I recently found this old frame in my storage room. I was no longer using it and I hate to throw away something like this. I looked at the three slots and that's when it hit me.....I could use this in my office as a pin board/message board!! And pulled out some materials I already had around the house! You could do this with any old frame you have laying around and spruce it up and give it a new life!!
Here is what I did!!
They came out better then expected!!
So here is what I used to make this adorable DIY!
I first gathered all my needed supplies. You will need an old picture frame. Take the glass out and spray paint it with the chalkboard spray paint. I found mine at Hobby Lobby but I know that I have seen it at Michaels as well for about $7.99. Trust me once you have this spray paint you will turn everything into a chalkboard!! I can't tell you how many times I have used this finish.
Once you decide your layout you will have to fit your cork board.
Glue it all together and I added a pretty ribbon so that I can hang them!
It's honestly a super super easy DIY project and took me about 30 minutes to make.
Check out my Youtube video for a more step by step tutorial!!
On my mission to find a quick battery charger I found this little beauty!!
Why you might ask did I even look for this gadget? Well I hoped you would ask that question. I catch myself so many times where I am out of the house and I have about 5% battery left on my iPhone! I get so mad when that happens. Not only do I feel really mad because 'what if I need directions?' or I'm lost and I have no battery life, or I get so excited to listen to a new playlist and the phone is dead. I also have a little baby and god forbid my car breaks down and I have no phone I wanted to have this little gadget in my car! This product I purchased on amazon for $19.99. The shipping was really really fast and I can't tell you how I relieved I am that I have this in my purse and never have to worry about being stranded without a phone!! It also charges an iPad if you are someone who travels with all of your gadgets. You can put whatever you'd like because it has a usb and a mini usb port!
Here are some techy specs:
The official name is Astro Mini External battery.
It holds enough power for 1-2 charges on most smartphones. From reviews I read that some people were able to get 3.
It's made with Grade A cells and premium microchips.
Charges your mobile devices anytime, anywhere.
Fits easily into any bag with a small and lightweight design.
Lifetime charge cycles- 500 times or more
It weighs 2.6 oz
Input DC 5V/0.8A
Output DC 5V/1A
I love the pink color I think it's super cute and it comes with this adorable mesh case that is really really great quality. The inside has another lining and it's just great. This is a little life savor for me and I never need to worry about running out of juice for my iPhone!!
Hope you check this out!!
So I had a girlfriend a few months ago mention Jamberry Nails. Being an absolute nail polish junkie I was immediately on my iPad googling Jamberry. What I found just amazed me!! The website has so so many nail appliqués to choose from!
Ok so the ones I included here on my blog are only a small percentage of what I found on the website! I went nuts with all the super cute holiday decals. They are just so adorable. I then found on the site that you can also be a Jamberry employee by doing trunk shows and selling the product! I did look into this but I am already a Stella & Dot stylist and I think I have exhausted all of my friends and family with hosting . It seems like a really great opportunity if you are someone who is looking for a job out of your home and creating your own business.
My next thoughts were how do I apply these? The website features a slightly different way of applying these appliqués. You use heat! I was immediately intrigued because I have used the Sally Hansen ones and some other ones at Ulta but found that they come up or are basically stickers on my nails, so using heat seemed like a really great idea!
I then of course turned to YouTube and found some videos of people applying and
so I was sold on these!!
I think these are super duper cute. I did get a chance to speak with their PR folks and they are really really nice so I imagine that the company is a really great one to work with!
Hope you get a chance to check these out if you love nail polish as much as I do!!
Don't forget to check out my Youtube video if you are interested how they apply and
What they look like on my nails!!
We got hit with a ton of snow these last couple of days in Chi town!! They have actually nicknamed it Chi-beria! It hasn't been this cold here in nearly 20 years. Something about a north pole vortex breaking free and expanding across the country. There is a ton of snow and some sun so of course what did this do for me....well it inspired some nail designs of course!!
What I began painting my nail base color is a color from the Sephora Formula X brand in the color 'Infatuated'. It's this beautiful blue color that just made me think of the winter time. For an accent nail I used the glitter color 'Turbulent" also from the Formula X line! They are great quality nail polished is you haven't tried them out yet!
The top one is Infatuated and the bottom pic is Turbulent~~
Now for the nail art part it's really very simple. I took a dotting tool, you could just use a q tip if you remove the cotton part or break it in half or a toothpick, and dip it into a white nail polish. The next step is totally up to your artistic self, decide if you want the base of the snow at your cuticle or at the top of your nail. Which ever you choose you want to put dots very closely together to make it look as though the snow is accumulating. Then as you work your way away from wherever you choose the base to be you want to make your dots more sparing. This will give the effect that it's snowing on your nails! I love this nail art. It's super easy and fun and great for a very chilly and snowy day!
Enjoy!!
I have been using this kit for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it. I have a 1 year old at home and two fur babies so my hands are constantly being washed. I could not get a manicure to last me more than a day. I went to my local Sally Beauty Supply store and stumbled upon this gem! This is the gellish at home manicure kit. You do have to purchase the cure light separately. I don't remember the exact price of this whole system but I believe it's some where is the $100 price range. I felt this is justifiable because if I were to go to the salon and have this done every week the cost of that would add up quickly!!
What comes in this kit. It is a mini kit, which I was more than happy with especially when I am trying something new out. I have been using this non stop for the past 6 months so I am most positive I will be buying full sizes.
Anyway!! Here is what comes with your kit
Mini pH bond
Mini foundation
Mini top coat
Mini Nourish (cuticle oil)
Mini artificial nail remover
Mini surface cleanser
The Sheer gel color is something I chose separate and does not come with the kit. I chose the sheer vs a color because I like to change my nail polish very often so I can't commit to a color for longer than a week. The curing lamp is separate but I really like it because when you press the button it turns off in the appropriate time needed to cure. The kit comes fully with instructions and walks you through what you need to do. It was very easy to do at home and I get better with it each time I use it. I would say that I can get this done in about 30 minutes and I usually can go about a week and a half without having to redo the whole manicure.
Some tips to keep in mind. Make sure you cover the entire nail and then the tip before you cure. This is a very important step. If you do not do this then you will notice that dirt, particles and water will get underneath and ruin the manicure. Your manicure will peel off your nails and cause damage to them. Make sure to work with good lighting so that you can see your entire nail and are applying enough and covering the surface.
This kit is a ten out of ten for me because my nails are super strong and I can change my nail polish color as often as I like. Make sure you use a non acetone nail polish remover if you are choosing to do this. If you try to use a nail polish remover with acetone you will unfortunately ruin the gel manicure and it will start to come off your nails.
For a demo of how I do this on my nails be sure to check out my YouTube video below!
Ok ok, so I can't believe we are on book 14 and we still don't know who A is!!
I am going to start by saying that I love the books and I love the show. The show is currently on a winter break and is coming back January 7, 2014. I can't wait!! So, to get my Pretty Little Liar's fix I had to read this book! The book overall sheds a lot of light on things that happened in the past. We open the book with Allie so we get a little more insight about her. We find out some secrets about the mysterious guys (Phineas, the guy who helps Emily when she is pregnant) in all of the girls lives. It's a pretty great reveal and I don't want to give that away with out you reading it for yourself. I did have some moments where I was like ' I can't believe I didn't see that'. It's honestly what keeps me going with this series. She is a little wild and pulling for things where I think 'oh that's just ridiculous' For example I think it was in two books back where Aria sees Noel Kahn's dad and he dresses up like a woman and you think it's this huge reveal but really the mom knows about it!! Ridiculous!! So anyway Aria has issues with Noel in this book because he lied to her and he was with Allie and you find out that they were closer then we thought so Aria is not speaking to him. Hannah is dealing with the death of Graham and all the weird stuff that went down in the burn clinic. A manages to really screw up their lives and the girls think that they might end up in a prison in Jamaica for Tabitha's death. There is a lot of energy that you feel very on edge like maybe they are going to end up there. Iris has gone missing and this isn't as big of a deal as I think it should have been. Come on a crazy person has escaped and no one really thinks anything of it!! A is really really hard on them in this book and really wrecks their lives. So if you like to read about the girls squirming, then this book if something you will enjoy a lot!! We like Melissa in this book, she seems to be helpful along with Wilden. So lots and lots of topics are touched!!
If you are not familiar with the series but you watch the show, don't be discouraged that you can't read the books. The books are nothing like the show. The show has a different story line. The characters are the same personality wise but physically different. An example is Spencer is a brunette in the show and a blonde in the books. Also Emily has a sister in the books and I don't think I have seen a sister in the show. If your interested in reading the books because you are a fan of the show definitely do so because the show will not ruin anything for you.
I have heard that Sara Shepherd has a contract to go up to book 16, so we know we still won't know who A is until then. One thing I will say is that there are some major things revealed in this book but sorry we still don't know who A is. We assume it is Allie and pretty much know it's her but how does she do it? I think thats what we all are really waiting for. Is it a team who is in on it and how is it that she is always there without anyone seeing her. I'm hoping everything will be revealed because it's driving me crazy.
I overall was satisfied with the read but I am hoping that the next two books will tie everything together. I think we are all waiting for the answers and need them sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if she wrote another book this year but who knows!
Happy reading and please let me know what you thought of this book!!
I had to share some super classy and easy nails to try out this New Year!! It's classy with the nude nail but also adding a little sparkle with the copper penny!
In order you to achieve this look you will need a pretty nude color. I really like Essies' topless & barefoot. It's such a gorgeous color and it's very opaque. I then decided to use Revlon's 'copper penny' and it is way prettier then the a copper penny.
It's really easy ! Just freehand with one swipe across the nail on the left and then on the right and you automatically get a very glam look!
Hope you have a very Happy New Year!! Happy 2014! Looking forward to a new year!
