un-belle-ievable frizz fighter find…a winner of a friend-1-1

14 Friday Aug 2015

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frizz fighter, hair product, smoothing creme, surface curls cream

We are not bragging when we say we know our hair products. Our hair is a priority. A hair appointment will take precedence over just about anything…just sayin. And we are very tolerant…unless you touch our hair…then the Tasmanian belle comes out. Don’t mess with the hair!!

We have thoroughly researched every hair product and procedure…mainly because one belle in this duo has an inordinate amount of hair that is thick, wavy and frizzy when in its natural state. Let’s be clear…since the invention of the flat-iron, Japanese hair straightening, Brazilain Blowouts and frizz-fighting products, it’s been a coon’s age since we’ve seen “the natural state”.

We don’t recommend many hair products because we are a bit particular, and there are very few that fit all the requirements or work to our satisfaction. But, we seem to have found a blue-ribbon winner, belles!

Blonde belle tried it on her aforementioned horse hair and was pleased. But since she has a Brazilian blowout, it really couldn’t be given the a-okay quite yet.

So, a beach-bound belle and her daughter were the next testers. No hair dryers or tools were used…just air drying. Results? Huge success!! So much so that mom came back empty handed because her offspring could no longer live without it.

The final tester was our very own baby belle. She has beautiful golden curls, but sometimes the frizz gets in the way. Unless she is straightening her lovely locks, she only air-dries to keep the frizz at bay. We have tried an inordinate number of products and methods to no avail. Until now that is…

The anticipation is killing you isn’t it??? Well, wait no longer…here it is :

Surface curls smoothing cream
This is a product that met the approval of 4 very hair-conscious belles…what more could you ask for? Off you go now…your hair will thank you!

a&a

sangria…belle style…wingin’ it

13 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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Budha Girl, cucumber and fresh ginger sangria, how sweet eats, the kitchn, the minimalist baker, traditional red sangria, watermelon cucumber sangria

Sangria…not your mother’s boxed Gallo wine, tired fruit and boatload of sugar here…heavens no! Fresh peaches, a few strawberries for color, a light simple syrup (because a belle has to watch her girlish figure) and a good bottle of champagne will have y’all making this reto bev that has become so very au courant.

We were recently staying at a belle pal’s beach house for a little r&r when, lo and behold, we made the thrilling discovery that we had just what we needed for a little sangria moment of our own!!
So we chopped up some farm fresh peaches and strawberries…..

Made a little simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and reduced for a few minutes…..

Let the fruit soak in simple syrup for a couple of hours. We added a glug or two from the remains of last nights champers….

We do love the bubbles!!!!!

After a cooling off period in the fridge , we spooned the glorious fruit concoction into our thirsty cocktail glasses and topped with fresh champagne…Voila!!

A beautiful cocktail to match the view!! By the by, these incredible bracelets are from Budha Girl. They are great reminders about intent, gratitude and being in the present. See our post here. We love the notion of mindful glamour, and who doesn’t need a gentle reminder to stop, breathe, and live in the moment?

Now while you don’t really need a recipe, we do know that most of y’all prefer at least a little guideline. So we found our favorite sangria recipes with a twist here ,here and here.

So get creative, have fun, and put a little produce in your libation!!

a&a

what’s ringin our belle…round 15

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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carnation cocktail stirrers, edible shotglasses, frozen margarita slushies, how sweet eats, nordstrom, refinery 29, refinery 29camille styles, sallys baking addiction, samosas, siri, Topshop, white bean dip

The latest belle-ringers…

Time to get frozen.

Best entertaining idea ever!!

While we are at it…let’s up our entertaining game. Can’t wait to do this!

And dying to try what we agree might be the perfect appetizer.

This dip would also delight .

How about this as a hostess dress?

Or this little number?

And Siri might just be a belle..
Cheers!!!

a&a

retail therapy…just sayin’

09 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in just sayin'

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just sayin', retail, shopping

Highly recommended therapy!!

a&a

calling all shoe mavens…a shoe-fetish friend-1-1

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in fashion forward

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cors, gladiator, jeffrey campbell, lace up, loafer, open case, sandal

One of our junior belles is getting ready to head off to college, so we have kicked up our shopping to warp speed.

Of course, to cover our footwear needs, we hit our favorite local shoe haunt, Muse, to see what we could find. Well, we are here to tell you that we found three winners! We are so excited we can’t even stand ourselves!!!

Now, we believe in footwear that you can carry over into seasons, and all of these fit the bill (shout-out to Jeffrey Campbell who designed all three. Bravo!).

The pair we started drooling over first was this sandal.

These shoes look so sexy and edgy, yet they are comfortable with a great heel height. They look like nothing on the shelf, so it took some convincing for us to even try them…but when we did, we loved them so much we walked right out wearing them. Poor junior belle has to wait on this pair because we decided we needed to take a lap or two in them!! They also come in a very sexy black…

Next up is the cutest pair of gladiators you ever did see…and for those of you with longer feet, these actually make them look dainty! They zip up the back, so they are super-easy to throw on, and they transition perfectly from summer to fall when it’s still hot but you can’t get away with a summer skimmer.

Muse has these in black and a beautiful saddle color. This is a shoe that makes any outfit, so get them while they are in stock!

The next little shoe is super on-trend for fall, and junior belle eyed them as soon as she walked through the door. This is the perfect color, style and shape to keep you fashionable all year!

If y’all don’t get these, then you are plum crazy…just sayin’. And please note that the cut-out and the tassels are very flattering to all feet!!

Muse has an excellent selection at quite reasonable pricepoints, making our tootsies happy and our pocketbooks are even happier! These beauties and many more are fresh off the truck, so call or stop by soon before you miss out!

a&a

drinkin’ on the job…comin’ home to “roost”

06 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in bar belles

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cocktails, drinkin' on the job, Roost

Our latest “on-the-job reporting” for TALK Greenville…

As the long, hot summer forges on, we are delighted with any excuse to do some cocktailin’…a girl has to stay refreshed one way or another! Our most recent search for just the right cocktail(s) to suit our summer tastes came with a “fresh-n-local” bonus at Roost in downtown Greenville. The bar-folks there are quite creative with their offerings…and they keep it real with things like small batch, South Carolina-made bourbon, house-made mixes and all-natural sodas…giving visitors and locals alike a taste of what this great place we call home is all about.

roostrestaurant.com

It was quite a challenge to choose just a couple of cocktails from their extensive, creative list!

Our first cocktail of choice – The Roost Cool & Spicy Margarita. Now, this is a drink worth crowing about! Freshly-muddled cucumber and cilantro along with house-made sour mix combine to strike the perfect balance to green chili tequila. This breezy blend will have you feeling like cock of the walk or fresh as a daisy.

Our next choice – the Pecan Bourbon Whiskey Smash is Kevin’s pride-n-joy. Usually, we are happy to share, but this one is a “get your own” kinda cocktail! Pecan bourbon and lemon juice are added to muddled mint and lemon, creating a sweet southern sipper with a crispy citrus on the end. It’ll make you want to nest for a while.

roostrestaurant.com

Expect to see it all during your “roost” at the bar. The afternoon brings everything from golfers looking to cool off after a round, business-types looking to unwind after a long day, and folks like us…just lookin’ to enjoy a refreshing beverage and chit-chat. The attire is hip-business-casual and excalates as the evening unfold.

roostrestaurant.com

Roost has far more than just cocktails to offer…no shocker there! With that fresh-n-local focus, the menu offers a little something for everyone. And, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy the live music on Thursday and Friday evenings throughout the summer in NOMA plaza. They are set up to accommodate groups of all sizes for dinner…no crowd is too large…so, whether you are out with the girls for a bit of a “hen party” or out with a fella who likes to “rule the roost”, they have you covered!

what’s ringin’ our belle…round 14

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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camilles styles, grapefruit, loeffler randall, mydomaine, paloma cocktail, pesto chicken salad, refinery29, shopbop, spoonforkbacon, summer punches, the londoner, trader joes

Let’s beat that humidity shall we?? Cheers!!

Did you know these fun facts?? Neither did we!

We loooove the idea of a lazy belle’s chicken salad…best way to beat the heat is to stay out of the kitchen!!

These are so cool, we don’t mind the heat…

Belles…honesty is the best policy…finally bottles that can do the truth-telling for us…

And because it is important to stay hydrated and keep things cool…a nifty trick to keep those big batch cocktails!

Stay cool belles …

a&a

profanity has its perks…just sayin’

02 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in just sayin'

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just sayin', profanity

Blow off that steam, belles!

a&a

just give a little whistle…a fashionabelle friend-1-1

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in fashion forward, what's ringin' our belle

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accessories, BLO Vintage, jewelry, necklaces, Taz Greenville, whistle

While out-n-about and on the job (aka…shopping) the other day, we ran across an über-cool line of accessories that we simply MUST share! We love to see a little somethin’ new and different, and thought these were just a kick!

At Taz “on the Plaz” in Greenville, we found these awesome necklaces using vintage (and totally functional) whistles!

Combining style, history and safety (a belle needs to protect herself sometimes), these stunners from BLO Vintage will blow your socks off!!

With so many options (they have bracelets, too) we belles can always be ready for what comes at us…”every breath counts”

And speaking of “every breath counts”…BLO Vintage is very active in its support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, working to help those who battle CF and doing its part to help find a cure.

Now that’s worth whistlin’ about, belles!! You DO know how to whistle, don’t you??

a&a

clutch it, belles…bags to grab-n-go

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in fashion forward

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Alexander Wang, Annabel Ingall, bags, Berry, Ceri Hoover, Clare V, Clutch, Elaine Turner, Elliott Lucca, fall2015, GaBaG.Co, Hoss, India Hicks, Muse Shoe Studio, nordstrom, Paule Ka, purse, savvy, She + Lo, Twill

We’ve talked about the clutch before, belles, (remember this?) but we want to be sure you were listening!! These little stylish bags are perfectly polished all alone for those “pulled-together” moments…holding all of the necessities without screaming for attention…but are small enough to pop into the big day bag for the belle on-the-go. (Speaking of that day bag, one of us had someone call hers a “samsonite” the other day! Time to downsize? Probably not 😉

Here are a few of our faves for fall…

From Nordstrom: