ooh la frou frou: 9/12/10

Hello! I'm Belle!
Southern girl turned city girl ... and my heart lies in both places.
I love going home to my mom's southern home cooking,
the lush gardens and big front porches.
But I also have come to dearly love my exciting city life.
I have the best of both worlds!

Earlier this week,
Julie from a charming blog called
Brown Eyed Belle
"tagged" the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection
with eight questions to answer, should we choose to participate.
Well, hello. When I heard that a southern girlfriend
asked a favor, guess who volunteered to answer?
And to top it off, my name is Belle ... could it be more perfect?

Also, this is just some sort of strange coincidence
and has totally nothing to do with anything other than it's interesting ...
there are EIGHT questions ... and there are EIGHT girls
in the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.
Not that I will share my first post with the other girls!
Oh no ... I'm very sweet ... but not that sweet!

Illustration of Belle by Sandy - Artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection

Okay, here we go!

Question 1
What is your favorite flower?

The country girl in me is speaking out on this one.
I didn't even have to think about this one, girls.
It's the flower that's around every turn in our lush southern gardens.
I'd have to say my favorite flower is the palest pink peony.
Like a sweet whisper,
they're always so lovely in every way ...
whether as a single flower given to me
by a sweet, adorable man (oh yes!)
or used as a full and breathtakingly delicate centerpiece
for a picnic under the stars.
Pale pink peonies simply make my heart melt.


Peony image one Here, image two Here, image three Here

Question 2
What is your favorite color combination?

I think the city girl in me will answer this one.
My favorite color combination depends upon when you ask.
In the spring
I might say crisp spring green and white.
In the summer
it might be the very palest blue green with hits of hot pink.
In the winter,
I tend to love chartreuse wrapping paper
accented with gold or white ribbon under my tree.

But right now we're just opening the door to fabulous autumn,
and she's sashaying her pretty little self in to meet us very quickly.
So I will tell you what my favorite color combination is for this fall.

There are some very pretty colors
on the runway for fall this year, such as
the rich camels and golds
sometimes combined with military green and animal prints.

Helmut Lang Mercury Drape Dress - Image from Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

And different shades of blue are also on the list this fall.

IRFE Wool Blouson Dress with Leather Sleeves - Image from Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

And even though I love those fall colors,
as well as the bright reds and all of the metallics,
fur and feathers of this season,
my FAVORITE fall colors are the colors I chose to wear
for the blog illustration of myself in the beginning of this post.

Illustration by Sandy

They are the deeply mysterious
purple, burgundy or auburgine tones out now,
combined with grey and silver metallics.
Here are a few samples:

On Her: Lausanne Blouse and Kollette Satin Skirt. Image - Hour Detroit Magazine September 2010

Bottega Veneta's Pleated-Tulle Dress with Plunging V-Neck Wood Bodice. Image - Town and Country Magazine September 2010

Jason Wu's Ostrich Minidress in Fuschia with Gucci Python Heels. Image from Town and Country September 2010

Question 3
Who is your favorite celebrity couple?

Oh me, oh my.
The country girl is coming out for this one.

The couple I've chosen is southern
and just a darn cute couple.
They seem to genuinely love each other
and know how to have fun in the kitchen.
Continually flirting,
I don't think they need any added spice in the drawer,
as they have quite enough between the two of them.
I know you'd never expect this answer.
Are you ready?

It's Patrick and Gina Neely
of Down Home with the Neely's
on the Food Network Chanel.

Question 4
What is your theme song?

Oh boy, this is a hard one.
I love so many kinds of music.
But I guess for my theme song I'd have to choose one
that referenced the fact that I'm a southern girl,
so this will be the choice of the country girl in me.
This song is actually a break-up song,
but I hear it in my mind
as I'm walking down the city streets.
If I were to star in a movie
(don't pretend you don't hear your own soundtrack, girls)...
I think this would be my theme song.
To listen, click here:

Southern Girl
by
Amos Lee

Southern Girl is a song from the Supply and Demand CD by Amos Lee

Question 5
What is your favorite 'I've had a terrible day' food?

If any of you have to ask,
I must be the first southern girl you've met.
Southern girls love to entertain.
We love parties and do them up right.
The word soiree is southern, you know.
And when I'm havin' a "terrible day"
I crave my mama's southern fried chicken and cornbread
or
her chicken 'n dumplin's
and then to top it off if it's been a really bad day,
I crave a bowl of banana puddin'.
If you're a northern girl,
I suggest you buy a southern cookbook and try all of the above.
If you haven't tried it, you don't know what you're missin.'
Here are a few suggestions:

Bon Appetit Y'All by Virginia Willis

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose

The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking by Louis and Billie Van Dyke

Question 6
Lipstick, lip gloss or both?

This fall is all about the deep red lip and smoky eye.


Chanel Couture Simply Red - image from Marie Clair October 2010

Proenza Schouler Maroon 5 - Image from Marie Claire October 2010

In answer to the question,
I, myself, usually go for lipstick first
and top it off with a little gloss.
I find that using just just gloss disappears with the first kiss (ahem)
But, a matte lipstick just needs a little somethin'.

For color, I'd go with one of the rich burgundy shades.
I love the burberry lipstick tube and the pattern is also embossed
on the lipstick itself for a luxe touch.
Shades like Bright Plum or Burgundy would be perfect for fall.
Burberry's Soft Satin lipstick is light and has a shiny, not matte.
It also has UV protection, leaving lips soft and oh-so-kissable.

Burberry Lipstick Tube Illustration by Sandy

Click here for a list of the top 15 lipsticks and how to use them from Stylelist!

Question 7
What is your favorite magazine?

Strike a pose.
Need you ask?
Vogue, darling, Vogue.

Question 8
What is your favorite thing about fall?

I think of fall as a fashion runway show all around me.
The stars of the show are the trees.
They're adorned in pearls