polish please | black & white glitter

I was looking around on the interwebs the other day for a little nail inspiration {Nailspiration? Yep, it could be a word.} and I came along these two posts {here and here} with some awesome polishes that could almost be indie. What is even better than that, is that you can pick them up at Wal-Mart for only four bucks a pop. 

I was feeling a little stressed after work the other day, and new that new polish would do the trick, and help me find my moment of zen. Boy, was I right. I am a sucker for cream based round-glitter-packed polish, as you can see from this post. They are just so pretty {for the first two days} and then the chipping and crumbling step in and they lose a little bit of their luster. 

But look how beautiful they are five minutes after they are dry! Love at first sight.

I painted Hard Candy Sugar Rush {2ish coats} over OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls to try to prevent all the chipping that comes along with glitter packed polish. It did help, but wasn't a cure. On my ring finger I painted Hard Candy Black Tie Optional over OPI French Quarter for Your Thoughts. That is just one coat with a little fishing to get that one big white hex glitter.

Something cool happened, one of my photos was used (properly) on a nail blog! Just thought that that was pretty neat.

polish please | vintage flowers & dots

I got a new phone case a while back from J. Crew, and while searching for a suitable wallpaper for my home screen, I found this photo. 

Inspiration hit, and right when I decided that I wanted create these flowers on my nails, I kept seeing tutorials on my favorite nail blogs popping up for vintage flowers. Globe & Nail, The Nailasaurus, Chalkboard Nails, have beautiful designs that they can take you through step-by-step. Now let me show you how mine turned out.

For the base color on most of my nails I used Zoya Neely, the base color on my ring fingers is OPI My Vampire is Buff. For the flowers I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, Essie DJ Play That Song & Cascade Cool and Ciaté Mojito. 

Not that bad for my first try! I will definitely try this again until I get them looking as good as the ladies from these other lovely blogs have done.

Has anyone else attempted the vintage flower look?

furniture jealousy

I was over at my Mega Best Friends house the other day; she and her husband just got new bedroom furniture, and now I am SO jealous. They may be surprised when they find me lounging in their bedroom admiring their new furniture when they come home from work. If you have a key it's not breaking end entering... right?

Another reason for my jealousy was that I had no idea about CB2, Crate and Barrel's more modern {and more affordable} kid-sister. Why did no one tell me about this until now? Of course after leaving their house, I went home, hopped on the internet, and started planning out my dream home furnished by CB2. 

Here are some things that I am just crazy for:

 these plates

this rug

this lamp

 this desk

 this low dresser

this tweed chair

and this light

What did you think about what CB2 has to offer compared to Crate and Barrel?

polish please | summer clouds

I had been wanting to try this design for a while, but never had enough courage until... NOW. There are so many great tutorials out there like this one, and this video. I have no idea what I was so worried about, this cloud design is really easy. One of those designs that you can actually reproduce on your non-dominant hand and be able to show people without cringing. 

I still had some of my Zoya minis that I hadn't worn, and thought that these bright, warm colors would look just lovely together. Starting from the left I have Zoya Audrina, Pippa, Arizona, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls {accent nail base}, and Shelby.

Super easy, bright, and fun. I really loved the way that this looked. The polishes that I used did apply a little thick {a problem that I keep having with the Zoya minis} so dry time was longer than one would hope.

What colors should I try next time?

retail therapy | anthro love

For years and I have been in L-O-V-E with Anthropologie, but who hasn't? What I am not always in love with is the price tag on each and every beautiful item that I fall in head-over-heels for. They have something for everyone, and ever time I walk in that store I find something that I can't live without... even though I usually leave the store without buying anything. 

I am one of those people {maybe it is because I eat, sleep and breath retail} who needs retail therapy when they have had a bad day. The other day was one of those days, and after work I found myself wandering down to Anthropologie with a friend after work. She needed to make an exchange, and I needed... well... nothing. 

There is nothing better than perusing the racks and ending up finding something that you really like, and a price that you really love. Here are a few items that I ran into on my journey that aren't going to break the bank. I picked up the beautiful emerald blazer for $39.95, and the lace peplum top for $29.95! I had to resist the other items, for now, but I am really digging the striped knit blazer.

Under $50:

via

via

Under $40:

via

via

Under $30:

 

via

via

If I could live in Anthropologie, I would, plain and simple. Which one could you not live without?

 

polish please | blu & yummy

I am loving the Zoya minis that I got a few weeks ago. The pastel colors are really working for me right now. With the addition of OPI Nail Envy as my base coat, this mani has lasted for pretty much forever. This is what I was rocking right up until the wedding. Zoya Blu {lighter} and Yummy {darker}.

I need to do something more with these colors later. I love both of them so much, and and so happy that I got all of the minis when I had the chance. The only drawback with these polishes is that they go on a little thick. 

Just love these colors together... what else should I do with these babies?

while i was away

The past few weeks have been quite a whirl wind. There is so much that has happened that I need to share with the blogging world.

As everyone knows, Mike and I got married in a lovely ceremony in my parents backyard. I want to have a dedicated post just for all that went I to our special day... but I also want to include photos. So you all have to wait a little bit longer for that post.

A week after we were married, Mike graduated from medical school. I was so excited for him, and so proud that after all of his hard work, time, and energy he can finally be called a doctor. For him, and a lot of his classmates it seemed as though this day wasn't as exciting as when they received their residency match information, but for family... this was awesome. Like most commencement ceremonies there were some speeches that were a little long winded, and there was lots is waiting. The class president had a wonderful speech, and then the hooding began. Before you knew it, all the students were declared doctors, and the celebrating began.

This past Friday was my birthday, so I decided to have a little shindig to celebrate. Nothing major, just some friends, food, drink, and board games {one of my very favorite things}. I hadn't had a birthday party since I was twelve, and it was so nice to be able to have all of our friends over, without having them surrounded be wedding décor.

The one thing that I have not been doing is PAINTING MY NAILS! Well, that is not 100% accurate. I have painted my nails once since removing the polish from my last post. But I haven't done anything special. So hopefully tomorrow I can get back into the swing of things. And back into blogging.

polish please | mimosas for mr. & mrs.

I have be absent from the blogging world for a little while, but for a great reason. On Saturday, Mike and I got hitched! Everything turned out really nice. It kinda all fell into place, with a LOT of help from family. More details later, for now I want to leave you all with what else, the wedding day polish.

I knew that I wanted to do something neutral, and classic. I saw this OPI color when I was out shopping at Ulta with my Mega Best Friend. 

The color, the day, the man... they were all perfect! Stay tuned for a whole dump of wedding photos, and little pearls of wisdom that I learned throughout the process.

pinspiration | arrows

My latest obsession {which seems to change on a weekly basis} are arrows. Here is what has been my latest pinspiration:

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

 

one week...

One week from today, and Mike and I will be married! I have been having a hard time getting excited, not stressed ... I have got that down pat. But right now, I am finally feeling it. I am in fact excited.