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the RARE belle

~ a southern gal's guide to all things fabulous in food, fashion, finery and frippery

the RARE belle

Tag Archives: travel

a belle-ringin’ gift guide…for the fella

16 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle gifts

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amazon, Barbour, gifts, glasses, grill tools, H. Goose, jacket, men, nordstrom, pajamas, Royal highnies, stadium, tools, travel, turntable, Uncommon Goods, watch, whiskey

Our shopping window is narrowing by the minute…and many of us have saved the most difficult (in some opinions) for last. What is a belle to get for the fellas in her life?? Well, here are some ideas!

For his royal “high”-ness as he lounges about…

…the most super-soft lounge pants you can find from Royal Highnies (and their boxers make great stocking stuffers, too!). Carried locally at Rush Wilson and other fine retailers!

For the fella who tends to be a bit retro…

This turntable

The perfect stocking stuffer for the beer-drinker…

This little gadget. Ya don’t have to be a Boy Scout to “always be prepared”. Just sayin’

For the beginning grill-master or the seasoned grill-chef…

A sleek set of grill tools

For the die-hard sports fan…

Stadium and arena blueprints from Uncommon Goods

More handy tools…

…from Uncommon Goods. (Hint, hint…these might be good for the belles, too!)

For the fella who struggles with decision-making…

This is just the thing one of us has needed for a son who struggles in this area!

For the whiskey drinker…

Even a whiskey-drinkin’ belle would enjoy the whiskey wedge!

For travelin’ in style…

…a Barbour travel kit

For the classic sportsman…

An H Goose watch is the perfect accessory. Carried locally by Pace Jewelers, P Squared, and Rush Wilson, so a little footwork will have you checking off your list!

Baby, it’s cold outside…

Perhaps he needs a little somethin’ to keep him warm! This Barbour jacket should do the trick.

Happy shopping, belles!

a&a

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what’s ringin’ our belle…round 123

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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cardigan, Moon Cheese, nordstrom, PSA, The Inn at Newport Ranch, the kitchn, travel, water, WhoWhatWear

Great tips for our kicks…


Via Whowhatwear
A PSA about water bottles in cars….

Via The kitchn

Just ordered these….anybody else try them yet? 

We just returned from an amazing week at The Inn at Newport Ranch…


Check it out here.  If you can make a plan to go, you will NOT regret it!!  Tell them the belles sent ya!

Searching for the perfect camel cardigan for when the weather finally behaves and acts like fall…


This might work.  Available at Nordstrom
Do it to it, belles!

a&a

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what’s ringin’ our belle…round 119

22 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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Anthropologie, because im addicted, food 52, Marc Jacobs, nordstrom, tomatoes, travel

How to keep tomatoes fresh longer…


Via Food 52
And a great tomato recipe to try…


Via Food 52

We are thinking these may be our next purchase…


Via Nordstrom 
And this platter…


Via Anthropologie
Love these travel tips…


Via Pinterest. Article from Because I’m Addicted

Hope these ring your belle too!!

a&a

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happy travelin’ belles…

26 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by theRAREbelle in belles on the go

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amazon, bag charm, Elnett, furbish studio, Longchamp, Mark & Graham, nordstrom, socks, travel, travel tray

We belles are so often on-the-go, we like to add a happy and light-hearted flare to what can sometimes be the drudgery of delays and layovers. One belle keeps a “happy bag” packed with all of the necessities (examples listed below) to navigate a day (or more) of airport livin’. 

On her shoulder these days…


A Longchamp bag in a happy color keeps the spirits up


Peony perhaps??  (Sorry…pretty persimmon seems to be no longer available)
And that bag charm…


…(from Furbish Studio) adds a playful, whimsical touch to help a travel-weary belle remember to enjoy the journey

And, as promised, the list of necessities loaded in that bag at all times…

– Chargers with long cords for both the phone and the tablet

– face wipes and moisturizer (for the dreaded overnight delay)

– cozy socks

– a brush and travel-size Elnett

– toothbrush and toothpaste (the little pack from the dentist is perfect!)

– travel blanket and eye mask (or at least a pashmina)

– medicine organizer

– a travel “catch all”

At the last minute, add your jewelry (don’t check those lovelies, belles!), your tablet, and perhaps a scaled-down makeup bag and you’re all set…ready for what the travel gods might throw your way!!  (Don’t forget sunglasses and phone…duh)

Happy trails!

a&a

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what’s ringin’ our belle…round 68

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

≈ 1 Comment

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art, Asia, broccoli, buzzfeed, customs, foxnews, furbish studio, Halcyon tassel earring, Liquor.com, NY Times, Phnom Penh, smitten kitchen, travel, verywell.com

Ringin’ belles this week…

from foxnews.com


Drinking customs from around the world


Halcyon Tassel earrings from Furbish Studio

from verywell.com


Beating this “gettin’ older” thing  with strength, stability and stamina 


Broccoli melts from Smitten Kitchen…belleicious!!

We’ve been testing our “art skills” via buzzfeed


We have both stretched our “travel limits” lately (one in China earlier this year…the other headed to Japan shortly), so Phnom Penh might be our next Asian adventure

Well, ring my belle!

a&a

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what’s ringin’ our belle…round 37

19 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in what's ringin' our belle

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amazon, halfbakedharvest, it luggage, nordstrom, packing, purewow, refinery29, thekitchn, thepioneerwoman, travel

IMG_3687-0The latest batch of belle-ringers…

Packing secrets for the belle-on-the-go. Belles don’t leave home without this!!

A few clever travel hacks to combat jet lag.

Our absolute favorite suitcase! It really is the lightest ever!! Get it here. Empty you can lift it with your pinkie finger! 

The best hot chocolate recipes! How to up your hot chocolate game

Every belle household should have a handy toolkit. Here’s how to put together the perfect starter kit ! 

Now that’s a wrap….oops, almost forgot about Happy Hour ! 

a&a

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travel log…banyan tree mayakoba

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle adventures

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adventures, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, beach, getaway, girls trip, Mexico, Riviera Maya, spa, travel, vacation

Right about now, we’re thinkin’ some warm sunshine would feel good…how ’bout you, belles??

Well, we have a suggestion for a little winter getaway…and it just might be the perfect Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for significant other. A win-win in our book!

About this time last year, we were planning this little girls jaunt to the Riviera Maya…the Banyan Tree Mayakoba to be exact. This place was just what the doctor ordered!  The food was incredible, the grounds well-kept and safe, the spa extra-memorable, the service impeccable, and the sunshine plentiful. Ahhhhh!!

Check it out…

   

The lobby 

  

The welcome

  

We rented bikes for getting around the property 

  

juice and tea at breakfast

  

Our favorite perch

  

A little respite from the sun

  

A much-welcomed refreshing beverage…there was something different (and amazing) every day!

  

The Popsicle cart made its rounds every day as well

  

A healthy lunch

 

And a cocktail at the end of the day

We highly recommend…for your own sanity…that you give a little sunshine a try!

Book it, belles!

a&a

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belles in the islands…a Turks and Caicos oasis

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle adventures

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islands, parrot cay, travel, turks and caicos, vacations

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.
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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.
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Without hesitation, we set off to explore our little slice of heaven…
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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…
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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…
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One of the friendly locals!

Our days were spent lounging by our private villa pool…
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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

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it’s the thought that counts…a thrifty gifting friday friend-1-1

05 Friday Dec 2014

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

amazon, Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, gifts, Giles & Brother, gloves, goop, jewelry, MoMA, personalization, rosemary, Sur la table, topiaries, travel, umbrella

For this edition of our gift-giving suggestions, we thought we might share some very useful, yet budget-friendly (all under $50!), options. We are regular “goop” readers and saw a couple of these on her gift ideas post…but we went digging a bit further, keeping prices low and practicality paramount. Hint to either of our mothers, sisters, children…(cough, cough) we kinda like this stuff. Might we find one or two in a stocking or under our trees?? Just sayin’.

From the MoMA Store…

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The 4-in-1 travel adaptor…$25. Good for the travelin’ belle or fella

And more from the MoMA store…
Nothin’ but blue skies…

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The Blue Sky Umbrella… What belle wouldn’t like this overhead on a rainy (or snowy) winter day?? Just $48…or get the collapsible version for $40.

Operate that “rectangle” in the cold…

IMG_1712.JPG
Keep the fingers warm and in control with these artsy Touchscreen Gloves. A budget-friendly $28…and they come in a man-friendly black and gray, as well!

For the blogger…hint, hint…cough, cough…

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This A-Fold iPad Stand makes an awful lot of sense. Come on…it’s only $48!

For the cook…from Sur la table…

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This rosemary tree wrapped in burlap would make a delightful delivery! Can be used as part of the holiday decor, but will be used and appreciated well after the tinsel has been cleared! This one will only set you back by $29.95. (And for a local, do-it-yourself delivery…we’ve seen some great rosemary topiaries at Home Depot. Just do a bit of creative wrapping and you’re all set!)

Here’s one that goes a wee bit over budget…$55…but we just had to share:

IMG_1715-1.JPG
From Bergdorf Goodman, the Giles & Brother Personalized Skinny Railroad Spike Bracelet is edgy and stackable…so the entire family can be commemorated! (By the way…it’s a bit reminiscent of this little beauty from Cartier…only $7545 less!)

For the younger set…

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This Outside the Lines coloring book should keep ’em busy for a bit. Order on Amazon for just $18 or less…and they have other suggestions as well.

Or maybe a book or two…

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The Open Ocean is interesting and educational…you might even find yourself curled up with it! From authors Pittau and Gervais who have another couple of books in their repertoire…maybe you should buy a set!

So there you have it, belles…lots of perfectly practical, thoroughly thoughtful options for your gift-giving pleasure.

Ho, Ho, Ho!
a&a

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travel tip…another rare stroke of genius…your friday friend-1-1

18 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in friday friend 1-1

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Tags

flying, lifehacks, tips, travel, wi-fi

So, while traveling through several airports in recent months, we were chagrined to discover that not only do some of these airports want to charge a gazillion dollars for a bottle of water, (no….that is not an exaggeration) they also want to charge you to use their wi-fi. Now we are not cheap, but if we can get something for free, well why ever not ?

We have found this particular hack to be quite handy while bouncing from airport to airport:

20140626-191810-69490244.jpg

So the next time you get a chance, give it a whirl, then maybe you can treat yourself to a candy bar to go with that water…just sayin’.

Wishing you safe travels and free perks.
a&a

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