• BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

    SKINCARE ESSENTIALS PART 1 – FEATURING CLARINS AND OTHER SKIN STARS

    You may remember that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to take good care of my skin in 2015. I’m psyched to tell you that I have been sticking to it, and I want to share with you what I’ve learned, tried and am doing to finally give my face and body the nourishment they need. It only took me 32 years but, hey, better late than never! Today let’s get educated about all the different steps you can take and all the different products you can use to get a glowing complexion. Read on for Belle’s skincare essentials!

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    DATE NIGHT IS IMPORTANT – IDEAS FOR MAKING IT SPECIAL

    My boyfriend and I recently re-committed to going out on dates – to taking time away from normal life,  to getting dressed up and to exploring new dinner spots we’ve never tried around town. Our lives had been really hectic lately and we needed a chance to reconnect and pay attention to each other – with a sense of fun and adventure. Read on for ideas!

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    RAID HIS CLOSET TO WEAR THE GINGHAM TREND

    I am loving the gingham trend that’s all over the magazines for spring, but I just can’t spend anymore this month – or next month for that matter. Lucky for me, I am the ultimate creative problem-solver when it comes to shopping in my own closet. And then it struck me! My boyfriend’s closet has all these awesome plaid shirts that TOTALLY fit the bill – I know this because I built his wardrobe myself (see the post all about it here). I grabbed a  couple and with a few tweaks, gave them an on-trend and feminine touch. Read on for a couple ideas!

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    THREE WAYS TO WEAR COWBOY BOOTS – MY VERSION OF FESTIVAL STYLE

    I recently traveled to New Orleans for a long weekend with friends, and I wore one pair of shoes the whole time – cowboy boots! I love wearing these boots when I’m on the go because they are really comfortable and look great with a lot of different items from your wardrobe. Plus, they are perfect for festival season if you’re looking for an alternative to the fringe-hippie trend – you can slog through the mud with these bad boys and still look stylish. So today let’s cover three ways to wear cowboy boots – with a dress, with shorts and with skinny jeans.

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    MY INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIS BITTAR

    Saturday, April 4th was such a special day. Alexis Bittar graced Chicago’s Nordstrom shoppers with his presence and, of course, his amazing jewelry. And I, little ole’ me, got the opportunity to spend 10 sacred minutes with Alexis, interviewing him and asking him everything I’ve ever wanted to know from one of my role models. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! #pinchme.

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    MONEY TALKS PART 2 – WHEN TO SPLURGE

    Two days ago we discussed a multitude of ways to save money while looking stylish and beautiful. Today, let’s discuss when to splurge. There are very few things I will spend full price on but they do exist; and I will spend the money for the right thing. For me right now, the ‘right thing’ is my skincare, and my hair style. Leading up to 2015, I realized that I wasn’t getting any younger. In fact, I was rocket-launching, full-speed-ahead into my 30s with aging skin and dry hair that looked bad all the time. HELL. NO.

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