Monday, May 30, 2011

A Glam Review of Ooh La Frou Frou Girl Belle Close Up!

Happy Memorial week everyone!
Hope all of you had a fabulous weekend ...
and I think we're all very ready to launch into summer!

We've been doing a little
Glamorous Review
of each of the eight illustrated girls
that are the stars of the card line.
Thank you for joining me for this fun series of posts.
Have you decided which girls are most like you?

So far we've reviewed four of the eight girls:
Hope, Tiffany, Cherie and Aimee ...
and we've learned what their
chic city apartments look like ...
so if you missed these fun posts, do scoot back and peek in  ...
don't miss one little bit of the fun, darlings!

Today, we're continuing with another
Glamorous Review ...
and this time it's all about ...


As you know, all of the girls that I've created for the card line are city girls.
Darling Belle is sweet southern-belle-turned-big-city-girl.
Yes, that's right ... she's a little bit of both worlds.
And, as the artist, I imagine her speaking
sweet southern accent!
There's just something uttlerly disarming
about a lovely girl with a sweet southern accent,
don't you think?!

In our review of the girls,
we start by showing you which cards each girl has
appeared on so far ...
you can see Belle on these
Ooh La Frou Frou Collection cards:
The card with Belle on the porch swing is called "Summer Days"
and the message inside says "I hope you're having a glamorous summer!"
The card with Hope, Belle and Alex standing amidst tulips is "Tulip Party"
and the message inside says "Happy Spring!"

I've never mentioned the part of the south Belle is from.
That's because she stands for all of the
glamorous southern girls out there
from anywhere in the south.
"Southern" is a state of mind, after all, isn't it?
A genteel, mannered, sweet state of mind.

If Belle were to go home to the south for a visit,
she'd love the smell of lush green ...

via

... and she loves beautiful Central Park in the city ...



via

... if Belle should go back home,
she'd spend lazy afternoons on a porch swing ...
via

... and in the city, the swing is simply exchanged for a city bench ...

via

For the southern girl in her, it's all about watching twinkling fireflies ...
via

... and the city girl half of her heart beats for a sparkle like none other ...

via
Yes, I consider Belle a Southern Sophisticate ...
I can see her in something like this cute Lily Pulitzer dress and sandals
with a cardigan and pearls ...
looking softly sweet and elegant in her city life.

Looking back briefly at Belle's past posts,
as we've done with the four others so far ...

Last fall, in the first post that featured Belle,
we learned about eight of her favorite things ...
some of those things included pink peonies,
her mom's banana puddin' and Vogue Magazine ...
Southern Sophisticate, right?



In another post entitled Boutique Love
she talked about one of her favorite ways
to spend a weekend day ...

... and it starts with
breakfast and cappuccino out with her friends,
followed by a day of luxurious boutique hopping in the city ...


via

We can't forget Belle's post on romance
and her thoughts on preparing for a first date ...
along with sparkly eyeshadow and lipstick
there are also butterflies in the stomach ...

she mentioned that the perfect man would
be one she could laugh with ...

 Sex and the City ~ credited in original post

... and, of course, it was on this post that she
shared a little fantasy she had about
the star of the Old Spice commercials,
the handsome Isaiah Mustafa.

via and edited by Ooh La Frou Frou

Now let's take a look at where a girl like Belle might live.
A girl that has half her heart in the South and half in New York
would want a place in the city that reflected a little of both worlds.
Being a Southern girl, she loves to entertain ...
and I could see her apartment reflecting that
genteel Southern elegance inside ...

via

A pretty apartment
with beautiful drippy chandeliers and a marble fireplace,
reflecting chic southern elegance would fit the bill.
It would contain a pretty dining area
just made for lovely intimate get-togethers
and Belle would have a host of lovely silver and entertaining pieces.

As I did for the other four girls of the card line
that we've reviewed so far,
I've done a quick rough sketch
of the exterior of the apartment I've created for Belle ...

Belle's apartment is in a
townhouse that is elegant and pretty.
If you were to walk by on the sidewalk outside her townhouse,
you'd first notice the lush greenery and the scent of the pretty pink flowers
that overflow from the townhouse windowboxes ...
and since Belle loves color (remember ... Lily Pulitzer?)
a pretty pink awning over the door and pink window treatments
would be perfect for her!

In future posts, as we explore Belle's adventures,
you will see more and more details of the girls'
homes in the city, interiors and exteriors.
One detail of Belle's townhouse that you'll see in the future
is a small brick walled garden attached to the back ...
and, of course, in that private garden,
there is a city version of a porch swing there.
Here in the city, however,
the swing is a pretty black wrought iron freestanding one,
complete with pretty hot pink and spring green cushions to sit on.
Vines grow up the ironwork of the swing,
making it a beautiful centerpiece for her little
private walled garden ... perfect for small gatherings!

Well, that's it today for our
Glamorous Review
of Ooh La Frou Frou girl Belle!
Thanks for joining us this week
and have a positively
luscious week ahead!

Before I sign off, let me mention one more thing ....
we've been introducing our fabulous upcoming
Summer "City Girls" blank boxed notecards
one by one in the last few weeks ...

The first notecard introduced for this Collection
is called "Tiffany Dreams" and stars Tiffany ...



The second Summer "City Girls" notecard that we introduced
to be included in this Collection was
"Summer in the City"
and stars Cherie, Belle and Sunny ...
they're replinishing their shopping energy at a
New York City summer sidewalk hotdog cart ...


and the third Summer "City Girls" notecard,
just introduced last week, is
"Taxi Girl" and it stars Aimee ...


The fourth and final notecard design for this
Summer "City Girls" Collection
will be introduced on the day
that the notecards become available for purchase,
announced on the post of Monday, June 13 ...
just a couple of glamorous weeks away!
That fourth notecard will star the remaining girls,
Violet, Alex and Hope!
That means the complete boxed set of
Summer "City Girl" notecards will contain cards
featuring all eight of the girls!
(four designs, three of each, total of twelve notecards)
So exciting!

Again, thanks for joining us today, everyone!
Next week will be a Glamorous Review of
another Ooh La Frou Frou girl!
We've done five of the girls so far and we have three to go!
Have a wonderful week, darlings!

To order Ooh La Frou Frou cards
just go to our website at
http://www.oohlafroufrou.com



30 comments:

Unknown said...

Sandy, what a great review of Belle! She is fabulous as all your lovely ladies are. I would love to go any one of these adventures with her, especially the Boutiques. Have a great Memorial Monday! xoxo
http://onestyleatatime.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Your drawings are so exquisite. One talented girl! Have you done any other work, such as illustrations for books etc?
Chelsi

Vannessa@Luxuria said...

Gorgeous post as always Sandy. Thank you also for the quick review of how each girl will be appearing on the new notelets; I can't wait for June 13!!

Suburban Princess said...

You are such a talented artist! I really enjoyed this post and cant wait to read more!

Unknown said...

Love Belle already, great blog with fantastic pictures, you are very talented indeed!

Kori said...

Lovely photos as always Sandy honey! That Old Spice pic is too cute! Hope you have a fabulous Memorial day! Kori xoxo

Ruby said...

Yet another part of me. Having grown up in the country, though not the south so many things rang true...so far I am a mix of three out of four if I am keeping track correctly....adored as always!

Unknown said...

Happy Memorial Day Sandy! Love Belle + all your new cards. So pretty as always!

xo Mary Jo

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Fashionista622: Thanks, lovely ... I DID have a wonderful Memorial Day .. got to the beach for the first time this season and ate outside alfresco ... loved it! Hope you did as well! Thank you so much for always leaving such sweet compliments. So appreciate it! xoxo ~❤~

Anonymous (Chelsi): Hi darling! Thank you so very much! The only book that I've done illustrations for was a little chidren's book for an event that I did once where they had artists create a tablescape. I created a tablescape called "Garden Party" and the tabletop looked like a formal garden. The children's book was called "Lily and the Garden Party" about a little pug with a big imagination. That book was sold at the event and I didn't mean it for any other purpose, but I would like to write other children's books sometime. To answer your question further .. I have not yet done the illustrations for anyone else, but would be open to it! xoxo ~❤~

Vanessa@Luxuria: Thanks so much, Vanessa! I'm so glad you're looking forward to the notecards ... I think they'll be exquisite little jewels! xoxo ~❤~

Suburban Princess: Hi lovely. Thank you so much for your compliment and I'm so glad that you discovered Ooh La Frou Frou. There will be so much more fun to come!!! xoxo ~❤~

Raicreations Designs: Thank you, sweet thing, for such a lovely compliment. I'm so glad you like Belle! I'm glad I decided to do these Glamorous Review posts, as there are so many new people that may have missed some of the girls' adventures. I'm glad you're enjoying them! xoxo ~❤~

Kori Donahue: Haha! Yes, I couldn't resist adding the Old Spice commercial to Belle's post on romance. I could just see her holding onto the back of such a "masculine man!" Thanks for stopping by, Kori, and leaving a comment. So appreciate it! xoxo ~❤~

Ruby@RubysMusings: Ruby, I just love how you're keeping track of the little personality traits of the girls that are part of you. Adore you, of course, so happy that the girls personalities and yours have something in common! xoxo ~❤~

Mary Jo from Trust Your Style: Thank you so much, Mary Jo! I'm hoping that you had a simply wonderful long weekend! xoxo ~❤~

Julie Leah said...

Well, it should come as no surprise that I absolutely love her even more now! She's a belle after my own heart. Lilly-loving, mint julep-sipping, porch-sitting southern lady :) That city sparkle picture is stunning! The lights are just breathtaking.

Can't wait to see the final card!!

XoXo

Margarita Bloom said...

Glamour drips from your fingertips Sandy! Fabulous post..heehee, love the Old Spice picture!

Christel @ Captivated by image said...

Haha Belle in de THE old spice ad is hilarious! Other than that she is adorable. You've given her a super beautiful home. Can't wait to see more of it. Or to see the fourth card. Hope you'll have a great week.

Anonymous said...

wow, amazing blog ! I love your posts <3

SoapyMermaid said...

Belle is really cute with her wonderful tanned skin! her garden seems particularly dreamy.. I can't wait to see it! :) have a good week !

Stitchfork said...

It's like coming here each week for the next chapter of your book - enjoyable!
xo Cathy

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Belle is just lovely and I just know that we would be great friends! What a wonderful post, sweetie and the cards are absolutely beautiful :) xoxo

Unknown said...

Belle is living the life! And, what I would give to live in her townhouse! Pink awning!!!!??? LOVE IT!

As a Southern girl by birth, I do believe it is a state of mind. One I try and retain.

Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, Sandy!!!

xoxo Elizabeth

Angelica Ng said...

Ah, so glamorous, no doubt! Posts on this blog always make me imagine a totally different life from my own. Fantasy! Swinging on the porch...meeting a fabulous man...and that dress! Ohhh it's a girl's dream.

http://red-soledfashionista.blogspot.com/

classiq said...

Sandy, I love the cards, especially "Tiffany Dreams" (what a surprise, right?) and "Summer Days". Oh, I'm sure the entire boxset will be fabulous. Belle's story is fascinating, just like all the others. Wishing you a wonderful summer! Ada

Anonymous said...

The picnic basket and mint julep cups look so inviting and refreshing. Love the the Central Park shot, too, so romantic. Have a wonderful day ~ xox Alexandra

Anonymous said...

Belle sounds like a perfect southern belle! very lovely

xoxo
Miss Neira

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Julie (Brown Eyed Belle): So glad you love Belle so, Julie! She's sweet, just like you! Perhaps Belle will have to have you "drop by" her townhouse in a future Belle post! And glad you're looking forward to seeing the new notecard ... it'll be just as fun as the rest! They've been a lot of fun to create. And afterward there will be the first blank mini-invite notecard set with an illustration of an outdoor soiree! Have a sweet week, Julie! xo ~❤~

Margarita Bloom: Thanks lovey! Love the phrase "Glamour drops from your fingertips!" Should I make that my logo? (*wink*) Glad the Old Spice fun made you smile! Thanks for stopping by, sweets and have a lovely week! xo ~❤~

Christel (Captivated by Image): Haha, I couldn't resist having a little fun with the Old Spice ad for Belle's past romance post .. it was too tempting when he rode in on that white horse! As for Belle's townhouse, I am looking forward to revealing more and more about all of the parts of the girls' homes too! So glad you're looking forward to the fourth notecard! xo ~❤~

Klaudia B: Thanks, love! So glad you're a part of all of the Ooh La Frou Frou fun! xo~❤~

Soapy Mermaid: Hi sweetie! Glad you love Belle's cute look .. and yes, I'm looking forward to revealing more and more of each of their cute city homes ... xo ~❤~

Stitchfork: Oh my goodness ... thank you so much! You just described the way that I want people to feel about the blog ... as if it's the next chapter in the book or the next adventure in a weekly glamorous tv show! So happy that it's the way you feel ;) xo ~❤~

The Alternative Wife: She would love you too, I'm sure, Dawn ... it would be so easy for anyone to be great friends with you, you're such a darling! So happy that you're loving the notecards! xo ~❤~

Pretty Pink Tulips: Hi Elizabeth! Yes, I hadn't thought of it before, but the pretty pink awning is so YOU! My family is from the south as well, so I know too that southern is a state of mind. Even though I wasn't raised in the south, it's my heritage and spent many summer vacations there! ;) xo ~❤~

Angelica NG (Red-Soled Fashionista): It brings me such joy when someone describes the feeling that you have about the blog because that is exactly the intention ... a glamorous weekly escape! xo ~❤~

Classiq: Hi sweetie! So glad you love the notecards and all of the girls' weekly stories. People probably don't realize that it's just as fun for me. In order to create this glamorous world, I actually have to go there in my mind. What a lovely job, and I'm very lucky. ;) xo ~❤~

Miss Neira: Glad you like Belle, sweets! Every group of girlfriends needs a sweet southern belle as a part of the group, don't you think? Can you see it as an eventual book, television show or movie? I can! ;) ~❤~

Thank you so much for taking the time from your busy lives to leave comments on Ooh La Frou Frou, everyone. Thoroughly enjoy reading each one!!! xoxoxo

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

I appreciate a little front porch swing action too!

Karena said...

Sandy I adore Belle, she is my kind of lady!!I love to read the profiles of all of your dear friends!

Come and join my amazing $250 Giveaway from Tracy Porter!

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

noone said...

such pretty post, love the pictures that went with it. so whimsical! :D

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Kristin: Front porch swings are just delightful, aren't they? In fact, what could be more relaxing than a front porch swing? Add some cushioned wicker furniture, a book and a glass of lemonade ... heaven! Thanks for stopping by, Kristin! ~♥~

Karena: Hi Karena, darling. I will bop over to your giveaway, thank you for the invitation. So glad you like Belle ~ everyone needs a sweet southern girl in their list of friends, no? Thanks so much for stopping by, sweets. ~♥~

Pop Champagne: Hi sweetie .. so glad you stopped by Ooh La Frou Frouand enjoyed the glamorous fantasy! Much more fun to come! xo ~♥~

Sarah Klassen said...

Oh my goodness, gracious! So much prettiness in one post, I must say... opening this page always makes my morning, and although I do not always leave a comment, I am a regular visitor and forever a follower :)

These images are all so pretty. I am going to order some cards this weekend... though, I fully admit, I might have a very difficult time giving any of them away. But, my (future) brother in law is getting married and I am to be the maid of honor this September. I might be buying some lovely cards for the purpose of the wedding... and for friend's Birthdays, and so many other occasions. Beautiful work!

Happy weekend*

xoxo,
Sarah

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Sarah Klassen: Hi lovely ... Thanks so much for the compliments .. so glad you enjoy the blog and cards, as I do SO enjoy yours! It always makes me smile when someone comments that the blog makes their morning ... thank you for the gift of words! Hope you have a lovely weekend .. heading to Columbus this weekend, dinners al fresco, gallery hopping .. fun! Kisses! ~❤~

Love Joice said...

oh wow, your blog is so cute, all the colors and pictures is so adorable! love it! you have a great blog! please check out my blog and follow if you like, I promise to do the same for you! xx
www.lovejoice.blogspot.com

Glitterista said...

What a fabulous life in the city! I adore her apartment. :)