For beauty and design I recommend all of them, but my favorite and most helpful book is Nina’s.

 The One Hundred, written by Nina Garcia, fashion director at Elle magazine,  is designed to help women build a classic wardrobe and avoid being caught up in fads.  It contains the 100 items that Nina believes will never go out of style. Not only does she list these items but explains why each item has stood the test of time., looking at the history behind such items as the white shirt, the gold link watch, and a pair of classic black slacks.

Decorating never ends with the furniture, it’s the little things in life that make a difference!

Bella

XoX

My number one choice from this year’s Marchesa  Spring 2012 is this magical dress.  Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig designs are what dreams are made of! The exquisite tulleing and details, albeit seen before, never disappoint.

I get lost in the designs. I can picture one of these gowns making it’s residence in the corner of my room on a lovely graceful stand, behind glass of course.

One day I hope to own my very own Marchesa gown and meet the fabulous Georgina Chapman!

Finally ordered these sunglasses, I’ve been dying to emulate this picture as my avatar for Twitter and Facebook!

I want to hang these everywhere, such a happy, colorful piece!

 Confetti systems http://www.confettisystem.com/

Honeydew Lime Popsicles, I live in Arizona, what can I say, it’s HOT here!

Honeydew Lime Popsicle Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (3-4lb) ripe honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice

• 5 ounce Dixie cups
• 20-30 Popsicle sticks

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat water over medium/high heat, add sugar and continue stirring until completely dissolved. Let cool.

In a blender, add your melon, lime juice and syrup and blend until smooth. Carefully pour mixture into your 5 ounce Dixie cups, filling 2/3 of the way.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes (set your timer), insert your wooden sticks, and continue to freeze until the popsicles are completely frozen, about 6 hours.

When you’re ready to enjoy, cut and tear the Dixie cups off of the popsicles and voila, enjoy! see image below

Makes about 20 popsicles

Have an AH-mazing weekend luvs!

Bella XoX

recipe via http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/

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

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

After a long weekend, some of us take more time to get back into the routine of life. Lovely dinners, with champagne kisses close off this Memorial Day. And now it’s Tuesday, back to reality.

“Make new friends but keep the old ones; one is silver and the other’s gold”

Hope your Tuesday is FAB!

Bella

Luxurious linens and breakfast in bed, after fun filled weekends is the best. Just enough time to reflect of moments spent with family and friends you cherish.

With our lives so busy these days, I feel it is important to take the time for ourselves. Even if it’s only for an hour, just enough to secure your thoughts and compose your future dreams. One of my favorite times of the day is when the lights go off and all is still and silent. I usually have a candle burning on my bedside table and my drapes open to gaze at the stars.  The peacefulness of a candlelit room, the flicker of the flame against darkness is so soothing.

It’s now time to blow this candle out.

Bella

pics via citified blogspot

This classic, elegant Notte Marchesa dress is a true masterpiece, with it’s pleated empire bodice.

The detailing and the flirty design takes my breath away…

About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness and the rest are bread-and-butter designs.
Manolo Blahnik

Bella

Marchesa Dress ( via My Wardrobe )

Shoes : Sonia Rykiel

pics via alix on flicker

Hands down, Oscar de la Renta far surpassed the standard, and in turn revealed the secret to the most FABULOUS show this week!

Hair & makeup should compliment the designers creations,   de la Rentas’ mastered it.  Distracting in an understatement  when your eyes focus on “out of  control hair, bright ORANGE lips or makeup that screams Kesha.    Fantasy looks are a prerequisite  of a runway,  but as comical relief, you lose your purpose.

Even when it comes to men’s fashion, the same theory applies.  Example: Below in the first set is Elli Tahari Spring 2011.

Sheer Perfection !!!!

Now look at this !!!!  I’m scared, I’m not inspired.. can’t get beyond the man makeup and hair to see the designs!

Another distraction, is hideously skinny models who simply ruin the whole design.  Case in point Marchesa, one of my absolute favorites.   The dress was stunning, the entire line was a girls dream come true, but I couldn’t focus on the couture, because of the models.

I even tweeted my FAVORITE GOWN and every reply, every single one of them, was a comment about the model!  ”Is she REAL”, one tweeter asked, another said “feed that woman”! I definitely wasn’t the only one noticing.

Beautiful models make all the difference, isn’t that why their paid those exorbitant salaries?  At least she could pretend she is happy to be in the most glam dress of the show!

I want to share with you the pure exquisiteness that is Oscar de la Renta.

Notice that these models ADD to the show, the hair, the makeup, luxurious refinement.

“Only You” crooned the soundtrack as the parade of magnificent evening dresses began. Dressed in any of these, the de la Renta heroine would slay all pretenders to the Belle of the Ball title. Gowns crafted from elaborate swathes of carnation pink, pistachio, or tango-orange faille, seamed like Charles James’ masterworks and flourished with bustles and bows, were interspersed with spangled dresses crafted for the femme most fatale.

Bella XoX

Tonight when I got home I did my usual routine, change my clothes, wash my face, make a cup of cappuccino and turned on E Entertainment news.  After the shitty week I’ve had, I needed some superfulous news, no CNN for me tonight!

That’s when I saw the story about the Showest Awards held last night in Las Vegas.  The clip showed Sarah Jessica Parker wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.  I quickly grabbed my remote and hit pause!  As I sat here just gazing at this masterpiece, I wondered “who could the designer be”?   Ah yes, Marchesa of course, I found out quickly, as I began my feverish internet search.

This dress has all of my favorite elements, BLACK yay, lacy, ruffles, sexy, but not over the top sexy,edgy with a Rock and Roll look, although it could use a few inches added to the length.

I’ve decided this is my most very favorite dress of all time! I just love it!