SPRING INSPIRATION: I CANT STOP

Helmut sleeveless top / D&G cropped jeans / Monki , $7.65 / Monki , $16 / Loeffler Randall black high heels / Jellycat zipper bag, $8.41 / House of Harlow 1960 , $76 / Beauty Is Life / Atlas Silver/Black Leather

TEN MINUTE DIY: FOIL YOUR FRIENDS - GOLD FOIL HAIR HOW TO

HOW TO - GOLD FOIL HAIR

It doesn't take much to amuse me. If it sparkles, I'm all up on it. My last Ten Minute DIY: Sparkle Keys is a manifestation of my glitter obsession. Not to mention the fact I own nearly all of Martha Stewart's loose glitter collection. I'd eat the stuff if it was edible. I'm starting to sound crazy...

 Next to my love of glitter, comes gold. Now. Let me just dust off my best Dutch accent for you. -- I LOVE GOOOOLD! Hope you caught the reference. Now, moving on:

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Tools/Products:

1. Sponge Brush

2. Hair gel & hair spray

3. Tweezers

4. Small comb

5.  Gold leaf foil - DO NOT USE GOLD LEAF PAINT

6. A friend who is willing and can be paid in beer. 

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slick back hair to create flat surface. I used styling gel and a small comb then waited for it to dry a bit so that the hair was sticky - not wet.

2.  Have the mini foil pieces all laid out so they are easy to pick up with tweezers and apply.

3. Pick each piece up with the tweezers, and using either the flat spongy side (make sure it's dry!) or the rounded wooden end of the sponge brush - push foils lightly onto hair until they appear secure then spray each foil chunk with a light misting of hair spray.

4. I know that sounds easy, but getting these little buggers to stick can be difficult if you're not using the right consistency of styling gel - which is all the more reason you'll need to hair spray the living crap out of your hair after they are all in place. 

Katy was such a good sport. I helped her style a shoot this past week and had a great time playing around with my gold foils. You can find Katy's blog here and her art here. 

Photo via Steve Harman

PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP: FIVE OF MY FAVORITE FLORAL SHOES FOR SPRING

Loeffler Randall floral sandals / Loeffler Randall floral print shoes / Topshop studded flat shoes / RED Valentino bow shoes / Kate Spade floral print shoes

CURRENTLY OBSESSED: HOLOGRAPHIC NAIL POLISH

So, the future is here you guys. 

No, we haven't put men on Mars (or have we?) and there are plenty of other more pressing future related matters, like this weird crooked metallic space penis recently discovered on Mars or how about Earth's near miss with an Asteroid last weekend - Okay, well maybe not a complete miss if you want to say that pesky meteorite that broke a bunch of windows in Russia was somehow related. Either way. 

 Or maybe how weird it is to try to conceptualize what a 3D printer is and that it's capable of creating everything from a pen to a house. 

(Take my science hilarity with a grain of salt, please oh please.)

Is your mind blown yet?

Well, if I haven't accomplished that with a total rundown on what Science is up to these days - hopefully I can do so with this amazing, incredibly unbelievable thing called "Holographic Nail Polish"

MIND BLOWN.

Hear me out. Yeah, those of us obsessed with fashion have seen this trend on the up and up lately, and of course holographic nail polish isn't that new... but until recently it wasn't readily available.

 I remember trying to buy some a year or two back only to be met with obscene price points ($20 + a bottle! UNBELIEVABLE!) or it had to be shipped in from outside the U.S, which kind of intimidated me. I liked it, but I wasn't about to jump through customs hoops to get it.

Finally, one fateful shopping day at Urban Outfitters I spotted this little shimmery bottle from across the checkout. Eagerly waiting for a kind soul to take it home and love it. Which I did. Thoroughly.

And at only $10, who could say no.

I also picked up these bad boys. Slightly more expensive, yes - worth it? COMPLETELY!

Beam me up, Scotty. 

FIVE TIPS FOR MAINTAINING PERFECT BROWS VIA ALYSSA AT WAX NASHVILLE

If you asked me what item - if I could only pick one - I would want to be stranded on a desert island with, I'd give you an immediate answer: My tweezers. 

Plus, what better way to waste away my miserable life being stuck on a deserted island than plucking out my own hair? Paradise. Joking...

Alright, but anyway, I'm not quite sure what my point was there; I guess to just demonstrate the importance of a finely plucked brow. My gorgeous brow shaping goddess, Alyssa at Wax Nashville East also shares my sentiments.

 Brow shaping is important! So important!

Brows shape your face, bring out your features and portray your mood and personality. Important could even be an understatement! I went to Alyssa in desperate need of some instruction and a flattering brow shape - she gave me both and more, sharing her top five tips for achieving and maintaining GREAT brows. Those brows where girls be all like "girrrrrl where you get those brows?" 

TOP 5 TIPS FOR ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING GREAT BROWS:

1. SISTERS NOT TWINS

 "Eyebrows are sisters, not twins!" Alyssa says light heartedly as we sit and discuss creating the perfect eyebrow shape. It's like she's shared the fountain of youth, one of those beauty tips that you'll share with all your closest girlfriends and live by until you pass, fashionably, into the afterlife. 

The key is to create the illusion that your brows are twins by shaping them in a way as to create symmetry, says Alyssa, ultimately, the whole goal of eyebrow shaping rests on creating the illusion that one eyebrow looks exactly identical to the other. No one wants a wonky brow.

2. CREATING THE SHAPE YOU WANT

Alyssa is a huge fan of the Billion Dollar Brow line (which is also available through Wax Nashville!) She suggests using their 'Brow Buddy Shaping Kit' to  create the shape you want first using their included White Shaping Pencil and Brow Buddy Tool. The kit is only $20! SO CHEAP! 

The kit will guide you and help you achieve a perfect arch by gauging where your brow should be. It takes into account your individual face shape and helps you find where your natural arch begins and ends. Billion Dollar Brows 'Brow Buddy Tool' is recommended by Glamour Magazine, and once you're familiar with the BDB products, you'll see why! 

3. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T OVER-TWEEZE 

Let's just put this one in CAPS. DON'T. I REPEAT, DON'T OVER TWEEZE. Several of my friends are OCD pluckers and can't stand the existence of one single stray. Alyssa also recommends avoiding the ever popular 'car tweeze' when ladies see the state of their wooly brows in natural light and end up  tweezer happy to the point that they barely have a brow left by the time they get done. This is a huge no no. If you want to be able to shape your brows, you'll need brows to shape. You get me?

4. GET TO GROWIN' THEN GET TO WAXIN'

I have a rather bizarre left brow. It doesn't quite come in as far as my right brow. I've been trying to allow it to grow out on the left side, but the process has been murderous due to my OCD nature and my nearly unbearable desire to yank out the awkward new hairs desperately trying to fill themselves in.

 If you're suffering from the same annoyance, a great step in the right direction would be to try BDB's Brow Boost, which Alyssa now has me hooked on. You'll be a firm believer after you see these incredible before and after photos of ladies using it! (They used it for 90 days and the before and after photos are completely untouched!) 

The BDB formula is enriched with vitamins that encourage growth. I'm already seeing a difference. I also use it to help keep my stray brows in place. Sometimes those pesky brows just need a stern hand!

If you do have a few longer stray hairs that you just don't want to tweeze, try trimming them down ever so slightly using brow scissors. After you've trimmed down your difficult strays, brush up using a brow brush to give them a full, fluffy model-esque look. Remember not to over trim - it can cause gaps! 

Of course trimming and waxing your brows yourself has its advantages, but having them professionally shaped, waxed and trimmed is better. I'm all about saving money, but sometimes spending is a necessary evil. Quality is always important, and trusting a qualified professional to help you shape and fill your brows will be worth every penny in the long run!

5. FILL IN & COVER UP

If your eyebrows need a little tinting, don't be afraid! Go up a shade or two if you have light brows. It will add a lot to your skin tone and face shape. I do want to be specific in this instance - Have a professional help you on this one. Shaping your brows is one thing, but tinting them is another. Alyssa wanted me to note that brow shaping is an art and she doesn't suggest going to just anyone or attempting to tint one's own brows. 

It's important, especially if you want to achieve the perfect color and shape, to see a professional! It's worth it. I promise.

After you've shaped and tweezed to your hearts content (or you've gone the extra mile to spend a few extra $$'s on having it done for you) You can cover up all that redness using another amazing BDB product, The Brow Duo Pencil - which doubles as both a concealer and a highlighter. Best combo ever, huh?

Fill in your brow after you've concealed and highlighted using the Universal Brow Pencil. It will help define your arches, fill in gaps and fluff out the spots that need a little somethin' somethin'. The great thing about the Universal Brow Pencil is - It's universal! This pencil can magically blend with any brow color. Someone call Hogwarts, ya'll. 

THE FINAL PRODUCT!

You can see how incredible Kristen's brows turned out! Of course she's beautiful anyway - but there's nothing like a stylishly shaped brow to compliment a beautiful face! 

If you aren't quite convinced what a good salon waxing can do for you, here are some great before and after photos via Alyssa! Look at those mad skills!

A BIG thanks to Alyssa for all her great tips and Kristen for the use of her lovely face! Visit these beauties at Wax Nashville for all of your waxing needs. They do it all. And when I say all, I mean ALLLLL. 

P.S

Have you ever heard of Vajazzling?! 

Find Wax Nashville East online HERE or on FACEBOOK 

// 615 650 1100 //

Online Specials: Students / Military + New Guests + Gift Card Purchases.

They also have an additional waxing salon in Belle Meade for those of you who aren't on the East Side. Waxing not your thing? Try the Wax Nashville Nail Lounge and get your nails done instead!

OOTD: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Jacket // Necessary Things . Crop Top // American Apparel . Velvet Skirt // Vintage . Shoes // Jeffrey Campbell . Bag // Alexander Wang Rocco in Oasis s/s 2011 

My amazing steel blue hair courtesy of my talented friend Reyna at Salon YaYa located off of 21st Ave in Nashville! Mention me and get $20 off your first service with Reyna! For real though. TWENTY DOLLARS, YA'LL!

The bit of orange was just me having some fun with my Orange Kevin Murphy Colorbug. You can achieve the same look with pastel drawing chalk - check out one of my previous posts on how to do it yourself HERE. 

And just because of how happy this bag makes me ( happier than any man ever could - mind you) one final parting shot of me and my new best friend, my S/S 2011 Oasis Alexander Wang Rocco bag.

Yes everyone, dreams do come true. 

VALENTINES DAY: MOODY BROODY & SO CRAZY IN LOVE

MOODY BROODY V-DAY

 For those of us who want to choke people in love out with lace, and give them paper 

cuts between their fingers with Hallmark Cards.

<3

Jeffrey Campbell mid heel shoes / White handbag, $31 / Satchel bag / McQ by Alexander McQueen wrap bracelet, $110 / Metal jewelry / ASOS hair bow accessory, $13 / Le Specs round sunglasses

SO WHAT // SO CRAZY IN LOVE

If you're feeling in love and fancy free, dress up with some flirty florals or holographic accessories. Don't forget the lipgloss. It's important.

<3

ALDO sneaker / Zara leather pumps / Bardot envelope clutch, $36 / Cross body handbag / Acrylic jewelry / Leather glove, $180 / Bridal hair accessory

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT VALENTINES DAY: FOUR OF MY FAVORITE SWEET & SIMPLE DIY PROJECTS

PINK POPCORN via cravingsofalunatic

I can't get over this. It looks amazing! I'm not a huge fan of popcorn, but when it's popcorn smothered in cheese or chocolate or icing -  my sweet tooth takes over and I just can't say no. You won't be able to resist either!  

This sweet and adorable treat would make the perfect V-Day gift wrapped up in a cellophane baggie with silver and pink ribbon. 

Lace Princess Crowns via Girl. Inspired.

I would love to be on the receiving end of this gift! Lace is always one of my favorite go-tos for girly, flirty events and of course, the holidays - and what better holiday to rock one of these bad ass (but in the most dainty, feminine way) princess crowns than on Valentines Day. 

If you're planning a V-day party these would make excellent party favors. 

And of course this idea is perfect for the kids in your life, not just the adults. I'm already planning to have these at my next soiree. I'll probably make the guys rock them too.  

Heart Attack Box via The House That Lars Built

If you know nothing else about me, then know this: I'm lazy. I'm soooo lazy. God. But even I, in all my laziness can easily find the time to put together these heart warming (or heart attack inducing) little Valentine boxes. If you're not a run of the mill Hallmark card giving type, then this is for you. 

You can spruce this already cute idea up a bit by including little love letters on each heart, or maybe something you love about the person receiving it on each one. Limitless options! 

Hell, I'd even throw some glitter in there. But it depends on how much you love them, because glitter is so hard to clean up, especially if it explodes all over your floor. Yeah.

Iced Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies via Montcarte

I'm so into this whole 'Lavender Craze' going on right now. I've always been a huge fan of the essential oils - they are great for everything from burns, cuts, bruises - to wrinkles, pimples and helping to reduce scarring. Now in addition to drowning myself in it, I can eat it! I've been dying to whip up some lavender hot chocolate, so now I have an even bigger excuse to bake up a batch of these delicious, aromatic and let's not forget adorable - heart shaped lavender lemon cookies.

Imagine waking your sweetheart up to a kitchen full of the sweet smell of lavender and lemon on Valentines Day! I ALMOST (but not really) wish I had a boyfriend to bake these for. Almost...