Weekend Plans: Nail It

Image Credit: Amazon
Zebra AND Leopard?  I'm there.

I have been wanting to try either Kiss Nail Dress or Sally Hansen Salon Effects, and this is the weekend for it.  My first choice of pattern is, of course, leopard print.

One seller on Amazon has the twin pack of Sally Hanson Salon Effects pictured at right  for only $2.97 (plus $3.33 shipping).  Since the regular price is $9.99 per pack, I will order some if I like my first experience.

The Sally Hansen Salon Effects come with 16 nail polish strips, and that was enough for me to do my fingers and toes.  I did multiple toe nails per strip because they are much smaller than my finger nails.

The ones I decided on are from the Rock of Ages collection.  The pattern is Rock 'N Roar.

Are leopard print finger nails in good taste?  Probably not.  Do I care?  Absolutely not.  I love them.

Leopard fingernails!

Leopard and red toenails!  Please excuse my giant,
ashy, busted-looking feet.

Image Credit: Amazon
Leopard AND rhinestones?  Be still my heart.

I went a little crazy and got the Kiss Nail Dress in Princess as well.  I'll try those next, especially since they are quite a bit less expensive than the regular price of the Sally Hansen ones.

I am very pleased so far.  I have rather large hands and feet and nail, and I still got a lot of mileage out of the strips.  I will post an update of how they wear later.

I don't know how I'll be able to get any work done this weekend.  My hands are so distracting as I type.

TGIF!

Snap Un-Happy

I'm not happy with theNikon Coolpix that I use to take my daily outfit photos.  I've been wanting a new camera, and that desire has come to a head this week.  I lent my regular camera to Stephen to use for work, and I've been using my mom's.

I would like a camera that is: relatively inexpensive (I don't want to pay SLR prices.) and has remote compatibility.  I am tired of having to set the timer between each shot.  

Image Credit: AmazonPentax Optio RZ-18.

After checking out various models and options on neocamera.com, I am seriously considering the Pentax Optio RZ-18.

So, people of the interwebs:  Do you have a camera with remote compatibility?  Do you have a camera you recommend?

Blue

Do you remember this song?  I obviously do.

 

Sweater, Absolutely, TJ Maxx; dress, George, Walmart; booties, Green Light, Rack Room Shoes; owl necklace and earrings, thrifted.

80/20

I felt like I made it 80 percent of the way to awesome this morning and then ran out of steam.  I have dress I love, necklace I love, earrings I love, and shoes I like, but I just didn't have the momentum to finish the package by doing my hair and makeup.

Dress, Muse, ebay; shoes, Merona, Target; earrings, gifted (thanks Mary Ann!); necklace, Fire Mountain Gems.

The weekend was a lot more productive than today was.  With the help of my wonderful mother, we painted the master bedroom.  The previous color was a peachy beige, and the new color is a lovely pale green.



I think the new color is happy and relaxing... Hopefully the rest of the week will be too.

Feeling Floral

I've worn these earrings three days in a row.  I think today is the best "matching" of the three days.  In my mind the yellow flowers on my ears and red flowers on my feet mirror the flowers on the bodice of the dress.

 

Dress, thrifted; shrug, Faded Glory, Walmart; shoes, Born, Dillards; earrings, etsy; necklace, purchased in Cozumel. 

 

I got these shoes the day that Stephen and I went shopping for his shoes for our wedding.  He got shoes too, but mine are prettier. 

Heavy Lifting

With all of my various houseplants, it's almost like workout out in the jungle.  

I did something exciting and frightening last night.  I finally set up my weight bench.  I have no excuse to avoid the heavy lifting that I have long loved.  Weight lifting has been my thing since middle school.  I like being strong.  I like being able to lift heavy objects.  Three years ago I could leg press three times my body weight.  Now that my legs are weaker and my mass is greater the thought of that is a bit scary, but I'm taking baby steps.

This morning I had a great workout.  Did the numbers stack up to my past?  No.  Not even close.  But that doesn't matter.  I put in the work.  It felt good.  I'll go back tomorrow.  I'm worth it.

I guess my take home message is find what you love to honor your body and do it.  I can't wait for the DOMS.

Summer Loving

I think my uniform this summer will be the printed shift dress.  I love the warm colors in the print and the beaded neck line of this one.  Of course Goodwill is my number one source for these dresses, including this one.

 

Shrug, Dillards; dress, thrifted; belt, Walmart; sandals, Born, Younkers; earrings, etsy; necklace, etsy.

Canary in a Coal Mine

Some days I start with post title or concept and develop an outfit from that.  Some days I look in the mirror and think about what the outfit says to me.  Today was the latter.  

 

 Sweater, George, Walmart; halter top, Younkers; slacks, Younkers; shoes, Merona, Target; necklace, etsy.

Can't Help But Smile

My orchid has nineteen blossoms right now.  It makes the whole kitchen a happier place.

Lost

Hello people of the interwebs.

Once again I strayed from the blogging path and got lost among the weeds of real life.  The weekend before last Stephen and I spent every waking hour between Friday afternoon and Sunday night helping my mom install kitchen cabinets.  Last week was a blur of stress and activity leading up to the biggest event of the year at work.  Once that was over Stephen and I spent a weekend at the beach in Charleston, SC.  That part was divine.  I naturally feel at peace near the ocean.

Here are the highlights of that lost week.

Monday: I enjoy this outfit.  I never
thought I would like leggings this much.

Tuesday: Casual for the large amount of
work to be done.

Thursday: The only day I bothered.
This is what I wore to our event.

 

Hopefully I'm not just talking to myself.  If anyone is still checking, thank you.

Softball

Image Credit: I Can Find The Time

I'm thinking of making one of these bracelets from I Can Find The Time for my sister in law.  She just finished the last season of her illustrious college softball career, and I think it might be a fun memento of this phase of her life.

Problem Solved: Too Small Shirt Sleeves

Image Credit: My Life on the Divide
Too-Small Shirt Sleeves

Do you have any shirts that aren't comfortable because of weirdly-small sleeve diameters?  Check out this tutorial from My Life on the Divide.  I have this exact same shirt with the exact same problem.  Problem solved.

I will be using this tutorial on my shirt for sure.  I'm trying to decide if this shirt is neon and, if it is, whether I should hurry up and do the alterations before EBEW Neon next Tuesday.

I think I would leave a little extra fabric and sew my seams rather than using Stitch Witchery.

Knit Wit

I learned to crochet in January 2011.  My friend Nancy gave me a couple hooks and a few skeins of yarn when I left my job in Iowa to prepare for our move to Georgia.  Crochet has been a lifeline for me many times over the past year.  It busied my hands in the stressfully unemployed weeks before we made the big move, in the car ride to Georgia and during many anxious moments in the months after.

I have crocheted dozens of projects, the vast majority of which I have given away to friends and family.  I am quite fluent in the language of crochet. I know sc, dc, tc, ch, hdc and the rest.  I crochet in the car (when riding as a passenger), on my lunch break, in airports, on airplanes, while watching tv and any other time my full attention is not needed for the task at hand.  When it comes to crochet, I've got it.

Image Credit: 
NaturallyCaron.com

Knitting, in my mind, is a different animal.  My sister tried to teach me to knit a few Christmases back, and I recently found (and frogged) my first pitiful attempt.  Knitting seems like magic to me.  You wiggle your fingers and needles around and *poof* something knitted.

My mother-in-law knits absolutely gorgeous garments and accessories of all kinds.  She has knitted a few cherished items for me, but I don't want to wear out her goodwill by constantly asking for her to put her needles to my use.

On that note, I am going to give knitting anther try.  I recently saw the Kansas City Cowl in the Caron Yarns newsletter, and I want it to be mine.

It will mean learning a new language of stitches and abbreviations and buying new tools and toys, but I think I can do it.  I'll start with practicing a the knitting, purling, and frogging, and before long I'm sure it will seem as natural as crocheting.

One of These Days, One of Those Days

This outfit is from yesterday.  One of these days I'll wear this shirt dress without layering another dress under it, but yesterday was not that day.

 Shirt dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; leopard dress, Lennie by Nina Leonard, thrifted; swallow belt, Mohair Pear, gifted (thanks Mom!); sandals, Payless Shoes; necklace and earrings, handmade by me.

 

Yesterday wasn't "that" day, but it was one of those days.  I am so glad it's Friday because I don't think I could handle more than one more day this week.

 

The upside to yesterday?  I loved my outfit, and I got a glass of wine before the day was out.

Two Wrongs, So Right

I ususally don't like how full-length skirts look on me.  I usually don't like how I look with my hair pulled back.  Yet somehow today I am working both of those looks, and I love the result.  Maybe it's because the pulled-back hair balances the skirt somehow.  Maybe it's the novelty of having hair long enough to pull back for the first time in a while.  Whatever it is, I'm happy with it.

 

Shirt, Xhiliration, Target; dress (worn as skirt), thrifted; shoes, Merona, Target; belt, thrifted; earrings, Claire's; necklace, handmade by me.

 

I think this is my favorite way I've worn this shirt.  I love the print, but I've found it hard to style.  Amazingly, I think the shirt has only made it onto the blog once before.  I must make it a priority to restyle this again soon.  

Christmas Eve Eve Styling

I'm still loving this necklace.  It will be really hard to sell this one on Chenille's So & So etsy store, so I may keep it.  The blues remind me of the ocean.  

It is another dark, rainy day in Georgia, but at least I don't have to worry about the rain flattening my hair (because it's already flat) or dampening my spirits.  

Happy Wednesday!

Earth Tones

It is a cool, rainy day in Georgia today, and this outfit just feels right.  I love the green and brown fabrics and the pink and green in the unakite and rose gold necklace and earrings.

 

Dress, George, Walmart; sweater, Express, thrifted; belt, thrifted; shoes, 5th Avenue, Rack Room Shoes; necklace and earrings, handmade by me.

 

To follow up on yesterday's post about making the most of my fashion dollars, the total cost of my dress, sweater, belt, and shoes was $17.  Yep.  There really is a lot to be said for shopping thrift stores and clearance sections.  The low, low cost just makes me like the outfit that much more.