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Our Trip to Universal ~ 2025

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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.  

2025 Decorators’ Show House & Gardens

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Hello Friends,

The weather has been wonderful and I have been in my garden most of this week! My sweet peas are starting to come up as well as my hollyhocks. Fingers crossed that everything comes up beautifully this year. I do have to repurchase my parrot tulip bulbs. I don’t know what happened to them but the seem to vanish in my pot in my greenhouse! I think something ate them or took them out. It is very confusing. 

I am a little late posting this, but the show house has ended for this season. I was so busy. I was a director this year, so I barely had time to really enjoy it. There was a lot of running around and I a lot to learn this year. We had a great turnout, and I think everyone really enjoyed it!

 

 

photo credit: Haven Media 

 

This year’s house was called the Baxter home and had some incredible history. It is also owned by one of our lovely Guild members. The original Baxter family moved into the house in 1931. I loved the French Norman style design and the stone on the home. It was so pretty!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

The home was originally 4,400 square feet and now spans approximately 7,000 square feet. The photos above were a few snapshots of the living room that was designed by BWR Home. Designer Blake Richardson is known for his maximalist design and bold blending. I renamed this room the “Ralph Lauren Room” because of all of the equestrian inspiration. 

 

 

 

I feel in love with this painting above. It did not make it in the show house, but it was there while I was doing a house-sitting shift. Designer Todd Ottermann, created a beautiful wall of art in the entry way and second floor landing, and this piece is in his inventory. I think it is stunning! 

The room in the photo to the right was called the Golden Apple Cafe. It was designed by Greyhunt Interiors.  Sallie Lord was there in person discussing the room and I just really enjoyed meeting her and talking about wallpaper. She was trying to “fight for my honor”. My husband was there helping me with a house shift and Sallie was telling him that wallpaper is not all that bad. Thank you Sallie! 

 

 

This space was called the Hideaway, and it was designed by Catherine Marrano Interiors.  What I loved most about this room was well everything! This room was originally the laundry room, but Catherine turned it into a multipurpose space. She added the murphy bed which maximized the space and just look at the color of that wood! I loved the warm wood tones and the beautiful greens. It came together so well. 

 

 

 

The last space that I managed to get a photo of while running around was the called the Keeping Room. It was attached to the kitchen which had green colored Viking appliances. I loved the beautiful natural sisal rug and all of the cozy fabrics. I am now on the hunt for a sisal rug for my family room downstairs. I want to layer it with my blue and white rug. Both the keeping room and the kitchen were designed by MW Harris, LLC. 

We had lots of awesome sponsors this year and continue to raise money for Eskenazi Health. We also had some new decorators join the show house! This year marked the 64th year and we continue to be the longest running show house in the country. If you are local, I do hope that you will stop by next year and help us continue this tradition. If you want to take the virtual tour you can do so here.  Just double click on all of the spaces to move around. Enjoy the tour and let me know what your favorite room was in the comments section. 

 

  • I am a member of the St. Margaret’s Guild. 

 

 

 

 

The Peony Season ~ 2025

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Hello Friends,

What a week for me. I have been really busy at work, and we buried my father on Thursday. So, there has been a lot going on. Rick and I did get my raised garden beds installed in the backyard, and I have planted some seeds! I planted some sweet peas, moved my tulips to the beds, planted some larkspur, hollyhocks, verbena, and lemon balm. I am so excited about this new garden journey and of course will be sharing it here soon. 

The peony season this year certainly came and went as usual. I hate that this season is so short. It feels like you can’t fully enjoy it. I of course went to the Peony Festival this year again. It has become a yearly tradition for me. It was so CROWDED. It was actually almost unbearable! I am hoping that they will consider making it two days next year or get a bigger venue. It was really crowded. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

I am carrying the MME. MINK Carlton Basket tote. 

 

My husband and I did not stay long but I did get to visit my favorite vendors. I picked up some candles from Linnea and some peonies from JP Parker.  Oh my goodness, their new candle, Lilac, is a dream. The notes of lilac and moss, oh my goodness! It is really good! After the festival we stopped and had brunch. The weather was great and of course riding in a car full of peonies is a treat. 

 

 

I cannot resist the coral peonies. Now they are not as fragrant as the pink or white, but their layers of colors are breathtaking. Just look at these. I actually picked up this bouquet from Whole Foods! That had such a wonderful inventory this year. Expensive but wonderful. Also I found this beautiful swan pitcher at HomeGoods. 

 

 

Overall, the I enjoyed the peony season this year. My peonies came up beautifully. I even had a surprise new batch appear in my front garden this year. I always look forward to this season and make sure that I enjoy it thoroughly. I always make sure to gather all of my bouquets for a picture on my dining room table. So fleeting and such a glorious season!

Have a great weekend! 

 

 

A Charcuterie Board Party

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Hello Friends,

The weather here has been fantastic lately. Sitting on my porch and enjoying the birds and flowers has been added to my self-care routine. A few days ago, I grabbed a book and a cup of tea and sat on my porch for two hours. It was heaven.

 

 

My David Austin roses are in full bloom. I cut a few and placed them in vases in my home. I adore my scallop tray table from HomeGoods. I tried to find it online but could not. I did find this similar one on Amazon.  My lettuce teapot has been sold out from Target for a while, but I did find a set that is similar on QVC. You may shop the teapot here, teacups here, and the sugar and cream set here. 

My events for the month of May have continued. Another event that I attended was the build a charcuterie board day at the show house. This event was hosted by my group, the Guild, and put on by a local company called Sprig + Plate. 

 

photo credit: K. Cuppy

 

 

The company was started by the lovely Molly (on the left). Molly and her team were so helpful in explaining how cheeses and meats worked together as well as fruits. Once we sat down, I could not wait to dive into the lovely spread. There were fresh sweet peas, cheese, pretzels, nuts, spinach dip and oh yes chocolate!

 

 

Molly and her team could come to your home and do a “build a charcuterie board” event with you and your girlfriends! We had a lot of fun doing this at the show house! We picked out our fruits, meats, cheeses, nuts, and there was a spinach dip that I was in love with! It was so delicious with the fresh carrots that she had. We placed everything in our little box that came with a lid so that we could take it home. My box did not make it out of the tent! 

We laughed, drank wine, and learned that Molly also does meal prep dinners for families. I was so inspired by this that I now have a spinach dip in my fridge with carrots that I have been eating on! Also, I will be creating my very own charcuterie board for Memorial Day! If you live in Indianapolis, I would encourage you to look them up and set up an event for your friends and family. It was a wonderful experience and hope that they return to next year’s show house! 

 

  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

 

 

 

Spring Garden Party – Providence Home

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Hello Friends,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! I wanted to keep things simple and just have dinner and stay home.  My husband did get me this green cherry blossom ginger jar from Williams Sonoma. It has been on my list for a while now and I am enjoying it in my kitchen. I was busy with the show house last week. We had really big crowds and beautiful weather. I was one of the directors this year, so I was running around keeping an eye on everything and relieving the docents for breaks, but it was a lot of fun! I am already looking forward to seeing next year’s house and will share a few photos later of the 2025 show house. 

I am sharing a recent spring garden party that I attended a few weeks ago. It was actually hosted by one of our show house designers Judy Bates. Judy has an interior design company called JB Designs Interior Design and she focuses on clean, classic, and comfort. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The event was held at a store called Providence Home & Garden located in Noblesville. This store is a home decor store that offers a cafe shop as well. It was beautifully decorated, welcoming, and smelled wonderful! 

 

 

This first event was a mini cocktail workshop with a complimentary cocktail to sample. I am not a cocktail person but have grown to become interested in it since the kids are getting older. The company that taught this portion was called MixoIndy. They are a local company that teaches in person classes, and they provide everything. I cannot remember that name or ingredients for this drink, but it was so delicious! 

 

 

The next event was table setting and Judy took the lead in this portion. She talked about the furniture, china or dishes, napkins and floral arrangements for table settings. We looked at one of her table settings for indoors and outdoors. There were lots of laughs and down-to-earth conversations about how one could live with beautiful items which I am always discussing here on the blog. We went outside to look at one of her outdoor table settings and to hear her ideas. One of them was to use a blanket as a table cover for the outdoors. GREAT IDEA especially for the summer!  

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Once Judy finished discussing her table settings we went inside to shop with our discounts and gather some flower arrangements outside the store. Overall, it was a fabulous experience, and I am so glad that I attended. It gave me an opportunity to talk with Judy, visit a new store, try a cocktail, and learn a few tips and tricks about dining and making drinks. If you are here locally, I would encourage you to visit Providence Home and Garden in Noblesville. If you love home decor and are looking for different places to then drive up there. It’s a beautiful store with a wonderful staff. Also if you are looking for someone to help you decorate your home or your elderly parents’ space then contact Judy Bates. She is adding that new feature to her company which is helping family with life transitions. 

 

I will be sharing a reel of this event on my Instagram page here. 

  • This post is not sponsored. 

 

 

 

 

 

Story by Tiffany Skilling~ A New Store

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Good Morning,

I’ve been a busy little elf. This week I am filming a video in my home with Dr. Minju Witte! I have been keeping it under wraps because I needed to work out the details but now, I can share it! We will be discussing the questions from you and then just letting our conversation have some freedom! I look forward to sharing the video soon!

In my April newsletter I shared that I had lots of “elegant adventures” scheduled in the upcoming weeks ahead. This is one of my adventures from April. I visited the beautiful new store of one of my favorite interior designers here in my city Tiffany Skilling. 

Her new store is called Story….

 

 

Her gorgeous new store is located just across the street from her interior design firm. I have been to her firm before to shop but love the idea of her having a second location! I decided to go for a visit after my floral prep volunteer shift at Random Acts of Flowers. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

Walking into the store I gasped, and I mean I had a big GASP! It was so beautiful and so layered. That is one thing that I think Tiffany and her team do well is layering. There were antiques in every corner. There was china, crystal, chandeliers, solid wood furniture pieces and vintage rugs. 

 

 

I mean seriously! This was an elegant dream! The beautiful vintage garden stools, wonderous trinkets, oil paintings, and can we talk about the wallpaper!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

The lovely sales associate told me that it was Schumacher. Of course it is. Look at how beautiful that is! And just look at that stunning vintage mirror. 

 

 

I then began walking about the tables investigating all of the details until I noticed a heavenly scent in the air. I looked on the bookshelf and they had this beautiful collection of botanical candles called Carriere Freres 1884. I could not resist so I went over to smell all of the scents and had a very hard time not buying all of them. In the end I ended up choosing Lily of the Valley and Tomato. I was told that the tomato scent is one of their most popular scents and I can see why. The notes in it are so good and it does not smell like a vegetable candle. It is quite lovely. Now not only do we have a gift for the eyes, touch, and now there was a scent. The store is a gift to the senses! 

 

There was also wrapping paper that looked like wallpaper. Each table had a charming table setting with different plates, napkins and glassware. There were also trinkets and paintings. I was in love with the pink blush bench that was position at this table and just look at the spectacular chandelier! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The store felt so cozy, warm, inviting and elegant. The way interior design should be. You can tell that everything was carefully curated and thought out. I believe that beauty is a way of living and as I get older that belief is becoming stronger in every element of my life. Life is so interesting to me now. Since my mind and heart want beauty it seems to come to me in every way. Even visiting stores like this bring fulfillment to my soul. If you live in Indy and love design, you should visit Tiffany’s store. As I said before, it is a gift to the senses. Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day! 

 

  • This post is not sponsored. 

 

A Walk-Through History

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Good Morning Friends,

Do you have any blooms in your neck of the woods? I certainly do! I love it when my trees begin to bloom. It certainly helps with my morning walks. It makes them so pleasant and beautiful. My tulips did okay in my greenhouse this year. When we install my raised beds, I will be sure to move those to the outside. But I am also trying to give myself some grace because this is the first year of me trying to grow tulips in my greenhouse. 

Remember my elegant adventures that I mentioned? Well, I just had one this past weekend. The organization that I volunteer for just had a run/walk marathon through our historical home district and it was phenomenal! This was the 3rd annual Dash by the Past, and it was my first time. It was so nice walking through that area with friends and seeing the gorgeous homes that I have loved since I was a kid. 

 

 

A photo of me not being dressed up is rare! But here I am in my sun hat that I wear on my morning walks, my black cape, workout sweater, workout leggings, and walking shoes. I was comfy and layered up because it was cold. I still wore a pair of pearls and some big sunglasses. 

 

 

It was such a beautiful day and a fun walk. We walked about 3 miles and got to look at all the homes in the historical district. There were about 300 people who signed up. 

 

 

Our Guild group put out all of the Past Decorators Show House post. It was so fun to see each past show house. I have only been in the Guild for 3 years and have learned a lot, had fun, and made friends. 

 

 

 

If you live in the area, I hope that you would consider joining us next year. All of the proceeds benefit Eskenazi Health and go toward helping us with our mission to support mental health. Cheers to home beauty and supporting the community!

 

 

 

  • Afflialte links attached – photo credits: Mrs. Shockley