Posts

Evening with Designers ~ 2026

/0 Comments/in /by

 

 

Hello Dear Friends,

I am posting this a little late but that is okay. I am trying not to keep myself to such a strict schedule when it comes to posting on the blog when it is a busy week. We had our Influencer/ Press Day at the show house. We had lovely weather and great people. This is always an exciting time!

 

 

This was me on Influencer Day! We had a great turnout and the house looks WONDERFUL! It always surprises me how our designers pull it all together each year. It sort of magical!

 

photos via: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

Here are a few snippets of the from our show house! We have some great new designers, lots of colors, and very supportive sponsors.  This particular home was built in 1930 as one of the first spec homes in Indianapolis. It is 5,700 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. 

 

 

This is the dining room. Just look at the amaryllis paint color! There are lots of layers, Staffordshire Dogs, and Waterford Crystal. I will have more details in the next few weeks.

 

 

The weather turned out so great! It was nice to thank our sponsors and celebrate our designers. It’s a great start to our show house year and to catch up with members as well. 

 

 

Mr. Shockley, always joins in on the festivities. He serves with me as a docent each year and everyone is getting to know him. Oh brother! But it is nice having a very supportive husband and someone willing to serve this wonderful organization! If you are local, please stop by the show house. We have lots of events going on including a Mahjong event! The link is here if you are interested. Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antiques & Brie

/in , /by

 

 

Well, it’s a snowy cold week here! Yeah you read that right, we have snow in March!!! Now the good thing is it will not stick but good grief! I am so worried about my tulips. I hope they will be okay. 

I am still trying to “plan around my energy”. If you watched my latest video, then you will know what I am talking about. I have a very low stress weekend planned. I really want to head to an antique store, but we will see how things go. 

We (the Guild) had an event a few weeks ago and it was marvelous! I have been wanting to share it. It was an antiquing event at Midlands. Now I have shared this place before numerous times, and it is still a feast for the eyes! 

 

photos via: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We walked in a saw a vintage table laid out with wine, tea candles in wine glasses (I will be stealing this idea), cheeses, nuts, crackers, pita bread, chocolate, and this amazing brie! I love that the antique store used crystal and silver in the table settings.

 

 

This was the amazing brie. One of the hostesses told me how to make it but I seriously needed it written down. I know it had brown sugar in it, almonds, and layers of gooey brie cheese. It was truly magnificent!

 

 

 

Look at this fantastic table setting! Now this is how you greet your guests. I loved the many layers that it had and all of the antiques surrounding it. We had vintage chairs, and beautiful Asian screens. 

 

 

The store is huge. It’s an old warehouse with probably hundreds of vendors. Everyone carefully curates their spaces and makes it look like a store. 

 

 

 

I love it when a vendor styles their space in a way where you can visualize the items in your space. I think it provides or assists in giving you ideas and inspiration. Now here is one of my favorite rooms in the building. I call it the chandelier room! It’s a dream when you walk in and has so many layers. There are linens, and vintage pieces, pillows, curtains, lamps, and on and on! 

 

 

I found this charming vintage inspired vanity. The fabric is a showstopper! I had to grab it. I have nowhere to put it, but I will figure it out later. I could not leave it there. The price was only $50 so I thought it was a steal. 

 

 

 

It also has a lot of storage in addition to its beauty. Who knows, it may end up in my closet or dressing room. That’s what I want to call it. 🙂 I really hope that we can do this event again. I loved it and thought it incorporated so many things. It involved supporting a small business, friendship, connecting, and food.

 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Before Look at the Show House ~ 2026

/in /by

 

A beautiful morning to you all. How is everyone doing? Cold right? Well, I am not trying to wish it away so soon. I find that I do that a lot and I am trying to take each day as it comes and each hill as it arrives. We are in our new space, and I am loving my new office. I will share some new photos soon. 

In other news we have a new show house for the 2026 year, and I wanted to share a few rooms before the designers come in and work their magic. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

These two rooms are the living room and dining room. We have been doing house shifts, and it has given each member the opportunity to walk through the home and admire the bones of it. It is truly a beautiful house! I love the paint colors in each room and the wall paneling. I would love to try this in my home one day. That green in the dining room is so subtle yet elegant. I believe that chandelier is original. 

 

 

The room on the left is the entry way. It has lots of room to add a table and beautiful colors and fabrics. The kitchen has lots of details as well and is immaculate! I can’t get enough of the crystal chandelier! 

 

 

 

 

And the last room that I am going to share is the master bathroom. This is now my bathroom inspiration. I love the mirrors and the paint color of the cabinets. I see a beautiful floral arrangement in the center and lots of opportunity for storage. This house has lots more rooms and a stunning exterior. I look forward to sharing more about our show house this year. If you are local mark your calendars for April 23 thru May 10. That is when you can come and tour the show house and help us raise money for Eskenazi Hospital!

Our next event is posted to our website. Dash by the Past is a family-friendly 5K or 1 mile walk with a scenic route that takes participants past previous Decorators’ Show House and Gardens homes on Meridian Street. It is open to register! 

Have a great week! 

 

  • This post is not sponsored. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Word for 2026~ Curate

/in /by

 

 

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope everyone has started 2026 being safe and with family. Of course, we had a quiet evening at home, and I even stayed up this year. Which honestly, I think my hormones has something to do with it but whatever. It was quiet which is what I love. I finally got my recent video edited and posted to my channel. I will share it below. 

In the video, I talk about my word of the year which is curate. The dictionary meaning of curate is selected, organized, and presented using professional or expert knowledge. This word came to me in November of last year as I was thinking about my life as whole. I told my husband that I wanted to live well and then live beautifully. I also remember mentioning it in my “becoming a better life curator” blog post. I want to first start with my thoughts. I have a lot of junk that I let run rampant in my mind. I remember driving to work one morning and this crazy thought came into my mind. I remember stopping it and thinking now why am I letting this crazy thought stay here?

That’s when curate came into my mind. Now I know that I will not get this perfect but let’s start the process. Let’s curate these thoughts. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

The next is my home life. Once you watch my video you will understand what I am doing in my home and what is on my list. We have to update carpet, repaint rooms, and purge! Oh my goodness, we have so much stuff in this house. Just last week I dropped off 3 trashbags, and 2 big boxes of home and closet items. There is so much stuff that we are living with that we just don’t need. Curate. Let’s curate the home decor and my closet. 

 

 

Now on to my planners. I will continue to use my Day Designer, but I am now adding a second planner. I decided to order the Monthly Planner from Jamie Beck. This planner is exceptionally beautiful, and I will be using it for my monthly goals. You can watch my video to get an up-close look at it. 

On a second note, I found this gorgeous Christian Dior journal and pencil set on Poshmark! I thought this would a beautifully curated addition to my journal inventory. 

 

 

I hope you all enjoy my video and let me know your word of the year below. I am always curious about where people are and I think your word of the year says a lot about your yearly journey. Take care!

 

  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Tea at Irwin Mansion

/in , /by

 

Good Morning Friends,

It’s the week before Christmas, can you believe it? These last few months have just flown by! I went to the L.S. Ayres Team Room yesterday with my team. It was a wonderful lunch. I don’t think we are going to see the Nutcracker this year. I honestly want to take a break. The last few years have been a lot. The venue has been so crowded and dealing with people has just been a lot for me. They did change venues this year so maybe…..

This past weekend I did something fun with my girlfriends. We went and had Christmas tea at the Inn at Irwin Gardens! We were not sure if we were going to go because the temperatures dropped so low. It was -2 that day and then we had tons of snow the night before. Also, the mansion is about an hour away from everyone, but we decided to go out, and we had a great time!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

This was inside the mansion as we entered it. The ceiling had lots of details, and I loved all of the wood in the entryway. The original mansion was built in 1864 and was remodeled again in 1890. 

 

 

These were some of the beautiful rooms that you could choose to have tea in. I actually loved the green room. It was so warm and inviting and the color in person was perfection. The other room was very grand and had a fireplace. I also loved the fabrics in that room.

 

 

Here is an up-close photo of one of the chairs. I LOVED the fabric so much. I believe these chairs were vintage as well. The room on the right is the room that me and my girlfriends had tea in. 

 

 

We started off with a cup of roast pears and plums. It had a little bit of Greek yogurt and nuts. It was quite delicious. Of course, there were tea sandwiches, a hearty vegetable soup and dessert. 

 

 

The dessert was the banana pudding with a ginger snap cookie. I enjoyed a cup of peppermint tea and a lovely conversation with the girls. They also gave us a tour of the bedrooms. This mansion was quite big for being 135 years old. I think it would be lovely to stay in a mansion like this. My husband hates bed and breakfasts so this would have to be enjoyed without him but that is okay. 

 

 

Aren’t these Dress Christmas trees beautiful? A few on the rooms had them. I would love one for my office one day. I may have to search Amazon. It was a wonderful, lovely day with the girls and so needed before the holidays. I will be taking time off from the blog next week. Let me know in the comments below what you plan to do this holiday season! Merry Christmas!

 

  • This post was not sponsored. 

 

 

 

 

 

My First Hydro-Facial

/2 Comments/in /by

 

 

Whew, another short week for me. I am loving these! Actually, this week has been hectic so far. The Indiana Conference for Women is happening this week, and I am on staff! We have some great speakers like Hoda Kotb and Tina Knowles! It should be really exciting, and I am looking forward to it. 

I am still on my self-care exploring journey and in today’s post I want to share my first hydro-facial that I got a few weeks ago. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

When I walked into Restore Skin Therapy I was greeted by the lovely receptionist and the staff. They had soft music playing and made sure that I was comfortable. They had lots of their own products. I loved their lip balm and their Renew Immune Serum. I have been using both while at home. After I spoke with Erin, I got all comfortable for my hydro-facial. She warmed the bed for me and explained the process of how it worked. 

 

 

It was so relaxing. The first thing that she did was massage my face and shoulders which was so needed. She then prepared my face for the machine. I will say I loved seeing it at work sucking all of the dirt out of my face and pores. The mask felt like heaven so did the aromatherapy oils that I smelled. We talked about my skin, skin tags, moisturizing routines, and hormones. 

Here is the four-step process that I went through:

HYDRO-FACIAL: A FOUR STEP PROCESS

  1. Cleanse – A deep cleanse with product formulated to each client’s skin.

  2. Exfoliation – The Hydro-Facial uncovers a new layer of skin with gentle exfoliation and relaxing resurfacing. The enzyme removes dead skin cells to reveal healthy skin.

  3. Extraction – The wand cleans out pores with painless vacuum suction. Blackheads, whiteheads, and impurities are removed instantly.

  4. Hydrate/infuse/protect – The Hydro-Facial saturates the skin with antioxidants and peptides to maximize your glow. Targeted skin solutions are delivered to address specific skin concerns. The skin is washed with a solution rich in antioxidants and highly moisturizing hyaluronic acid.

 

You can surely see my hydro-facial glow in my photo above. That was right after my session. 

 

 

This was the day after. I was still glowing! I did not have on any makeup, just lipstick. It felt as if my face had a reset. It certainly needed. I would highly recommend getting one if you can. If not I did find some great at home tools that you could use. The BeautyBio GLOfacial tool was highly recommended. This serum came recommended for the BeautyBio. There is also the blackhead remover, and the facial pore blackhead remover. I also found this face steamer. Oh, my I think I may have to order it. 

Let me know in the comments below if you have every had a professional hydro-facial. I would love to know!

 

  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

 

 

Brow Lamination

/in /by

 

Good Morning Friends,

Still warm where you are? It is here, goodness! I am so ready for cooler temps. This past weekend Lauren came home for fall break. She only gets two extra days. She wanted to go to Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, so we took her. There were a lot of people and a lot of things to look at! Oh my goodness! I really wanted to get some seasonings, and we picked up a few. Overall, it was a great experience. Lauren loved it and it was a great way for me to hit the outlet mall. I must say, I am not sure if outlet malls are for me anymore. I can’t find much there anymore. I look for specific things now and my taste must be too old fashion. Oh well…. 

I am still having my self-care appointments despite the shutdown. I shared on my blog a while back how I try to live during these times. It is always hard, but I try to wait and trust in the Lord. The good thing about my upcoming appointments is that most were birthday presents so they are already paid for! A few weeks ago, I did go and have my very first brow lamination appointment. 

 

 

These are photos of my eyebrows before. They have been thinning out for years now because I used to shape them with a brow razor. I have been trying to slow down to allow growth, but I think I may need a little assistance. Plus, I am tired of filling in my eyebrows every morning. As you can see in the photos, they are very light, and I don’t have very long eyelashes either. 

I started my hunt a few months ago and found Meraki Artistry.  She has so many brow services. I was thinking about getting the nano brows but was not ready to make a commitment so soon. I reached out to her, and she was so nice and so knowledgeable. She is also a nurse! She explained the process and payment options. 

 

 

But then I spotted the brow lamination service, and she explained how this will give you the nano brow look without it being permanent and a little more affordable. It gives you the opportunity to see how they would look if you wanted to go permanent. Above are my eyebrows after the treatment! WOW!

 

 

Honestly, they don’t even look the same. I have had them for about 3 weeks, and I still love them. Now Char puts a perm-like coating on your eyebrows. This trains them to lay down and brush in the direction that you want. I could not wash my eyebrows for 2 days but that is okay. For upkeep, I have a few small eyebrow brushes, and I lightly brush them with organic castor oil. Castor oil has been known for helping with eyebrow and eyelash growth. 

I will be going back in November for a second treatment and will continue until I see the results that I am seeking. I am enjoying being in this pocket of life. I love trying new things (that are in my arena) and having time to explore. I will update you all in the future regarding my eyebrow and eyelash journey. 

Take care! 

 

*Affiliate links attached; this post is not sponsored.