nail polish

Random thoughts on the second day of summer

/ Meg / 33 Comments

Because sometimes we all need a random post, right?

1. My obsession with nail polish has reached a critical point. I’ve actually taken to selling a few new bottles on eBay to feed my addiction, because really — much like my overflowing bookcases, I can no longer store all the shiny bottles of lacquer arriving from Julep and, um, everywhere else. My nails are currently painted with Julep’s Claire, at right. When a friend commented on it being a “wild” choice for me, I decided I’m not daring enough. My goal is to wear whacky colors all summer long.

2. And in the same vein, I’m buying way too many pairs of flats. I’ve purchased three new pairs of shoes in the past month, which has to be some sort of record for my typical shoe-hating self, but I’m getting them cheaper than expected (eBay!) and trying to replace some older pairs that have really had the ax. I’m trying to up my fashion game . . . marginally, anyway.

3. I finally saw “The Shawshank Redemption” from start to finish — and wow, it’s depressing. (“But it has a happy ending!” my dad recently crowed. To which I say: yes, but just barely.) It was really good, though. Really good. Morgan Freeman is amazing — but that’s not breaking news.

4. My birthday is in less than a month. I typically love celebrating, but July 18 is a Wednesday this year — and that happens to be a serious deadline day for me. With a big section going to press plus all my normal weekly duties, there’s no way I’ll be anything but slammed . . . and that depresses me. But I guess that’s adulthood. I’ll have to settle for checking my Facebook notifications and treat myself to post-work dessert. If I’m lucky, maybe someone else will make me cupcakes. I don’t have to bake my own birthday dessert, right?

5. Speaking of dessert, I’m the head baker for my good friend Erin’s baby shower at the end of June! Blue velvet cupcakes — maybe 72 of them. I’m a little nervous. Baking is no problem, and even decorating doesn’t scare me . . . but the thought of transporting 72 cupcakes along bumpy roads makes my stomach drop. I have one of those big plastic carrying cases, but it only holds 24. Hmm
. . . if anyone has any transportation suggestions, please send ’em my way.

6. I’ve become obsessed with Brussels sprouts. I know that’s, like, really weird, but they’re my new favorite vegetable. Spencer got me hooked on them, bringing home the steam-in-the-bag variety, and I find myself requesting them at least once a week. Maybe we should try roasting them for something different.

7. I’m in a book-hopping mood. Sometimes I gobble up novels in a sitting or two, never flitting between books — and other times, like now, I’m restless and anxious and . . . I don’t know. Unfocused. I’ve picked up and put down three or four books in the last week, reading 30-50 pages of each before casting them aside. I’m not ready to throw them in the “abandoned” category, but nothing I’ve read since Beautiful Ruins has really held my attention. Really great books seem to do that: ruin you for a while.

8. Despite being a huge and long-standing fan of “The Bachelor” franchise (I know, I know . . .), I just can’t get into Emily’s season. While I initially loved her on Brad’s show, I’m very lukewarm on he rnow. Obviously she’s a real person and I don’t know her, but I always thought she was sweet and maybe a little “above” competing on a reality show for love. (Not that I judge that — I don’t, honestly; everyone has to meet somewhere.) Now she seems like yet another sell-out. But that’s just me; many people still luuuuurve her.

9. A show I am actually enjoying? “Dallas.” Considering I was in diapers when its first incarnation was on air, I have nothing to compare it to . . . but it’s filling the gaping hole in my life left by “Revenge” ending for the season. (My God, that finale. That finale. My jaw = on the floor.) And the actor playing John Ross reminds me of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, which reminds me of “The Tudors,” which reminds me of when I was actually excited about TV. So good times all around.

10. And because I like ending on even numbers . . . I’m really excited to see my family for our annual crab feast/reunion in a few weeks. You can’t be a Marylander without developing some affinity (or appreciation, at least) for seafood, and I haven’t gone crab pickin’ yet this year. Blasphemy, I know . . . but I feel like I’ve barely been home. Here’s to settling back in and wielding a crab mallet in the weeks to come.

Random things that make me happy, pt. 3

/ Meg / 14 Comments

1. Tea.

The quickest way to perk up my afternoon is to make myself a cup of hot tea. I have no less than six different kinds in my desk drawer — and I often find that the most exciting part of my work day is choosing a flavor. (It’s the little things . . .) When my boyfriend’s parents were in town at Christmas, I took his mom to an awesome local tea room. I just wanted to gobble up everything there!

2. Pretty postage.

I send lots of mail. Whether we’re talking postcards, love letters or old-fashioned mail to family, I better have a hefty stack of stamps at my disposal. I have the “Garden of Love” stamps now and use them to death.

3. Spencer’s wrinkle-nosed laugh.

Everyone has a Face. It’s the look you make when someone has really tickled your funny bone, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m not talking an obligatory chuckle here — I’m talking a big, from-the-gut, uncontrollable laugh that cannot be controlled. And when I say something that really makes Spencer double over or do something clumsy and hilarious, he wrinkles his nose and gives me a look of utter disbelief. That makes me laugh. And I love to laugh — especially with him.

4. Beautiful book cover art.

I totally judge books by their covers, and sometimes their covers are awesome. The books themselves? No clue. But at least they’re pretty.

5. Nail polish.

My obsession has reached a critical juncture. I joined the Julep Maven (affiliate link) program and am now treated to surprise nail shades and goodies coming to my mailbox every month, and let me tell you: this is bad. Well, I mean, it’s good; it’s awesome getting surprises in the mail. But it’s bad because I have to pay for it. And I have very little self-discipline when it comes to cosmetics.

It’s also bad because I’m the nut who now needs to change her polish constantly, and since I’m rarely sitting down long enough to do it . . . well, I’m typically up at 11 p.m. trying to keep my eyes long enough to give myself a manicure. Don’t stare too long at the smudges.

6. Post-Christmas clean-up.

I love holiday decorating as much as the next guy (or gal), but I’m very eager to pack up the inflatable snowmen and Christmas bulbs once the season has passed. We cleaned up our house last weekend and Spencer packed up his place this week, too. My desk is now free of miniature pink Christmas trees and my officemates have helped take down all the hanging icicle lights once strung along the ceiling of our office space.

The new year always feels like a clean slate, and I like having a (literal) clean space in which to embrace all that possibility. It feels good to have order restored, you know?

7. Instagram.

Yes, yes — after joining the iPhone world, I’ve become completely obsessed with the Instagram app for photos. You might have noticed my own recent shots look a tad bit different than the photos I normally share, and that’s because I can’t stop snapping shots with my phone.

While I once judged this and judged this harshly (I mean, what kind of quality are you getting with a phone?), I understand now. Instagram is awesome. And if you thought I took too many pictures of my food before, be afraid.

I’m also doing a 2012:366 project (leap year!) wherein I take one iPhone photo daily for 2012. I’ve seen lots of folks doing similar but always thought they were unrealistic for me. Since I’m not going anywhere without my phone, it’s easy to remember to document at least one small part of my day — and it gets my creative juices flowing on otherwise hum-drum occasions. And yes, there’s an app for that.

Yes, Meg, there is a Nail Polish Claus (and he likes pink)

/ Meg / 15 Comments

Something really exciting happened to me this week.

No, I haven’t yet found “The One” — or even “the one” of the moment. As of this posting, friends, I haven’t gotten to a third date with any of the gentlemen with whom I’ve been seeing recently. Casually. In a casual way.

I haven’t won the lottery or gotten a raise. And while I’m at it, I haven’t made great strides in finishing my fourth novel or returning to the infamous querying process in order to find someone who will value (and promote) my snark-tastic musings. I did win a heaping pile of books from The Book Studio — more on that later — but I’m so stressed and busy, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to crack the spine on any of them. Yes, things are insane — in a good way — and I’m feeling overwhelmed, but . . .

I found the perfect shade of
pink nail polish.

I’ve pranced around the planet for almost 25 years and polished up these pretty fingers more times than I can count. In terms of obsessions, I’m a bit of a nail polish junkie — and it doesn’t help that I frequent some fabulous fashion blogs which make me want to whip out the ol’ credit card and order everything in sight. If I’m strolling through Target, I have to detour into the makeup aisle — just to get a glimpse at all the tiny, pretty bottles, all perfectly lined up and promising I’ll become sassy or saucy or sexy while wearing these shades.

I’m pretty saucy on a daily basis — or try to be, anyway — but there’s something about those clear bottles promising me a mini-makeover that I find utterly irresistible.

But up until this week, I’d never been able to find the right shade of pink.

Because on top of being sassy and saucy, I’m very particular. My sister’s room is full of the pink cast-offs I’ve purchased over the years, trying to find the right color, only to decide that while it’s pretty or cute or whatevs, it’s not The One.

But it’s a brand-new day.

It’s called “Party In My Cabana” and is made by none other than OPI, that most fabulous (and, er, costly) of nail companies. Since I cycle through so many bottles of polish on a regular basis, I usually can’t see paying $8 or $10 a bottle for something I’ll probably wear once and then shove in a bin, but let me say this: I’d pay every cent of that $8 for this hue (and did), and I think you’ll see why. Glance to the very top.

It’s dark. It’s a fun, dark pink. It’s not bubblegum, but it’s not salmon. It’s bold and bright and fun, while still being sophisticated and work-appropriate.

Basically, it’s Heaven In A Tiny, Black-Capped Bottle.

I was about to stop believing, but my faith in cosmetics has been restored. Yes, Meg, there is a Nail Polish Claus — available on the OPI site — and it knew what I wanted even before I did. Once there, click “Try On This Color” and, you know, spend a few minutes (er, hours?) finding the shade that works best for you. Then head over to Amazon or your favorite retailer, find it cheap and go for it. Paint those nails. Or, in my case, come have a “party in my cabana”!

Not sure that sounds right. But, ladies, you know what I mean.

Remember to pink before you leap

/ Meg / 4 Comments

I’m certainly not the first woman in the world to declare her love for sparkly things — and I know there will never be a time when legions of other lovely ladies will join me! My ex-boyfriend once cleverly provided a graph similar to this one for the LOLs. Please pay special attention to the “shiny things and diamonds olfactory” on the frontal lobe:

female_brain

(FYI: Don’t Google Image search “woman’s brain.”
What has been seen cannot be unseen. Ick.)

And while the graph above is, you know, sexist and all, I can still see the humor in most of it (except for the bit about men being better drivers than women! Please.) At least where shiny things are concerned, it’s true. Women often flock to shiny, sparkly and pretty things like the famished to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. I’m certainly a classically pink-loving, silly and often ridiculously girly girl: I start most of my mornings by pouring over my favorites list at Etsy just for the eye candy. All those pink, pretty and shimmery things — all available for purchase? I can buy them quickly and easily with a few clicks on my mouse and they arrive at my door? It’s dangerous, I tell you . . . scary dangerous! And yes, I’ve been misbehaving — buying way more than I should be. And loving every minute of it.

opi_colorsI have all sorts of sparkly things, you see. Shirts, book covers, photo frames, handbags . . . and, of course, jewelry. (Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets . . . ah, sparkly things!) But my latest sparkly obsession? Nail polish! Well, specifically OPI nail polish. Each petite bottle (yes, women also think “tiny” things are adorable) is packed with loveliness and, in several cases, shimmer and glitter.

And they have ridiculously awesome names. The polish I slathered on last night is called “Pink Before You Leap.” I found an incredibly helpful chart with many of the shades and their respective, cute titles, and I’m now in love with “Mimosas For Mr. & Mrs.” and “Privacy Please” from the soft shades collection! Other awesome titles include “Nice Color, Eh?” from the Canadian Collection, “My Daddy’s The King,” “Cozu-Melted In The Sun” and “Blushingham Palace” from the British Collection (yeah, you know I’m loving that!). Rebecca likes “I’m Not Really A Waitress” (a very vibrant red) and I’m partial to “20 Candles On My Cake.” (It’ll be 24 this summer, but no mind.) There are just so many choices!

strawberry_margaritaIt’s fun to change nail color, too. I went through the blue-and-green nail polish phase, then the black nail polish phase, but I’m happy to report I’ve now come into an era where I wear . . . whatever sort of nail polish suits my mood! I usually stick with the pinks and reds, but tend to be a little more daring in the summertime. I haven’t had my nails professionally done in a while — a tad expensive, plus false nails usually annoy me — so I’ve been doing all the labor myself. This suits me just fine — I like to change the colors often! I’ll let “Pink Before You Leap” set for a bit, and then I’m moving on to . . . “Kyoto Pearl.”