A Post from Belle ... Eight Little Questions

Hello! I'm Belle!
Southern girl turned city girl ... and my heart lies in both places.
I love going home to my mom's southern home cooking,
the lush gardens and big front porches.
But I also have come to dearly love my exciting city life.
I have the best of both worlds!

Earlier this week,
Julie from a charming blog called
Brown Eyed Belle
"tagged" the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection
with eight questions to answer, should we choose to participate.
Well, hello.  When I heard that a southern girlfriend
asked a favor, guess who volunteered to answer?
And to top it off, my name is Belle ... could it be more perfect?

Also, this is just some sort of strange coincidence
and has totally nothing to do with anything other than it's interesting ...
there are EIGHT questions ... and there are EIGHT girls
in the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.
Not that I will share my first post with the other girls!
Oh no ... I'm very sweet ... but not that sweet!

Illustration of Belle by Sandy - Artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

Okay, here we go!

Question 1
What is your favorite flower?

The country girl in me is speaking out on this one.
I didn't even have to think about this one, girls.
It's the flower that's around every turn in our lush southern gardens.
I'd have to say my favorite flower is the palest pink peony.
Like a sweet whisper,
they're always so lovely in every way ...
whether as a single flower given to me
by a sweet, adorable man (oh yes!)
or used as a full and breathtakingly delicate centerpiece
for a picnic under the stars.
Pale pink peonies simply make my heart melt.

Peony image one Here, image two Here, image three Here

Question 2
What is your favorite color combination?

I think the city girl in me will answer this one.
My favorite color combination depends upon when you ask.
In the spring
I might say crisp spring green and white.
In the summer
it might be the very palest blue green with hits of hot pink.
In the winter,
I tend to love chartreuse wrapping paper
accented with gold or white ribbon under my tree.

But right now we're just opening the door to fabulous autumn,
and she's sashaying her pretty little self in to meet us very quickly.
So I will tell you what my favorite color combination is for this fall.

There are some very pretty colors
on the runway for fall this year, such as
the rich camels and golds
sometimes combined with military green and animal prints.

Helmut Lang Mercury Drape Dress - Image from Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

And different shades of blue are also on the list this fall.

IRFE Wool Blouson Dress with Leather Sleeves - Image from Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

And even though I love those fall colors,
as well as the bright reds and all of the metallics,
fur and feathers of this season,
my FAVORITE fall colors are the colors I chose to wear
for the blog illustration of myself in the beginning of this post.

Illustration by Sandy

 They are the deeply mysterious
purple, burgundy or auburgine tones out now,
combined with grey and silver metallics.
Here are a few samples:

On Her: Lausanne Blouse and Kollette Satin Skirt. Image - Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

Bottega Veneta's Pleated-Tulle Dress with Plunging V-Neck Wood Bodice.   Image - Town and Country Magazine September 2010

Jason Wu's Ostrich Minidress in Fuschia with Gucci Python Heels. Image from Town and Country September 2010

Question 3
Who is your favorite celebrity couple?

Oh me, oh my.
The country girl is coming out for this one.

The couple I've chosen is southern
and just a darn cute couple.
They seem to genuinely love each other
and know how to have fun in the kitchen.
Continually flirting,
I don't think they need any added spice in the drawer,
as they have quite enough between the two of them.
I know you'd never expect this answer.
Are you ready?

It's Patrick and Gina Neely
of Down Home with the Neely's
on the Food Network Chanel.

Question 4
What is your theme song?

Oh boy, this is a hard one.
I love so many kinds of music.
But I guess for my theme song I'd have to choose one
that referenced the fact that I'm a southern girl,
so this will be the choice of the country girl in me.
This song is actually a break-up song,
but I hear it in my mind
as I'm walking down the city streets.
If I were to star in a movie
(don't pretend you don't hear your own soundtrack, girls)...
I think this would be my theme song.
To listen, click here:

Southern Girl
by
Amos Lee

Southern Girl is a song from the Supply and Demand CD by Amos Lee

Question 5
What is your favorite 'I've had a terrible day' food?

If any of you have to ask,
I must be the first southern girl you've met.
Southern girls love to entertain.
We love parties and do them up right.
The word soiree is southern, you know.
And when I'm havin' a "terrible day"
I crave my mama's southern fried chicken and cornbread
or
her chicken 'n dumplin's
and then to top it off if it's been a really bad day,
I crave a bowl of banana puddin'.
If you're a northern girl,
I suggest you buy a southern cookbook and try all of the above.
If you haven't tried it, you don't know what you're missin.'
Here are a few suggestions:

Bon Appetit Y'All by Virginia Willis

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose

The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking by Louis and Billie Van Dyke

Question 6
Lipstick, lip gloss or both?

This fall is all about the deep red lip and smoky eye.

Chanel Couture Simply Red - image from Marie Clair October 2010

Proenza Schouler Maroon 5 - Image from Marie Claire October 2010

In answer to the question,
I, myself, usually go for lipstick first
and top it off with a little gloss.
I find that using just just gloss disappears with the first kiss (ahem)
But, a matte lipstick just needs a little somethin'.

For color, I'd go with one of the rich burgundy shades.
I love the burberry lipstick tube and the pattern is also embossed
on the lipstick itself for a luxe touch.
Shades like Bright Plum or Burgundy would be perfect for fall.
Burberry's Soft Satin lipstick is light and has a shiny, not matte.
It also has UV protection, leaving lips soft and oh-so-kissable.

Burberry Lipstick Tube Illustration by Sandy

Click here for a list of the top 15 lipsticks and how to use them from Stylelist!


Question 7
What is your favorite magazine?


Strike a pose.
Need you ask?
Vogue, darling, Vogue.

Question 8
What is your favorite thing about fall?

I think of fall as a fashion runway show all around me.
The stars of the show are the trees.
They're adorned in pearls

Photo by Sandy

dressed in brilliant ballgowns

Photo by Sandy

 and as they wave in the wind at the crowd,
they toss colored confetti at the applauding audience below.

Photo by Sandy

What season could be more glamorous?

Photo Credit for Hour Detroit Magazine Photos: Roy Ritchie

A Post from the Artist ... Let's Celebrate Big

Hi friends!
I wanted to say thanks so very much for being a part of the new
Ooh La Frou Frou Collection blog
and helping the girls and I kick it off with such success!

It's been so much fun so far
and there will be MUCH MORE glamorous fun to come.
If you are a already a follower of the blog,
you know that the posts by the girls are always on Monday.
On Twitter I've been lovingly calling this day Monday Funday.
Occasionally, however, there may be a special "By the Artist"
 post on other days for occasions such as this!

As a special thanks to such wonderfully supportive friends,
 I wanted to celebrate my birthday with a fun card giveaway
for my Twitter and Facebook fans that are followers of the new blog!

The Prize:
Three Ooh La Frou Frou Collection cards of your choice.
You can view the cards by going to the Ooh La Frou Frou website.
When you get there just click on the Cards tab
and you'll see the choices of our first cards in the line!
If you click on each card, it will take you to a page on the site
that will tell you all of the details about the card
(such as whether it has glitter, crystals, envelope color and inside message).

This is how to enter the giveaway: 


1. You must be a follower of the blog to enter,
so if you are not already a follower of the blog,
just go to the right sidebar and click "Follow"
in the Glamorous Followers section!
 
2. You must also be a fan of Ooh La Frou Frou
on Facebook and/or Twitter, so if you are not,
you can click on the Facebook and/or Twitter icons
on the left sidebar of the blog to remedy that!

3. The next step is to leave a comment under this post
stating your name, e-mail (so I can contact you!)
and whether you are a facebook and/or twitter follower.

 That's it!
I'll hold the giveaway open for 1 week,
so on Friday, September 17
a drawing will be held of the names that have entered!

It's a chance at a fab present for you
and a fab present for me
by having you be a part of our Glamorous group!

Thanks again, everyone!
And good luck!

A Post from Cherie ... A Fashion Model's Pug

Hello Darlings!
It's me ... Cherie!

I'm the Ooh La Frou Frou girl that's a fashion model.
You may have seen me on the "cover" of a "magazine"
birthday card in the Collection
(and you'll see me on many more!).

Ooh La Frou Frou Collection card entitled "Ooh La Fabulous."  Jewel on Cherie's neck is embellised with several Swarovski crystals. Inside reads: "Happy Birthday, Glamour Girl."  To purchase card, go to www.oohlafroufrou.com.

Lucky that I was in town when I was asked to post to our blog this week!
Part of a fashion model's life is traveling here and there
(both here and there are exciting places!)
but I just happened to be in the city this week.

It's been keeping me up nights, I tell you,
thinking of all the things that I could post about.
I know you're probably assuming that I'll
show you some fashion, and I will do a little of that this time.
But I've never been one to be predictable ...
that would be far too boring!
So I've got a different kind of post up my sleeve
(sleeve ... always talking fashion anyway, I guess!).

But, first,  ...
I thought it might be fun to start each of my posts
with something called
"Need It, Want It, Gotta Have It."

I'll show you one little item with each of my posts
that I've been craving.
This time, with beautiful September upon us,
my thoughts are on the delicious autumn fashion ahead.
Lately, I've been all about soft, buttery grey suede.
I've seen a lot of it in this fall's boot and shoe collections,
as well as grey flannel,
 and the other day I did a photoshoot
with this sumptuous over-the-knee pair of boots by
Apepazza
and have been craving them ever since.
Loving the strap detail and they'd
look so scrumptious with a pair of leggings.

Illustration of grey suede over-the-knee boots by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.  Background photograph of autumn leaves taken by Sandy, as well.

Speaking of autumn, it brings me to the subject of this post.
A photoshoot I did last fall was held in the evening in
Central Park and the lanterns were just coming to life.
Oftentimes, for a photoshoot, a variety of props are brought in.
For this shoot, a little pug on a leash was the prop
for me to be photographed with
and, ooooh,  it was love at first sight.
I'm telling you.
That little pug from the photoshoot started it all ...

Illustration of Cherie and pug by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.  Cherie is wearing a leopard-print jacket, chocolate brown skirt with sheer lop layers that she's holding in her right hand, black tights and chocolate brown leather boots.  Photo credit for background photo of Central Park The Weblicist.

 

After I left that photoshoot, I just had to have a
glamorous little pug of my own.

Actually, I'd been fighting the urge to have
a little glam dog for years, you see.
The photoshoot simply clarified which glam dog it would be.
My friend Hope has a little poodle, Olive,
that she takes with her everywhere
and I've always envied that.

One teensy problem, darlings.
Travel.  What's a girl to do?
Guess I'll just have to dream ... for now, anyway.

But I do have so much fun envisioning what this
 fashion model's pug
would be like.

First, I've been thinking of what I'd name her
(I see her as a girl, like me, of course).
I considered Chanel or Dior.
I think she'd need a name that spoke of luxury,
don't you?
She'd surely be dressed to the nines.
And the name I came up with is Little Luxe!

And, since I'm dreaming, I might as well
let my imagination run wild
with what it will be like
and what necessities she'll need
when that day comes!

Things like ...
I would definitely
have her sit for a fancy painting,
which I would hang in my someday library.

Blog Illustration by Sandy - Artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

 I'd, of course, have to buy her loads of chic playthings.
I think she'd be very spoiled, this Little Luxe.

Blog Illustration by Sandy - Artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

And a girl always needs a proper bed first thing.
I know a high thread count is important to me.

Blog Illustration by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

Being a woman, I adore baths,
and I would imagine the future Little Luxe would, too,
if she's my kind of girl (and I know she would be!) ...

Blog Illustration by Sandy - Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

And in the meantime, I adore
researching fun little things for my future little pug
such as a little credit card toy (doesn't every girl need one?)
and chaise (for those days when you've been running all around town)
from The Distinguished Doggie.

Thanks for joining me
as I shared an unexpected dream with you.
A model's dream. 
After all, we're about more than just wind in our hair ...
surprised you, no?
 Good.

Someday, a Little Luxe somewhere will be a model's dog.
Until then ... I can dream!

What are your dreams?

A Post from Hope ... A Henri Bendel "Me Day"

Hello there, gorgeous girls!  

Hope here ... 

so nice to meet you in person!

As one of the eight Ooh La Frou Frou girls,

I'm so very excited about our new blog!

For my very first post, I've chosen to talk about 

something near and dear to my heart.

Me Days.

Okay, I'll admit it.  I love days that are all about Me.  

You know ...  those very special days that you can call your own ...

those days that give you permission to put your own little label on them.  

Maybe that label says "Art Gallery Day" 

or "Leisurely Lunch with a Girlfriend Day"

or "Fly Off to Paris for a Mad Getaway Day."

(Okay, sorry. Went a little crazy with that last one.)

  Well ... the other day I was lucky enough to have a Me Day.

(Underlined, of course, because of how special they all are!) 

This particular Me Day was as pretty as a picture.

The sun was streaming in my apartment window and

the city was coming to life outside it. 

So, I started the day with a simple thing that always 

makes me feel wonderful.

A good, long stretch. 

 Hey, it doesn't take much to make me happy. 

Well ... maybe it does.  Where was I? 

I happily pondered which label my Me Day would wear

as Olive and I leafed through the latest issue of Vogue,

For my day, I had no desire to escape the city.

Nope.  Not me.

In fact, if asked to describe myself in two little words, it would be:

CITY GIRL.

  A Day as Pretty as a Picture - Illustration by Sandy , artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.  Illustration created specifically for the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection blog. 

 I love everything about the city.

I love the fact that my favorite cappucinno with a foam heart on top 

is just a few steps from my door.

And on my Me Day, that is the first place Olive and I hit

as soon as we stepped foot on the sidewalk.

I also love leisurely strolling past the fabulous townhouses

and fantasizing about who might live there. 

Fancy Townhouse Illustration by Sandy, artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.  Illustration from artist archives.

Yep, I'm a City Girl. 

I just love the hustle and bustle of every magical day.

On most days, I might hop in a cab

or take the subway to get to where I need to go.

But on this particular Me Day, I chose to just set out

on foot and enjoy the city around me.

I had decided to visit a favorite place ..

a girl's playground ....

a place that is fantasy land of accessories for the girly-girl ...

the super-stylish Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue.

Filled with all of kinds of goodies that make us smile,

Henri Bendel never fails to make me feel good ...

which is precisely why Henri Bendel was my destination

on this Me Day. 

What could be better than a little shopping in this girl's wonderland of accessories.

Illustration of Henri Bendel signature fobs that you will see on many of Bendel Handbags by Sandy, artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.  Photo credit: unknown source.

And since you, my new girlfriends, weren't with me on my Me Day, 

I took a some snaps of a few things that Henri Bendel has to offer!

Lacquer Jewelry Box, Stone Cluster Bracelet and Triple Threat Cocktail Ring

Ball Gown Pearl Necklace, Centennial Stripe Jewelry Roll and Glam Hoop Earrings

Bendel Bow Print Scarf, Lady with Dog Desk Diary and West 57th Frame Cosmetic Clutch

Clockwise, from top: Debutante Slim Suede Asymmetric Clutch (red), Debutante Asymmetric Mock Croc Clutch, Taxi Girl Shopper (pink), No. 7 Quilted Shoulder Bag

Clockwise from upper left: Henri Bendel Perfume Bottle Key Fob, Bendel Small Puppy Bowl, Henri Bendel Cup and Saucer Set, I Heart Me Compact

What would you put in your
Henri Bendel shopping bag?

A Post from Sunny ... Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

I can hardly believe (thrill!) that I'm the first of the girls to blog!
There I was, lying on the beach,
considering what fabulous thing to post about,
when I received a call on my cell from the artist,
requesting that I pose by a pool for a fun new card entitled,
Sunny Days!

I quickly ran home and stepped into my dressing room
to consider which swimsuit would be the lucky one ...
being a California girl with invitations for fun in the sun often,
I've collected quite a variety choices.
I was in a retro mood ... a vintage cute mood,
so I slipped into my yellow polka dot bikini,
tied a chic scarf around my hair,
and with the addition of hoop earrings and shades, I was off!

It's a tough job, but somebody's ... oh, you know.

Sunny Days Card Illustration by Sandy, artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection - glittered card will be available on the Ooh La Frou Frou website Wed., 8/25/10.  Inside message: I'm a summer girl all year round.

The other girls and I like to travel to exotic places together  

every chance we get (St. Tropez, are you ready for us?) 

and they often ask me where I shop for my 

glamorous, old-Hollywood-movie-star bathing suit styles.  

These are a few of my secret favorites I've shared with them:

Anthropologie has a very darling ruffled  

Rosy and Dotty bikini by designer Nikki Poulos 

that comes in floral (Rosy) or polka dots (Dotty).  

I also look for suits that make me feel rather Marilyn Monroe 

and the Natalie black one-piece by Seafolly, 

with its sweetheart neckline and shapely ruching would do it ...

I think kitten heels would be a must poolside with this one!

Dotty Bikini

Rosy Bikini

The Natalie

Shopping Bag Illustration by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

If you tell your friends you'll be getting
Undrest by the Sea,
they may raise their eyebrows!
Undrest by the Sea recently opened its new flagship store in Venice Beach. 
Designer Maria Paz Navales takes her inspiration
from the places she loves most ...
Paris, Biarritz and Rio De Janeiro to name a few.
Two of my personal favorites are the
Malibu Halter Monokini and Malibu Cinched Halter with Ruffle Heart Hipster

Malibu Halter Monokini

Malibu Cinched Halter with Ruffle Heart Hipster

Cabana Illustration by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

And, for a very sophisticated old Hollywood look,
I adore the always fabulous Norma Kamali.
The lovely Halter Mio with its oversized black and white polka dots
and the elegant Bill swimsuit in black mesh
will have agents trying to book you for the next hot movie!
Top off your suit with the glamorous
One-Shoulder Modern Sculpture Mesh Top
and ... what can I say ...  you'll be simply fabulous!

Halter Mio

Bill Swimsuit

Umbrella Illustration by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

I'd slip on a pair of glamorous sandals

add a ruffled beach towel to my bag,
(all from Beach Bunny Swimwear)
and I'd be glamorous-vintage ready!

Beach illustration by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

I'll wrap up my late summer vintage swimwear post with a
little present of a fun website you simply must visit
whenever those leaves start to fall and you miss sand between your toes.
The Pistol Panties website
will take you to the beach even in the dead of winter.

One click and a beach scene starts small, with a plane
pulling a banner over a sandy faraway place.
Then it grows and grows to include a whimsical view of
private cabanas with flashing neon signs overhead,
as well as a sand castle being built by bathing beauties
and clouds floating by ...
all with a soundtrack we all probably secretly hear
as we walk down the beach with the waves crashing around us!
Simply by hovering your cursor over the items on the beach,
you'll be able to visit other areas of the website where you'll find
more lovely vintage swimwear ... of course!

Credits:
All artwork in this post by myself - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou: Summer Days card illustration, Anthropoligie bag illustration, cabana illustration, umbrella illustration, sand/water illustration.
All bathing suits and swimwear photos came from the respective websites: Anthropologie; Undrest by the Sea; Norma Kamali; Beach Bunny Swimwear.