Gel nail art

About a year ago a new nail tech started at my salon who is crazy good at nail art. I've been getting my nails done by her as much as possible because she is just so good. Here are some of the nails she has done on me. 

Upcycling Old Wooden Paletts

Recently my girlfriend has really gotten into making new things out of old discarded wooden pallets.  For very little money she is making me a beautiful new home for my coffee mugs.

I found these while searching on google for coffee mug storage so obviously they aren't my pictures. 

For about $30 my girlfriend was able to get all of the materials needed to make me something that could sell for hundreds of dollars.  

She's been sick the past week (as have I) so she hasn't finished it, but I will post pictures once she finishes it! 

Nude nails with studs

My clients have been going crazy for simple nude nails with studs lately! 

This client chose nude nails with a Mohawk of silver round studs down her ring fingers for a trip to Vegas for Halloween. 

Another client chose the same nude color only this time we did an accent nail of gold glitter on her ring fingers and a single gold round stud on every other finger. 

Both clients used the color nude knickers by cnd shellac. 

Halloween nail art

I just wanted to share some Halloween nail art that I've done recently. The first is skull and bones on a clients feet at my work. I love how they came out and they're so easy! 

I also did some pumpkins and they looked much better in person. You can't see the stems or the leaves I painted because the purple was so dark.  

Weekend shopping haul!

So this weekend an old friend of mine and I decided to catch up and do some shopping while we were at it!  

We had originally planned to hit the outlets in CT but the temps for today were only supposed to hit 45 and that's much too cold to walk around outside in my opinion. So we opted for the mall and target instead. 

I went a bit MK crazy at Nordstrom rack but it's ok bc everything I bought were things I almost paid full price for a couple months ago! 

I ended up buying two michael kors wristlets one in black and the other in almost a blue purple color (blurple as I love to call it) both were originally $68 but I paid only $39 a piece. I also got a black signature print iPad case which was $158 originally but I paid $79.97 for it. 

The cute grey lounge pants are from target but I put them with my accessories anyway. They're mossimo brand and were $19.99. 

Of course I had to go to bath and body works too and buy stuff so I bought the hand soaps which were 5/$15, a lotion (twisted peppermint), a candle (in marshmallow something) and a candle sleeve (candle and sleeve not pictured since they're currently in use). 

I love the hand soaps at b&bw because they don't dry my hands out. I ended up only buying winter scents like winter cranberry, candy cane bliss, iced gingerbread, and crisp golden pear.  They all smell so good!  

At target I also bought new salt and pepper grinder set and a pretty new two tier fruit stand ! I love them both !  Oh and a butter dish but that's in the dishwasher already. 

Earn FREE INSTANT Gift Cards!

A few years ago, when I was a pregnant with my daughter, I had to stay home on bed rest.  I ended up being terribly sick and had to quit my job.

That was when my blogging and making money from home began.  I tried many different ventures, and while I'm no millionaire, I definitely do not worry about living paycheck to paycheck anymore.

I only wish THIS website had been around back then because it would have definitely made me more money than I had been at the time! 

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So what are you waiting for??  Go start earning some INSTANT gift cards!! 

May Julep Maven Box!

Yesterday I received my May julep maven box and I have to say I haven't been this excited about a julep subscription box in a long time!

My style profile is modern beauty and I am SO happy they changed it to only beauty products simply because I honestly haven't used a single polish I received from them.

So here is what came in my box this month:

Flower hair pins
New York lipstick trio in:
tea for two {sheer nude, right} satin doll {sheer poppy, middle} and lady in red {matte red cream, left}
Brown sugar lip scrub
Volumizing mascara in jet black

I am OBSESSED with this box it's so fun the packaging is gorgeous and so girly with an amazing vintage feel. The gold tone is gorgeous I could actually picture my grandmother displaying these on her vanity!

DIY Glitter champagne flutes

So as some of you may know, I recently got engaged. I tried to not be the crazy-right-away-have-to-plan-my-wedding bride but it's not working for me lol. Though I don't have much planned (or anything really), I have been looking for some small things like toasting flutes.

Of course me being drawn to anything sparkly I really love the Swarovski crystalline toasting flutes but they're $425 or around there. YIKES.

So in search of a cheaper but still beautiful option I hopped on Pinterest and found DIY glitter glasses! Normally I would post the steps but I forgot to take step by step pictures.

So pictured are my two practice glasses and I will definitely be making more!

AMAZING Survey Site! THIS ONE ROCKS!

I am constantly surfing the internet looking for new survey sites and ways to make money online.  Last week I came across a new site and I have fallen in love with it!

TellWut is an awesome survey site!  It's more like a paid poll website.  The surveys are only a few EASY questions long and there are no qualifiers.  Everyone qualifies for every survey!  

If you are like me, sick and tired of spending 20 minutes on a survey only to find out you were disqualified, this is the site for you! 

Plus, everyone can create their own surveys!  If we all create a few surveys, we can all keep earning points all the time!  Today alone I earned 1005 points!  The best part is, a $10 amazon gift card is only 4000 points!! 

Hello!?  This site is a NOOOOO brainer!! 

Check it out by CLICKING HERE !! You won't regret it, I promise!

Sweetheart VoxBox

Recently when I was browsing the internet looking for new monthly subscription boxes, I came across a new box program.  

Enter Influenster .  Influenster is a different sort of monthly box program.  Every box is 100% free, however you do have to qualify for a box based on your social media presence.  The higher your score and more active you are, the better your chances of qualifying for a box.  

I signed up January, 2013 and received my first box today! Here's a picture of what came in my box! 

I received:

1. Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing System
2. Olay Fresh Effects Shine, Shine go away! Shine Minimizing Cleanser
3. Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response
4. Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars 
5. Not your Mothers Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray 

This is definitely an awesome box to receive for free!  As I try the products I will review them all on here! 

I think I am most excited to use the Not Your Mothers sea salt spray!  My hair is naturally wavy and I am trying not to heat style my hair as much as I have been so this may be the perfect solution!  We shall seeeee! 

Xoxo Katie

 

Nail Polish Haul {Essie, OPI}

So if you're friends with me on fb or watch my youtube channel, you should know that I started a new job about a month ago.

Well this new salon carries all Aveda Products for skin/hair care and we carry OPI/Essie polishes. I'm pretty sure I spend more money there than I make!

So this is what I purchased monday at work for nail polish!

Top OPI L-R: OPI Pink Shatter, Dont Mess With OPI, Original Nail Envy
Bottom Essie L-R: Raspberry, label fell off so idk the second one, raise awareness, coat azure, power clutch.

This week I have not been able to leave work without buying something, so I will probably be doing a lot of reviews in the near future.

March BirchBox 2012 Teen Vogue Edition

So on Monday March 12, 2012, I received my first birchbox! I had opted in for the teen vogue box but there was no guarantee you would receive one but I am thrilled to say that I got one! I know the picture quality isn't great but I wanted to share what I got in my box!

{The outside of the box, Teen Vogue Edition!}

{BIRCHBOX!! YAY!}

So inside my box I received:

1. Full size bottle of Essie Nail Polish {Luxe Effects} Color is "Set in stones"
2. Full size Tarte lip-surgence lip stain in "amused"
3. Twistband hair tie in green
4. Annick Goutal Perfume Sample
5. Shiseido blotting papers
6. teen vogue magazine offer
   
7. coupon code for modcloth.com
   

I have to say for my first birchbox, they hit the ball out of the park! I can't wait to get more!! & if you want to sign up, click HERE

Going On Safari? Part Deux

Ok so in my last post I wrote all about this bed set that I had purchased from walmart.com.

WELLLLL lets just say I am not crazy about the set and I will tell you why:

1. The color is very poorly represented online which is typically the case bc all computers show colors differently. FINE, not a huge deal but still slightly obnoxious when I finally found what I thought was a perfect bed set.
2. I have a queen sized bed, so I ordered a queen size bed set. Normally I like to buy king size comforters but it came with the set so I figured I'd just make do with the queen. Well this time I didn't have a problem with the size of the comforter, but the fitted sheet, IT'S TOO SMALL! My boyfriend tosses and turns constantly and every night (multiple times a night!!) I have to get up and pull the sheet back down over the corners. HIGHLY annoying.
3. The feel of the comforter, which I know sounds weird but it's something that I don't even know if I can describe. At first it appears to be a really nice weight comforter but after getting into bed it feels very heavy and clingly. Its hard to move and just seems to stick to you. That probably sounds insane but it's enough that I haven't used the entire bed set probably since I bought it.
   

So I am back on the hunt again for some sort of *PERFECT* animal print bedding. Fingers crossed and wish me luck!

Going On Safari?

So lately I have been super into animal prints. Add in the color pink, and I am head over heels for it! My wonderful parents knew how much I wanted to redo my bedroom and for Christmas has purchased me some gorgeous bedding, curtains, and bathroom accessories, however, unfortunately my comforter did not last very long.

Between dogs, daughters, a boyfriend, and some rowdy friends, the poor thing was basically torn to shreds. I have been suffering and waiting to buy a new set until I found one I really fell in love with, and I have finally done just that!

I'm sure many will find this set a little bit juvenile, but I can't help loving the gorgeous bubblegum pink color, and the amazing zebra print! Now I just have to hunt for the perfect zebra curtains to match (since for whatever reason, they do not sell them in addition to the bedset???)
I am absolutely in LOVE with the set, and it comes with a comforter, two shams, sheet set, and bed skirt. I paid only $50 after using walmart gift cards I had earned from taking paid surveys! I also am going to receive 3% cash back for using ShopAtHome to make my purchase.

I will definitely post before and after pictures when my set comes in! :)

DIY Earring Display!

OMG can I just say how EXCITED I am that my earring display came out the way it did?? I did remember to take pictures along the way so I can post step-by-step instructions for you all as well!

To start you will need:

1. whatever size picture frame you prefer. I chose 8X10 (which I found on clearance for $7)
2. mesh/chicken wire/something along those lines (I found some plastic mesh things at ac moore for .69 each and got 3 colors because I couldn't decide in the store! lol)
3. glue (hot glue will work best!), I made due with krazy glue and gorilla glue :)
4. paint if you buy an unfinished frame and want to paint it
   
5. fabric to back the frame (I found a .29 piece of felt at ac moore)
6. scissors
   

1. Cut your mesh or chicken wire, whatever it is that you picked up, to fit inside your frame the way a picture would. (IF you decided to paint your frame you would do that before this step)

2. Glue your mesh inside the frame, for some reason I couldn't find my hot glue gun so I had to use some gorilla glue to glue mine in.

3. Glue your fabric to the back of the frame (preferably with hot glue however I made due again with krazy glue) (please ignore all the other stuff in the background! lol)

4. Let your glue dry and then add your favorite earrings! :)

I am so so happy with how this came out! It was my first time making one but I think I am going to make some smaller ones to group some of my favorite earrings by color and display them on my wall..well see though!

On top of being super easy and fun to do, it was also a super cheap project for me
clearance frame: $7.00
plastic mesh: $.69
black felt: $.29
Total cost: $7.98

I hope you guys find this helpful and as easy as I did!

Gel/Shellac Nails

Hey guys!

I'm sure a ton of you have heard about gel or shellac manicures and I wanted to share some info with you about them!

I have recently started doing them in my salon and have answers for your most common questions!

Q: Is there a difference between gel and shellac?
A: No, gel and shellac manicures are the same, only difference is different companies call them one or the other.

Q: What is the difference between a gel manicure and a gel overlay?
A: A gel manicure is a gel polish. Both cure in a UV light, however a gel overlay is a buildable gel that is generally used with tips much like acrylics.

Q: How do I take my gel or shellac polish off?
A: Your best bet is to go back to your salon and have them soak the polish off. It takes 15-20 minutes for the polish to soak off in pure acetone. Please DO NOT peel or rip the polish off, this can cause damage to your nail! Yes, you can purchase pure acetone and soak them off yourself.

Q: Can I still get a french manicure with gel or shellac?
A: Absolutely!

Q: How long will they last?
A: There is no guarantee for how long they last as everyone is different, but typically around two weeks.

Q: Why does my gel polish peel off the same day I had them done?
A: Some people just cannot wear gel polish. If you have oily nails, chances are your gel polish could peel or pop off right away.

Q: How long do they take to dry?
A: As soon as your nails are done curing in the UV light, you are completely dry! No worrying about smudging or chipping your nails! :)

Here are some pictures of my first ever gel manicure :) The color I used is called "dulce de leche"

My friend has really short nails that she bites and cuticles that she picks, she works with animals so she constantly has her hands in water or is washing her hands. (I'm working on the biting and picking though! lol)

Hope this helps you guys out with any questions you may have about gel/shellac manicures :)

It's been forever :( ...

And I am really trying hard to get back into blogging. I have decided to kind of add a couple more elements to this blog and post about not just beauty and hauling but home decor as well.

Since my ex and I separated last year, I have been super into fixing my condo up and getting everything the way I want it.

I have so much stuff that it's hard for me to keep everything organized but I have been working on it hard and getting everything done! It is taking a lot of time but I love how things are coming along!

My most recent project has been organizing my jewelry. I have tons of it so it has been hard to find places to display it all and have it easily accessible for me. Today I am heading to michaels or joannes to make a DIY earring display. I will definitely post pictures of how to do it when I do actually make it.

For now I will show you what I have done for my necklaces. A friend of mine gave me his old wall mount tie rack when he was moving and I have finally gotten around to putting it up (more like having my boyfriend put it up for me! lol).

Here's how it turned out:
It looks much more sparkly on my wall, for some reason my camera didn't pick up all the bling. I love how it looks there and it keeps all my necklaces untangled and out of the way! Plus the tie rack fit perfectly in between both of the closets in my room!

It's been entirely too long!

In honor of St. Patricks day tomorrow, I wanted to do a post with all my green nail polishes! I then realized just how many green polishes I have, 11! I love green as a color but it's VERY rare that you will see me with green polish on.

Zoya polishes: Thumb - Veruschka, Suvi, Midori, Tangy, Irene

China Glaze Polishes: Thumb- Watermelon Rind, Outta bounds, Emerald Sparkle, Metallic Muse, Hey! Get in lime! (OPI on the pinky)


And because I had 11 polishes, I had to do one on it's own and decided to do Zoya's Envy since she is on of my absolute favorite greens!

So happy St. Patricks day! Remember, EVERYONE is Irish on St. Pattys Day!! Enjoy your day & be safe!!

Review: ME! Bath Ice Cream

I came across this company about 6 months ago on Facebook (CLICK HERE FOR THEIR PAGE) and I am a total sucker for bath products, especially really cute ones!


I was fortunate enough to be sent a free bath ice cream of my choice and picked the Mint Mojito scent.
Tell me that isn't so cute! It actually looks like a scoop of ice cream! The scent reminded me of the bath products you get in a hotel, which is good because I like the hotel shampoos but it really didn't smell like a mint mojito to me.

All of their products are handcrafted so no two will ever look identical which I love! It melted fast in the bath and right away I could feel the oils released into the water. My skin felt very hydrated and smoothe after my bath.

I would not recommend getting the bath water in your hair or on your face though because of the oils. My bath water turned a very pretty mint green color as the bath ice cream melted.

Overall I am very happy with the product. The bath ice cream are $8.50 each and available on their website HERE.




FTC disclaimer: I was sent this product for winning a giveaway, I was not paid to write this review or sponsored in any way and all opinions are 100% my own.

Daily Product Usage!

Ok so one of my favorite beauty bloggers EVER, Veronika did a really fun post (at least it was fun for me) about how many products you use on a daily basis. As I read through the products she uses on a daily basis, and came to the end results of her using 24 products daily not including tools, I thought it would be fun to think about my daily products.

I know a lot of you don't wash your hair daily, but I find that my hair is VERY greasy after a day, so for me, washing my hair daily is a MUST (Unless I'm in a super rush in which case I use a dry shampoo). So this is my everyday "low maintenance" product list (keep in mind when I go out with my husband on date night or for special events my list goes WAY up!)

Shower:
pantene ice shine shampoo
organix conditioner (either pomegranate green tea, teatree mint, or shea butter, depends on my mood)
Alba botanica pineapple enzyme facial scrub (it's very gentle!)
murad clarifying cleanser
gosmile energizing am toothpaste (YES I brush my teeth in the shower in the am, don't judge)
bath and body works shower gel (I generally have 3-4 different scents in my shower at any given time)

After shower:
clearasil toner
olay pro-x wrinkle smoothing cream
garnier fructis nutrioniste eye cream
burts bees acne solutions spot treatment (cant remember the exact name)
Avon Foot Works Deep Moisture Cream
the body shop body butter in strawberry
solar oil cuticle cream

Hair before styling:
chi silk infusion
sunsilk 24/7 cream
bedhead leave in conditioner
chi 44 iron guard

After styling:
big sexy hair hair spray
guys & gals shine spray (this is from the salon I used to work in, prior to this shine spray I used the mark. by avon shine spray)

Makeup:
tarte clean slate primer
Covergirl clean makeup foundation in classic ivory 110
Covergirl clean pressed powder in natural beige 140
mac mineralize grand duos blush in love rock
mac zoomlash mascara and chanel cils a cils mascara both in black
black liquid eyeliner (cant remember which one im using right now)
burts bees pomegranate chapstick
kevyn aucoin liquid cyber lip gloss in alurabliss

perfume:
right now its ed hardy for women, or miss dior cherie.

So on my easiest days I use a total of: 25 products! That does not include any tools I use like brushes or flatirons, etc.

I hope I'm not the only one (aside from Veronika!) who uses this many products on an easy day!!