My DIY - July Fourth Nail Art

I'm not sure if nail art is still on trend, but I still like it! And, I like to dabble in it. But I'm not very good. They say practice makes perfect, but I don't have a whole of time on my hands....pun intended! So I drew some inspiration from Pinterest and decided to give a couple of cute nail art styles a try. 

Here is what I used:

For the first round, I used OPI Red, Essie Blanc, Essie Butler Please, and Revlon Night and Degas. I painted the majority of my nails red, using my ring and thumb as my accent nails. Those, as you can see, I painted with Blanc. I used the Revlon Night and Degas to create the stripes and totally went free hand. If you want a more professional look, tape off the stripes and paint. Just like you would a wall. I dotted the white accent nails with Butler Please and OPI Red. And that's it. Super simple and kind of cute, no?

For the second round, the only color I didn't use was the Revlon polish. But, I added Nicole by OPI  Rainbow in the S-Kylie. (I think this might have been from the Kardashian Collection.) I randomly polished nails in the red, white and blue polish, and went back over them with the glitter. I love how it gave them a little firecracker look! Or sparklers. I love those things!

 And last year, I did this cute design. A little here and a little there. A fun pattern that was totally whimsical!

With the fourth fastly approaching, would you give these nail art designs a try? If you have already, please share! I love to get inspiration from others!

Here's to the old Red, White, and Blue!

DIY Nail Art - Baseball Inspired Pedi

As most of you know, and for those of you who don't, I am a huge baseball fan and I am serious Kansas City Royals fan! We moved to Kansas in 1982 and started attending games during the summer of 1983. We cheered the Royals to victory during the 1985 World Series, and even after we moved away for numerous years, we remained die hard fans. I've been back in Kansas City for seventeen years and continue to head to The K as often as I can.

So when I was approached by Julep to participate in their "summer DIY pedi competition", I didn't have to hesitate with my answer. I am a fool for contests, I love to paint my nails, I'm totally into nail art, and I'm all about saving some money these days by doing my own. With so many amazing products on the market, you don't need a nail tech. You just need these awesome tips from Julep, a steady hand, and plenty of time to create! Also, check out their newest nail polish color page!!

 This past weekend, we attended a Sunday afternoon game, and since my toes needed a fresh coat of paint, I decided to go for a baseball theme. The Royals logo above was my inspiration, and since the All Star game takes place tonight, it's only appropriate that I post this DIY tutorial today! Below are the colors I used:

Base/Top Coat: Sally Hansen

OPI: OPI Red

Essie: Butler Please

Revlon: Night and Degas

My own paintbrush

You will also need nail polish remover and something to clean your brush with like a cotton ball or piece of tissue. Remember this post?

I painted all of my toes with Butler Please, which is the perfect royal blue. And I love that it's Butler Please. We really need Billy Butler to step up to the plate in the coming weeks....PLEASE! 

Obviously the next step is to let them dry! Once that's done, I needed something to help me outline a circle for the baseball. I originally thought of using a piece of three ring binder paper. That circle would have been perfect. Or the reinforcer we used to use when that piece of paper ripped. Please tell me you remember those? Then I found this awesome stencil.

I made sure the circle was centered on my toe and then....

 

 I used the Degas white and put just enough color on the brush to help make the outline of the circle. And don't worry if your circle isn't perfect. You can go back in and clean up the lines with the Butler Please and your thin paintbrush. Trust me, I did just that with this one!

 While I let the circle dry, I moved over to the other foot and worked out the design for the KC. Let me tell you, creating the letters backward was tough! But, I thought they turned out pretty well. Again, I used the Revlon Degas, the thin brush is perfect for this kind of project, and simply took my time. And, once I had the letter down, I really tried not to go back in and mess with it. That can just make it worse.

 

 

Whenever I think of the letters K and C, I'm always reminded of the line from FRIENDS where Ross is taking a message for Rachel. "Is that like Casey at the bat or and the Sunshine Band?" Again, another baseball reference...

 

 

So while the KC and circle continued to dry, I just started designing each toe with a different pattern. I went with polka dots, chevron stripes, and stripes that were horizontal and vertical. And once the circle was dry, I went in on the stitches of the baseball. Those were a lot harder than I expected! Again, I made a few minor mistakes, but was able to easily clean them up with the tiny brush in the Revlon bottle.  

Instead of using the giant brush that came with the OPI bottle, I went for the very thin paintbrush. And I used tiny amounts of polish as I didn't want it to run or drip all over everything I had done so far. And again, take your time. Be patient and try not to go back over it too many times. 

 

And there you have it! The finished product post game. And my post game relaxation, while my son napped and my husband mowed, was putting my feet up, drinking an iced cafe mocha, and diving into my new Danielle Steel novel! It was a prefect end to a perfect Sunday afternoon.

What do you think of my DIY pedi? I am so happy with how it turned out. I'm having such a great time with this competition, and I'm already scheming on my next nail art creation. Stay tuned! I can't wait to show you what I've done and how you too can create it at home!

And in the words of my son, "Royals, clap clap. Royals, clap clap!" A die hard fan at three. I love it!

Happy Fourth of July

I hope you are having a festive Fourth of July! We don't have much planned, but I know we will enjoy every minute of our family time together! We don't have actual plans. We're just going to go with the flow of the day and do whatever everyone feels like doing! I love the holidays! Any holiday will do. The decorating, the baking, the parties, and the outfit planning! It's all so much fun. And even if it's just the three of us, I have plenty of things up my sleeve. Here are just a few things I'm loving!

Amazing nail art via Pinterest!

Super cute Espadrilles and striped maxi from Old Navy!

Yummy patriotic Popsicles via Pinterest.

My son's Fourth of July tree and pennant that I made for him! 

 

 A darling print that's perfect for a pair of shorts! Let's hope I can get them made in time!

There's nothing like a little red, white, and blue to get this girl jazzed for a holiday weekend! 

Happy Fourth of July!!

DIY - Holiday Nail Art

I wish I had time to do more nail art because I love it! I'm not much of an artist, and freehand isn't my thing, but I've had fun playing around with glitter and other small details. With the holidays around the corner, I really wanted to do something cute. I thought about a Christmas tree with colorful ornaments. That so didn't work! But some other things did. Here is a little photo tutorial for you. I wish I could have taken photos of actually painting the nails, but I didn't have Joel (or a third hand) so you get before and after and a few tips...no pun intended!

Here is what you will need. A ton of nail polishes to play around with, a few paint brushes, polish remover, and a steady hand.

Because I want the art to be the focus, I opted to paint that nail a very neutral color. Essie's Ballet Slippers is the perfect color! Also great for a classic mani. (I only painted the nails I was going to experiment with.)

I started with a Santa hat. I used OPI Red. It's pretty much the perfect Christmas red, don't you think? I used a thin paint brush to make a triangle and then filled it in using the same brush. 

Below is the brush I used. It's pretty thin.

I used Revlon's Night and Degas for the ball and fur on the hat. I used the actual brush that came with the polish. You don't need to load the brush full of polish. Just use a small amount and build up the volume you want.

Next up, I decided a little snowman would be fun for later in the winter. Using the same Revlon white polish, I made three circles one larger than the other. Like an actual snowman! I used Essie's Butler Please for the scarf and I used the same thin brush as before. Just brush on the polish to resemble a scarf. Next time, I won't use the black to make eyes. I don't think they are needed. Now, this where the polish remover comes into play. I poured a small amount into the cap to clean the brush between paintings. 

 Lastly, I made a little holly. I used Essie's Mojito Madness and OPI Red. I thought it turned out pretty well, but I will definitely add a little more red to make it a little darker and a little more defined. I used the thin paint brush for both the leaves and the berries.

After all was said and done, I went with the Santa hat. It looked the most natural and perfect for the season at hand...again no pun intended! I can't wait to experiment more with nail art. I'm not sure I could ever move beyond my left ring finger. I can barely paint my right hand, let alone try to doll it up! Maybe something to try and accomplish in 2014.

 

What do you think? Are you into the nail art trend? If so, would you attempt this at home or pay the pros? To be honest, I don't know a salon in town that does this so if you do, pass it along! I would love to know who you trust.

Happy Holidays!

Late Summer Suiting

Suit: Ann Taylor; Tank: Target; Wedges: Sole Society; Belt: J.Crew Factory;

Bracelets: Ralph Lauren/J.Crew; Necklaces: Baublebar/Gift; Sunnies: Prada;

Nail Colors: Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic/Essie Ballet Slippers

 

I blogged earlier this week about mixing up the summer wardrobe as I'm in a mid summer slump! This is one look I was hoping to style differently, but it just didn't work out. I literally tried on six different tops, but as it turns out, this suit simply looks better when styled simply.

 

This time I switched out neon yellow for raspberry, added gold jewels and finally wore my Sole Society nude wedges! Honestly, I'm not sure why I've waited so long to wear them. They are the perfect neutral, a great height and will transition easily to fall. Remember, nude shoes keep the leg looking long!

 

 

The Suit: Before and After

 

 

 

 

I am so into fun nails this summer! I may not be great with the actual nail art, but I've loved playful details! A great trend that doesn't cost you a lot of money.

 



Center Court

Sweater: Ann Taylor; Tank: Target; Skirt: Ann Taylor; Shoes: Banana Republic;

Sunnies: Ann Taylor; Necklace: Banana Republic; Lip Color: Clinique Drama Red

 

Not only is this week July 4th, it's also Wimbledon! I'm not a huge tennis fan, but I do love watching this particular tournament. The history, the all white tennis outfits and the royality watching! Wimbledon rocks!

 

With this look I decided I should be on the center court! A white skirt, white tank and a little bit of navy blue makes this look game, set, match!

 

 

 

I love my nails! So much fun for the holiday weekend! OPI Red, OPI Blue My Mind and Revlon Night & Degas.

 

 

I knew it would be a good day and I was right! I was complimented twice on my shoes! Once in Starbucks and again in Hy-Vee! Gotta love that!



Nail Art Trend

The big trend in manicures these days is nail art and there are some amazing ways to "do your nails". Remember when you just got a manicure? Then there was the best invention ever, shellac. A manicure that instantly dries, with the help of UV light, and you walk out of the salon with the ability to dig in your purse and not mess up the nails! And then there is nail art. A whole new level to just simply painting your nails.

Two years ago I purchased my first nail strips from Sally Hanson and was hesitant to try them. Candy cane stripes for the holidays were a little out there and I thought people would think I had lost it. I tried it anyway and from there I was hooked! It is the best way to try the trend and you don't have to spend time painting, detailing and waiting for your nails to dry. And the line was grown from there. Now, other nail companies are following suit. Essie has the Sleek Collection and they are so cool! I personally love "Sticker and Stones", "Over the Moon" and "Steel the Show". Check them out here. See my favs from Essie and how I've worn nail strips recently!

 

 

Essie's Sleek Collection

 

Super simple, right? Peel off, apply and go! Sure, there is a little more work than that, but not much. Now, for the physical manicure. If you want to see some truly remarkable works of art, check out Sarah at Chalkboard Nails. Her work is incredible and something I could NEVER achieve! Another blogger that I love to follow is Jessica at What I Wore. She has embraced the nail art trend with her Saturday Morning Manicure posts. Some really great ideas! 

I've attempted some really simple manicures because I don't have tons of time to play. I love doing my nails. I feel like my whole appearance is complete when I my nails are polished. I know that sounds completely superficial, but it's true. I remember as a young teen how I constantly painted my nails. Now, it's on a whole different level. Below are some of my latest at home manis!

A new take on French manicures is to add different colors. I went with blood red and black tips for our Breaking Dawn date and a silver glitter French with jet black background.

I am loving the glitter over solid backgrounds!!! A added glitter to the ring finger for our anniversary weekend and all over glitz to a blue nail. So much fun to play around with and a little sassy!

 

 The next thing I want to try is the nail pen. In my opinion, it's the beginners tool for doodling and working on the nail before advancing to house hold tools that Sarah from Chalkboard Nails suggests. 

What do you think of the new trend in nails? Is this something you would attempt on your own or spend money to have a nail tech apply? Do you even polish your nails when given the time? I hope to grow with the trend and continue trying new techniques.