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A Barbie Tea at the Propylaeum

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What a wonderful, long weekend! I truly enjoyed it. I watched Suspicion with Cary Grant and set my DVR for recording the new Jane Austen inspired movies on Hallmark. They have been really nice so far. I have also been adding LOTS of new Amazon finds to my lists and my Shop my Favorites page on my website.

A few days ago, it was my turn to watch the Showhouse. As a Guild member we take turns assisting the contractors and designers. I always enjoy this. It gives me an opportunity to meet the local designers and learn about companies in my area. 

Another great perk of being a Guild member is exposure to wonderful organizations. I was recently invited to a Barbie Tea theme party at a women’s historical society called the Propylaeum. The Propylaeum was started in 1888 and was created to provide a center for cultivation for women. 

When I pulled up to the historical home, I knew that I would love it.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

It has a very grand entrance. You can also rent some space at the historical home for parties or weddings. 

 

 

Loving the staircase, even with the dated carpet. 

 

 

The floors….

 

 

photo credit: The Propylaeum

I decided to be a good sport and take a photo in the Barbie themed photo-opt area. Not usually my thing but I did enjoy it! I kept my outfit simple yet comfortable. I am wearing a pink blush dress, ballerina cardigan from my boutique, my Tory Burch cap toe heels, and my vintage Louis Vuitton. (I have a 2xl left in light pink of the ballerina cardigan on my website). 

 

 

I stopped, grabbed a glass of pink Moscato, and headed to my table. 

 

 

The room was put together so well and was a wonderful welcome to a drury Saturday morning. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I sat next to my friend Amy who immediately made me try Earl Grey tea. Yes you read that correctly. I have NEVER tried Earl Grey tea until that ladies tea and I must say it was so good! I also loved seeing all of the vintage china, tea sandwiches and pastries as well. 

 

 

Now most of us at the table did not know each other but that did not stop me from asking who was a member of the Propylaeum and who was not. I wanted to know more about the institution and the leadership opportunities that they offered. Sadly, no one at my table was a member. It was nice catching up with Amy and Margaret, but it was also wonderful to meet new people. 

 

 

Loved the paintings on the ceilings. People put so much more effort into elegant living back then. 

 

 

After the tea, I decided to go upstairs and do a self-guided tour of the home. This room was my absolute favorite. I love the pink paint color, detailed fireplace and floors. This home had tons of rooms. It felt as if the house went on and on. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I also could not get enough of this vintage bed and fabric headboard. Oh magnifique! Just beautiful! There is a Mother’s Day tea scheduled soon. I really would like to go so we will see if I can fit it into my schedule. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you have made any new recent tearoom discoveries in your city.

 

  • Side note: the Elizabeth Arden Vintage Vanity Collection has been added to my Poshmark page. Take a peek, make an offer! 

A Candle Project…

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Good Morning,

The weather here in Indy was great this past weekend. We had lots of sunshine on Sunday. It was so needed. I attended a ladies afternoon tea that I can’t wait to share with you soon. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and we intend on spending it at home. What I do want is a beautifully scented bouquet. Something with lots of beautiful greenery and blush colors. So we will see!

Now I want to share something with you that was absolutely spectacular to me! As you all know I am a part of the St. Margaret’s Guild and we are about to gear up for the 2024 Showhouse. I am really looking forward to seeing how the rooms will be transformed. This year a special project has been added.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

We are working on a signature candle scent for this year’s showhouse, and I am so excited to be a part of this project. I can’t go into details about our specific process, but I can share that working with Penn & Beech candle company was a phenomenal experience!

 

 

The process was so simple and exciting. I have ALWAYS wanted to create my own signature scent and I so glad that I got to experience this process with the Guild. 

 

 

These were some of my favorite oils. I am a floral girl to my core and wanted nothing but floral and clean scents. I can’t wait to share with you all the final product and I will be making an appointment myself to perhaps create a signature candle for A Home for Elegance. I am working with a consultant at this time and hope to start the process soon! I will keep you posted!

 

  • This post is not sponsored. 

 

 

My Small Tour of the Columbia Club

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Good Morning,

I am so ready for the weekend. I plan on cleaning up my entire walk-in closet. I ordered a lot of organizational supplies from Amazon. I will be sure to share what I order. I want to clean it out and turn it into my very own boutique. I am looking forward to it.

Lauren will be going back to college this weekend. I am a little sad. We will miss her! Earlier this week one of my Guild friends invited me and a few others over for a late lunch. It was marvelous! She made salmon, lamb chops, red potatoes, asparagus, couscous, polenta, salad and a homemade apple and pear pie. It was sooo good!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

She set a beautiful table for us for lunch. 

 

 

What a beautiful lunch! It was such a wonderful time and a great way to start the new year. Then another Guild friend a few weeks prior invited me to lunch and a tour of the Columbia Club. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

The Columbia Club is a private social club. There is fine dining, fitness, wellness facilities, offices, conference rooms and hotel rooms. I have worked downtown for many years and was ALWAYS curious about this club.

When Sue took me to this room, I thought WOW! I could throw a party here if I was a member. 

 

 

Loving the details.

 

 

There were so many different conference rooms and party rooms. Each one decorated differently. This particular room had all of the blue and white. 

 

 

 

 

This space is used for weddings. Just think as a member you could be using this space. 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: My dear friend

 

Sue took me to all of the office spaces which I could use if I became a member. There is also a hotel which you could stay. There is a spa, and lots of events for members. It was a great experience, and I was so grateful that I got to see it. After looking around we had lunch in the French Room. I order their delicious Harvest Apple Salad. It was so good! I am thinking about getting a membership and if I do, I will be sure to share more about this fantastic club!

 I hope you all have a great weekend!

 

 

 

My Visit to the RH Indianapolis

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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