Putting on a new Face!

WE are going to be under construction for a little while, so please forgive our mess! The colors on the blog (and the website) may be a little strange for a while, but I promise the result will be great! Thanks for sticking with us!!!!!!!!!

--Nikki and Terry

We Painted the town PINK!!!!

What an amazing weekend! We are back from SLC and the Boutique Cafe girls getaway weekend (see previous posts). The weekend was filled with meeting our friends from the BC Forum Boards, a Conference featuring Amelia, the resident Hot Mom, Charlene May, owner/founder of Greggy Girl, and Carrie Miner, owner of Puddle Jumpers Shoes.

Some of the details we cant share, lets just say, what happens in Utah, stays in Utah!

But what we can share, we did in Pictures! But first we wanted to send out a few thank you's

To Daria, our Fearless Leader! We LOVED meeting you! You are such an inspiration! Even though you were sick, you still kept smiling and laughing! We respect you so much! And cant WAIT until Next year and the Hott 100!!!!!!!

Megan, our Queen of Chat! Your Gazza Girls have alot of love for you!!! The weekend would not have been the same without you! Seeing you in the Airport was awesome! We were so happy to "greet" you.

Amelia, you are so beautiful on the inside and out! Your personality just brightens up any room! And we loved greeting you off your plane! and you ROCKED those yellow heels!

Eva, we were so excited to finally meet you! Sunday was so quiet without you! We had so much fun at the PJ party! You and Amelia really made it fun for everyone!

And Emily, thank you for all that you do for BC, and we loved the Daily Dish write up about the weekend! You are such a talented writer!

Now for the Pictures!

Click here to see Day 1, meet and Greet and Dinner!

Click here to see Day 1, PJ Party

Click here to see Day 2, The Conference

Click here to see Day 3, Saying Goodbye

Click here to see Day 3, the plane trip home

Thanks for checking out our Photos! We cant wait till next year!!!!!!!

--The Bella's

Off to SLC we go!!!

The Bella Girls are off to the Boutique Cafe Girls Getaway Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah! We are leaving first thing in the morning! We are so excited to meet all of our chat buddies, have a girls PJ party, and be at an amazing confrence! We will be sure to share LOTS of pictures when we get back! So stay tuned..........................WATCH OUT UTAH...HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5-minutes to Beauty!

Ok, so I know it sounds like a farse, but its not! I know that most moms have a hard time getting ready in the morning and want a fresh natural look in less than 5 min.

Well, I watched a show from Tyra Banks a few months ago, and it popped up in a search earlier today. It was all about how to apply your makeup in less than 5 minutes!!! How awesome is that? Now, before I share the video, let me tell you everything that you will need to do this......

--Conceler (from a pot or a stick)

--Foundation (from a stick or a compact)

--Loose Powder: 2 shades, 1 in your natural skin shade, and one that is 2 shades too light for you!

--Blush in a natural tone

--Medium Brown Eyeshadow (yes, everyone can wear brown!)

--Mascara

--Lipstick in a natural shade close to your lips

--White Eyeliner

Tools that you will need:

--Triangle Sponges

--Powder Brush

--Blush Brush

--Large Eye Shadow Brush

And dont forget the back of your hand and WATER!!! (watch the video to see what I mean)

Here is Part One, basically just your face:

http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/gallery/video/index.html?=tmakeup1

Here is Part Two, your eyes and lips:

http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/gallery/video/index.html?=tmakeup2

I know the video's are more than 5 minutes, but she has to talk through everything and show people, but trust me, it is very fast and super easy, and you will look FABULOUS!

Inspirational Thoughts

How cool is this?! Our friend Beki has awarded us with the Thinking Blogger Award!
We are so flattered that we make her think! ;) (especially about food! lol)

So now we get to pass the torch of this awesome award to people who make us think!
So here goes.............

1.) Amelia from Sweet Feet Boutique: She makes us think daily about how to be good moms, inspirational designers, and we love how she can turn the camera on herself and be so vulnerable. Just a beautiful Blog.

2.) Sarah from Marvellous Mouse Designs: Everyday she inspires us with her wit, humor, her knowledge!

3.) Lisa from Iza Bella: An amazing designer, and graphic artist. She shares some of the same paths we do, and we have a very similar taste! (Sarah knows what we mean!)

4.) Gyl from Rhembein: Gyl is one amazing photographer, and she inspires amazing pictures to come out of our cameras. And her Blog can be quite funny at times! ;)

And Last but certainly not least (as she inspires thinking from us every day!)

5.) Daria!!! from Boutique Cafe: Need we say more?! I don't think so! hehe

NOW here are the "Rules"
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

Taste Test Tuesday (Week 1)

YAY! Its finally here! Taste Test Tuesday!! We are so excited to do a product review pertaining to food! Its our love and passion! ;)

So this week we tasted the New product from Coke, Diet Coke Plus. This new product is just one out of the SEVEN different kinds of Diet Coke! So why pick diet coke plus you ask? Well, Diet Coke Plus tastes just like diet coke, but each 8 oz serving provides 15% of your daily value for Niacin and Vitamins B6 and B12, as well as 10% for Zink and Magnesium.

Sweet! A Diet Coke that's good for you!!! I think my world just flipped upside down! How cool is that?

Not into Healthy Soda? Well, there are tons of other flavors of Diet Coke out there! Just try, Black Cherry Vanilla, Plain Diet Coke, Cherry, Lime, Caffeine Free, and Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda! (I have tried them all, and they are all awesome!)

SO how well did Diet Coke Plus rate with us? Terry gives it a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 having your taste buds screaming for help in pain, 10 being your taste buds are freaking out with joy!!)

Nikki didn't rate this product because she doesn't drink soda! (But if she did, I'm sure she would love it!) So we think its a pretty good peoduct! Go out and try some!!!!!

*****************************************************

Have you tried this product? If you have, leave us a message and tell us what you thought!

Also, LEAVE US A MESSAGE for Ideas for next week's Taste Test Tuesday!

Our palettes are waiting!!!

Taste Test Tuesday (on Sunday! lol)

Ok, so we know its Sunday, but we realised that we had been blogging a lot about food lately! So, it occurred to us that it would be natural to have a regular blog post about food!

It just made sense because we are both huge foodies, and with Nikki's culinary background....lets just say, we know our stuff when it comes to food! hehe

So here's the deal.....every Tuesday, we will test a new food product. But there are guidelines....the foods must be available at a regular grocery store, be less than $10 per item, and not contain alcohol or any other age-restricted substance. Easy enough right?

Oh, and the best part?! Our blog readers can give us suggestions! Have you ever seen something in the store and thought "Hmmmm....I wonder if thats any good?" But passed it up? Well, here is your chance to have two total food experts try and tell you all about the product!!

Every week we will post the product and who chose it (or if we chose that week) and what we think. We will judge Food or food products on a scale of 1 to 10. Who knows? You might just find a new "must-have" item at the store!

You can send all food entries to us at RBcouture@yahoo.com.

See you Tuesday!!!

--Nikki and Terry

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(***Products must be available in our area at a regular, non specialty, grocery store. Products must be under $10 total, so no caviar! Also the product can not contain alcohol of any kind, so no wine, or liquor products.)

Friday the 13th!

Dum Dum Dummmmm.........(insert the theme to Jason here! lol). Yep Folks, it that's time again, Friday the 13th! Now I'm not superstitious and I don't believe in Luck, so this day doesn't really mean much to me! But I do love those movies!! lol

All Friday the 13th is to me is another day (or the 10th day anniversary of my birthday! lol)

So after I go to the doctor today (total coincidence, I have an ear infection! lol) I am going to come home, snuggle up to some hot coffee and watch some good old scary movies! After all, it is raining outside and I don't wanna be out in it!

So for those of you who are scared of black cats, banana peels, ladders, mirrors, and that sort of thing, Have a happy Friday the 13th!

And for those that don't follow this day, good "Luck" to you! lol

Nikki

From Plain to PUMPED

Hey Everybody, I'm Terry, and the other half of RBcouture. This is my very first post on our blog, I'm so excited!! And I will be posting on here regularly now!!!

In light of our trip to SLC and it being sponsored by Fiji water I thought i may have to choke down alot of water, but I have found the most amazing thing ever!!

Crystal Light has made a way to take water from "plain to pumped" with their new flavor packets. These little 1.1 ounce bags of joy have an incredible punch of flavor that is irresistible!! They are small enough to fit into the pockets of your jeans. Yet pack enough flavor for a whole gallon of water.

They come in a large variety of flavors from pink lemonade to green tea, something for everyone. They are sold in boxes of 10 for around $3.00.

I will be stocking up for our trip to SLC for sure. So if anyone else dislikes water as much as Nikki and I do, well then these packets are a dream come true!!! You can check them out here!

(And I just can't resist that song!! lol)

**photo courtesy of Crystal Light

~~~~UPDATE~~~~ Some people have been unable to find crystal light, and I wanted to let you know that there are lots of different companies that make these wonderful little packts, such as Lipton, Power Aid, and most Grocery Store "store brands".

My Desk!!!

Well I have been tagged by my good friend Morgan to show off the desk I work at everyday!! lol No cleaning, no staging, nothing! So thats what you get! Notice my post-its everywhere with great little notes, ebay listings, etc. My headband, needed ALL the time so my bangs dont get in my way when Im working. And all the other junk that gets piled up over the days! ;)

Now I am tagging my friends Amelia, Lisa, and Sarah to show off their desks! ;)

As is now girls, no cheating! lol

Mommy Makeup!

What an amazing thought! Makeup made for mommies that is quick and easy! Well Award-winning makeup artist and Mom, Debra Rubin-Roberts, has done just that! Makeup made for moms on the go to look chic for the office, as well as on the playground!

Not to mention her "Paint by numbers" instructions that help you flawlessly complete your look!

She offers two kits, as well as brushes and other accessories. I also love the section of tips and tricks! So head on over to Mommy Makeup and check it out!

Oh! And as a little insider tip...one of my favorite websites, the daily stroll is offering their readers a 15% discount. And since I love you all I'm passing on the info! Simply use the code: DAILYSTROLL at checkout.

(15% off of their total purchase excluding shipping. Use code: DAILYSTROLL at checkout. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 5.31.07)

These are a few of my favorite things!

No, Im not gonna burst into song! lol
I just thought I would share some of my favorite things! Sitting here at my computer, bored, and blogging (BAD combo for late night munchies! lol) has brought my attention to the most amazing chips I have ever eaten!!

I LOVE to get cracked pepper chips and douse them in dill pickel juice! lol I know, Im weired! well, I came upon something at the store that changed my life today! Lay's Dill Pickel Potato Chips! All I have to do is crack some pepper into the bag and give it a good shake, and MAN its some good eatin'!

Next is my coffee! I acutally think its the creamer that makes it good! I LOVE coffee creamer! I love to try all the new seasonal flavors! I dont get hooked really easily, so its easy for me to swich to a new flavor! My two top picks right now are the Spring Flavors from International Delight! They are: Cinnamon Caramel Custard and Almond Vanilla Parfait. Both AWESOME! I also love the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut (also seasonal). Very nutty and smooth! I am also looking at some from Coffeemate in Coconut Crème and Vanilla Chai Spice! YUM!

And finally....whats a cracker without laughing cow cheese? These are awesome on black pepper triscuts! (are you seeing a trend here with the pepper thing? lol). And did I mention, They are HEALTHY?!?!?! Amazing, I know! lol

Tell me about some of your fave foods! ;) Cant wait to hear about it!

Traveling in style

I often find that when traveling its really hard to find my luggage among all the other black bags in the airport! Well, while I save up for my Louis Vuitton bags (lol) I think these will do!

Nothing says "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY LUGGAGE" like a nice colorful tag that tells you just that! lol

These disposable luggage tags are perfect for the traveling in style woman! I only wish I had found them sooner since I will be traveling soon!!! Oh well! Im sure they are great anyway! hehe

MAKES ME SICK!!!

I thought I would bring something to everyone's attention. I know this post is long, but f you have kids, PLEASE READ!!!

Recently, a very serious problem has been brought to my attention

It is a very heinous website called www.puellula.com.

This website is a safe haven for pedophiles. The heading on their main page reads,

"A Celebration of the Splendor of Little Girls".

This website includes links to pictures, or "art" as they call it, of little girls,

confessional blogs, a directory of resources for pedophiles

(for "both boylovers and girl lovers, as well as anybody else looking for information about pedophilia and consensual child love"), as well as many other links. This site has a manifesto, stating demands to the government to legalize pedophilia.The most disturbing, though, is a link to a page title Sugar and Spice that is specifically for little girls who have "fallen in love" with a pedophile. This site is set up to draw in little girls. It looks like any other fun little girly page. It tells girls that it is okay to be "in love" with an adult, and it is okay to have sex with an adult. A quote from the page: "Remember that information helps you to make the choices that are right for YOU. Don’t let other people think for you, YOU know yourself better than anybody else, so YOU should be the one to decide whom to love and how to use your mind and your body." It has a questions and answers section, downloads, and a page to links for more information.If this information doesn't turn your stomach, hopefully what I'm about to say will. This website claims to be legal. There is even a link on their webpage to report them to authorities. Here is a quote from that page: "Are you outraged by what you have just been reading? Do you think that sites like this should be banned? Do you think that, despite the fact that there is nothing illegal on this site whatsoever, its creators should be locked up? Do you support severely curtailing the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech and the suspension of civil rights in the execution of draconian laws against law-abiding citizens whose worldview happens to be different than yours? If so, you are in good company! This site has already been reported numerous times to a number of law enforcement organizations including the FBI, the RCMP and Interpol. If you are undeterred by the fact that this site is already well-known within the law enforcement community and that it is in no way illegal, and you still want to do your civic duty and exercise your freedom of speech by denouncing the free speech of another citizen, let us help you. Here we have compiled a list of contacts for a number of law enforcement bodies that you might wish to contact. We have even included a form that will allow you to contact several of these agencies at once!"

People, I need your help. I am asking you to do at least one of a few things:

1) Please repost this bulletin. Maybe with the wide circulation that myspace provides, we can raise awareness, initiate outrage, and get this thing shut down. We fill out and pass on surveys, poems about killing pit bulls, etc. Don't you think this warrants the same kind of attention?

2) Report this site to cybertipline.com, and sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/493662088?ltl=1174125902 . You can sign this as "anonymous" if you wish.

3) Make your local authorities aware of this website. Several moms on cafemom have alerted their local authorities and many have been very interested and grateful for the heads-up.

4) Contact your congressman and senator. Another disturbing fact about this site is, at the bottom of their page, they openly support Barack Obama for the presidential election. I am sure Mr. Obama would be very displeased to know of this, therefore I, as well as other moms, have already brought this to his attention. If we can get other senators and congressmen in the know, it very well could initiate talk and possibly action by our government.

5) Send this bulletin, or write your own, to your local media. Just as moms have caught the interest of their local authorities, they have also done so with their local news. Several moms have reported back that their news has hopped on board with this and followed up with research and interviews. This way parents without the resources we have with the internet and myspace can be made aware of this.

6) If the information that I have provided doesn't affect you to your core, then please go to this site so you can see for yourself what we are dealing with here. I guarantee you will be disgusted as much as I. Again, I am asking for your help with this. If you have a daughter or son, a little sister or brother, niece or nephew, or even just know a child, then you are affected by this. These people are preying on these children. They say that this disgusting behavior is okay. It is not.If you've made it this far through this bulletin, then I thank you for your time and attention. Just by reading this, you've helped me take one more step to my mission being accomplished. Please, if nothing else, pass this on.

I SWAM WITH A PHONE BECAUSE THE VOICES TOLD ME TO!

And my mom danced with an ipod because she's a ninja!

Seriously!!..................well not quite! lol

I love these little gibberish fill-in-the-blank things! lol (I dont know what to call them! hehe)

But you know you wanna fill it out! Go ahead, do it! And post it in the comments section!

I would love to hear yours! ;) Now.....hurry so we can all share!

Here's how to play:

Pick the month you were born.

Pick the day (number) you were born.

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing.

Now type out the sentence you made using the answers below:

Pick the month you were born:

January----------I kicked

February--------I loved

March------------I punched

April---------------I swam with

May---------------I choked on

June---------------I murdered

July----------------I did the Macarena with

August-----------I had lunch with

September------I danced with

October----------I sang to

November-------I yelled at

December-------I ran over

Pick the day ( number) you were born on:

1----- --a birdbath

2-------a monster

3-------a phone

4-------a fork

5-------a Mexican

6-------a flamingo

7-------my cell phone

8-------my dog

9-------my best friends' boyfriend

10------my neighbor

11------my science teacher

12------a banana

13------a fireman

14------a stuffed animal

15------a goat

16------a pickle

17------a squirrel

18------a spoon

19------myself

20------a baseball bat

21------a ninja

22------a snowman

23------a noodle

24-- ----your mom

25------a football player

26------my sister

27------my brother

28------an ipod

29------a permanent marker

30------a llama

31------a zombie

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White----------because I'm very pretty.

Black----------because that's how I play.

Pink------------because I'm cool like that.

Red-------------because the voices told me to.

Blue------------because I can see the future.

Green----------because I love to boogie.

Purple----------because your mom's cool.

Gray------------because the voices in my head told me to.

Yellow---------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars

Orange---------because I tripped over my house

Brown----------because I love my pillow.

Other-----------because I'm a ninja.

None-----------because I can't control myself

See arent they fun?! lol My daughter yelled at a baseball bat because she loves her pillow! hehe Gosh these are too silly!!! I wonder if my Step dad really did yell at a squirrel because he can see the future?!?!........................

Thanks Sarah for the great idea! ;)

HAPPY EASTER!

I just wanted to say Happy Easter to everyone! He is Risen!!!! And I wanted to share a little something I found on my friend Beki's blog for this wonderful Holiday! Enjoy!

Happy Easter!!
The Greatest Man in History Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.

Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.

Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.

He had no army, yet kings feared Him.

He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us!

And as a little saying we say at my Church all the time...."God is good...ALL the time!"

Happy Easter Everyone!

*photo courtesy of www.worshipphotos.com

And the Countdown Begins!!

I cant believe its almost here!! The SLC Boutique Cafe Girls Weekend Retreat!!!

I am so excited I just can't stand it! This is going to be one of the best weekends ever! Not only do I get to meet women in person that I am not only friends with, but I admire as well. Such as Amelia from Sweet Feet Boutique, Megan from Creative Outlet Designs, and the Queen of Chat at Boutique Cafe, Sarah from Marvelous Mouse Designs...this list could go on and on, AND not to mention, Mrs. Boutique Cafe herself, Daria!!!

Not only can I not live a day without my cup of couture through pod casts, but I spend a great deal of time in the chat forums, and then on my blog talking about it! LOL

What a cool experience this is going to be! Talking design, and shopping for fabric all weekend!! Its like a dream come true!! There are still spaces open if anyone is interested, please check out the info here! This wonderful conference is being held April 20-22 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

See you there!!!!!!!!!

--Nikki

Our New Name!!!

We finally did it! We took the plunge, and changed our Ebay ID!!! We are now officially "RBcouture"! We wanted to streamline our name and now you can find everything that is Ragazza Bella by searching RBcouture! For Example:

--Our Blog: www.RBcouture.blogspot.com

--Our Website: www.RBcouture.com

--Our Email: RBcouture@yahoo.com

--Our Ebay ID: RBcouture

And dont forget about our 10% discount on your order at www.RBcouture.com by using the code: NikkiBday

Using what you Have

Ok, So, I know we are TOTALLY guily of this! I buy things all the time that I dont need, and I never use them! Especially fabric, beads, and embellishments! I am the WORST! We literally have 2 HUGE 50 gallon containers upstairs in the sewing room FULL of fabric that we have never used! I keep contimplating if I should sell it or not, but I know Im never going to use it!

Well, when I was checking all my friend's blog's this morning, I came upon Beki, who posted about a challange her friend Gyl told her about! April is use what you have month! And we are vowing to not buy anything new (unless its necissary, like lining for sets, clasps for jewlels, etc.).

This is SO hard for me! I think I just need to be chained to my room and not let out for the whole month! lol

So I am saying right now....I will not buy any new fabric this month! There I said it! lol Now to act on it.........................................hehe!

Happy Birthday to Nikki!

Wow! April already! I cant believe its here already! MY BIRTHDAY! I am turning 23!!! I have to tell you, I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to my birthday! I think, why dread something you cant stop? lol So I just celebrate and have fun!

And for such a special occasion, I thought, why not get a really cool gift? lol So I went and bought a NEW CAR!!! I acutally got it today, so its a little early!

I will post pictures tomorrow so everyone can see it! I got a Jeep Commander! Its simply beautiful! Here is a stock picture so you can get an idea:

And since I got such an awesome gift, I thought, why not give all the great customers of RBcouture a really cool gift also? So through the WHOLE MONTH OF APRIL I am giving everyone 10% off their entire purchase! All you have to do is enter: NikkiBday when checking out! So Congrats to you as well!!

Thank you to everyone who sent me cards and emails! I love you all!

Talk to you all soon!

--The Birthday Girl, Nikki! :)

Can you M&M?

I don't know if you have caught on to this fascination or not? But one day as I was watching a commercial with all of these people that morphed into crazy looking M&M's! I thought it was hilarious, so I thought I would check it out! In the process of me having fun with all sorts of combinations of hair, shell color, and accessories, my 5 year old said "Mommy! I want one!!!". And then started the M&M ritual at our house! This site is fun for moms, dads, kids, even the grandparents! Its so much fun and you will be cracking up at all the possibilities! They even have a randomizer that had me crying I was laughing so hard at some of these little candy coated chocolates!

Even the girls over at Boutique Cafe are having a blast making their own M&M's!

So I thought, what the hey! And I made an official M&M for our Blog!

I am calling her Mrs. Gazza Blog! She even matches some of our fall line colors! (hint, hint! hehe)

So head on over to Planet M&M's and create your M&M! The first person to post a link to their M&M here gets Free Shipping on their next Ragazza Bella Purchase!

(just post a link to your photo host on the comments section of this post)

Have Fun! Get Creative! And Get M&Ming!!!!

Later!

--Nikki