Nail Art: The 50/50

Apologies for the week hiatus. Life got crazy; and unfortunately, this blog is one of the first things to get neglected. (Along with my "health conscious" diet, which is probably another issue entirely...) 


So, hello again!
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I'm an avid follower of The Beauty Department--a website devoted to all things "beauty," giving advice on the best hair/makeup for various occasions or outfits,  as well as tutorials for hair/makeup/nails.


Usually, I just read the how-to's & browse the pictures, deeming most of the suggestions either too difficult for me to attempt or simply unrealistic for me to rock in my every day life. 


However, after seeing numerous DIY nail art pictures on TBD & Pinterest, I decided to give it a try.


I call this, The 50/50. (I didn't really follow a particular how-to, but here's the general inspiration: CLICK)

The Players: Gold & mint nail polish, office stickers, scissors, top coat.

The Players

1. Paint first color.
In this tutorial, it's whichever color you'd like on the bottom part of your nail.


2. After the first color has dried, place stickers on the nail. 
Since my stickers were large, I cut them into quarters. (TBD usually uses reinforcements.)
Place stickers on your nail depending on how much you'd like to keep the first color. In this case, I did about 50%.


3. Paint second color.

Step 1 - 3

4. After the second color has dried, carefully remove the stickers.
I found that peeling the sticker sideways is better than simply lifting it up. 


5. Add top coat. 


DONE! Your very own, two-toned nail art!

Voila!! 50/50!

This wasn't terribly difficult, but definitely not as simple as TBD makes it seem. If I did this one again, I'd place the stickers lower so the colors are less 50/50 and more 30/70. 


Either way, I'm pretty pleased with the results. I'm not the most patient or dexterous when it comes to nail painting, so if I can do it, you all most certainly can!


Follow me on Pinterest to see what other nail art I'm looking to try. 


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Have fun! Good luck! & Happy Monday!


xoxo,
trey

Bits of Happiness

As the weekend approaches (long weekend for some), I leave you with a few things that are currently making me smile, and hopefully will make you smile too...


1. Flowers in bloom!


Most guys don't understand the point of giving flowers, arguing the obvious--"they die." However, while the life of a bouquet of flowers is fleeting, the happiness it brings lasts so much longer. When in doubt, buy the flowers.

They're so friendly!

2. Emoji fun! I downloaded the emoji application for my iPhone and it's awesome.

On Valentine's Day, my cousin & I were discussing The Notebook. Here's a screenshot of part of our text conversation. 

If you love The Notebook, you'll instantly recognize where this is from. 

If you don't...well then you should watch it again!

Yes, our texts usually look like this.

3. A hilarious, loving piece of advice from my father about love & Valentine's Day...

As for not having a Valentine at this time. Remember, you want the right valentine, and not the wife beater - so be patient. Keep an eye out, and just be you. You are a good catch, and your future Valentine will be the same for you!

Thanks, Dad:

...for reassuring me that one day, someone will love me for me.

...for reminding me to always keep my eyes open, because love can be found anywhere. 

...for stressing the importance of patience, because nothing worth while ever comes easily.

...for knowing that my future Valentine will be just as awesome as I am. ;)

And finally...

...for reminding me that I want "the right valentine, and not the wife beater." 

Phew, I had almost forgot. :P
Ladies, remember that one! 

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Happy Friday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am not a fan of Valentine's Day.


Before everyone assumes it's because I've turned into a cynical, love-hating, single girl, let me just clarify that it's not the case.


In fact, I love, love.


I love being in love & I love seeing people in love. Whether it be between family, friends, or a significant other, I think love is everything.


My annoyance with Valentine's Day is mainly due to the pressure that it causes, which usually overpowers the actual celebration of love that it's really about...


Pressure to "define the relationship."
Pressure to get the right card/gift.
Pressure to plan something just right.
Pressure to not get your hopes up.
Pressure to not disappoint.
Pressure to not feel disappointed.
Pressure to not wallow in your single-dom & feel sorry for yourself.


Love should be celebrated every day. Now I know that's not realistic, but isn't an "I love you" card/gift more meaningful when you aren't expecting it?? Thoughtfulness because you wanted to, not because you were supposed to...


I'm not saying not to celebrate Valentine's Day--because really, why not have another reason to celebrate--I'm saying to think about celebrating love throughout the year, as well. :) 


Oh well, enough negativity! We'll just embrace it--Happy Valentine's Day!


To my wonderful family & friends who always make me feel so loved:

I love you & am grateful for you, every day. :)

pun-ny cards I sent out to friends. 

Love is the answer--at least for most of the questions in my heart.

Like: why we here? where do we go? & how come it's so hard?

-jack johnson, "better together"

xo, trey

Best Invention Ever!

Today my brain decided to stage a protest against productivity and stay on weekend mode, even though I had a million things to accomplish. Needless to say, I came home frazzled & exhausted. 


The only thing keeping me from complete frustration was my excitement to come home and eat cereal. Wow, that sounds quite pathetic...but this is not your usual milk & cereal experience! 


To preface, I HATE soggy cereal. When I was a kid, I'd try to eat my cereal as fast as possible before it got soggy. If it got soggy, I threw it out. As I got older, I wised up and settled the method of on pouring a bowl of milk, then adding cereal a bit at a time so it never gets soggy. (Definitely less wasteful.)


But now, my cereal eating has evolved one step further--the Obol!!! 

It's an bowl divided into 2 compartments at different heights with a connecting "slide." So your cereal is separate from your milk and can be slid into the milk when you want. GENIUS! 

Best Invention EVER.

I'm not sure if I can fully explain how happy this makes me. But it really really really does. 


*A special thank you to my aunty for this amazing find!*


And just when I thought my bowl of cereal would be the highlight of my day...I get a knock on my door and it's my little brother, with an early Valentine's Day present!! *insert shock* 

So pretty.

Typical--a guy can do a gagillion things to frustrate you, but do one thing sweet and all is forgotten. 


Well played, brother. You're definitely getting older & wiser. Ha! But seriously, thank you. Love you. #bestbrotherever


I guess today wasn't so bad, after all. :)

Another Sophie Grace & Rosie Hit!

So I think by now we've all heard of Sophia Grace & Rosie...


They're 2 little girls from the UK who became huge internet sensations last year with their viral YouTube hit--a cover of Nicki Minaj's "Superbass." (CLICK for 1st video)


Since then, they've made several appearances on Ellen, done celebrity interviews on the red carpet, and have had countless talk show appearances. 


Their excitement + British accent = hilarious!


Here's their latest performance on Ellen... "Turn My Swag On" by Keri Hilson. 


I love when Sophia Grace does her own freestyle at the end. It's so good!

Enjoy!

A Very Happy Cupcake

Happiness is: a fun cupcake! 


My brother & his girlfriend made these cupcakes last weekend. Well, I think it was more like she made the cupcakes while he kept her company & taste-tested. But it's probably for the best--know your strengths. ;)


At a glance they're so cute and very appropriate for Valentine's Day...

Totes adorbs.

but when you bite into them, they get even cuter... 

<3

RAINBOW!!


Adding food coloring to small portions of batter, then layering it, creates the rainbow effect!


If you'd like to try making these yourself, here's the recipe they used...


Rainbow Cupcakes (Recipe credit HERE)
Ingredients:

3/4 cup Self-Rising Flour
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla 
3 tbs Milk
Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow Food Coloring

Directions:
Start by pre-heating your oven to 395 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, use whisk to beat sugar into butter until creamy and fluffy. The mixture should be light in color. Slowly stir in eggs and flour, making sure each is thouroughly stirred in. Mix in Vanilla. Stir in milk 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring thoroughly after each tablespoon is added.

Divide mixture evenly into each of the smaller bowls.

Add food coloring:
Bowl 1 (Red) - 8 drops red
Bowl 2 (Orange) - 8 drops yellow, 4 drops red
Bowl 3 (Yellow) - 8 drops yellow
Bowl 4 (Green) - 8 drops green
Bowl 5 (Blue) - 8 drops blue
Bowl 6 (Purple) - 8 drops blue, 4 drops red

Line muffin pan with muffin cups. Starting with purple, spoon batter evenly into each of the muffin cups, spreadng slightly. Continue, layering, with blue, then green, then yellow, then orange, then red.

Bake for 20 minutes at 395 degrees.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 oz unsalted butter (softened)

3 oz cream cheese (softened)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla 

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Now that's a very happy cupcake. :)

Grandpa Turns 90th

Today it was very easy to be happy. 


Today my Grandpa Sonny turned 90.

:)

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Sonny. We love you.

Fashion Pro(Re)gression

After a fun-filled weekend, Mondays are never easy to be happy about.

So to get me jazzed, I decided to wear my new pink & orange striped dress I had just purchased. I've been told color stimulates the brain; so whenever I feel down, I try to use my outfit as a good pick-me-up. It usually works...must have something to do with the "fake it to make it" mentality--If I look happy, I'll be happy.

However, this soon took an unexpected turn...

I paired my new dress with a blue denim jacket, white Converse, & my usual array of arm candy. Feeling a good combination of J.Crew preppy & LA hipster, I felt satisfied about my outfit choice. However, as I saw my reflection in the windows/door entering my office building, I realized: Shoot, I definitely wore this outfit in high school...instantly taking my fashionista confidence from about an 8.5 to about a 2. 

There are only a few things that can so drastically kill your "I-love-my-outfit" buzz:

- Accidentally wearing the same outfit as your friend.

- Accidentally wearing the same outfit as your enemy.

- Knowing your friend/enemy looks better in your same outfit.

- Staining/ripping your outfit.

- Realizing you wore the outfit in high school.

Wearing the same outfit almost 10 years out of high school means you were either an extremely forward-thinking fashionista in high school...or you have regressed.

And in this case, it was definitely the latter. 

Funny enough, my denim jacket is the same one I wore in high school--complete with my last name written in Sharpie on the tag by my mother to prevent it from being lost or stolen. (I guess it worked. Thanks, Mom.)

As the day progressed, I laughed at my fashion quandary & settled that my outfit was about a 4. After all, aside from my poor pairings, I was still wearing a new, fun, striped dress. 


It also helped that I got an extra boost of happiness by finally getting one of Starbucks' Valentine's Day cups! The theme is "Celebrate, everylove." Very cute. Very happy.

LOVE cup & my new dress.

What was meant as a fashion PROgression, ended up a fashion REgression. 

Oh well, lesson learned. 

Still happy. :)

Super Bowl Sunday

Happiness is: a sunshine-y Super Bowl Sunday!


While most everywhere else in the US is watching the Super Bowl in freezing weather, I spent the hours before the big game poolside--drinking beers, eating homemade tacos, & soaking in the glorious SoCal sunshine with friends.


I think LA has had approximately 1.5 days of rain in 2012. (If there's been more than that, I don't remember it.) And while that's not great for the agriculture, it's great for happiness! How can you be sad when the weather's happy??


My apologies to those in colder/less than perfect weather places, as this is not meant to completely rub it in. :P


Not happy that the Pats lost, but we'll focus on the positive. It was a great day.


I love LA. Happy Super Bowl, all! 

Oh, George...

Happiness is: George Clooney.


Plain & simple. Am I right or am I right??


Now this isn't quite what I had in mind for today's post, but it fits.


I know I'm not alone in my love for this man. He's been voted People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive"--twice. TIME Magazine called him one of the 50 most influential people. He's insanely handsome and has a certain je nais se quoi that makes him so attractive.


He was recently interviewed on Inside the Actors Studio. I'm only 15 minutes into the 2 hour episode, but I'm a fan.


LA Times Magazine also recently published this article about the "Merry Prankster." (CLICK to be redirected to article)


Of course there's more to be happy about right now, but for now, I'll just leave you with George. Because really, how can you look at him and not smile?? 

PC: LA Times Magazine