My trips or places I would love to visit

Our Trip to Universal ~ 2025

/2 Comments/in /by

 

Hello Everyone!

I had a busy weekend, but it was great! I took the day off last Friday to go and pick up my newly reupholstered chair.  It is gorgeous! I will be sure to share some photos later. Once I returned home, I had a representative from California Closets come by and design a closet organization system for my walk -in closet. I am in love with it and hope to get it done soon! Then later on that afternoon one of our Guild members had a Chanel jewelry party at her home. I had a blast! She had great nibbles around to eat, and the jewelry was stunning. I purchased two pairs of earrings and a necklace. Of course I will share photos later. Lastly on Saturday, I attended a Garden Soiree! I was invited as influencer. It was a great time to network with other people in my city and see a beautiful property and garden. 

Okay so I am finally getting around to sharing our trip to Universal Studios in Florida. We went in June. It has been almost 3 weeks since we have been back. I have been busy I tell you! Well I took some photos, not a lot. Again, my word of the year is “be present” so that is what I was trying to do while in Florida. 

I will start off with the hotel. We stayed at the Hard Rock Resort which was a 10-minute walk to Universal. I will say it was a beautiful hotel, and the staff was incredibly nice!

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

The hotel was very clean and had lots of amenities. There were restaurants on site, rock music playing downstairs in the lobby with music videos, a Starbucks, and so much more!  As I mentioned the park was such a short walk from our hotel. We could also take a ferry. We passed this beautiful area of water every day. I actually loved looking at this on our way to the park. 

 

 

It was so HOT! I mean hot. I actually got a terrible heat rash the first day and it lasted for more than 10 days. It hurt and itched at the same time, but I powered through it. Once we got to the park we split up from the girls and they headed to Harry Potter. Walking around was an experience. I was not getting on any rides but wanted to see Universal. My husband and I did get on the Bourne Stuntacular. If you are a Jason Bourne fan, then you will certainly enjoy this. 

 

 

We did catch up with the girls in Diagon Alley. I will say this the Harry Potter World was put together quite nicely. There was a lot to see, and I think the Disney team did a great job creating their merchandise. All of it was very nice. We walked around, saw the dragon blow fire out of its mouth, and ate lunch at the Leaky Cauldron with the girls. 

 

 

Another place that we dined at was the Hard Rock Restaurant. Lauren loved it! She loved the pink Cadillac spinning around in the middle of the restaurant. I loved the service, the space, and the food. This salad that I got was so satisfying! On a day where it is 100 degrees, having this salad was so refreshing and needed. 

 

 

I did manage to get in a pool day. The pool area at the hotel was stunning. It was well kept and had a food and bar service. I ordered lots of things from Amazon to wear to the pool. This swimsuit cover up looked so chic along with this striped swimsuit. I also ordered this swimming cap to match as well as this beach tote. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

It was so nice just sitting by the pool and reading. I brought my Bunny Mellon book to catch up on. This is a really big book, and I need to finish it. It is really good! It is so fascinating to read about all of the connections and history that this family has. They started Listerine!

 

 

And the last place that I will mention is this restaurant which was so hard to get into! The Chocolate Emporium was a real treat. The food… all I can say is OMG! You really need to watch the video to get an idea about how much of an adventure it was. The staff was incredibly nice, and we got to meet the characters as well. 

Overall, it was a really nice trip and was a dream for Lauren. Because we stayed at the Hard Rock hotel, she had early access to the park and Express passes! She hardly waited for any ride! She and her friend Ana were in Cloud 9! As parents it’s a great feeling to be able to do this for your kid. When I was growing up, we never traveled anywhere. So, I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do this for my kids. 

Next week, I will be sharing my day at the Cake Bake Shop in Disney!!! 

 

  • Affiliate links attached 
  • This post is not sponsored.  

Scheduling Elegant Adventures

/in , /by

 

 

Well friends, how is everyone? Are we ready for spring? The trees in our neighborhood are starting to bloom and my peonies are perking up through the ground. We are waiting a few more weeks before we install my raised beds, and I am ready to have some warmer walking mornings.

Oh goodness… my title. I tell you I have been having some deep life thoughts lately. Especially around how I want to live. There are so many ugly things going on in this world. I try to limit my news watching and doom scrolling. I am also trying to monitor my stress at work. That has been really hard with all of the changes that we have been having.

I came up with this idea “scheduling elegant adventures” when I was meeting with my doctor and therapist. Yes, I have a therapist, and it has been the best thing ever! I have been going for almost a year, and I believe it was one of the best decisions that I have made so far. I was discussing with her my idea about elegant adventures, and she loved it!

I was also discussing it with my dietitian as we talked about my stress management and weight. I mentioned to some of the girls in my Pilates class and everyone took it in like “wait a minute maybe I should try this”. What I realized is that taking a vacation once a year for one week is not enough for me. Not anymore. I need more beauty, more time alone, and more adventures.

So on my elegant adventures list, at least once a month, I go to dinner with my “Guild Girls” and last month we went duckpin bowling.

 

 

We had the best time! I had a blast. I really did. It forced me to slow down, play a game, and enjoy the moment. We went to dinner right after that and it was a wonderful adventure! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

I tried a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri. It was so good! We also walked around the Bottleworks hotel which was very beautiful. This past weekend I decided to have another elegant adventure. 

 

 

I have been wanting to go and see Swan Lake at the ballet for years now and I got a ticket and went. It was a beautiful ballet, and I am so glad that I went. I sat in the balcony. I sat with two couples. I went alone and had no regrets. The couples were so nice and funny. We all had a great time! Honestly, I have never read the story about Swan Lake and read it in the program. It is VERY interesting. I thought the Indianapolis Ballet did a great job. They are the same production that puts on the Nutcracker each year and the Indianapolis Symphony orchestra played the entire time. Talk about “seeking the arts”. 

For the month of April, I plan on going to Nordstrom Rack. I rarely get to go to that store. I also want to go to Consign by Design again, and this has just been added to my radar for this year. Isn’t this hotel GORGEOUS? This is about an hour and 45 minutes away from me and my supervisor told me all about it. I want to go and stay for a few days, tour the hotel, and have a spa day.  Now how wonderful would that be? My goal is to go and do something that I love each month and take that time to get away and just breathe. Stress and high cortisol levels are a real thing, and I just don’t want them to rule me anymore. Elegant adventures each month for me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Travel Luxuries ~ 2024

/4 Comments/in , /by

 

Hello Everyone,

Goodness what a weekend. I am trying to stay away from the news. There is too much going on right now. I did go antiquing on Saturday. One of the interior designers from the showhouse has a booth at Midland’s and I wanted to take a peek at it. While I was there, I found a gorgeous armchair that I will share in my July favorites. I placed it inside my greenhouse. It looks so stunning there. 

I am gearing up for my trip next week. I will be flying to Virigina. In this blog post I wanted to share my current travel items. Honestly some of them are a luxury to me because I did not have really nice travel items until recently. There are a few influencers that I follow on Amazon, and they have shared some wonderful items on how to travel with affordable luxury. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I will start with this first. This is the cabinet in my closet. I have taken the first two shelves and created these “travel essentials” shelves. What I noticed (after traveling all these years) is that after we go on a trip, I usually leave my travel essentials and bags in my suitcases. What I noticed is that when my trips were approaching, and I was making a list I would NEVER know what I needed for my trip because everything would be in my suitcases tucked away in my closet. So dumb! 

So when I reorganized my closet a few months ago I decided to go through everything and pull things out and make space for my travel essentials. It has made me so happy! I can know see what I need, and it has encouraged me to purchase more travel items and get more organized for my trips. 

 

 

One of the new travel luxuries that I have purchased are these petite candles from Linnea. Now these are NOT petite. They are the size of your hand but so easy to pack away and take with you. I will be taking the Night Bloom with me to burn in my hotel room at night while I read a book. I also have a box of matches to take with me from Linnea. How elegant is that! 

 

 

My second new travel luxury are these gold airless pump cream jars from Amazon. First off, these are stunning. I will be filling these with my facial cleaners and creams. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Okay I have succumbed to the clear case epidemic but only for the cleaning kits that I kept seeing on YouTube. I love the idea about having my very own cleaning kit. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in a hotel room wish I had some tools to clean items with. 

 

 

But honestly, I am so happy to now have this as a part of my travel luxury items. A cleaning kit for the hotel room? Yes please! I ordered this bed bug spray and the rest was found at stores. If you can’t find any items, this travel cleaning kit is available on Amazon as well. 

 

 

The last newest travel luxury are my new tea bag tins. So most of you know that I love tea and love having it with me when I travel as well but I will admit that I am TERRIFIED when I take tea bags with me through airport security. I do have TSA precheck but still these look suspect! So I wanted to come up with something to carry these in and a sandwich bag was NOT going to cut it. Really these in a sandwich bag? Think about it! So I thought about it and saw that my Harney’s tea is stored in tins, so I searched Amazon for these, and I love them now! I fill so much better having my bags with me and a secure elegant place. 

Of course, I will still be using my packing cubes, vitamin pill holder, contact lenses container, cosmetic bag, and travel jewelry box. This is a work trip so my new mouse pad will be going with me as well as my new laptop screen extender. To see more of my travel favorites, you may read here, and here. 

Also this week I have two new bags that should be arriving. This one from Notiq! I can’t wait. It comes in a smaller version as well. And this bag that I have also been stalking for a while from MME.Mink. I will share an unboxing soon. Have a great week! There will be no blog post next week because I will be out of town, but July favorites will be posted the following week. Talk soon!

 

  • Affliate links attached. 

My Visit to the RH Indianapolis

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

Good Morning Everyone,

“Taking a deep breath”…. let 2024 begin! I still don’t have my word for the year, but I think it will come to me very soon. I will not rush it. I know that I want to work on my schedule this year and try not to be so busy. That is at the top of my list. Organization is still at the top of my list as well. I have already started with a few small things.

I am hoping that more “elegant adventures” will be coming down the pipe this year. I visited a lot of beautiful places in 2023. I hope that the Lord will allow me to see more beautiful things. I do have an upcoming work trip to Viriginia in July. I am looking forward to that. I hope to slide in a historical home tour and maybe some antique shopping before I began my busy week there. 

My husband and I recently got to visit the former estate of philanthropist Christel DeHaan. No one was sure what was going to happen to this beautiful Palladian inspired villa, but I am happy to report that RH has taken over and I could not be happier!

 

photo credit: RH.com

I still can’t believe that this estate is here! The rumor is Ms. DeHaan lived her with just her staff. If that is true, that is incredible! This property is about 42,00 square feet. It is so big! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

This was me and my husband approaching the property from the somewhat long drive to it. This house was located pretty far from the busy street on Michigan. I hope you got to see my reel on Instagram about it. 

 

 

Valet parking is available, but we decided to park the car ourselves and walk up to this beautiful villa. 

 

 

 

Walking in we were greeted by a wonderful team of hostess. They provided all the information we need to guide ourselves through the 42k square feet and helped us with drinks and reservations!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I was trying to listen to the hostess as she was explaining everything but I could not take my eyes off of the entryway. I loved the antique inspired statutes and marble floor. I just kept thinking is this original to the home or no?

 

 

These gilded mirrors… oh my!

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

These hallways. For just a short moment I pretended that I lived here. I looked to my right and pretended that my English garden of roses was there and that I was on my way to my room for a cup of tea.

 

 

Of course, I could not resist talking a selfie in these gorgeous, gilded mirrors! I was very comfortable and felt put together. If you like my faux fur scarf you can shop a similar one here. My wrap you can find a similar one here, my shoes are from Ann Taylor (last season) and my tote is the On the Go by Louis Vuitton. 

 

 

Each room was decorated with simplicity but lots of elegance. 

 

 

My husband and I wanted to try a drink and decided to get the RH bellini with peach puree and prosecco. It was marvelous! So good!

 

 

Walking around the gallery….

 

 

Another elegant bedroom 

 

 

After walking around we sat down for our dinner reservations. I got the rotisserie chicken salad with butter lettuce, lemon and, chives. The taste was really good but I wanted a few more veggies in my salad. I LOVED the sweet potato fries with the rosemary aioli. So good! My husband got the filet with truffle fries. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

We had a really wonderful time and plan to return in the spring. We want to venture outside a little more and see the gardens in bloom in the spring. If you live in Indy I would encourage you to go and see the property! It is truly a dream. I know that some of my friends from the Guild want to go for a visit so I might be returning with them. 

Have a wonderful day!

 

 

  • this post is not sponsored; affiliate links attached 

 

My Visit to Sarah Flint in Atlanta

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Good Morning,

This past weekend we had phenomenal weather. I went to a hair appointment and had my hair trimmed and realized how long it really was! I have been trying for years to grow my hair to my bra strap. It is finally there! Such a goal to meet after all these years. 

Oh my goodness everyone! I was recently on a Zoom call with Sarah Flint and she was showing us the new holiday collection for 2023. I don’t know if any of you were on that call but there was a pair of shoes and scarf calling my name! I did order the scarf but the shoes I will wait because the price was quite high!

Going to a Sarah Flint store is a wonderful experience and quite satisfying. She is certainly true to her brand and the appearance. I had to visit the store in Atlanta while I was there.

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

I love visiting these stores. It’s like a gift to your grandmillennial mind! So many textures and colors. It does not feel like a hospital and each store is so different and has its own character. 

 

 

The staff was so nice and we talked and talked about the brand and local restaurants around. 

 

 

The staff let me try on different size belts and the Gracie Perfect Pump 85 in pink. Looking at the shoe dust bags was enough to make you swoon! Oh my goodness were they gorgeous! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Looking at all of the care and detail that went into decorating the store. There were so many details! 

 

 

Still true to blue and white! 

 

 

I am still loving this framed scarf idea. I am seriously considering it for my home office. 

 

 

Every nook and cranny was carefully displayed. There were vintage books and Sarah’s blue and white china set which I was told that she has thought about launching that as well. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The dressing room slipper which I now own! I love wearing it around my home. The price has dropped ($119 off) and you can use my code SARAHFLINT-CCMRSSHOCKLEY for an additional 15% off! 

 

 

The store has such an English home feel and look. I truly enjoyed visiting. I will miss the Nashville store. It has been permanently closed! The manager at the Atlanta location told me. I was so sad, but I am very grateful that I got to visit last year. 

I would love to visit the Dallas store next. We will see if the Lord can get me there. Don’t forget to shop with my link or use my code SARAHFLINT-CCMRSSHOCKLEY for 15% off! Have a great day! 

 

*Affiliate links attached 

 

Shopping in Buckhead

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Hello There!

Another end to another week. Boy this month went by quickly! This weekend is a little busy as well, but I want to make sure to sit at some point and enjoy my new FBMP find! I will share it soon! 

I do miss Buckhead. It was such a beautiful place. One of the resources that I used to help me find places to shop was this guide that I found on Flower Magazine.com. All of the designers shared their favorite places to shop while in the ATL. Some of them live there so I knew that I needed to print this off and use it!

 

photo credit: Mr. Shockley 

 

After eating lunch at the Swan Coach House my husband and I went to the Shops at Buckhead. There were a lot of really nice stores there. Our first stop was Sarah Flint but I will share that in a different blog post. The second was this beautiful Hermes store. 

 

 

All I did was wonder around the first few minutes. We don’t have a Hermes store here in Indy and the last time I was at a Hermes store was in 2017 in New York. 

 

 

 

The staff was incredibly friendly and so helpful. I was so glad to see that. You always hear rumors about the staff in Hermes but they were wonderful. I did pick up a lip oil in the color rose kola and I love it so much! It such a beautiful color and now I have something that I want from Hermes! Great… not sure if that is a good thing. 

 

 

The second place that I wanted to visit was the Dior store. I have been wanting a Christian Dior floral scarf for years now. This was stunning. I asked the rep. if he would hold it up for me. I just loved it, but they are so expensive. I did find this Etsy seller online who has a superb collection of vintage scarves. You should check it out!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

After leaving Dior drooling over everything, we went to Diptyque. Again, we don’t have a store in Indiana, and I really wanted to visit this store. We smelled practical everything candle in the store and we both loved the jasmine. I have it on my desk now and my goodness is it marvelous. 

 

 

After shopping in the lux area, we went to the Lenox Mall near our hotel and decided to look around. We ended up stopping in Carolina Herrera and looking at her store. I purchased a jasmine candle from there as well. It’s downstairs and when I have both of the jasmine candles burning… oh my goodness is my home glorious. 

We then made our way over to Louis Vuitton. I have never seen LV trunks in person. My store does not have them. Not that I can remember so seeing these was so exciting. The small trunks above are my dream trunks. I really want one for my vanity but at $4k I think it may be a minute. I am on the Vestiaire Collective website (previously known as Tradesy) keeping my eye out for a cheaper one, so we will see. 

 

 

 

It was such a good experience again and the staff was excellent! So friendly and helpful. 

 

 

 

This LV trunk was hand painted by an artist that they have come by and work. There was also Louis Vuitton paint! She painted it with Louis Vuitton paint. Incredible! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

After shopping at the mall I found an antique store nearby called Antiques & Beyond. My goodness was this such a great store. Nothing like I have back home. The staff again, was phenomenal. There was so much to look at. 

 

 

I gasped when I saw the cabinet full of vintage Chanel jewelry. I wanted practically all of it but of course, it was all so expensive. 

 

 

I did purchase this Chanel brooch (faux), this Louis Vuitton pouch and this bust from the antique store. The Tory Burch heels came from a consignment store called Labels. They had 3 stores all on the same street. One for men’s, women’s, and accessories. Crazy right? I loved shopping in Buckhead. There was so much for me to see and do. I really do hope to return. Have a great weekend! 

 

Lunch at the Swan Coach House

/2 Comments/in , /by

 

 

Good Morning,

I had quite a busy weekend. I attended a paralegal retreat on Saturday, filmed a YouTube video finally, and attended a private home tour for charity. The private home tour was simply amazing! I wish I could have taken photos but there we not allowed. It was truly beautiful. 

Today I am continuing with my empty nester trip. I am sharing a few photos of our visit to the Swan Coach House.

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

I wanted to have lunch at the Swan Coach House after our tour at the Swan House. It was only a few minutes away and was tucked away near the Swan House. 

 

 

It was so beautiful walking in and had a lot of the southern charm. Of course, there is chinoiserie everywhere.

 

 

There were a few ladies in the distance celebrating a 70th birthday. It was so sweet! They all had on their little Derby hats on and were dressed up. I loved it!

 

 

I absolutely loved the floors and the decor. The gold mirror in the distance was so elegant. 

 

 

 

I ordered some tea sandwiches, and carrot soup. The soup had a little kick to it! It had a little spice but was really good. The staff was very kind and there was a gift shop and art museum in the home as well. 

Overall, it was a great experience, and I am so glad that my husband and I went and visited it. If you are nearby you should stop by! It’s such a wonderful place.