Month: March 2018

If trends rotate through the years or even decades, much so with denim.  The popular fabric is a classic that will never go out of style and essentially everyone has had something denim in their closet.  They can be flattering and stylish when combined with a silk blouse or worn under a long coat or they can even be daring when worn under a dress.  One of the latest denim trends is to wear a jean under a dress, hey I’m not here to judge.  To each it’s own… But one thing for sure, denim seems to work on every body type and it’s a staple in every modern woman’s wardrobe.  The chambray shirt is a perfect example of a closet item that goes with almost everything.  I have even spotted a few wearing a chambray shirt with a sequined skirt, Alexa Chung knows how to do that just right, and the result is pretty fashion forward and unexpected.  Some people prefer their jeans tight and with little stretching room in order for the pants to not lose their fitting.  I, on the other hand, prefer them soft and a bit elastic, because I’m all for comfort and I like to feel at ease when I sit wearing my jeans.  I know they get a little saggy over time, but they usually get back in shape after a wash.  If you prefer your jeans tight and with always good fitting, the secret is to buy them with the most cotton fabric as possible. If you can find 100% cotton, better yet.

denim, jeans, denim fashion, bellevivir

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If you are like me, you discover a new favorite wine only to forget the name the next time you want to buy it.  What if I told you there are wine apps that do that job for you.  Vivino app allows you to either scan or take a photo of the bottle label to find out the rating and price average.  With Delectable you can learn about any wine and get expert opinions by also taking a photo of the bottle.  Although I always prefer a cocktail to a glass of wine, my favorite wine is Riesling and at the moment I’m obsessed with Fetzer Gewurztraminer.  It took me a while to spell it.  Its name looks a lot like algebra to me, but after seeing it often I learned it.  Lol.  Try to pronounce it and it’ll only get worst.  Fetzer is a sustainable winemaker from California.  You can find this Reisling basically anywhere but the wine industry and culture have changed and modernized so much that you can find good wine in unexpected places.

wine apps, spring cocktail recipes, Fetzer-via belle vivir

Cocktails can miraculously convert any grump into a happy smoochy human being.  Once the weather becomes more enjoyable I’m planning to try one of these Spring cocktail recipes.

Alcohol and sleep don’t match.  The first one hinders the latter.  Tha’s why I keep drinks to a maximum of three to four per month.  I’ve always had trouble sleeping, either waking up in the middle of the night – always around 3:00 AM and can’t fall back asleep.  Evren, my husband is always suggesting me to go see a sleep doctor.  Until I wrap my head around being observed while sleeping, sounds freaky, doesn’t it… I’ll look into these suggestions about how to have happier dreams.  Its effectiveness in my difficult case remains to be seen.

A couple of weeks ago my sister got a very scary call from a useless individual who claimed to have kidnapped her son.  I’m just glad I learned about the scary call hours after.  Thank God it turned out to be a Phone scam.  Learn more about these Phone scams and how these jobless people can steal your money, so you are prepared in case it happens to you.

I’m reading three books at the moment.  One on Audible for when I’m on the road, one before going to bed, and one that I read during the day whenever I have a chance.  I’m always looking for new interesting books to add to my library and this Spring there are a bunch of interesting ones I can’t wait to start reading.  This list of the 10 of the most anticipated books of Spring 2018 sounds like a good place to start.

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On my three visits to Spain, I did not get to visit Palma de Mallorca, which is on my bucket list. But then again, so is Croatia and Sveti Stefan and I can’t keep track at this point. I wonder if there is ever anyone who can ever complete his or her bucket list? Now that I learned Jacques Grange has designed Hotel Mama in Mallorca, it only reinforces my desire to visit that part of the world and lose myself in enjoying fresh grilled gambas and drinking cortaditos after. Among Jacques Grange’s luxury hospitality portfolio are The Mark Hotel in New York City and Palazzo Margherita in Italy. The designer’s latest hotel project is housed in a 19th-century building in a style that combines, French, Italian and American furniture. The hotel also has a Japanese restaurant. Sounds like a good idea.  Images via Hotel Mama.Hotel Mama in Mallorca by Jacques Grange via belle vivir

Hotel Mama in Mallorca by Jacques Grange via belle vivir

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Spring or Easter tableware

Next Sunday will be Easter and every piece in this week’s special deals of the week covers all you need, regarding table decor, for either brunch or dinner.  Green and yellow is always a great combination for Spring or Easter tableware and all the table setting pieces here included can be seamlessly transitioned into the outdoors, if you are lucky enough to live in warmer temperatures.  No need to hop around like an Easter bunny, after purchasing these table setting options all you’ll need is the food and flowers.  The egg hunting and the chocolate bunnies are on you… The mood of your table will be a balanced combination between Country Frenchy Chic with a touch of American effortless elegance.

Lovely round scalloped placemant, yellow plate, pretty garden floral napkins, set of 4, twig flatware,  the always classic cabbage bowl, sisal bunny figure, lotus napkin ring.

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I know, flower for Spring, not too creative… but often the most obvious and the simplest options are the most rewarding ones.  They never disappoint… particularly in this case these floral dresses for Spring will not only help in brighten up our days amid the wait for warmer days but they come with very forgiven price tag without sacrificing style.  It’s officially Spring although, technically it still  doesn’t feel like it… Spring weather is nothing if not unpredictable… yet who says that we can’t think ahead about flowery, colorful dresses…

Flirty dresses which are also refereed to as layered dresses are presently my favorites.  Their bouncy ruffles can be worn with either sneakers for daily errands or stylish mules and a clutch for a cocktail after work.  Sometimes it can be intimidating to think about wearing very patterned clothes such as floral dresses, but the result can be so stunning.  If you look at my Instagram account you’ll notice my love for wearing black and neutrals although, for evening clothes I tend to prefer more colorful and bolder choices.  The shift may even turn out to be a bit of a surprise factor.  To easy the transition here are this pretty floral dresses for Spring under $500.

floral dresses for Spring under $500 via belle vivir blog

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weekly read links via belle vivir blog motivational quote

On technology I vote for less cellphone software updates… it doesn’t serve much purpose anyway.  Give us these software updates every six months and we’ll be fine.  It’s not impacting positivity the phones storage or the camera capacity, which is what we all want anyway.  I love technology,  however I feel that the world is great as is.  Who needs autonomous cars?  Or self-flying planes… and why?  Flying is terrifying for many people as is… Besides if you’ve been paying attention this artificial intelligent is proving not to work more than the opposite.  Sadly this time at the cost of an innocent female civilian who was killed by one of Uber’s silly self-driven cars.  Furthermore I think all this investing and researches should be directed towards more meaningful causes as how to cure cancer.

motivation, wednesday links

Not all is ill with technology.  On the positive side, social media has brought a great deal of opportunities, awareness and exposure when it’s not used for negativity such as body shaming.  This latter one only adds to the lack of self-confidence that we, women, historically have struggled with.  Women are known for having a lower appreciation for themselves than men.  We have our entire past of patriarchal culture to blame for that.    ‘Confidence takes root in childhood but also can be internalized in adulthood, through experience, hard work or practice. “It requires really paying attention to the small wins and not being so quick to overlook, downplay, dismiss and diminish your accomplishments,” ‘ says Aimee Cohen, a Denver career coach and author.  To learn more about how to overcome this sense of limitation go here.

CNN recently wrote an article about The Kennedy’s “curse”.  We are all familiar with the family’s sad history of accidents and tragedies.  Of course I don’t believe in curses or anything of that sort.  If that was the case then anyone could have the potential to intervene in other person’s life’s purpose and that is senseless.  Having said that, I remember growing up where the elders around me shared the belief that the patriarch of the Kennedy family had done some sort of evil contract with the dark side in order to acquire success and prestige.  Now, these are part of Caribbean tales, but if there is someone who can potentially intervene in our own life, it is none other than ourselves.  By our own doing and choice not because someone else decides our destiny.

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