Belvivere Luxury Linens

Christmas thanks from Florence Italy

So here we are again...it's christmas time! I'm not going to do the longest post ever, but I really wanted to say hi to some people in a more 'personal' way. Some treasures I've met..(see previous post) and some that are wishing me a nice day, every day on twitter...so this is for you:

To Chedva!
My first real twitter friend! Great person to chat with and utterly sweet.. go check her out on: http://roomsandwords.com/

Home-office-family-life | Photos by Shay Adam, courtesy of Orly Robinson

Then a lot of wonderful woman followed, like Toma whom I (we) would like to thank for her enthousiasm about our products... we are fortunate to have a client like herself (and her hubby !!!). She does some great antique tours all over Europe and I am a real big fan of her and what she does... go check her out on:
http://antiquesdiva.com/

Antiques diva in England | Photo : Antiques Diva

Then I've met Carina (thank you so much for your sweet words on my last post !!) a beautiful lady with the most gorgeous red hair I've ever seen... se makes some absolutely stunning photo's and postcards... check her out on: http://www.carams.fr/ > really amazing

Photo: Caramsfrance

Then I've met Lynn and Norma, they are fantastic... thanks for sharing your lovely wine with me ! (seen previous post)

Then there is Yvette van Boven, I'm probably her biggest fan...that's nog bragging, but I really think she does amazing foodstyling and she is utterly creative ! She has to be a great cook as well cause she wrote three cook books and even went to New York to promote one of them.... I promise I will buy her book as soon as I have some time to actually read something :-) Check her out on: http://www.yvettevanboven.com

Miljonair, photography René Kramers | Foodstyling: Yvette van Boven

Tara Bradford! Another amazing photographer, sweetest girl on twitter that's for sure! Hope you'll be happy in your new home Tara !! Check her out on: http://www.tarabradford.com/

Photo: Tara Bradfort (Paris Parfait)

Shelley (whykemgirl on twitter)..gosh she is the greatest... I'm happy to have been her first twitter friend! She always thinks of me and suggest people to 'come' and meet me and Belvivere...That's awesome! Thank you shelley...you're great and I really hope to meet you one day! http://thedailybasics.com/

Shelley, right, 'WykehamGirl' - (Twittername) head researcher at The Daily Basics | Photo: Daily basics

Then there is Frankie Durbin... , would really like to meet her (should go to Dallas :-) I really love her blogpost and her blog so check her out on: http://www.frankidurbin.com

The venti caffe

Last but not least Laila! She on my top list of people whom I am going to meet for sure... it's just a matter of time... Truely sweet and amazing woman, check out her Paris love appartment that she rents out: http://www.chezmj.blogspot.com/

Laila's appartement in Paris !

Well this is the hardcore twitter girl group to whom I love to say 'Goodmorning' and 'Goodnight' on twitter almost every day, hope you love them as much as I do :-)

Photo: Agatha Loonstra

Thank you girls for not throwing me out of your '@mentions'.. I'm peaking behind the curtain hoping to be around more next year to follow, discuss, chat and say hi to you all... but for now:

HAPPY AND MERRY... !!

Photo: Me :-)

Belvivere meets some real people (again)

Unfortunately it has been a while, I have been so busy with new things that are going on with Belvivere and some new projects I'm working on, that I haven't had the chance to write much on my blog.

That doesn't mean that I'm not engaged in what's going on with Belvivere's 'social life', I'm just looking, peeping behind the curtains.

Sorrento Collection

I've often written, I love twitter because I've met so many wonderful people through this media. Some I've already met in person like Toma (The Antiques Diva) and Carina (Caramsfrance).

Norma Thiessen

A few days ago I was lucky to have met the wonderful Lynn ( Lynn Knowlton-Design the Life You Want to Live) and Norma (My Beautiful Paris) for a glass of wine in one of the finest hotels in Florence. It was an absolutely lovely experience and I was so enthousiastic that I probably talked to much :-)

Lynne Knowlton

I would like to thank Shelley (Wykehamgirl) for setting this meeting up and almost pushing us to meet. For me it really was a great experience to have met these two wonderful woman. We only met for a glass of wine and only for one hour, but that was enough for me to be enthousiastic about Norma and Lynn and to introduce you to them. I really hope you will go and check them out!

Check out Lynn

( I just love her tree house)

Check out Norma

( I really hope she's doing her site on Florence! )

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend and don't forget:

You'll sleep better between Italian Luxury Sheets!

High quality Italian Linen wedding registry

Thinking about getting married? Your head full of ideas for decoration and then of course your dress! Another mayor thing to consider is having your wedding wish list. Guests always love to buy gifts for newly weds and to make it more easy on them and on you, you should consider having your wedding wish list online.

Gift/wedding registry
Create your personal Gift Registry online with Belvivere Luxury Linens and then share it with family and friends! Be original and let your family and friends save money without getting you less quality! Belvivere Luxury Linens are made in Florence, Italy and directly shipped from the factory. Belvivere Luxury Linens meet the highest standards of quality, but enables you to save big time because there are no middle man or shops between the factory and YOU!

High quality

We all know that nowadays having good quality for the right price is not that easy to find, but at Belvivere Luxury Linens you are in the right place.

Fabric swatches
Maybe you want to have some swatches to see the colors or the quality of the fabric? No problem, visit our site and choose the linens you like, send us an email at: info@belvivere.com and we will be happy to send you the swatches in no-time!

Belviveres' Warehouse club
You can also check out our Belvivere Luxury Bed Sheet warehouse club online and get even more value for your money! With all the high quality standards and all our guarantees, you can't go wrong!

The Antiques Diva goes Tuscany !

The Antiques Diva did it again! This time in Italy. Toma and her expert team is awaiting you in Tuscany!

They will not only show you the best and most beautiful Antique shops and flea markets of Florence, Siena, Arezzo...... , they will let you live and savour the Italian Lifestyle.

Want to know more about The Antiques Diva Tours around Europe? Check out one of my previous posts here >> belvivere-luxury-bedding.blogspot.com/2011/01/antique-shopping-for-divas.html

Fontana di Nettuno and Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence Italy
Photo By: Mrs Conti copyright 2011

Toma, what can one expect by booking an Antique Diva Tour in Italy ?
Well you can can expect flea markets and Ferragamo as well as fragrant sessions with an haute-couture perfumer, creating custom scents just for you. You can Wrap yourself in luxury Italian linens or linger in Lucca, enjoying the local wines and gourmet delicacies. Try and stay in Siena visiting antique sales or shop for salvaged pieces at secret sources. Go on and Search the streets of Arezzo looking for religious relics and rustic pieces. And while you’re at it, book a cooking course, a day at the outlets or visit our favorite vineyards with our Diva Excursions. On Antiques Diva ® Italian Tours you’re guaranteed to enjoy La Dolce Diva as we share not just antiques but Italian lifestyle!

Meeting Toma, The Antique Diva herself
I was so happy to have met Toma during her stay in Florence and I am so excited that she now organizes her Famous Diva Tours here in Tuscany! The Antique Diva has so many tours and Ideas custom made for you, that the best thing for you to do, is check out her website : www.antiquesdiva.com/tours/italy .

Belvivere Loves; Antique Diva goes Oltrarno
We at Belvivere would really love to reccomend the Oltrarno tour, our absolute favorite zone in Florence. Still full of ancient artisan workshops of all kind that make you really 'taste & feel' the real Italian craftmanship, famous all over the world.

Belvivere's favorite Antique Diva Tour:

Florence – Oltarno “The Other Side of the Arno”
Available Tuesday through Sunday
+ Special visits to Flea Market on the 2nd Sunday of the Month

Join us as we step to “The Other Side of the Arno” as we visit one of the most interesting and lively parts of Florence, a curious mix of class and culture. Initially the poorest quarters of Florence, it was gentrified when the Medici’s moved into the Pitti Palace building. A lively area to explore full of colour, movement and inspiration. Here we get a true taste of Florence with two very stark contrasts between the noble palaces around the Palazzo Pitti and the neighbouring elegant and prestigious antiquarians to the hustle and bustle of San Jacopo, Santo Spirito, and San Frediano where you can see the furniture restorers at work, cruise the quirky antique shops whilst rubbing shoulders with up and coming artists. A real Florentine experience. We’ll escape to the quieter area of San Niccolo with its specialist stores and artisan workshops and while a visit to the Via Maggio is a must, we’ll go deeper poking around the narrower surrounding streets where surprises unfold. Everything from period antique furniture, quirky collector’s pieces to silversmiths, restorers and guilders to custom made frames, lampshades. When the day is done, we’ll be right on time for doing a wine & olive oil tasting in a favourite enoteca.

Belvivere highly reccomends Antique Diva Tours and wishes Toma & her team all the best !

Pictures by: The Antique Diva - unless otherwise stated -

Text also by: The Antique Diva

Every day Fine Table linens (Tuscan cook & Table Cloth Part III)

Belvivere Luxury Table Linen :
Giardino Collection 100% Premium Belgian Linen available in 6 colorways.

Don't let your best table linens get old in a cupboard, use them whenever you feel like setting a nice table. Use them for a sundaymorning brunch or for a cozy family dinner. Cooking something special for family and friends and using special high quality table linen can be a real treat, also for yourself.

Foto: barefootintheorchard.blogspot.com

It's not hard to set a nice table if you already have a beautiful table cloth. Try and lay a fresh flowers on everyones napkin or a little branch of Rosemary. If you have any herbs in your garden you can make a little bouquet and also have a lovely fresh perfume while eating. (You can also put some lemons on the table and scratch them a bit so they release their fresh & clean scent!)

Foto: countryliving.com

Talking about Rosemary, here is a very special recipe that Aurelio Barattini (The Tuscan Cook) wanted to share with you:

Filetto di Manzo all'Alpina

"Beef fillet with porcini mushroom cap"

Ingredients for 4

- 4 beef fillets

- 4 porcini mushrooms caps

- extra virgin olive oil

- garlic

- calamint

- chilli

- salt

Preparation

Clean the fresh porcini mushrooms caps. Put them in a baking pan and season with olive oil, salt, red pepper, sliced garlic, calamint and a splash of wine. Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees. Cook the tenderloin on the grill. Then place the fillet on a plate and above the cap of porcini mushrooms. Dress with extra virgin olive oil.

Accompany with a red Sangiovese wine

Writers Note: Take a branch of Rosmary and and put it on the mushroom cap and push it into the meat, the cap stays on the beaf and it's a very original way to present this recipe !

Buon Apettito!

Here are some useful LINKS:

1. Don't worry! You can wash your quality table linen on high temperatures (especially Belgian Linen) and they are quiet easy to iron as well. (you're worry about stains? read HERE how you can remove the most common ones)

2. If you want to see some Herb bouquet inspiration, have a look at : barefootintheorchard.blogspot.com/

3. I would like to thank the Tuscan Cook for his collaboration! Do you want Aurelio in YOUR kitchen ? www.aureliobarattini.com

4. I really want to know what a Porcino mushroom is, have a wiki look: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis

5. I heard about Calamint but what kind of herb is that ? have a wiki look: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamintha

Recipe By: Aurelio Barattini

Aurelio Barattini a Tuscan Cook (Part II of Tuscan Food & Table cloth)

Aurelio is the fourth generation in a family of restaurant owners and cooks. He grew up just above the family restaurant, smelling the aromas coming out of the kitchen, where Aurelio's grandmother Ida was always busy preparing.

Although Aurelio continued studying and frequented the arts school in Florence; the Cappiello, he couldn't stay away from Nonna Ida's kitchen.

When Aurelio finished his studies he got a big offer from a company in Milan, Satchi and Satch, he stopped for a second and thought…"I can’t break this tradition, I can’t stop this magic dream called 'Antica Locanda di Sesto' " and this is when he began to work there full time – that's when it became his kitchen.

Aurelio what is your secret behind your genuine cooking and are you sharing your experience also outside of italy ?

I was very lucky to have a grandmother like Ida but I was also very lucky that my other grandma came from Modena, in Emilia Romagna. She taught me the secrets of fresh home made pasta, so together with my grandma Ida she closed the circle.. Tuscany-Emilia-creativity-tradition and passion!

In 2003 I began traveling with my cities tourism board, organising gala dinners and spreading the word on what traditional tuscan cuisine is all about, I then write about these experiences on my blog (aureliobarattini.blogspot.com). The food I cook is all about freshness, (nothing frozen, canned or comes in boxes) and I only cook whatever is in season, I actually use my dad’s olive oil and wine in my restaurant. We believe in this!

Photo: Carolina via Pinterest

This is the Tuscan cook that will share a very yummie recipe in my next post in wich I will be writing about table linen & how to set a nice & easy table for your family and Friends.... so stay tuned !

Tuscan Food and Table cloth - part I -

I'm trying to write a blog post about Tuscan Food and setting the dinner table. I have the table cloth and many lovely ideas on how to set a nice table, but unfortunatly I am not a great cook. So I had to find someone to help me on that, right?

Ok, first things first,

So let's start in the kitchen:

If you are into Tuscan Food, you should meet Aurelio Barattini! I met Aurelio through twitter and he is the fourth generation in a family of restaurant owners and cooks in Lucca (Tuscany, Italy). In my next post I will introduce him and his fabulous cooking, but here is already a small anticipation!

" Aurelio was born in Lucca and grew up just above his family's restaurant Antica Locanda di Sesto. Every morning he woke with the aromas coming out of the kitchen where his grandmother Ida was already busy preparing. "

Don't worry there will be more of Aurelio and his genuine Tuscan cuisine... soon !

Customized Bed Linen? Yes you can !

Wouldn't you love to have customized bed linen? Maybe you have one of those big beds and you can never find the right sizes? Or maybe you have a round bed and cannot find bedsheets you really like ? Maybe you are an interior designer and you just can't find the right bed linen for your projects?

Photo: Mrs Conti for 'The Bedding Makeover System' by Jay C Conti

OUR WORKROOM IN FLORENCE, ITALY

Our Italian workroom in Florence offers you a very personalized touch to your household linens like, embroidered monograms, crests, logos and names on to linens, or even take a motif from curtains or upholstery fabrics to allow a very comprehensive co-ordination to the interior design scheme of each room.

BED LINENS
Bed linens can be custom made to your specific requirements. The choice of luxury fabrics include fine smooth cotton percale, cool crisp linen and silky soft cotton sateens. These can be expertly made into Sheets, Duvet Covers, Shams, Cases or Quilted Coverlets personalized with any embroidered motif, logo or monogram.

BATHROOM LINENS
Our full range of luxury towels including extra large bath sheets and linen huckaback towels, super absorbent bath mats and soft cozy bathrobes can all be personalized with initials or crests in a wide choice of style and color.

TABLE LINENS
We can make extra large or unusual shaped tablecloths for dining rooms or boardrooms in pure Belgian linen or fine cotton sateen damask with matching napkins. Table protectors and felt liners are also available.

If you would like more information on our bespoke custom service please visit our website: www.Belvivere.com

You love to DIY ? Check out 'The Bedding Makeover System' by Linens Expert Jay C. Conti and revamp your bedroom like a real Interior Designer !

Rooms and Words

It's been about a year now that I joined the Twitter community. I've met so many wonderful and creative people from all over the world. But my first real 'twitter friend' was Chedva (@Chedvak) i followed her 'progress' during the year and I must say: wauw!

Design Dream...
Chedva went for her dream; DeSign.... and now she works with some of the most wonderful blogs, magazines and people, but most of all she started her own design-blog or blogazine how she likes to call it:
http://roomsandwords.com ...

* Who si Chedva?
Chedva Kleinhandler is a design journalist, blogger and consultant. As a journalist who started as a blogger (a rare feat in her country) she strives to bring a breath of freshness to any and all of her occupations. Her work as a journalist and the fact that she is a Twitter junky (and a book warm) help her approach the most interesting people and trends in Israel, America and abroad. Being a mother who learned to survive on very little sleep helps too…

Read one of Chedva's last editorial's: The Secret Garden.....

Secret Garden. Photography: Udi Salmanovicz

* Who is Rooms and words ?
Rooms and Words was born out of love for blogs, magazines, and first and formost – design. Chedva loves design but is not willing to give up on quality content. She will serve you interviews with the greatest designers – and those who will be that in the future, she will highlight, review and sometimes criticize the latest trends – and tell you about the provenance of various design elements. Rooms and words is a fun place to browse pretty pictures on your coffee break – and also go deeper and share thoughts on design. Chedva likes to call Rooms & Words a blogazine: a blog with magazine-like content or perhaps a magazine updated with a frequency of a blog. So come on, grab a chair (Louis, Eames, Panton or Bergere – we love them all) and join Chedva on her exciting adventure.....

* Tekst by Chedva