Currently…

…watching The Inbetweeners and Skins (British TV rules, and both are available on Netflix).
…listening to whatever plays on Pandora’s Chillwave station.
…reading “The Fuck Up” by Arthur Nersesian.
…excited about the LivingSocial deal I got with some friends to go zip lining!!!
…happy that I got to purchase 3 pretty polishes from OPI’s new Germany Collection (before any sell out)!
…sad that it’s already August, and that summer will be ending so soon.
…stressing about financial woes.
…hoping I’ll have the patience and drive to continue exercising.
…thinking about what I want to make for dinner tonight.
…wishing I had a place of my own to decorate and call home.
…anxious for the weekend to get here already!

Time Well Spent

I am aware that I’m lucky to have a job, some money, a way to pay my bills.
But I am completely uninspired with my job (and I don’t make enough money to save for a car or to get a place of my own, or even with other people!), mostly sitting in my chair, waiting for 4:30, hating that I spend 8 precious hours a day cooped up when I could be doing so much more with the time I get from day to day. I was sooooo bored yesterday, I made a list of all the un-boring things I could do if I didn’t have to work this job, or work at home, or not work at all (but, of course, be financially secure..wouldn’t that be nice?!).

I would perfect cooking and baking from scratch. (Or at least make more attempts to.)
I’d visit Farmer’s Markets regularly for fresh ingredients for whatever I’m making that day.
I would go for little photo walks and explore my neighborhood and new places.
I would start everyday with a nice breakfast, coffee or tea, and lovely music.
I would work on writing of all kinds. Blog posts, stories, maybe even article pieces.
I’d read as often as possible (which I do now) and start a monthly Book Club (which I want to do).
When it rains, I’d have movie or TV show marathon days.
I would make it a point to do exercise everyday, whether it be the gym, a bike ride or walk, or even take up a class.
I’d plan to host monthly dinner or cocktail parties with friends and family.
I’d learn to sew so I can fix thrift store pieces I buy that need a little tweaking.
I’d keep my house/apartment neat and organized and always add little pieces to make it cozy.

And yes, I’m aware I could and should do some of these things anyway.
But it’s hard when you’re tired after 8 soul-sucking, inspiration-killing hours and you only have evenings and weekends to work with.
And very little money.

Fun with Nails

For years, I reserved nail polish for my toes. I was used to messing up my nails, painting way out of the lines, getting lazy and let the polish chip to oblivion. I figured it wasn’t worth it. My toes were easy to ignore for a while. It was hard to tell if I had messed up and they lasted forever. So I stuck with that. Until I tried Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish strips. And then I fell in love with nail polish and nail art.

It started off with the strips, but then I got into actual nail polish. Wanted to try it out. And if you read this blog regularly, you know I really enjoy my OPI and I like to share the different things I try on Nails and Ales posts. Unfortunately, this summer has been filled with the same cheap beer, so I don’t have any new ales to show you. But I do want to share some of my recent nail art endeavors.
They aren’t perfect by any means, but it’s been fun to experiment.

(Again, I apologize, some of these are a bit messy)

I finally got some nail art polishes. L.A. Colors Art Deco polishes in black, white, and pink.
My first trial was this semi-tribal look. This was easy enough. I just used OPI’s No Room for the Blues and A Roll in the Hague and alternated nails. I used the regular brush to put the horizontal stripe in. And then I used the striper polish. It was SO easy and effortless. You must try L.A. Colors Art Deco. It’s amazing. The formula is smooth and opaque enough to cover any polish.

This was my second time using the striper and the first time doing a tape manicure. OPI’s Pamplona Purple served as the base. I used a bunch of tape to do the triangles, my favorite being the upside down triangle on both of my ring fingers. For that part, I used one of the new Essie metallic polishes, Good as Gold. And then I used the striper polish to trace the outline and separate the two. I really liked this.

Braided nails were a lot of fun to do. I want to try this again with different colors. This came from one of CutePolish’s amazing tutorials. 
I used OPI’s Pink Friday, Did It On ‘Em, and Fly (all from the Nicki Minaj collection, and covered it with Essie’s Shine of the Times flaky top coat to add a little extra oomph. I liked these colors together, so fun, and this braided style is super easy.
No extra tools needed, just the regular brushes that come with the polish!

Theses are the nails I am currently rocking (I took this picture right after painting them, thus the tiny messes here and there). These watermelon nails were super duper easy and they are so yummy and happy! There are so many ways to do these depending on the colors you want, if you want to do the whole nail (or just a slice, like CutePolish), and how much detail you want to put into it. I was based mine off a  photo on HelloGiggles. I used OPI’s Sparrow Me the Drama for the fruit and Jade is the New Black for the green rind. I finished it off with a swipe of white striper beneath the green line, and made my seeds using the black striper. Again, super easy and so fun!

 

So that’s my nail art right now. I’m so glad I’ve gotten into it all. I’m not the craftiest or artsy-iest person in the world, but nail art has been one of my favorite (and, as of late, few) creative releases. Hands are a part of everything we do, so it’s fun to look down at them and see something bright or cheerful. And they are a great conversation starter! I love talking to people about my nails or their nails.
That’s how I found out where to pick up my L.A. Colors!

Can’t wait to share more in the future. And hopefully we will get back to the Nails and Ales soon.

Weekend

A quick but satisfying weekend. I was all worried about my little bout of volunteering on Saturday, but I decided not to let it get in the way of fun. Friday night was spent on the back porch with some drinks and cigars. The actual volunteer work on Saturday went by quick and was actually quite fun! I took picture of kids on pony rides. It was fun to watch the contrast between complete hams and really shy kids.

The rest of the weekend was spent with my friends. I cried from laughter twice. It’s rare I even do that once.
I love laughing. And I love my friends. And coffee talk. And cute puppy cuddles.

I’m not ready for reality, for the work week. Bring me more fun!!!!!

Dinner Last Night: Pesto Chicken Florentine

I don’t know about y’all, but this week seemed to drag in my opinion. I’ve been desperately waiting for today. I just haven’t had the patience to deal with people or work or boredom for 8 hours straight. I was thisclose to totally copping out and skipping making dinner altogether. Money has been stressing me out (so I didn’t really wanna buy groceries, the prices really rack up depending on my ingredients) and I have just been sick of it all. But when I want to make a cheap, quick dinner, I’ve realized pasta is the way to go.

I discovered the recipe for Pesto Chicken Florentine through the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner iPhone app. It’s been really helpful. There are a few shortcuts here, but it made for a delicious meal. I bought fresh garlic bread from the bakery at the store, a great compliment. And you can never go wrong with a salad chock full of cherry tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and more.
My mom and I blasted the Frank Sinatra Pandora station and I drank our favorite cheap red wine, Riunite Lambrusco.

Totally worth it. The meal cost less than 15 dollars and everything was done in about 30 minutes.

 

I’m so glad Friday has arrived. Not so happy that I have to spend a good portion of tomorrow mandatorily volunteering for work.
I know, I’m forced to volunteer. That doesn’t make much sense, eh?
But otherwise, I don’t have to wake up super early either Saturday or Sunday, I get to spend time with my boyfriend, and I’m looking forward to a much needed girls night. No clue what I’ll really be getting into, but that’s the fun of it all!

Have a great weekend!

Ash Bar

I’m gonna be honest here; This summer I’ve dabbled in the art of cigar smoking. I don’t like cigarettes and I agree that smoking in general is a harmful habit, but cigars are an interesting leisure activity that has become prominent within my group of friends.
It’s not something I crave to do, but I’ve enjoyed trying a cigar here and there, puffing on a stogie, and enjoying the aromas.
Last Wednesday, Brad and I went on a double date with our friends Catie and Will to Ash. It is a super-cushy bar with leather couches, big flat-screen TVs, a great selection of food and booze, and a nice little room stacked with your choice of cigar.

Each of us had an amazing Italian meal from the restaurant upstairs, Buca de Vino. I had the Farfalle Carbonara and nearly died from deliciousness. After our dinner, it was time to head into the cigar section, pick our choices, and sit on a comfy leather chair for a nice beer, smoke, and conversation.

I’m so glad Catie and I decided to do this. It’s important to make weeknights just as fun as the weekend. Big thanks to ReferLocal for their voucher deal. It’s an excellent website that offers some great deals on restaurants, bars, and events around the area.

Can’t wait for the next double date!!

July Photo a Day Challenge Completed

It’s the first day of August…blowin’ my mind! I can’t believe we are on month 8 of 2012, and that summer will eventually be winding down. Sad thoughts I’m not prepared to contemplate yet.

But, with a new month brings the conclusion of another Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day challenge!

Here’s my month via photos!

1. A self-portrait of me in my aunt’s bathroom mirror. The less hair around my face, the better.
2. Acting busy blogging and such.
3. The best part of the day is when I get out of work and I can put my feet up!
4. Chilling in a 3-foot-deep pool with my favorite people is an understatement of fun.
5. Laundry on the floor.
6. Brad’s big, comfy computer chair.
7. Brad’s parents keep a lovely garden.
8. Grilled chicken and broccoli and shells for lunch.
9. Big empty IMAX theater for The Amazing Spider-Man.
10. I don’t have just one favorite color, but here are a few.
11. A postcard letter from my friend Jenna in California.
12. Salty, grainy texture on the shuffleboard table at a dive bar.
13. Cheap, white shoes that I’m completely open to decorating and changing.
14. This building holds Canteen 900, one of my favorite spots ever.
15. Brad’s fingers as we wait for our friends at brunch.
16. A cute, hand-painted sign at the Hometown Auction.
17. The show Misfits is a massive addiction of mine. If you haven’t watched it, DO IT. SRSLY.
18. Cherries left on my breakfast plate.
19. Honorary pet Artie being his dang cute self.
20. Ellie’s cute puppy eyes.
21. 9 o clock on my way “home” to Kingston, my man, and my friends.
22. Upside down shot of my favorite new maxi skirt.
23. My sweat reflection post-gym in the mirror.
24. This is a photo I took of a stranger back in 2010, the beginning of my Instagram relationship.
25. The heart on my cute “Love Bites” Me & Zena ring.
26. Sunshine on a cute house.
27. On the road to Brad’s after work.
28. Ice cold water in a cup.
29. Along with a couple of mugs, a new book and a Bridal Shower card were the last things I bought.
30. Super calm with my feet in the water.
31. Give me a toothbrush and I will destroy it.

I can’t wait to go for this month’s Photo a Day!

 

And…side note (but super important!)
Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mommy!!!!
I love you.