lustworthy vs. mustworthy…belles, you need this!!
24 Friday Oct 2014
Posted in fashion forward, what's ringin' our belle
Category Archives: what’s ringin’ our belle
book it, belle…brilliant accessories for the home
23 Thursday Oct 2014
Posted in belle maison, what's ringin' our belle
Feel free to get out the fireworks and celebrate. We belles have come across two incredible design books that are as inspiring on the outside as they are on the inside…the total package, if you will.
Now, we have gone over decorating with books in the recent past. In case you have forgotten or would like a lil’ refresher, find examples here…and here (notice the books on the “dining/library” tables).
With these ideas in mind…just imagine adding these recent finds to the mix. First up…
Markham Roberts The Way I See It
This book is insightful, delectable and worthy of being in any belle’s home. You will find so many beautiful rooms and vignettes inside that your heart will just soar.
But wait! Here’s the knock-your-socks-off part! If you happen to slip the cover off, just look what you get…voila!!
We know!! Can you believe the gorgeous-ness?? Swoon worthy!!
Once you’ve collected yourself and caught your breath, we have another gasp-for-air option for your collection…
Glamorous Rooms by Jan Showers
A classic, clean, beautiful book of gorgeous, livable spaces….
And this cover is no less heart thumping!!
Couldn’t you just squeal with delight? We aren’t ashamed to say we did!
The two little beauties together…
We might have mentioned before…we are sorta into “collecting”…and love the idea of finding more books as divine as these…so please share if you have made any of your own happy, book-ish discoveries!
Accessorizing…in all different ways…is very important, belles…and these are perfect examples of how to get your style on in your own belle maison!!
a&a
freshen that air, belles…a super-scented friday friend-1-1
17 Friday Oct 2014
Posted in belle maison, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle
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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!
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
shoe of the moment…a belle’s must-buy
16 Thursday Oct 2014
Posted in fashion forward, what's ringin' our belle
Well, ladies, super-belle, Dee Keller, has done it again!! One of our favorite shoes of the summer was one of her brilliant creations…and another one is about to be just as awe-inspiring.
We introduce the “Sheffy” in all it’s gloriousness…
Also available in a beautiful matte gold…you might just need both! For you local belles, one of our fave retail haunts, Monkees can set you up. Our more far-flung belles can check Dee’s site for shops near them or the latest online options. (Hint…Dee says they are available on her website on Monday).
…and if you don’t believe it will be an instant classic…check out this Manolo Blahnik classic from seasons past…
You just can’t go wrong with a classic heel, black, and a pop of wild (as in animal print). Hurry, belles…these sweet babies won’t last long!!
a&a
tough as leather…a belle fashion update
09 Thursday Oct 2014
Posted in fashion forward, Uncategorized, what's ringin' our belle
As we approach fall and the cooler weather, we can’t help but get excited about what’s trending…leather jackets, longer white shirts, and pattern play (think camo, not stripes and polka dots). So many options, so little time!!
This fall, if y’all don’t have one in your closet you must….we mean absolutely must…we repeat, MUST, get a leather jacket. It will serve you well now in the transition and long into fall and winter.
It is the perfect purchase…it travels well, can be dressed up or down, and comes in a variety of price points.
Layer with a crisp white shirt and your boyfriend jeans, or throw it on over a tank and some black skinnies, top your cocktail dress for a night on the town…the combinations are so plentiful, we’re just giddy with all the possibilities.
BB Dakota makes a very reasonable thin, soft jacket that looks like the real deal at a fraction of the price.
Of course, it’s available at our favorite go-to shop Savvy. But lest you think that is your only choice, fear not because savvy has another unreal, too-divine-for-words option…a cropped bolero!! Shut it down, right?!? You just can’t resist it, and if you do, well you’re a belle off her rocker! Here, take a peek
We told you it was beyond a normal human being’s ability to restrain themselves! Now is not the time to be superhuman…embrace your weakness for the phenomenal and just buy it already. ‘Nuff said.
The Gap also has a great moto inspired jacket with just a smidge of quilting to add some elegant detail.
Or how about this gem?? From Joe Fresh
Leather…(or a PETA-friendly version)…love it, live in it, languish in it… We just know you’ll wear it forevah and a day, dahlin’!
a&a
maple candied bacon…a sweet n savory friday friend-1-1
03 Friday Oct 2014
Posted in belle-icious, what's ringin' our belle
Bacon. Maple syrup. Crunch. Could there BE a more enticing combination??
Now, a belle knows the value of a good piece of bacon…it can season up a pot of greens in a skinny minute, and it’s aroma can beckon even the drowsiest of family members or house guests to the kitchen at the crack of dawn.
But this little twist on bacon prep takes it to a whole new level…cocktail party/fancy brunch level even! From The Clever Carrot, this recipe will knock their socks off over and over again!
(Photo from The Clever Carrot)
Might as well start stocking up in the bacon now, belles…just sayin’!
a&a
switch it up belles…living room/dining room flip-flops that really work DO PHOTOS!!!!
25 Thursday Sep 2014
Posted in belle maison, what's ringin' our belle
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We belles both live in homes with some age on them…in fact, we only hope we can last as long as they already have…pushing 90 years! Now, although a home with some “character” makes us both quite happy – and never at a loss for a “project” (upgraded plumbing…and while we’re at it, honey, how about we just re-do all the bathrooms), we find that we have to be creative when it comes to making an “antique home” more functional for 21st-century living.
Take, for instance, our formal living rooms and dining rooms. While we belles simply adore a formal dinner party with all the fixins’, we find that our entertaining of late tends to fit in the more laid-back realm. So…we started to re-think the placement and use of our formal dining rooms by doing some flip-flopping (to brilliant effect, if we must say so ourselves!). Our old dining rooms are now our living rooms…and vice-versa (kind of), and we are loving it!! Here are the results:
Belle Maison no. 1…
Here, the dining table (styled as a library table) has been placed in the former living room. With ample seating remaining in the room, this is a welcoming area for family and guests alike…
The view from the banquette side of the room. Notice that there is plenty of room to slide the leaves back into the table for the next formal dinner
This room (the former dining room) now “catches” guests as they amble from the kitchen (through that door) to the outdoor entertaining area to the right…
Notice the outdoor entertaining area just out of the French doors (this is the view from the new library/dining room). Working brilliantly so far!
Belle maison no. 2…
This is the former dining room. The kitchen is to the left…outdoor entertaining area is through the French doors. Guests congregate here now that the switch has been made…not so much when it was a dining room (just sayin’)
This is the other side of the room, with the new, re-styled dining room through the opening…
Again, this dining table has been styled with more of a library feel…
with seating around the fire. (junior belle is loving this room for homework!! Bonus!!)
Again…keep in mind…we’ve left plenty of room to have leaves put back into the tables. With just a couple of minor adjustments, the rooms are ready for a formal dinner party in a snap!
This is the same view with the room set for a large dinner (16 guests last night!):
tables all set…..
So…after we played around with our own rooms, we had a couple of belle-friends begging for an overhaul themselves. We were more than happy to oblige and got straight to work…there’s no time like the present! (and if we had allowed them to over-think it, they might have chickened out…no fun!)
Belle Maison no. 3…
This delightful space used to be the formal dining room in this belle’s house. Although it seemed logical to have it located just off the kitchen, it actually created a bottle-neck for guests trying to navigate from the kitchen to a bar area located just to the right.
Here, you see the kitchen door (to the right) and the bar area straight ahead. By moving the dining table into the former living room, guests can now move about freely while visiting before dinner (and the hostess only has a few extra steps in order to reach the dining area…totally worth it!)
…and the dining table is now in a more “roomy” room…perfect for this particular belle-hostess who loves a large, seated dinner party
Belle Maison no. 4…
(Some cool before and after photos)
Living/sitting room adjacent to the kitchen/bar…check.
Making use of the dining table while enjoying the fire…check.
Ability to throw a formal, seated shindig in a snap…check.
Now, we belles call that a smashin’ success!!
The men-folk are talking about our shenanigans behind our backs…but we know they secretly like the new digs. A little change adds some spice to the home life, just sayin’. So…grab a (strong) friend and switch it up, belles!!
a&a
dare we go there…belles talk bras…your friday friend-1-1
19 Friday Sep 2014
Posted in fashion forward, what's ringin' our belle
Now that we have tackled the dreaded panty line (see yesterday’s post) we felt it would be a terrible disservice to leave things hanging in the bra department (get it…wink, wink?)
The ancestor to the modern-day bra (yikes!)
Yes…mothers (and even grandmothers) have always encouraged us to take care of “the girls”. We suppose experience…and gravity…taught them a thing or two. So how is it that one of us (and very likely many of our belle-friends out there) has never taken this issue seriously?
For one…camisoles with shelf bras, sports bras (including those awesome Lululemon racer-backs), allow us to escape the trappings of the dreaded brassiere quite often.
Our favorite Lululemon racer-back tank…a wardrobe staple…
(more on our favorite activewear in future posts)
The second reason for the delay in taking the “plunge” (get it?) into purchasing a couple of good bras? Seems most retailers expect us all to be in the 36C range…give or take a couple of band and cup sizes. Well, guess what? Some of us might be a touch on the smaller side, and we are not at all ashamed!
First, a sizing lesson…
Confusing as it might be…a “C” is not always a “C”! This diagram explains that the “F cup” that is sewn onto a 30 band is exactly the same cup that would be sewn onto a 36 band as a “C”. In other words…if said belle happened to feel respectable at a 30D…she might feel like hanging her head in shame when she realizes that if she happened to be a 36 band, she would be a mere 36A. Sad.
Now…when this belle decided it was time to give bra-shopping a go…again…the old frustrations seemed to creep right back up. Certain “grown-up” establishments just don’t carry the sizes at the bottom of the spectrum. They sent her to…wait for it…Victoria’s Secret. Really??
Well, who knew “Victoria” could be the mature (we use this term loosely…we ARE belles, after all) belle’s best friend? Turns out, Victoria’s “secret” all along has been that she has more than racy, lacy, cheetah-print bras and thongs…and she knows a thing or two about fit. Score!!
The sweet, perky dressing room staff went right to work, obediently listening to the requests for no crazy colors or patterns…and no pushing “the girls” up to an unnatural height (let’s not go overboard!). The goal: basic, comfortable support. Nothing fancy…just every-day functional. And, boy, did Victoria deliver!! Seems she has a couple of cuts that run a bit on the smaller side. Band issue solved. And with all of the different shape and cut options, this belle found THE answer to her decades-long bra-quest! The faves:
The “Body by Victoria Demi Bra”…
This one is comfortable beyond belief…and a perfect fit! Bonus…the straps can crisscross when a racer-back is what the belle needs!
And to take the racer-back to a more permanent level…try the “Body by Victoria Front-close Racerback Demi”…
Again…completely comfortable and a perfect fit!
And last, for a super-comfortable every-day option, try the “T-shirt Demi”…
With the right fit, you barely even know you are wearing it!
So…if you are one of those belles who has worn the same, uncomfortable size for years, even decades, pull yourself up by that uncomfortable bra-strap and go find the nearest expert! You, and the girls, will not regret it!
Strap up, belles!
a&a
boiled peanuts…a southern delicacy friday friend-1-1
12 Friday Sep 2014
Posted in belle of the ball, belle-icious, what's ringin' our belle
We belles have been doin’ a lil’ entertainin’ lately, helping with a southern summer supper honoring some newly-weds who wanted a laid-back affair. The details of this simple shindig are on a seperate post, but we wanted to devote a special post to one special southern delicacy we served: boiled peanuts.
California belle was assigned the task of creating the aforementioned nuts (perhaps because petite belle…from south Georgia…didn’t want to admit that she was just as clueless as to how to go about it??? Chicken!!). Nonetheless, California belle energetically stepped up to the plate…especially when we discovered a crock pot could be used!! Holla!!
Turns out, boiled peanuts are ridiculously easy – just a few things to note…
You must decide between using green peanuts or raw peanuts. The green are kept refrigerated until use and take a lot less time to cook. The raw aren’t as perishable but require more boiling time. Green is the way we went.
Next, choose a flavor route…typically plain, Cajun, or spicy. California belle opted to go for plain with a kicker of garlic and a hint of Cajun seasoning (there’s that tweaking rearing it’s creative head again). Any which way you choose, it’s super-easy and requires little effort.
So, basically, here’s what you do:
The Belles’ Boiled Peanuts
Take about 2 pounds of green peanuts. Rinsed thoroughly
1/2 -3/4 cup of table salt
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 whole cloves garlic
3-4 dashes of hot sauce
Lotsa water!
Put your peanuts in the crockpot. Pour your chosen seasonings on top. Pour enough water into crockpot to cover the peanuts.
Cook on high 12-15 hours. Ours were started the night before. In the morning, the crockpot was turned to low for about three hours, then drained and served.
Note: You know they are ready when they are mushy. If they are still hard they need to cook some more.
They can be eaten cold or warm. We prefer warm…just sayin. Put leftovers in the fridge – or even in the freezer – to enjoy later!
And…bonus…in the April/May 2014 issue of Garden & Gun, Roy Blount, jr. explains how boiled peanuts are actually better for us than the dried or roasted kinds. Who knew??!!
Nothin’ wrong with nibblin’ on goober peas…
a&a
move over harry…the belles have met sally!
28 Thursday Aug 2014
Posted in Beauty belle, what's ringin' our belle
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Sally Hansen that is…
Ever wish you had the flawless legs of your youth? No bruises or scars (or if you had them back then, they just looked better on the younger, collagen-enhanced skin) and certainly no discoloration from…we hate to say it…AGE! Well, we belles have learned how to fake perfection in a pinch!
We discovered Sally Hansen’s “airbrush legs” back when it was a spray. And even though it was a bit tricky to apply, the results were impressive enough to keep us intrigued. So…when we found it in the creme formula, we got all giddy! This stuff is a perfect-leg miracle in a bottle! It goes on easily, dries quickly, and doesn’t (easily) rub off on clothing or furniture. (Just try not to roll around on someone’s white couch until you have tried it on yourself…just a wee disclaimer).
Some examples…
Note the top, ghostly leg…then check out the Sally-enhanced one on the bottom!
And about those bruises (yes…even belles can have slight imperfections)…
Tennis ball to the shin perhaps?
No problem!
So…we highly suggest you at least give it a try the next time you have to do the whole dress-up-like-a-lady kind of thing (dress…heels…the whole nine yards). You…and your legs…will look like a million bucks!! You might just decide you want to fake perfection on a daily basis…just sayin’.
You’re welcome, belles. Join us in our happy dance…perfect legs and all!!
a&a
the RARE belle 