don’t be afraid to bare a pair…

26 Friday Feb 2016

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Of shoulders that is… 

We are loving this trend! It’s a great way to be sexy, sophisticated, sultry, romantic, chic, and above all…classy.

Here are our top pics:

   

Fresh & fun…wear it casual or add some jewelry to dress it up. From Saks. By Rag and bone
  

The perfect Lbd from L’agence
  

We are really loving Tibi right now. This top could be your uniform .
  
We can’t begin to tell you how much we love this Top from Saks

  

Sometimes a dress avec color is what we want…here it is 

We want to wear this shirt every day! From Saks

 


This Rag and Bone top  is everything. We know because we have it. Get it Here and Here

  
A classic top from Bailey 44. Available at Shopbop

So, belles …time to shoulder on….

a&a

high brow, low brow, we prefer belle brow…. just sayin’

25 Thursday Feb 2016

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In the beauty realm, brows are everything right now. And they should be. A brow frames the face, and based on color, shape and arch can completely transform the face.

One key essential to creating the perfect brow is the perfect pencil.

While on holiday we were treated to a brow enhancement to beat the band!! A perfectionist in her field, she was kind enough to fill us in on her favorite brow pencil. So of course, we are sharing with you. 

Precise, sharp, and the ideal color for all brows!! Voila!!! 

  

Y’all will be amazed and thrilled. We promise. Our life is better for this Brow pencil and yours will be too.

Available at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Amazon.

Here’s looking at you belles…

a&a

what’s ringin’ our belle…round 42

23 Tuesday Feb 2016

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ringin’ belles this week…

  
Ever wonder what’s on the other side of the ocean from you?  Here you go !

  
Ok, wine belles…lets have a giggle…

  
Time to edit…some things to throw away…

  
These two belles are always running late….here are some great tips to help us get to where we are going in a timely fashion…this is one of the reasons we are always late …

  
A fun little dialect map

   
A fun take on guacamole and chips that we’d like to give a whirl.

  
And with the leftover pomegranate seeds, we want to toast to belles everywhere with this!

those belles are ringin’

a&a

a belle perk…nothing like a purchase to get y’all through the week…

22 Monday Feb 2016

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 We started the saying a few years ago with some of our belle friends that there’s nothing like a coffee and a purchase when you need a perk. So we decided  we’d share our perks with you. Some may be small, others larger, but a perk is a perk is a perk.

This week, we have to tell you about a perk that will change your life! We received it in a gift with purchase type deal some time ago. It took some time before we read about the Magic Mitt by Jane Iredale. Well we are here to tell you we we a tad dubious when it claimed to wash away ALL your makeup with warm water alone. Including Waterproof!! Shut the front door! No way Jose! 

So we tested it. And it works! Brilliantly as a matter of fact. We do use a cleanser of our own, which we love, but doesn’t get all the makeup off by any stretch. This Mitt should be called a miracle!  We have used it religiously since opening it. 

And the extra benefit…which we really were doubtful about given the condition of our washcloths….is that you clean it by using your hand soap and some water after washing your face, and, voila, every single bit but makeup comes off that Mitt rendering it absolutely pristine. Amazing!

 
Please do yourself a favor, and your daughters, sisters, mothers, friends…this perk deserves sharing. You can order it right here at Amazon. Thank you Jane Iredale, you are one hell of a belle.

We have fallen so in love with it that when we left it at a friend’s mountain house recently, we couldn’t wait for its return and had to get another stat!!

Best purchase perk of late.

a&a

pass it on, belles…grandma’s favorite recipes

19 Friday Feb 2016

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This subject came up over the holidays for one belle…and we felt it our duty to pass it on (’cause that’s what we do best, just sayin’).

One belle mother-in-law has been a very good steward of the old “family recipes”, and has always been very thoughtful in passing those on.  Years ago, as shower gifts for each of her daughters-in-law, she purchased blank, bound recipe books and  (in her own very distinct handwriting) filled them with her own favorites as well as those of her grandmothers, mother, and mother-in-law.

Well…now there is a new generation of cooks…her granddaughters.  Although one is not quite “marryin’ age” (in that she shoves off to college next year), grandma doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to complete one of these books to leave as a legacy for these young ladies.  She decided to give each of the granddaughters a book for the holidays this year, but was disappointed to find that the old spiral-bound, blank cookbooks which used to be readily available are almost nowhere to be found these days.  Enter Amazon…


From Meadowsweet Kitchens, this book is not exactly like the old ones, but pages that are sold separately can be filled with handwritten recipe cards (in grandma’s hand) as well as full-size print-outs (or tear-outs) of their own favorites.

We mention all of this to encourage you all to get your mothers, grandmothers, and mothers-in-law to do the same for you and yours.  In these days of doing a Google search for anything and everything you might want to prepare, let’s not forget the tradition of the old family recipe.  And when we all have grandchildren of our own, we can leave the legacy of the handwritten recipe for them as well.

Pass it on, belles!

a&a

belles chime in…’cause that’s what belles do

18 Thursday Feb 2016

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We just love picking up new tips-n-tricks from our belle friends. The way we see it…how can one possibly enjoy something without sharing that joy?!  Here are a few of the latest…

Bouillon du jour… Our very good belle friend  Marcia who happens to be excellent in zee kitchen says this is the only bouillon to purchase…and we heartily agree!

  

Thelma chicken boullion . Available at Amazon

We had the pleasure of supping with some dear friends the other night . The master of the house , who also knows his way around a kitchen and even more so around a grill, waxed poetic over this Knife sharpener. It is compact , easy to use and fits easily in your drawer. If the master of wings gives it a thumbs up then it should be a staple in every household. By the way it will work on your Cutco knives so you don’t have to send them back and forth for sharpening!  Thank you, Michael …you are def man enough to be a belle contributor! 

  

Rachael Ray knife sharpener. Get it at Amazon

Champagne is always on our list and over the holidays, Marcia shared a new label to us that her local wine merchant had suggested. The taste test was a bubbly taste thrill, and we have already purchased for our own larders .

  
Find it at your local wine store or from K&LWines. 

Now that you’ve cooked, sharpened and toasted, we think it’s high time for a little laid back time. While we are sure you have already buzzed through The Making of a Murderer (addicting, and we’d love to hear your thoughts by the by) you probably need a new obsession. Our savvy friend gave us the perfect solution :  

 

Rectify. A Sundance TV series. Be prepared to hunker down. Let us know what you think 

Chime away, belles!

a&a

parka obsession…perk up your winter

16 Tuesday Feb 2016

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We did a post not too long ago featuring our favorite fitness-wear du jour…read that full post here. 

We have received so many requests and questions about this parka that we featured, we felt the need to repost it with the links where you can find it. Hurry though, it is selling like hot cakes!!!

  
Available through Nordstrom and  Amazon, it is not at all bulky but keeps that winter chill at bay. 

Get clickin’!

a&a