Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips
Happy Memorial Day! Hope you’re out grilling and drinking good beer and playing yard games.
The other day I couldn’t resist picking up a pack of Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Spring Fever. They look so cute I had to try them out.
The verdict: they are very cute and I loved that there was no dry time. But. What a pain to get on! It took triple the amount of time it takes to actually paint my nails. And they stick on only moderately well. I’ve only been wearing them two days and already have some flaked off. They also are a bit difficult to get on without wrinkling the strip. If you look closely you can see in the photo that there are some ridges in the “polish”.
Sigh… cute, but I won’t be buying them again. Resist the gimmicks, gals.
Handmade Toddler Outfit
My mom recently sewed this little number up for Little B. I picked out the fabrics, she picked out the pattern. B was in the mood for sticking out her tongue that day.
It’s very difficult to get good photos of a busy 18-month-old. At least for a novice photographer like me. I literally had to take 50 shots to get these six. You never know what facial expression you’re gonna get.
(Nobody mess with my crayons…)
(outfit: Handmade by Melinda / shoes: Livie and Luca, also seen here)
Hope your weekend is FRILLING!
SWATH premiere looks: Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron
Y’all. I have said it before, but I am REALLY looking forward to the premiere of Snow White and The Huntsman next week. 2012 has been a pretty disappointing year for Hollywood so far (besides The Hunger Games and Avengers, there hasn’t been much to look forward to). But I think the SWATH trailer looks pretty amazing, not to mention it boasts a pretty solid cast (Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth).
The premieres have begun outside of the U.S. – Check out the fun looks of Kristen and Charlize. Aren’t they both pretty gorgeous? Which looks are your favorite?
London Premiere:
in Christian Dior Couture
in Marchesa
Berlin Premiere:
in Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang
in Crosby
Madrid Premiere:
in Giambattista Valli
in BCBG Max Azria
In Mexico:
in Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, Marios Schwab, and Christian Louboutin
Frilling Remix: One Skirt, 3 Looks
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Ever since Fran started the “Frilling Remix” series a few months ago, I have known what skirt I wanted to remix for y’all once I had some extra time. This skirt, like Fran’s dress, came from Anthropologie around the same time last year. It was a graduation gift from my mom-in-law, and it quickly became one of the most treasured pieces in my wardrobe. Why you ask?
- It’s versatile. There is so much color involved in this skirt that I’m almost always able to incorporate my first fashion rule: any solid can act as a neutral.
- It’s FUN and FRILLING! A lot of people go to neutrals or neutral solids for their staple items. This skirt is anything but dull. It’s bright and colorful and it really catches the eye.
- It’s timeless. The cut and the length are simply classic. I expect this skirt to be in my closet for many years to come.
- It’s comfortable! It’s just the right material and length for me to wear this dress no matter what I’m doing or how I’m feeling. And while it’s really comfortable and casual, it can also be dressed up. I just LOVE it.
Skirt: Anthropologie / Top: Urban Outfitters / Cardigan: J Crew / Flats: Blowfish
Colorfully accessorizing:
Skirt, Top, and Belt: Anthropologie / Cardigan: J Crew Outlet / Shoes: Dillards
Summer Chic:
Skirt: Anthropologie / Top: H&M / Wedges: Steve Madden
Did y’all notice how I swapped out a different colored bangle in each look, but kept all of the other gold bracelets on? What’s your favorite look? Do you have a basic spring skirt that’s your best friend during the warm weather months?
Renegade Austin 2012
The Renegade Craft Fair was this weekend here in Austin! Here’s a peak:
The booth of Sew La La Austin:
I came home with two items:
1) A custom hand silk-screened spiral bound notebook from Make My Notebook (This is her booth. Super nice gal.)
2) A hand-built bowl made by Susan Rodriguez of Ceramica Botanica.
The story of the bowl is this: Once upon a time I had a beautiful handmade ceramic bowl given to Jordan and I as a wedding gift. It lived happily on our kitchen counter for many years, graciously holding our fruit supply. Until one day when I got a new house and a friend gave me a gift that was a well-loved object from her home that I had encountered and admired there dozens of times, along with a letter explaining that in her family, there was a tradition of passing on a beloved household item to family/friends who have a new home, as a housewarming gift. This special tradition of hers stuck with me. So when a dear friend of mine got married and moved into a new home, I gave him and his new wife the beautiful beloved fruit bowl. That was over two years ago, and I have been searching for a beautiful replacement ever since. And I finally found it.
Instagram beach pics
Happy Sunday from West Palm Beach! Lyle and his colleague have a conference here tomorrow so Beth and I decided to accompany our men for some fun in the sun! I’m also having fun with my new Instagram account. Hope y’all are enjoying your weekend!
Frilling Maternity: A Flowy Dress
So, yeah, I’m working on a lil bit of a belly, even as early as 16 weeks. It’s amazing how much faster the belly appears the second time around. I snagged this (non-maternity) drapey dress at Zara a few weeks back, thinking it would accommodate all the changes that will be happening through the summer, and be cool and stylish as well. It’s soft and comfortable, and I’m looking forward to wearing it all sorts of ways this summer, dressed up and down. Today I paired it with bright accessories, but I’m thinking some neutrals would be nice too.
If I could just say a word about these Dansko’s: the gals over at ANMJ convinced me to give them a try, so my mom gave me a pair for my birthday. I couldn’t be happier with them. The color goes with practically everything, they are amazingly comfortable, and I adore the vintage vibe of the styling. I used to be a Dansko hater, but I’m sold now.
Add a bright cardi for chilly air-conditioned spaces, and you’re done.
(Dress: Zara / Shoes: Dansko / Cardigan: JCrew Outlet / turquoise bracelets: vintage / red striped beads: vintage / Sunnies: Ray Ban / Earrings: gifted / Lipstick: BareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Ambition (my fave hot pink))
Cajun Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Today I thought I’d share a recipe with y’all because the rainy, cooler weather inspired me to make soup this week. I love this recipe because it is ridiculously EASY. I also have an unnatural love for black-eyed peas. In fact, this recipe might not excite others, but I personally, LOVE IT. It’s adapted from a recipe found in “Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking“.
You’ll need:
- About 2 1/2 cups dried black eyed peas, rinsed, sorted, and soaked
- 3 medium stalks of celery, diced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10 cups cold water
- 2 tbls Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbls louisiana hot sauce
- 1 tbls salt
- In a soup pot, gently cook, covered, but stirring occasionally until tender all of the vegetables.
- Add the black eyed peas and the water.
- Simmer, partially covered for an hour or until soft.
- Slightly mash the peas to thicken the soup.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and enjoy! (I served mine with gluten free cornbread)
Meet The Peeps
Left to right: Happy feet (who has fluffy foot feathers), Gerbil (front), Esmerelda, Peep (who peeps especially loudly), and Big’Un. Our friendly laying hens, some of whom will eventually lay lovely green and blue eggs.
Peep is a Jersey Giant, and will eventually be the biggest gal in our flock. She is getting pretty black and white feathers.
We gave Esmerelda (left) a fancy name because she has (so far) the least fancy plumage.
Here is their coop. They will mostly range free during the day. Although they still live in a box in the laundry room with a heat lamp until they’re bigger.
They should start laying eggs in the fall, once they’re more mature.
Summer Showers
Happy Tuesday and Happy Summer, everyone! I’ve always defined summer as the period of time following a completed school year. Does this mean the rest of my life can be considered summer? If so, I have a lot to look forward to!
We’ve been getting a lot of rain here in Texas and after a record-breaking drought last summer, I am NOT complaining. Instead, I’m having fun getting some use out of my 7-year old rain boots and my classic bubble umbrella. I also made sure to incorporate lots of pink in my accessorizing and make-up to help brighten my look and mood. This southern girl is used to sunshine!
I bought these rain boots when I was a sophomore in college at a local shop. At the time, rain boots were getting extremely popular, and I was determined to NOT jump on the bandwagon. One weekday after class, I got into my car cold and miserable. I always had a pretty long walk from class to my car, and my feet were soaked from the rain! I had enough. I drove straight to the store, found these rain boots, and had a lovely college experience involving no more wet, cold feet.
Lip gloss: MAC / Scarf: Goodie Two Shoes, also worn here and here / Top: F21, also worn here and here / Skirt and Umbrella: Urban Outfitters / Clutch: Macy’s / Bracelets: Madewell, J Crew, Express / Rain boots: Beehive
