July Festivities

So I leave tonight for camp (I'm driving straight through to Washington with friends) and have SO much to do before then. I wanted to leave you with a post before I left since I will be absent for 3-4 weeks (camp and best friend's wedding).

Here's the Urban Outfitters polish I mentioned in the last post. This was three coats over a white base, but next time I'll definitely try it without the white. I gave up on making it even; the consistency is so runny and streaky! Boo -- I hate sheer polishes. :(

Urban Outfitters Green 6 (Yes, that's a chunk out of the thumb. With the white underneath it reminded me of a green M&M!)

I only had this on for a day but it was cute while it lasted. Nothing too fancy!

Here's my fourth of July manicure featuring the ever-delicious (and quite American) Mike's lemonade:

Konad stars and [my first ever] freehand stripes

My friend let me use her Essie Matte About You the next day for my first ever matte mani (though I know it's hard to see a difference on here).

This is one of my favorite shots from the amazing fireworks show my friends and I saw at a high school. Mm, I love my new camera.

My birthday is July 5th (which might be why I love fireworks oh-so much!) and two of my best friends were nice enough to surprise me at 9 in the morning and take me out for breakfast! They were hoping to find me in my pajamas but thankfully I had already showered and was just getting dressed. :)

They took me to a cute little french bakery that I've been wanting to try out. We all ordered the same thing -- strawberry and banana crepes! They were garnished with DELISH and rich whipped cream and chocolate drizzles (and a tooth-shaped strawberry. haha). Yum! Thanks, ladies!

OK well that's all for now. I'll blog again in a month! I hope everyone has an amazing summer. Oh, and a huge welcome to my new followers!! It's awesome to know people actually read this thing every now and again. :) Have a good one!

Summertime Blues

Summer is flying by and I'm seemingly getting nothing done. I have to leave for a summer camp a week from today and honestly, I'm not looking forward to it! They were extremely short female counselors though so I agreed to go. Anyway, I have to start thinking about packing, which I happen to despise!!! It should be easy, but it never, ever is. Boo. Onto the nails . . .

I finally got around to participating in one of PHD's awesome nail design challenges. The challenge was any design using only analogous colors. Having taken a color theory class this semester, I was compelled to enter. I'm still such a newbie (I only get around to doing my nails about once a week and usually am in a rush) but it is fun to try! Here is my blue, blue green, and green manicure featuring green blueberry stamps (creative liberty!). I really didn't like the outcome but they did meet the challenge requirements.

And. . . . drumroll: my first Hidden Treasure mani! Mm. So flakey. I did these a week before I found this on my blogroll and freaked out when I saw! Great minds . . . The pink is actually way more me but because the flakes are very red/orange/yellow, I thought the yellow would compliment them nicely.

I liked these so much that I wore them (and they lasted!!!!) for a week.

It's funny how VERY many things around me match the exact shade of yellow, Zoya Creamy

Day 8 I cut my nails (after bowling did some major damage) and I liked the micro tips.

Anyway, eventually I got bored and now I'm wearing a new green shade from Urban Outfitters. I'm hating the formula. Mini review to come!

Oh, and I finally put in my order for the Zoya Exchange earrrrly this morning. I'm an up-to-the-deadline kind of girl. :) I can't wait to get them! Which one will I use first? Oh my.

Remember that pink camera I was lusting after in an old post? Well I ended up ordering the white version (pink isn't available in the US) which I have already nicknamed (the moment I saw it online) the Stormtrooper. It arrived yesterday! I have SOOO much to learn about it. I can't wait to start taking some great pictures!

Hey, if you're reading this, you're awesome. haha. Have a great day!

I'm on a [Blog] Roll!

Three posts in week. Awesome. Last night was that party I mentioned earlier, the "Casserole and Martini" as it was named. It was fun! Lots of good food, drinks, and friends.

Mirror shot! Me and friends after getting ready:

Matchy matchy, just the way I like it.

Mary Kay In A Flash Lightspeed, Konad m71 double stamped w/Konad Special Black

I was asked to bring peonies (which I happen to adore) and they had opened up nicely!

Finally got to sport my glam cocktail ring. I mean, ahem, my rich fiance was out of town. (Don't I wish!)

I did these a week or so back. Turns out, as you may have guessed, that Turned Up is blacklight sensitive! (Found that out after I discovered my old blacklights in a box and had to test 'em.)

China Glaze Turned Up, Konad m77

I'm still having trouble stamping the images. Lots of times the image won't fully come off of the stamper. It seems I've tried all the variations (pressing harder, rolling, working super fast, cleaning the plate after stamping vs. not, etc.) but the results are always really inconsistent. Any tips to share?

OK, off to help with the construction (well, clearing a path for the concrete cutter). Hope I don't chip my nails. ;)

Breaking Nail Polish News!!

On a whim, I visited a Walgreens after stopping at the next-door Trader Joes and you already know what I found hidden, appropriately, behind other colors and a spring-loaded wall display. $8.50 (with tax) is a lot for me to pay for nail polish, but it is the holy grail of polishes at the moment. Score!!!

Nail Update

I'm still loving the fun nail thing, though still quite a novice! Here's what I've been up to:

I bought my first nail art tool that has a brush on one side and a dotting tool on the other. It is surprisingly hard to use. :(

I dotted over my then existing polish (sorry for the wrinkled fingers; I had just gotten out of a really long shower!)

China Glaze in Shocking Pink and Turned Up

Here's my first attempt at free-handing something other than french tips. I used the built-in brushes for the angles and the dotting tool for the dots.

Zoya Yummy, Zoya Demi & Sally Hansen X-treme Wear Rockstar

I went to an awesome tea and wanted to have quasi-themed nails. Here's what I spent 5 minutes doing as I rushed out the door. (The hostess made these amazing custom tea bags with our names on giant tags and a message on the back. So cute!)

[Horribly streaky] NYC French Tip White stamped with Essie A List, Konad m14 & m55

I got bored that night and added some more embellishments

Konad m3 stamped with various colors

That's it for now. I'm going to a late 50s/early 60s party this weekend and will be doing my nails to match my dress! They won't be so authentic, but oh well. haha. Until then, au revoir!

Proof is in the Bacon

So here's the bacon project I mentioned two posts ago. This was the original I made with paper (after doing so many versions) that I had to re-create with a different material. The project was supposed to be the study of individual cells and their connections to other cells. They were supposed to lose their individuality when grouped together and had to have a pattern that could be repeated indefinitely. I think I was successful.

20 individual cells together in little . . . bursts.

First I had to cut the raw bacon precisely in order to maintain the proportions of the original.

I sewed, cut, and stuffed the bacon pieces with wet paper towels before baking them.

I unstuffed and lined them up for more baking.

After they seemed firm enough, I hot-glued the cells together. I had to glue it several times because the grease kept the glue from sticking to the bacon.

What I presented to the class. I got some really mixed reactions in the class. Some were grossed out, some read wayyy too far into it ("sewn flesh!") and some thought it was awesome.

I never did find out what my grade was but I miraculously got an A in the class and I think this project made that possible. My teacher seemed shocked (in a good way) that I used bacon, and I'm so glad I did!

Tea & Puppy!

EEK! I have puppy on the brain. My brother and his girlfriend brought home a puppy today that needs a home. She's an adorable black lab mix who is 6-8 weeks old and too cute to ignore even for a second! I really thought she was ours but I guess we (parentals) are going to try and find a home for her. Today we FINALLY began a construction project on our house that has been years in planning so having to manage another dog with all the gates open and chaos around the house just wouldn't be good. Plus, as nice as labs are, when the time comes for a new puppy we definitely have our hearts set on a different breed. Anyway, I am loving up on her like mad until she finds a good home. She's sleeping at my feet right now as I type. :)

Today I went to a lovely white and linen attired (surely there is a better way to say that?) tea party hosted by one of my friends. She held one last year as well and it was such a success that she decided to make it an annual event! She went bought sofas and a table (which she painted blue and then painted on white lacy placemats) and set everything up on her patio under the dappled shade of a pretty tree. It was all fancified and cute. Delicious food was brought by all! Ugh. As usual, I overate. Tasty.

Oh yes. These are just TOO pretty not to share:

I want the pink ones!!! (The [slim and uninteresting] details about the shoes are here and here.)

Part of the construction project I mentioned earlier involves me moving to a bedroom on the other side of the house. We're doing this big switcheroo with my grandma. Anyway, I have been googling and googling and GOOGLING decoration ideas, specifically trying to find the perfect, and most inexpensive ever, duvet cover. I've also checked every Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods store near me. There are some decent options, but nothing perfect. I've decided that I'm just going to try and make my own with two flat sheets, because I LOVE these:

But, there's way too expensive. I've seen the three different price points (Anthropologie, West Elm, Target) but they just won't do. I am the bargainest shopper ever!

I have lots more to blog about (again, since my posts are a month a part!) but this is enough for now. I'll end with a nails pic from when I went to my friend's wedding in Phoenix a few weeks ago. They were simple but pretty.

One of the pale pink Essie ones :) with Cover Girl City Lights on top