Tag Archive for: Monthly Favorites

Hello Friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I still cannot believe that Christmas is over and 2026 will be starting this week! I am ready to take down all of my Christmas decorations and start my new year refresh! I got my floral and fresh candles out and I am ready to start reorganizing and cleaning. Lauren came home from break and decided to purge her closet! OMG! You all I was so surprised. I did not see this coming. She got rid of a lot of her toys and clothes. It made me kind of sad to see all of her items go but I knew she ready. When I asked her why, she said that she wanted to move in her things that she was using. What it said to me was she was growing up and I was okay with that. 

Also, in other news my closet makeover has had many turns. I shared in July that I had a consultant come from California Closets and give me an estimate. Well I then tried to do a cheaper closet update. I ordered these closet organizers from Amazon. They are absolutely wonderful but don’t fit into my space well. So now I think I may have to spend a little more and get my closet updated with revamped rendering of what California Closets sent me. We will see. Now let’s get into my favorites for December!

Photo via: Old Money Culture via Instagram 

I want to start with this image that I saw on Instagram. I just adored it so much. I don’t know if it is real, but it spoke to my vintage heart. Her style is impeccable, and I really want to mimic her draped scarf! 

photo credits via: Mrs. Shockley 

Next up is a new diffuser and scent that I am trying out in my office space. Just look at how chic this diffuser is? This is the citrus and sage porcelain diffuser from Williams and Sonoma. It is wonderful and beautiful.

I also wanted to try some hair perfume. So, I ordered this Gardenia Grace from Amazon and all I can say is 4 stars! I love the scent, and it has a slight oil base to it. It comes in different scents but so far this has been my favorite. 

Oh I found an electric lighter! Now I have been wanting to try one of these for a while and I found one on Amazon that I LOVE! They are so easy to use and charge. I have been using it since November to light my candles and using my new faux fur blanket to snuggle under when I do my devotionals in the morning. 

I know Christmas is over, but I have been having these blue and white floral Christmas ornaments in my cart for a while now and I decided to order them. They are the perfect fit for my blue and white tree, and I am so happy that I ordered them. 

Now these were a fun find. This is a car diffuser. I did not put oil on it. I just wanted it for decor, and they both look lovely in my car. I have the gardenia and the lily of the valley. They are just beautiful and another way I am curating an elegant life. 

For my Christmas table setting this year I added a flannel tablecloth and lots of pine. I added little bunches of pine to my vintage vases and placed them in the center of the table. It turned out great and only took me about 30 minutes to set. We had a great Christmas dinner and I showed my husband’s aunt how to play Mahjong. It was a wonderful evening. 

I also wanted to share that a few items from the boutique are on sale for only $10! The cream Chinoiserie silk scarf is only $10, the Gigi velvet pump is only $15, and the Scarf Bracelet Cuff is on sale for only $10 as well. Order while you can. The sale won’t last long! Happy Holidays Everyone! 

• This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

Good Morning Friends,

Ohhh, my girlfriends and I were going to have tea at the Inn at Irwin Gardens, and it got cancelled! It was not our fault, but they did not have enough ticket sales. I am so sad but we are now going to their Christmas tea event in early December so that is something to look forward to.

I can’t believe it is the end of October already. I just got mums last week and they are looking so good. I have stopped buying mums so early because it is still warm here in October, so I now wait until end of the month to get mums and pumpkins. So far it is working out! 

The Indiana Conference for Women was so much fun this year. I was not expecting to meet Tina Knowles and get my book signed! Oh my gosh. I shared photos of it on my Instagram page. There are so many things that I love about being on staff for the conference. The perks far out weight the work that is for sure! 

Now onto to my favorites for October!

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

First on my list is my new Ralph Lauren coffee cup and saucer. I have been wanting one of these for a while now and my husband and I went to the outlet mall in Cincinnati, and their Ralph Lauren store had a few sets in stock! So I was able to see it in person. As of right now they are in stock online so if you want a set get it now! 

Second is my Mahjong practice area. I set this up a few weeks ago so that I could practice Mahjong. I will be attending my second class (Mahjong 102) this week and I am looking forward to it. So far I have two women who are wanting to play with me. I only need ONE more person to start my very own Mahj squad! I want to have game nights at least once a month of everyone other month. We will see! 

My vintage Louis Vuitton, of course, is on my list! I have had it a few weeks and I do adore it. I share the details about it on my YouTube channel. It is from the 1986 collection and does not have a lot of damage. The condition of the bag is extraordinarily good! I still can’t believe that I found a version in good shape. I am so grateful and happy! 

Next up are these hanging closet sachets. I decided to try the jasmine scent and oh my goodness! I do love them! They smell so good and are such a treat when I walk into my closet. I think they are such an elegant luxury and don’t cost much. I also have one in my car. You should try them. They are quite lovely. 

I know, I know. It is autumn and here I am sharing some white shoes. I saw these in Nordstrom recently and I do want to get more flats into my wardrobe. They are on sale for only $46 and I could not resist. They will be perfect for the upcoming spring/summer season. 

I could not pass up sharing my new secretary desk! I will go into more detail in another blog post because I think this deserves its own post. But I am so happy with her. 

And my last items are my blue light blocking nerd glasses from Amazon. These are so good! I saw Lydia Millen wearing them and decided to give them a try. I am thinking about ordering another pair to have my prescription lenses put into. The frame is great! Now how cute are these brooches from Chico’s! I had to get the Winter Lady Brooch. Isn’t she fancy? Then I could not get the bumble bee ornament. Now I don’t intend on using this as an ornament but a purse charm. 

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for the month of October. This was a great month for finds. Especially my new secretary which I will be sharing on the blog here soon. Keep in mind there are only 2 Lux Cardigan Brooches left. These sold like crazy earlier this month. I think everyone is getting their accessories ready for fall. 

I wanted to give a big thank you to Katie from The Modern Classic Life Blog! She recently shared my September favorites on her recent blog post. I loved her The Tenets of Luxury Lifestyle Blog post! You all should read it. It is exactly what we believe here on my blog. 

Have a great week and Happy Halloween!

• This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

Oh come on cooler weather! I really want cooler temperatures. This past weekend I was doing a few chores and felt myself sweat a little. I am trying not to rush the season, but it is so hard when you are burning up! I hope everyone is doing well. My husband and I went to another new restaurant for us. It was called Traders Point Creamery. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a very quiet and delicious dinner. I will share it on Instagram soon. Okay, now time for the most popular post on my blog, my monthly favorites!

I went antiquing recently in Franklin, Indiana and found a few beautiful items. I shared this on Instagram recently. The first is this large but outstanding bust that I found! I went down on a Saturday to shop then that evening I began to stew about this large bust that I saw. I could not resist. I had to go back and get her. Do you blame me? I found her at Fren Chic. 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

I also purchased these vintage replica pearl clip earrings from 1992 from Fren Chic. Then I popped on over to the Salvage Sisters which was down the street. As soon as I walked in, I saw this beautiful vintage chinoiserie table. They only wanted about $30 for it. I have placed it in my office and will use it around the house for whatever task I need. Then I walked around and saw this stunning red toile teapot. Pictured below. 

This cost me around $70. I was not happy about the price, but the size and color were marvelous, and I simply could not leave it there. I just couldn’t. Next up are my splendid Ralph Lauren Adrienne Wingtip pumps. These are practically sold out everywhere! I tried these on while in Orlando in June, but they were the higher heels, and I wanted a kitten heel. I found a pair at Macy’s, but I think Dillard’s is the last store to have the kitten heel version. I saw Lydia Millen trying on a pair in a recent video and I thought, oh well I am on trend! 

Next up is my new Estate Planner from Nikki Boyd. I also shared a reel of this on my Instagram. I cannot express how beautifully done this book is. I have always wanted a binder of some sort that explains in detail my wishes and provides my daughter everything she may need to plan my affairs. Get this as a gift for a loved one to begin that difficult conversation because trust me you should. After going through and dealing with my father’s affairs…. I just can’t express enough how important it is. 

Then my monthly dinners with my girlfriends is everything! Earlier this month we went to a Turkish restaurant here in my city and it was so delicious. I think I am in love with the appetizer tray. It had Hummus, Tabouli, Babaganush, Eggplant Salsa, Dolma and Ezme. It was a dream and so good! 

Flowers are still a monthly favorite of mine. Although I have not had a good selection in my stores lately this gorgeous bouquet of white garden roses came from Trader Joes. It was so needed and enjoyed in my bedroom! 

Then my team and I decided to have lunch at the small Cake Bake Shop in Broad Ripple. We all enjoyed it and had a wonderful time. I have not been to this location in years. Love the Eiffel Tower Ferris wheel in the window. 

Then lastly, I found a chinoiserie scarf from Amazon. I had to share it. It’s very elegant and the colors are perfect for the upcoming autumn season. Well farewell to August and happy September to everyone! I love September! The weather is perfect; it’s my birthday month and well it’s just a great time of the year. Have a great week!

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