Sunday, September 30, 2012

Final Challenge Day!

Boy what a fun experiment to challenge myself to do 30 days of nail art and learn new techniques while I was at it.  Here we are at the final day of the challenge.  This day was to be inspired by a tutorial.  There are so many wonderful tutorials out there and a few websites dedicated just to that such as http://www.nail-art-101.com/nail_art_tutorials.html.  At this site I found a tutorial for newspaper nails and here's what I came up with:


This was fun and I'm glad I tried it.  I threw in a bar code and some larger letters for variety.  I definitely could use some practice it looks like :) but acceptable first attempt.  The base color here was Revlon Cloud which is a very very light purple.  Which of course is LOVE and worked pretty well for newsprint.  Hope you had fun following the 30 day challenge with me!
Phew it's over and out! ;)

Saturday, September 29, 2012

October Incoming

Hey everyone- these nails for the 31 day challenge are supernatural inspired nails, but also are here to hail in October.  Can't believe how fast this year is flying by.  My poor missy had another round of vaccinations yesterday and so has been feeling pretty crummy the last 24 hours.  She started feeling a little better around dinner- enough to become fascinated with clapping her own hands and it was such fun to watch!  Don't you hate it when your babies are not feeling well and as much as you want to you can't make the world right for them?
Well here are the supernatural nails- Jack'o lanterns.  Does anyone remember the movie Return to Oz? Boy there's a creepy movie for you!  It was on the tv the other day and what a blast from the past.  Well I hope this puts you in the mood for this month.  Honestly Halloween has never been my thing but for some it's their favorite time of the year.  Whichever way you lean I hope you have a great time with family.

These colors are Sinful Colors Big Daddy for the base, and Pull Over, Nirvana and Black on Black for the details.  Also I'm trying out a new topcoat by Revlon and hopefully it yields more trusty results.

Over and Out

Friday, September 28, 2012

Mama Mia!

Just a quick post tonight for Challenge Day: Inspiration from a Flag
Of course I had to honor my Italian heritage and feature the flag from Italy.  This was a fun, simple striping mani and I chose three pearlescent colors instead of creams to add some flava.  These colors are Sinful Colors San Francisco for the green, Tokyo Pearl for the White, and Sugar Sugar for red.  It even ended up looking a little like a toothpaste once it was on my nails lol.  


By coincidence we went to Buca tonight and had some amazing baked ziti!! It was so yum- if you've never been to Buca you should go! They had a deal going that was feed four people for 40 bucks and it was more like feed 6.  We brought home tons.

Over and Out

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Friendly Reminders for the Bathroom

With the recent potty-training (finally!!) of my little Bug I now have three gentlemen using the toilet as their urinal and only one lady cleaning up after them.  I decided we needed a little reminder in the bathroom to help poor mommy with all the clean-up :)  Here's what I came up with:

Using my Cricut I cut out this little phrase and got a couple of canvases at Walmart.


Then I tore up some paper for the background and modge-podged it and then the words onto the canvas.


Here's where it goes and hopefully we get good results ;)



Have to show you what a good brother Bear is.  Bug has been having such a hard time at night these days and really needed to snuggle with somebody.  He's so lucky to have such a great big brother!


Little miss so happy watchin us clean up the yard.


Ahem...taking a break from cleaning.




Hiya!!  You found me mom!


NOTD- Challenge Day- Inspired by Artwork

This nail art was inspired by a famous geometric painting by Piet Mondrian.  The thumb features the original colors in the painting, and the second is the contrasting colors, the middle has metallics, fourth is pastels and then neons.  This was fun but ended up being the most time-consuming of the challenges I've done in a while.

Have a great day!

Over and Out

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Another Monday Funday

I do realize it isn't in fact Monday, but here are pics from the other night's fun.  Monday nights are one of the only two nights that Tim is home with us so we usually do something out and about while there are two adults to manage kiddo safety.  Two adults= four arms= success.






This guy is getting so anti-camera...


Even mime-punching the camera


Thinking thinking


One of his very favorites- takes after his mommy- we Italians =D

Spaghetti=full belly=happy bug.



"Cheese"


On to the nails.
Yesterday's nail challenge was inspired by fashion.  In both the spring and fall New York fashion weeks, there were lots of black leather, with just a pop of color- thus, the following look.



As for today- this look is inspired by a pattern.  I wanted to feature the base color of polish first for this mani.  It is NYC Expert Last in Midnight Lilac and it was a one-coater, fast drying and beautiful.


Then I did a gradient with Sally Hansen X-Treme Wear Pacific Blue and Milani Chocolate Sprinkles.

Finally I stamped this pattern on, using Sinful Colors Easy Going.  All three of these colors are on my favorite list.  The Pacific Blue is such a gorgeous shade and Chocolate Sprinkles is filled with such delicious sparkle.


Over and Out

Monday, September 24, 2012

31 Day Nail Challenge- Day 24 Inspired by a Book

Real quick- here are nails inspired by a book- The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.  Not really a gradient here- what I did was painted uneven stripes up from the bed of the nail in Maybelline Color Show Denim Dash which is a great matte blue with silver shimmers, then Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Lightening, Sinful Colors Courtney Orange and Big Daddy, then Kleancolor Blood.  Then I took a paintbrush and before the colors were dry I pulled the colors down to the base to achieve the flame look.  




Underneath all the paint is a duo brown from Maybelline Color Show that they put together to go along with all the luster chrome collections such as China Glaze Bohemian Collection. Here's a look at it on it's own.  Here it is in outdoor lighting,

 where you can just barely seen the green shimmer,

and with the flash where the colors really come together. Love it.

Over and Out

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Another Fab-y Weekend! Get It?

Here we are at Faby's reception Gramma.  I'm so chill in my stroller with pretty Faby.  

Here's me and Daddy and I have my party dress on.

Here I am with brother and daddy while big brother was off ice skating with friends- to which he thinks he broke another arm- not the same one as last time... we'll see about that.


Congrats to Faby and Roberto!! So many friends came to support them and we weren't able to stay long since Bug wasn't havin it, but it seemed like a great party :)

Grandma! I miss you!

Never before was there such a happy agreeable baby :)



NOTD quickly- is Challenge Day inspired by a Movie.  Any guesses?

You've Got Mail!  Not super current, but never goes out of style.  Love love Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan together and yes that's supposed to be a kiss on the accent finger for a SWAK.  This movie is especially close to my heart since Tim and I "got mail" once upon a time ago. :)  I think we'll have to pull this film out and get all sentimental.

Over and Out

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Inspired by a Color and a Song

Two days-worth of nail art again today.  I have them done, and then I just don't get them posted...oh well.
This first is pretty self-explanatory. If you don't know what this is let me know =p  Back on yellow day I had two requests, steelers and this guy, so today mr. bear finally gets his wish.  The color is NYC Lexington Yellow with China Glaze Mahogany Magic, Wet n' Wild Megalast Heatwave, Sally Hansen Wet Cement, black and white acrylic paints and Color Club Chelsea Girl.



This next one inspired by a song I will be surprised if you know what it is right away.  It is inspired by the song bug watches over and over and now is forever ingrained in my brain- not by choice.  You can find that song here. (sorry) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfvNdrTO1Ds  So these are my creeper-inspired nails.
 These are just various greens and black acrylic with Loreal Safari Chic as the base and Sinful Colors Last Chance.
Run Away!! :) Enjoy your Saturday.

Over and Out