes

/6 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

It’s the middle of August already and we are headed toward less humidity this week! I was so excited to see the weather forecast for this week. I am breathing a sigh of relief. My husband’s grandfather’s funeral turned out okay. Everyone was nice and supportive of everyone. It actually turned into a celebration instead of a funeral. As it should be. 

I received some good news after the funeral. I talked about the Indiana Paralegal’s Association and how I just joined. I think I mentioned that they also have special interests’ groups within the association and that I applied to be a part of one. What I did not expect was an email on Friday telling me that I was going to chair the group that I applied for! Now how funny is that! We will see how things go but I thought that was interesting. 

I have also been trying to join the EARS Evaluation Program at my office for years now. I received an email the same day that I was nominated and finally will be placed on the team! This program is a team of people that go to different U.S. Attorney Offices around the country and evaluate how they are doing. I am scheduled to travel to San Diego in December and will be evaluating my first office in March of next year. I am so excited about these new journeys! 

Now on to the last portion of our trip! Once we returned from Rhode Island we stopped in New Jersey and spent two more days with our friends. With that being said, we decided to head back into New York City and see Manhattan!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was the original Ralph Lauren Store. It is the store where everything began. 

 

 

As soon as you walk in there is a doorman that opens the door for you, and you enter right into this beautiful entryway. The flowers are real!

 

 

Now this store is the men’s store. This entire building is for men. The women’s clothing and accessories is across the street. But I must say the men’s store is the epitome of elegance. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

Each room had its very own theme. I didn’t take pictures of all of the rooms. I wanted to enjoy the moment and take it all in. There was one room that was black and white, and I wanted to take a photo of that room but too many people kept coming in. 

 

 

The Ricky bag on the shelf…

After walking around the men’s store. I decided to walk on over to the women’s store. 

 

 

As soon as I walked in I was in awe again…

 

 

The women’s store had the Ralph Lauren Cafe inside. I did order a lemonade and cinnamon pastry. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now this store not only had the cafe, but it also had clothes, vintage jewelry and home decor! Very smart Ralph!

 

 

Fresh flowers everywhere…

 

 

I could not resist looking at the vintage jewelry collection. I can’t remember all of the details of every piece but the two that stand out to me are the two that I tried on. 

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

 

I can’t remember all of the details of this bracelet, but I think it’s from the 1950s!

 

 

This one made my heart stopped! I think it’s from around the same time, had real diamonds and rubies and is from India. You could dress this down as well. Add a white crisp shirt, your favorite jeans, beautiful kitten heels, and this bracelet… sheer elegance!

 

 

After looking at the jewelry and some of the accessories I went upstairs to take a look at some of the home decor. All I kept saying was “oh my”. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

This will be the inspo behind my next blue and white arrangement! 

 

 

All of this was Ralph Lauren….

 

 

This has some serious boutique inspiration for me! It would be a dream for me. 

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

 

Look at these stairs! I believe the sale associate told me that these came from Italy and were about $5 million!! It looks like something from the original Chanel store. 

 

 

Had to take at least one….

 

 

 

That store was truly a dream, and I could not leave with buying something. Both my husband and I really loved this Ralph Lauren scent. It’s called Round Hill. I love the lavender, and musk notes that it has. My second favorite scent was the Pied-A-Terre. It had notes of jasmine. 

Before I end this post, I did want to quickly share our visit to the Newport Car Museum. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

My husband and stepson were so excited walking into this museum. I was hoping to see one of my dream cars and I did. 

 

 

 

There were about 80 cars in this musem, and the staff was tremendously nice! 

 

 

And then I saw it. A vintage Mercedes…

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

This is a 1963 Mercedes Benz 300 SL.

 

 

It really is a beautiful car. I could see myself driving it with my sunglasses and hair scarf! Such a classic car. I hope you all enjoyed this last post from our summer vacation. It truly was a perfect vacation this year and I could not ask for a more wonderful experience. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! 

 

 

 

The Topiary Garden

/2 Comments/in /by

 

 

Good Morning All,

The humidity has finally gone away for a moment! I think every state in the country has been suffering with high temperatures. It’s been miserable. I haven’t sat on my porch in weeks! I have been wanting to ride my bike but forget that. It’s hot!

This has been a very busy week for me work wise. I joined another professional group in my city. It’s called the Indiana Paralegal Association! I am really looking forward to meeting new professional women in my same area of expertise. My first meeting was this week, and it was so great! I am really looking forward to being a part of this group! 

Today is a sad day. My husband’s 97-year-old grandfather died last week. It was not a shock to the family, but he will be missed greatly. I have really enjoyed Grandpa Fox over the years. Today is his funeral and I think it is a day of celebration. He is gone to meet the Father! I couldn’t think of any other way to be. 

My travel posts are winding down. I only have a few more things to share. I really did love this trip. I told my husband that this was the best trip to me that we have ever taken. It was truly a blessing! Now on to the Topiary Gardens! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

The one thing that I loved about this garden was how quiet it was. It could have been because we were there in a weekday, but it was so quiet and peaceful… 

 

 

 

 

 

The property was purchased in the 1800s and is one of the oldest gardens in the country!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I think that I read that the animals bushes were created in the 70s!

 

 

 

 

Those gorgeous blue hydrangeas were everywhere!

 

 

There was also a small vineyard! You could see the grapes hanging from the vines. Now how wonderful is that?

 

 

 

It was such a dream and inspiring! I want something like this for my own property. I took a lot of these photos to get ideas for my own home. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This property sat on the water as well.

 

 

My husband always likes to take a selfie. He does a pretty good job. This was at one of the mansions. I believe it was Rosecliff. I hope you all enjoyed this small tour of the property. I have a little bit of running around to do this weekend. I am hoping to get a few house chores done as well. Enjoy your weekend! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rosecliff Mansion

/2 Comments/in /by

 

Good Morning!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I dropped off my fabric to the upholster and now we just wait on the results. I am so excited to see how it will turn out. I also went and smelled some fall candles at Bath and Body Works. I love the honeycrisp apple and harvest pomegranate. They both smelled so good, and I can’t wait to get them for my home.

Before I share the last Newport Mansion tour, I wanted to remind everyone about the Jasmine Pearl Brooch. It is on sale right now and would look great on your cardigans, coats, and totes. Yes, I attach brooches to my totes all the time! You should give it a try.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Now on to the last mansion tour from our trip. The last house that we toured was called Rosecliff Mansion. One fun fact that I loved about this mansion was that a few movies were shot there. True Lies and 27 Dresses as well as The Great Gatsby.

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

 

Now this home had less rooms to look at and more open spaces. I believe this home is used more for parties and weddings. 

 

 

Loving this entry way…

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It had such a grand entrance. Perfect for your wedding guests to walk into. 

 

 

This was to the right of the entrance hall. I could see the hostess standing here greeting everyone. 

 

 

This was the first room we walked into. Always look up…

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

There were so many details in the chimney. It’s a work of art!

 

 

 

Of course, beautiful artwork everywhere. 

 

 

We walked around and came to this room which I believe was another study for the husband. Look at the ceilings! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

We came around to this room next. I remember the app saying something about one of the owners. She became really depressed at some point because she had no visitors and begun to just roam around the home. I found that to be very sad. 

 

 

 

The upstairs only had a few bedrooms and those really didn’t have much in them. I did see this little vanity area in one of the rooms. I thought it still looked like furniture that we could use today. 

 

 

 

We did see this grand ballroom before heading outside. This was my favorite room in the house!

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

 

 

We then headed outside to the gardens. I loved this long pergola. It was so elegant with all of the vines covering it.

 

 

Everything was still beautiful and lush despite the heat. 

 

 

All of the properties had these beautiful ocean views. I could see why the families wanted their “summer cottages” here. I still can’t get over the fact that these call these summer cottages. It’s remarkable! 

I hope you all enjoyed this last Newport Mansion tour. I will be sharing the beautiful gardens, Newport car musem, and the timeless Ralph Lauren store in Manhattan, New York. Have a great Monay!