Friday Favorite Links

– Proper and tattooed Victorian ladies in porcelain. (Laughing Squid)

– My favorite ongoing feature at Refinery 29 is the City Hall Weddings. I just love it. It’s always so sweet to just see the bride and groom on such a special day–and everyone’s fashion is so unique. (Refinery 29)

– I love me some Red Hot Chili Peppers and since I’ve always thought their drummer looks like Will Ferrell (or vice versa), this “long-awaited” drum-off between them is hilarious. (Funny or Die)

– Lately I’ve been liking the new algorithm or whatever is deciding who my Popular page on Instagram consists of. I’ve followed a bunch of new accounts lately based on some awesome curation. This company based in LA does beautiful leather goods. I kind of want this new Mod item–it’s like my dream wallet/notebook/life organizer thingy. (This Is Ground)

–  Bar carts are all the rage right now, but honestly, all I can think is having to dust and keep it organized. This cabinet version is such a cool alternative. (A Beautiful Mess)

 

-Cheers and Happy Weekend!

 

 

Nail Art: Trends, Ideas, and Inspiration

Where’s the chase and when can we cut to it?

Yup. I’ve been awful about posting (and I won’t waste precious digital space apologizing and instead just get to the good stuff). On the plus side, I’ve been doing my nails  for the last couple of months so to make amends I’m just gonna post all of them here!

Heart Patch Nails

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, this was the heart freehand mani I did. Loved the way it came out and surprised it actually worked out. Painting on such small “canvases” can be difficult.

Essie/Lady Like
Essie/Miss Fancy Pants

Sweetheart and Lucky Love Nails

Simple design, but I did it so I could have something on both hands. My right hand often gets left out.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
Essie/Miss Fancy Pants

Splatter Nail Art

Splatter nail art was something I had been wanting to do for a while. The result looks like mini Jackson Pollock paintings. The technique is so hard though! I kept taking mini straws meant for coffee drinks from our local supermarket. You have to swirl the paint at the end of the straw and blow really hard to make the nail polish “splatter.” It seems easy but I felt like I was inhaling paint all evening and it’s definitely a messy project. Turned out much better than I thought it would and I loved the color palette for this one.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
Essie/Blanc
Essie/Carousel Coral
Sally Hansen/ Black Out

Argyle Nail Art/St. Patrick’s Day Nail Art

For Saint Patrick’s Day I incorporated shades of green for an argyle pattern. I love all things plaid and argyle so it was fun to see the design come out.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
ULTA/Limelight
OPI/Thanks a Windmillion
Sinful Colors/Last Chance

Green and Gold Nail Art with Striping

This was a simple take on green and gold for Saint Patrick’s Day as well. Striping tape is a great way to amp up a mani and to create pattern without painting or drawing. It’s not a complicated design but I still found it elegant. Though, it may be the striping tape I use, but it doesn’t stick well and find myself having to peel the corner up and off.

Sinful Colors/Last Chance

Easter Bunny Nail Art

Easter Bunny nail art! Fun to do, but I actually liked the carrot best. I was going for softer pastels but for some reason the colors came out looking dark.

Essie/Turquoise and Caicos
Essie/Under Where?
ULTA/Creme of the Crop
ULTA/Maine Attraction

Floral Nail Art

Probably one of my favorite paint jobs yet. Took a lot of time and patience to get the details right. I was inspired by the floral Doc Marten boot  nails that have been going around. It was at this point I realized I needed to buy thinner brushes for more detailed looks.

Sally Hansen/Black Out
Sally Hansen/Lightening
OPI/Thanks a Windmillion
ULTA/Vintage Violet

Strawberry Nail Art

This was a fun summer nail art mani. I love the bold red of this Essie and how a simple design can still feel joyful.

Essie/Garnet
Sally Hansen/Lightening
ULTA/Limelight

Leopard Print Nail Art

Leopard Print nails are kind of the go-to design for newbie nail artists. It’s taken me a long time to do them just because I’m more of a fan of the print in small doses. I know doing a leopard print mani makes sense, but I just hadn’t been excited to try it. I originally wanted to do a mint colored base with the leopard spots on top, but I realized mint was kind of the standard color for this summer whenever I was painting my nails. I went with lavender instead and kind of fell in love. I was even able to paint my right hand! The design itself starts off not looking like much but as you continue to paint and accent the spots, it really does come together to make a cool pattern. The upside is you can switch colors around to make it feel fresh each time.

Essie/Nice is Nice
Essie/Hot Coco

Gradient Silhouette Nail ArtSo, we got a new dog who I love. His name is Canelo and I’ll have to dedicate an entirely separate entry on him because I could go on…and on. I love him but he chewed one of my brushes! I was left with wider ones so the detail work on the one above is not the greatest. Let’s just say it’s a “full-on Monet” ;)This was fun to do and just paint on but it was a long process as you have to do the gradient and wait to paint on after.  I had tried a gradient design in the past and on it’s own it’s still cool, but adding a silhouette scene adds drama. We live near the beach and go nearly everyday so it was easy to pick the scene. This was kind of my goodbye-to-summer look, but we are currently sitting pretty at 76 degrees so I’m mostly likely going to play around with summer looks into October. I’ve bought neon pink and green recently.

Sinful Colors/Snow Me White
Essie/Where’s My Chauffeur
Essie/Avenue Maintain

I think this kind of makes up for the lack of posts–it doesn’t really, but I’m making amends! Nail art is something I’m getting into mostly because it’s a great stress relief. Plus, buying new nail polish is like back-to-school shopping. So exciting!

Jewelry Trends: Pyramids, Triangles, and Bunting, Oh My!

I’ve become obsessed with the triangle shape in jewelry lately. It might have to do with my affinity for bunting right now. I know bunting flags are all over Pinterest boards and they’re not necessarily unique to parties anymore, but in the form of jewelry, it can still be striking and bold, yet still feel delicate.

I’ve been a little crazy over isosceles, but I love jewelry that has character and triangle shapes can really do that. It makes pieces seem special without feeling like you can only wear them once in a while.

Necklaces

This is just perfect–I even added it to my wish list for a Secret Santa exchange I’m doing. It’s made of copper and the letters in your name are stamped on. I’ve been looking for a “name” necklace for a while that didn’t feel too much like Sex and the City, so this find made me squeal. I love it! There are many options available at Etsy without any custom lettering, as well. (via hersilverlining)

Again, sharp but delicate. The cut out triangles make it feel lighter. It also has different metal finishes to give it a little more jazz. (via ASOS)

In case you were looking for a little bit more color. On Etsy, there are a ton of multicolored options as well as different types of material including wood and fabric. I like how this bright piece can give some life to the darker hues of Fall and Winter. And it’s under $7! (via LDnest)

The chevron shape is great too. I love the black and gold contrast, like the wood was dipped  in ink. The seller has other jewelry that likes to play with geometric shapes. (via Jess)

Rings

This ring is actually made from a button. I love the metal and wood contrast and the color gives it an earthy feel despite the deco elements. The angles contrast nicely against the round shapes. It’s all about softened edges. (via SilkPurseSowsEar)

This is so cool. A pyramid ring–an inverted pyramid ring to be exact. It’s almost as if it’s waiting for a diamond to be placed there. (via CSfootprints)

Triangle rings for your nails! I love me some nail art, so these rings are awesome. It can dress up any simple manicure when you’re not doing work on your nails or even add to an existing design. This is such a clever idea. (via superwicked)

As my 8th grade English teacher used to say, “keep it simple, silly.” Sometimes, the beauty is in its simplicity. Ah…a tiny triangle. The perfect little piece with an “edge.” ha. (via NoaNoaJewelry)

I really am partial to black and gold, especially in tiny earring form. I chose this pair over the dozens of triangle earrings you can find on Etsy because of it’s three dimensional quality. (via PetiteCo)

I have earrings similar to these ones and I wear them constantly. These are a bit more pricey but I think worth the investment since they are gold-plated and a great everyday stud earring. (via Kate Spade)

I’m not normally a fan of jewelry made of Swarovski crystal, but I like how this feels like it has a roughness to it that tones down the flash of the crystal. It comes in a different color too, which looks more like amber and achieves the same rough diamond look.(via MASHUGANA)

Sometimes one triangle isn’t enough. I love how light these must feel with that silver wire and with most things, I want a pair in every color! (via foxtailboutique)

National Novel Writing Month – First Day, First Time, Oh November!

So, I finally decided to do it.

 

The first day of November officially kicks off National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. I had heard about this in grad school and always thought it was too crazy to even attempt. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret at not trying it out and possibly experiencing the thrill of accomplishing 50,000 words in just one month.

50,000.

I just needed to type that out one more time and see it stand there alone. It doesn’t seem possible.

When I was writing my thesis in grad school I struggled at times to just get small chapters out. I was hesitant to try this project, but a personal goal of mine this year was to take my writing more seriously. I knew after grad school that it was going to become easy to get lazy about writing. Part of the reason I started this blog was to do some sort of writing. NaNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity for me to get back in the groove of things.

I only realized it was starting two days ago and made the decision not to attempt any outline or plan. I had no idea what I was going to start with and fiction is something I like to read but have realized I’m not particularly skilled at writing. It was daunting, but thankfully, one of the helpful tips is to tell people you are doing NaNoWriMo. In a way, the more people that know, the expectation that I finish can’t be kept secret in case I likely give up in Week 2. I can’t give up because now everyone on Facebook knows I’m  actually going to write that book I decided to spend thousands of dollars in grad school for

Just kidding.

I do not take this month-long project and the hopefully 200-250 page result to be anywhere near book ready. It’s more like the long awaited kick in the ass I need to just write. Just write.

The beauty of the project is the inherent messiness of it. There is a push to NOT edit at all. I was warned that it would be difficult to silence my inner editor and I found myself doing that for the first few paragraphs, but once I started to ignore looking back, the writing came out much faster. It’s all about forward writing.

Again, I have no plan whatsoever and the first two pages were going okay despite a struggle about the voice. Because it’s my first time and I don’t want to give up too easily, I’ve fallen somewhere around fictionalized memoir. It really is heavy in the fictionalized part because the character breaks up a friendship by telling her friend, “I think your baby is ugly.”

So yeah, let’s just say, I would never do that.

But I can sure make my character say it.

In the end, my two goals for the month are  to write daily so I can hit the eventual goal of 50,000 words and two, to just keep writing even if this stuff is utter crap (which, of course it will be). Even if I start to hate the material and I change a lot, I can’t find that as reason enough to stop.

I’ve also registered with the main site and hopefully I can go to write-ins or meet other writers in the Santa Barbara and Goleta area who are attempting this same crazy feat.

First Day Word Count: 2,082.

Registration and FAQs about National Novel Writing Month can be found here.

Halloween DIY Couple Costume: Let’s Play Legos!

Candy is my second favorite part of Halloween. I know, what could possibly be my first favorite part?

But I love Halloween costumes. Love ’em.

I could gladly sit and watch people and guess their costumes (which makes the West Hollywood Costume Carnaval the best place to people watch because people go nuts!) I especially love creative ones that are either DIY or really original. John and I try to do couples costumes and this year on short notice did LEGOs!

Took about two hours to make them and all we needed were the following:

• Large Cardboard boxes
• Plastic red and blue bowls (worked out in our favor since those were the colors we wanted)
• Masking Tape
• Spray Paint

I would definitely get white bowls if you decide to go as other colors and to make the costumes at least a week in advance. We kept smelling the fumes from the spray paint throughout the night. Not unbearable, but not comfortable either.

Some progress pics below:

Cutting out the holes and taping the edges. Then, taping the bowls down and prepping them for their spray paint bath.

We went out to downtown Santa Barbara and it was fun seeing so many costumes. My favorite was an Ace Ventura when he pretended to be a mental patient and another DIY costume–a Loofa! She said it took two hours to put together and there were safety pins everywhere.

All in all, a fun night out. Even with the slight struggle trying to get through crowds as box form.

And just for giggles, some of my favorite costumes from the past few years:

Bacon and Eggs – Halloween 2009

Woody and Jessie – Halloween 2010

Friday F**kery: October 26, 2012

An extra helping of Friday madness as I missed last week’s post.

WHEN I SEE AN OPEN SPOT IN THE SELF-CHECKOUT AISLE AT THE GROCERY STORE:

ME WAITING FOR MY NEW SHOES TO BE SHIPPED:

WHEN I’M AROUND A COUPLE THAT STARTS FIGHTING IN PUBLIC:

WHEN PEOPLE POST PICTURES OF THEMSELVES WORKING OUT ON INSTAGRAM:

WHEN MY BOYFRIEND SAID HE WOULD HELP ME FOLD THE LAUNDRY “LATER”:

WHEN MY MOM ASKED US  TO DO GANGNAM STYLE FOR MY DAD’S 60TH BIRTHDAY:

WHEN OUR “HOLLYWOOD” FRIEND TELLS US ABOUT EVERY ENCOUNTER WITH A FAMOUS PERSON:

AND IN PREPARATION FOR HALLOWEEN:

I SECRETLY WANT TO GO OUT WITH MY FRIENDS LIKE THIS:

BUT WE DON’T, SO WE END UP DOING THIS:

Sources: noyoureoutoforder.tumblr/bombshellsandbitches.tumblr/ohhaleno.tumblr/realitytvgifs

Happy Friday!

 

Young Adult (At Heart)

It seems as if you can never outgrow certain things. In this case, the world of young adult fiction which is currently experiencing a sort of renaissance. Then again, how anyone can outgrow reading is beyond me.

Young adult novels are not merely for young adults anymore. With copies selling in the millions and being read by all age groups, it’s a growing genre proving that literature aimed at the young can be both impressive and formidable. Topics have always been wide-ranging, but I think good storytelling is key. No matter the target audience, good writing is blind to age.

The genre of young adult fiction is really flourishing these last few years and like all book trends, topics move in waves. We had vampires and other supernatural beings to the current trend of dystopian novels ushered in by the phenomenon that is The Hunger Games–which I’m glad to take part of. Speaking of which, it seems my next reads might be about mermaids as they seem to be the next big thing. 

A year ago I was living in San Jose, California with a part time job and lots of free time. Luckily, the South Bay Area has an amazing public library system. They have so many new libraries that have been recently built and an easy network for accessing books. I was pretty much devouring anything as good as The Hunger Games and came across a bunch of great reads–one classic and some recent publications.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

This was first published in 2011 and is the first in a trilogy (young adult fiction loves its trilogies, and then some). I actually just finished the second in the series which is called Insurgent while I was flying to those weddings earlier this summer. In my post Hunger Games haze, I needed more dystopian fiction and Divergent is actually quite good. I was actually more intrigued by how the society in future Chicago was laid out over the main character, Tris, and her motivations. She is much more of a typical romantic character and I realized I was skimming over sections that involved her and her boyfriend. I was much more fascinated by the organization of the population as separate factions, but that is not to dissuade you from checking this out as the second one gets pretty interesting. I’ve also read that the film rights have sold and they are in the process of producing it. Visually, this book has the foundation for a good movie.

Matched by Ally Condie

Like Divergent, society is divided in groups, which again I found fascinating. But a typical trope of young adult novels is introduced–a love triangle is involved. Sigh. I’m not sure anymore, especially after Hunger Games successfully underutilizing one, why these are necessary. Yet, I think as the target audience is probably dealing with first loves and hormones, I guess it makes sense. I’m all for female leads in books so I like this series in that regard. Matched is not as sharp or particularly outstanding in terms of the writing, but I’ve chugged along and earlier this year Crossed, the second in the series, propelled me forward. I could tell Condie had gotten better and it’s worth at least a library checkout. This is also in the process of trying to get film rights. 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This one is quite different from the above two. It’s more supernatural and a love triangle is involved, but also more compelling and interesting than in Matched. I’m not against love triangles, but you’ve got to make the trio involved have motivations outside of pursuing each other. Again, female protagonist who is coming into her own and the setting for this is London in the time of Queen Victoria. So it’s not only a young adult, but historical fiction. The book is not only part of a trilogy, but a prequel trilogy to Clare’s popular series The Mortal Instruments which–you guessed it–is being turned into a film.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a classic not only in young adult literature, but in all of science fiction. Novels like The Hunger Games are not new in pitting young people (sometimes the very young) against each other in battles of death. Ender’s Game also takes the time to develop the psyche and motivations of their characters and doesn’t shy from brutality. It was well-awarded when it was published and its reputation only mildly tarnished by its author’s personal views on subjects like homosexuality. Aside from that, on its own the novel examines life and survival and how we question that in times of war. The book is currently being adapted to film. I always imagined Harrison Ford in it, but not exactly as Graff. Looking forward to it regardless!

Overall, it’s exciting to see the onslaught of such good young adult fiction coming out. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from heavier reads and escape a little. I also started to notice that much of the great fiction coming out comes from women authors. J.K. Rowling being the most obvious example whose famous series might have a central male hero, but without a certain witch, might not ever have graduated Hogwarts. There seems to be much disparity in adult fiction when it comes to awards and recognition often going to male counterparts, but in YA, it definitely seems to be a female dominated field. Not just in authors, but also in characters. The Atlantic ran a piece over the summer regarding that and it’s also an interesting read. It’s also a trend I hope never goes away.

Rent check’s in the mail

The title of this post derives from a pair of T-strap sandals from Seychelles. They were ivory in color and it was the first time I saw something online that I wanted to buy and just wasn’t able to. They just did not have them in a size 6…anywhere. Believe me, I looked. I went so far as to even email customer service at Seychelles and they didn’t have them. I was thinking about that very pair of shoes the last few days while online browsing (at work) recently. The shoes remind me of Fall and despite it still being very warm here in Santa Barbara, I’m already excited for Fall and all that it entails. Cooler weather, darker nail polish, wool coats, and hot chocolate. I drink tea almost daily, but hot chocolate feels right only when it’s cold. I also get paid next week and right on schedule, I’m already mentally spending it. Below are a few things that have caught my eye.

top row l-r: kate moss for mango jacket. chanel nail polish. looks from mango’s 2012 fall catalog.
second row l-r: monogrammed tea cups, anthropologie. sequined peter pan collars, H&M fall 2012. proenza schouler ps1 bag.
third row: boots and coat collars, mango’s fall 2012 lookbook. trumpet glass candle holder, c.wonder. sofia coppola for louis vuitton bag in calf leather.
bottom row l-r: kate iphone case in ivory, tipilly. sweater, mango 2012. deborah lipmann nail polish in billionaire.

 

I actually bought the monogrammed cup from Anthro for my friend Karen’s birthday (“K” of course). They really are adorable and a steal at $6! And as much as I want to start painting my nails in deep burgundies and autumn colors, I think I’m going to get as much mileage out of the sea greens and bright blues I bought for summer.