Julie & Ev Launches Signature Linen Collection

Beautifully designed by Julie Paulino, our hand block printed linen collection is made to celebrate being together again.

Our Floret linen collection as seen here in Villa Mahal in the Turkish Riviera.

It’s been a long time coming and our Julie & Ev signature linen collection is finally available. Our hand block tablecloths, placemats, and napkins are printed on 100% cotton by artisans in Jaipur, India. With three different design styles that range from blue and white to pink and neutrals, Julie & Ev hand block print linen collection is sure to delight everyone around the table.

At the table is when we pass our values to our children, share with them our most valuable advice, and celebrate our joyous moments. This linen collection was made to celebrate amongst our loved ones and friends. Whether it is a promptus Sunday brunch, a formal dinner, or a solo dine-in at home, the designs of this Julie & Ev new linen collection is an appreciation of good life.

16Mar

This Year’s Must-Have Slides And Mules: Put A Bow On It

I can’t think of a Fashion era when bows were considered out of style. There has always been a special occasion for when a bow is suitable, if not desirable. Either on a beautiful night gown or on a silk blouse, bows are always chic. And this season’s slides and mules come with all kinds of bows from small and thin to sumptuous and soft. If you have the resources to afford the pricey ones, they will not disappoint you for sure. On the other hand, there are always more affordable, yet good alternatives to choose from. They come in all different colors, fabrics – shinny or matte – and from all different price points. The options are endless. But don’t fret, I narrowed down the list to 20 must-have slides and mules for this year. As I pointed out in my last Weekend Comfort post, yellow is the color of the season hence is a prominent color found in this season’s shoes also. My favorite yellow is the sort of mustard yellow like the one presented by Sam Edelman’s slides below. Isn’t it pretty… like a sunny day… You know what’s the best part about summer shoes such as slides and mules, is the ease of wearing them and ease of dressing them up or down.

must-have slides and mules via belle vivir blog1

14Mar

Mid-Week Motivation And Weekly Links

The dress must follow
the body of a woman,
not he body following the shape
of the dress. Hubert de Givenchy

Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy via belle vivir blog

This is one of the most beautiful images of Audrey Hepburn dressed in a Givenchy gown. Hubert de Givenchy passed away on Monday at the age of 91 as most would know by now. Although he dressed many fashion icons as Jackeline Kennedy Onasis and Grace Kelly along with others, it was his friendship with Audrey Hepburn, his muse that helped him shine brighter. Their friendship and constant collaboration seemed to originate from a genuine friendship which both enjoyed and cherished. Unlike today where most collaborations are mainly financially motivated. Many of gowns Hubert de Givenchy designed for Hepburn were on display in 2016, at Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, a city in Netherlands in a retrospective called “To Audrey With Love.” To read more about this bona fide friendship between the designer and his muse go here.

And nothing makes fashion more interesting than when it’s linked to Museums and The Arts. Musee des Arts Decoratives, the second oldest museum in Paris, is known for its exhibitions of fashion, arts and design. In January the museum changed its name to find out more go here.

I can’t wait for the movie of the most magical love story of this time to come out on May 13, just a few days before their wedding on May 19. The love story behind Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance . I can’t wait to watch it. To get to know who is going to play the fairy-tail couple go here.

Experiences are heightened when every detail is taken under consideration, especially when it’s associated to something that can be so uplifting and inspiring as a ballet performance. Erdem created the costumes for London Royal Ballet and you can see images of the romantic result here.

13Mar

Modern Design As Interpreted By This Modern Apartment Full Of Light:

I love all kinds of interiors, from modern design to traditional. I can find inspiration in all of them. Although, I find a traditional leaning interior more cozy and appealing, I appreciate the feeling of lightness and calmness modern interiors can provide. In my opinion modern design provides a warm home feeling when the color palette and materials derive from nature, as the likes of wood, brass, bronze along with elements like modern wood paneling, proper planned lighting and textured fabrics are implemented. Such details are found in this modern apartment. Unlike contemporary design -yes some people think of the two as the same however, they are different, modern design can and mostly relate somehow or somewhere to what’s known as mid-century or better known in my world modern classics. Which is great because that is perhaps what keeps some modern interiors still warm, recognizable and therefore appealing. A room with everything in it being new, detached from the known, pristine and sharp, most likely will soon grow into an uninteresting and oblivious room.

modern design, modern apartment via belle vivir blog

Beautiful design in this modern bathroom where modern and tradition meet with a dash of glam.

12Mar

Special Deals Of The Week: Think Outdoors

What glorious days we had over the weekend, cold but beautiful. So beautiful I couldn’t care it was below 30. Got a lot done over the weekend, God wouldn’t it be nice if the weekend had an extra day…? We are putting the finishing touches to our newly and fully renovated home. I can’t wait to share the process with you here. I also did a lot of research about Gardens, I know nothing about it and we have over half an acre to our disposal to work with. I just don’t want to waste any second of it because Gardens are not built in a ~~day~~ year. In order to see your vision and most importantly to enjoy it, you need to start planting yesterday and be extremely patient. A beautiful Garden can take up to 15 to 20 years to fully bloom. Of course I don’t have the patience to wait years to see and enjoy our Garden, so I’m looking for fast growing plants at an already developed stage to replant… On Sunday I started drawing a plan of what I want it to look like and that was fun. Planing a Garden is very complex, you need to think about all different seasons and how you want the space to look for each of them. But enough said about my weekend and my excitement of our future fabulous green space. Here are this week’s special deals of the week. As I was putting the list together I realized that half of the items were intended for outdoor use while the rest share a beachy feel.

special deals of the week via belle vivir blog

A beach painting ideal for the Spring and Summer seasons approaching us. A minimalist pendant in white and brass. Moroccan outdoor pouf in black. An understated and sculptural copper console table. Potter’s serveware hand-painted and sold individually, will be perfect for outdoor entertaining. Drum stool in white.

09Mar

10 Must-Have Fashion Pieces For Spring 2018

Not much to add to this roundup of must-have fashion pieces for Spring other than the fact that everyone I encounter lately says the same thing ” I’m ready for Spring weather” and so am I. We’ve had snow for the past two days, along with temperatures below freezing, and just right now it’s snowing while our heating in the first floor is out. So much fun! On the flip side, the days have been brightly sunny and beautiful. These shining sunny days almost make me forget how cold it is until I step foot outside. The simple act of looking at these fashion pieces to wear in Spring make me hopeful. Among them we have a bright yellow dress- yellow is a favorite color of the season. We also have the controversial kitten heels… people either hate them or love them. And I’m kind of in the middle of both sides, because I recognize that they look feminine and even romantic but I’ve gotten a few kitten heels stuck between the sidewalk floor vent grilles in New York and the cobblestones in Europe and it’s not really enjoyable.

must-have fashion pieces for Spring, fashion pieces to wear in Spring via belle vivir blog
10 must-have fashion pieces for spring 2018, fashion pieces to wear in Spring via belle vivir blog

1 A polkadoted top because polkadot is the new black this Spring. 2 A maxi dress in the season’s color, yellow. 3 An asymmetrical top, this trend is borrowed from last year’s. 4 A simple white t-shirt to dress it up with a blazer or dress it down with a simple pair of jeans. 5 kitten heels pump. 6 Sneakers will never go out of style any time soon, this is especially significant to the mothers that juggle everything from work to children after-school activities, hence super women. 7 pastel blazer in a pastel color. 8 Structured bag is another trend of this season. 9 belted pants. 10 And last but not least is the straw bag. Have a wonderful and sunny weekend!

07Mar

Mid-Week Motivation And Links From Essential Oils To How to Build Muscle

essential oils, how to build muscle, quote via belle vivir This week’s recommended links list is short and sweet.

I enjoy a chic scented candle and furthermore if it exudes a good smell. Anything that remotely resembles the fragrance of bergamot is a seller to me, however lately I’ve been rather curious about the negative health effect of waxes in certain candles. It’s said that the paraffin found in some candles can be toxic, and are carcinogen once burned. Since many companies decide not to declare what their wax is made of… I’m becoming increasingly interested in products with honest ingredients and nothing is more truthful than essential oils. They are what they say they are, extractions of natural plants and seeds. To embark on the rode of candid aromas, I’m getting one of these diffusers which are not only themselves made of ceramic and porcelain, two materials derived of natural sources, but they look good as well, so I can burn oils wherever I want in my house without the feeling of appearing ugly. To read more about all the ways you can use and mix essential oils go here.

I go to the gym very morning around 6:30 at least four days a week and work out with a trainer three times a week. However, since I wasn’t an athletic child it has taken me a long ride to get in my “ideal mind shape” if such a thing can happen outside Hollywood. Experts in the field say that our bodies start losing muscle once we pass our thirties. This age-related muscle loss is known as sarcopenia. Not a nice word, right… Here is how you can slow the process and in some cases even reverse it.

And last, if you’ve been putting off a hard conversation, here you can find some advice to get that difficult conversation started. A hint, don’t worry about not being liked too much.