While I’ve often driven by Graffiti, I’ve never appreciated it as much as I did today! Someone quite talented hit this wall and I feel in love with the design. After leaving a luncheon today in Phoenix I just had to stop and check it out.

Happy Friday Dolls!

Bella

XoX

PS I don’t condone gaffiti … but this was out of control  : )

From Fergie to Kim Kardashian, it looks like stars can’t get enough of the top knot. And we’re not surprised: It’s a chic updo that takes virtually no time, and it’s the perfect solution for a bad-hair day. The Black Eyed Peas singer sported this ‘do with a fancy cocktail dress at an event in L.A. over the weekend, and Kim K. wore it with a strapless column gown to a gala in NYC last night. We’re especially loving Kim’s jumbo earrings—they balance out the hairstyle perfectly.

“To get the look, make sure your hair is completely smooth (mix some hairspray with shine serum for hold and sheen), pull it up into a high pony, twist the strands around and secure the knot with bobby pins.” says Cosmopolitan Magazine

What do you see beyond the top knot? The article was about the hair, but what I notice is the makeup! It’s not a secret I have a huge girl crush on Kim Kardashian, she is just beyond gorgeous! But, the makeup is what makes a difference here. Fergies looks OK, slightly dull and half completed.  Kim’s on the other hand is flawless. Could that be her secret? Great makeup artists?

I doubt it entirely can be contributed to that, they do have a great pallet to begin with. This past Spring I hired a makeup artist from Twitter – Tiffany @CoachGlitter and I can tell you the quality of a makeup artist can absolutely make a difference. Tiffany’s work was amazing and so was the transformation.

This is my daughter before and after makeup. (OK she’ll kill me if she see’s this first photo), but it does illustrate the wonders of a great makeup artist!

Bella

XoX

Dainty pink cookies sandwiched together with a silky ganache look as if they belong on a restaurant’s petits fours plate.

Enjoy this recipe below, it’s soooo amazing and delish!!!!

 Hope you had a relaxing weekend!

Bella XoX

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE FRENCH MACAROONS

For macaroons

• 6 oz sliced blanched almonds (not slivered; 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Red or pink food coloring

For chocolate raspberry ganache

• 3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 64% cacao), finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferably McCormick brand)

• Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size sealable plastic bag (not pleated)

Make macaroons:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pulse almonds with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Sift in remaining cup confectioners sugar, stirring to combine.

Beat egg whites with salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Add drops of food coloring to reach desired shade and mix at low speed until evenly combined. Stir almond mixture into meringue with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate.)

Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening. Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (the size of a chocolate kiss) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on racks, about 30 minutes.

Make ganache while macaroons bake:
Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (Bowl should not touch water.) Remove bowl from heat, then add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted. Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.

Assemble cookies:
Carefully peel cookies from parchment (they will be fragile). Sandwich a thin layer of ganache (about 1/2 teaspoon) between flat sides of cookies.

Incredibly stylish, fashion forward and simply styled in such an elegant way.  Alix Cherry never disappoints with her outfit posts!

The ASOS socks or over the knee nylons are my favorite part. Inspiration X ‘s three on this one.

Finally completed so much more of my decorating to do list, I’ve been crossing them off feverishly.  I’ll take more pics this weekend and share. Finishing up is the best part, ya know, when it all starts to come together. Right?

Hope everyone has had a great week so far, if not, well hell it’s Friday tomorrow, so it’s about to get better!

Bella XoX

Shoes : Asos

Tshirt : Asos

  Skirt : Zara

  Socks : Asos

  Bag : Mulberry

A little pink and orange inspirations for your Wednesday. I have been a long time fan of these Brian Atwood pumps. While saving up to purchase them I came across this Alexander McQueen Wool Crepe dress. Wow is all I can say, color blocking at it’s finest!

But before you crush your budget, maybe save up for the heels, and find an amazing look alike for the dress! That’s what I am going to do.

Looking forward to restarting my DIY dining room project again tonight. Last night’s progress, I completed over half the table!

Hope you had a lovely Wednesday?

Bella xx

With my obsession of everything glitz and glamour, I could not have dream’t of more beautiful gowns. The sparkle factor and the billowy designs are just fabulous. These really are dresses that dreams are made of!

I started my dining room table last night, I am about 1/2 completed. What an undertaking for sure, but so much fun! I’ve already used over 1700 crystals. I did tweet a pic yesterday from my Blackberry, just in case you want a glimpse.  : )  Starting the dining room chairs this weekend, remember the one I posted two days ago with the feathers on the back.

Some of my family think I’m a little strange when I tell them what I’m doing. I just have to laugh and think to myself – “did we just meet?”

Happy Tuesday Luvs

Bella

Slightly more alive today and thanks to some of my favorite things. Flowers, always …. Miu Miu handbag, adore …. Pink cupcakes, my weakness and PINK shoes, well, no explanation needed! Right?

Whenever your spirits need lifted, just gazed and dream about your favorite things. Imagine yourself in them, wearing them, feeling them, it always works for me.

Happy Wednesday Luvs

Bella

pics via citifiedblogspot, and flicker

My perfect day would start off with my desk looking similar to this one!  Type A personalities must always have everything in it’s place. The clean lines of the white are so inspiring and lends itself to my taste.

The only thing I see missing are my favorite Swarovski pens and maybe a crystal paper weight.

Happy Tuesday Luvs

Bella

photos via we heart this

Victoria’s Secret is seriously one of my favorite places to shop online. Always the 80′s ROCKER Chic at heart, so I will never conform to the norm!

Edgy, sexy, and feminine are what I tend to lean towards. With that being said, ummm I am over 40, sooooo I have to be cognoscente of that when selecting outfits. And that is why I love VS. Not only can you find fun and flirty, but you can actually find garments with just enough cover-up to be appropriate!

The pants above are so comfortable to lounge in, and when I’m poolside it gives me a great option to wear with my bathing suit top. I paired it with the t-shirt {second pic}, to complete the flowy & billowy look.  It works!

What are your choices for summer wear, where is your favorite place to find lounging attire?

Hope your week was FAB-ulous!

Bella

Subtle pastelic hues take prettiness to ravishingly new heights. Fairy-tale pinks, periwinkle, cream, and mint enchanted the runways this season. Floating toile, swirling ruffled party dresses, and wispy gowns, so light they just breezed down the runway.

Here are a few tips on how to use different types of eye shadows:
1. Colored eyeliner pencils
If you’re a girl who loves her browns and blacks this season add a pop of color with a bright eye pencil or liquid liner. Some of my favorite combinations are a chocolate brown smoky eye with bright teal blue eyeliner. (Think Olivia Newton John 1976 in the movie Xanadu.)
2. Cream eye shadows
Cream eye shadows are easy to use because you can control how deep you want the color and this spring you can find so many amazing cream eye shadows to play with. I will sometimes use a cream shadow as a base then use powders to contour the crease and the outer corners. Be sure to use a crease-less formula for long lasting wear.
3. Powder eye shadows
When I look for powder shadows this season, I want a formula that is not only going to be long lasting but blend like velvet. High-pigmented shadows will insure the exact shade on any skin tone. An eye shadow primer is ideal to prepare the eye when using bright shades.

Images from top to bottom: Green/black gown by Georges Hobeika Couture, Turquoise knee length Dress by Dalia, Turquoise silk chiffon embroidered cuff long sleeve gown by Pamella Roland.)

via http://troyjensen.com/

Kim Kardashian is the face of Famous Cupcakes, Troy Jensen created a sweet pretty look on her for their advertising campaign. Famous Cupcakes is a brand new company that will be famous for their tasty treats made with wholesome and natural ingredients

Modern Day Barbie….

Kim’s skin was prepped with a light moisturizer, my favorite primer/highlighter, and blended a touch of concealer under her eyes and over her mouth to prepare her for the pastel palette. Troy  evened out Kim’s complexion with a liquid foundation and set with a loose powder, this look is about matte complexion. By buffing  pale cheek colors in nude, pale pink, peach, and white,   gave Kim’s complexion the look of sheer flawlessness. Troy  started by defining her eyebrows with a soft neutral brown and blended matte white to the arch of the brow and the inner eyelids and contoured Kims face and eyes with the same rose pink powder blush. Troy then defined her eye crease with a light neutral brown,  applied several individual lashes on top of a fake strip lash and lined her eye with a black liquid liner, always be sure to curl and coat your lashes before applying any fake lashes. A flesh tone pencil on the inside of Kim’s eyes to brighten them, a white pencil can tend to look too artificial, a pale flesh tone works better. For Kim’s soft pastel lip color Troy lined her lips and filled them in with a pale pink lipstick.

{courtesy of Troy Jensen}

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum 2

Click Link to purchase…..

Argan Oil Hair Serum
What it is:
An anti-frizz treatment that creates exceptional shine.

What it does:
It’s the shine of the times! Argan Oil Hair Serum delivers instant shine and long-lasting rejuvenation. Argan Oil naturally penetrates the hair to help moisturize each layer of the hair strand for long-term hair repair so your hair actually looks and feels healthier, silkier, and extraordinarily shiny. Subtly scented with geranium and bergamot fruit oils, the ultra-light, never-greasy, non-alcoholic formula penetrates the hair shaft to seal split ends and deliver intense moisture to each layer of the hair strand. All hair types will instantly look and feel healthier, silkier, and shinier.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
Argan Oil is a superior source of antioxidants, Vitamin E, and moisture as it nourishes and protects skin and hair from the environment. This organic ingredient prevents dehydration, inflammation, hyper pigmentation, and sebum production. It is your answer to healthy, youthful, radiant, clear skin and hair…naturally.

Beginning with National Wear Red Day®—Friday, February 5, 2010—millions  helped spread the critical message that “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.®” The Red Dress®, the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, was created by The Heart Truth® in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women. Everyone can participate in the national movement by wearing their favorite red dress, shirt, tie, or Red Dress Pin. For free information and resources to help you and your community celebrate National Wear Red Day, visit the National Wear Red Day toolkit.

On Thursday, February 11, 2010, The Heart Truth brought the Red Dress to life once again on the runway at New York Fashion Week with the debut of the Red Dress Collection 2010. This spectacular event reminds women of the need to protect their heart health and inspires them to take action. For the second year in a row, a selection of the designer dresses seen on the runway will be auctioned online in February through a partnership with Clothes Off Our Back. To bid on these Red Dresses this February, visit www.clothesoffourback.org.

My Favorite Kim Kardashian

Kristin Chenoweth

Kimora Lee  Simmons

Jordin Sparks

Elizabeth Hasselbeck

Bethenny Frankel

Felicity Huffman

Joan Collins