Weekly Wrap-Up 7/31/2013

Hey friends and family.  I have a much shorter post today than my usual barrage of a million photos.  Just a few from our week- mainly focused on our family's new addition- Miss Midnight:

 We adopted her from a local shelter and she is 15 weeks old.  She is Bear's birthday present and he named her Midnight.

 Missy Bee has been breaking Midnight in... hopefully breaking not being the operative word here.  She just can't stay away from her- she loves to pick her up, cuddle her...lay on her, pet her, tease her with toys, and kiss her.  She is definitely a well-loved kitty!

 Most of these are smart phone pics, sorry for the blurred, hurried pics.

 Spoiled kitten already loves to lounge/sleep on mommy.


Here are some other pics of what our little cuties have been up to:

 Fashion Design

 Chair-Yoga

 Sucker-taste-tester

 Sitting in the car for recreation

Gaining a green thumb!

Thanks again for the pics of the boys Granny Pam!  The boys have two more weeks in Utah and then they'll come home just in time for school.  We've been having a great week- and I hope you have too with your loved ones.  Hugs and Kisses from us to you!

Song of the Day: Panthers- Goblin City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIvhFre8_sE

*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and Out

Tuesday Tutorial: Don't Get it Twisted

Hello lovelies!  I have a requested tutorial today that shows you how to achieve the nail art I featured last Friday.  Here's the look with a different color scheme:

So let's get started.

1)Start out with clean nails and give yourself a strengthening base coat and two coats of your chose base color.

2)Using your second/contrasting color, make 6 dots on your nail in this pattern.  When you're going to be doing delicate work with your brush I find acrylic paint to work better than nail polish for work-ability.

3)Using your detail brush paint a curved line from the middle dot to the dot diagonally to the right, and then another curved line from the same dot-to-dot(creating an oval).

4)Continue painting these two-step ovals diagonally always in the same direction till each dot has two ovals coming and going from  it.

5)Using the same color you're going to paint a "u" shape from each dot down diagonally to the right into the oval already existing in that space.  Then paint another "u" shape from the next dot diagonally down the the right up into the oval you just connected the last "u" to.  This gives the appearance that you painted an oval underneath, but of course you really didn't ;)

6)Continue painting these "u" shapes from each dot in this manner.

7)When the above step is complete from every dot- your nail will look like this:

Finished off with a top coat once you've given the paint a little while to set, and there you have it!

If you wanna add a little variation to one accent nail, or you could continue it all the way across your nails if you have more time on your hands, take a look at this image and I'll explain below what I did to the design.

Using the blue paint I filled-in all the ovals and then to re-accentuate the original shapes and make the levels become more clear again, I took a third color and outlined all the ovals again, drawing them in the order that I did originally- first the ovals, and then the "u" shapes.  Et voila!  What do you think?  I really enjoy the accent nail.  I think it takes the design to another level :)  I hope this was clear enough for you and if you try this for yourself let me know how it went!!

Song of the Day: Daft Punk-Doin' It Right
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W4ooVNr82U

*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and out.

Fab Feature: Orly Oh Cabana Boy

Hey ya'll quicky post today featuring an Orly polish called Oh Cabana Boy.  Here's the gorgeous little lady on her own:

 She is an ultra hot pink with some violet iridescence mixed in.  Super fun!  She applied easily and this is two coats.

Now for some easy extra oomph

 I added Color Club Diamond Drops at the cuticle and slowly pulled the brush toward the tips of the nails as the polish on the brush dried a bit.  Making the concentration of flakies at the cuticle.

This is always a great way to wear glitter if you just want to accent or compliment your base polish, and not overpower it.

See you tomorrow for some tutorial-ness :)

Song of the Day: Foals- My Number
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAsGFnLl2u0

*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and out.

Misty Meadow

Here's another fun design today.  There are two variations here, the misty swirls and then the embellished accent nail with little meadow flowers within the swirls.  The pattern looked so nice on the nail that I almost didn't add the little peek-a-boo flowers, but you know me...I love an accent nail :)

This really isn't as tricky as it seems- if you want a tutorial for this look, let me know in the comments :)

The base color I used is Sinful Colors Ciao Bella which is soooo delicious on the nail!! Here it is on it's own:

Song of the Day: Cashmere Cat- Mirror Maru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3QNCoVa-lc

*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and out.

Saturday Random Swatching: 7/27/2013

Welcome back, it's time to review 10 more lovely polishes at random(except for the last which will be my featured polish of the week).

Red: Sally Hansen Insta Dri Speedy Sunburst is really more watermelon than red in this picture, but she's repping today, so that's that.  Insta Dri polishes are really top notch for giving you lots of color payoff in practically one coat every time.  This one's no exception.  She is lovely and a little tangy don't you think? Perfect for Summer or any time of year if you like to keep it poppin' like me!  This is two coats and smooth as butter.  A

Pink: CoverGirl Boundless Color Fuchsia Girl is a practically vintage bottle of polish now, she's been with me since the days when peeps only wore reds, roses, and pale pinks on their nails.  She is still goin' strong! Granted, I don't pull her out that often, but talk about long-lasting polish.  The color isn't really my cup of tea these days with so much else to choose from, but it has a great formula and I'll give it a B+

Orange: Sinful Colors Clementine is another perfect-for-Summer shade and holds up to the Sinful Colors reliability of their creams-easy to work with, and smooth in two coats.  Definitely a great shade- not too Halloween-friendly so it's good to go for your tips or your toes in these hot months we're having.  Love it!  A

Yellow: Cosmetic Arts Sunflower(the name I gave it when it didn't come with one) is what you want in a yellow cream!  Not picky or finicky, easy to maneuver and not streaky!  Yay :)  This is two coats and I find the shade bright yet soothing at the same time.  Solid A.  I was glad to stumble across this brand.

Green: Avon Garden Green is another in their glass shimmer collection.  The bottle shot and a few of the nails show the subtle blue shimmer that runs throughout this polish.  It's a very serious green in my opinion, but once you add the blue shimmer, it's a whole other story :) Which I love!  A.

Blue: Amour Big Dipper Blues is kind of a funky blue for me.  It lies very flat for sure, not matte, but just not overly creamy in my opinion.  It's a dusty blue and it's almost like the dustiness is trying to swim out at me. Ok, I'm trippin' now, but ya this shade is kinda kookie.  This is two coats and I'm going to give it a B- when there are so many spot on blues out there right now.

Purple: OPI Planks a Lot...talk about spot on!  Sigh, this color is divine.  As with every cream from OPI that I have the pleasure to call my own ;)  Dusty lilac mmmm.  You're looking at two coats, and easy to apply.  So lovely.  A.

Neutral: Julep Alaina is another super smooth lady.  I have a number of these taupe/gray creams now, and while she's not my favorite formula and application, she's nearly there.  The nice thing about Julep polishes- if they aren't perfect on the first coat, they're easy to even out on the second.  A

Glitter/Texture: Orly Right Amount of Evil over I'm not sure what...sorry.  But just to be clear, the polish is a topper.  This one was just ok for me.  It's sheer jelly base it's kind of a nutter shade.  I had to fish for these glitters, but I do like that it has hexes, bars, and tiny shimmers :) I guess the name implies it's a Halloween color, but still- I think I need to play with it a bit more to find just the right polish to layer it over.  B-

Featured Polish: Pure Ice Starry Night is such a strange name for this goddess of a polish cuz that's the last color I think of when I see the word night, but oh well- it has too many good qualities to fret about the name.  First of all the green cream is perfection in a shade.  I love love it- especially for Summer!  But it also has subtle shimmer.  I mean come on!  This looks very smooth on, but I had to play with it a little bit to get it even.  However, I am too in love with the shade to falter it's score.  It's an A+ baby!

Well that's it.  Any of these get an A from you?  Let me know in the comments below which was your favorite!

Song of the Day: CocoRosie- We Are On Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JOTPeT95Us

*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and out.

Don't Get It Twisted

Lately, as you can tell, I've been into free-handing nail art.  I think it's due to two things: first- it means I don't have to wait as long for my base polish to dry because I'm not putting anything like tape or stamping on top of it, so if I use a delicate hand my design won't disturb the bottom layer :)  Secondly, it's fun to see where free-handing takes me with one little tool like a fine-tipped detail brush.  This design looks convoluted and tricky, but it's really not.  Take a peek:

The thing about free-handing nail art is you can't get better without practice, and if you don't get it twisted, you can let yourself practice and enjoy it at the same time.  If you're not enjoying it, well then what's the point? :)  It's easy to get frustrated with yourself and your tiny little brush, but just enjoy the experience for what it is- letting your inner artist out.

The base color I used is Ulta Smoke Screen and here it is on it's own:

If you'd like a tutorial on this design, let me know in the comments below :)

Song of the Day: C2C- Down the Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpc3cCxWNkU
*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and Out

Movie and a Mani: The Host

Watch out it's time to review another film. :)  How are ya'll doing today btw?  The film for this week is The Host, based off a book by Stephenie Meyer, the author who also wrote the Twilight Saga.  I almost got through all of those books but couldn't quite finish the fourth...that should tell you whether or not I read the book this film was based off of.  I heard some things about how it was hard to get into, and since I was almost forcing myself to read the Twilight Saga, I didn't read The Host before the film came out.  However, after viewing the film, I might just borrow it from a friend and give it a chance.  I really like this image from the film because it fairly sums up for me the role of Wanderer/Melanie.

Let's get into it:

Cast:
The lead in this film is played by Saoirse Ronan(Hanna, The Lovely Bones, and City of Ember).  She has the responsibility of playing two roles- that of Melanie Stryder and Wanderer.  Within the first few minutes of the film you learn what the meaning of the title of the film is- aliens are using human bodies as hosts in order to conquer Earth and other planets.  Both characters end up having some control of the host body as the film progresses and you get to know both Melanie and Wanderer.  Other actors holding important roles in the film are Diane Kruger(National Treasure films), Max Irons(Red Riding Hood), Jake Abel(Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, The Lovely Bones, and I Am Number Four), and William Hurt(Mr. Brooks, Vantage Point, and The Village).  All in all, they each did a fine job in this film, especially Saoirse.  She is a favorite of mine :)

Overview:
So let's pick up where I left off above.  Melanie has been captured and the being self-named Wanderer receives her body as a host and begins to access Melanie's memories in order to help the Seekers- led by Diane Kruger's character- to find the remaining humans resisting Earth's complete occupation by the alien species.  However, when Wanderer takes over Melanie's body, Melanie is still there sharing the space.  Melanie can't control Wanderer, but she can speak directly to Wanderer through thoughts and memories and can occasionally force Wanderer's hand.  What follows is a path to see how these two will co-inhabit this body, who will win out, if Wanderer will work to enforce the aliens' plans, or if getting to see Melanie's world and the other humans still resisting will affect Wanderer's constitution and decisions.  I'm not one to drop spoilers, so never expect me to tell you how things end up.  If you want to know that- you'll have to watch it yourself ;)  I will say that I did enjoy this film.  It was an unexpectedly sweet love story-and not just in the typical boy meets girl kind of way.  The sisterly love was my favorite part.

Manicure:
The inspiration for this manicure came from the shockingly bright eyes of the aliens.  Here's what resulted

It's meant to look like the layering of colors in the eyes of the beings who take over the host bodies.  Did I get close?

Conclusion:
I have only my opinion for you today because I didn't have a partner watching with me again on this one.  However, if you've found your tastes in film align with mine from the films in the past, you'll probably like The Host, as I did.  Like I said, it's a very sweet love story and it was a refreshing change from the sorts of drama you find in the Twilight books/films.  Even though The Host also concerns the supernatural, and has a love triangle...or rectangle...but the characters feel sincere in their emotions.  You know what it is...it's probably because the leading lady knows how to act- that's probably the difference :)  Playing two completely different people interacting with each other- and pulling it off so well? If they hadn't picked an actress worth her salt this wouldn't have worked I think.  But it did, and it even made me tear up.  I hope you watch this film and enjoy it the way I did.  It has a little something for everyone- sci fi, intrigue, action, adventure, drama, and romance.  I recommend it to you :)

Well that's it for Movie and a Mani, on to Song of the Day: Magichour- Mister Lies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7szC17Be3o0&list=UUXIyz409s7bNWVcM-vjfdVA
*disclaimer- these songs are suggested for their audio, and not video content*

Over and out.

Wednesday Wrap-up 7/24/2013

Hey it's Wednesday which means lots of photos recapping what we have been up to for the past week or so.  This post is split into two main section- first is what the kiddos have been up to for the past couple of weeks.  Miss Bee here with us, and the boys with their dad and grandma and grandpa in Utah.  Let's see what went on:

Trying her hand at  new foods

And oh so cool at the same time

As you can see- being cool takes a lot of energy- so we have to replenish her tank

Now for the boys, pictures provided by Granny Pam:

Typical Bear:)

My little man

Yay big smiles, even while sorting major piles of legos

One of Bug's favorite past-times, as ever

Ahh, relaxation from my heavy work load of playing all day!

Grandma always has fun art projects for us!

Two cutiest buddies ever

Hikes and vistas!

Part II: Reunion

Of course there were games!

Grandma had a giant Bingo game with prizes for all the kids

Little chica got dirtier on this vacation than any other time in her life- what with unlimited access to

 all the art supplies(pen on face) and being surrounded by 

dirt(mommy forgot her shoes at the hotel)- she was quite a sight to see!

Then I found this stud out in the wilderness of the Twin Peaks

Yay Grandpa!

The whole gang!  Each family has it's own color t-shirt so you can see who goes with whom ;)

A completely spontaneous moment of goofiness...

Yep, we have some mission, but this Summer has been a wonderful opportunity to have lots and lots of quality time with Miss Bee.

Oh the humanity!

And the two who started it all!

What a great couple of weeks we've had!  So lucky that everyone made the effort to come together for a few days and so happy that our boys are having such a wonderful Summer!

Song of the Day: Actors- Still Parade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT3vjLCWzo0&list=UUXIyz409s7bNWVcM-vjfdVA

Over and out.