Beauty DIY: Create a Salon perfect Manicure at home (shown here with Zoya Sooki)

I didn't get my first manicure until I was about 26.

Crazy right?  I grew up playing piano so I always had short nails.  I never thought to shape them and paint them because any time they got a little long, I just had to trim them!

Flash forward a few years and I got my first manicure to celebrate a friend's wedding (those fingers better look good while carrying the bouquets!)  I really started loving the possibilites of different shades (now patterns as well).  Of course it helps that I can now grow my nails out and really get to shape them.  It is a great indulgence to get a manicure - just sit back, relax, and come out with beautiful nails that will last (hopefully) for a week.  

But I'm not necessarily patient about sitting in a beauty salon every week.  That and it can get a little costly.

I've discovered that it can be easy to create a great manicure at home (and I've started reviewing colors like Zoya Trixie and creating patterns too like my chevron reverse manicure).  You just need patience, some good TV shows (waiting for nail polish to dry is pretty boring), and a few tools.  I used Zoya Sooki for this manicure and love the bright red shade!

Here is how I create a salon style manicure (or pedicure) at home

1. Gather all my tools and colors.  I also keep a pointed stick handy - this is both for pushing back cuticles and cleaning.  If I need to clean up nail polish around the edges of my nails, I simply dip the stick into a little bit of nail polish remover and do some quick cleanup!

2. I push back my cuticles (for even shaping), buff, and apply lip balm to my cuticles so it is easier to remove color from the sides of my fingers (yes I do this with all my manicures now!)

3. I apply one coat of base coat - protect your nails from staining or absorbing the nail polish!

4. Then I apply one coat of color.  When you take your nail polish out of the bottle, get rid of excess polish by brushing it against the inside, upper rim of the bottle.  You don't want too much polish on the first coat!  Wait a few minutes and then repeat for extra color coverage.  Now it is time to pop on a TV show because the drying may take a while!

5.  Apply a top coat of your choice.  This ensures that your nail color won't easily chip.

6. Wait two minutes and as an optional step, apply a few drops of quick dry.  This cuts your drying by a few minutes, but more importantly may even out uneven nail polish and minimize bubbles.

That's it!  This is a nice Saturday ritual for me now and is a great way for me to play with more colors.   Try it and enjoy your new manicure!

Beauty DIY: Chevron Reverse French Manicure

Confession: I never really loved French manicures.  They are certainly delicate and lovely, but sometimes, the opaque edges just looked like long nails to me.  But I am obsessed with the edgier manicures today that play off the contrast between two colors on one's nail.  I saw a chevron manicure in a magazine and knew I had to try it for myself.  This look can be easily created with materials you have at home, including an unexpected one (I'll share below) to prevent the nail color from ruining your cuticles.  I also love the endless possibilities of colors and shines; while I paired matte and glossy gray nail polishes this time, there is so much that you can do with different colors as well.

Here are my steps for creating a chevron reverse french manicure:

1. Gather all of your materials and colors.

2. Push back your cuticles, buff, and apply a lip balm or vaseline to your cuticles and around the edges of your nails where nail polish may spill.  This will make cleanup much easier!

4. Apply the base coat and then your base color all over the nail.  Let dry.

5. Design the chevron top coat but starting about 1/3 to 1/2 from the bottom of your nail.  Apply broad quick strokes from the center of your nail going down to each bottom corner in a "V" shape.  Fill in this shape even if some nail polish gets onto your cuticle.

6. Apply a top coat and quick dry drops as appropriate.  Peel off any excess polish.

FFF - DIY Photo card ornaments and weekend exploring

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

DIY
I love gifts that can serve multiple purposes.  I found this DIY photo card that could also serve as an easy ornament.  How lovely that someone can receive your card and put it on their Christmas tree to admire all holiday season!  I need to get my act together to do this on time next year!

Otherwise, this weekend I am...
...going to explore either the park or botanical gardens with Mr. Spend 'n Chomp.  We feel like we haven't really gone to some of the sites in our own city so we decided to have our own weekend adventure and do something out of the ordinary.  I'm looking forward to doing something new and it will great research for when my family comes visit and we really have to play tourists!

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

DIY/Savvy Tips: Save your clothing! How to refresh pilly, cotton clothing

I was in grad school when I first started obsessing over this Hayden Harnett dress.  I loved the color and the slightly 80s vibe of this dress.  I of course snatched it up when it went on sale and even wore it to my bridal shower.

It has been a few years now and unfortunately, the dress looks a bit worn because of the pilling. I was hesitant about getting rid of this dress, but have now discovered a way to make it a bit newer and it only takes one ingredient you may already have in your household - a razor!  Be careful when you use the razor and pull the cloth taut.  But if you use it correctly, the initial pilling will disappear and your clothing will be refreshed!

Here are the brief instructions for refreshing your cotton clothing:
1. Gather your razor and pilly apparel (look at all the small pills before!)

2. Pull clothing taut and glide razor over surface one section at a time.

3. A lot of pilled cotton will come off so be sure to clean your razor and clothing often (be patient and careful!)

4. Your clothing is pill free and almost as good as new!

FFF - Tin can Photo Frames and saving clothing

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

DIY Project
This is such a quirky, fun little project - tin can photo frames.  Huh?!  Yes, use your tin cans to display your photos in a kitchy, unexpected way.  I found this great tutorial on Photojojo and love the ease and unique way of presenting photos.  I may have to try this some day!  Can you imagine a collection of photo tin cans stacked together?  It would be a great rainy day project or one you can do with kids.
What photos would you display?

Otherwise, this weekend, I am...
...getting a beloved H&M midi skirt tailored.  I first mentioned this perfect indigo skirt here and found it after visiting 4 H&Ms in NYC/Syracuse.  Mr. Spend & Chomp is the official ironer in the household and didn't realize that he had to change the setting to iron for my skirt and poof - the side melted a bit.  Luckily, it is not too far from the side seam, so I am hoping I can just get it altered slightly.  I am also going to do a mini closet cleanup this weekend to see what can be saved and what can be donated.  Sharing a closet is not easy, so I always have to think about what I'll actually keep and wear!

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

FFF - DIY Heart tea tags and new homes

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

DIY
All it takes is a small decorative touch to make something special.  These heart-shaped tea bags via Ms. Martha Stewart make tea time something fun (and would be a cute gift if you personalized the tags!)

Otherwise, this weekend, I am...
...hoping to get to a friend's new home.  She bought a pasta maker so we're trying to encourage her to experiment ;)

{Source}

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

FFF - DIY Origami flower ball, Italian courtyard dining, and Outnet $2 sale shopping

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

DIY
Though the weather here is rainy and dreary, I'm still appreciating the bright colors and flowers of spring.     But if you're like me and don't have a florist nearby, why not make your own flowers (ahh and what a fun rainy day activity)?  This flower origami ball is easy, fun, and will never wilt.  Folding origami can be so relaxing so if you have some post-tis and a lazy afternoon, why not try this project?

Otherwise, this weekend, I am...
...going to an alumni dinner held in one of the best restaurants here.  This Italian restaurant not only has great food, but also a phenomenal courtyard.

{Source}

...and hoping to snag something from the Outnet's $2/£2 sale!
I unexpectedly got an entry into the sale today and am looking for something like this...


Givenchy heels

Thakoon dress

Halston clutch

Update: I really, really thought about the Thakoon (though when would I wear it?)  Instead I got this Roland Mouret micronesnil tweed coat.  It's undeniably classic though I can only wear this in cooler climates.  I really wanted an Erdem trench coat which sold out fairly quickly.  Alas, but generally the site was faster and not as crazed as last year.  Good luck to those who got tickets to the sale!

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

FFF - DIY Photo envelope liners and swimming again

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

DIY Photo Envelope Liners
I am not necessarily the most creative, especially when it comes to making my own stationary.  But I know a small touch here and there can create a big impact.   These photo envelope liners from Ms. Martha Stewart create that statement and it can be a fun, personal touch on your stationary as well.

Otherwise, this weekend, I am...

...going to start swimming again.  I live in a lovely complex with access to a pool and I should make the most out of it!  I'm also trying to build in a greater variety of cardio activities.

Isn't this pool at the Umaid Bawan palace amazing?

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

FFF - DIY Doily bowls and Soup dumplings

Happy Fun, Free Friday lovelies!

Fun DIY
Doilies, like lace, are among my favorite feminine details.  I came across the lovelies DIY doily dishes via Creature Comforts (originally from Sodapop Designs)?
These mini dishes would be a lovely wedding ceremony ringholder that would seamlessly work in your home as well.  Ooh or they could hold the daintiest of candies or snacks for guests. Where can I find my clay?

Otherwise, this weekend I am...
...not doing much though I am meeting someone from Purse Forum and we may have soup dumplings for lunch.  If I don't eat them with her, I may eat them with my husband anyway.  If you haven't had soup dumplings, they are a meat filled dumpling bursting with broth inside (due to the addition of aspic, a gelatinous substance that melts when steamed).  Slurpy goodness indeed (though not to be eaten with above DIY doily bowl!)

{Source}

What are you doing this weekend?

Have a fabulous weekend!

FFF - DIY Giant paper flowers and exploring new ventures

Happy Fun, Free, Friday lovelies!

DIY
For my friends in the blustery and chilly Northeast (and of course friends everywhere else) I wanted to offer a fun glimpse of spring via this DIY paper flower tutorial (courtesy of 100 Layer Cake).  This huge paper flower was used in a wedding in lieu of a bouquet, but I can see it in the corner of a living room all year round.  The best part is that it's a very simple project for a rainy day and will last for years.

Otherwise, this weekend I am...
...going to an entrepreneur talk so my friend and I can learn more about setting up a business!

It'd be cool to have my own airline. {Source}

What are you doing this weekend?

Have fabulous weekend!

DIY/Decor Thoughts: Lacy Doily Luminaries

This is just proof that an item can be chic, cute, and fun at the same time.  Go beyond regular candle holders and create these lovely doily outlined luminaries. They're super lovely and easy.

How fun for a tea party, wedding, dinner party or now during the holidays.

Tools and Materials

• Light-colored paper lunch bags in various sizes
• Ruler
• Scalloped rotary cutter
• 12-inch gold-colored doilies (white ones won't show through as well)
• Utility knife
• Scissors
• Glue stick or Xyron sticker-making machine
• Votive candles in glass holders
• Utility lighter

1. Lay each bag flat; use a ruler to guide the scalloped rotary cutter as you cut a new top edge 1 inch below the bag's original edge.

2. To cut doilies to fit the bag, lay a bag flat on the work surface. Lay a doily on the bag, and determine where to cut in order to create a pleasing design. Cut straight lines with a ruler and a utility knife; use scissors to snip along curves. The final size of the doily should be 1/8 inch narrower than the width of the bag so the doily will lay flat inside.

3. Coat the gold side of the doily generously with glue from the glue stick, or coat it with self-adhesive using the Xyron machine. Attach doily to the inside of the front of the bag, positioning it as desired. After gluing, close the bag, and run your hand firmly over the design to seal. Open the bag, and let dry at least 1 hour.

4. Set the bag in desired location, and then put the votive candle, in its holder, inside. Light the wick once the candle holder has been securely placed; do not carry the lit luminaria.

Thanks for the tutorial Martha - full details are on Martha's site here.

DIY: Super simple enamel bottles from regular glass bottles

I love reworking every day items into something beautiful you can reuse.

We all have glass bottles and I was intrigued and excited by this picture from Ms. Martha Stewart. 

Aren't the shades of white and blue dreamy?

The exact shades of green depend on the tint of the glass itself.  I'd love these in my kitchen and on my bookshelf for a little pop of color.  They're a pretty eco-friendly way to create some easy Chic 'n Cheap decor for your home.

Materials:
- Bottles/jars
- White enamel paint
- Enamel paint surface conditioner/primer

Instructions:
1. Wash bottles and dry.
2. Prime inside of bottles with small amount of surface conditioner and pour out the excess.
3. Set bottle upright and dry for an hour.
4. Pour in enamel to coat the inside of the bottle and pour out the excess.
5. Dry upside down on a paper towel for 48 hours and during the first hour, wipe excess enamel paint from the rim.

DIY: Photo pop-up cards

You're never too old to appreciate pop-up cards right?  A fun, personalized photo pop-up card is even better.

I saw this tutorial from PhotoJojo and just had to try it.  This could be a fun and simple holiday present or quirky decor for your home as well.  This is also a great excuse to play around with photos and design a great unexpected photo combination.

Materials
- (2) 8" x 10" photos (main photo to be cut out should be fairly tall) 
- glue stick
- scissors (I found my sharp fabric scissors worked well)

Directions
1.  Use a photo printer or order (2) 8" x 10" images (lots of low cost photo printing options including Artscow which gives you 1200 free photo credits in the first year).  One photo should be a subject in its entirety (whole vertical length) and the other should be a more plain piece of scenery to use as the background.
If you want your subject to be tall, you may want to resize it to be 9" tall for dramatic effect.

2. Lay your background photo image-side up.  Fold it 2″ in from the bottom. The bottom of the image will fold inwards towards the top with your image on the inside.
Unfold the photo. It will now have a 90 degree angle and will be able to stand upright.
Note: If your photo paper is light, you may need to glue heavier cardstock on the bottom for additional support.
The horizontal plane will be the floor for your subject to stand on, and the vertical plane will be the background image of your diorama.

3. Cut out the subject photo trimming closely along the subject shape until is completely separated from the rest of the photo.

4. Cut a strip of photo paper about 1/2″ wide and 8″ long. This will be what props up your subject. Fold the strip into three sections. The first section should be 3″ long, the second section 2″ long, and the third section 3″ long. When unfolded, the strip will be U-shaped with two 90 degree angles.

 5. Glue one 3″ section of the strip to the subject. Allow the glue to dry. Glue the other 3″ section of the strip to the background. The 2″ inch section will run between your subject and the background. Adjust your subject so that it appears to be standing.

 6. Make any other glueing and folding adjustments and you're done!  Remember that if your photo paper is light or bent, it may not stand readily on its own and will need to be supported in the back.


Here is my photo pop-up card (residing on the bookcase and propped up by a small wedding album!)
It is a combination of a photo from our wedding day in NY and the view from the Seine river from the spot that he proposed.  Err, I know that it may be kinda funny that we're standing in the river but it is a quirky, sentimental combination for us. ♥

Have fun if you do this project!  What pop-up card would you create?

Decor Thoughts/DIY: Star Floor/Aisle runner

...because we can either stare up at stars or walk gingerly among them.

Photo from Martha Stewart

DIY Steps:
1. Buy them from Bulk Party Supplies ($16.08 for 72!) or make them yourself by creating a printed stencil in various sizes and copying onto card stock. 
2. Sprinkle and glue glitter onto stars.
3. Tape stars onto floor in desired pattern.

Thanks Martha - what fun for a wedding, birthday party, or just because!

DIY: Thank you, LOVE, and ♥ signs

I wanted signs in our wedding shots after seeing other couples holding adorable homemade signs.  That and I thought they would be a great picture for thank you cards.

I made the following signs: Thank you (we could print these for the front of thank you cards), LOVE (because who doesn't love LOVE?), and the simple but classic ♥ symbol.
This is the current decor for the top of our low bookshelf.  I love reusing items from my projects!  

A few tips I learned along the way:
1. Use cardstock.  I rushed and printed signs for our photobooth on plain paper and they were pretty floppy in photos.
2. Bold and increase your font whenever possible.  It looks large on the screen, but won't look large in your hand.
3. Don't  be confined to a single sheet.  You can always have your design overlap pages and cut it out later.
4. Printing on cardstock would be ideal, but if you want to cut out individual words or letters, read below.
5. Play around with fonts and see what works well (if you're cutting out the words like me, scripts are definitely harder!)  There are tons of free fonts at sites like dafont and 1001Freefonts

Start with this...

Here were my materials:

• Heavy (gold or whatever other color) cardstock
• Exacto knife
• Printed sign
• Newspaper (to act as a pad underneath your cardstock)
• Glue Stick
• Scissors

Follow these steps:
1. Design words in MS Word or Powerpoint.  Remember to print it out to get an actual feel for size and dimensions.  FYI, the "LOVE" letters are Calson Initials font, font size 300.  The "Thanks" is Coventry Garden font, font size 250.
2. Cut a wide outline of words/shape with scissors.

3. Paste words/shape onto back of cardstock.  Line the bottom of cardstock with newspaper to protect your cutting surface.
4. Perforate the entire outline of the words/shape with the Exacto knife.  This helps make the cutting easier later and guides the shape.

5. Cut out the words/shape with the Exacto knife.

6. Have fun with your signs!

It would have been a lot easier if the words were printed directly on the signs, but I still loved them.  That and I guess I didn't mind an afternoon of cutting.  But I am happy that these signs are durable (I plan on getting them framed or at least save them in my scrapbook.

Have you taken part in any time consuming projects that you still loved?

Learning to Love DIY and saving money: Guest Post at a Mountain Bride

Hello my dears, I wanted to point you over to my guest post at  A Mountain Bride.

I talked about the every(wo)man's/bride's struggle to have beautiful things, save money, and create a few DIY projects along the way (particularly when it comes to wedding planning).   For my married friends and brides, you know how enamored you become with decor, details, and style.  Of course this doesn't come cheap, but there are ways to recreate some of this with a little patience, some internet tutorials, and time.
I didn't exactly become Ms. Martha, but I learned a lot about how /where to save money for projects, gained confidence in creating and designing my own DIY ideas, and retained faith that I could still end up with the item of my dreams.

You don't always have to give up on dreams of pretty.

Please feel free to visit Jes and see my guest post here.
I've also included a few more veil pics (Jes is sweet, she really wanted me to talk about the veil!)

For my full DIY on making an alencon lace waltz length veil, here is part 1 and part 2.

DIY: Useful and easy fan-ish programs with Mad Libs

I'd been meaning to post my wedding programs for a while and if it provides any inspiration for someone, I'm glad to be of service.  They were relatively simple to design and put together.  I'd also like to think they were kinda fun too (I mean mad libs and everything!)

Originally, I wanted fan-shaped programs with rounded corners that fit on a single sheet.  I e-mailed another bride to ask how she did it.  Apparently, it involved a Fiskar rounded cutting tool, another rounder, and lots of time (though I would have rounded the corners but didn't buy the right tool).  Eeeek.
I like the simpler way so at first I just opted for angled pages.  The Kinko's guy tried to cut it, but a bunch of text ended up getting cut off so I modified it to a rectangular format and had it redone.  I totally recommend a local printer if you're cutting paper - they charge $1.50 - $2 per cut and it's easy and efficient (and the one cut applies to hundreds of pages).

Our programs included:

• Ceremony Guide
• Schedule of events
• Wedding party and family
• Note to our guests
• Directions to the reception venue
• Mad Libs (I always want to provide amusement)

The materials:

• Printed cardstock
• Heart shaped hole puncher
• Ribbons

Directions:
1. I designed the programs on a landscape 8.5 x 11 page in Microsoft Powerpoint and printed a copy; Powerpoint will allow you to move sections of text easily and is easy when you make the Mad Libs.  I'd suggest making the Mad Libs one block of text and the corresponding words to fill in individual text boxes you can easily move under the text.  I'm not sure how to post my template online, but please send me an e-mail at cncliving{@}gmail.com if you would like it.
Note: It is useful to have a version with line cuts/borders printed out and a version without borders electronically for Kinko's to print.

2. I brought the printed and soft copies to Kinko's.  They printed on cardstock and cut the programs.

3. I (or rather my lovely bridesmaids because I was looking for my missing veil) assembled the 3 pages and tied the ribbon on each completed program.

It could have still been simple and lovely if the pages were staggered lengths or had a vellum overlay with our monogram. 

I still loved them though - our programs were informative, simple, and fun.
How did/would you plan your programs?