Happy 4th of July - Version 1.0

Good morning, Kitschies!  We've made it to Thursday...how many of you have a 3-day weekend coming up?  I do!  It's 4th of July weekend but it's stoopid dry here and the governor asked us to please not use fireworks this year.  She said she doesn't have the authority to ban the sale of legal fireworks...if she doesn't, who *does*?  *sigh*  I know we're going to my MIL's house for a BBQ on Saturday and Sunday, we're getting together with our besties and our gaggle of kids for another get together.  Funny thing is, we don't have plans for the actual day of the holiday.  Who knows.  Maybe we'll get some rain that evening and it won't matter what we do because we'll be confined to the house. 

I'm a pretty patriotic person; I love red, white and blue.  My kitchen is painted red, white and blue and it's decorated with various America-themed trinkets.  So, as you could imagine, I have used red, white and blue in my share of manis!  This is my first 4th of July themed mani of the season.  And, actually, I did this for Memorial Day back in May.  LOL  I *told* you I'm behind in posting!

This is Orly Monroe Red (gorgeous red creme with subtle red shimmer), ChG Frostbite, Studio M Magic Attraction and white striping polish.  I first saw this on Sally Beauty's Eye For Beauty in January and then did my version in February.  I liked the design so much, I decided to give it another go...this time in red, white and blue!

I had a bit of shrinkage at the tips with the chunky silver holographic polish and some drag with the blue in to the white, but all in all, I really liked how this turned out.

While I'm thinking about it, I have my bestie to thank for Orly Monroe Red.  She asked me to pick up a "hooker red" polish back in the fall.  I liked it so much on her that I decided to snag a bottle when I saw it on clearance at Sally Beauty in April. 

This wraps up my first of at *least* two 4th of July inspired manis.  I did a RW&B water marble Tuesday night that turned out pretty great.  I attempted a tie-dye version but that didn't turn out so great.  LOL

What are your plans for 4th of July?  Do you get Monday off?

WWTKW: Nothing Specific Edition

It's Wednesday!  I don't know about you, but it seems like this week is dragging by.  I think it's partly because the hubs left early Monday morning to scenic El Paso and won't be back until late this evening.  And, it's partly because my docs are leaving for a week starting today, so I've been looking forward to some down time at the clinic.  Either way, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means...

Put down that laundry (or the cleaning or the baby - just for a minute) and join me for We Want to Know Wednesday!





Don't know about questions 1-3, but 4 comes from Amberly Adventures and 5 comes from All Along the Hightower. Both great blogs I love to visit - you should visit, too!

1.  What was the last thing you searched for online?

Well, I'm cheating.  I'm filling this out at work on Wednesday...shhhhh...so it was probably something clinic related.  You know.  Trying to find the best gastroenterologist in town.  Or looking for inexpensive temperature probe covers.  Something cool and exciting like that.

2.  If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?

Home state?  That's a hard one.  If you'd said home town, that would've been much easier (and that would be having "lunch" at Dewar's in Bakersfield, CA).  But, since you're saying state, I don't think I can narrow that down to one thing.  If you're in Southern CA, I'd say visit Sea World.  Central CA?  Visit Hollywood and go to Universal Studios.  Sure, Disneyland is cool, but Universal Studios is better for adults.  Now, Northern CA is a two-fer.  Gotta go to Monterey Bay Aquarium; easily the best aquarium in the US.  And...you have to go visit Santa Cruz.  Such a pretty small-ish town with a fun boardwalk.  If you've seen Lost Boys, you've seen Santa Cruz boardwalk.  So much fun!

3.  What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?

I'd say male birth control, but that's in the works, so...lemme think...

4.  When was your first kiss?  Was it good or bad?

My first kiss was actually in kindergarten.  Don't judge.  It was completely innocent.  Was it good?  I was in kindergarten - who knows!  But, my first *real* kiss was the summer before I went in to high school.  And, yes.  It was good.

5.  What is your guilty pleasure TV show that you can not miss?

Project Runway.  I DVR all the episodes.  I love how creative and talented those people are.  I mean, they are given a challenge and then they have to come up with something completely on their own (without the use of outside information like the internets).  And then there's the inevitable drama which is good to watch, too.  Oooh!  And I just found out the new season starts in just over a month.  WOOT!

There ya go!  Check out Confessions of an Impulsive Addict for more great WWKTW!

Flash of Orange

Happy Tuesday!!  Here we are, chugging through another week.  It's only the second full week of Summer and I'm already over it.  So over it.  Enough complaining, right?  Right.  On to the pretties!

In case you haven't noticed, I am *super* behind in posting my manis.  I'm posting manis from the end of April and the beginning of May!  I was in a blog funk for a while - I didn't want to prep pics, compose posts, the whole 9 yards.  But, it seems like I'm outta that funk for now and I'm getting chunks of pics prepped.  Don't worry...during my blog funk I still did my nails a couple times a week.  This is one of those manis.

This, my friends, is Color Club Tangerine Scream from the Electro Candy collection (summer 2009).  If you've followed me from the beginning, you know that I have a certain hatred toward neon polishes.  Then I saw the Electro Candy collection on Scrangie's blog and all that changed.

These pics don't make this neon orange scream as much as it really does in person.  The thing I like about these neons is the shimmer.  The orange has a light green shimmer that just glows in the sun.

On top of the screaming orange, I used a Bundle Monster full-nail stamp.  My only complaint about the older BM full-nail stamps is they're not broad enough to cover my whole nail.  I've heard they fixed that with the new set, but I can't say for sure.  While this didn't turn out exactly like I had planned, I still liked the design (incomplete and all).

For more color-accurate pics, please check out Scrangie's blog - she has the best pics of these pretty neon polishes.

Are there any polish colors, finishes, etc. that you hated at first but ended up liking in the end?  I'm glad to say that with the right ones, I don't think there's a polish I can truly say I hate.  However, there are some pretty fugly colors out there...but that's another post for another day. 

Hot Enough For Ya?

Happy Monday, Kitschies.  Well, as happy as a Monday can be.  Anyway...it was a hot one here in New Mexico over the weekend.  We don't usually reach over 100* but for the last 3 or 4 days, it's been HOT!  At least it's a dry heat.  And I mean that in all seriousness - because it really does make a difference.  Saturday evening we went to a graduation party - outside.  Sunday I took the boys to a play place inside one of the malls because they needed to get out of the house and it's too hot to sit and watch them at the park.  The best and her kids joined us for both occasions which made them both a bit more bearable.

Since it's nice and hot out lately, I thought I'd share a delish spicy recipe with you today.  I found this on Food Network (courtesy Rachel Ray) while looking for a new spicy chicken recipe to try.  The amount of heat this dish has is variable depending on your taste.


Spicy Thai Chicken

2 cups jasmine rice, prepared to directions on the package
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) wok or light colored oil
1 tablespoon hot chile oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small to medium onion, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in thin stream or 2 splashes) fish sauce
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, torn

Place rice on the stove top to cook.

Cut chicken on an angle across the breast into thin strips. Cut strips across into bite size pieces. Set chicken aside. Wash hands and cutting board.

When the rice is 6 or 7 minutes away from being done, begin your stir fry.

Heat a wok, wok shaped skillet, or large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the pan smokes, add wok or light cooking oil, and hot chile oil. Sprinkle in crushed pepper flakes. Add chicken and stir fry 2 minutes. Add onions, red bell peppers, and garlic and stir-fry for 1 or 2 more minutes. Add fish sauce. Remove the pan from heat and add basil. Toss chicken dish until basil wilts.

Serve chicken and peppers with prepared rice, salad with peanut dressing.

NOTES:  I found this to take longer than the 6 or 7 minutes as this suggests.  You can add more or less of the hot chile oil depending on how spicy or how mild you prefer your food.  I like it HOT!

I think I'm going to have to make this recipe again sometime soon.  It was pretty easy to make and the hubs and I liked it.  We spared the boys and made them chicken because I think this would've been just a bit too spicy for their little mouths.

Just an FYI...I'm putting together some things for a giveaway very soon.  It's going to have two parts: something for the foodies and something for the beauties.  Hope you survive your Monday!  Check back often for my Super Summer Giveaway!

Friday Confessions: Cali Edition

TGIF!!  For as fast as this week has gone by, you'd think I would've gotten more done.  But no.  It seems like the hotter it gets, the less I'm inclined to get off my butt once I get home.  LOL

I missed last week's confession, so I have a lot to share.

I confess...

It was so nice to be "home" last week.

I confess...

Even though it was pretty hot (though not as hot as it has been this week) and more humid than I'm used to now, I enjoyed being outside, working on my sunburn tan.

Yep.  Those are tan lines.

I confess...

It was so much fun to watch Nate playing at the spray park and in the little pool in my parent's back yard.  That kid is like a fish!  If there's water, he's in it!

I confess...

Mason loves his baths, but the "open" water?  Notsomuch.  He does, however, love bounce houses.  We went to The Wild (a space with a bunch of bounce houses) and both boys were dripping with sweat, but they had a LOT of fun.

I confess...

I felt kinda out of place at the concert we went to.  Why?  Because I was wearing COLOR.  Seriously.  We were in a sea of black/goth-dressed people.  I stuck out like a sore thumb.

But I looked good, so it doesn't count.

And we had fun.  So it doesn't count.

I confess...

I'm disappointed that Miss Nailstah didn't check her email in time and we weren't able to coordinate a meet up.  But I love her, so it doesn't count.

I confess...

As much fun as we had visiting family and hanging out in the warm California sun, there's no place like home and sleeping in your own bed. 

What do you have to confess on this wonderful Friday?  Any plans for the weekend?

A Case of the Purples

Happy Thursday, Kitschies!!  Can you believe it's already Thursday?!  It seems like the days are going faster and faster...and really, since Summer Solstice was Tuesday, the days are getting shorter, so it's going doubly fast!  LOL  *sigh*

A few things before I get in to today's post.  I finally got around to changing the look of my blog.  If you know me, you know I'm pretty patriotic, so I thought this background looked good without being too obnoxious.  What do you think?  Oh!  And I made a new blog button, too, so grab one (if you want) and update your old button.  Also, I've been contemplating splitting my blog in two.  I'm thinking about making Kitschy Suburbia just about nails, nail art and maybe adding so makeup stuffs and then creating another separate blog for family, food, crafts and such.  To help me decide, I put a poll up in the top right of my blog.  And, as always, input is appreciated, so comments at the bottom of this post are welcome.

On to the pretties, shall we?

I wore this mani once upon a time (really, I don't remember but it's been quite a while).  I saw something similar to it on one of the blogs I follow (and it's pissing me off that I can NOT find the blog - if you know which one I'm talking about, please let me know so I can link to her) and decided I'd try it out.

This is OPI William Tell Me About OPI (from the Winter 2010 collection) as a base and Zoya Mimi (from the Sparkle collection) sponged on the tips.  I want to love WTMAO because it's a gorgeous vampy purple but it's pretty thin and even with 3 coats, you can still see drag in some spots.

The thin spots aren't as easily seen in the bright sunlight as in the flash pic, but I know they're there.  LOL  Anyway, I was really happy with the way this one turned out.  The sparkle on the tips was not completely obvious and I was good with that. 

Here it is in differing types of light - all outdoors.  I like how WTMAO looks different colors depending on the light.  For some reason, I remembered this mani being prettier than it shows up int he pics.  I guess you'll have to try it for yourself!  I think I'm going to try this one again but with greens using another OPI and Zoya combo.

Back to work!  Enjoy your day and try to stay out of the heat.  It's supposed to be 100* here today - it doesn't usually get that hot here.  And I don't like it.  At least it's a dry heat...?  And don't forget to vote in my poll...pretty please!

WWtKW: Seriously Shawn Edition

Good morning, Kitchies.  It's been a long morning already and it's not even 7 yet!  Mason woke up sick (like, puking sick) this morning at 2:30.  And then again after 3.  He and I ended up sleeping on the couch and let me tell you.  For being so small(ish), he sure does take up a lot of the couch!  LOL  I'm tired.  I feel bad for not being at work today because it's going to be super busy.  But, family comes first and I'd rather be with my sick little boy than have somebody else watch him right now.  Anyway...I missed WWTKW last week, so you can bet I'm going to get on it today.




This week's questions come from Seriously Shawn...

1.  What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?

You know...I can't remember any pick up lines that were used on me.  And no, I haven't used any.  Guess I'm starting this week off with a bang!  LOL

2.  What is your most and least favorite day of the week?

I don't like Monday.  Original, I know.  My favorite day of the week is Saturday because it's the weekend and there's still one day left to enjoy before I have to face my dreaded Monday.

3.  How many hours of sleep do you require each night?

Require?  At least 5, but I'm much better with 8.  I've functioned on less, but not very well.  And I'm not usually very happy about it (kinda like today - I probably got about 5 today and I can tell it definitely wasn't enough). 

4.  Is there a song that takes you back in time?  What is it and what memory is attached to it?

There isn't a specific song, but there are groups that take me back.  Like Chicago, The Doobie Brothers and Billy Joel - they all remind me of camping during the summer with my family when I was growing up.  Oh!  There is a piece of music: Rhapsody in Blue.  For the same reason.  I love Gershwin!

5.  What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Doing my nails.  Or watching a show that only *I* want to watch.  Those are kinda lame answers, but they're good enough for now.  My brain isn't quite functioning yet.

*sigh*  I need to get some coffee.  Be sure to check HERE to see other great WWTKWs.  See you soon!

Silence That Sweet Tooth

Good morning, Kitschies!  And happy Summer to you!  Can you believe it's already the middle of the year?  It is officially the first day of Summer and the longest day of the year.  I remember, as a kid, being mad about having to go to bed when it was still light out.  Now I get that same complaint from Nate.  Oh, it's rough being a kid.

Speaking of being a kid, this recipe kinda reminds me of that.  It's super easy and super rich and pretty sweet.  Got a sweet tooth?  This will definitely kill your sweet craving!  I can't eat a whole cup - but I bet Nate could (if I let him)!  I found this recipe one day while surfing blogs and now I can't remember which one I went to and, of course, I can't find it now.  But, I found the same recipe on another site. 

Nutella Mug Cake

4 Tbsp self rising flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp Nutella
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug.  Whisk well with a fork until smooth.  Microwave on high 1 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Top with whipped cream, chocolate sauce or whatever else you'd like.

NOTE:  Use a LARGE coffee mug - it will overflow if you use a regular mug.  To make self rising flour, add 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt to all-purpose flour.  Cooking time varies depending on the wattage of your microwave.  Mine only took 1:45.

Apparently, the recipe I found called for an egg.  You can probably omit it without problem, but I think it makes the cake more moist and less microwave-y.

Here's a mug size comparison.  I used a mug that my grandma gave me for soup.  It's gigantic and the perfect size for a mug cake!

Looking at this picture makes my teeth hurt!  And I say that in the best way possible.  LOL  We didn't have any whipped cream or chocolate sauce, so I ate it plain.  Could you imagine this with caramel sauce on top?  OMGosh.  Now I want one of these for dinner tonight.  *giggle*

What's your favorite thing (pre-made or recipe) to cure your sweet tooth?

Butterfly Kisses

Good morning, Kitschies!  I'm baaaaack.  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to visit the fam in Cali.  We made the trip in almost record time on Saturday.  It was a very uneventful trip (which is a good thing) and we even took a little break in Flagstaff, AZ for a quick sandwich break!  We got home safe and sound and we spent Father's Day getting caught up on laundry and various chores around the house.  The hubs didn't have much of a Father's Day since we spent the week away.  He was lucky (and appreciative) to get a 6-pack of beer and a good flashlight.  It's the little things.  LOL

You'll get a post full of highlights from the trip, but I haven't had time to sort through all the pics, so today I'm sharing one of my favorite manis from the last couple months.  I don't remember exactly when I wore this, but I can tell you it was probably in May.

I saw this nail art on Lacquerized once upon a time, but when I went back to use it for reference, I couldn't find the image to save my life.  Oh, and BTW, I hate that Lacquerized is no longer posting.  She was the best, in my opinion.  Does anybody know where she went?  Or why she went?  Anyway...I started off with 3 coats of OPI The Show Must Go On, a gorgeous magenta glass-flecked sorta duochrome.  Then I grabbed my black striping polish and drew on the butterfly wing.  I finished it off with various dots using OPI Alpine Snow and a medium dotting tool.

Oops!  This one is a little blurry, but you can see the purple-ish shimmer that shows up in TSMGO.  So sparkly.  So pretty.

Outdoors, indirect light.  You can really see the golden shimmer in this pic.  I love this polish because it changes depending on the light.  It's not quite as awesome as her sister MAC polish, but I'm not about to drop that much money when I can spend less than $10 on a polish that's close enough to me to be a dupe. 

One more pic for good measure.  This is one of my favorite OPI polishes.  You give me raspberry/magenta and add some shimmer and you've pretty much got me hooked!!

Well, it's back to the grind for me.  It's been pretty busy today at the clinic, but not insane busy like it can be.  The boys were pretty happy to get back to daycare today - they're probably going to be exhausted when I pick them up tonight!  I hope you survive the rest of your Monday.

A Quick Update

Hello, bloggy buddies!  Just a quick update for you so you don't think I've disappeared off the face of the Earth. 

I'm visiting my parents in California this week.  We've had such a great trip so far.  We got together with extended family and family friends for a joint birthday for Nate and Mason on Sunday.  Went to LA for an awesome concert and then a mind-blowing Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA and lunch with my sister and BIL.  Today we're back at home base and hiding out indoors because it's HOT! 

We'll be heading home on Saturday and though I'm not looking forward to leaving my family, I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed!  So, if I don't comment on your blog, it's not because I don't love you anymore, because I do, it's because I'm busy soaking up the warm California sun!!  I'll be back in the swing of things next week.

Hope you're enjoying your week and aren't working too hard!  See you soon.

Friday Confessional: Almost Vacay Edition

TGIF!  It's a good day.  Not just because it's Friday but because as soon as I get off work tonight, I'll be on vacay for a WEEK!  I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say that, but I'm so excited.  I haven't been home to visit during the summer for a LONG time and it'll be nice to show the boys and the hubs what "home" is like during a time other than Christmas.  LOL  So, join me for my weekly confessional.

I confess...

It's going to be hard to get through the work day today.  I leave for Cali in less than 24 hours and I have a *ton* of things to do at home.

I confess...

I can't wait to be home in Bako.  It'll be hot but I don't care because I'll be at home!

I confess...

The hubs made a mix tape MP3 disc for the trip...I probably won't like it.  We don't have the same taste in music most of the time. 

I confess...

I am considering making and selling reusable market bags.  I made bag #6 last night and I love it, but I don't think it's good enough to sell.  The hubs is pushing me to do it, but I just don't know.

I confess...

I've done 4 loads of laundry over the past two nights and I'm still not finished.  *sigh*

I confess...

I hear the boys banging on the bedroom door but I'm going to let them do it for a while because I'm almost finished here.  Besides.  I don't hear crying.  They're fine.

I confess...

That made me sound like a bad mom.  I'm really not a bad mom.  Just a mom without a lot of free time.  If they're playing together and nobody is crying, it's a good thing!

I confess...

I don't know how much I'll be on my blog next week, but I promise to be back the following week.  I'm sure I'll have some good stories to share when I get back!!

I confess...

I do not feel one ounce of guilt about not being at work next week.

There ya go!  Not so juicy this week - my mind is in a different place today.  Link up to Mamarazzi for some more (probably more juicy) confessions.

Roadtrippin

Good day, Kitschies!  I hope you're surviving the week.  I'm starting to count down the hours til we leave for California early Saturday morning!  And, of course, it's been kinda busy at work today, so I haven't had much time for a post. 

Since I've given you two manis this week, I figured I'd switch it up a bit and show you what I have planned for me and the hubs for one of the days/evenings of our vacay.  This is a little thing I put together to present to the hubs for the anniversary of our first date.

Dear hubs,

We've had another busy year and June 5th marks our 7th wedding anniversary.  Since you planned a special getaway for our last anniversary, it's my turn to plan something special just for us.  So...pack your bags,

we're taking a road trip down to...

to see...

(Brendan Perry) at the...

(El Rey Theatre).  And then we're spending the night ...all by ourselves...at

a cute little boutique hotel near the theater.  Then for lunch on Tuesday, we're meeting up with

(Chicken and Ryan) for lunch!  After a peaceful (read: sans kids) visit, we'll head back to beautiful...

see our beautiful

and finish out our trip in whatever way you'd like.

(Grandma & Beba) have already agreed to watch the boys overnight and are excited to have them both to themselves for a little while.  We'll ask them how they felt after the fact, though.

So...let's get through the next couple busy months and then have some fun in the warm California sun!


I gave this to the hubs in March - I've been dying to get to this trip for MONTHS!!  And now, it's just a few days away.  While I'm not looking forward to the drive (thank jeebus for the portable DVD player), I am definitely looking forward to seeing my family and getting away with the hubs, if only for a day.

WWtKW: Janette Edition

What?!  It's Wednesday already?!  OMGosh where does the time go?  Still have lots left to do to prepare for my trip to Cali with the family.  Pretty soon I'll be counting down the hours until we leave NM to the clean Cali sun (rather ironic, really).  In the meantime, it's We Want to Know Wednesday!!

This week, we have questions from the lovely Janette from The Johanson Journey.  I think these are the best questions yet!  Avoid the laundry and answer some questions with me!

1.  Everyone seems to have a quirky family situation-- what is something unique about your family dynamic?

Hmmm...let's see.  Don't want to air too much dirty laundry.  My family lives in Cali and it's pretty normal.  Save for my grandma and aunt who live together in a very co-dependent relationship.  And then there's my hubs' family here in NM.  I think I'll leave that at that.

2.  What is the most stressful aspect to blogging (aside from the network going down)?

Coming up with good things to talk about.  And prepping pictures.  I used to be able to sit down and prep a bunch of pics at a time, but now that I've been at it for a year, blogging isn't the first thing on my mind as soon as the boys go to bed at night.  So, I guess when it all boils down, the most stressful part is finding time.  Just plain finding time.  For all of it.  Blog.  Life.  Hubs.  Hobbies.  All of it.

3.  We all end up on a blog at some point in our day, but name your top 3 favorite websites you flock to daily (non blog)!

Facebook, of course.  Allrecipes and Tornadovideos.net.  Those are both super addictive.  Who else is looking forward to this season of Storm Chasers?!  I'm addicted to the website AND the show, thanks to my mom.

4.  What’s your sign?  Believe in it or not, does any part ring true to you?
Depending on which "chart" you use, I'm either a Leo or a Virgo...I'm right on the cusp (August 23).   I am absolutely, hands-down, a Virgo.  

5.  IceCream!! ICECREAM!! We all scream for icecream! Name your favorite flavor/brand! (Its hot here, can't help it).

THIS is a hard one!!  I'm torn between 3 things: Dewar's peppermint stick ice milk (not quite as rich as ice cream but tastes just as good), Dewar's tan and white (coffee ice cream with caramel sauce) or Ben & Jerry's Phish Food (choco ice cream with caramel and marshmallow swirls and choco fudge fish).  Now I'm hungry.  Great.

Thanks Janette!  These were great questions!!   For more great WWtKW participants, check out the linkie HERE.  

Happy Wednesday!!  Enjoy your day.  See you again tomorrow. :)
 

Truly Perplexed

Good Tuesday to you!  And you.  Annnnnd you.  It's been an...interesting...day here at the clinic.  Computer issues.  Stoopid employees.  Just a weird day.  Add to that the increasing anxiety of my impending vacay...I'm ready to go home.  Hopefully the wind won't blow in MORE smoke (it was SOOOOO bad last night).  The hubs mentioned that it's funny to think we'll be breathing cleaner air in Cali than we have here at the moment.  If only we'd get some rain...

Anyway...I don't know why I haven't posted this yet.  I have had these pics on my flashdrive for what seems like months.  And I know you've seen this polish ALL over the blogs, but you haven't seen it recently and you haven't seen it on mine.  So there.

Here she is.  The gorgeous Revlon Perplex, dupe to Chanel Paradoxal.  I wasn't about to shell out the cash for the Chanel polish, so I was super excited to hear that there was a dupe in Perplex.  It took me a while to find it, but when I did (at Ulta), I grabbed it as fast as I could.  This is indoors with flash.

In direct sunlight.  Perplex is a pretty dusty purple with an incredible purple shimmer.  At some angles, the purple looks so dusty that it almost looks gray.  I don't care how you describe it, Perplex is gorgeous!

Outdoors, direct bright sun.  In the upper pic, you can see how this almost looks gray.  It's funny, it took me weeks to find this polish.  Then, on a whim, I stopped by Big Lots and I found quite a few bottles.  So, I grabbed those, too, and gave one to the bestie, one to a coworker and then shipped one off to a fellow blogger.  I think I even have another one sitting in reserve in my Helmer!  I don't know what I'm doing with a reserve...it's not like I'll even go through an entire bottle on my own!

Well, the smoke has rolled in again.  It smells like a giant campfire outside.  Not to mention you can't even really see the mountains to the east of the city.  I'm off to do some work (imagine that)!  Enjoy the rest of your day.  See you tomorrow!

When a Frost Isn't a Bad Thing

Good Monday morning, Kitschies!!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was busy and productive.  We celebrated Mason's 2nd birthday with local family and friends on Saturday.  He was so wiped out by the time we got home, he took a 4 hour nap!  Then Sunday was my 7th wedding anniversary.  To get away just for a few hours, the hubs set up a babysitter with his brother and SIL and we escaped to see The Hangover, Part 2.  After that, we went home and did the usual chores and such.  We celebrated with an order-in Chili's dinner.  It was low-key but fun.  The bulk of our anniversary gift will be redeemed a week from today when we go see one of the hubs' favorite musicians in concert at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.  It's going to be a busy week preparing for the trip...this week cannot move fast enough!!

To distract me from all the anxiety that has found me, I'm going to post a pretty mani I did a few weeks back.  First, a little back story.  My bestie went to visit her mom around Christmas and I remember getting a text from her saying that this polish was SOOO pretty and that I had to get it.  I don't remember if she grabbed it for me or if she brought it back from me, but some how, it found itself in to my stash.

This is Wet 'n Wild Eggplant Frost.  Where they get the frost, I have no idea, but this is a gorgeous color!  If it was a frost, trust me...it wouldn't make it anywhere near my fingers.  It's a really pretty royal purple with a strong blue flash.  So pretty!  These pics were taken indoors with flash.

Indirect sunlight.  I had some trouble with the formula - it seemed kinda thin and it took 3, if not 4, coats to completely even out the color.  And I remember it had some pretty bad cuticle drag.  But, the color is so pretty, it's worth the extra coats.

Direct, full sun.  This color just glows!  But I wasn't content to just have eggplant colored digits - I had to add a splash of white in there, too.  I really liked this mani and loved the color but it wasn't long for this world.  I only wore this mani for two days and then had some major chipping.  I guess that's what you get for a polish that cost (at most) a buck.  I have had better experience with the newer WnW polishes. 

What do you think?  Is Eggplant (not a) Frost a keeper?  Maybe it would last better as pedi color.  I think I just found my vacay pedi color!

Happy Monday!  Enjoy your day and try to stay cool (and out of the smoke if you live in the SW part of the States).

Friday Confessional: I'm Stressed Edition

TGIF!  Are you ready for the weekend?  I know I am.  Why does it seem that the week following a 3-day weekend takes longer than a usual 5-day week?  *sigh*

It's that time again.  Time for confessions!!



I confess...
I feel very stressed and unmotivated today.  Not a good combination.

I confess...
I'm stressed because Mason's birthday party is tomorrow and I feel like we haven't really done anything for it.  Really.  I'm usually one to plan things waaaay in advance and this time we just barely started *talking* about it last weekend.

I confess...
I'm stressed because we're leaving for vacay a week from Saturday (YAY!) but I haven't started making my lists for the trip.  I need to get out of this unmotivated funk!  Now.

I confess...
I'm unmotivated to make said lists.  Or blog.  Or work.  And it's all stressing me out.

*deep breath*

I confess...
I feel like I'm covered in a film of ash because the wildfires burning in Eastern Arizona and the stupid wind in New Mexico.  Another not good combination.

I confess...
Mason was so cute with his little birthday cupcake last night.  He tried so hard to blow out his candles but just couldn't. 

I confess...
He was also super cute with this present.  He took his sweet time getting the wrapping paper off and it kept making noise.  He finally got it unwrapped and was really excited to see it.

I confess...
I'm glad this work week is almost over.  It's been a LONG week...even though I only really worked two of those days.

OK.  I feel a *little* better now.  What do YOU have to confess?

Flashback Friday: Two Years (& 1 Day) Ago

Happy Friday, Kitschies!!  I had my first official day back at work on Thursday and let me tell you...it lasted FOREVER!  Why, oh why, can't I be full of money and not have to worry about working?  Imagine all the things I could get done!  Anyway...Thursday wasn't just a day back to work.  It was also Mason's 2nd birthday.  I can not believe he's already 2 and it makes me sad to think that I no longer have a baby in the house.  Walk with me as I reflect on my life, starting 2 years (& 1 day) ago.

To start off with...this was me at 38 weeks.  I felt gigantic.  And hot (not hawt).  And miserable.  I was ready to have this kid!

Then, the Tuesday after this pic was taken, two years ago, on June 2, 2009, I went in to labor with my second little boy, Mason.  Of course it was a boy...that's all the hubs' family is allowed to have!  I was so ready to have this kid.  And I was NOT going to wait til his due date (June 5th).  I remember waking up that Tuesday morning VERY upset that I hadn't had him overnight.  I'll spare you the gory details, but about 4 hours after labor started, out popped my beautiful little boy.

That's my baby boy...and a very, very tired me.  Thanks to the stoopid anesthesiologist, that very tired me didn't get any of the good stuff epidural.  But, me strong like bull and had a rather uneventful labor and delivery.  And, just like "they" say, once Mason was put in my arms, all that terror of labor disappeared.

Mr Mason was a great baby.  Not hardly fussy.  Slept very well.  No troubles at all.  We really were blessed.  If you click that pic to make it bigger, you can see his cowlick in the front.  That's his unicorn horn...he just doesn't know it yet!

Now for the rest of the pics...

Little fuzzy head Mason - about 6 months old.  It took him so long to really grow hair...and now he has a LOT of it!

My two favorite pics from his first birthday.  That top one looks like he's upset, but he was super excited to have that big chunk of cake to himself.  I can't believe this was a year ago already!

18 months old and two chipped front teeth!  Oh, the joys of raising an active toddler.  Do you see all that hair?!

Mother's Day 2011.  Mason didn't quite know what to do at first, but once he got in to it, he was like a little cute pig in mud.

And his birthday.  He was so excited to get his little cupcake.  I made cupcakes for his daycare class, too, which I'm sure the teachers really appreciated.  LOL

Happy 2nd birthday, Mr Bug.  I can't wait to see what you're going to grow up like.

Thanks for strolling down Memory Lane with me!  Check out Christopher & Tia for other great Friday Flashbacks!