Care to Daydream?

Article Posted on Friday, December 9th, 2011 at 1:25 pm

This morning Uncle Beefy pinned the oh-so-chic Adler sofa from Schoolhouse Electric and, needless to say, one thing led to another!

Artemis Bow Mirror from Anthropologie //  Oh Joy! wallpaper from  Hygge & West //  Chandelier Print from Art.com //  Mayfair Steamer Trunk from Restoration Hardware //  Mirrored Mirth Trees from Anthropologie //  Mirrored Side Table from West Elm //

Mid-Week Random Links

Article Posted on Wednesday, November 9th, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Hello & Happy Wednesday to you and yours! Today I thought I’d share a few things that have been capturing my interest around the interwebs lately. Hope you enjoy!

1.) This article in the New York Times offers a fascinating question. How much “authenticity” is too much? How should art meet the consumer? What does it mean when everything becomes handmade and nothing is left to just be?

2.) I could not be more excited about this collaboration between one of my favorite food journalists: Michael Pollan and one of my favorite illustrators: Maira Kalman. They have offered a brand new, illustrated and updated version of Food Rules, a book which I have shared with friends and family since the first edition came out. My favorite new food rule? “Place a bouquet of flowers on the table, and everything will taste twice as good!”–a Southern Belle rule if there ever was one!

3.) Are you in the market to buy a house? For a mere $3.75mil, you can live like Jenna Lyons! Do you think if I add this to my Amazon wishlist someone will buy it for me? This Belle is ready to relocate to the big city, and I think this may be just the way to do it! (P.S. Alaina Kaczmarski has some really interesting angles of the house posted on her blog that I’d never seen before. I also had no idea how large it is… 7 bedrooms and a terrace off the master?! My goodness!)

4.) Husband and I are huge fans of Charles and Ray Eames, and now I just can’t wait to see this documentary due out later this month…

5.) It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Martha, and I found this interview she did with Google fascinating.

Get Ready for Office Inspiration Overload

Article Posted on Friday, September 2nd, 2011 at 8:00 am

I was quite thrilled to see so much chatting about Jenna Lyons office over the last couple of weeks–mainly because I’m totally in love with the color of her desk and I’m still lusting after that yellow luggage. The other reason, however, has nothing to do with JCrew nor Jenna’s office in particular, but just the office eye candy. As you know we’ve been working on our house this summer and the next room on the list is my office. While I’ll have to wait a bit to buy some new things, it does have a fresh coat of paint, and we are currently working on moving around some of the furniture. All that to say, this post is chock full of inspiration for your home office. These first ones are my 2 favorites…

{ source unknown //  Elle Decor }

{ source unknown // The office of Alaina Kaczmarski }

{ office of illustrator Julia Denos // source unknown }

{ Designer Matthew Patrick Smyth // Alex Papachristidis }

{ Amy Fine Collins in Elle Decor // Ashley Edwards Domino Magazine }

{ Aerin Lauder // Michael Bastian’s home office }

{ The Glamourai // Gwen Stefani, }

{ The offices of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia }

There wasn’t enough room in this post so if you’re in the mood for a little more inspiration overload, then
click here to visit my *Rooms I Want to Be In* pinboard.

Secrets of a Belle will be back Next Week!

Article Posted on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at 10:19 pm

{ A little peak at my cubicle… I’ve slowly been pretty-ing it up.
There are more Hipstamatic photos on my tumblr blog: A Belle’s Distractions.}

Summer break is rapidly coming to a close so I thought I’d better check in and let you know that regular daily posts will recommence on Monday! I have lots of fun posts that are just waiting and ready, and I am so very ready to get back into more of a routine. In the meantime, a few links from this past week…

Martha turned 70 this week and in her honor, you may want to take a peek at my slightly over-the-top celebration of all things Martha from last year.

. . . . .

I have been quite obsessed with The Office since I discovered there were 6 seasons on Netflix Instant. I have been rolling in the floor laughing about this particular episode in which the group attempts to turn on their Southern Charm–Andy has  it down; Oscar does not.

. . . . .

On Friday Will posted some gorgeous photos that make me want to live on a Houseboat now more than ever. I’ve been fantasizing every since I saw the Tammy movies as a young girl. (Speaking of which, I got to interview Debbie Reynolds a couple of years ago… you can read the story here. And yes, she really does talk like that in real life.)

{click here to see Will’s full post}

. . . . .

Kevin Sharkey is the latest in a long line of people making me wish I were in NYC to see the amazing Alexander McQueen retrospective. That man was a wizard when it came to textures… just stunning!

{click here to visit Kevin Sharkey’s  blog}

. . . . .

I have recently discovered The Coveteur, and I am pretty sure my life will never be the same. I can’t get enough of the bright pics from inside Deborah Lloyd’s home, and of course the one of her pup Harry Winston Churchill!

’til Monday… Adieu
to you & you & you!
xo~ Hannah B.

Hello, gorgeous!

Article Posted on Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 at 10:01 pm

It has been such a busy summer, but regular posting will commence soon… promise!

:: Listen ::

Around this time (July 25th to be exact) in 1788, Mozart finished his Symphony No. 40 in G minor, one of my personal favorites. I was listening to it on WUOT while driving to work yesterday, and it’s just so uplifting–the perfect thing to listen to first thing in the morning!

{This light, mod poster above was created by Iskra Print Collective for the 2010 Vermont Mozart Festival. I hope they have an extra copy laying around somewhere because it really would be the perfect addition to my new office.}

:: Read ::

I enjoy buying books as souveneirs when we travel instead of meaningless tzotchkes and on one of our last trips I picked up a copy of The Selby book. It’s full of great inspiration. My 2 personal favorites? Karl Lagerfeld’s large room of books and the humble (*note sarcasm) abode of Simon Doonan and his husband, Jonathan Adler.

As a side note, if you have an extra minute be sure to click over to the NYTimes website and read a lovely editorial written this weekend by Mr. Doonan about the day he wed Mr.  Adler. So sweet.

:: Dress ::

This week, in honor of Grace Kelly’s gorgeous baroque costume you see above, put on a little touch of gold. While I personally don’t have any all gold outfits in my wardrobe, after watching To Catch a Thief this weekend I’ve been reaching for the gold bangles for days! Something else to try? Gold nails… the perfect match for sunkissed skin.

{Also, keep your eyes peeled here tomorrow for a To Catch a Thief Style File!}

:: Live ::

While we’re in a *golden* state of mind, I just had to post this picture of our mirror (or at least the corner of it). When I was little, my parents inherited this chintzy gold mirror, and I totally fell in love with it. It was just so over-the-top! Well, a few weeks ago while he was busy redoing our house, Husband painted it purple… and it is super cool!

Hello, gorgeous!

Article Posted on Monday, July 18th, 2011 at 11:39 pm

The past week may have been one of my most hectic ever. The office post-vacation was quite overwhelming, and I’m pretty sure that my brain didn’t turn off until sometime midday yesterday. All that to say, today’s pretties are designed to make you happy… and what could be more happy than flowers, jazz and time for tea?

:: Listen ::

I have had Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ stuck in my head for the past 2 weeks, but I can’t say that I’m complaining. For some reason this lovely song always manages to make my mind drift to another world.

:: Read ::

Will’s latest post on Bright.Bazaar contains colorful inspiration from Contemporary Home for a bold summer tablescape. Personally, I can’t resist the bright flowers in the candy-colored glass! Click here to read Will’s post.

:: Dress ::

Feathers a la Steven Tyler may be all the rage, but Belles know there’s nothing more romantic than flowers in your hair, or on your cardigan, or you tank top, or your handbag…
You can pick up this classic Emerson bouquet right here.

:: Live ::

As I’ve said, things have been a bit hectic lately. By the time mid-afternoon rolls around either a.) my mind is starting to wander or b.) I’m totally stressed out. However, I’ve found a secret. A cup of tea in the afternoon may be an old ritual, but I assure you it is timeless. If there happens to be a stressful day on your horizon this week, take a break, make some tea and take a long, deep breath–everything will be ok.

5 Random Things

Article Posted on Monday, June 20th, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Disclaimer: This list is particularly nerdy (quirky?)– even for me.
However, if you are interested in receiving more quirky randomness on a regular basis,
be sure to follow me on Twitter (HB_Belle) and Facebook.
And be sure to say *hello!

1.) Husband has decided that when we are rich & famous, we will own a one (or 2) of these iconic chairs. He’s absolutely in love with their design, as am I. Well, today on Valet, one of our favorite daily reads, there’s a little write-up on the anatomy of the chair as well as a *fascinating* video of Charles Eames introducing the chair on the Today Show in 1956.

2.) Also, if you’re interested in the design of Charles and Ray Eames, this Ted Talk with their grandson, Eames Demetrios, might interest you.

3.) If you are a bit of a geek like myself and are free tomorrow night, might I suggest going to the movie theater to see Sondheim’s Company? It was a limited run in NYC and is now playing 4 nights in theaters across the US and Canada (Tuesday will be the last showing). I’m super excited because it stars some of my favorite people– Neil Patrick Harris, Craig Bierko (you remember: the hot guy from Boston Legal!), Patti Lupone, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks– joining forces with the NY Philharmonic! Click here to get tickets in your area and watch the trailer.

4.) On that same note, Stephen Colbert was a guest on NPR’s Fresh Air last week to talk about his role in Company as well as his persona on his show The Colbert Report. I found it really interesting to hear him speak as himself about the character he plays as well as about his admiration for Sondheim. Click here to listen to the show.

5.) I have been in love with Buddy Holly’s music since I was little. At my house we always played Buddy Holly, we loved Peggy Sue Got Married, and I learned early on about the tragic story of the young musician’s death. All that said the release date of this album (next Tuesday) has been marked on my calendar for a while. Ever since I heard this Florence + the Machine cover in fact.

Lucky for us, if you want to listen early to the album in its entirety, you can visit NPR Music. I’m particularly fond of the covers by Paul McCartney, CeeLo, & Modest Mouse.

Julia Denos’ *new* Shop!

Article Posted on Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am

I have told you before how much I *adore* the illustration style of Julia Denos. (I believe the 1st time was gooshing about this beautiful Audrey Hepburn biopic.) I’ve also found her to be quite a *lovely* lady thanks to the wonderful world of Twitter. As a result, I just couldn’t resist sharing that Julia’s opened a new online storefront! I’m going to be picking up some of these notecards for sure. I also think this limited edition (never before released) print called Audrey and the Children is simply beautiful and, if you’re interested, Julia is kindly sending 50% of the proceeds to The Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund!

Also as an added treat, if you want some office inspiration, check out Julia’s studio. I may or may not have gone a little crazy on Pinterest last night with the “Rooms I Want to Be In” category… it looks like the perfect place to work.

House Beautiful Inspiration

Article Posted on Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 at 1:32 pm

I have recently become completely addicted to House Beautiful, and I just had to share a few of my favorite pics from the past couple of issues.

First up, these warm, tweed-covered walls. I’ve thought of using fabric if we ever have a home where it would be appropriate because I feel like it adds such a feeling of homey-ness. This particular pattern is Schumachers Jute Herringbone, what do you think?

Second, how much do you *adore* this crystal ship chandelier? (from this Victorian home) To me, it seems like the embodiment of that song ‘My Ship Has Sails’ or the nursery rhyme ‘Wynken, Blynken & Nod.’

From that same home by designer Ken Fulk are these ornate, red doors. I love the idea of a red door as a symbol for ‘Welcome,’ but these totally step it up a notch.

Finally, in sticking with the red theme, I think this reading nook by designer Ann Wolf is just delightful. It would be such a fun little spot to curl up with an Eloise book and sip pink lemonade!

Modern Rococo

Article Posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 at 9:30 am

Yesterday after lunch my friend Kate & I found ourselves in Bliss, my favorite furniture store in Knoxville. They have to be one of the best places around to get inspired, especially if you need to switch up your home a little bit. Anyway, after having spent last night with my nose buried in fashion magazines, I couldn’t help but notice this vase with its playful flourishes as well as a current trend that I am absolutely in *LOVE* with: Modern Rococo.

Rococo is an 18th century style that refers to the late part of the Baroque period where everything became a lot more flirty and playful. It’s one of my very favorite periods in history, and with the world as stressful as it is today I am so happy to see these playful touches sneaking into the artist/fashionista/designer’s vocabulary again. A few lovely examples…

{ Proenza Schouler necklace }

{ Moo Piyasombatkul eyewear }

Also, if you’re in the mood for a little artsy-inspiration, be sure to visit Prada’s website and check out the projects that they are doing with young artists and photographers to coincide with their S/S2011 “Real Fantasies” collection.

{Prada eyewear }