Nail Time!: Jamberry Nail Wraps Review

It's no secret that I love a good manicure, especially when it's DIY. So when my friend, Chasity, introduced me to Jamberry nail wraps, it was love at first sight or should I say first application. If you're wondering "what the heck is nail wrap" it's basically a sticker/wrapping paper for your nail. They come in tons of patterns and fun colors. After doing one Jamberry accent nail I decided to order a sheet and try doing a full set. My first attempt was a complete failure. This was due to operator error. First of all, I went in thinking it would go as smoothly as it did when I applied the ONE Jamberry accent nail with Chasity the Jamberry consultant. Obviously doing ten nails on my own was a little more challenging. 

Let's get to what I did wrong:

1. I was in a time crunch. Being in a rush put pressure on me to get them done quickly and not take my time to make sure I applied them properly.

2. I didn't watch the application video. I really should have to refresh my memory of exactly how to apply them. As a result, they came out wrinkly. 

3. I took a long  hot shower, which included shaving my legs, immediately after applying them. Sure enough by the end of the shower, every single one came off. That's right. Every. Single. One.

Needless to say I was not happy about this. A few days later, I regrouped and tried again. Luckily one sheet comes with enough wraps to do two manicures. I did not make any of my previous mistakes, especially, taking a shower immediately after application. I learned that like most things, practice makes perfect when it comes to applying nail wraps. My wraps were not perfectly applied and a few were slightly askew but nothing too terrible (see picture below). The great thing about them is they really lasted! I had them on for about two weeks. None of them came off in the shower or while doing dishes. Although, to be fair, I have to admit that I try to wear gloves when cleaning or doing dishes. That probably helped them last a bit longer. 

Overall I would recommend Jamberry to anyone but, I would strongly recommend them to anyone who really loves doing their nails. I will definitely be using them again!

If you would like to purchase some Jamberry wraps click here. And to watch the application video click here. 

Book Review: Constanly Constance

I read this book because I went to high school with the author. It's based on Constance's blog that details her dating life.

Constantly Constance  

Constance takes you along as she braves a move from Texas to New England. As she sets up life in her new town she encounters many potential suitors and many awkward dates follow. The message of carpe diem resonates through out this book. The author is quick witted and has a wicked (New England term) sense of humor. The story is really just a snap shot of Constance's life. I would like to hear from someone who has read the book but is not from Austin. The book made me nostalgic for my hometown and I wonder if someone who isn't familiar with Austin would enjoy it as much. It's a short book so I say if you like Sex and the City and/or Girls, read this book. I suggest putting it on your summer reading list and reading it poolside with a pina colada!

Rating: B

You're a Mean One Mrs.Grinch

The above picture is a portrait of me over this past holiday season. I won the Grinch award this year and I wanted to share my acceptance speech:

There are so few people to thank. I know I'll have enough time to forget them all. When this holiday season rolled around I didn't think I had a shot at winning this award. However, through lack of effort, general grumpiness, and lots of whining, I prevailed. There are many things I didn't do to win this award. Not decorating my home at all, not cooking any holiday dishes, and avoiding holiday shopping like the plague are just a few of those things. I would like to mention my darling husband who was kind enough to help me strengthen my grinching talents. He would play Christmas music and wrap presents to help me test my grinchiness. I should also mention my friends and family who were kind, patient, and loving through out the holidays. I have to admit I almost didn't win this award because of them. To be honest I can really only think of one person who truly helped me win this award, ME!

All joking aside I had a nice holiday with my loving, ungrinchy family and friends. Hope you did too!

Essence Absolue Hair Oil

In the my post The Year of Hair, I mentioned that I use hair oil and how much I love it. To reiterate, I love it! And I want to tell you more about it!

 I use Shu Uemura's Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil. What turned me on to it was I read an article that Kate Middleton, one of my hair icons, uses it. I realize that this could be entirely untrue but after reading many reviews of this product I decided to buy it. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it's a little on the pricy side. Right now it's $26 for a 1oz bottle and that doesn't include shipping. So yeah, it's a little pricy, but I think it's totally worth it. I have been using this oil for about 9 months now and really started noticing a difference about month after incorporating it into my routine. I find that unless I use way too much, the oil never makes my hair look greasy. 

A quick note about how this product smells: it smells wonderful!!! I usually don't like how beauty products smell, I often find the fragrances to be overwhelming and unpleasant. However, this product has a light floral scent that is quite nice and not overwhelming at all. 

Before buying this product I had never used hair oil and had no clue how to use it. After some research, trial and error, and conversations with hair minded people, I worked out a routine.

My hair oil routine:

I shower at night and this is what works for me. After showering, I comb my hair out with a wide tooth comb. I then let it air dry for about 30-45mins so that it is damp,  not wet or completely dry. Next I squirt one pump of the hair oil into my palm and rub my palms together. Starting at the tips of my hair and work my way up to the roots, coating my hair with the oil. If it is a non shampooing day then I do not put any oil on the top of my hair near the roots. My hair is naturally greasy and does not need the extra oil on the roots on days I don't shampoo. After applying the oil I use finer tooth comb to comb my hair and help distribute the oil. Then I blow dry my hair and go to bed. By the way, if I use styling tools the next morning then I do use another product for heat protection and would recommend you do too.

If I happen to shower in the morning or during the day, then I apply the hair oil AFTER I blow dry and style my hair. Again I use another product for heat protection. I also do this if I'm going to a special event, like a wedding. I tend to use half a pump when applying to dry styled hair, not a full pump.


If you end up trying this product let me know how you like it and what routine works for your hair!

Movie Review: Upstream Color

Joe and I recently had a movie night and this was our selection.

Upstream Color 

This film is the story of two people picking up the pieces of their destroyed lives after being robbed and drugged. The drug that they were given wiped their memory so they don't know what happened and they are left dealing with the residual effects. After finding each other, they start their journey of figuring out what happened and what is still happening to them. The cinematography and style of this film reminded me of Terrence Malick's films. I am not a fan of his films, so naturally I wasn't thrilled by one that reminded me of them. The story was more developed than the typical Terrence Malick film and the characters definitely spoke more than they would have if he had been directing. I found the story to be intriguing and my attention never wondered during the film. However, I cannot forgive the incredibly stylized cinematography or the disjointed narrative. If you watch this movie I would recommend looking at the themes of the film and try to connect with it on a more philosophical and artistic level. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do this. Maybe it's because I don't like worms or pigs? (After you watch the film you will understand)

Rating: C

And just kidding, I love little piggies! 

Nail Time!: half gold, half white nails

My inspiration for my manicure this month is the changing seasons. Summer is coming to an end and the gold of fall is creeping in. So for my September manicure I did half gold, half white nails. White for summer, gold for fall. At first I didn't like this manicure, but after a while it grew on me. I did like how easy it was to do! All I did was paint my nails gold, let them dry, then use these french tip sticker guides to paint the bottom half of my nail white. Super easy! I think I would have like this manicure more if I had done gold on the bottom like I did on my accent nail. With the white on the bottom half, they just looked like really wide french tips to me. Let me know what colors you would choose for half and half nails!

The Year of Hair

2013 was the year I decided to get my hair healthy....or at least healthier. My journey started when a new girl started at work, she had the most beautiful hair I had ever seen. She had Disney princess hair, it was that awesome! As it turns out she was pretty awesome too and would answer the millions of questions I had about her hair routine. The biggest thing she urged me to do was stop washing my hair everyday. I have very fine hair, it gets greasy quick! I can just think about greasy hair, and it gets greasy. It's bad.

 Another coworker of mine, who also has fine hair, decided to embark on a every other day shampooing routine. Inspired by her, I decided to do it too. For me, the first few months were rough. They were filled with lots of ponytails and days my hair just felt dirty. Gradually my hair became less greasy on days I wasn't washing it. This took months to happen. After somewhat conquering my greasy hair I decided to completely make over my hair routine.

My year of hair had begun. First thing that had to go was using heat styling tools on any setting except their lowest. That was hard, y'all. Since high school I have been straightening my hair till it is stick straight. You can't always achieve this when you use the lowest setting. It also takes longer to style, but I've stuck with it. Next I examined the tools I used on my hair (brushes, combs, ect). After a little research I switched to using a wide tooth comb on wet hair and a natural bristled brush on dry hair. Both are suppose to be gentler and decrease the amount of breakage. The wide tooth comb I got at Sally's Beauty Supply for about $2. The brush on the other hand was more pricy, $25 at Sephora. You can spend a lot more on a natural bristled brush, there are some that are over $300! After getting the appropriate tools, I focused on the products I was using. I did some research into the "no poo" method(meaning you don't ever wash your hair with shampoo), ultimately, I decided it was not for me. I have not found a shampoo and conditioner that I love yet. I do love to try a new products after I run out of whatever I have been using. And I've learned that some shampoos don't work for me (for example Aveeno tends to irritate my scalp). I have added several new products to my routine. My favorite one has to be my hair oil! I love this stuff and wonder how I ever lived without it. Although, I did not scrimp on this product, it was expensive. I also added a hair mask to my routine. This is also a product that I wonder how I got along without it. I do it once every three weeks to once a month. One great thing about hair masks is you can make natural ones at home or buy a pre-made product. Lastly I started getting my hair trimmed every 5 weeks. The ends of my hair look much better, definitely have fewer split ends. Those are the major changes I implement during my year of hair.

The response from people when I tell them about my year of hair has been varied. Most of them are bored by it (I don't blame them! Not everyone is into hair care like I am). One person was interested, she's like, the nicest person ever (Hi Hannah!). Surprisingly, I had several who took offense to my journey. One of them told me that my hair doesn't even look good, especially if I put all this work and thought into it. That's ok, I notice the difference and I'm doing it for me not them.

Overall, I'm very happy with my results! My hair is more manageable, I have less fly aways, and it is much shinier. 

Leave me a comment and let me know what works for your hair!

Before:

 

 

 

 

 

 

After:

  

Summary of my new hair rules and routine:

-Wash hair every other day, rinse with water on non-washing days if greasy or if I work out
-Never use straightner, hair dryer, or curling iron on anything but the lowest setting
-Use wide tooth comb on wet hair, never a brush
-Only use brushes with natural bristles
-Apply hair oil every day to every other day
-Hair mask every 3 to 4 weeks
-Trim hair every 5 weeks

Hair icons:

Lana Del Rey (love her!)

Aurora

Kate Middleton

High School Reunion

A few weekends ago I went to my high school reunion. It was bizarre and exciting to see old friends and acquaintances. Everyone looked really good, the same, just older. It was a nice night. However, the whole event made me a little sad. I saw people who ten years ago were part of my daily life, and now I never see them. I still like them and still want to see them, but the sad truth is I can't reconnect with everyone. I no longer live in my hometown and not surprisingly lots of my old classmates don't either. Also being friends at 18 doesn't necessarily mean you can be friends again at 28. People change, as they should. Who would want to act like their 18 year old self forever? Not me! Don't get me wrong, some of my closest friends are from my high school days.I just mean people change and not always in compatible ways. A friend of mine described the event as anticlimactic and I have to agree. While enjoyable, there weren't a ton of people there. I would say maybe 80 of the 650 in our class showed up. I didn't stay very long and I think I would have if more people had been there. Overall though, I'm happy I went, I would have regretted not going more.

My epic fail of the night: not taking ANY pictures!! Luckily, my friend Chasity snapped one of us on her camera because otherwise I would have no pictures from the night. 

A Long Overdue Post!

Yet again I find my self apologizing to my readers (all two of you) for not posting for many months. Sorry readers!

There are so many things to catch up on, but first I want to say thank you to a dear friend of mine (Hi Alex!) for asking me why I haven't posted in a while. The question sort of jolted me. It made me realize I miss blogging. So why haven't I been posting? If I like it, what's keeping me from it? The short answer is: life. I got busy and stopped making time for it. But I'm back now and anxious to get blogging again.

Now the updates: 

• WE MOVED!! After a year in McAllen we moved to Victoria, Texas. So far we like it here! Victoria is much smaller than McAllen with only 63,000 people, the Rio Grande Valley has about 700,000 people. Even though it's a smaller town it has most everything we could want. One of the best things about Victoria is it is much closer to our family and friends!! Victoria is located in a geographical sweet spot. We are two hours from Houston, Austin, and San Antonio! 

• I'm now on Instagram! I attempted to do the challenge where you post a picture every day for a year. Unfortunately, I failed! I did really well for a while, but then we started getting ready for the move. During the moving process I put everything on back burner except packing, eating, and sleeping. 

That's all for now, but I will be posting again soon! This weekend is my ten year high school reunion. EEEEK! So, I'm off to do a facial mask that will hopefully take ten years off my face haha!

Book Review: A Handmaid's Tale

I read this book when we first moved to McAllen this summer. 

 

The Handmaid's Tale

Offred is a woman living in a incredibly strict society where the slightest indiscretion is likely to get you killed. She has to watch everything she says, everything she does, and even her body language. Her station in this cold society is a handmaid, who have only one purpose to fulfill, and her time is running out. The question of who she can trust in this impersonal, cold world, is vital to her survival. I could not put this book down! I loved the descriptions of her day to day life, the flash backs to her old life, it all pulled me into her world. The society in this book is reminiscent of the one in 1984 by George Orwell (one of my favorites). As the pages flew by and I was sure this book was going to end up on my favorites list too, then I got to last quarter of the book. There were several plot twists and events that felt too easy, too convenient. To me, it felt as if the author had become bored with the story and was ready to be done with it. In the end, I felt dissatisfied with the end, that is why I'm not giving the book an A. Although, be sure to read the "Historical Notes" at the end of the book, they add to the story!



Rating: B+

Apartment Update

Joe and I have been in our new apartment for 6 months now and although we haven't made many changes to the decor, there have been a few I wanted to share. 

 New bedspread!

One we had before: 

New one:

Curtains! 
We put curtains up in bedroom. 

Before:

After:

Now I want to get curtains for every room! They make such a difference.

 

 

New artwork! 

We put up a new picture in the dining area. 

New plants!

I love snake plants!

 

We still have more to do but it's a good start!

Gone with the Wind Night

 For Christmas Joe gave me Gone with the Wind on blue ray, so naturally we had to do a themed movie night, duh! Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite movies (I've read the book several times and love it as well), so of course I was super excited to plan a night themed around it. First I picked out my most Gone with the Wind-y outfit, a maxi skirt with a belt and a button up shirt. I wish I could have worn a full on hoop skirt but seeing as they aren't in style (except on Halloween or at a renaissance festival), and really aren't very practical, I decided not to purchase one. Here is a pic of my outfit:

 I even did my hair in an updo:

  After I planned out my outfit and hair, I started on the menu. For our cocktail hour I made Georgia juleps (peach flavored mint juleps). They were delicious!!! Also very dangerous, it would be easy to drink them quickly because they taste so good but they are very strong.

 For dinner we made fried chicken breast, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and buttermilk biscuits. We'd never fried chicken before and it turned out really well, Joe loved it. During cocktail hour and dinner we listened to songs from the Civil War era. After eating our home cooked southern meal, we watched the movie. I always forget how long it is and we were both pretty tired by time it was over. Joe had never seen the entire movie so I kept nudging him when he would nod off (I'm awful, I know). The night was a blast, more movie theme nights are definitely in our future. 

*Disclaimer: while I love Gone with the Wind, I completely realize that it inaccurately portrays of the lives and attitudes of American slaves. It was published in 1936 and reflects the racism that was, sadly, so common in society back then.

Happy New Year everyone!!! New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays! Champagne, sparklers, cocktail parties, what's not to love? This year we decided to throw a New Year's Eve party for just the two of us. First we went to the movies then we headed home to ring in the new year with a homemade dinner. We made French 75s, one of my favorite cocktails, and for dinner had chicken parmesan, one of Joe's favorites. Everything was delicious!

This year I decided to make simple New Year's resolutions, my main one is to take more photos. Here is the first photo I took in 2014:

I got new champagne flutes for Christmas and I love them! Perfect for ringing in the New Year.

 

What are your New Year's resolutions?

The Holidays & A Little Puppy Named Leo!

I hope everyone's holidays were merry and bright! I had planned on putting up several holiday themed posts but alas, time got away from me. Since it has been so long since my last post I thought it would be best to post a summary of the holidays and what's been happening around here. 

Thanksgiving:

This year Joe and I went to Austin for Thanksgiving. We are originally from Austin and our families still live there. I would've loved to host dinner this year, but now that we live 5 hours away instead of 3 hours, it's harder to get people to come visit. This year we had to split Thanksgiving three ways and it was a little hectic. Hopefully we will get the hang of it and next year will go more smoothly. 

Holiday shopping and crafting:

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas my mom came down to McAllen. It was wonderful, we went shopping, fussed over her new puppy (more about him later), and did some crafts. When she was here, I got all of my Christmas shopping done! That's a big accomplishment for me, normally I'm still out shopping on the 23rd. 

 

Christmas:

We went to Austin for Christmas. Joe's brother and his wife came down from New York for the holiday, they don't always get to come so it was a real treat to have them with us.  Ok, so quick side note, I adore my sister-in-law! She got me the sweetest gift, it's a bracelet that spells out sister with beads in Morse code. Isn't that cool? I think so. We had a very nice Christmas, nothing too eventful, just good times with family. A few days after Christmas I had lunch with my best friend. She lives in California now and we don't get to see each other very often, which of course makes me sad. So getting to see her, even if it was only for lunch, was wonderful!  




Now on to some exciting news: as I mentioned above, my mom got a puppy!

 He is the cutest!!! His name is Leo and he's a dachshund mix. We think he is probably a chiweenie, which is a mix between a dachshund and a chihuahua, but we're not sure. She got him from a shelter in Austin. He had some health problems when my mom first got him, but now he is all better and being a rascal (chewing, nipping, you know the normal puppy stuff). I posted some more pics of him below (I'm very attached to him even though he isn't even my puppy):

Movie Review: Gravity

 I saw this movie in 3D at the theater. 

Gravity

This film is the story of astronauts dealing with catastrophic events that occur during a spacewalk. Without giving too much away, it's a story about the strength of hope and the human spirit. Wow! This movie was awesome, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As a child I wanted to be an astronaut, I no longer wish that dream had come true. Not only did this movie make me realize I don't want to go to space, it also made me feel like I had been to space. Sandra Bullock's acting is superb, it would have been easy to overact and make this role melodramatic and unbelievable. George Clooney is charming as usual (feel like he always plays himself, you know, charismatic, handsome, funny). The special effects were fantastic, again it made me feel like I had been to space. My prediction is that this movie is going to be a major contender at the Oscars (lots of people have predicted this). I highly recommend seeing the movie in 3D. If there is a theater near you that's playing it, go see it. Now. 

Rating : A+

DIY: Luminaries

Halloween is over and that makes me sad. I love Halloween for many reasons, costumes, candy, cooler weather (some of the time), jack-o-laterns, parties, scary movies on t.v., and the decorations, just to name a few of them. Not many people know my love for Halloween because unfortunately we have very few Halloween decorations. Every year we carve a pumpkin but that's really it as far as our decorating goes. This year I decided to rectify this situation. A DIY project that could be used for indoor or outdoor decor would be perfect and after some research I decided to make luminaries! You know the paper bags with designs cut out and candles inside illuminating them. I posted a picture of a lit luminaria I made in my Halloween post.

Here is what you will need: 

• Paper bags- I found that gift bags with no handles work best. I got the ones pictured below at Michaels for about $3. 
• A design to cut out of your bags- I picked out a skull design for mine. Just remember the more intricate the design the  more difficult it will be to cut out, also it will take longer to do.
• Scissors, x-acto knife, thumb tack-the thumb tack is for really small holes.
• Tape-to secure your design to the front of the bag.
• Tea candles- I used the fake plastic ones, they don't look too bad in the bag and they are A LOT safer.
• Sand- or something to weigh the bag down.

    

Instructions:

1. With small pieces of tape, tape the design to the front of the bag (the front is the side without the seam). If you cut your design out on the side with the seam, it will show up as a dark line when lit. 

2. Using the x-acto knife, scissors, and thumb tack cut your design out. Be careful not to puncture the other side of the bag, I put a folded up newspaper inside the bag to prevent this. 

3. When you have finished cutting out your design, carefully remove the tape and design from the front of the bag. 

4. Next place about 2-3 inches of sand in the bottom of the bag. If you are not using real candles then you can use something else to weigh bag down. I used two lemons in mine. 

5. Lite the candle (or turn it on if you're using the fake ones). Enjoy!

Important: if using real candles, NEVER leave your luminaria unattended! Paper bags are extremely flammable, so again be careful when using real candles!

Luminaria without lit candle.

I loved the way the luminaries turned out and lucky for me the skull design I picked works for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos!

Happy Halloween!

A Luminaria I made :)

Nail Time!: Black Matte French Tip Nails

Gearing up for a Halloween with this month's manicure! Recently I purchased OPI Matte Top Coat and this was the first time I used it. I LOVE IT! Although I would recommend doing several coats of color and letting them dry completely before applying the matte top coat.

Book Review: The Cuckoo's Calling

I have to admit, I read this book because I heard that J.K. Rowling wrote it under a Pseudonym (which is true).

The Cuckoo's Calling 

A down on his luck P.I., Cormoran Strike, reluctantly agrees to investigate the death of a supermodel. At first glance, the case seems straightforward, like a completed puzzle, but soon the detective notices something amiss, some of the pieces don't fit flush. To help sift through the clues of the case, he begrudgingly accepts the help of his new office temp. From there, the story pulls you in, the questions build, suspects seem more and more suspicious, and soon you're trying to decipher every movement they make. J.K. Rowling does an excellent job of creating a life and world you can enter (we already knew she could do this from the Harry Potter Series). There are several plot twists: some were surprising, some were predictable. The ending, which can make or break a mystery, was good.  But that's it, just good. The main character arrived at some conclusions and I couldn't quite see how he had. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book. Rumor has it that this is the first in a series, and we all know what kind of luck J.K. Rowling has had with those.

Rating: B+

Nail Time!: blue nails with criss-cross accent nail

I love painting my nails, but I'm not sure I love my creation this time. The metallic blue looks a little too Dallas Cowboys to me, especially with the white criss-cross pattern on the left ring finger. What do you think?

Left hand

Right hand