Favorite 2014 Nail Trends: Pinks and Nudes

Few things make a woman feel more glamorous than a fresh mani! 

I've been letting my nails go au-natural for a few weeks to let them heal and can't wait to paint them up for this first time this year! BUT, the first mani of 2014 needs to be something special, right?

Nudes and Ballet pinks have been some of the best looks on the red carpet this year. Here are a few great ways to take these classic shades up a level: 

Pinterest

Refinery 29

PopSugar

elle

FashionDivaDesign

Have you tried any of these looks recently? Tell me about your favorite nail trends for 2014!

Today's Pickins:

1.  How to Remove Gel Polish at Home!

2. Second Day Hair Ideas

Saw It. Pinned It. Did It. {Nailed It}

Yes, the title is a cheesy pun.

No, I am not sorry about it. 

But I am excited to be linking up again today! 

I often find myself lusting after the cute, trendy nail designs of pinterest and just never seem to pull them off. I feel like I am missing a step in the details or something because my project never turns out the way I had hoped. 

Upon a tidbit from a random lady at Target, I decided to give it one last try!

I pinned and pinned and drew some inspiration from these posts:

Reverse Manicure Glitter

Using Tape to Create Nail Art

and

Glitter Triangles

I basically combined all of the ideas into one and decided to use tape to create a glittered, reverse manicure in a triangle shape. 

I promise, it sounds much more complicated than it is. 

First, I picked out two colors that I liked together-- Essie's Case Study as the base color and Sally Hansen's Strobe Light for the manicure. 

Next, I painted the base color and let it dry. This didn't take too long.

Here's the secret:

I then used WASHI TAPE to create the triangle design at the nail beds.  Once the tape was pressed down, I simple stroked a few coats of the glitter polish until I was satisfied! I then pealed the tape off, let the glitter finish drying, and applied a top coat! 

The washi tape is the secret in all of this. The tape seals enough to keep the nail polish from bleed onto the base color but is light enough that it does not pull away the base color when it is removed.

Genius.

You may have seen the end result on Instagram:

And here is another shot of the final product!

I really like these colors together and I think it keeps the nail design fun and more mature than some of the other designs I see! 

Have you ever tried washi tape when painting you nails?

Today's Pickins:

1.  Acrylic Jewelry Stands for your organized New Year

2.  Block Letter Bookends-would be cute with initials

3.  Perfect Bachelorette Cake! 

Changing Colors

As a Florida girl, I have a hard time remembering that fall is near. It really isn’t until we have our first brisk game day in The Swamp that it really hits me that fall is here.

I’ve always hated the sudden transition from summer hues to fall hues and wish it was a bit more gradual. One of the best ways to mitigate this sudden switch is to transition slowly—and a great way to start that it with your nails!

A secret nail polish addict, I seem to change my color at least once a week and own more nail polish than I have room for. I’ve found that some of the colors I already have had great hints of some fall inspirations which are perfect for the transition!

What are some of your favorite ways to transition from summer to fall?

Today’s Pickins:

1.       Shamrock Shake copycat recipe!? Might have to break my “no sugar” rule for this! 

2.       Making a T-Shirt quilt  is a perfect winter project will all of my old Sigma Kappa tees.  

3.       Brightly colored doors are one of my favorite parts of a home, especially the bright blue! 

4.       Lilly Pulitzer’s Oar dressing room in their new Maryland store would be an awesome recreation in a nautical bathroom!