1) A couple meets on OKCupid. They decide their first date should be a 3-week trip around Europe. And did I mention they didn’t bring anything but the clothes on their backs?
2) This Giambattista Valli dress stopped me in my tracks. Then, the price made me faint.
3) One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that I’m permitted to eat as much pie as I want and no one looks at me sideways until at least slice number five. This year, I’m thinking Chocolate Pecan Pie, Brown Butter Apple and Cheddar and Chocolate ‘Shmallow Pie.
4) This gorgeous green crossbody is only $22. Looking for more inexpensive bags that don’t wear their price on their sleeve? Don’t miss this burgundy Zara shopper with a side pocket and this faux-croc Standout Satchel.
5) Refinery29 is asking why a professional politician can’t enjoy fashion without being ridiculed. I’ve been asking myself that for years. We want female leaders to be well-dressed, but not too well-dressed. Because you can be seriously smart and capable and look good. Or some bulls**t like that.
6) I need to shake up my earring game this holiday season. Somehow I ended up with a jewelry box full of studs and little else. These Kenneth Jay Lane Star-drop Earrings are very lavish for under-$75. On the other side of the spectrum, these long, skinny Bette Carre earrings caught my eye, as did these leather pyramid drops from Vince Camuto.
7) The Five Most Annoying Facebook Posts About Being Engaged.
8) Because I can never have enough long-sleeve blouses (at least that’s what I tell myself) I bought this black and ivory Walter Baker blouse from The Outnet. Such a good buy at $59. It also comes in beige and ivory. And if you’re still searching for holiday dresses, don’t miss this royal blue fit-and-flare ponte dress.
9) This a cappella group sings 28 Beyonce songs in 6-minutes. Six minutes well worth it.
10) I’ve been searching for an inexpensive casual ankle boot that was stylish and under-$100. Found it. Thank you, Sole Society.
11) Sometimes, I read an article that makes my eyes roll. This article from The New York Times Style section talks about hiring nanny consultants to help the uber-wealthy improve their nanny’s skills. Notice the article never quotes the nanny (probably because she was laughing too hard at the absurdity of the situation to get out an answer).
I’m just curious what you think. Is there a way to announce an engagement on facebook that is NOT annoying or cheesy? Just changing your status doesn’t really give the life event the recognition it deserves.
Yes, it does.
I never get annoyed with a picture of the happy couple and some sort of “we are so excited” comment. It is exciting – it’s okay to share that.
I don’t know if annoying was the right word for the article. I probably would have chosen unoriginal, and the Single Ladies thing is massively overdone. I get that people want to make big announcements on Facebook because it saves time calling and writing everyone, but I think a simple, “I am so happy to announce that XX and I are engaged to be married,” with a picture of you two instead of a picture of the ring would be good.
I used to be all about the ring shot, but I’d rather see a photo of the people making a lifetime commitment not the jewelry that comes with it. Maybe I’m getting old.
On #5, men who are adventurous or even somewhat creative in their fashion choices also have to deal with being called gay as a result. I agree that women get the brunt of the criticism, but it exists for dudes too.
True. I have a very well-dressed friend who gets that all the time.
Hi Belle and Ladies, I hope it’s OK if I post my question here. I am hoping I am not the only one and someone might have some great suggestions.
I’m really low maintenance when it comes to beauty and skin care, probably just lazy. I’ve never had any routine except for some reason get motivated to do a scrub or a mask but that happens once every 6 months, if that. Now that Winter is almost here, my hands are reptilian dry. My face and body are fine. I think it’s because I wash my hands all the time and because I do my own dishes (LOL). Any ways to combat this so my hands don’t flake off before the season ends? I’m surprised because I have oily/more normal skin. I thought living in DC would be fairly moderate since it’s not like living in the tundra. I’m generally not in places where it’s extremely dry. I don’t really like lotion because it’s so greasy but I will have to overcome that because my hands are in need of some TLC. Love to hear suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, first, you’re right. You need to get past your dislike of lotion. Your hands, your whole body really needs lotion. But there are lots of lotions that aren’t greasy or smelly. I like Kiehl’s creme de corps, but there are lower priced options like Nivea that are good for every day use.
Second, You need to buy a set of hand softening gloves. https://ow.ly/qScdb Scrub off the dead skin, because that can’t be saved. Then apply a REALLY thick hand lotion like O’Keefe’s or L’Occitane Shea Butter. (Any shea really will do.) And then wear the gloves. You’ll probably need to do this for a week, and then a couple times a week after.
Lastly, switch your soap. Something with aloe in it will spare your skin and still get your hands clean.
Belle, thanks so much for your detailed answer. I will try all of your suggestions, so I can get my hands into shape. I haven’t had to do anything before but never suffered from such dry hands either. Hopefully I’m back to happy hands soon again.
I am super dry all year round in the super humid DC climate. I would suggest drinking tons of water and getting a humidifier. I have also tried a bajillion hand lotions and my favorite is Soap and Glory Hand Food which can get at Sephora (https://www.sephora.com/hand-food-hand-cream-P294731). There are two sizes so you can try the smaller size first.
Sarah, thank you for your helpful response. I’m going to look for the soap you mentioned. I’m super excited to try it. I recently have bought a truck load of lotions lately to try to combat my dry hands and I haven’t been happy with them, though didn’t know if I was picking wrong ones for me. I did try last night, as soon as I read Belle’s answer, about exfoliating first. That actually seemed to be a good first step in helping because I’ve just been slathering on top of scaly hands, which did nothing.
I’m the same way, the rest of my body is rarely dry and if it is, using lotion once fixes the problem. But my hands get super dry in the winter time and often crack. Belle mentioned O’Keefe’s Working hands, which is the ONLY thing that helps. I use it all winter long but when I often need it the most is after a weekend of cooking because i end up washing my hands twice as much. I’ll apply it before bed and by the next morning they’ve already started to heal.
Also, wear dish washing gloves to protect your hands. It’ll make a big difference.
Thanks Vanessa and Lexi for your thoughts, too. I’m glad that I’m not the only one and it’s nice that people come back with feedback and ideas. I had never heard of O’Keefe’s before Belle wrote about it so I’ll have to go check that out. I thought it was weird that it was only my hands but I guess I wash them a lot and they are exposed so much.
My office (in Wisconsin) had a great laugh at that NYT article. My favorite response was, “But she sure as hell knows the difference between Cheddar and Colby!”
Yes, hahaha! I’m from MN, and I love the implication that comes with “she is from Wisconsin.” DOES SHE EVEN KNOW WHAT FALAFEL IS? Unlikely. We only eat steak and potatoes in the Midwest.
10) Those booties are exactly what I’ve been looking for…but I need a lower heel because I walk so much. Did you see anything between 1 – 2.5 inches in your quest?
I just sent that engagement link to one of my friends, and have to preface it with “I SWEAR I did not write this…”. Because it is so spot on, and so something I have been saying for YEARS.
I really like that F21 crossbody and that blouse from The Outnet!
#7–This is EXACTLY why I did not “announce” my engagement on Facebook! I took the time to personally notify the VIPs and close friends in my life be it in person, on the phone, whatever. But to have a bunch of people from high school (or other various acquaintances) commenting on my ring or wedding or whatever oddly weirds me out.
i feel like the facebook page “in pretty finery” is something that belle, and other readers of this blog, might enjoy. i am in no way associated with running that page, i just love to ogle what they post.
If you REALLY like pies, try Pie Sisters in Georgetown. Either buy a whole pie, a slice, or cupcake-sized pie!
And when someone on Facebook announces an engagement, annoying or not, I always change mine to “another one bites the dust”
I read that dumb NYT article and all I’m thinking is really??? Nannies face the same challenges parents do and I’m sure if a nanny is really doing her job i.e. attending to the children she does not have time to prepare gourmet meals.
But, Laura, it is the Nanny’s job to take those four year old children on a global food tour so that they can be citizen’s of the world. Those palettes need training for when they eat Pho from a street cart after a long night of spring break boozing in Vietnam.