Holiday Nails

With nail art being the new beauty trend and the holidays near, here is a fun way to combine the two! The end result is a fun manicure that can add sparkle to any holiday ensemble whether it be Christmas, Hanukah, or New Years!

You'll Need:
One solid, regular nail polish of your choosing
One glitter, more translucent nail polish
Paper plate
Make up sponge

Helpful Hints:
If your going for a Hanukah-themed manicure, try using dark navy as the base and a silver glitter polish
For a Christmas-themed mani, I suggest a cherry red base with gold sparkles
For New Years, keep it fun with metallic nails, such as gold nails with silver sparkles

How to:

Paint your nails as usual, using your solid nail polish as your base. I suggest doing 2 coats. Wait until your nails are basically dry. This is very important! If they're still wet, you risk smudging the base polish. Pour some of your glitter nail polish onto a paper plate to use as your palette for your make up sponge. Next, dip your make up sponge in the glitter nail polish and lightly dab along the top of your nails. I suggest dabbing along the top 1/2 or 1/3 of your nail. Make sure your dabs get lighter as you put glitter further down your nail. The glitter should be fullest at the top of your nail, lightest in the middle. Let the glitter polish dry for a minute or two before applying a top coat.

For some fun mistle-toes this season, try this technique on your next pedicure! Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Spiced White Chocolate Chip Scones

I'll be honest, I have never tried a scone until attempting this recipe. I have always viewed them as an overly fancy tea-time snack that would be complicated to make. On the contrary, the recipe is extremely simple and not as surprisingly, they go fabulously with a hot cup of tea!

It was a rainy day and I just wanted a way to warm up my apartment with the smell of fall.

You'll need:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsn baking powder
1 tbsn ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp all spice
1/2 cup  (8 tablespoons) cold butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Recipe makes 12 scones

How to:
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together. Add the butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly. I put my butter in the microwave for 30 seconds to make mixing easier. Add the wet ingredients and stir throuroughly. Add your white chocolate chips and mix them throughout the batter. Line a baking sheet with parchment or if you don't have parchment, just use an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle a bit of flower on the parchment or pan. Divide the dough in half to make two 5''-5 1/2'' circles that should be about 3/4'' thick.

Use a knife to slice each circle into 6 wedges and carefully separate the wedges so there is about 1/2'' space in between. For a better texture and rise to your scones, place them (uncovered) in the freezer for 30 minutes. While the scones are chilling, preheat the over to 425 F.

Bake the scones for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. The white chocolate drizzle on top adds a nice touch and is simple to do. Melt some white chocolate chips in the microwave for about 45 seconds (make sure to stir halfway through to prevent burning), or until the chips are fully melted. Drizzle the scones with the white chocolate with the help of a spoon. Let them cool and enjoy with a cup of tea!

White Wine Sangira

With the last of summer weather quickly slipping away I wanted to dedicate one more post to my favorite summer beverage: white wine sangria. This is the perfect drink for lounging outside by the pool or trying to start your morning tailgating on game days.

You'll need:
A bottle of white wine (I recommend chardonnay or sauvignon blanc)
Fresca
Orange Juice
Cut up fruit (I like apples, nectarines, and oranges)


How to:
Cut up the fruit into bite sized pieces and soak them in the wine overnight. This will let the fruit absorb some of the alcohol. When preparing the sangria for serving, add the fresca and a splash of OJ. Depending on how sweet you like your sangria, play with the ratios of fresca to OJ. I prefer my sangria on the sweeter side so I use more fresca than orange juice. If you're looking to make the sangria even stronger, add in a few shots of fruit flavored rum. I recommend Bacardi Dragonberry for a fruity mixed drink.

Cheers to the end of summer!

DIY Jewelry Board

In preparation for moving back to Ann Arbor I've been thinking up new interior design ideas for my new apartment. With my growing jewelry collection I've been running out of space in my current jewelry holder so I decided to make my own jewelry hanger that wouldn't only be useful, but decorative! The finished product ends up looking like a piece of art and can be color coordinated to your room.

You'll need:

Cork board
Spray paint (I used white but you can use any color of your choice)
Sharpies (I alternated between black and metallic silver)
Ruler

How to:
I made my chevron print with the aid of a ruler, cause what makes a chevron print successful is straight lines. After making your print, outline the lines with your black sharpie so they will show through the spray print. After your lines are outlined, spray paint your corkboard. Let it dry fully. Once dried, trace over your sharpie lines to make them more apparent. Once your cork board is fully designed, add your thumbtacks in a straight line with the help of a ruler. When done, hang your necklaces, rings, bracelets and enjoy!