spoken like a true belle!
a&a
bless your heart…just sayin’
28 Sunday Sep 2014
Posted in just sayin'
towels from ikea…a belle-worthy friday friend-1-1
26 Friday Sep 2014
Posted in belle maison, friday friend 1-1
Might come as a surprise, but belles don’t always prefer puff and fluff. Take, for instance, bath towels. Now, mind you, we love soft, fluffy blankets and such, but when it comes to the everyday bath towel, we prefer function to fluff (who really needs a towel that is too large and fluffy to wrap around the freshly-showered body??…not these belles!)
We have found an excellent option in a quite unexpected place…IKEA!!
These towels are not too large…not too small…not too thick…not too thin…JUST RIGHT!
And MAJOR bonus…they have this handy loop making them just right for hanging to dry (they have beach/pool towels too…yay!!)
Although IKEA doesn’t sell the towels online, you can check out the options here. Take a look at the FÄRGLAV and the HÄREN…then use this as an excuse to spend the day browsing through the Swedish wonderland in person…a novel concept!!
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
Tags
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
fall means football for the belles…just sayin’
21 Sunday Sep 2014
Posted in just sayin'
Tags
we try to control ourselves, but can’t make any promises!!
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
do the world (and yourself) a favor…no more panty lines!!!!
18 Thursday Sep 2014
Posted in fashion forward
Now that fashion contains a seemingly never-ending selection of spandex, jeggings, and leggings (all of which we embrace…within reason), there seems to be an increase in the dreaded panty line (gasp!).
Now let’s be very clear here…nobody looks good with a panty line! And y’all might not be able to see it on yourselves, but believe us when we tell you that the rest of the world can! The only socially responsible answer is to provide a reasonable solution. Being that belles like choices and have certain, shall we say…preferences, we have three very viable options for you.
The first up is a g-string…there, now that we have said it, we don’t have to feel awkward anymore (not as awkward as panty lines look anyway). Now, this isn’t just any underpinning…we can’t have you chafing, or uncomfortable, or distracted by foreign materials in all the nooks and crannies of your nether regions. We have found the gold standard, nay the platinum standard, of unmentionables. Cosabella makes the g-string to beat all g-strings…the talco g- string.
They are available at cosabella.com and Zappos. Or…if your are a local belle…visit one of our favorite local haunts, Savvy, for a little retail therapy along with your Cosabella purchase.
The second necessity is the Hanky Panky Bare thong. This particular style comes in quite handy if you are wearing anything slinky. Often, even if the fit is perfect, a clingy fabric can show the slightest hint of a line. These keep that from happening.
Purchase yours at NeimanMarcus.
Last, but not least by any means, we have a suggestion for those of you who just can’t “go there”…or for those times when you might prefer a little extra coverage. These are a proper panty, but they are made with no seams or elastic anywhere…and they are incredibly thin. Given those factors, we have found them to be the best panty option to avoid lines.
Naomi and Nicole makes a wonderful edge hipster. Available at Amazon.
Here is what it boils down to, belles. First and foremost, please, we beg of you…on bended knee…to try the Cosabella. It is a life-changer. Just try one pair, we promise you’ll go back for more.
Secondly, we firmly believe there is no one perfect pair that works 100% of the time. Cut, fabric, seasons, coverage, etc…all play factors. And, as much as we wish it were so, we have yet to find the one and only underpinning that we belles must have. All belles need a repertoire…nay, an arsenal…of underpinnings from which to choose. If you’ve covered all the bases, then you’ll be prepared for every situation. And believe us, they will come up, crop up, creep up….so stock up, belles!!
a&a
for the love of boiled peanuts…just sayin’
14 Sunday Sep 2014
Posted in just sayin'
we belles are serious about this southern delicacy!
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
southern summer supper…the belles entertain
11 Thursday Sep 2014
Posted in belle of the ball
We belles recently had the opportunity to help throw a shindig honoring some dear friends who ran off over the summer for some super low-key “I do’s”. Since the newly-weds didn’t get the opportunity to experience the typical wedding reception (complete with roasts n toasts) we were more than happy to oblige…with a little low-key southern twist.
We helped throw a “Southern Summer Supper” for the sweethearts…and we thought it would be fun to share the deets with you all!
First…the menu: quintessentially southern.
To start…boiled peanuts and tomato sandwiches for the guests to snack on during the “meet n greet” cocktail hour (lots of beer, wine, all of the usual suspects in the liquor category…and pre-mixed sweet tea vodka and lemonade…duh!)
The supper…
fried chicken (it was to-die-for delicious!)
Mac n cheese…sweet potato biscuits…deviled eggs (with a little goat cheese twist)…cole slaw…and a BLT salad with the best green goddess we’ve ever tasted (more on that later…we plan to beg the caterer to share some secrets!!)
The dessert…
a beautiful peach cobbler…of course!!!
The decor: again…very low-key and super-southern…
home-grown summer flowers from the garden of a belle-mom…
cafe lights for a little glow…a touch of burlap…
and farmhouse benches so the sweethearts and friends could slide right up next to each other, family-style!
Once the crowd cozied up for supper, the fun started with good-humored and heart-felt toasts. The newly-weds got to enjoy having all of their friends and family gathered in one place…and the friends and family got to enjoy toasting the happy couple with love…and lots of laughter.
All in all…we felt like it was the perfect way to celebrate our newly-wed friends and their southern roots!
a&a
the plight of white after Labor Day…go for it, belles!
10 Wednesday Sep 2014
Posted in fashion forward
Here’s a little emergency, bonus post. We feel compelled to remind you, dear belles, that you need not put away all of your white now that we have moved past Labor Day and toward the looming colder weather (we are kinda ready for some lower temps…aren’t you?).
We have heard many of our belle-friends questioning their fashion options in the last week because they have grown so attached to their white jeans through the summer…and they aren’t even close to being ready to put them away. Stop the madness!! Labor Day is not dooms-day in our book!!
Here’s proof:
This little video from Time gives a bit of history about the “no white after Labor Day” rule…and puts it to rest.
Glamour’s “Stop! Do Not Put Your White Jeans Away After Labor Day”. Says it all…and backs it up with these photos to prove the point:
It’s all in the styling, belles!! Re-visit our posts from April 10 and May 1…for a quick refresher and some great white denim options…
Whew! You’re welcome, belles!
a&a
the RARE belle 