La Bella Figura is a lifestyle guide for the woman who aspires to live a European-style life filled with simple pleasures and wants to look good while she does it.
It is about making your life richer with less, not more, just like European women do.
Who Should Read This Book:
* Do you feel overwhelmed and yearn for a life where you spend the majority of your time, money and energy toward what you think really matters?
* Have you ever looked in your closet and felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of clothing items you own and yet still feel as if you have nothing to wear?
* Do you want to elevate everything in your world to an art form -- from the way you dress to how you eat and spend your leisure time?
La Bella Figura shows how you can bring all the simple pleasures of a European lifestyle into your home and life no matter what your budget or where you live.
I ordered this book mostly out of curiosity after reading about it on the Bella Figura blog and reading the reviews on the publisher's website. Planning to do some changes to my lifestyle this year, I am of course interested in any books or articles that can provide tips and inspiration. This book seemed to contribute to that, so I decided to purchase it. When I recieved it in my mailbox yesterday, I was very excited to start reading. To be honest, I have to say that the book didn't completely meet my expectations, thus not saying that the book is not inspirational. Based on the presentation of the book I expected more specific advice on each topic of the book, instead it's more about "what to do" and less "how to do it". I also miss some photos and illustrations, which would have made it more pleasing to the eye. In the matter of presenting a lifestyle philosophy, however, the book is excellent, and evocative descriptions of traditional meals and "the Italian... More > way of life" adds to this in a very nice way. The writer also suggests other books and webpages to read for those interested in immersing themselves into the various topics. In addition, the book contains a recipe chapter, and some of these really made my mouth water! This is the best part of the book in my opinion. At a price of USD 14.95 this is nevertheless a decent buy, and I'll probably read sections of the book again from time to time.< Less
I loved this book! Since I adore almost everything about Italy so much, I have come to desire a European-inspired lifestyle for years now. The author defines creating la bella figura by not only putting one's best foot forward in every situation, but also consciously choosing to live a personal value-driven life. I love this expanded definition; it makes sense to me. She also illustrates it so well with personal experiences, book recommendations, even her own recipes. All of that make this little book an absolute pleasure to read. I have read shelves full of travel narratives based in Italy, and books about the Italians as well, and I have tried to emulate the author's lifestyle or adopt lessons into my own life. But I still have found tips in Kristi's book I have yet to come across, it definitely offers something new. I can hardly wait to try some of them out! Right now, I am particularly interested in cultivating a wardrobe primarily consisting of classic, timeless staples, which I... More > can still make my very own. Her tips will certainly help me in my style evolution. I am drawn to this book as well as her blog because the author is so herself and is not afraid to let everyone know who she is. While reading the book, I almost felt like I was having a face-to-face conversation with a kindred spirit. I found myself repeatedly thinking "I've read that book!" or simply "I know, right?!" She inspires me. Buy this book now! Easy tips to a more beautiful life are just a click or two away!< Less
I’ve had my copy of La Bella Figura a week, and it’s already dog-eared and thoroughly highlighted. Primarily a volume on obtaining the elusive chic European women are known for, this book is so much more. La Bella Figura is a primer for women seeking more quality over quantity in all areas of their life. Author Kristi Belle offers priceless tips on ensuring everything - from your style to how your time and money are spent - contributes to the life you truly desire.
Fantastic Book! Even if you read Kristi's blog regularly, there are still more gems in this book. Her writing style is very accessible and conversational. With what's been happening with our nation's economy...this book should be required reading!! Learn to live better with less, and start by reading this wonderful book. I hope there will be many more to follow.
I loved this book. I am a big fan of Anne Barone’s Chic & Slim series and La Bella Figura struck me as a younger, Italian version. As a regular reader of Kristi’s La Bella Figura blog this book has a lot of new information and she has expanded on ideas she has touched on in her blog. I felt very inspired just browsing the index – I really should have started from the beginning but I dipped into chapters just to get a taste first (couldn’t help myself). This book has many great ideas on living ‘la bella figura’ and they are all attainable on a small budget and in small chunks of time. Kristi has such a conversational style of writing that I felt inspired to try out some of her ideas straight away. An example of this is in her closet/wardrobe chapter. I jumped up from reading this chapter straight away and instinctively knew what was getting weeded out of my main wardrobe. I know in my heart that I have too many clothes and want to find that perfect and mythical wardrobe of a small... More > number of pieces in which everything goes together to make many outfits. Kristi suggested paring down the wardrobe and not getting rid of the overflow straight away. That way you can cast items out more freely without having to worry about where they were going to go. I removed everything I didn’t like, was ambivalent about or even just didn’t enjoy wearing (too scratchy, funny shape etc) into another wardrobe. That way I could have a taste test of the European style wardrobe straight away without fully committing to giving away half of my clothing. And like everyone else, I love instant gratification (not very European of me, but still). What a pleasure it was to get dressed the next day. I still haven’t put any of the weeded out clothes back but they are still there if I want them. In six months or so I plan to donate what I haven’t gone looking for. Another favourite part of this book is Kristi’s food/kitchen chapter and recipes. Her menus always look so appetising on her blog and I love that I can make some of the same dishes which taste so authentic because they come from someone of Italian descent! Actually, I loved the whole book. I am so impressed that Kristi has distilled everything she has learned on the art of living well into this enticing book. All of the chapters are topics I am interested in very much and I know I will refer to La Bella Figura over and over again. This book is such a worthwhile investment of your money and time.< Less
