12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 {Nails}

Don't let your nails detract from all the effort you have put into making yourself fabulous this season.

The hands are often neglected yet they are one of the first things that people (men especially) notice when talking to us.

Change it up a bit! Steer away from the nude nails or classic French manicure & add some festive sparkle.

You could dress up your French manicure simply by adding a snowflake and a gem. 

Have a look at my Pinterest board over here for a tutorial on snowflake painting.

Add a ombré glitter effect to your solid base using this simple technique:

Pinterest Link

My favourite is the candy stripes. Not as difficult as you may think.

Pinterest Link

Cut some strips of varying thicknesses out of Sellotape and stick on your nail (already painted with a base colour, for example white)

Paint over in red. Peel tape off and finish with a topcoat when dry.

Something very important to consider when choosing 2 colours: polish must be a solid colour that completely masks the colour underneath, or else you end up with a terrible effect when completed.

See my nails Christmas 2013:

The green was not dark enough to mask the red underneath. Not a nice result at all!

If you're pressed for time/not creative/hate doing your nails- then go with something simple:

Paint your nails in your favourite colour (for a dramatic evening look, opt for something bold like red or purple) & paint an accent nail using a contrasting colour or texture. Glitter gives you instant "glam".

Glitter Glam

Zoya Pixie Dust in Solange (gold glitter) is a nice polish to try this season.

Source

Liquid Sand by OPI gives an edgier finish if you are against the girlie sparkle as it dries to a Matte finish.

OPI Liquid Sand

No matter what effect you decide upon, just be sure to finish with a (quick dry) top coat to ensure the polish remains chip-free for the duration of the party & wave your hands with pride!

Don those sunglasses

Blog everyday in May - Day 11: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

A passionate friend who'll add sparkle to your life

Challenges Remaining:
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life…)
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day – this could be “a photo an hour” if you’d like)
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your “lot in life” and how you’re working to overcome it
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them
Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you’re struggling with right now.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)
Day 23, Thursday: Things you’ve learned that school won’t teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you’ll never forget (good or bad)
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you’d like.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. UseGrooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory

It Sparkles & Makes Coffee!

Bookclub Xmas Dinner

Last night was our annual Bookclub Xmas Dinner.

We had it at Grand Central at Melrose Arch and had the perfect table overlooking the square. Christmas trees everywhere, fairy lights and lovely "shooting star" lights really made the atmosphere lovely.

As usual 3 of us were late and Li was on time. Back to the Desperate Housewives theme: SO fitting.
Li: Brie - on time looking lovely and well put together in her denims and Black top with sparkly butterfly brooch
Tee: Gabby - late because she was out shopping. Sporting a new blonde hairstyle with lovely hairclip and flower necklace as the sparkle.
AC: Lynette - Late because of the husband. Looking gorgeous with her black top and sparkly rhinestones
Me: Susan - Late because I was in a bubble and drove all the way to the wrong venue (yes, I arranged the party) and halfway there sitting in peak hour traffic, suddenly woke up out of my bubble and realised I was on the wrong highway... and here is the irony - I left the house early to be on time! I wore my denims with a sparkly black top and mirror shoes.

It was so nice to spend time with my girls again, took a few fun photos outside by the tree (always my idea and my models always good-naturedly complain)
We had some good laughs and I caught everybody up on what I have been doing - Will share more with you in later posts.

Have an awesome weekend everybody!

Where are you?

Missing

Young woman with Spring in her step, Twinkle in her eye and uncontained laughter.

Confident and cheerful.

Sexy & bubbly.

Girl who takes risks and enjoys the thrill of the forbidden.

Today is my last day at work until 4 January 2010.

I can honestly say it has come in the nick of time.

I feel as if I am running on empty - even my reserve tank has been used up.

Bring on Christmas time and weddings and all the fun with family and friends.

I hope to find my soul, get my spark back and lose some stress and those extra kilos.

Roll on holidays!