corned beef…an Irish-belle feast!

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We had no earthly idea that there were so many ways to cook corned beef when we began this quest for the perfect St. Patrick’s feast. I mean really, you can boil it, bake it, crockpot it, boil AND bake it…or you can take seventeen days (yes, seventeen days!!) to create it.

We fully intended to take a tried and true path with just the right recipe, but as the day in question drew closer and the spring-like weather practically pulled us out of the kitchen, we just had to tweak a touch to get the best of both worlds. Taste and time. So we have mixed and matched, dumped and poured and come up with a pretty good rendition for all you Irish belles.

Don’t forget corned beef on rye the next day!

So we started out using this recipe for the beef. We chose baked.

Then we added the cabbage and vegetables from this site!

And we made the sauce from above as well! Belles are always saucy!!!

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Via Pinterest

Now if we are presenting this a wee bit late for y’all , may we recommend another Irish treat to tempt your taste buds? How about :

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Via Pinterest

This sweet delight can be found right here.

Feel free to make it all. That will keep the Irish eyes smiling!

a&a

this tip’s for you, belle…your friday friend-1-1

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A few years ago we started using these:

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Gotcha huh???

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They are virgin olive oil cotton swabs. Why, whatever for, you might ask. Well:

They are great for cleaning up tough-to-remove eye makeup residue.
They erase makeup prep errors.
They add a little moisture to the under-eye area to help blend concealer.
They moisturize cuticles.
They moisturize the lip area (especially the corners) without feeling greasy.
They are $6.00 for 50, double-ended, and individually-wrapped for portability.
So there…a miracle product!

We have tried several other brands but keep returning to this one. Just can’t beat the quality or the price. Bonus…they are made in San Francisco which we are partial to, of course.
Here is the link

Now swab to your hearts desire!
a&a

we framed ours…you will want to frame yours too – bonus post!

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Y’all are going to be singin’ our praises as soon as you give these a try!

On the heels of our French getaway, we couldn’t resist a bit of extra sharing!

Frame denim is a new find in denim for us, but it is sure to be an old favorite before long! With a fit that makes you look like you have worn your Fitbit out (if you catch our drift), they offer great color washes, perfect pocket placement (tres important belles) and a modern rise that is still modest enough to allow you not to fret if you have to pick something up off the floor.

We absolutely adore “Le Garçon.” I mean, really, need we say more? No…but we will! Le Garçon is the perfect slim boyfriend jean. Sexy, stylish and comfortable. (We recommend you size down one in this particular style.)

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Awesome, right?!?

Here’s another great pic from Pinterest to encourage you a bit more.

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They are available at net-a-porter.com

Now we belles like our options, so if you are wanting to add a skinny jean to your denim collection we are in full support. Frame makes a great skinny in several color options. We have the dark wash ” Le Skinny” and they are great for day to night . We love the clean simple line, a great mid-rise and fits true to size. We may invest in the white in the very near future. Who are we kidding…we know we will!

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Voila!!

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Oui!

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Oui! Oui!

Find them here

Frame it, belles!!

a&a

a RARE stroke of genius…your friday friend-1-1

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Sadly, we can’t take the credit for coming up with this brilliant idea. Pinterest has been one our entertainment tools of late as we have been stuck in our homes for what seems like a coon’s age.

This neck of the woods is unaccustomed to being accosted by such frigid, aggressive, and downright abrasive weather. We scurried into our humble abodes to wait it out. Thanks to being forced to set a spell, we have discovered some interesting things to keep us occupied.

Obviously, we have been wearing our boots a lot, and when we came across this idea, we just HAD to share because that’s what belles DO. Pinterest told us we don’t need boot stands . We can use Manila folders!! What??? They don’t cost a mint (use that money toward the next pair) or fall on your tender toes, they don’t take up room in our meager closets (c’ mon, y’all know belles never have large enough closets) and they neaten things up in a skinny minute!! What’s not to love?!?!

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A little multitasking tip like this warms our lil’ ole hearts just when we need it.

a&a

belles don’t fret…they do fretwork!

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Our dear belles…should we ever settle for just ho-hum? Why, never! Not us! When it comes to what we wear, what we eat, what we do…we want fabulous, don’t we? Well, here’s a little belle ringer for your belle maison. When you are stumped as to how to create some “wow” in a room, don’t fret, do fretwork!!

Here are some beautiful examples…

from sybaritic spaces.blogspot.com

from sybaritic spaces.blogspot.com

sybariticspaces via Elle Decor

sybariticspaces via Elle Decor

http://sybariticspaces.blogspot.com/2013/03/create-fabulous-fretwork-doors.html

We have both been doing a little updating lately (actually…we are in a constant state of update…much to our husbands’ dismay), so when we found this touch of fabulous-ness, we just went all giddy with the possibilities!! Cut to order in some of the most amazing patterns, there is sure to be one that is perfect for any project you can conjure up in that pretty little head.

Some of our favorites from fretworksdesigns.com:

fretwork - Oxmoor

fretwork -Homewood

This pattern is Homewood

So, a few months ago, one of us realized it was time for a major overhaul of the master bedroom. Living in a nearly 90-year-old house, storage had become a touchy subject (i.e. – a certain husband might not be allowed to open the door to the wife’s “extra” closet because said closet, tiny as it may be, is so chock full of treasures, a purse and shoe avalanche could be set off merely by the low pitch of a male gasp…it’s take your life in your own hands dangerous!!).

Well, what’s a belle to do? Create as many places for storage as possible. In this case, we decided that some cleverly designed built-in cabinets could take the place of the typical bedside table/chest, and the cabinet doors could become a fabulous fret-work-of-art! The doors were built with mirrored insets…and the fretwork worked the rest of the magic.

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The fretwork (pattern is Oxmoor) was painted to match the cabinetry and fit perfectly into the space on the doors thanks to some accurate measurements on our part and skillful craftsmanship from Fretworks Designs LLC. http://fretworksdesigns.com/

Check out the photos of this project on their site here: http://fretworksdesigns.com/built-in/

A before and after view:

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Now, our dears, how could we possibly stop at these cabinet doors with this fab treatment? Just imagine the doors, walls, headboards, chests, and countless other ho-hum spaces that stand to benefit! Heads spinning and belles ringing!!

a&a

tap that app…your friday friend-1-1

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Can you hear what we hear??? That’s right ladies, no more excuses not to reach your Fitbit goal of the day. With the fit radio app, you can be motivated to step up!! So even if you forgot your own tunes, your walking pal ditched you at the last moment, or you are feeling a little weary, this app will fix your woes and keep you going.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fit-radio-workout-music/id440844625?mt=8

With several genres to choose from, you can get fit, stay fit, and listen to your choice of fit-focused music.

And it’s free so you can’t use that excuse either!!

We are loving our Fitbits and the fit radio app has helped us keep at it…especially when we need that extra boost to meet our goals.

Try it, y’all! You will like it.

Hope you find this fit tip as helpful as we did.

a&a

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Paris…it does a belle good

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Our junior belles have a school break, and as any proper mother belles would do, we decided it would be wise to take them on an “educational” trip. (Not to mention…we have both had a hankering to revisit some of our favorite Parisian haunts). As you can tell by the lingo that slips from our lips, we have long had a love affair with all things French. Time to hand down the addiction!!

Follow us here and on Instagram for our latest and greatest finds as we make our way through the city of light…some old, some new. We will share everything from packing to perusing, cultural jaunts, food tours, fashion finds, and a treasure trove of delightful adventures. We will try to keep the mishaps to a minimum and surprises magnifiques to a maximum.

Don’t forget to shadow us on Instagram for sure…and the blog if we can figure to out. Remember…we’re just learn in’.

a bientot,
a&a