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Christmas Happenings…

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It’s the end of the year already and here shortly I will be sharing the top posts for this year. But I just wanted to say thank you! Thank you to all of you who are STILL reading the blog. My 10-year anniversary for the blog will be coming up soon and honestly, I am surprised every year that I am still blogging.

My blog and/or website has truly been a blessing for me. I really needed something other than my job and this blog has given me new friends, and new opportunities! I do love it and hope that you still enjoy reading it and being inspired. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

I really enjoyed the Christmas decor around my home. I look forward to going out in about a week and looking for decor that might be on sale. Especially at the antique stores.

 

We had our Guild luncheon and it was a lot of fun! I love seeing the Woodstock Country Club all decorated and festive. It is truly a beautiful place. 

 

 

I had to sneak in a “bathroom selfie”. The wallpaper in this room….. I just love it! We had a speaker at our luncheon this year and I will be sure to share her in another blog post. 

 

 

 

I was on the decorating team this year and it was a lot of fun being there early to help set up the dining room for our luncheon. This year we kept things simple and added poinsettias, velvet fabric, glitter ornaments, and vines. I will tell you this, I learned a lot working with these ladies about affordable decor options. Our favors this year were these cute compact mirrors that we ordered from Amazon. 

 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

After the luncheon I decided to go on over to the Lily House and tour it again. Truth be told this is my dream home and I have it saved to my wish list gallery on my phone. I can’t get enough of the chinoiserie walls and beautiful fabrics. 

 

 

This hall is always fun to walk down. The beautiful lanterns are the perfect pop of color in this area. And the floors don’t disappoint. 

 

 

This is the dining room in the Lily home. If you missed my tour of the Lily house you may read it here. This past weekend Lauren and I went to see the Nutcracker as well. My husband and I went and toured the new RH Indianapolis gallery and a good friend of mine took me to tour the Columbia Club downtown. I will be sure to share these elegant adventures in the days to come. Until then have a Merry Christmas and don’t forget to shop the boutique. The BLKFRIDAY23 code is still available, and you get 20% off the entire boutique when you use it! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Branding Project Complete

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Good Morning Everyone!

I had a wonderful 5 days off for the Thanksgiving season! Goodness it was really hard to return to the office this week. In the next two weeks I am going to be planning 3 holiday luncheons. Out of the 3 luncheons I am the lead of 2 of them! I don’t know what I was thinking!!! But I do enjoy being on teams just not the lead so wish me luck.

Today I wanted to share my branding project that I started in late August. I shared about this project in early October and we just wrapped up everything. I am still shocked that I took this step in my blog and small business. I just felt like having a custom logo for my brand would help me keep the vision in front of me. 

After sharing my thoughts with Mary on Pinterest and having our Zoom meetings we finally nailed down what I wanted for A Home for Elegance.

Crest via MK Design

 

It all started with this crest. I love it so much! When I spoke with Mary it seems as though she could read my mind. I think she looked at my website, Instagram page, and immediately knew that a crest would suit my brand and she was right. 

So this crest, as I previously mentioned, was sketched by hand for me. Mary knew that I loved chinoiserie and I told her that I wanted to incorporate that in my logo somehow. 

 

 

I now have this logo in lots of different colors. 

 

 

Another feature that was created and included in my brand package was my brand colors! This is my color palette for my brand. I just love everything about it! Beautiful pinks, blues, greens and creams. 

 

 

This is one of the secondary logos. It has the name and the crest in the background. It also had the tagline and the year that I started the blog. So creative. 

 

 

These are samples of my new logos. I have my main logo, crest, and do you see my hummingbird logo? I have a hummingbird logo! You may have noticed it on my website’s home page. 

 

 

Above are more samples of my crest and logo in my brand colors. So beautiful and elegant! I love seeing my brand in this way. 

 

And last but not least, is my new chinoiserie pattern. That’s right Mary created my very own chinoiserie pattern that I can use for my brand projects, and I thought about using it to create my very own silk scarf. What do you all think? A silk scarf with my chinoiserie pattern?

I am looking forward to using my new logo, colors, and patterns. Having this for my brand is a dream and I look forward to what the Lord will allow me to do in the near future. Thank you all for your support since 2014! 

 

My Christmas Decor Inspiration

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Good Morning,

Thanksgiving is next week… all I can say is wow! So far I am ready. I have a few more things to get for dinner but other than that we are ready. My house is completed decorated for the holidays. I am going to try to go and get more velvet ribbon and vintage ornaments so stay tuned.

My inspiration for this year is the photo below. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I saw this photo in the Victoria Magazine 2023 calendar. Once I saw it, I knew that I wanted to incorporate some of the details of this photo into my own Christmas decor. Then I found the vintage ornaments that you see in the corner of the photo at the antique store and knew that they were a perfect fit for our tree.

 

 

I love how our family tree turned out.  I am so glad that I got these vintage ribbons last year. It makes me want more of them so the hunt continues. You can see our Mouse King from the Nutcracker and many other vintage ornaments that I have found over the years.

 

 

I am so pleased with my white tree this year. I scaled it back a lot. I threw out a lot of ornaments that just didn’t suite it well nor me. I tied velvet ribbon on some of the branches and added my ornaments from the Enchanted Home. My tree urn is so wonderful! I am so glad that I ordered it. I loved gathering some of my blue and white vases along with my Santa and nutcrackers from the At Home Store. I think it looks lovely. 

 

 

This is something new. I moved this photo here because I felt like this spot needed something more. I also liked the fact that my bar cart was under it, so I decided to decorate everything on the cart this year. I loved the way it turned out. I added some champagne buckets and filled them with faux poinsettias, pine, pink roses, and green hydrangeas. Adding the garland around the artwork was a nice touch I believe. Seeing my sitting room in the distance made me smile. 

I hope this provided some inspiration for you. I hope you all enjoy your weekend! 

 

Tips for Antique Shopping

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Good Morning Friends,

I feel like I got a lot accomplished this past weekend. It could be because I got an hour back. Boy does that help A LOT! I did do some fabulous antiquing. A few shops in Franklin, Indiana had an early Christmas sale, so I went down and purchased a few things. I will share those in a later post. 

Today I wanted to share a few tips from Ajiri Aki recent book called Joi. I have been reading this book slowly on my lunch breaks and I am being honest, this is a wonderful book to read if you really want to know how the Parisian’s live. Ajiri has created such a beautiful, wonderful life in France. I envy her antiquing opportunities that she has there but let’s get into her tips for antiquing! 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

  • First tip is to, “use your imagination”. Look beyond what the object once was and imagine how it can serve you today.  Oh my goodness! I use this tip all the time when I go antiquing. I immediately think, “okay where can I use this. Where will this fit in my home. Will this be beautiful and useful”. Thinking about antiques in this way can help you to find those treasures. 
  • Find perfection in the imperfect. The imperfect bits give antiques character and make them unique. Of course, it’s important to inspect pieces before you commit- especially textiles. But embrace the patina on copper or silver objects; even small chips on ceramics are okay. These are signs of use. Plus, you can reupholster or polish any damage or imperfections you don’t want to live with. 
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for a better price. In France, you ask, Est-ce que c’est possible de faire un petit prix pour moi? Which literally means, “Is it possible for you to make the little price for me?” It’s a cute and polite way to ask for a price reduction. They expect you to ask- in fact, most items are priced with wiggle room in mind. And if you buy a few things from the same vendor, they’re likely to give you a bigger reduction. I do this all the TIME! Sometimes I get a deal and sometimes I don’t.

 

Some of my antiquing finds…

  • Don’t let an item be the one that got away. Know what you want to pay for something, but if you walk away from it, understand that the object might be gone forever. I used to worry that I was being scammed on prices. Now I know what I am willing to pay for something. There are items I sold to others that I wished I had kept for myself, and I may never find another like them. I know now that if it’s something that brings me great pleasure to use and own, I will willingly pay a pretty penny for it.  I don’t know how many times this has happened to me and I have gone back to look for that piece and it is GONE! Antiques usually don’t stay. Especially if they are priced well and if they are in good shape. My recent Rose Canton jars were a recent “walk away” item. I walked away from them but then got home and realized that I may NEVER see TWO of them together again! So I went back and got them! NO REGRETS! 
  • Educate yourself. The internet is full of articles on how to identify silver-plated versus sterling, porcelain versus stoneware, earthenware versus faience, transferware versus hand-painted. I don’t think one is better than the other, but just knowing the difference will help you feel more confident in the market. Bonus: I also think it’s fun to educate yourself about the different styles and their iconography and ornamentation. It makes spotting something more exciting. Also, collecting art books or visiting museums and chateaux will help you learn what you like and train your eye to seek certain things. I have heard the express “train your eye” for beautiful things more than once. Learn what you like. Then seeing quality will come to you. 

 

Some of my lovely finds…

 

You should definitely order this book. Not only are the photos good but you can just read the honesty in Ajiri words. She really does love living in Paris.  I am enjoying this book so much. She had more tips but you will need to order the book to read the rest. Have a great week! 

 

  • this post is not sponsored.

 

Tips from Joie by Ajiri Aki, page 188

 

Ideas for Hostess Gifts

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Hello and Happy Friday!

Hello extra hour back! Goodness it has been so dark in the mornings! I have switched up my workout routine. I stopped doing my morning walks this week because it was still pitch dark at 7:00am! No thank you!

This weekend should be quiet. Just my regular errands and I really want to go down to Franklin and visit the FrenChic antique store. It is calling my name!

With the holidays close by I was recently thinking about hostess gifts. I found this article called, “25 Brilliant Hostess Gifts Our Editors Love to Give and Receive”. When I saw it, I thought, I wonder if I could find these gifts but cheaper?

First on their list was a really expense tortoiseshell vase. The price was $135. I found this one below for only $6.29! Pretty fantastic!

 

photo credit: World Market. com 

 

Next was a lime basil diffuser from Jo Malone. Now I love Jo Malone but know how expensive they can be. So I found this lime zest diffuser from Nest for only $60! And Nest fragrances smell wonderful! You can’t go wrong.

A set of napkins are always a good gift. I found this botanical set from Williams Sonoma for only $49.

 

photo credit: Sephora

They mentioned getting someone olive oil. I am a little unsure about picking olive oil for people. I know I have my favorite oil that I like to cook with but I thought that this set would be a really nice gift instead. This cutting board would be a perfect gift as well.

 

photo credit: Amazon 

 

Want to give a pampering gift? I have heard good things about Ahava bath salts. This gift is very affordable on Amazon! You also cannot go wrong with CHOCOLATE! Get your hostess a Harry & David chocolate truffle gift set. I know I would love to get it! I found this one on Amazon.

 

 

I know that I have always loved these soap and lotions sets from William Sonoma. They have lots of scents and this winter forest set is on sale!

 

photo credit: William Sonoma 

 

One of the last things on their list was a cake stand and honestly, I have never thought about gifting a cake stand but if I got one, I would love it! So, I found this one on Amazon under $50! It’s timeless and classic!

 

photo credit: Amazon 

 

I hope you all enjoyed these hostess gift suggestions. Please let me know in the comments section what your best hostess gift was! I would love to know. Have a great weekend!

 

  • Affiliate links attached 

 

 

 

 

 

A Home for Elegance on Pinterest

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Good Morning!

Today was a really nice day. I got to work from home and then go and volunteer at Random Acts of Flowers. It met some wonderful ladies, made about 5 bouquets for some patients and had a great time! Volunteering is something that I enjoy a lot. Especially, making flower bouquets! 

Today is actually Halloween and I always love seeing our small kids run around with their creative costumes. I have my candles burning and it is a very cold day. I hope you all got my latest newsletter. I was sharing my new boutique arrivals and the new business Pinterest page for A Home for Elegance.

 

 

I have thought about creating a page for the blog for some time now and just thought that maybe it would be a waste of time until I found out how many people actually shop on Pinterest and read blogs! I know that I am one of them and have discovered lots of wonderful things and people on Pinterest. According to Pinterest they have a whopping 80 million followers! I thought this would be another good place to find other like-minded people who would love the blog and maybe the boutique. 

 

 

I intend on only have a few categories to start. A board for my home life, elegant antiques, blog posts, boutique dresses, accessories and boutique store front inspo. Of course, my dream one day would be to have a small suite for women and girls to come by and shop. I hope that is in the Lord’s will. Follow along if you want another place to get the blog posts as well. Thank you all for following and have a great and safe Halloween!

 

 

Harlem Toile ~ A New Collection

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Good Morning Friends,

It is Friday and yes I am happy. I know one thing for sure.  I am going to Crumbl Cookie to get some cookies! I have literally been thinking about these all week. I can’t wait. 

On Tuesday I volunteered at the Indiana Women’s Conference. It was my first time going and I had a great time. I got lots of free books from our speakers. It was a great event. I have to say that my favorite speaker was Neha Sangwa, M.D. Her speech on “burnout” was phenomenal and just what I needed. I can’t wait to dive into her new book Powered by Me: From Burnout to Fully Charged.

This weekend we have our “Before Tour” for the St. Margaret’s Guild. We get to tour the home before the interior designers come in and start decorating and transforming the home. I look forward to seeing their designs come to life. 

Speaking of interior designers does anyone know Sheila Bridges? Her new design called Harlem toile appeared in my feed and I am in love, truly I am! It is beautiful and honestly, I have always wondered if I could find toile in an image more like myself and Shelia delivered!

photo credit: Williams Sonoma

I love this new collection. You find it on Williams Sonoma. I love these pillow covers and throw. They are hand stitched and made of 100% silk. Just beautiful!

 

The bar collection is made of mouth blown glass and has hand-painted gold rims. I ordered the old fashioned glasses. I plan on uses these as vases for flower arrangements. The cocktails napkins are another fun feature and conversation starter. 

 

photo credit: Lor de’ Seraphine 

I also found out about her candle collection at Lor de’ Seraphine. This is called the Morningside Park Candle, and the notes are lemon peel, gardenia, violet and pear. I love the scene on this particular candle. It is called vanity, and it looks like a family helping each other get dressed for an event. The colors are perfect, and I can just see this as a pen holder on my desk once I finish using it. So of course, I ordered it because it keeps selling out and I have a feeling that this collection will be sought after once it’s gone. 

photo credit: Wedgwood.com

 

And lastly is her china collection with Wedgwood. Inspiration was taken from Sheila’s Harlem toile collection and Jasperware to come up with this gorgeous and truly one-of-a-kind collection. I had to order this one! I just adore the vanity scene. 

Let me know in the comments below what you think of this collection. Have a great weekend!

 

  • Affiliate links attached