belles “jump” on the bandwagon…

05 Thursday Jun 2014

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Jumpsuits…another fashion trend, and a good one at that. Like a dress, once on, there is little to consider save for a few (or more) accessories! A jumpsuit is this seasons’s answer to the LBD…only cooler! Ideal for travel as it can be dressed up or down, layered or worn on its own, the jumpsuit adds an air of easy chic .

The jumpsuit can be sleek and sophisticated, cool and casual, boho flair, tastefully trendy, and much, much more. Bonus…it’s a blank canvas for creative accessorizing! Layer piles of necklaces or one statement necklace, have an arm party, scarf it, belt it, add a cardi…or how about a cool blazer?? The options are limitless and it’s a great opportunity to experiment!! C’mon y’all, get those creative juices flowing!!

Of course we’ve picked a couple to show you. The one that both of us purchased and a third belle in the crew had to have as well is by Drew and available at The Copper Penny.

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The necklace is fromJ. Crew and was 25% off!! Belles love a statement necklace that’s a bargain to boot!!

Now, as we had a little trouble finding the Drew jumpsuit on line we found a similar one at Topshop.

And a great, budget-friendly version is this one from Express.

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This one gives you a little more coverage on the top and we adore the sporty “track suit” edginess on the bottom. That tassel necklace? Another great purchase from J.Crew at 25% off. We will be sporting this one everyday.

Now lest you think we are boring, we decided to throw a printed jumpsuit into the mix…with ruffles…divine we tell you. This one from our local boutique of choice Savvy. And their website is Savvygreenville.com.

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With the necklaces from Furla and Kenneth Jay Lane, this jumpsuit just pops.

We love not thinking too hard when we don’t have to, and the jumpsuit sure takes care of a lot of the thinking for us.

So get a jump start on the jumpsuit action before they’re all gone. You’ll be glad you did!

a&a

y’all are going to love these “studs”.

03 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in fashion forward, Uncategorized, what's ringin' our belle

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You naughty belles!!! We are talkin’ about pearl studs…and not just any pearl stud either. These are happy-dance worthy. They are über-chic, edgy, on-trend, and happen to be the perfect dupe of these Dior pearl earrings…..

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Via Pinterest

Belles love their pearls, and to be able to kick them up a notch…well, it just makes our hearts melt. And…bonus…when it turns out to be a belle-bargain, we do even more dancing and prancing!

That’s right belles, your wallets are safe with us for the moment. Bauble Bar has designed a pair that we deem Olsen-twin worthy ….can you say identical?? For $28.00 !!!! Whew…sorry…lil’ out of breath from all that celebrating!! They are called the 360 and come in blush or gold (gold being a white pearl with gold metal…what we ordered) So, get on it now, belles. Order here …please! We beg of you…we don’t want you to miss out!

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Your lobes will thank us.

a&a

apricot bars…a scrumptious snack for the new neighbors (or yourself)…a belle-icious friday friend-1-1

30 Friday May 2014

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We’ve had a change in our neighborhood and while we were sad to see our old pals move on, we couldn’t be more delighted with our new neighbors.

It’s always a good thing to introduce yourself and welcome the new folk into your neck of the woods. We often deliver a plant, bottle of wine or a lil’ somethin’ from our very own kitchens.

We’ve been trolling the The Pioneer Woman website of late and drooling over all Ree’s recipes, so it only seemed right to put one to the test. And it passed with flying colors. So much so that two batches had to be made to keep our families from revolting!!

A recipe that is easy, delicious and enjoyed at anytime of day…or should we say, every time of day?!?!?…Thank you Ree Drummond !!

Apricot bars

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The main characters:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 stick salted butter
1 jar (10-12 oz.) Apricot preserves

The scene:

Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT apricot preserves.

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Press one half of mixture into buttered 8″ pan. Spread with apricot jam. Sprinkle remaining half of mixture in top and press lightly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.

The finale:

Try not to eat them all in one sitting…..good luck with that!!

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Now for the encore:

Put them in a box and tie with a ribbon!

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Can’t y’all just hear the applause!!

a&a

belles deliver supper…belle-icious menu ideas

29 Thursday May 2014

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Here in the south, we are raised to help friends in need on any number occasions: births, deaths, house moving, surgeries, feeling under the weather, new neighbors, nips and tucks …..any reason is reason enough.

Recently, a sweet friend of ours had a little elbow surgery and delivering dinner was just what the doctor (and these belles) prescribed.

We prefer to fix a meal that can also be eaten over the next day or two. The menu that we picked is deliciousness on the night prepared but is also scrumptious the next day for lunch or reheated for a second nights’ dinner.

We picked The Silver Palate’s lemon chicken. A delicious and beautiful lemony chicken that is good hot, cold, or room temperature. Find the recipe here at Serious Eats. The only adjustment we made was to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. An oldie but a goodie!

As a delicious side, we made our quinoa salad…a recipe that we posted a few weeks ago. Fresh, zesty, crunchy and healthy, it is the perfect side dish. See the recipe here.

Another favorite, and a recipe that we go back to again and again, is our broccoli salad. There are a slew of recipes out there, but we keep ours simple and divine. See below for a photo and the recipe. You’re gonna want to keep this one handy!

Last, but not least, was dessert…and by request we made Grandmother’s Chocolate Mousse. It truly is addictive, and let us just tell you…a spoonful in the morning to get you going is not a bad idea. Just sayin’.

Here is our take on the belle-worthy broccoli salad:

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Broccoli salad:
24 oz. or about 8 cups broccoli cut into very small florets.
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (we prefer Hellman’s/ Best Foods)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. Splenda sugar blend (you can use regular sugar)
3 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
2 generous dashes Tabasco
1 bunch of green onions chopped (we use 1/2 a sweet onion sometimes)
1 generous cup sharp shredded cheese
12oz. Bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, and Tabasco. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill.

This only gets better the longer the flavors have a chance to “marry”.

Serves 6-8

This is just one menu example that is perfect for carrying to a friend in need. What are your favorites to take to friends?

a&a

teen jeans (and other organizational ah-ha’s)…your friday friend-1-1

23 Friday May 2014

Posted by in the organized belle

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Being moms to a few teen-belles, we are always trying to come up with ways to help the little darlings organize their ever-expanding wardrobes.  (not an easy task as the precious apples have not fallen far from the shop-a-holic-in-denial trees)  Add to those expanding wardrobes the typical dis-organization of the typical teen and the fact that both of our homes were built in the early 1900’s (as in the pre-ready-to-wear-why-would-anyone-need-more-than-a-cubby-as-a-clothes-closet days!!)

So…when an organizational idea strikes, we implement with abandon!  Take for instance the idea of using pretty coordinating baskets to store certain items in full view, freeing up some very valuable closet real estate.  Take a look at these images for some inspiration…

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Jeans work well in baskets because they are somewhat uniform in size and color, and can be folded in a way that allows the impatient prospective wearer to find what she needs at a moments notice

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Sandals can be paired up in baskets…again, making it easier for the prospective wearer to find what she needs (much better than the pile in the dark closet)…

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and Toms and other cute slip-ons work beautifully as well!

Bonus…if the teen happens to empty the jean basket as she tosses pair-after-pair aside in the getting-ready frenzy, (what…does it sound as though we speak from experience??), it is quite obvious to her upon her return to her chambre exactly where the jeans are to be re-placed (and the sooner the better…just sayin’)

Now, let’s not forget that these little organizational ah-ha’s don’t apply only to baskets and teen-belles.  We can all take advantage of some of these ideas.  Take, for example, one husband’s t-shirt drawer…

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This particular husband tended to wear the same 2-3 t-shirts over and over while insisting that “someone” was “stealing” his favorites.  Well, enter this brilliant idea (must give credit to a Pinterest pinner).  Storing the shirts in the drawer with the shirt-front visible allows the husband to do a quick inventory…as often as he pleases…to be sure all of his beloved shirts are present and accounted for.  Now everyone can rest peacefully 😉

We will share other organizational ideas in time…we need to give you belles time to implement these before we bombard you with more!!

a&a

barbecue belle-style…let’s get saucy

22 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in belle-icious

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Many a war has been waged over BBQ sauce…the battle between mustard-based, vinegar-based and tomato-based is long-standing. Here in the south, BBQ sauce is taken very seriously. Everybody has an opinion…and so do we (surprised?? Didn’t think so….)

To be quite frank, we appreciate and enjoy all versions of this fabled sauce…but when making our own, we rely on two recipes…one that is simple and the other that is even simpler. We will be BBQ sauce plentiful for Memorial Day and think these are great for y’all’s grilling choices too!

We have had a long-standing loyalty to Ina Garten’s barbecue sauce. Her recipe is easy, plentiful and delicious, but requires a fair number of ingredients. Link to recipe here.

Now that brings us to recipe number two…which doesn’t hale from the south either (Ina’s a yankee, right?…and we mean that in the kindest way possible…bless her heart). Back in California, where one belle was raised, “barbecuing” means grilling. The closest we got to barbecue was the sauce….on ribs, on chicken and tri-tip…but California belle has since made up for it and is quite BBQ savvy. Anyway, back to sauce…the matriarch of the California belle family created an extremely simple, quick and tasty BBQ sauce. One that, dare we say, rivals top-rated recipes. It’s so good you could eat it with a spoon, but will want to eat it with a ladle! Perhaps that grandmother had a few southern charms up her sleeves?!?!

Grandmother’s barbecue sauce

3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar (white or apple cider)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon cayenne

Combine all ingredients and heat.

We don’t have pictures of the process because it’s just dump and pour. We do have a picture of the finished product. That is, a picture of what was left when we left the room for five minutes!!

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North and South may still continue to to fight the fight….but these belles are bettin’ this sauce is how the West was won!!!

a&a

junior belle room makeover

22 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in belle maison

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One of our baby belles is no longer so little, and as a result, had been asking for a room with a little more pizazz and style befitting her “grown-up self”.

Now, this particular belle is very stylish and confident. She knows what she likes and she has good taste… and an even better eye. She knew she wanted Tiffany blue and coral, so the stage was set.

We began by pinning rooms with these color ways so we could get a feel for how the end result would look. Here are a couple of the pins:

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We decided on Tiffany walls and coral accents. She was also insistent on having a hanging chair. Maybe she should be “determined” belle??

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Next up was a way to fill up a large space above her bed. We framed a collection of shopping bags from stores that we love and covet. We even framed a flat Tiffany box for some added interest. This idea would be great in a dressing room or bathroom as well.

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The touches of coral are on the headboard, bed skirt and pillows. And what southern belle wouldn’t have a monogram set about subtly (or not so subtly in this case)? Love the idea of making the monogram in coral for a proper “pop”.

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Fresh and fun with a splash of whimsy. Just what the belle ordered!

Check out tomorrow’s post for some ideas to keep the room at least somewhat organized (you know this tidy-ness won’t last!!)

One more shot of the room before we bid you adieu.

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Sweet dreams belles!!

a&a

okey d’okra…a fresh from the garden friday friend-1-1

16 Friday May 2014

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

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As summer approaches, we can’t help but think of fresh veggies and interesting (yet easy…who wants to spend all day in the kitchen!) ways to prepare them. Okra is one of our favorites at the moment.

Now, southern tradition dictates that the okra either be chopped, battered and fried, or stewed into slimy, gooey, over-cooked spears. Both of these options fall short of the main goal in eating your veggies in the first place…a typical southern folly…by taking something quite good-for-you and creating a southern-fried treat or zapping every last nutrient out in the cooking, and cooking, and cooking. (granted…stewed okra, corn and tomatoes is worth every last bite!)

So what’s a belle to do with her okra to get the most out of the nutrients and summer-fresh flavor?? Our quick and easy answer…roast it!

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Starting with fresh, tender pods, rinse thoroughly and dry.

Next, make length-wise cuts…either right down the middle or, if you want them a bit more “crispy”, slice each spear into 3 or more thin “chips”. Place in a bowl (or ziploc bag) and drizzle with your favorite (best quality you have available) olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Turn them all out onto a cookie sheet, spreading them out, cut-side-down, making sure to get them in a single layer

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Place in a 400 degree oven, and watch the masterpiece come to life! 15-20 minutes should do it, but you can be the judge. A nice, browned, slightly crisped edge is what we like to see…

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Be sure to get your share early…these babies will disappear in a snap!
a&a