Wine Tasting at the Biltmore

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As we continued on our wonderful tour of the Biltmore Estate the next place we ended up at was the Biltmore Winery.  The winery was built in the early 1980’s. I have some co-workers who visited the estate before the winery was built. I found that fascinating. If you want to see the timeline of the winery you can view it here.

Once you finish your tour at the estate you then have to drive 4 miles down the road to the winery! The scenery was unbelievable! Sorry, I did not take any photos because I was too busy taking it all in. You then park your car and walk up to the shops, restaurants, hotels and then the winery.

The beautiful fountain out front. 

Entrance to the winery
The history and what to expect….
After reading the sign you walk down this beautiful path….

You pass the beautiful hydrangeas….

And into the winery.




You then walk into the shop and look at all the delicious goodies!

After you look at all the wines you can then enter the wine tasting room.
There you can sample all the wines in the winery. Great right?



My hubby and I enjoying the wine tasting. 
They have grape juice for the kids!

We purchased about 5 bottles. We really enjoyed the Chenin Blanc.
We also purchased these cute Biltmore glasses and the wine bottles were put into this beautiful wine boxes. 

The winery was fantastic! I have never experienced anything quite like that. There was so much to explore and see. I hope that we can visit again soon!

(all photos Mrs Shockley)

The Biltmore Gardens

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The second part of the Biltmore visit was a tour of the gardens. I was on heaven! It was stunning! Even though it was a scorcher that day the grounds were still immaculate…..

Walking down from the home was this….. beautiful isn’t it?

The pond was full of fish….

You can see the house in the distance

The Greenhouse

The greenhouse is just spectacular!

Inside the greenhouse




The mountains…

This had a magical touch to it….

Well this ends the tour but the photos do not do it justice.
Trust me you must visit this garden in person.

It is truly unforgettable.
Here is my personal video of the pond at the Biltmore.
Enjoy!
(all photos & video Mrs. Shockley)

My Visit to the Biltmore ~ part 2

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Here is the second part of the tour. Now I did not take pictures of everything. There was just too much but my family and I really enjoyed the tour and the home.

This space was outside on the balcony. So serene….

The library….

The ceiling in the library… breathtaking isn’t it?

I could not get over the details in the ceilings!

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s room







The bowling alley….

The swimming pool







The kitchen…

The servant breakfast room. This looks better than some of our rooms!

A room full blue and white vases!

The gentlemen quarters

The outside balcony….so gorgeous!
The Biltmore was just glorious and I am so grateful that I got to see it. It was a wonderful opportunity to see something historical and beautiful. It was also great to see my family’s faces when we approached the home. Just smiles all over.
Here is my personal video of the view from the Biltmore
Enjoy!
(all photos & video via Mrs. Shockley)

My Visit to the Biltmore ~ Part 1

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I have returned home from a week long vacation! It was wonderful! I enjoyed it! As I last left you all I told you that we were visiting the Biltmore Estates and it did not disappoint!

I have lots of pictures and will be sharing them this week and maybe even next week. I hope that this will inspire some of you to add this historical and beautiful home to your “visit list” the next time you take a trip! I have already inspired my boss to visit it in August!

My photo of the Biltmore. So spectacular!



The front lawn






The views were so grand!
When you walked in you saw this grand cake!

Beautiful hallways

Indoor garden

Just stunning!
Next was the Billard’s room

This is the Tapestry Room

Chandeliers in the Tapestry Room

The organ at the top….
Here is the next room….




The details in the ceilings….


The view from that room

The Piano Room

The artwork above this fireplace was beautiful but they don’t let you get too close to
the furniture.

An upclose look at the cake….


This is just the first half of the tour. I will share the rest of the tour this week!

Thanks for reading!!!!




(all photos via Mrs. Shockley)

On Vacation ~ Florida and the Biltmore Estates 2016

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Well, today is Friday and next week I will be on vacation! My family and I are headed to Florida but we have a wonderful stop along the way!

We are stopping at the Biltmore Estates! I have been wanting to go here since I was a kid. I first saw it in the movie called Richie Rich in 1995. Once I found out it was a real home I have been longing to see it ever since!

photo via Ms. Shockley 

We are taking the 2 -hour self-tour of the home. Then it’s on our way to tour the gardens…



After the tour of the gardens, we will then head over to the winery for a complimentary glass of wine…


Once we finish taking in the Biltmore we will stop in Savannah and then head to Florida!


I can’t wait to hit Cocoa Beach! Then I hope to do some antiquing, take my daughter to the American Girl Store in Orlando, and just enjoy my family. 



I will do my very best to take photos and maybe a small video at the Biltmore. I am not sure if we are allowed to. So enjoy your week and I will see you soon!



photo credit: Guillaume Lorain

Things I Savor in Life

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I love it when an author, designer or favorite blogger shares a “fav list”. Those are always so fun and interesting to read. You find out a lot about a person reading their “fav list”. I was inspired to do this list after reading Shannon Ables “Why Not… Savor Life?

Other lists that I enjoy are “Ways to Uncomplicate Your Life” and “100 Ways to Be Elegant” which has been an A Home for Elegance favorite (it has about 500 hits since 2014!).

Below is my “savor list”. I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to begin your list today.

1. Fresh flowers every week at home and at the office.

                Roses in our bedroom

2. A new bag


3. My daughter’s giggle.


4. My roasted chicken and red potatoes (dinner favorite)!

5. French bread


6. Polished nails


7. Kitten heels


My Jenn heels from Sole Society.:
My heels from Sole Society 



8. My piano lessons. I am practicing Bach at this moment.


9. The smell of floral perfumes.


10. My husband’s hair cut


11. Cooked salted broccoli




My Aerin Lauder perfume Lilac Blossom.:
My Aerin Lauder perfume Lilac Path



12. Louis Vuitton


13. A silk scarf


14. Psalm 90:17


15. Vintage earrings


16. Chinoiserie wallpaper


de Gournay Wallpaper ~ Aerin Lauder:

Aerin Lauder’s chinoiserie is so gorgeous!



17. A good conservation (life changing or revelations)


18. Beautiful china


19. An oriental rug


20. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12


summer in provence http://vickiarcher.com/2015/07/summer-in-st-remy/:





21. Vanilla ice cream with spanish peanuts 


22. Fresh water pearls (my blog entry about mine is here).


23. A glass of Risata moscato 


My glass at home



24. Weddings


25. Jennifer L. Scott’s books


26. The Bible


27. Instagram (my link is here).


28. My blog (but of course)


29. My husband in Ralph Lauren


30. Vintage Martha Stewart shows


31. Diana Krall music


Diana Krall...love this album!:
Gosh I love all of her cd’s!



32. The Fixer Upper- HGTV


33. New York City ( my visit to Rockefeller Center here).


34. Goodwill and consignment shopping


35. A BMW 535 (my dream car)


36. Chandeliers


A Home for Elegance: My Spectacular Visit to Restoration Hardware on my blog...:
Me at Restoration Hardware

37. Classic movies (my blog entry here about my favorites)


38. The Biltmore Estates (which I hope to be visiting soon)


39. Arabella Golby’s personal vlog to Florence 


40. Candles 





I hope you enjoyed my list! Of course I could continue and add more but I figured 40 was enough. If you have a “savor list” please post it below.

(photos via Pinterest and video via Youtube)


Ideas for Laundry

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Washing clothes is a chore that most of us really don’t like doing. I don’t really mind it because I like clean clothes and I love it when I can get tips on how to make it better.

One of my favorite bloggers and interior designers Nicole Gibbons gave some great tips on some daily items. See her tips below…

How Often You Should Wash Your Jeans
Every 4-5 Wears. While some say you should never wash your jeans, I recommend washing them every four-five wears. Be sure to turn them inside out and always hang them up to air dry! Here is a favorite product for washing your denim.
How Often You Should Wash Your Bras
Every 3-4 Wears. Try not to wear the same bra more than two days in a row which will help it keep its shape. The best way to wash them is the good old fashioned way… in the sink with a little gentle detergent. If you’re too busy to wash your bras by hand, put them inside a mesh bag specifically made for washing lingerie and run them on the cold, gentle cycle in your washing machine. And your bras should never go in the dryer- it will break down the elastics making them less supportive and also cause your underwires to pop out over time. Lay them flat to dry. If you’re looking for a lingerie wash bag, find some great options here, here and here.












How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets
Even I am guilty of this one but you should be washing your sheets once a week in hot water to kill any germs that have accumulated. A great hack is to put a tennis ball in the dryer with your sheets which will help keep them nice and fluffy.
Clean Your Mattress! 
Now, this is one surprising item you’re probably not cleaning! But – over time, dust mites and other gross stuff buries into your mattress – yuck! So its a good idea to give the top of your mattress a good vacuum once every six months to suck up all the dust mites and any other living organisms. If your mattress has any stains, just use a cloth and an upholstery shampoo to clean it. I also recommend using an allergen protecting cover for your mattress which will help prevent dust mites.  Any hand vac will do but here’s one specifically made to remove microscopic dust and allergens from your mattress.




Photo by Trend on Unsplash

Clean Your Purse!
Inevitably, you’ll set your purse down somewhere that’s bacteria-infested… A table at a coffee shop, a bar stool at a restaurant or even the floor which is swimming in bacteria – ew! To keep it clean, use a disinfectant wipe to clean off the bottom and inside of your purse once a week!
See my blog entry here about how I clean my bags!
Wash Your Dishwasher!
Wait, what? Yes, that’s right. While your dishwasher doesn’t seem like an obvious item that needs cleaning, the moist environment is a breeding ground for mold and fungus. To combat this, an all-natural hack is to fill a cup with vinegar set it on the top rack with the dishwasher otherwise empty and run a cycle on hot. This will naturally sanitize the inside of your dishwasher!
I do this once every couple of months. 

I love these tips and will be printing this list out. To read the original article from Nicole see here. Also, read my blog entry here about the Laundress. Enjoy washing!!!
( text via Nicole Gibbons)