GLITTER TRANSITION NAILS

As I said in the post 21 days of layers prize, this was the first time I used my nail polish prize from Forever 21!

SILVER BLUE GLITTER NAIL ART

The nail art shown was inspired by my last nail art design. I used similar steps but with different colors and patterns for a holiday nail theme.

Products I used: Tape, Sephora by OPI color and top coat, L'Oreal nail color

Steps:

1. Apply a thin coat of light blue on your nails and wait for it to dry completely.
2. Apply a strip of tape in the middle of your nail. Leave the ring finger alone without applying tape.
3. Paint one layer of dark blue on the nail surfaces that are not covered by tape.
4. Carefully remove the tape from your nails and apply the glitter nail polish to the light blue areas.
5. Apply a second or third topcoat on the light blue area until the nails have enough glitter on them.

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GIFTS FOR HIM UNDER $15

As the continuation of the last post "Gifts for her under $15", here is the little something for guys. Guys are the group of people who are very hard to get gifts for, especially when he doesn't care about fashion. The keys to find the gifts for them is to focus on his interests, working fields and daily lifestyle. Do you have any other suggestions?

1. CB2 key bottle opener keychain, $9.95. A bottle opener which also looks like a normal key.

2. J.Crew Delfonics® Weekly Schedule Notebook, $9. Writing down the schedule is always working better than typing in the computer. Perfect for someone who like making schedules.

3. Kiehl's Facial Fuel No-Shine Moisturizing Lip Balm, $9. Everyone needs to keep lips without drying the winter.

4. World Market White Stacking Mugs or Espresso Cups, Set of 6, $12.99. A great deal on the Espresso cups, he will love it if he is addicted to coffee.

5. West Elm Copper Bar Tools, $7-$11 (On sale). Neat bal tools with nice copper handles.

6. illy Ground Espresso Coffee, 2 Can, $15. Again, perfect gift for the coffee fans.

7. Muji Aluminum Hexagonal Ballpoint Pen, $8.25. A simple ballpoint pen for signature or writing.

8. Muji Aluminum Card Case, $5.50. Instead of storing business cards in the wallet, use a nicely designed card case that is easy to carry and keep business cards without folding or damaging.


Other gift guides from the blog: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE, 8 SIMPLE KITCHEN TOWEL DESIGNS, HOLIDAY EDIBLE IDEAS.

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GIFTS FOR HER UNDER $15

Recently I've been getting a lot of gift questions about "What should I get for her?" from my friends. Because of the holiday's, I think a lot of people are wondering this. I know it's hard to find something nice without hurting your wallet. If you want to get a little something for your friends who are female, and you have many friends to get gifts for, this post is for you! Hope these suggestions will help you (I will have "Something for him under $15" posted soon):

1. J.Crew Glitter Cheveron-stripe Notebook, $12.50. A pretty and practical gift. I just get my eyes off of this since I saw it on J.Crew's Pinterest.

2. J.Crew Chevron Coasters, $12.50. Beautiful color and amazing pattern, a great decoration for home.

3. Essie All in One Color Adhesive + Primer, $10. If your friend is a big fan of nail polish, but you don't know what color she will like, the color primer is the one thing she will definitely need and like.

4. Anthropologie Limited Edition Golden Monogram Mug, $10. A personalized gift. If there is a party, you will never mess up which cup is who's.

5. Anthropologie Zodiac Notepad, $10. For the one who loves and believes in the zodiac sign, this is a perfect choice.

6. Topshop Ankle Socks, $6. I think socks are the best holiday gift ever, simple and warm. Topshop has so many choices for ankle socks, I love them.

7. Kiehl's (Scented) Lip Balm #1, $7-$9. This one is one of my favorite lip balms. I can't live without it during the winter.

8. L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Hand Cream 1 oz, $12. Everyone needs hand cream in the cold and dry weather. This one has such a good review and consider to be L'OCCITANE's best-selling hand creams.

Other gift guides from the blog: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE, 8 SIMPLE KITCHEN TOWEL DESIGNS, HOLIDAY EDIBLE IDEAS.

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8 SIMPLE KITCHEN TOWEL DESIGNS

For someone who is looking for a new set of dish towels for their kitchen this year, or just looking for a holiday gift for friends or family, here are my kitchen towel picks. I like my kitchen towels to look natural, cozy, and soft. So, linen and simple stripes or plaid decorations are my first choice when I am purchasing new towels. While researching online I was very surprised to see that Anthropology (one of my favorite brands) has many well-designed dish towels in their collection. This made it very hard to pick just one of them. Which one is your favorite?

1. Everyday Occasions Natural Linen Napkins - Set of 4, $32

2. IKEA Dish towel (2 pack), check pattern, $4.99

3. Anthropologie Wash & Dry Dishtowel Set, $24

4. Steven Alan Japanese Dish Towel, $36

5. West Elm Chunky Stripe Kitchen Towels, $14

6. P.O.S.H. French Dish Towels - Set of 3, $30

7. Williams-Sonoma Confiture Dish Towel, $24.95

8. Brook Farm General Store Linen Dish Towel - Brown Check, $15

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DIY STUDDED BOOTS

I purchased these boots from Nine West two years ago. They are really comfortable and have always been my go-to boots in the fall or winter. Since they are getting old, I decided to re-establish them with metal studs. Here's how I did it:

Material and tools I used:

Glue (I used the one in the middle: Jewel It), metal studs (purchased from Michael's ) and tape.

Steps:

1. Use the tape to make equally spaced marks.
2. Apply enough glue on the surface of the boots along the marks and wait for 10 mins. for the glue to set up.
3. Place the metal studs on the boots and wait 24 hours before wearing them.

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FOREVER 21 INSTAGRAM FEATURED NAIL ART TUTORIAL

The picture above is the photo I took and submitted to the Forever 21 nail art Instagram challenge. Two days ago, Forever 21's Instagram featured my photo on their account and ever since I've been getting requests on how I did my nails and where my sunglasses came from. The sunglasses are from Bianco, I got this pair a year ago while studying in Denmark. Bianco is an amazing shoe store and they also sell all sorts of cute jewelry and accessories. Ok, so let's move onto my nail art. I'm so happy that so many people took interest in this and hope this tutorial will help you!

Products I used: Tape, Sephora by OPI color and top coat

Steps:

1. Apply a thin coat of light pink on your nails and wait for it to dry completely.
2. Apply tape at a 45 degree angle along the left or right half of your nail. (On my Instagram picture I left my ring finger alone without applying another color)
3. Paint one layer of hot pink on the nail surfaces that are not covered by tape.
4. Carefully remove the tape from your nails.
5. Apply a topcoat on the other half of your nail.

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TRY IT: STUDDED PLAID SHIRT

I used these left over square studs from a previous blog posting, on my boyfriends plaid shirt. I really love the size and color of this shirt, and get my boyfriend's approval to have this shirt for own! I definitely needed to do something with it to add some feminine touches to it. I used the same tool as in this post about my coach bag, and sewed on all the studs in the places I wanted them to be. Then I got my very own studded plaid shirt! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 Make a chain before you sew the studs on, which will help to save you a lot of time.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

I can't wait to share today's topic with my readers, it's all about what I consider to be good product design. I've been studying Product Design for the past six years. The reason I love it is because it can change and improve people's live so much. Bringing convenience and joy to everyone's day. A small but interesting product is a really good gift for the people that you love. Here are some of my suggestions of designer home accsessories from my favorite design companies. Most of them are affordable, playful and very creative! Hope this post can help you find the best gift for the coming holiday's! Happy Friday!

1. Umbra Menagerie Cat Bottle Topper, $10. A playful bottle topper bring joy to the kichen.

2. Umbra Ring Holders, $8-$10. A functional ring holder designed as vivid animal shape, it also can be the decretive pieces for your home.

3. Joseph Joseph Pie™ Timer (60 minute kitchen timer), $15. I absolutely love everything from their kitchenware line. This Pie Timer is so easy to use (simply twist) and no batteries required!

4. Joseph Joseph Double Dish™ Large snack bowl, $25. The main serving dish with compartments provides several places for serving a variety of snacks and foods,  and a convenient area for collecting and hiding food waste.

5. Areaware Bottle Opener, $14. I am really surprised by the simplicity of this design. A perfect combination of rustic and exquisite.

6. Areaware Reality Bank in Form of Pig, $125-$240. This product is the most expensive one in my post, but I've loved it since I saw it sitting on their table at the Areaware party during ICFF. It's cast from a pig that died of natural causes. This story definitely increased the emotion of this design.

7. Alessi LUPITA Dog Bowl, $62. Alessi's design is really beautiful and sculpted. This dog bowl will be a beautiful piece at home. Great gift for someone who love their dogs as much as themselves!

8. Kikkerland Log Head Rest, $22. A pillow that looks like a log, sleep in comfort and bring a more natural look to your home.

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TRY IT: ESTABLISHED BAG

I purchased this bag from the Coach Men's Store about a year ago. I really liked the boxy feeling and the simplicity of it. Later on I discovered that this bag just wasn't fit for most of my outfits, and I almost didn't use it or look at it. The strap of this bag was a little bit too masculine for me (well, it is a men's bag after all), so I decided to put a feminine touch to it, by adding square studs to the strap (they are my favorite decretive addition).

Materials and tools I used: Studs, tape, scissors, thread, needle, ruler, and a pencil.

Instead of glue, I used a sewing method to put the studs on the strap. First I put two studs on, then used tape to make marks, helping me to keep the studs straight.

I measured 1 inch marks between each row and sewed the row along that mark for the entire length of the strap.

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TRY IT: WALTER WHITE PUMPKIN

Are you also a fun of Breaking Bad? Since my boyfriend loved the show so much, I became a fun too. So my idea for carving this year's pumpkin is Walter White! Here are some process photos, this is my very first time to carve a pumpkin, It was fun!!

Draw the Walter White face on paper as the carving templet

Cut the templet

Tape it on the pumpkin

Trace over the templet

Remove the templet

Empty out the inside of the pumpkin

Use a small knife to cut off the "sunglasses"

Sculpt the goatee

Put the top back on the pumpkin

Done! I gave him my hat to wear, but I think he needs a black Walter White hat!

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TRY IT THURSDAY: DIY JEWELED SWEATER

I love redesigning my old clothes from my wardrobe and making them into new pieces without spending any money. Instead of reconstructing them, I decided to restyle my pieces by adding some embellished details with beading.So when you get tired with this style, you can always get the old form back! I used the items I already had and made this brand new jeweled sweater.

All you'll need: A sweater, glass beads (purchased from Walmart), thread, needle, ruler, chalk or tape, and scissors.

Make marks on your sweater. Chalk or tape are all good, but in this case, tape worked better on the material of my sweater.

I sewed the diamond shape pattern on the sweater by following my mark. I think the diamond shape is a good choice if you don't want to cost a ton of time on embellishing it. It also remains me the argyle pattern.

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TRENDY TUESDAY: KITCHEN TRENDS

During the past weekend, I had a short visit to The Kitchen Store at J.K Adams in Dorset, VT. It was my first time went in this store and I found a lot of interesting products that really caught my eyes.

1. Natural material. These cutting boards are called "Novelty Mini Board". The animal shape makes cutting board become a fun exist in the kitchen. They are made from Maple and finished with Artisan teak oil. The store also have so many cool wood kitchenware like spice carousels, rolling pins, wine racks and furniture. I am so obsessed with products made from wood, the natural material can make you at peace.

2. Pastel color. Bright color have been used on a lot of product lately, especially green. They will bring a lot of vitality to the kitchen.

The Kitchen Store also made their own food like locally made cheeses, salsa, jams and jellies, pates, crackers, and mixes. I had tasted some of the cheese, they were amazing!

Flower decoration outside of the store

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