When I was in college, I got my first set of acrylic nails (with a coupon, of course). I liked the way they looked, but found them to be difficult for putting my contacts in, felt like they got dirty, and sometimes made my nails hurt. The worst part came when I wanted them off. I took them off myself and cried when I saw that my nails were completely ruined and unhealthy. I have never gotten acrylics again.
For my wedding, I wore nails I bought at Icing for about seven dollars, and no one knew the difference. These caused A LOT less damage, were easier to wear (because you can choose your length), and were easier to take off. BUT, they also popped off every now and then and didn't have smooth side edges.
And now, to shellac nails. I love having my nails painted, but hate that even if I pay for a manicure, they chip immediately. I decided to try a shellac manicure for our trip to Vegas in April. I got a trusty Groupon for a shellac manicure AND a pedicure for $35. Pretty fantastic deal if you ask me.
It is a base coat, two-three color coats, and a top coat. With a one minute UV light sitting between each coat. It takes no longer than a regular manicure. And YES!! It is totally worth it! They tell you it will last for two weeks, and I was super skeptical. I did every task at home that I normally do, plus took a trip to Las Vegas and my nails stayed chip free for over ten days.
My nails grow ridiculously fast, so I ended up taking the polish off after about ten days because the top edge showing bothered me. If your nails do not grow so fast, you could easily keep your polish on for more than two weeks.
I didn't have any issues at all. They stayed super shiny, didn't lose color, and didn't chip at all! I would highly recommend shellac nails for special occasions or a treat for yourself.
I took them off at home by slowly peeling the polish off my nail. I know this isn't the greatest way, but it was quick and fairly harmless. I buffed and shined up my nail afterward, and a day later they were perfect and healthy. MUCH less of a negative effect on your nails!
-Shiny Nails
-Chip Free for Weeks
-Fun Colors
-Safer for Nail Health
-Not Extremely Expensive
-No Worry, No Hassle
IT IS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Target - The Black Hole
Anyone I've ever talked to about this agrees: TARGET is the perfect little naughty habit.
They have EVERYTHING! And it's cute! And reasonably priced! Damn them.
I am a clearance/bargain shopper to the max. Naturally, I love the 30-50-70 percent off racks at Target and have become a major fan of shopping off season to get some great deals. Dresses, shorts, sweaters, etc...you can always get a fantastic deal at the end of the season! Also, they have those lovely little end caps that go through the center of the store that is their clearanced home goods. AND the end caps in the bath/beauty/pets section where you can score nail polish, candles, and all kinds of other goodies.
(As you can see, I am a Target PRO!)
But funny thing about those deals... You're getting such a great one, that you pick up more items, and before you know it, BAM! Target swoops another $100 from your account. HOW DO THEY ALWAYS DO THAT?! If I spend less than 50 bucks there, it's a freakin' miracle!
Lately, I've been trying to keep a little closer eye on what I'm spending. Thinking about the future, we're trying to put a little more money away for a future permanent dwelling (we've been renting together since I was 20 years old). So we looked at our monthly money situation, and the one way I could save money?? NOT GOING TO *damn* TARGET and blowing money! I don't really need any more jewelry or dresses, do I?
I've put myself on $100 fun spending for the month of June. What does that mean? AVOID TARGET AT ALL COSTS! Or I'll never have fun until July ;)
And I must share: I had to go to Target for a prescription (which was free) and successfully walked out of there with ONLY a bottle of nail polish (for less than two dollars), a dish scrubber, and a salad. Preeeetttttyyy sure that's the most personal restraint I've ever shown. AND I was alone, so I didn't even have Mike to rely on.
GO ME! ...Sorry, I just had to say that. Target is literally my pleasant nemesis. It's like a nice little baby who poops on your silk top. Suuuper cute, but quickly crushes your mood (after you drop a hundred bucks).
Don't read me wrong. I'm not saying I'm a shopping addict, or that Target sucks. I'm saying that half of my wardrobe comes from Target, I always NEED those $5.38 clearance earrings, and I can't turn down an amazing deal (even if it doesn't fit right, or I'll only wear it once).
Target's got their stuff figured out. Clearance bags, hats and scarves as you walk in. Brightly colored swimsuits and dresses come next. And don't forget the whole adorable shoe section that is basically all under $30. As you try to avoid that, there's beautiful baskets, picture frames, and kitchen must haves on your other side. I can't even imagine having children, as I'm sure I could wreak some havoc on that section as well. (I'm sure in a few years, that will be ANOTHER post.)
So thank you, Target, for being AMAZINGLY AWESOME, and yet, thoroughly annoying the crap out of me by always winning the war. {I will learn, I will learn, I will learn...} We'll see you, come July. I'm sure of that!
Does anyone else feel the same?!
They have EVERYTHING! And it's cute! And reasonably priced! Damn them.
I am a clearance/bargain shopper to the max. Naturally, I love the 30-50-70 percent off racks at Target and have become a major fan of shopping off season to get some great deals. Dresses, shorts, sweaters, etc...you can always get a fantastic deal at the end of the season! Also, they have those lovely little end caps that go through the center of the store that is their clearanced home goods. AND the end caps in the bath/beauty/pets section where you can score nail polish, candles, and all kinds of other goodies.
(As you can see, I am a Target PRO!)
But funny thing about those deals... You're getting such a great one, that you pick up more items, and before you know it, BAM! Target swoops another $100 from your account. HOW DO THEY ALWAYS DO THAT?! If I spend less than 50 bucks there, it's a freakin' miracle!
Lately, I've been trying to keep a little closer eye on what I'm spending. Thinking about the future, we're trying to put a little more money away for a future permanent dwelling (we've been renting together since I was 20 years old). So we looked at our monthly money situation, and the one way I could save money?? NOT GOING TO *damn* TARGET and blowing money! I don't really need any more jewelry or dresses, do I?
I've put myself on $100 fun spending for the month of June. What does that mean? AVOID TARGET AT ALL COSTS! Or I'll never have fun until July ;)
And I must share: I had to go to Target for a prescription (which was free) and successfully walked out of there with ONLY a bottle of nail polish (for less than two dollars), a dish scrubber, and a salad. Preeeetttttyyy sure that's the most personal restraint I've ever shown. AND I was alone, so I didn't even have Mike to rely on.
GO ME! ...Sorry, I just had to say that. Target is literally my pleasant nemesis. It's like a nice little baby who poops on your silk top. Suuuper cute, but quickly crushes your mood (after you drop a hundred bucks).
Don't read me wrong. I'm not saying I'm a shopping addict, or that Target sucks. I'm saying that half of my wardrobe comes from Target, I always NEED those $5.38 clearance earrings, and I can't turn down an amazing deal (even if it doesn't fit right, or I'll only wear it once).
Target's got their stuff figured out. Clearance bags, hats and scarves as you walk in. Brightly colored swimsuits and dresses come next. And don't forget the whole adorable shoe section that is basically all under $30. As you try to avoid that, there's beautiful baskets, picture frames, and kitchen must haves on your other side. I can't even imagine having children, as I'm sure I could wreak some havoc on that section as well. (I'm sure in a few years, that will be ANOTHER post.)
So thank you, Target, for being AMAZINGLY AWESOME, and yet, thoroughly annoying the crap out of me by always winning the war. {I will learn, I will learn, I will learn...} We'll see you, come July. I'm sure of that!
Does anyone else feel the same?!
Friday, June 6, 2014
Our Friend Stubby
If you know me, you know I love animals with the zest of a five year old. Anything, unless it is creepy crawly like snakes. Caterpillars are fine with me, though I suppose they could be characterized as "crawly". Animals with fur, even cuter! I get giddy and ridiculous. I just love animals.
One day, I was near our back door (inside the house) and spotted a tiny black and grey gecko under our little spring door stopper. I freaked a bit, called Mike over, and then awwww'ed at how cute he was. We contemplated trying to catch him, fetched some cups, and then after a bit of research and generally knowing they're harmless and eat bugs, we decided to keep him. And by "keep him", I mean, let him be and roam at will. We haven't seen him since then, so either he returned outside or is our nighttime watchman gobbling up spiders at our house!
Soon after that, we stepped on to our front patio one evening and saw fun little geckos on the ceiling, I was ecstatic! These ones are a lighter orange-y color and hang out on our siding. When they're scared, they sneak in to the cracks for protection. It became a little ritual to go out front when it gets dark and look for our gecko friends.
We then found out they like our back patio as well. This is fun because our back door is all glass, so we can flip on the light and admire them from inside the house. We call this our "Gecko Check"!
One night, I saw this poor little guy who had lost his tail. I told Mike, all sad-like, and the guiltiest look flew across Mike's face. He confessed that when he was mowing, he saw a little gecko run from the mower, and that he might have caught his tail. I did a little sad freak-out session, apologized to the little guy, and jokingly made Mike feel guilty the rest of the night. We did read though, that they can "throw their tail" in moments of extreme fear or danger. Pretttty sure a lawn mower fits in that category, so I'm going with that situation :)
Since then, we've been seeing the same gecko on our porch many nights. We decided to name him Stubby. There are still some others out there that we say hi to, but our little friend is Stubby. He likes to hang out right by the door. Apparently he holds no resentment...or he's planning an evil attack. For now, I'll consider him my friend!
Adventures in Austin, AKA Geckoland.
One day, I was near our back door (inside the house) and spotted a tiny black and grey gecko under our little spring door stopper. I freaked a bit, called Mike over, and then awwww'ed at how cute he was. We contemplated trying to catch him, fetched some cups, and then after a bit of research and generally knowing they're harmless and eat bugs, we decided to keep him. And by "keep him", I mean, let him be and roam at will. We haven't seen him since then, so either he returned outside or is our nighttime watchman gobbling up spiders at our house!
Soon after that, we stepped on to our front patio one evening and saw fun little geckos on the ceiling, I was ecstatic! These ones are a lighter orange-y color and hang out on our siding. When they're scared, they sneak in to the cracks for protection. It became a little ritual to go out front when it gets dark and look for our gecko friends.
We then found out they like our back patio as well. This is fun because our back door is all glass, so we can flip on the light and admire them from inside the house. We call this our "Gecko Check"!
One night, I saw this poor little guy who had lost his tail. I told Mike, all sad-like, and the guiltiest look flew across Mike's face. He confessed that when he was mowing, he saw a little gecko run from the mower, and that he might have caught his tail. I did a little sad freak-out session, apologized to the little guy, and jokingly made Mike feel guilty the rest of the night. We did read though, that they can "throw their tail" in moments of extreme fear or danger. Pretttty sure a lawn mower fits in that category, so I'm going with that situation :)
 |
| Meet Stubby |
Adventures in Austin, AKA Geckoland.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)