Springtime Nails

I just had to get these Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips I spotted while rushing through Target grabbing candy for a egg hunt I'm in charge of this Sunday. Usually my local target only has bright neon yellow strips in stock, but somehow I lucked out and had a variety of options to choose from. While the leopard were really calling my name I ultimately decided on the flower power design because it was perfect for Spring, Earth Day, and Easter. I have tried other nail polish strips before and I definitely prefer Sally Hansen's. They were super easy to apply, secured to my nails well, and I can't feel them whereas my previous pair  felt like I was wearing strips of tape on my nails. These are supposed to last up to 10 days but with all the work I do with my fingers I'll be happy if they last five. At around $8 a package, which includes enough strips for at least two applications, these nail polish strips are worth a try if you're looking for an easy inexpensive way to add a little fun to your look.  

DIY Proenza Schouler Rope Necklace

Can you guess which one is mine?

Mine

PS Rope Necklace

The Proenza Schouler rope necklaces and bracelets are playful and a great pop of color for Spring and Summer but as the necklace costs $650 most people, myself included, are unwilling/unable to spend that kind of money of such a trendy piece of jewelry. Although I couldn't plunk down that kind of cash I knew I would be able to make it and for much less. I guess many people felt the same way, as I have seen several PS inspired DIY projects popping up all over the Internet. Most of them I've found have been bracelets and that's probably because they are much faster to make. I went for the necklace which was simple to put together but took several hours of braiding and wrapping to complete. I suggest doing such things while watching TV or Netflix so you don't go crazy or cross eyed. I'm happy with how my necklace turned out and even happier that it only cost me about $10. If you like doing doing busy work while watching TV and are a fan of the necklace I say give the DIY version a shot. You'll score a great Spring/Summer accessory with just a little patience. 

Paired with a plain black top it really pops

Items Needed

1. Two colors of rope 

-length depends on how long you want your necklace the real PS goes down past the model's waist. I   made mine shorter as that length doesn't work very well with my chest size

2. six pre-drilled stones

3. six head pins to string the stones onto the necklace

4. at least 4 colors of thread multiple ft (make sure it's thick and durable like quilting on embroidery thread)

5. 1 zipper pull (mine was taken from a broken zipper on an old sweatshirt)

Pairing this necklace with a casual outfit quickly adds some style to your look

I think the directions can be figured out just by looking at the photo of the PS necklace but if you would like me to post them just let me know.

Quick Trip Down the Coast

As I said earlier the last few weeks have been very hectic for me. Finally, I got some relief on Thursday when I sent B off to Texas to spend the last few days of Spring Break with her dad and his family. I was supposed to have a small showing at my old office that day but it was rescheduled last minute due to an emergency meeting that several of the girls had to attend. Normally I would be bummed but instead I felt relief that I had a little more time to spend on my pieces and excitement because I was now able to leave for Coronado sooner. See, my mom decided to surprise my boyfriend and me with an overnight trip to Coronado, which is a beautiful island in SD that I often visited as a young girl. Let me just say it was exactly what I needed. 

Crossing the bridge to Coronado

One of the few pics I actually took of us. I also failed to get a photo of our hotel because I am so not a camera person.

 The weather was beautiful, the island was peaceful, and most importantly I was able to relax. We made it down to the island in about 90 minutes and after checking in to the historic Glorietta Bay Inn we immediately decompressed with some drinks and some lounging by the pool. When we finally decided to move our butts we headed across the street to stroll the boardwalk by the famous/haunted Hotel Del Coronado and watch the sunset. After the sun disappeared we walked into town for some tasty pizza at the Village Pizzeria. We finished the night with some drinks on our patio overlooking the Hotel Del.  The next day was spent eating a leisurely breakfast and taking another stroll around the island. We left the island that afternoon and made it home in 1 hour! Seriously, that has to be some kind of record. I usually can't even make it to my friend's place in Del Mar in that time.

Camp Pendleton is close by in Oceanside.

The historic Hotel Del Coronado. Watch Some Like It Hot to see the inside.

While the trip was short I feel that I made the most of it by doing absolutely nothing. I came back refreshed and ready to jump back into work and mommy duty. If you are ever in So Cal and are tired of LA or SD I would really recommend driving over the bridge to Coronado for a few hours or even a few days. It's a beautiful little city with a great beach, some beautiful historic landmarks, and a relaxed vibe that will immediately mellow you out.

Doing Work

Sorry, I've been MIA for over a week now. There are just not enough hours in the day to juggle everything I'm doing unfortunately. The last few weeks I've been spending all my spare time (aka the late hours of the night) creating jewelry pieces for a small viewing I'm doing on Thursday and entertaining my daughter who is a little more than half way through her two week spring break (please God send a shower of money down so schools can stop taking furlough days). As a result my blogging time has been cut to nothing, really I haven't even had more than a few minutes to try and catch up on the blogs I usually follow religiously. The only reason I'm posting now is to let people know I'm still here so please don't leave me. Seriously. I don't take abandonment well. After this weekend I should be on a better schedule but in the meantime check out some of the items I've been working on. 

*Everything pictured, plus more, not sold on Thursday will be posted for sale on my Etsy shop (currently empty) this weekend.

Sunday with Barbie

Chillin with the girls

     My body aches, my fingers are sore, my brain is mush, and my eyes are burning. No, I'm not sick, I've just been playing Barbies with B for the last few hours. Sitting on the floor, hunched over a pile of plastic dolls trying to fit their ginormous hips and boobs into pieces of fabric no more that an inch wide will do that to a full grown woman. Don't get me wrong. I love playing with B and its fun having an excuse to play with the toys I loved as child, but at the end of playtime its all too obvious I've aged well beyond my 26 years. When we finally stopped playing all I wanted to do was nap. B just wanted to move onto a new game.

     As any girl who has played with Barbies knows the best part is dressing them up. Most of my Barbie memories involve dolls in different states of undress patiently waiting for me to finish styling them for whatever activity awaited them (usually a Jeep ride and meal with GI Joe). I'm actually in awe that my sister and I didn't all grow up to be 80s hair band groupies, having spent years under the influence of Barbie's blue eyeshadow, pink lipstick, crop tops, and mini skirts. Rest assured Barbie has maintained her iconically inappropriate style all while shedding her corporate conservative pumps for sexy new footwear. I covet several of the colored plastic shoes currently strewn about B's Barbie house. Not sure when Barbie started sporting stylish shoes, maybe Christian Louboutin's collection was the catalyst, but I'm glad it happened. I mean if a plastic dolls is going to inspire a love of ridiculously high heels in my daughter she should at least do it wearing shoes I wouldn't mind sitting in my closet. 

My love of Barbie's shoes has me thinking about giving this site a try so I can make my own Barbie inspired heels. What do you think? Would you rock a pair of Barbie's shoes?

I feel like all of these would work in a Spring'11 fashion spread.

Note to Mattel: Please produce the above pictured styles in natural materials, size woman's 8.5 US, and immediately ship to my house. Thank you!

Three more favorites.
P.S. I know the blue ones are something you would find at your local gentleman's club but imagine them in red suede and voila