Archives for March 2015

A quick life update

March 27, 2015

I was so excited to share my how to frost a cake post on Wednesday in honor of Cakentine’s Day and had more fun original content planned for the rest of this week. Unfortunately, we’ve been dealing with a family emergency these past two days, so all work came to an unexpected halt.

Long story short, I’ve spent the past two days in the hospital with my grandmother. I rode in the ambulance with her to the emergency room on Wednesday because she seemed exceptionally weak and lethargic. She has some type of infection, but it’s not life threatening — thank goodness.

My parents returned from their trip to Belgium last night and were able to relieved me at the hospital. Today I’m playing catch up on everything I’ve neglected the past couple of days. And this afternoon I have a much needed birthday massage scheduled that seriously couldn’t have come at a better time.

I didn’t have a chance to gather links to share this weekend, but if you have some time, I invite you to check out:

my quote in this Glitter Guide article on spring cleaning
my Home movie review on Cool Mom Picks
my piece on improving your credit score with advice from Courtney of You Look Great in Green

I’ll have some big news to share with you next week, plus my first big outfit post, so stick around. Things will (hopefully) be back to normal very soon!

First, a question for you: If I could teach you ONE thing, what would that be? Thanks in advance for your answers!

(Photo from my Instagram. Click here to follow me!)

How to Frost a Cake

March 25, 2015

It started with a non-sensical auto-correct on an Instagram photo. Valentine’s became Cakentine’s, and suddenly, a new holiday was born.

Today, Melissa from Lulu the Baker, MJ from Pars Caeli, and I are all sharing posts related to the classic birthday treat: Cake. Melissa has a citrus cake recipe, MJ is making individual cakes, and I’m going to teach you how to frost a cake a like a pro… READ MORE!

Gift card giveaway!

March 24, 2015

You guys were so excited about my chocolate caramel s’mores bars that Nestle Toll House wants you to be able to try their new DelightFulls filled morsels, too… READ MORE!

An afternoon in New York City (and Friday links)

March 20, 2015

This past Wednesday, Jordan and I played hooky from our parental duties to see a Broadway matinee. A couple of his friends were raving about Hand To God, a play that’s been described as “Avenue Q meets The Book of Mormon,” so we found a pair of cheap tickets and hopped on the train for an afternoon in New York City.

Either Jordan’s friends have terrible taste or we are simply not cultured enough to appreciate a show like Hand to God. We walked out of the theater disappointed (ok, we hated it) and completely baffled by what we just saw. Puppets. Blood. Religion. What?!

We decided that we couldn’t leave the city on such a sour note, so we bought discount tickets to the 7:30pm showing of Matilda. If you love musicals or Roald Dahl or pipsqueak little girls with British accents, you must go see it. Even though the actress who played Matilda got sick during the First Act (off-stage, thank goodness), and they had to put the show on hold for 10 minutes so her stand by could replace her, it was one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen.

Although our tickets were inexpensive by Broadway standards, it still felt indulgent to see two shows in one day. However, we justified it by calling it an early birthday present; my 35th birthday is on Sunday.

I haven’t brought up my birthday until now because I’m somewhat in denial that I’ll be-ack!-halfway through my 30s. When did I get so old? Also, this milestone birthday sort of snuck up on me. March has really flown by, hasn’t it?

I’m sure that next week I’ll have some deep thoughts to share about turning a year older. But until then, here are some lighthearted links to enjoy!

ICYMI:

What I learned about maple syrup at a local Maple Sugar Festival.
Add some green to your home with houseplants you can’t kill.
Skip solid polish and try a color block manicure this spring instead.

Plus, interesting links to explore this weekend:

The iconic blue plastic IKEA bag gets a designer makeover.
A geometric art print I’m considering for Levi’s bedroom at my parents’ house.
Hilarious (free!) stock photos featuring Vince Vaughn.
Manicure hacks from three of the top nail pros.
A free printable style guide for writers and bloggers.
Literally listening to your heart can help you get in touch with your emotional self.
Here are seven lovely planters to display your greenery (if prints of houseplants won’t suffice).
The prettiest Shibori pillows that are, sadly, out of my price range.
New kicks for spring…in gold?

(Photos from my Instagram. Click here to follow me!)

Nail Tutorial: DIY color block manicure

March 19, 2015

Two weeks ago, my friend Sheri and I were supposed to meet in New York City for a nosh in Soho and modern manicures at Paintbox. I was equally excited about getting in some quality girl time with Sheri and getting my nails color blocked and bedazzled.

Not exaggerating, I’d been poring over Paintbox’s selection of nail art designs online for weeks.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to dump 10 inches of snow on us that day, canceling our kids’ schools and making travel into the city virtually impossible. Rather than spend the day staring at my naked nails, however, I decided to try a Paintbox-inspired color block manicure at home. After some trial and error, I figured out a relatively easy way to give myself a French manicure with color blocking.

Want to try your hand at a DIY color block manicure? Don’t be intimidated! Here’s what you’ll need:

Nail polish remover and cotton pads
Base coat
Pale or nude nail polish
Dark or bright nail polish
Top coat
Washi tape
Quick -dry drops (optional)

Before you do anything, swipe a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover across each nail to remove any oils or dirt.

01. Apply base coat from cuticle to tip and wait until nails are completely dry. (I like Orly Bonder.) Then wait a few minutes longer.

02. Cover bottom half of nails with washi tape. I prefer washi tape to regular tape because it’s less sticky. Don’t bother breaking out the ruler; the division doesn’t have to be exactly even.

03. Using vertical strokes, paint nail tips with two coats of bright nail polish, waiting for polish to dry between coats. Here I’m using Essie Lacquered Up.

04. Remove washi tape while second coat is still wet. If any base coat from the bottom half of your nails comes off with the tape, gently tap on a little bit more, taking care to stay below the painted line.

05. Using horizontal strokes, apply two coats of pale nail polish to the unpainted half of your nails, using the line of bright polish as your guide (it will feel slightly raised as you brush against it). Essie Au Natural has a lovely subtle shimmer.

06. Wait (and then wait some more) for polish to dry before applying top coat. If you notice any of the bright color transferring to the pale color, try cleaning the brush or letting the polish dry a little bit longer. I’ve had success with Orly Won’t Chip Topcoat.

As the final step, I add a drop of Orly Flash Dry to each nail about minute after applying my top coat. It really does speed up the drying process!

Now you may be wondering why I don’t simply paint my entire nail with beige polish, cover the bottom half with tape, then paint the top half with the red. It would save a bunch of steps, right? Well, I have two reasons.

The thicker the nail polish, the quicker it chips. Two coats of dark over two coats of light equals four coats of nails polish on the top half of your nails. That’s just too thick, in my opinion.
I’ve never successfully removed strips of washi tape (or Scotch tape or painter’s tape) placed directly on nail polish without pulling up some of the color, too. Perhaps it’s because I don’t wait long enough for the color to dry, but I’m impatient and don’t want to spend hours on my nails.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of manicures with nail designs or are they too trendy for your taste? Would you give this DIY color block manicure a go?

(If you do, share your photo on Instagram and use the hashtag #AGirlNamedPJmani!)

PS - My first attempt at an ombre manicure!

Archives for March 2015

ICYMI:

Plus, interesting links to explore this weekend:

(top photo by the amazingly talented Megan Tsang for an upcoming outfit post!)