26 Friday Jun 2015
Posted in friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle
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Just a quick tip for all you belles out there…
Here is a terrific post on TEDBlog that you will not want to miss…it’s a must-read for any belle on-the-go.
They highlight apps that do quite amazing things such as helping getting around a city, staying organized, staying in shape and other “random” things that we might not have even known we needed!
So do yourself a favor and make your lives a tad easier…thank you Tedblog!
a&a
05 Friday Jun 2015
A good friend, Bebe…a belle pal from our college days…shared a great discovery which is very much in keeping with our love of cocktailing!
Via fancy.com
Wouldn’t these be a tremendous gift for anyone ? And we don’t mind saying they would be a great gift for yourself! Order them at fancy.com .
Another belle suggested we try a great wine. She swears that every time she serves it up, people ask about it and love the smooth crisp flavor. We obliged and tasted…who are we to argue?? The results are in and we agree…bring on the Vouvray! Available locally at Northampton wines. Also online at wines.com.
So cool off with a sip or two…just sayin’
Now y’all are going to need to coat those bellies with something tasty while you sip away. Our favorite Cajun belle Camille shared her secret to cooking all those étouffées and gumbos.
When you don’t have the time or inclination to make a roux from scratch, Savoies’s is the answer to any chef or non-chef’s prayers. We tried it with our favorite gumbo recipe and it was the best version to date!! Easily ordered at Amazon. So do yourself a favor and order up some, y’all won’t regret it…just sayin’…
Keep ’em coming belles!
a&a
01 Friday May 2015
Posted in belle adventures, friday friend 1-1
While traveling recently, a belle-friend remarked that her dear, late mother was convinced that rolling luggage had ruined our society. “Hmmm…how so?”, we inquired. She reminded us of the times when porters whisked our baggage from carousel to curb…or vice-versa…with speed and authority. They would hail our taxi, help load us up, and make sure the driver had us safely from there. We needed these masters of the service industry…and they needed us. Our tips were their livelihood, and we traveled well-prepared with coins and small bills at the ready.
Photo from http://www.travelforboomers.com
These days, we find ourselves rolling our bags to the taxi line, rolling into hotels, into elevators…rolling, rolling, rolling. Efficient, yes…but in this do-it-yourself world of 2015, have we forgotten the value of those who make our lives a bit easier and provide a little human touch? We might not be tipping the porter quite as often these days, but tipping is still a very belle-thing to do. We must show those who provide a service that we value their efforts!
Check out this CNN Money article which outlines most tipping situations. Their source: The Emily Post Institute (a belle always trusts Emily Post!)
And here are some of our own rules-of-thumb:
Take-out from our favorite full-service dining establishment…we do 10%
The pet groomer…we do 10% plus a nice little Christmas bonus
The mani/pedi tech…we do 20%…especially if they give us a little extra rubbin’ time
Pizza delivery…consider him your waiter…15-20%
The hairdresser…20% unless she’s the salon owner…and a couple of dollars for the shampoo-er
The movers…full house…$100 per macho man (less for whiners…just sayin’)
Let us know some of your own…and if you think we are way off on any of our standards. A belle is always open for suggestions…
a&a
13 Friday Mar 2015
Posted in friday friend 1-1, just sayin'
belles prefer Saturday the 14th…
a&a
12 Thursday Mar 2015
Posted in bar belles, friday friend 1-1
Tags
chilly irishman, cocktails, culinarycreations, designlovefest, foodiemisadventures, honey badger, irish ale, irish cream, irsh maiden, loveandlemons, saveur
Given the coming St. Patricks Day festivities, and the “terrific” weather we’ve all been having, we thought a few choice adult beverages should be on tap for survival …
The “Irish Maiden” from foodie misadventures…a good way to lighten our moods!
How about an “Irish Ale Cocktail” from Love and Lemons? A great beverage if you’re on the verge of dehydration!
The “Chilly Irishman” from Creative Culinary will warm you right up!!
And for those of us who have just about had enough, may we introduce a belle cocktail for when you just don’t give a #%#^ anymore…
The Honey Badger from Design Lovefest!
For those of us who might be home bound we found a great recipe for making your own Irish Cream from saveur…a way to take the Irish cocktails to the next level!!
Oh my…where to start??? Decisions, decisions, belles!!
a&a
27 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in fashion forward, friday friend 1-1
We were, of course, glued to the Academy Awards Sunday night…watching for all of the big fashion moments…and there were almost too many to count!! (good and bad, just sayin’). One of our favorites…
…Margot Robbie with this to-die-for bauble around her neck!! Now THAT’s quite a statement she’s making there!! And…notice…it even has a hint of fringe (remember yesterday, belles?)
Statement necklaces are super “in” right now, and they seem to us (so therefore it must be true!!) to come in and out of fashion on a pretty regular basis. So we think all belles should have one (or two) in their repertoire, because belles have never been afraid of makin’ a statement. We’ve found some great luxe options and, because we are all about a smashing frugal find, we found some awesome pocketbook-friendly choices as well (you’re welcome).
We have long admired the talent and design of dylanex, masters of the statement piece…necklaces to die for, and rings, too, but we need to stay focused for a mo. These pieces are detailed, gorgeous, forever pieces of art.
Let’s take a peak at our luxe label faves first:
RILEY, FRANKIE AND BOBBIE
All above photos via dylanex
Our pocketbooks aren’t quite fattened up enough to invest in these beauties quite yet, so we went on the hunt for something that would do for the time being. Well…we about fell out when we discovered that our favorite go-to for reasonable, of-the-moment jewelry has a slew of very clever dupes.
Check out our fave finds from baublebar…(zee bank accounts are lovin’ these too!)
CLEOPATRA, PEARL ORWELL, ELEANOR
Keep in mind, y’all don’t have to wait for an elegant evening to get your fancy on!! Think out of the box and wear them with your jeans and button down shirts.
Go make that statement, belles!
a&a
20 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in Beauty belle, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle
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We know…there are lots of products out there promising that perfectly flawless skin every belle desires. BB creams, CC creams, tinted moisturizers, serums, concentrates, plumpers, fillers…we can hardly finish one before we are tempted to grab another! The belles’ choix de la journée…
bareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation!
Why we love it…
The “beauty-speak” version…It offers the anti-aging ingredients of a serum (vitamin C, plant stem cells) with “just the pigment part of foundation, leaving out the fillers (oil, silicone, water, para beans, fragrance)”…we quote from marie claire, the June 2014 issue.
The practical, belle-speak version…one little, tiny drop gives us the lightest-weight, practically bare-feeling coverage that looks more natural than anything we’ve tried to date (and, belles, due to our on-going giddiness over the latest and greatest products, we feel like we’ve tried ’em all!). Seriously…One. Little. Drop!!
And…word has it (that word being the March ’15 issue of InStyle mag) that Jennifer Anniston is a big fan of this little creation. Quite a stamp of approval!
Available at BareEscentuals stores as well as Ulta and Sephora, the wonder-product comes in a whopping 20 shades, so we encourage you to go get a professional color opinion (a bit hard to “wing-it” with so many options!).
Give this one a try, belles…after you’ve finished the tube, bottle or jar of whatever it is you’re “on” at the moment, of course! (wink, wink) We will be on this one for a while!
a&a
13 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in Beauty belle, friday friend 1-1
We found this informative piece of info here recently and felt obligated to share…
Photo via lauraleighbeauty.com
A fascinating and alarmingly on-the-money little tidbit, don’t cha think?? This might be a fun little pre-Valentines day check-up…just sayin’.
So pucker up carefully, belles. You may not kiss and tell but your lipstick will!!
a&a
06 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle
We belles love putting a little french-twist on just about anything…so this little twist on a Valentines treat should come as little surprise! In our efforts to curate just the right mix of goodies for all of the sweethearts in your lives, we came upon these Conversation Hearts Macarons…
from Williams Sonoma with flavors to compete with even the best in Paris!
They are shipped frozen so that they arrive perfectly chilled…just right for the Valentine with a sweet tooth! We are sure you will get a sweet, “merci”!
Click now or forever hold your peace!
a&a
30 Friday Jan 2015
Posted in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1
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Over the holidays one of our dear belle friends, Lindsay, was kind enough to deliver her homemade roasted pecans as gifts. We are ever so grateful we made the cut because these nuts are worth fighting for!!! In fact, these belles took to squirreling away these nuts so they wouldn’t be eaten in one fell swoop!!
Spicy Pecans
Makes about 4 cups
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 t ground red pepper
1/4 t mace (if you can’t find, substitute nutmeg)
1 pound pecan haves (4 cups)
Stir together first 7 ingredients in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add nuts, and toss to coat. Place pecan mixture in a single layer on an aluminum-lined, rimmed cookie sheet. (spray lined pan with Pam)
Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack, separating nuts with a fork.
Store in an airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
The perfect snack for commercial watchin’ and ball debatin’ on Sunday night.
Y’all will go nuts over these!!
a&a
the RARE belle 