At the Pink of Perfection

Turquoise and Gold Peacock

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

The photographs I have of this manicure do not even come close to capturing the beauty of it. What started out as a rather simple manicure (Julep Lena,) was transformed into greatness with the addition of the gold peacock stamp.

I was taking a break from work last week and getting some sun on the deck all the while experimenting with settings on my camera. I was attempting to show you the gold shimmer that is in Julep Lena, but couldn't capture it. In bright sunlight the gold shimmer seems to be brought out by the gold stamp of a peacock feather.

The stamp is by Nail Craze and stamped in Essie 'Good as Gold.' The peacock is a large stamp, so those of you with smaller nail beds may be disappointed. I'm kinda psyched to grow my nails out in order to fit more of the design on my nails. I LOVE anything peacock.

Lena was part of my April Julep Maven selections, with Kaylen and Avery being just as bright and beautiful!

As usual, the most color-accurate photo comes from my iphone:

Hope your Monday isn't as dark, cold, and rainy as mine!

I'm a Boat Captain

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised last weekend to find out I could still fit in Old Navy clothes, a fact that I came upon by accident. Long story short, through my work facebook account, I saw that a friend had "liked" Old Navy, and it showed up as a suggested page, with an amazing chevron maxi dress as the profile picture. Not only did I "like" the page, I spent $75. Nice.

I purchased two maxi dresses in XXL (Misses) and crossed my fingers they would fit. Well, not only did they fit, they were way too big. It's a good feeling, considering I haven't been to Old Navy in years fearing I was only able to wear Plus, which isn't sold in stores. Because they weren't plus, I was able to return/exchange in store, picking up the XL dresses to replace them.

Of course I immediately made up for the years I hadn't shopped there, picking up the above heart sweater, a denim jacket, an outdoor/active zip sweatshirt, the maxi dress, and these linen pants. Just when I thought I was destined to never find comfortable (dressier) pants, I came across fold-over linen pants. My mind was blown. These are by far the most comfortable pants, and are figure flattering as well.

The boat captain you ask? The day I tried these pants on at Old Navy I was wearing the same gold boat shoes, and immediately thought of Joel McHale from The Soup's impression of Hugh Heffner... "I'm a boat captain!" No? Then I got it stuck in my head and it wouldn't go away.

I am absolutely blown away at times with the view from our back yard, isn't it beautiful? Every now and then some livestock will wander across it, or a redneck's dead truck will be parked in the field, but it is absolutely stunning.

I don't usually like taking outfit pictures on the weekends as there are more people around, but I somehow swindled my husband into taking these pictures for me, giving me a chance to get somewhat decent photos while avoiding the hair in the lipstick nightmare. My absolute joy of spending time with my best friend:

Namesake Polish: Drew

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Julep 'Drew' is by far my absolute favorite nail polish, and has become my go-to polish when I can't decide on a color. I know for a fact it's for sentimental reasons as it's my husband's name, but the color has grown on me too. I did laugh that the only 'Amy' polish I have is blue, and the 'Drew' polish is pink, opposites for us!

This color is absolutely impossible to photograph accurately, even using my trusty iphone. Julep describes Drew as a "fabulous fuchsia cream," but there are hints of orange in it, I don't see it as a true fuchsia. It's currently out of stock, so I am assuming it's a popular color!

I've gone through half the bottle since February, and considering it's out of stock, I need to cool my jets and start using some of my other colors!

Hope you had a great weekend, happy Monday to you!

Thirty: Over The Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Thirty. 30. Oh my god I’m going to be 30. I have less than a month before I leave my 20’s behind me and become old. Isn’t 30 like the beginning of the end? I remember when I thought 26 was old- when I was 19 and dating a 26 year old. Obviously I am struggling with this milestone birthday, which is only slightly made better with gifts. Slightly.

About a year ago I came across an article on Huffington post about 30 things woman “should have and should know” by the time they turn 30. The article was actually from Glamour magazine in 1997, later to become a book after it went viral. I have said book on my nook unread by the way. You can see the Huffington Post article here.

By 30, you should have ...

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.

5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.

6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you.

9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

13. The belief that you deserve it.

14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know ...

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.

2. How you feel about having kids.

3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

4. When to try harder and when to walk away.

5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.

7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

8. Where to go -- be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing.

9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.

10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.

11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.

13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

15. Why they say life begins at 30

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So, how do you stack up? I would definitely say I’m 30 for 30, even if I don’t think some of these are actually that important by 30.

When I think of what I accomplished in my 20’s, and the goals I have for my 30’s, I can sleep at night, I can look forward to the days to come, even if I can no longer “relate” to the style posts in People StyleWatch divided up by 20’s, 30’s, and the grave. Haha, just kidding.

Photo and Article Source

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I know I'm a bit late to this, but I wanted to share this with you regardless. A friend of mine posted this on her Facebook wall, and I happened to see it right before going out to dinner with new coworkers. Tears and all. I would say they probably thought I was nuts, but I'm sure they had already come to that conclusion and didn't expect anything else.

"We spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren't quite right, and we should spend more time appreciating the things we do like."

You are more beautiful than you think.

Dove

You're Such a Budapest

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

'You're Such a Budapest' and 'Polka.com' are both from the 2013 OPI Euro Centrale collection, consequently 2 of my 3 favorites from the collection. I have actually made a few trips to Ulta and other OPI retailers looking for Budapest, and lucked out this past weekend on an impromptu trip to Ulta. And by impromptu I mean I was at Old Navy, right next door to Ulta, and couldn't waste a trip to the mall without going to Ulta, I mean seriously!

Don't you just love how the colors bounce off my husband's ratty old Nike sweatshirt that I have commandeered? He's had this Nike sweatshirt for over 10 years and it's seen better days, but I love it and refuse to give it back to him. It's been washed so many times the chocolate brown is fading in spots, the word Nike is barely legible on the front, the hood is practically hanging on by a thread, and you can't put anything in the pocket due to the gaping hole. And I love it.

My favorite musical by far is My Fair Lady, and every time I think of this nail polish I think of this song, 'You Did It,' with the line about the hairy man from Budapest. I've had this song in my head for hours now:

Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:00:00 +0000

I have decided to begin talking about Sustainability a little more here on my blog, and I don't think there's a better time to start than Earth Day. Believe me, you don't have to be the granola, tree hugging stereotype to be more sustainable, just start with baby steps: turn out the light when you leave the room, recycle your soda bottles, or just plant a tabletop garden. Sustainability is sexy!

Around These Parts

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:50:00 +0000

So yeah, I wrote this whole post about the future of my blog and then posted nothing for a week. My bad. I figured I'd catch up what's going on around these parts with a personal blurb today.

Since we moved into our home in 2009, we have planted 15-16 fruit trees, with 2 more sitting on our deck yet to be planted. The above pictures are the blooms and buds on the trees sitting on our deck. When I looked out my window this morning, I was taken back at the beauty of them, as well as the symbolism of spring: changes, transformations, etc. It's amazing to think of these trees over the winter- they were large sticks in pots of dirt. Yet every year they come back and bear fruit. It's just amazing. Here is a picture of one of our pear trees blooming:

I like to think that I am contributing to the green effort by planting more trees, plus I'm already planning the recipes I'll be making when these bear fruit. A late frost last year killed the (crop,) but the year before we had more pears than we knew what to do with. I did make this Pear Almond Torte for book club and it was delicious!

I got home late last night after spending the week in Milwaukee for work, and am ready to start my weekend. A few hours left of work and I will be lounging on the couch holding my husband's hand watching movies. I cannot wait.

Although I work from home, it was really nice to be back in an office environment, even if I accomplished little to no work. I was able to meet some of my coworkers face to face, and meet 9 new ones! I didn't see as much of Milwaukee as I would have liked, but was able to get out 2 nights for dinner, including a trip to the Safe House. The locals know of this place, a restaurant that requires a password to enter, those not knowing the password (word for word as I found out) are subject to ridicule and humiliation. It is all in good fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

On the home front, our washer died about 2-3 months ago, and I am just getting a new one delivered and installed today. I can't even begin to tell you how much joy this brings me. Before I met and married my husband (and bought our first home,) I have lived in apartments since I was 19. Let's just say I haven't had to worry about not having a washer and dryer since 2002. I have been driving to my in-laws, but I have run out of clean sheets and towels. Let's just say I will be playing laundry maid all weekend. And I'm excited.

Other than that, not much going on. I lead a really exciting life, can't you tell?

The Future Of My Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I have been thinking about the future of my blog for awhile now, and wanted to share with you some things I have been considering. This blog has become so much more than a hobby to me, and I want to continue with it, I have just run out of steam. I've become bored with what I've been posting- I want to branch out, but where do I start? I know more of what I don't want it to be more than what I do want.

Lifestyle

I like to think of my blog as a ‘topical’ blog, but is it too impersonal? I try not to overshare on here, but I've found that maybe sharing more about myself would be a good thing. I've found that I get the most interaction when I'm real about things, my struggles, my life, etc. I don't share much almost out of fear of rejection as silly as that sounds. The funniest part of that is I have found more friends through blogging than any other area of my life, I finally found women just like me- fabulous, intelligent, stylish, humorous women that actually like me! I've always had difficulty finding friends, but I finally realized it's not me, but the women I was trying to be friends with. I have never felt as accepted as I have as a blogger!

Topical

As much as I love my manicure posts, I've become bored with them. I have lost the initiative to come up with new manicures- I've noticed that I've been posting mainly my monthly polishes from Julep for example, and not coming up with anything new. I tried to find excuses for this, but it’s simply a lack of motivation. A large contributor to the lower number of creative manicure posts has been returning to work full time- ugh, it takes away from my free time and hobbies! That being said, I need to manage my time off more wisely, and dive back into what makes me happy.

I love to cook and bake, but that too has been lacking. I have been experimenting with freezer-crockpot meals which I know you would love; I just hate the quality of pictures I take, so I don’t take them at all. This is ridiculous, and if I budgeted some time into learning to use my camera, this would be different. The fact that I only cook for my husband and I has taken a toll on my creativity as well. We’re pretty much alone here; we don’t have friends or family in the area, so dinners are him and I in front of the television. I’m also afraid I’m boring you with too many breakfast and chicken recipes- but that’s pretty much the extent of what we eat! A perfectly good example- I had a bowl of cereal for dinner last night, and tonight I had Cadbury Mini Eggs, fabulous right?

Future

I have so many ideas floating in my head, but lack the motivation to pursue them. I struggle with depression at times, and there are days I have just enough initiative to get out of bed and work, let alone pretend to be positive and creative for the blog. I’ll talk more on this in the future, I am not ready to share this quite yet. I am sorry for the Facebook-vagueness of it, I will explain, I promise!

On a positive note, here are some ideas I’ve had for future posts, tell me what you think:

-Chubby Girl Fitness: I’ve found it’s difficult to start a workout routine when you’re out of shape and/or overweight- you don’t know where to start, you get overwhelmed, you give up. Or maybe that’s just me?

-Saw, Pinned, Conquered: Continue sharing my Pinterest successes and maybe failures with you

-Hair: I get quite bored with my hair and frankly consider cutting it quite often. I’ve given myself a month (until my 30^th birthday) to experiment with it and enjoy it as it is, and I’d love to start sharing with you.

-Fashion: I’d love to continue and improve my OOTD posts in an effort to embrace my body as it is, and to show that plus size doesn’t have to be frumpy.

-Eating Clean: This is something I want to do more of, and would love to share tasty, healthy and most importantly clean recipes with you.

-Green is the new Pink: My degree is actually in Sustainable Business, and that goes far beyond the recycling and solar I talk about so often. I’d love to start talking about sustainability, what it means, and how even a small effort on our parts could make a big difference.

-Pretty Perfection: I started these posts at a dark time in my life, where I was surrounded by depression, anxiety, and a deep sense of sadness. I needed these beautiful things to be a pick me up, does that make sense? Seriously, I live in the country, ok? Every once in a while I want to look at glamorous and pretty things!

-Basic Photography: I am completely clueless when it comes to my dslr. Seriously. I don’t know what any of the terminology means, let alone how to take a decent picture. I’m considering literally starting from scratch, and sharing with you what I learn.

-Blogging Networking: I'd love to start networking and sharing blogger profiles- let's get to know each other!

That being said, I am open to feedback! Is there anything you’d like me to start sharing more of on here? I am looking for my motivation, for a breath of fresh air…I would love to hear from you!

What's In My Purse?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I've done this post before, but I am seriously nosy and love these kinds of posts, so why not do it again? Plus, I change out bags, wallets, and accessories pretty frequently, so it's pretty much different anyways.

I don't go many places, so I don't carry a purse much anymore. When I need to run for an errand, I'll grab just my wallet in which my phone fits perfectly, and be on my way. I had been watching this bag at Target for easily 2 months, and finally made the purchase Easter weekend. I love the shape of the bag, and the coral color just pops. Now to find somewhere to go so I can show it off? For now it looks great on top of my shelves in my office.

The cosmetic bag was free with Target beauty samples, I picked up the sunglasses on Amazon, and the wallet was a find at TJMaxx.

I'm a huge lipgloss/stick/balm fan, with these as my current favorites: YSL Cool Guava, Pixi Magic Tint, and an elf lip balm (colorless) that I picked up at Target on Clearance for a little over $1.

Above are the other essentials in my purse: my iphone (case: Tech Candy,) iPad (case: Target,) Starbucks coffee sleeve, and charger. Can you tell I like pink and rose gold?

I am linking up over at Pink on the Cheek, go be nosy with me and see inside everyone's purse!

Speckled Gold Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

How was your Easter? Mine was pretty much perfect- just my husband and I, a homemade pizza, and old movies on Netflix. We've had a pretty rough year, and as a result have decided to boycott holidays this year. Christmas was a flop, and Easter was too. And that's ok. We have each other, that's all that matters to us.

My favorite Easter candy is definitely Cadbury eggs- both the original cream eggs and the mini's...seriously good stuff. The mini eggs are what gave me the idea for this manicure, speckled eggs. And how do you make a speckled egg more fabulous? Use a gold leaf topcoat for a gold speckled egg!

To achieve this manicure, I used 2 coats of Julep 'Shenae' and 2 coats of OPI 'Man With a Golden Gun.' I don't know if it was just my bottle, but Shenae was goopy and not the usually smooth formula of Julep and I regret breaking the seal.

This manicure didn't last long this weekend, cleaning out closets and painting bathrooms doesn't do much for manicures.

Hope you have a great week!

Navy Stipes & Irritation

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

As you can see from my facial expressions, I was extremely irritated when taking these pictures. Let me paint the scene... I was hot, the sun was uber bright, I left my remote shutter on and the batteries died, the neighbor's dogs wouldn't stop barking, I was already late for a family event...I was exhausted and cranky.

Then it got worse...

Already late for a party, I pop my camera card into my computer after taking 20-30 pictures, and I see that I didn't adjust my white balance to sunny after using it inside to photograph my nails. SERIOUSLY?!!? And of course they were GREAT shots. It was too bright outside in the sun to be able to tell when the photo popped up onscreen. I almost cried.

Instead, I put my big girl panties on, and went out for a second round of photos. And my patience was nearly gone. But seriously, what a difference...

The colors just pop now in my scarf and t-shirt. This outfit was nothing special, I just wanted to dress up a bit on the weekend to see family and celebrate my father in law's birthday. What better way than to watch Les Mis on a 10 foot screen surrounded by loved ones? I could have easily worn another pair of sweatpants, but I decided to dress up my favorite Target sweatshirt with a tank top and a scarf that pops.

This sweatshirt is extremely comfortable and I love the thumb holes on the sleeve- makes me feel young!

I am both excited and fearful at the fete in front of me of learning to use my dslr. I literally have to start at the absolute beginning- so much of the terminology is confusing and scary. The exciting part will be having the ability to capture so many memories, and to share much more here on my blog.

Outfit Details: Shoes: Target // Bag: TJMaxx // Jeans: Calvin Klein // Tank: Kohls (old) // Sweatshirt: Target // Scarf: Target // Sunglasses: D&G

Pink Sparkle

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

This manicure literally brightened my day last week. I was having a stressful day at work, and to top it off, I was having stomach issues from either nerves or something I ate. I was just down. I looked over at my shelves in my office and saw Essie 'Madison Ave-hue' and Zoya 'Aurora' still sitting untried. When holding them both in my hand trying to determine which one to try, I realized they coordinated together perfectly. Voila!

My camera cannot even begin to capture to holo-gorgeousness of Aurora- MAJOR sparkle! It's blingingly beautiful- it is definitely a MUST-buy polish. I will say this is in my top 5 polishes- it is that beautiful.

Picture overload, but seriously, it's worth it... Just as gorg inside...

Happy Monday!

Happy Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Are you as happy as I am that today is officially the first day of Spring? So what that we had snow and freezing rain on Monday...there is hope in sight! I am so ready for warm weather, aren't you? I absolutely love tulips, so until I see some available for my desk, I will enjoy these beautiful photos.

How beautiful are these dark purple tulips my mother in law picked out for me for Valentines Day? The bulbs are in a clear vase under water, and are so unique. Well, were. They're since dead, but they were beautiful in February!

I will be bundled up on this cold 46 degree first day of Spring, but looking forward to 60-70 degree days!

Photos Source.

Peace & Love

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

So before Christmas I saw this sweatshirt at Target and made the joke to my friend Marcy that on me this sweatshirt would say rolls & more rolls, and passed on to other clothes. Fast forward a month and a $6 price tag, I fell in love with it.

It's not exactly figure flattering, rather box-y in shape, but between the color, the neckline and the embellished "&" on the front, it's quickly become my favorite sweatshirt.

Let me tell you what I was thinking in this picture: 'oh come on, take the picture, there's a car coming...what's taking so long?" Then I realized there are 2 options on my remote, immediate and delayed, and you can guess what mine was on. Well, I can say that is the photography self-taught lesson for this week!

When I decided to start doing OOTD pictures for my blog, I immediately was filled with fear- mainly that I would be too boring. I don't receive free clothes from vendors and brands, and I don't have money to show you a different outfit everyday. And seriously, this is me in sweats on a GOOD day. I have reassured myself that I do have the style and ingenuity to create with what I have already, only adding pieces here and there.

I would love to thrift, and show you how I incorporate thrifted pieces into my wardrobe, but I am a weird size and that makes thrifting difficult. You see, I am literally right in between women's sizes and plus sizes. Yes, I guess that gives me 2 different worlds to shop from, but it makes thrifting even more difficult. Seriously, if I could find a good tailor, I'd be set. This sweatshirt is actually an XXL from the (misses) department at Target, and the yoga pants are an XL from Target activewear. I believe they actually call these pants juniors, but they don't fit like them.

And by the way, the peace part of "love & peace" would be these pants, where the word peace is across the fold down waist band on the back. And every time I wear these pants, my husband informs me they spelled peace wrong...bahahaha...

I will brag on myself a little here and tell you how much I am loving my hair here. I promise a tutorial soon-- believe me, it's EASY. And QUICK.

The love part would be my favorite piece of jewelry, my 'love' bracelet from lia sophia which never leaves my wrist.

I wanted to share this outfit with you as my everyday outfit, but I should call it my every other or every-2 days outfit. Even though I'm in sweats, this is after a shower and doing my hair. The days in between are pretty rough, but then again, that's real life. I'm not playing dress up!

Nail Treatments

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Today in place of a manicure I want to share a few of my favorite nail treatments with you, my tried and trues. I am actually in the process of a treatment now, so I will start with that one.

As you can see from the picture, this is OPI Nail Envy Original. I purchased OPI Nail Envy for Peeling and Breaking about a year ago, but never saw any results when using it. After receiving multiple recommendations from nail bloggers, I decided to give the Original a try.

I picked it up on eBay for under $10 which is a great price considering it's $17-18 at Ulta and Target. I heard it was on sale for $7 and change this week on Amazon, but I couldn't find it, I'm sorry!

Within one application I noticed a difference. I have been using acetone nail polish remover frequently, and it is destroying my nails. I end up with my tips peeling, thus causing weak nails which break more often. Nail Envy has strengthened them considerably, and I will report back to you within a week as to official results! The first application is 2 coats, followed by a coat every other day.

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Another nail treatment I am a fan of is Essie Grow Stronger. This is an instagram photo, so I apologize for the quality. This is my number one choice for a basecoat.

I have used Grow Stronger on its own, but I prefer it as a basecoat. When worn alone as in the photo, it doesn't dry to shiny, smooth finish. It dries to a rubberized finish, which irritated me in a way. Right around Thanksgiving my nails were longer than they've ever been (&since!) and I know it was thanks to Essie Grow Stonger.

As soon as my peelies are healed, I will return to using this as my basecoat for all my manicures.

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The third treatment I would like to share with you is Julep Oxygen Treatment. I will be completely honest with you, I use this treatment only for the pale pink tint color. I'm sure by now you know I am a big fan of Julep, but I don't want to mislead you with this product. I didn't notice any difference or improvement in my nails after using multiple times. Those of you that are Mavens, did you notice any improvement? I know there was a lot of complaints as to the consistency of it- some Mavens in colder temperatures believed that to be the reason. It's a beautiful pale pink and lasts longer than a polish, so I use this as my go-to neutral.

I have easily 10+ other paint-on nail treatments, but I believe these to be the best. Do you use any nail treatments? Do you recommend any?

Remote Shutter

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

For Christmas last year my husband bought me a new DSLR camera, and I just purchased a remote for it last week. In an effort to take more outfit pictures and to rely less on bothering my husband, I purchased this remote last week off amazon. So in order to try it out, I put on an outfit you'd probably see me in every weekend if you were around.

I'll work on getting more creative with my outfits, but for now you're getting the real me. Wearing what I am comfortable in-jeans, cotton, and flat sneakers. Seriously, what's the high-heel/wedge sneaker coming back?

So, as you can see from this picture, I'm really excited the remote works, and the pictures I'm going to take with it! My blogging friend Jess is about to start a photography for beginners class, and I can't wait to start shooting in Manual mode!

Tee: Target // Vest: NY&Co // Scarf: Target // Jeans: Calvin Klein // Wallet: Stella & Dot // Glasses: amazon

So, I'm seriously in love with these sunglasses which cost me a whopping $7 on amazon! I know fake is never in fashion, but if I could afford the real Prada ones, would I be showcasing an outfit primarily from Target? Nope. I have 2 pairs of genuine designer glasses, but considering I like changing out my sunglasses daily, I figure $7 is a worthwhile investment.

Want to know a secret? I'm not wearing makeup, I'm embracing my bumpy pony-tail, and I decided to not carry my prop purse- I went with my Stella & Dot tech wallet that I carry everywhere. Anything else you want me to spill?

Coconut Oil #Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I bought this Coconut Oil a few months ago for the sole purpose of making homemade-makeup remover wipes using a recipe I found on Pinterest. And it has since sat in my pantry, unused.

A post on instagram by a friend inspired me to try it on my hair after she raved about the results on her daughter. Well, I'm thinking I applied it wrong? I did not notice a difference at all. Just messiness.

I should start off by saying I am very blessed with thick, healthy hair in the first place, so maybe it did do good and I didn't notice? Ugh, that sounds so self-absorbed, I'm sorry! Believe me, there are down sides to this hair- the grass is always greener, remember that. I can't wear a ponytail unless it's at the base of my neck because I get headaches, it takes over an hour to curl my hair, it takes 2-3 hours to air dry, and it falls out everywhere.

That being said, I know I don't condition my hair enough. I rotate 2 shampoos and 1 shampoo/conditioner in my hair washing routine, and wash my hair every 2-4 days. So, it ends up being about once every 2 weeks that I condition my hair.

Oh, and sidenote- just be happy I'm hiding behind the lens...this is a typical weekday ensemble for me- sweats, husband's t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. No makeup, hair a hot mess.

So, I am seeing that some people put the coconut oil on in the shower after washing, and then rinse it? Is that how you're supposed to do it? Because here's what I did:

I let it sit in a pot of hot water for about 10 minutes to melt, then rubbed a bunch in my hair, concentrating on my roots. Then I showered and washed it out. Like I said, I'm thinking that's where I went wrong?

Ew. Serious greaze...I am channeling my inner 13 year old boy here in these photographs, grease central. Oh, and talking about that, I give major props to middle school teachers like my sister-in-law Kim-man, I don't think I could do it. Hormones, major B.O., grease...ew.

Anyway, like I implied with the whole #fail post title, I did not notice a difference. Have any of you tried this? Advice?

St. Patty's Manicure

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I decided to add on 'Lucky' to my Julep March box at the last minute, and now I regret opening it. I don't love it, and I should have saved the Jules. I can still probably swap it out, but I don't like swapping for used polish, so I feel hypocritical swapping one.

I guess I should tell you that Lucky is the color on my thumb and ring finger as you can see above. It's too much of a peridot-green, and not really my cup of tea.

Enough about Lucky! I'm pretty much in love with the other colors: Butter London 'West End Wonderland' (index finger,) Zoya 'Shawn' with Revlon 'Sequins' (middle finger,) and Zoya 'Yara' with Essie 'As Gold As It Gets' stamped on my pinkie. Oh, and then a coat of Seche Vite top coat.

This manicure is going on 4 days with no chips, I don't know what I did differently- maybe it's the thickness of the glitter?

Happy (Early) St. Patty's Day!

Take Me To the King

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I have wanted to share this song for you for awhile now, it brings me to tears and gives me chills everytime I hear it. Take the time to read the lyrics, they apply to so many of my friends and family. I feel like this song was written for me. 'Truth is I'm tired, options are few. I'm trying to pray, but where are you?'

Take me to The King. I don’t have much to bring, my heart is torn in pieces, it’s my offering. Take me to The King.

Truth is I’m tired, options are few. I’m trying to pray, but where are you? I’m all churched out, hurt and abused, I can’t fake…what’s left to do? Truth is I’m weak, no strength to fight, no tears to cry, even if I tried. But still my soul refuses to die, one touch will change my life.

Truth is, it’s time to stop playing these games. We need a word for the people’s pain. So Lord speak right now, let it fall like rain, we’re desperate, we’re chasing after you.

No rules, no religion. I’ve made my decision to run to You, the healer that I need.

Lord, we’re in the way, we keep making mistakes, Glory is not for us, it’s all for you.

Take me to The King. I don’t have much to bring, my heart is torn in pieces, it’s my offering. Take me to The King. Lay me at the throne, leave me there alone- to gaze upon your glory and sing to You this song. Please Take me to The King.

Take me to the King

Pink Plaid: Is there any other Kind?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Now that I work from home, I don't get out of my pajamas or yoga pants very much, so I have been trying to not purchase too many clothes. I know I've talked about it before, but I've been working pretty much full time since I was 19, so I have always had a dress wardrobe- suits, pants, skirts, sweaters, camis, etc. and then my polar opposite- a plethora of yoga pants and sweatshirts.

In the past year or so I have been building up a casual wardrobe, one that I can wear out rather than just sweats and a tee. I am a BIG fan of What Not to Wear, and I know Stacy and Clinton would be so disappointed with me if they saw that I wear out in public sometimes. There's a very common misconception that bloggers are fabulous 100% of the time- yeah, it's staged, believe me.

I'm learning that I totally over think outfits at times, maybe that's a blogging thing? Am I just a typical girl? I am absolutely in love with this outfit, I've worn in like 3 times in less than 2 weeks, and considering I don't leave the house much, that's saying something. It's so simple- jeans, a blouse, and a white tank top. It's comfortable, flattering, and something I can wear into spring.

blouse: target // jeans: calvin klein // shoes: target // bag: tjmaxx // jewelry: lia sophia

I am officially out of outfit posts photographed by Jess, now I need to put my rear in gear and start taking my own pictures. That being said, anyone know of a remote for the Canon T3 Rebel? I keep seeing this one, but I'm afraid it won't work for the T3. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again to Jess for taking these amazing pics and meeting me for a cappuccino!

Jumbo Bran Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Jumbo Bran Muffins

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons + ¼ c all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups unprocessed bran
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 egg whites
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup fat free buttermilk
⅔ cup golden raisins

Directions

1.) Preheat the oven to 375°F, Spray a jumbo 6-cup nonstick muffin pan with non-stick spray (or line with foil or paper liners.)

2.) To make the crumb topping, in a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour and the brown sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the walnuts.

3.) In a large bowl, combine the bran, whole-wheat flour, the remaining ¼ cup all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg, egg whites, sugar, and molasses until blended. Gradually beat in the buttermilk. Gradually add the bran mixture, mixing on low speed until just blended. Stir in the raisins.

4.) Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about half full. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes; remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

PER SERVING (1 Jumbo Muffin): 329 Cal, 6g Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 42mg Chol, 481mg Sod, 64g Carb, 8g Fib, 10g Protein, 111mg Calc. Points Value: 6p.

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These muffins are from before points became points+ on Weight Watchers, so forgive me for not having the current values. I did provide the other nutrition information so you are able to calculate the points for yourself.

I am not on Weight Watchers, but I do make WW recipes frequently. This recipe is out of the 2006 Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, my absolute favorite source for WW recipes. I have not come across a bad recipe in here yet.

I personally LOVE bran muffins, so these were outstanding in my opinion. They are delicious, but don't think they'll make you like bran muffins if you don't like them to start with! They are a dense muffin because of the bran, making one muffin a sufficient breakfast with fruit. I did put about a teaspoon of butter on my muffin and added some organic mixed berry jelly.

I don't know if I am alone on this, but I eat muffins and cupcakes the same way- I separate the muffin top from the bottom and save it for last...it is the best part, you know. I then butter and jelly the bottom part, leaving the streusel-topped muffin top for last. Yumm.

My husband doesn't enjoy baked goods like I do, so out of the 6 muffins, I ate one the first day, one two days later, gave 2 to my in-laws, and froze the remaining two for quick breakfasts in the future.

*Note- I used pecans in place of walnuts, as that is what I had available. Plus I'm kinda in love with pecans. P-cons. That's how I say it...

I will say, although these muffins were absolutely delicious, they did remind me of the scene in Charlie's Angels when I believe Drew Barrymore throws one and it almost breaks through a door. Ha! I did have a chuckle at my bran muffins' expense!

Do you like bran muffins?

March Julep Maven

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I actually don't have a manicure to share today, considering I showed you my all time favorite manicure here on Wednesday. Today I plan on using one of the new colors from my March Maven box, I just don't know which one yet.

I will say I immediately tried the Strawberry-Mint lip balm and it is smooth and amazing, and the hand cream moisturizes immensely, having kept my hands soft through 4-5 handwashes. I will try the Glycolic Hand Scrub and report back- I wasn't a fan of the initial one, but Julep is promising that this is the "new and improved" scrub.

The colors are (L to R): Debra, Minnie, Simone, Adrianna, Teri, Shenae, Leila, and Joy. Beautiful pastels with a shimmer...le sigh...I am so looking forward to spring, and what says spring more than pastels? Here is a non-filtered photo so you can see the colors more accurately:

Hope you had a fabulous weekend, Happy Monday!

Some Lovely Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

{JessicaFaith Photography}

I don't know about you, but this week just flew by. Maybe it was the 10 hour, no-break workdays, but I swear it was just Sunday. That's great, but I feel I'm wishing my life away waiting for the weekend! I just wanted to share a few posts I read this week that you may enjoy. See you Monday my friends!

*****

The picture above is from this last weekend when I met up with a local blogging friend Jess for some coffee and pics. It is so nice to talk blogger, HTML code, photos, followers, etc. with someone who knows! You can see some of the other pictures here.

*****

Check out this amazing Anthropologie DIY, easy and so adorable!

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You know I love manicures and that I think of myself as a Princess, so of course I love these Disney-Princess-Inspired Manicures!

*****

Don't tell my husband, but I bought three, yes THREE new mugs this week including this beauty from Starbucks, only available online.

*****

Our house has an eat-in kitchen, but no formal dining area. I loved this post and day-dreamed about hosting a dinner party in each one!

*****

Last but certainly not least, you may have seen this beauty video floating around social media, but you need to watch it. It gave me quite a chuckle!

My Blog is More Fashionable Than Yours!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy @ At the Pink of Perfection) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

This past weekend I met up with my friend Jessica from Heart on Homestead in Harrisonburg for some photos and girltalk. And really awful coffee. Ha!

It was meant to be an opportunity for Jess to play some with lighting with her camera, and for me to get some OOTD posts done by someone who knows their way around a DSLR. Well, it was cold and windy, and the hair that took me over an hour to do just kept blowing around out-of-control.

Right in Court Square was this amazing public chalkboard with 'Before I Die...receive love. give love. repeat' painted on it. Jess risked her life in the middle of the street to get this wicked cool shot!

I swore I'd never give in to the cotton-blazer movement, but I am in love with this jacket from Target. It is SO comfortable, and quite flattering regardless of shape. Considering most days I don't leave my yoga pants and sweatshirts, I will make a conscious effort to wear this jacket- maybe for girls' night or a date night.

Jeans: Calvin Klein
Shoes: Anne Klein
Bag: Target
T-Shirt: TJMaxx
Scarf: Target
Jacket: Target
Sunglasses: Kate Spade Angelique

I picked up this t-shirt a year and a half ago at TJMaxx for under $5- I would say this is definitely my BEST find. I have to wear a tank under it, it's one of those boxy, short shirts, but come on, with that message I had to have it. I'm glad I finally took the tags off and wore this shirt!

I was