we belles have a plan for lent…just sayin’

These belles love to travel! As much as we may love home with our own comfy beds, friends and family…and, of course, the precious canine babies…it can be so hectic with the phones ringing, emails piling up, and daily drudgery zapping our energy. A belle needs the chance to relax and re-charge every now and then! Just in case you are in need of the same, we have a suggestion for you…

We recently jetted off with friends to the islands…Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos to be exact. After a quick flight, and a quick boat ride across the crystal-clear waters, we arrived at this beautiful island paradise. (Had we flown straight in, we would have been looking for Tatoo from Fantasy Island calling “the plane, the plane”). We were warmly greeted and welcomed aboard Parrot Cay’s version of a “bus”…a stretch golf cart…and were quietly whisked away to rest and relaxation.

The view upon arrival…powdery white sand, turquoise waters, a warm breeze, and spa-like interiors, we had to pinch ourselves to be sure we hadn’t died and gone to heaven!

Our group was delivered to the main house and escorted into the welcome lounge where we were handed a refreshing (and potent) rum punch…these people know what they are doing! The friendly staff greeted us individually as we sat and sipped the afore-mentioned cocktails…painlessly taking note of our credit card numbers and giving us a quick lay of the land. In no time at all (well…maybe we lost track of time just a wee bit as the rum worked its magic) we were escorted to our humble abode for the week.

Without hesitation, we set off to explore our little slice of heaven…

All we really needed to see to convince us that we were possibly never going to leave…the main pool.

The Lotus restaurant and lounge are adjacent to the pool, making it ever so easy to veg out for the day…delicious lunches and refreshing cocktails delivered to your chair by the always friendly staff. (Side note…how can they NOT be friendly and happy in a place like this…just sayin’). This was an excellent dinner spot as well…by the pool with the surf nearby.

Each morning in the Terrace restaurant at the main house, there was the most beautiful breakfast display…along with the option to order from their extensive menu (all included). One of our favorite items…these delightful juices…

Love the use of the jars…and the green one is out of this world! Called “Kryptonite”, it’s made with the powerful combo of apple, celery, cucumber, fennel, spinach and spirulina. These were served every day at breakfast (along with other varieties such as apple/ginger and mango). What a way to start the day!

…we even had a surprise visitor for breakfast our first morning…

One of the friendly locals!

Our days were spent lounging by our private villa pool…

and our evenings were spent casually dining at either Lotus or the Terrace restaurant al fresco with the warm breeze keeping us perfectly comfortable. (Quite a contrast from our recent frigid temps here in the latitudes farther north!)

This just might be the ultimate Valentine’s surprise! Get online, book it all up, wrap a swimsuit, sunglasses and sunscreen, and give it to your sweetie on Saturday. Then get ready for the hugs-n-kisses!

a&a

no need to hide crazy…just sayin’

08 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in bar belles, just sayin'

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cheers, just sayin'

cheers to crazy…it’s quite fun!
a&a

the (conversation) heart of the matter…a sweetheart of a friday friend-1-1

06 Friday Feb 2015

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

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gifts, macarons, sweet treats, valentines day, Williams Sonoma

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

peek-a-bootie…a playful shoe trend

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in fashion forward

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booties, dillards, dolce vita, Muse Shoe Studio, peep-toe, shoes jeffery campbell, shopbop

Despite being in the dead of winter, just like the ole groundhog, sometimes our tootsies want to come out and play, wiggle around and get a lil fresh air. No one wants to be cooped up all winter for Pete’s sake!!

Sooo polish up those little piggies and get ready to let them out into the light…even if it’s just for a few crisp, refreshing hours (they’ll appreciate the attention after being holed up and hibernating)) with an oh-so-chic pair of peep-toe booties!

Booties are still ever so popular, but as we march into spring, the open toe bootie is just the right platform (ha! Or heel) to set your fashionable feet off in the right direction. Jeans, ankle pants, a flowy trouser all work well, a midi skirt or dress will make the grade, and a mini will make your legs look just as endless as the possibilities.

So, belles, we have picked two options we found irresistible. We bought ’em, and so should you…that way we will all feel better, no shoe envy, no purchase pangs…win, win.

First up…a mid-high (tall blonde finds it to be acceptable for all-day wear without feeling like we are tipping over) stacked heel, Velcro adjustable sling and a perforated suede that is soo comfortable, edgy, and just plain smart looking. A great neutral that becomes whatever you need it to be, it’s a true must-have.

Our local Muse Shoe Studio has just placed a full reorder so get your name on a pair now!! True-to-size, by the by. You can also find this Jeffery Campbell bootie at Shopbop if you can’t wait another minute.

Next up…because we belles have a weakness for fringe, when we spied these beauties we practically pirouetted our way in to get them. We were already dizzy with delight so we restrained our dance moves and managed to maintain a more subtle prance to make our purchase .

These just make us want to frolick into spring, whistle a happy tune and kick winter to the curb. Again, we purchased from Muse, but word is they flew out of the store almost before they arrived. Looks like you can order from Dillards…but don’t delay!! Both are selling fast!

So perk yourselves up with a pair or two, belles. The old tootsies will appreciate all that fresh air!

a&a

cocktailing at the grocery…our latest Talk magazine contribution

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in bar belles

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American Grocery Greenville, cocktails, drinkin' on the job, Talk Magazine

The latest issue of Talk magazine has hit the stands (with its 10th anniversary edition, no less), and we have another informative, “boozy” feature, “Stepping Out for Valentine’s Day”, amidst the glossy pages. This time, we highlight our cocktailing stop at Greenville’s American Grocery…proving that cocktails and groceries mix quite well.

Our drink choices: the scandalously-named “French Tickler” (pictured) and the “Man About Town.” The former is a hearty mix of Bulleit rye, ginger, and bitters…a bit like a heart-warming embrace in a glass. The latter is a concoction of local Six &Twenty Old Money whiskey, cinnamon-black tea, Doulin Rouge, and root beer bitters…perfect for the lady who wants a strong “man” who doesn’t talk back or the gent who considers himself worthy of the title.

Kirk, the master mixologist, is happy to create a custom cocktail using his house-made bitters…cocktail couture at its best!! We encourage you drop in and put him to the test.

And…just for kicks…here is a cute little article from the January issue of Food & Wine. We are always intrigued by the creative names of some of our favorite cocktails. This article puts them to you “emoji-style”. See if you can decipher them…

Click here for the full article and answers…good luck!

Cheers!
a&a

uniforms aren’t for belles…just sayin’

01 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in just sayin'

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football, Super Bowl

And all of those pads add pounds!

Enjoy watching the fellas tonight, belles. Super Bowl party time!
a&a

while everybody’s talkin’ ’bout balls…we’re talkin’ ’bout nuts…a big-game friend-1-1

30 Friday Jan 2015

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

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appetizers, nuts, recipes, snacks

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

belles wear their 💞s on their sleeves…gift ideas and the art of receiving

29 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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bloomingdales, etsy, gifts, hearts, markgraham, nordstrom, shopblondedesign, shopbop, valentines day

Before we know it, the next holiday (heart-iday…get it?) will be upon us. So, to help y’all out (cause that what belles do) we’ve come up with a few of our favorite gift ideas for the various and assorted Valentines in your life.

First…some thoughts on the process…

We won’t deny that we love any gift-giving occasion, and it’s true that we adore receiving a surcee. BUT we love nothing more than being the givers of great gifts. The act of giving can be a treat in itself when the recipient flashes a smile, gets a glint in the eye, exclaims with joy…confirmation that the present hit the mark.

Sadly, not everyone has been schooled in the art of receiving. Then it can be a total drag. Remember, “givers” deserve to get a little somethin’ out of the experience, too! It’s why we’ve raised our baby belles and beaux to be skilled giftees. It’s easy to be gracious and thankful when we get something we want. The real skill comes when it may not be what we expected. We’ve taught them to be grateful for the thought, no matter if they already have it, don’t care for it, or it just doesn’t suit, they must still effervesce…yes, effervesce. Our wee ones have able to spell effervesce since they were knee-high.

So, if you want to follow suit, and if you have a heart (it is February, for Pete’s sake!) then you must effervesce with every gift…large or small…awesome or not-so-much. Really, it’s the right thing to do. And you’re never too old to learn. So if you’re one of those….you know who you are…start effervescing now.

Enough digressing, time to get back to business and let you see the gift list…

For the fashionable man, from Absolute Socks