Category Archives: friday friend 1-1

another fab book find…a must-have friday friend-1-1

23 Friday Jan 2015

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We have shared (belles are notoriously good at this) over the last few months several books that are beautiful both inside and out. Well, we’ve discovered yet another…eureka!!!!

We practically fell out when we happened upon this latest treasure. Another Jan Showers hit (see a previous post here), Glamourous Retreats is beautiful, attainable, and full of inspiration…

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That’s the cake, now for the icing….

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Woven raffia!!!  My stars, shut the front door, and we’ll be a monkey’s uncle! We would have done a backflip right then and there if only we were limber enough!

Another terrifically decorative addition to punch up bookshelves, enhance a coffee table, or perk up a side table.

Belles are bookworms…just sayin’

a&a

c’est chic…a french-y friday friend-1-1

16 Friday Jan 2015

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While we are both southern in our hearts, we we have also always been in awe and enamored with the seemingly effortless chic of the French belles.

For Christmas, Santa brought us a great book Forever Chic by Tish Jett

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Now, fair warning, you may want to wait until you have a wee bit of free time on your hands before you begin reading…cause once you start, you won’t want to stop. Filled with realistic, practical, fun, motivating information about how those French women keep themselves lookin’ so good…inside and out. By the way, they do have to work at it, they just don’t talk about it. This book is a real insider’s guide to what those women are really up to, and they have a few tricks up their sleeves we’d like to try. These French philosophies will inspire you to take the European approach to health and beauty…avec attitude !

bonne chance belles!!

a&a

“chanel”-ing our inner sun goddess…a glowy friday friend-1-1

09 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in Beauty belle, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle

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We love a good beauty product, but there are only a few that keep us coming back time after time…racing to replace. Well belles, this one is a keeper!!

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Chanel Soleil Tan. It is the reason for our healthy glow…our daily dose of sunshine without fearing age spots and sunburns.

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Now, we will put out a little disclaimer. It should be applied with a foundation brush and one should just start out with a tee tiny bit. Otherwise, you will feel like Cher in the 70’s!  Even so, you might panic at first swipe, but stay steady and trust us.  Start right below the cheekbones and keep blending out with the brush…blend, blend, blend (seriously…it doesn’t take long) and then brush over your forehead, nose and chin (just a touch). It blends like a dream and has staying power, and (most importantly) the ability to make you look luminous, healthy, and flawless.

It’s a wee bit pricey at $48.00, but well worth it…and it lasts forever (well at least 9-12 months).  Another perk…this bronzer is a creme-powder version so it gives us a glow that straight powder just can’t deliver…no matter how hard the poor dear tries. Some of us are old enough to need a lil dewy glow…not shine…glow…just sayin’.  It’s available at Nordstrom, so get clickin’.

In this instance, y’all have our permission to get a little “spendy”.  We can all pretend we have been to the islands, basking in the warm sunshine…ahhhhh!

Go on and get your glow on!!

a&a

pop it, drop it, lock it…a modern take on the pearl earring, a bejeweled friday friend-1-1

19 Friday Dec 2014

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We belles have been hard at work shopping for the holidays. We both have a little problem with the “one for you, one for me” thing, and this is a perfect example.

While perusing the lovelies at a local chic boutique by the name of Cone and Coleman, owned by two very savvy, classy and downright fabulous belles, we spied with our little eyes these drop-dead gorgeous earrings being worn by one of them.

Now, these are something we would jump through hoops to have on our dainty ears! They are a chic modern hoops with the fab addition of a pearl (a pearl always makes a belles glow)…

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But don’t y’all know we just love a multitasking accessory?!  You can also unscrew that pearl and wear them clean and simple!  How divine is that?

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Leaves us speechless…well almost. What a great gift for any belle who travels, is headed off to school, has everything or just because she wants a little treat!

These are most definitely a “one for you, one for me” item!!

a&a

it’s the thought that counts…a thrifty gifting friday friend-1-1

05 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by in friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle

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For this edition of our gift-giving suggestions, we thought we might share some very useful, yet budget-friendly (all under $50!), options. We are regular “goop” readers and saw a couple of these on her gift ideas post…but we went digging a bit further, keeping prices low and practicality paramount. Hint to either of our mothers, sisters, children…(cough, cough) we kinda like this stuff. Might we find one or two in a stocking or under our trees?? Just sayin’.

From the MoMA Store…

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The 4-in-1 travel adaptor…$25. Good for the travelin’ belle or fella

And more from the MoMA store…
Nothin’ but blue skies…

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The Blue Sky Umbrella… What belle wouldn’t like this overhead on a rainy (or snowy) winter day?? Just $48…or get the collapsible version for $40.

Operate that “rectangle” in the cold…

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Keep the fingers warm and in control with these artsy Touchscreen Gloves. A budget-friendly $28…and they come in a man-friendly black and gray, as well!

For the blogger…hint, hint…cough, cough…

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This A-Fold iPad Stand makes an awful lot of sense. Come on…it’s only $48!

For the cook…from Sur la table…

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This rosemary tree wrapped in burlap would make a delightful delivery! Can be used as part of the holiday decor, but will be used and appreciated well after the tinsel has been cleared! This one will only set you back by $29.95. (And for a local, do-it-yourself delivery…we’ve seen some great rosemary topiaries at Home Depot. Just do a bit of creative wrapping and you’re all set!)

Here’s one that goes a wee bit over budget…$55…but we just had to share:

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From Bergdorf Goodman, the Giles & Brother Personalized Skinny Railroad Spike Bracelet is edgy and stackable…so the entire family can be commemorated! (By the way…it’s a bit reminiscent of this little beauty from Cartier…only $7545 less!)

For the younger set…

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This Outside the Lines coloring book should keep ’em busy for a bit. Order on Amazon for just $18 or less…and they have other suggestions as well.

Or maybe a book or two…

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The Open Ocean is interesting and educational…you might even find yourself curled up with it! From authors Pittau and Gervais who have another couple of books in their repertoire…maybe you should buy a set!

So there you have it, belles…lots of perfectly practical, thoroughly thoughtful options for your gift-giving pleasure.

Ho, Ho, Ho!
a&a

book buzz…a “girl-y” friday friend-1-1

28 Friday Nov 2014

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We’ve noticed lots of buzz lately around Lena Dunham’s book,

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“Not That Kind of Girl” (available at amazon)…and for good reason!

Dunham tells it like it is…cringe-inducing details and all…to explain how the embarrassing, anxiety-producing things that have happened to her have actually helped lead to her success – inspiring belles young and old to stand up, brush off, and carry on.

A really, really good read, belles!
a&a

belles are bubbling over…a celebratory friday friend-1-1

21 Friday Nov 2014

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Now that the holidays are upon us, we thought it was time to share one of our favorite ways to celebrate any occasion…especially occasions with dear family and friends.

Belles are thankful for bubbles..and there are no better bubbles than champagne. We love the classics (orange label anyone?), but we don’t always want to spend our bankroll on it. We have found two wonderful champagnes that won’t break the bank. What better reason to pop a cork than that?! With these two brands, everyday can be a day to celebrate.

The first new fave is actually a sparkling wine. One of our best belle friends and fellow bubbly fan found this delightful bottle. La Marca is a fresh, slightly fruity bubbly. If you prefer a drier finish, wait for the next one up. But for a light, crisp glass at a great price ($12.99) and a beautiful bottle to boot, this one is belle-worthy. We can find this at our local grocery stores and Total Wine. We can’t thank Lisa enough for sharing her find, so we toast her with a southern sigh of gratitude!

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Our second find was actually found on a trip to the wine country when a small bevy of belles toured the Schramsberg Vineyard. Mirabelle (I mean really…we couldn’t possibly resist!!) is a wonderful dry champagne that comes in both brut and rose. We love it…a lot! It’s widely available, and at $21.99 we are guilt-free when sipping.

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Bubbly makes belles creative, so we thought going as champagne for our next costume fete might not be a bad idea. In fact, it might be an excuse to throw a costume party!!

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Via Pinterest.

So, dear belles, we are raising a glass to you all…be a belle and grab some to share!

a&a

tech trends…one for you, one for me gifts…your friday friend-1-1

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in friday friend 1-1, the organized belle, what's ringin' our belle

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We must admit, most gifts that we give are actually items that we covet ourselves…that’s just how we belles roll. So…as we shop for gifts, we love finding the perfect reasonably-priced items so that we can do the one for you, one for me thing without the guilt!

Here are a couple of things in the tech arena that fit the bill!

First…the “Cord Taco Supreme 5-pack” from This Is Ground. Don’t know about you, but messy cords all over the place make us a bit testy…just sayin’.

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These little babies keep the mess to a minimum…and you won’t believe how many colors they offer!! We love this metallic gold, but the choice is yours!

Next, a cool spin on the phone cover…

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the stick-on gel cover from Exofab. Again, color options galore…so there’s one to suit everyone on your list (including yourself…of course). Only drawback…they don’t have covers for the iPhone 6 which just might be on someone’s wish list. Exofab…please work on that soon!

And speaking of the “6”…check out this sleek pebbled leather folio in cayenne/gunmetal from ShopBop

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Just $50 and also available in other colors!

For the younger (or not so) set…how about these cute home-button covers.
From Amazon, here is just a small sample of the whopping 216 buttons in the package!!!

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These should last a while!

And finally…who knew we even needed this??

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It’s a dust plug for your earphone jack! It’s just $1.82 on Amazon…so, what the heck!! Get one for ALL the princess belles in your life!!

We’ll keep shoppin’ and sharin’. Gift-givin’ season is right around the corner!’
a&a

moroccan-spiced butternut squash soup…an exotic spin on a fall favorite

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1

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Here’s a yummy fall friday friend-1-1 for you, belles!

Butternut squash soup is a favorite in both of our homes this time of year. In fact, we get requests quite often, but we never let the fam in on a little secret…it’s super-easy to make! With fresh, pre-cut or frozen butternut squash in markets everywhere, the stuff practically makes itself!! Pick from any number of recipes out there, and you’re in business…you can’t go wrong!

However…we do have one old stand-by that adds a little spicy twist to the ordinary. One belle discovered it a decade ago (in the October 2004 Fitness magazine) and has adapted it over the years to suit her tastes…and ingredients on-hand (again, we seldom follow ANY recipe “by-the-book”…no fun!).

Moroccan-spiced Butternut Squash Soup

the ingredients:

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1-2 butternut squash (about 3 lbs) halved and seeded
1 gala apple, peeled (or your favorite variety…we’ve even used a pear)
1/2 t extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t kosher salt
2 cloves garlic
1 1-inch piece fresh gingeroot, peeled and cut in half
1 t curry powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t coriander

heat oven to 400 degrees

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Rub olive oil and sprinkle salt on cut sides of squash. Place a clove of garlic and a piece of ginger on a foil-lined cookie sheet, then place a squash half, flesh side down, over the garlic/ginger combo. Continue with the remaining garlic, ginger, and squash. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

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Scrape squash flesh, garlic, and ginger in blender or food processor. Add broth, spices, apple, and 1 c water. Process until smooth. Pour into saucepan and heat, covered, over low heat until heated through.

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The finished product…with a little popcorn garnish…belleicious!!

You might have a new fall family favorite!!
a&a

freshen that air, belles…a super-scented friday friend-1-1

17 Friday Oct 2014

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Now here is something that will ring your belle!  We all love a beautiful scent…not over-powering, fresh, clean, pretty.  And when we can have this in a home air-freshener, and it doesn’t plug in or twist up, how exciting!  Well…we have found it!

Agraria, out of San Francisco, makes these gorgeous tassels that are treated with the most beautiful scents.  Hang one in your closet, the coat closet, the powder room…wherever you would like to infuse a waft of fresh air.  And, by the way, they make a great gift!

agraria tassel

Order online from Agraria or “smell-n-buy” at Neiman Marcus.

Scents include Lime & Orange (pictured), Meditteranian Jasmine, Lemon Verbena, Cassis, Balsam, Bitter Orange, Lavender & Rosemary, Cedar Rose, and Golden Pomegranate.  Now don’t they all sound absolutely delicious!!

ring-a-ling!

a&a