Sunday, December 15, 2013

Nail of the Week: Holiday Glitter Criss-cross Nails

This week I chose a festive glittery design. I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit with a sophisticated holiday nail that will catch your eye.




I started off with a silvery gray color as the base (Stevie). Over that, I did 2 coats of "Joelle" which is the glittery sparkle polish. I did the gray underneath because Joelle is a pretty sheer and I wanted the glitter to really pop. I chose to leave the accent nail just like that after seeing how striking it turned out.



For the other nails, I decided to do a criss-cross pattern. For that, I used the strips of nail decals I bought to mark off the lines. The strips look nice, but they don't stay on as well as I'd hoped so I just use them for projects like this. After I marked off the lines, I painted 2 coats of "Misti." It is best to let each coat dry completely before applying a new one so the lines will come out cleaner without any bleed through. You could do this design with any glitter and colored polish combination that you like.

Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

DIY Christmas Crafts: Framed Poinsettias & Merry Christmas Garland

For my next Christmas crafts, I made a framed decoration and a garland. I found the brand new frame at Goodwill. It was meant to be a scrapbook frame so it was extra deep. I made poinsettias out of felt by first cutting a circle out of the felt and then cutting 6 larger petals and 5 smaller ones. I used the circle as the base on the back and glued the larger petals to it. Then, I glued the smaller ones sort of in between each of the larger ones. For the center, I simply hot glued rhinestones to it. You can also add leaves to the back of the flower if you wish to. For the background of the frame, I used a pattered felt sheet and just placed it in the center. I arranged the flowers on top of it and finished it off with two small bows I got in a large set at the Dollar Tree. It came out looking very cute and I am thinking about simply changing the frame's contents for each season.




The next project I did was the "Merry Christmas" garland. I used wooden letters and first painted them with silver. I used a second coat after the first one was completely dry to cover it a little better. The paint I used was Martha Stewart's metallic called Sterling, which I love because it comes out looking nice and metallic. After the second coat was dry, I made partial stamps on each letter as an accent. I used the entire bow stamp for the first and last letters. Then, after that was dry, I measured out jute rope to be able to tie up the ends and fit all the letters with a small space between each for some give. I used hot glue to set the letters in place on the rope. Be sure to use enough glue on each letter and press down firmly so it attaches securely. After that, I hung it up outside my apartment with some string lights. It looks very cute and I just love coming home and seeing it. This was definitely a fun and easy project :)




Friday, December 6, 2013

DIY Christmas Crafts : Wreath

I have had a busy week getting into the Christmas spirit and crafting all kinds of things to decorate. I live in an apartment, so sometimes I feel a bit limited, but this year I decided to make some things and just get into decorating. I will be posting more projects throughout the week also.

For the front door, I made a wreath using a vine one that I found at Joann fabrics. While there, I also searched through the fragments bins to see what I could use for fabric roses. They have a pretty good selection and at that time they were all 50% off. I found a green, a red and a patterned remnant. I used them for the roses and also cut small strips to make 2 bows for the opposite side. I bought a bunch of star-shaped battery powered string lights on ebay and I used one to go around the wreath. It is a great way to add some sparkle and looks so nice at night! I am loving the battery powered lights as well because there aren't any annoying cords and no huge electric bills. I bought LED lights which don't use very much energy and I just bought batteries at Dollar Tree (so far so good!).

I have a few other projects I will be posting  later on. Merry Christmas!


Nail of the Week: Parisian Inspired Look

This week's nail was inspired by Paris. I used some nail decal strips to create lines and then peeled them off once dry. I started with a glittery metallic polish as a base and then waited to dry. I applied the decal strips where I wanted the metallic to show through as a couple of stripes and then applied one coat of the dark purple. I did the same effect on my "Eiffel Tower" inspired accent nail. I just did a quick outline of the tower with the decal strips. It came out to be a different look and I like it.




TWS: Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

I was at the grocery store and found portobello mushrooms on sale so I googled a recipe for them. I found one using a lot of things I already had at home. This recipe is from Emeril on foodnetwork.com and it turned out well! I used turkey sausage instead of regular and I also used panko breadcrumbs. For the chopped veggies, I used my food processor and substituted a jalapeƱo for the green bell pepper because I love spicy food. If you like stuffed mushrooms, this is an easy recipe with great presentation.



Ingredients:


6 portobello mushrooms, stemmed (reserve 1 cup minced stems)
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
12 ounces hot Italian sausage
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 egg, lightly beaten
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using your hands, lightly rub each portobello mushroom with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Cook the sausage in a medium skillet until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushroom stems and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Transfer sausage-vegetable mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, 1/4 cup of parsley, the Essence, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped and comes together slightly, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the egg, and stir until well combined.
Divide the filling among the mushroom caps, about 1/2 cup for each mushroom. Place the filled mushrooms on a baking sheet. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small mixing bowl. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly among the tops of the mushrooms. Bake until golden brown on top and the mushrooms are tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of parsley, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and serve warm or at room temperature.


Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Nail of the Week: Abstract multi-colored Nails

For this week's nail, I decided to go with a super abstract art motif. I used different Julep colors over "Meryl" as a base. For the dots on top, I was inspired by owl feathers and used "Gabrielle" for them. It's a super different idea and I wanted something unique this time. I actually used a watercolor brush for the blue and green colors. I just dipped the tips of a few bristles in the paint and dabbed it on my nails in a circular area. I added dots here and there on top with the dark purple and then just applied top coat. It's a different look that can be done with many different colors. Be creative and enjoy!



Thursday, November 14, 2013

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! I found it in Taste of Home magazine. It's actually pretty easy to make too and it's perfect on a cold evening. It has become one of my favorite recipes. I found the coconut milk at Dollar Tree, but the curry paste was another story. You may want to call the store ahead to be sure they have it. I ended up finding mine at Whole Foods market. For the shredded cabbage and carrot, I found a coleslaw blend in the salad section on clearance for $.59-- it worked perfectly and saved some prep time. I love that the recipe calls for rotisserie chicken too, which saves a lot of time. This recipe is so easy and so delicious, enjoy!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 35 min.
MAKES: 6 servings

Ingredients


  • Directions

    1. In a Dutch oven, bring coconut milk to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 cups. Stir in curry paste until completely dissolved.
    2. Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package directions.
    3. Add broth, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic salt to curry mixture; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; heat through.
    4. Drain noodles; divide among six large soup bowls. Ladle soup over noodles; top servings with vegetables, basil and cilantro.Yield: 6 servings.





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

TWS: My Fitness Pal App & Hungry Girl



I just love the My Fitness Pal app. It's available for both Android and Apple and it's free, which is always nice! If you are tracking your daily calories, this app makes it so easy. It calculates the calories you should eat each day depending on your fitness goals. It already has tons of nutrition info for a lot of the foods you eat. You can simply add food to your daily diary by searching for it in the database. It automatically inputs all the nutrition information for you. It's really helpful to keep you on track. I love that I have it on my phone too so I can make good choices when eating out. An added bonus is it tells you how many calories you burn with your exercises and you are allowed to eat those extra calories!

You can search for the app in the app store or create and manage your account online via http://www.myfitnesspal.com/





Another resource I love when watching my weight is the Hungry Girl website www.hungry-girl.com. She has tons of healthy recipes and she lists all the nutrition facts for you. She shows that eating healthy can taste good. The site also helps you know what the best choices are at certain restaurants or stores. It's really helpful for me, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Nail of the Week: Blue & Pewter Metallic designs




For this week, I wanted to use my Pewter colored "Stevie" Julep polish so I paired it with a light blue color "Dianna" resembling that of a Tiffany's box (I think that's why I like it so much). I used a lot of layered dots to create the pattern on the tips of my nails. For the outside I used a large dotting tool and then I just used a smaller one with the base color to create a ring look. For the stripes, I simply painted the blue color as a base coat and waited for it to dry. After it dried, I used strips of tape to mark off the lines and painted with the pewter color. You have to wait until it's completely dry before you peel off the tape to make sure your lines do not bleed through. For the accent nail, I used "Stevie" as the base color, made 4 blue dots in a sort of diamond shape, and then made smaller pewter dots on the inside edges of each blue one (see photos). I really like this pairing of colors and finishes, as one is flat and the other is metallic. Mix it up or try something new, just have fun!



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Up-do for Long Hair with Braid

Today, I went to a kind of health fair where there was a booth for Toni & Guy Hair Academy here in Albuquerque. They were doing manicures and hair styling for free. I got a simple manicure with a dark blue color and a bright fuschia accent nail. Being that I have really long hair, I decided to let them style it and see what they come up with. The girl that did mine was very good. She did an amazing braid design that started on each side and met in the back. I felt a little like Katniss from Hunger Games and I always wished I could do my hair like that! It was a great experience and I also loved that it was free. You can get many discounted services at schools like this one. They also gave me a coupon for a free haircut. If you're brave and want to save some cash, you can take the gamble and let a student do your hair :)





Friday, November 1, 2013

TWS: World Market / Cost Plus Birthday Freebie



Make sure you sign up with the World Market Explorer program and you will receive a $10 off coupon for your birthday. You can even show the email to the cashier on your phone, which is really convenient. There is no minimum purchase and very few exclusions. You can get beautiful and unique items for your home there. I just used mine and I think it's one of the best birthday freebies out there. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Nail of the Week : Lavender & Starry Sky




This week I decided to use a new Julep polish I got called "Alice" which is a lavender color. For my accent nail, I chose "Kristy" with "Clio" as the glittery finish. That combination reminds me of a starry night sky. I really love the effect it creates. It's a very fast and easy way to be creative when you don't have much time -- like me this week! Enjoy :)


Baby Shower Centerpieces




I recently went to a baby shower and I just loved the table settings so I decided to share. The tables were simple but elegant with a white tablecloth and a smaller pink one on an angle in the middle. The centerpieces were a rectangular wooden box with "baby" on it and hydrangeas and roses inside. There were cupcakes also with the icing that looked like a flower. I really liked the way it turned out and it was a fun day.



Friday, October 25, 2013

Nail of the Week: Purple & White Chevron Nails




This week I used my new "Sylvia" purple Julep polish with white Julep chevron nail decals. For the accent nails, I chose "Amity" silver which is also a Julep polish. The nail decals are very easy to use and are simply trimmed with a nail clipper. Then, you just cover with two top coats and you're done. It's very easy and the results are amazing. Enjoy!






Thursday, October 24, 2013

TWS: How to Save at Cinemark Theaters



Just thought I'd share a tip that I do to save some money when going to the movies. Cinemark theaters have been having a refillable popcorn bucket and drink cup deal for the past few years and I hope they continue it. Around the end of the year, they sell both cups & buckets for $6 each including the popcorn and drink of your choice. Then after that, it's only $3 each for a refill. Also, if you sign up at https://www.cinemark.com/weekly-email.aspx?status=subscribed for the weekly coupons, they can be used with the bucket and cup. For example, if you have a coupon for a free popcorn with a drink purchase (or vice versa)  you can use it with the cup and bucket and pay only $3 for both to be refilled! It's a great deal and I take advantage of it all the time. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

TWS: 5 Faves

I did a guest blog last week and I thought I'd share it here too.

1.) Fall-inspired nails: I love the colors of fall and designing nail art with it. I have posted one idea on my blog so far with more to come!

Fall-inspired nail art





I wanted to do my nails this week with Fall colors so I chose orange and gray.
I also created a leaf decal to put on my accent nail. To create a decal, you can paint whatever you like free hand onto a plastic baggie. Make sure it's the right size for your nail. You should probably do at least 3 coats of polish to make sure it will peel off when it dries. Let it dry overnight and gently peel off :) You can then place it on your nail and gently press it down. Cover with top coat and that's it!

2.) Julep polish color "Meryl": a nice smoky gray that pairs well with many other colors. Julep makes great quality polishes in so many colors. They are great to experiment with.

3.) Fall: I am an aspiring photographer and I love to capture photos during the Fall with the leaves changing colors and the weather cooling down. It's an awesome time of year.


4.) Prisoners: I watched this movie and thought it was a great thriller. If you like those types of movies, you should definitely check it out. It has some twists that will keep you guessing and the actors do a great job in their roles as well.

 

5.) Tide with Febreze Sport: This detergent smells so great and the scent lasts a good while. I love washing my sheets with it. It's super relaxing at bedtime to help you sleep. It can be a little pricey so coupons and sales are a great time to buy.

Monday, October 14, 2013

TWS (Things Worth Sharing) : Top Coat

I thought I would share the best top coat I've found so far. It's Seche Vite top coat and you can find it at many stores like Walgreens and Sally Beauty and it's pretty cheap! People ask me a lot if I use gel polish because it makes your nails look really shiny. It helps your polish last much longer. I just love it!


Nail of the Week: Fun Nail Art with Halloween Colors




     This week I really wanted to use some Halloween colors, but I didn't want my nails to look too cartoon-y. Sort of a little more grown up version, but still with some fun. I may have overdone it a bit on the patterns, but I really got into designing these and I wanted to use a few colors while still tying them into one another. I used all Julep brand polishes.
      I started with Meryl gray as the base color for all but the accent nails. That one tends to be a bit thin, so two coats are best. Then, for the accent nail I used two coats of Tatiana which is a glittery orange color. For the stripes on the gray nails, I used Gabrielle (a deep purple color) with a shorter striping brush. I also used the same purple for the alternating dots on the accent nails along with Stevie gray. For the glitter shards I placed on the stripes, I used glitter from the Paris polish. To achieve that, simply dab a bit of the polish on a paper plate or zip-top plastic baggie and use a dotting tool to pick up the shards and then place them on the nail.



I also did my toes with Gabrielle as the base color with large polka dots in Zelda only on the big toe. I loved the contrast with these two (it's a bit hard to see in the picture). The dark purple goes well with the light metallic color. That combination came out great and I will be sure and use it again!


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

I made these the other night and they were great! I found this recipe on the Country Living website. The only thing I added was some garlic powder because I love garlic. I also garnished it with some flat leaf parsley just because I had some I wanted to use. They are so easy to make and pretty healthy too!

Ingredients:


  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) Ground Cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon(s) Ground Red Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon(s) Vegetable Oil
  • 2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) Sweet Potatoes


  • Directions:
    1.) Prepare the sweet potatoes: In a small bowl, combine cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel potatoes, cut each in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 6 wedges. In a large bowl, combine the cut potatoes, oil, and spice mixture. Toss until potatoes are evenly coated.

    2.) Bake the fries: On a baking sheet, arrange potatoes in a single layer and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through -- about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.



    Nutritional Information
    (per serving)
    Calories136
    Total Fat3.78g
    Saturated Fat--
    Cholesterol0
    Sodium295mg
    Total Carbohydrate24.1g
    Dietary Fiber0
    Sugars--
    Protein1.73g
    Calcium--

    Wednesday, October 9, 2013

    Baked Chicken and Eggplant recipe

    This is a pretty simple recipe and it's baked which always helps. I guessed on some of the amounts of ingredients because I don't always measure everything. You can always make it how you like though :)

    Ingredients:

    4 small to medium chicken breasts (slightly pounded to even thickness)
    1 8oz can plain tomato sauce
    2 Italian eggplants, diced (the heartier rounded type)
    1 med onion, diced
    1 red bell pepper, diced
    3 cloves garlic
    1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley fresh (more for garnish)
    1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water
    2 tbsp olive oil
    Salt to taste
    1 tsp freshly ground pepper 
    1 tsp dried basil

    Crushed red pepper (optional)
    Mozzarella cheese

    Directions:

    1.) Place chicken in a large baking dish (i.e. a lasagna pan)
    2.) Sprinkle veggies and garlic around the chicken and then sprinkle parsley over everything
    3.) In a medium bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, 4oz water (1/2 the tomato sauce can), olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper. Pour mixture over chicken and veggies.
    4.) Make a slurry with 2 tbsp of cold water and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Pour over everything.
    5.) Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until veggies and chicken are cooked through.
    6.) Uncover and sprinkle chicken with mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly golden.

    Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
    You can serve it over pasta or rice too if you like.


    Friday, October 4, 2013

    Nail of the Week: Different Nail Art Ideas



    This week I decided to try different designs on each nail using the same color theme. The colors I chose are from Julep and are "Kristy" (matte dark blue) and "Dahlia" (glittery yellow). I love choosing colors that create a lot of contrast and really pop together. The polka dots are a classic  and one of my favorite patterns (also pretty easy to do). You can also make homemade stencils using stickers etc. I made a stencil for my pointer finger and also my middle finger.

    If you have any ideas to share, feel free! I am always looking for new designs to try out.

    Have a great weekend!

    Wednesday, September 25, 2013

    Photo Contest: 2nd Place Winner!

    Thank you to everyone who voted for my photo, it won 2nd place! I am really happy that it did and a bit speechless at the same time. I look forward to taking more pictures this Fall and adding to my collection!

    2nd Place
      
     
    Photo Title: Surreal Scene of Fall
    Description of Photo: This photo was captured on ...
    First Name: Jessi
    Last Name: Velasco
    Public Name: JessiV

    Tuesday, September 24, 2013

    Fall-inspired nail art





    I wanted to do my nails this week with Fall colors so I chose orange and gray.
    I also created a leaf decal to put on my accent nail. To create a decal, you can paint whatever you like free hand onto a plastic baggie. Make sure it's the right size for your nail. You should probably do at least 3 coats of polish to make sure it will peel off when it dries. Let it dry overnight and gently peel off :) You can then place it on your nail and gently press it down. Cover with top coat and that's it!


    Monday, September 23, 2013

    Gift Wrap Idea

    I wanted to be creative when wrapping a gift so I decided to use fabric instead of ribbon for the bow.
    You can find fabric fragments for fairly cheap at stores that carry fabric--that's where I got mine. Cut two strips that will go around the box in both directions like a "t". Then, cut another shorter strip for the bow. If you want to make one like I did, all you need is another small strip that can go around the center of the bow and secure it in the back. You could also simply tie a bow with that strip too. I just used clear tape to keep everything in place so that nothing shows. You can also cut the tails of the bow like I did for a kind of ribbon effect.







    Monday, September 16, 2013

    Nail of the Week: Newspaper Letters

    My sister sent me a link to this one, but I changed it up a little bit on how to do it.




    What you need:
    • base color polish of your choice (something light to contrast the letters)
    • cotton rounds
    • rubbing alcohol
    • newspaper
    • top coat
    First, paint your nails the base color you would like (1-2 coats to cover it evenly). Feel free to try an accent nail too!

    Secondly, take a cotton round and place a bit of alcohol on it. (I folded mine in half after I dabbed it so it wouldn't be too saturated). Place aside.

    Thirdly, cut out pieces of newspaper that will cover your whole nails (you can spot words you would like to use as well).

    Fourthly, place the piece of newspaper, letters side down, on your nail aligned how you wish. While holding it there, place the cotton round on top and squeeze a bit to get the newspaper slightly wet.

    Fifthly, after you have pressed down over all parts of the nail, slowly peel the cotton and paper off. Then, seal with top coat.

    I really enjoyed this project and it didn't take very long at all to do. If you find that you don't like one nail, simply take the cotton round and rub it off. It takes a little practice to get the look you want, but it's worth it.

    Give it a try!



    Julep

    Julep Beauty Inc.