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January Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning,

Oh my goodness everyone, I had a good weekend, but I sure do feel like I was hit by a truck this week! I don’t feel sick but I am emotional and physically drained. I had lunch earlier last week with some of my Guild friends to work on a special project for the showhouse this year. During our lunch we started talking menopause and perimenopause which I think I am in the thick of. 

I talked about how I loss 18 pounds during Covid and then last year it ALL came back within a few months. My friends shared a doctor with me that has a podcast, and I have started watching some of her videos regarding symptoms of perimenopause. I am on a journey right now to figure things out, but I will be SURE to share with you all what I am learning and supplements that I have started to take. 

I also binged watched Operation Niki’s organizing videos on Instagram. Oh my goodness! I love them all. I have so many items in my Amazon cart. Lord! I have also joined TikTok! My handle names are of course @ahomeforelegance and @mrs..shockley. I hope you can find me and follow along. Now let’s get into my favorites for the first month of 2024! 

 

 

You all know that I have been on an organizational kick recently and finding this bag was a part of it! I get stopped non-stop about this bag and the trolley that it comes with! I mean even men stop me about it! This has been a game changer. I normally carry two totes to the office every day and having this tote that I am able to put on the trolley and pull it into my office has been wonderful. Now my particular color is quite expensive but there are other colors that are a little less. Let me know if you get one!

 

 

The second was a crazy find! So for Christmas last year I really wanted a Christian Dior advent calendar but at $1,000 (with products) I could not stomach spending that. Also, with products it could be hit or miss with if you like them or not. I really just wanted the calendar part and then it dawned on me, “hey I wonder if anyone will just sell the calendar on Poshmark”. So I checked and found one! This particular seller was selling hers for just $40 and I quickly added it to my cart and purchased it. It is so elegant, and I cannot wait to use it this upcoming holiday season! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

 

Now with these shoes I understood the power of an influencer. These shoes were posted on the LTK app. There were about 4 pairs left in my city and I thought I would just pop by one and pick up a pair. Wrong! By the time the evening came there was only ONE pair left and I had to call the Target which took them 2 hours to answer the phone, to find out if the pair was still there! I was able to put them on hold and pick them up but oh my goodness! My city was filling online orders because of the demand! It was incredible! So glad I got a pair but sadly they are sold out! 

 

 

My fourth favorite is a table full of wonder. While I was putting away all of my Christmas decor, I decided to change my floral arrangements around my home as well. I put all of the arrangements on my dining room table and saw this. It was so wonderful! I left it like this for a few hours and just enjoyed it. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Speaking of flowers doesn’t this pink bouquet look wonderful in this vintage vase? This was one of my antique finds during my shopping in January. It is stunning and looks wonderful on my dresser. It is from FrenChic in Franklin, Indiana. 

 

 

My sixth favorite was my very first avocado toast! Yep that is right! My very first avocado toast. This had avocado, poached eggs, bacon, and was marvelous! This was what I ordered at a place called the Garden Table with my Guild friends. 

My last favorite is a newly discovered YouTube channel…

 

This channel is called American Viscountess and it is spectacular if you love touring historical castles and properties! You could seriously binge watch her channel. It is quite enjoyable! 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for this month. I will have some more organizational finds and decor ideas coming soon!

 

 

 

“And Why are We Living this Way?”

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Good Morning Everyone,

I have had a very busy week! Lots of meetings and Zoom calls! I am looking forward to the extended weekend. I plan on finally taking down all of my Christmas decor. I have been so ready to get everything put up but with my recent closet organization project, I knew that it would take up my entire weekend and it did!

I also need to stop by Bath and Body Works. I want to get some spring scents for my home but I may need to check my cabinets. I think I already have a stash of candles waiting. I also need to film a YouTube video or maybe post a short. We will see what I can get done.

Now what is the deal with this title you may ask? Well, I will be glad to tell you. 

For the last few weeks, I have been doing things around the home and to my frustration things have been broken, I can’t find it, it’s not organized, and so on and so on. So, the phrase, “why am I living like this”, came out of my mouth. As soon as those words came out it was like a revelation. My mind said, “well why are we”? There are so many tools, tips and tricks out there that honestly, we are without excuse not to bring order to our lives. 

I will start with these few things…

 

 

First is my new battery organizer from Amazon. So my husband had a giant sandwich bag of batteries, and they were just stuffed in one of our drawers in the kitchen. Every time we opened that drawer to look for something the bag of batteries would be in the way, some would come out, and I just said out loud, “why are we living this way”! So, I ordered this. Easy fix! And you know what? I had been dealing with that for over a year! A year people! Ridiculous! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Next was my mouse. I have been wanting a white mouse for years for my downtown office and other staff kept saying, “can’t the office just order you one”? Well, a few months ago I had a “why am I living like this” moment and I just decided to order one myself from Amazon. Then when I would take my laptop home to work from home the next day, I would stuff my mouse in my laptop case. I then thought, “why don’t I just order my mouse its own case”? So, I ordered this case from Amazon. Problem solved! 

 

 

Now we move to my car. Now I shared a few things that I purchased for my car last year, but there were still some things that I wanted to get for it. I loved my other purchases so much that I decided to finish my list. I went ahead and ordered this car trash can. I absolutely LOVE this thing! Oh my goodness! It’s a great addition to my car. It comes in a set of 2. 

 

 

Then I moved on to my closet. I have been wanting to re-organize my closet for months. I will be honest; this is what it looked like before I got to work on it. This is the worst it has ever been! I sort of just let my shelves go for a few weeks until my new organizational items came.  

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Here is the end result! I felt like I was not using my space in the proper way. I wanted my shelving system to have more of a boutique feel. So I just and looked at it and figured out what I needed. I knew that I wanted to see my sunglasses, so I ordered this sunglass display, and it looks so much better! I also put my sunglass cases in a box next to them for easy access.

 

 

I also purchased these purse organizers to separate my cosmetic bags and wallets. 

 

 

 

 

Next were my totes. I have been wondering about these tote hangers from Amazon for a while now. So I decided to order one pack and I could not be happier! Oh my goodness! I love them!

 

 

And last on my list were my robes. Now I only have a few but I wanted them in a more centralized area. They were on hangers in a different section in my closet and I never saw most of them. I want to be able to see them and use them so I purchased this over the door hanger rack. It has worked our marvelously! 

I now feel like I have a better system going on in my closet. I am using my space in a way that benefits me and it looks beautiful. Since I did a closet purge, I am selling some of my items on my Poshmark closet. Take a look and make an offer if you want! 

Oh and I almost forgot! My boutique has a new arrival. The Gatsby pearl necklace is available for purchase. It would look lovely with a pair of the blush Cameo earrings! Have a great weekend!

 

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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!

 

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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!

 

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Autumn Blue and White

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Good Morning Everyone,

My branding project is still underway. I have been slowing changing and playing around with my new logo and other new branding tools that my brand manager has sent me. It has been truly inspiring seeing my vision for a more elegant logo and signage for my blog and boutique come to pass. I am hoping that this is a sign of things to come. 

I had a lot of fun creating a reel for the boutique’s new arrival. My husband helped me with filming. I want to create more reels but they are a lot of work! Especially if you have a certain vision in mind and don’t want to mimic with other people are doing which can be very hard because there are so many creative people online. 

We are now in the full swing of the autumn season, and I have found myself a little too busy to decorate! Well, I will be honest the items that I really want are far too expensive. I follow Belle Omniley on Instagram and find her holiday style so inspiring! She recently posted the photo below and I knew that this would be the inspiration for my porch!

 

photo credit: Belle Omniley (Instagram)

 

Oh my goodness! Do we see the color palette? Do we see the blue and white ginger jars? Oh my goodness! As soon I saw the ginger jars I wanted to pull mine out and place them on the porch immediately! It’s just gorgeous!

 

 

So happy that she shared an up-close photo. I have this photo saved in my phone. I have already purchased 3 huge mums but they died already! I am seriously considering getting some faux mums! I found these faux green topiary balls on Amazon and I think that they would look great in my blue and white planters. They look really similar to her green mums in this photo. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I did find these beautiful blue and white pumpkins at the At Home store last year at the end of the autumn season. I don’t think that they are available anymore, but I have these placed in our family room. 

 

I pulled my fabric blue and white pumpkins out this year. I love these and they were such a good find! Of course, they are from the At Home Store, but they are no longer available. You can see my skeleton Frank who is sitting in his chair for this Halloween season. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I did purchase a new magnolia wreath for my porch. It looks beautiful! If I am able to find some new mums or purchase some faux topiary I will be sure to share a new photo! Happy Autumn!

 

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