Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

 

From my latest trip in Long Island, I spent half a day collecting gorgeous shells by the beach. I decided to turn these two into cute little jewelry holders. They would be functional and so pretty to look at on display atop your armoire or nightstand.

I painted a few layers of acrylic paint in Tiffany blue and gray to get them really opaque. Then I alternated the colors and mixed them with my pearlescent paint on the inside. The inside is what would be on display so I took extra attention. Waiting for them to patiently dry was the hardest part! But here they are–diy ring or earring holders! One will be a gift for my sister and one will be for a good friend. I have many more shells in varying sizes and cannot wait to craft them into other jewelry holders, soap dishes, candles even or decor for a shadowbox!

Summer Trips

While I didn’t go out of the country, I did make a road trip every weekend of this summer so far! Here is a summary in pictures:

 

Massachusetts trip– Walden Pond!

 

New England trip! On the border of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts!

 

Cupsogue Beach on Long Island, NY!

 

Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, OH!

 

Portsmouth, ME

Summer Creams

I’m usually just a one color nail polish kind of girl but I was feeling artsy yesterday. The Julep Florence color was the creamiest polish I have ever used and the pigmentation was completely opaque just after one coat. Of course, I used another coat to get that super creamy, lush texture. The triangle design took me 2 tries but in the end I got it to where it was relatively neat. I used H&M matte seafoam green. I must have gotten a bad brush with mine because it only had 2-3 sad fibers but incidentally, those sparse fibers served me well in getting some precision nail art applied. No top coat or anything, y’all–just smooth, summer creams in a half-chevron design!

Soap Lover

Even though I use bar soap on a daily basis (along with liquid hand soap and bath gel), the rate at which I can try new soaps is extremely low. Thus, I get irrationally excited when I can unwrap a fresh bar and experience the new scent and texture. I am totally obsessed with fragrant products so candles and bar soaps make it to the top of my loves.

My hubby bought this little treasure for me at a trendy shop called the Soap Opera (cute, huh?) on State Street in Madison, WI. That store had all the brand name and kitschy craft spa products you can dream up within two rooms. I LOVE the packaging and the ever so square shape. The smell isn’t unique and not really sugar plumy but pleasant all the same. I am so pleased that it contains some exfoliating flecks as that will definitely give my skin a deeper cleanse.

I just came back from a 4-day trip to Portsmouth, ME and their quaint little downtown shops all had exquisitely wrapped soaps, candles and vintage looking perfumes. It took a lot of self control to only purchase 2 bars of soap that I’ve wanted since seeing the packaging for the first time 2 years ago. I’m pretty sure Swedish Dream soaps will solve all my problems based on their incredibly clean, sea salty smell and adorable packaging. Stay tuned if I ever review them!

French Manicure

It’s been two years since I’ve given myself a French manicure. Buffs, nudes and French tips were my obsession all throughout my college years. Upon graduating school, I’ve also graduated unto bold, exciting colors and opted for the more opaque and all-out matte looks.

For this throwback Monday, I used 3 coats of Revlon’s Sheer Blossom that really is quite sheer and ladylike. Then I used the white nail pre-cut tape strips to stencil an accurate white tip with Sally Hansen. For my final coat, instead of a clear coat, I used one more coat of that glassy, sheer pink on top, rounding out my look nicely. Letting the darned thing dry was the hardest. The white Sally Hansen tips took literally forever. I’ve had to fix at least 4 nails just hours later because they became warped upon touching. Are whites other than Sally Hansen better at drying? I need to find one.