As The Bunny Hops

{Makeup Monday} Permanent Makeup Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:08:33 PDT

Earlier in the year I had several permanent makeup procedures done. This always leads to tons of questions about the process and the results.

One of the first things I'm usually asked is if it works if your eyebrows are thin from over-tweezing. The lady who performed my eyebrow tattooing said it was actually a little strange working on someone with so much hair. She said most of her customers for eyebrows had little to no hair. (I was having the tattooing done because of the sparse areas on the inside corners of my brows.)

The procedure did not hurt. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but I wasn't in pain. My tattooist used several types of numbing medication, one she applied before the procedure and one she actually put in the ink during the procedure. Immediately after I was swollen. I also had to wear ointment on the area for a week.

Towards the end of the healing process things were starting to look more natural.

Most people who have eyebrows and lips tattooed with need some form of touch up. It's a good idea to ask before you make an appointment if this is included. (My tattooist included one touch up with each procedure.) I lost a fair amount of the color in several areas of my eyebrows. When getting my eyebrows touched up I also had my upper eyeliner done. I had previously had my lower eyeliner applied by a different person. I was not as happy with the process for my lower eyeliner. There was bruising and a fair amount of pain. My upper eyeliner was painless with no bruising. I think that is absolutely related to who did the procedure and their pain management techniques. All cosmetic tattoos result in some swelling. The eyeliner swelling lasted just over one day.

Full healing after each procedure and touch up took about one week. Your results in one week should be what you can expect to maintain.

Your eyebrows will still needs maintenance like tweezing and trimming. Tweezerman sent me these super adorable striped mini slant tweezers and unbreakable mix 'n match runway print mirror to try out. Both are available at Sephora. Tweezerman tweezers have always been a favorite of mine-and the mini tweezers are perfect for on the go. I've also kept the mirror in my purse for weeks and it's still in tact. When they say unbreakable I think they mean it!

Have any questions about permanent makeup? Let me know and I'll be happy to share details about my experience!

Ten Things To Look For In A Bank

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:38:54 PDT

Need a new bank? Me, too! (Actually, I did need a new bank. I don't now that I've opened my new account at Wells Fargo.) But I was indeed looking...and here are the top ten things I needed in my new bank:

Variety of Services

Let's face it. A bank isn't just a place to put your money to save it. It's more than a place to cash your checks. Banks can offer help with everything from financing a new car to insuring your new home. Find a bank that offers you services like retirement planning, financial advisors and insurance protection. (And you'll still need savings, checking accounts and all of the other services you'd expect from your bank!)

Online Banking

I'm online a lot. Seriously. A lot. I need the ability to access my account online 24/7. I need to be able to move money, check rates, and anything else that might come up sitting in front of my computer. (In my pajamas.) Free online banking is non-negotiable. That's why I'm glad when a bank lets me do pretty much anything with my accounts online for free.

Convenient Locations

No one wants to drive all over the place just to do a little banking. That's why it's important to find a bank that has locations convenient to your work, your home and any other places you might be on a regular basis. That's one reason I chose Wells Fargo. Over 9000 locations made finding one close by easy!

Appearance In A Great American Musical

OK, fine. If we're going to split hairs this song in The Music Man was referencing their express service and not their banking. But it's still a classic.

Drive Thru Banking

Now I know that depending on where you live and what you do this might not be that important. For me it's vital. My last bank didn't have a drive thru. It drove me sort of crazy. If I have a check to deposit or I need cash I don't want to change out of my pajamas. (Assuming that's what I'm wearing-and depending on the day and time it could be a good assumption.) So your milage may vary with this one. (Pun totally intended.) Drive thrus may not be your thing or they may not be common where you live. I'm just grateful when it's available to me!

Tons of ATMs

Although I love the convenience (and points!) of using a credit card, sometimes a girl needs cash. That's why easy access to a lot of ATMs is vital. I don't believe in paying fees for using someone else's ATM. (Well, I believe in it. I've done it out of necessity a few times. But it always bugs me. A lot.) Luckily Wells Fargo has over 12,000 ATMs across the country. That's a lot of ATMs! That's also easy access to your accounts and cash 24/7. And all without paying those silly "this isn't my bank" fees!

Account Monitoring

Having your credit card, checkbook or identity stolen is not fun. At all. Trust me...I know. A long time ago I had a check card stolen and my bank account was basically frozen for months while it was sorted out. That's why it's important to keep a close eye on your accounts. What's extra awesome? When your bank helps you! Find a bank that offers account monitoring as a part of their regular service and sleep a little easier.

Great Lollipops

Never underestimate the importance of lollipops and banking. The promise of a lolli might be the only thing standing between you and a total meltdown while you're waiting in line at the bank. And you might think I'm talking about taking your kid to the bank. But I'm not. (I like lollipops. Don't judge.) My Wells Fargo branch has their lollipops out and ready to go throughout the bank. And they don't judge when you pick one up and there's not a toddler in sight. Banks without lollipops? No thank you.

Online Bill Pay

Out of stamps? In your pajamas? (Yes, I'm bringing up pajamas again.) Online bill pay to the rescue! It depends on your account, but most customers at Wells Fargo get free online bill pay. No late night pajama wearing runs to the post office for stamps. They'll make your payments for you. Electronically if it's available, via paper check if it's not. But don't worry-they'll mail the paper check, too. (They can even send a checkto your friends or family when you've forgotten their birthday. I mean, you have to log in and set it up. They're not going to just send out checks to your friends and family on their birthday. But it's nice to know that if you didn't get a chance to pick up a birthday gift Wells Fargo will take care of it for you. And you can do it in your pajamas, too!)

A Name You Can Trust

Wells Fargo has been around for over 160 years. You don't last that long without doing something right.

Want to see my experience opening up a new account at Wells Fargo? Check out my Google + Story!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ #CBias #SocialFabric

My Week In {First World Problems}

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:39 PDT

OK, so this totally won't be a habit, but...

I just got home from Bloggy Boot Camp. I'm tired. I've got a lot of furniture from IKEA to put together. Let's not even talk deadlines...so many deadlines...

So this week, my biggest first world problem-and the only one I can think of-is I'm tired. So, so tired. I promise to be witty and clever and full of first world angst next week. Not this week. But definitely next week.

{Word of the Week} Quixotic

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:10:01 PDT

Adjective
Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

{Fashion Friday} Bloggy Boot Camp Charlotte

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:02:15 PDT

If you want to see a lot of great fashion, invite a group of bloggers to a cocktail party. This Fashion Friday I attended the Collective Bias Cocktail Party as the kickoff to Bloggy Boot Camp Charlotte. Tag along with me at the party...

{Recipe} Almost Apple Pie à la Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:57 PDT

So it's late. You want apple pie à la mode but you don't actually want to bake a pie. What's a girl to do? As long as you have a few simple ingredients you can come up with something almost as good. (And it only takes about ten minutes!)

Start by peeling your apple.

Then core and slice the apple into wedges.

Add the apple wedges to a sauce pan with 1/8 cup of brown sugar, a pat of butter, a tablespoon of water and a sprinkle of cinnamon. (Multiply this by each apple.) Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples reach your desired softness. (It should be less than ten minutes.)

Scoop your favorite ice cream and top with the apples. It's so easy and delicious you'll hardly miss the crust!

Like the tools featured here? Don't forget to enter the Good Cook Touch Hunt and my own giveaway for one of four Good Cook Batter Bowls!

Novogratz Style at CB2 #CB2NovogratzBrasilSweepstakes

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:12:13 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CB2 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As I moved from apartment to apartment and finally into my house I picked up things here and there because I liked them. Sometimes they'd end up in storage waiting for me to find just the right spot. Other times I'd work a room around that one special piece that spoke to me.

The style of Robert and Cortney Novogratz speaks to me. It's colorful. It's bold. It's whimsical. It's just like me. (Or at least the me I want to be.)

The CB2 and Novogratz Collection is inspired by the couple's vacation home and their travels. The stripes in the Botao sectional are a particular favorite of mine.

The Dupla credenza is another favorite. It manages to be both modern and retro at the same time. (Not to mention perfectly functional. Do the colors and style of this special collection speak to you, too? How'd you like to visit their inspiration?

You can take along your three best friends for a stay in the vacation home of Bob and Cortney Novogratz. Just enter the CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes and you could be headed to Trancoso Brazil! Ten other lucky winners will snag a $100 gift card for CB2 and a signed copy of "Home by Novogratz". Hurry, though...the sweepstakes ends on June 3rd.

Let Them Eat {Upside Down} Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:35:40 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Private Selection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love strawberries. It's the time of year when they're just about perfect. That's why last weekend I was so excited to bring local strawberries dipped in chocolate to my family's Mother's Day celebration. So what did I hear as soon as I arrived?

"Where's the cake?"

You see, I've gotten a bit of a reputation as a baker in the family. People like my cakes. And cupcakes. And cake pops. You get the picture...

There's just one problem...I don't always love to bake. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy baking. I enjoy cooking in general. There's just not always time. I'm a busy girl and my kitchen is always a disaster of four to twenty projects in various stages of completion. I also like to do different things. I sort of have the cake things mastered. I've moved on...

So how can I make what I want to make and still keep my family happy? I can just add a cake, of course. Specifically a Private Selection Upside Down Cake.

Not only can I save with this Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon, but I can also treat my friends and family to a gourmet dessert that I don't have to bake. They're premium quality without the premium price tag! So while I'm enjoying my chocolate covered strawberries they can dig into their German Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake. Or their Double Chocolate Molten Upside Down Cake. Or their Amber Honey Apple Spice Upside Down Cake. Well...you get the picture. (That's right, three distinct yummy flavors-one for any taste.) Since all you need warm, flip and serve it's easy to have a dessert that everyone will love! Where can you find Private Selection Upside Down Cakes? Just check out the handy store locator! I promise not to tell if you try to pass them off as your own. (And you could...they taste like homemade thanks to the best ingredients.)

OK, and truth be told...I'll probably have some cake. And they'll probably have some dipped strawberries. The important thing is that I didn't have to bake and we're all happy...

Follow along with Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook and Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest

Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager's Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

{Tutorial} PVC Light Box

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:58:27 PDT

Anyone will tell you...light is the key to amazing photography. My photography is less than amazing and the fact that I have to take a lot of my photos at night creates real problems. Enter the light box...

There are dozens of ways to make a light box. I decided to go with PVC. It's lightweight, portable, and something that's easy to assemble. I wanted to make a 2' square light box. That meant I needed twelve 2' long pieces of PVC (I used half inch PVC pipe) and eight 90 degree elbow joints. Because of the length the PVC pipe came in I also used couplers to make three of the 2' lengths. (It was less expensive to buy the couplers than an additional length of PVC.)

Working with PVC is a snap. You can cut it with a hand saw but I actually used a special tool made for cutting PVC. (Ask and the store may cut yours for you!) If you're planning to do a project like this it might be easiest to go into your local home improvement store with a picture of this box and ask for help. They'll be able to help you find exactly what you need. (Make sure all of the fittings you purchase are slip and not threaded. That just means they slid onto the PVC rather than screwing on.)

The next step is covering three sides of the box with muslin. You'll need two yards to wrap around the three sides of the box. Use hot glue to secure the fabric around the box, pulling the fabric as taut as you can while you glue. You only need to attach the fabric to the top, left and right sides of the box. (I had leftover fabric remaining and just glued that to the back as I was finishing the edges.)

Attach clip on lights to shine through the top and sides of the box. I recommend 100 watt equivalent daylight CFL bulbs.

Turn on the lights and you're ready to snap! The 2' size of the box allows you to work with fairly large objects. You can even turn the box on it's end and take overhead shots. Poster board, scrapbook paper or even the floor can be the surface for whatever you're photographing. With these easy to make light box you no longer have to fear the night time photo shoot!

{Makeup Monday} Makeup Hoarding and Easy Red Lips

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:57:16 PDT

I might have a slight makeup addiction. Only a slight one, though...

I actually have a basket in my hall closet that's just for the makeup I haven't opened yet. Why do I have that much upopened makeup? Well, it's a combination of free gifts with purchases, things I've been given, and things picked up on sale. What can I say? I really like makeup!

I always check the basket before I buy anything new. It's also where I find a lot of undiscovered treats-like my new favorite red lips.

e.l.f. Studio Lip Stain in Red Carpet is my latest lip color love. It's a true red but it's not overwhelming. It's a lipstain, so it lasts, but it's also easy to remove if you make a goof when you're applying. (Something I do almost every time.) Just clean up any stray lip stain with a damp tissue or cotton swab. It's that simple!

My Week In {First World Problems}

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:10:37 PDT

This week my hormones decided that my idea to start another juice fast was stupid and request forcefully that I subsist on a diet of M&Ms and Diet Coke.

And in news that surely has nothing to do with my M&M and Diet Coke diet, I can't sleep. At least not at night. My schedule is completely screwed up after last weekend's travels. Now I want to sleep all day and can't sleep at all at night.

I thought I had picked out a really pretty dark blue for my nails. It turns out I had a glittery metallic. It's not even close to what I expected or what I want, but since it's gel I'm stuck with it for at least a week.

I bought new LED bulbs for my night lights and found out after I got home and opened the package the bulbs are blue. Blue? Blue! Who wants blue night lights? (Well, who over the age of 8?)

I'll be going to another conference next weekend. I waited too long to book my room and had to go away from the conference hotel. I gave Hotwire a shot and ended up in a hotel with horrible ratings. It looks like my hotel curse might continue. (I'm trying to reserve judgement, though. At least it's only 4 miles away from the conference site...)

Speaking of the hotel curse, after the other week's open letter to Marriott I was tweeted immediately by the team at Marriott. They wanted to make things right and asked for more info. I responded right away. I never heard back... Seriously, I love to travel. What's with this hotel curse?

{Word of the Week} Lugubrious

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:34:23 PDT

Adjective
Looking or sounding sad and dismal.

Lugubrious visual:

Me, home after SoFabCon

{Fashion Friday} SoFabCon Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:16:10 PDT

I had a lot of fun picking out what I was going to wear last weekend at SoFabCon. Of course accessories are my favorite part of any outfit. For the opening cocktail party I paired my black sequined dress with a Betsey Johnson bracelet, earrings from Sears and a necklace made with Styled by Tori Spelling pieces.

The Styled by Tori Spelling pieces are easy and fun customizable jewelry components. I created my cocktail party look by using two different necklace bottoms (one from the Glitz collection, one from the Noir collection), a set of rhinestone connectors and a necklace top from the Noir collection.

I loved the black and white accessories I choose to wear with my green dress from Sears for the Friday night family dinner.

I paired earrings and a matching cuff from Spring Street with a necklace I made myself.

The event I was most excited for at SoFabCon was the Saturday night 80s party. I might have gone a bit over the top with the accessories, but what else can you do when it's 80s themed?

Mother Nature Wants To Kill Me...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:18:11 PDT

Sometimes you just have to face facts. Mother Nature wants me dead. I can think of no other reason for her to send out the millions of tiny little hit men most people call pollen. They are on the attack. They're invading my life. They want me gone.

It hasn't always been this way with Mother Nature and me. When I was a kid we got along just fine. Send me outside for hours at a time and there wouldn't be a sniffle in sight. But the cruel, cruel hands of time have done many things to let me know I'm getting older. A gray hair here and there. A wrinkle or two. Allergies that make me want to hibernate through spring...

But hibernating through spring would make me totally sad face. I love spring. I love the flowers blooming. I love the trees budding. I pretty much love everything except the itchy eyes and the running nose and the feeling that death will come at any minute because breathing is essential to life and I can't breath and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die and will someone please help me I can't take it anymore!

The MyAllerGenius website hopes to give me a fighting chance against Mother Nature. You can sign up for pollen alerts via text, get helpful beauty tips, find tons of allergy info and even print off savings on Allegra products at CVS! (Did you know you should shower at night to get rid of any pollen that's on you or your hair? I've alway been a morning shower girl. Who knew?)

Through the end of May you can save $6 on 45ct Allegra at CVS with your ExtraCare card. Combine that with the $4 off coupon from the MyAllerGenius website and we're talking serious savings. (You can see my entire CVS shopping trip in my Google+ Album.) Now I just need one Allegra every night and I'm ready to face the next 24 hours. I'm not saying Allegra has made me besties with Mother Nature. I'm just saying that now it doesn't feel like she wants to kill me. She's become that slightly annoying friend that you wish would leave you alone but when everything is said and done she's sort of harmless so you ignore her. Yes. That's my relationship with Mother Nature now. From murder to annoying friend. Thanks, Allegra!

Is Mother Nature trying to kill you, too? Fight back with Allegra and take back your spring!

Follow along with Allegra on Twitter and Facebook!

Join me at the #MyAllerGenius Twitter Party on May 14 from 1-2pm ET. Find out more info and RSVP here!

And Then There Was The Time I Didn't Know My Computer Was Infected...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:20:36 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vipre for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a part of my job I visit a ton of websites. I like to think I'm pretty savvy about avoiding dangerous downloads and clicking shady links. I also know that no mater how careful I am there are still risks to my computer. Since blogging is a part of my income a safe and secure computer is vital! I had anti-virus software on my laptop until a few months ago. It expired and I confess to being lazy about renewing my subscription. That meant that for about two months my computer was unprotected. Not smart on my part, but since I wasn't having any issues I wasn't too woried.

I was asked to give VIPRE Internet Security a try and I was happy to have something kick me into gear and protect my computer again. Downloading was easy and only took a few minutes. I totally forgot to uninstall my old security software, but VIPRE took care of that for me and resumed the instalation process.

Once everything was installed I was ready to scan my laptop. I went for the Deep Scan becaues that seemed like the best idea. (I knew it would take a while but I wasn't in a hurry.) I honestly didn't expect it to find anything. I had only been without protection for two months. (And my computer seemed to be working just fine.)

Imagine my surprise when the scan revealed a high risk trojan on my laptop! I had no idea that this was on my computer. (Obviously, or I would have already tried to get rid of it!) I'm not sure if it showed up in the two months I went without protection or if it has been there longer and my last antivirus program didn't catch it. It doesn't matter, though. VIPRE cleaned it off of my laptop!

Just to double check I ran the scan a second time. Everything came back completely clean! VIPRE was easy to install and didn't slow down my computer at all. (Something I've noticed with other anti-virus programs.) Want to try it for yourself? Visit VIPRE Internet Security online and download your trial and check it out for 30 days free!

SoFabCon In Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:04:12 PDT

My time at SoFabCon in mostly really bad phone photos...

Two months of packing and I was still stuffing things into bags until it was time to leave.

But finally I was fully packed so bright and early Thursday morning it was off to the airport.

After being one of the only attendees to have an uneventful flight in I was checked in and waiting to meet my friends!

The first official event was the opening cocktail reception.

As you can tell, no one was happy to see it end.

Thanks for the picture, Bailey!

So we decided to go out and pretend we were still in our 20s. (Well, everyone except Mallery who doesn't have to pretend.)

Now it's Friday and it's time for learning. Dan Morris taught me about SEO.

And Rachel Rockwell continued to make me want to be a photographer when I grow up.

Friday night I abused the my photo booth privileges at the birthday dinner.

Over...

And over...

Saturday meant more learning. (Although these guys spoke to me in a foreign language.)

Danielle Smith convinced me to try something new.

And hopefully one day I'll be brave enough to post videos here.

And when I told Marla that I wanted to be brave enough to post videos she told me to just do it already.

Saturday night was the night I had been waiting for since it was announced...the 80s themed party!

Sunday morning it was time to pack up and head home. (And maybe find some interesting things your friends forgot to pack...)

And now I'm home. And I'm sad. I'm ready for SoFabCon 14. Or SoFabCon 13 v.2.0. Or anything that's going to get me back together with my friends as soon as possible.

Disclosure: A whole lot of other things happened. This is just what I had pictures of. Yes, I'm capable of taking a photo with a real camera. (Some of these actually are photos with a real camera and it's mean of you to tell me they don't look like it.) I totally learned stuff. When you see me holding a glass I'm pretty sure it's just Diet Pepsi. Nesticles aren't as dirty as they sound. Really.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:12:31 PDT

Picture from Christy Gossett of Insanity Is Not An Option

Spring has been crazy busy already-and it hasn't even been Mother's Day yet! (Not to mention Father's Day and graduation season being right around the corner.) For a while I was doing a great job of taking my really nice camera everywhere. I was taking great picture. (Well, at least better pictures.) All was well. And then I got lazy. (That's actually how a lot of my stories go, isn't it?)

Suddenly I was leaving my camera at home and pulling out my smartphone to take those photos. A camera phone is great for those spontaneous moments, but it really doesn't make sense for me to use that as my primary source for photos. Otherwise there was no point in buying my DSLR, right? And even though some phones take great pictures, there's just no comparison between a phone picture and a DSLR picture. (At least most of the time.) Using my phone to record all of my spring memories means I'm missing out on the really great pictures I could have!

Picture From My Phone

I confess that last weekend while I was away at a conference with friends I kept going to the camera in my phone rather than the DSLR in my camera bag. Looking at my pictures when I got home I was more than a little disappointed. Sound like you? Or maybe you actually need to get a better camera because the one you have isn't any better than your phone? The good news is Best Buy can help! They have a huge variety of DSLR cameras, camcorders, compact cameras and more with features like long zoom, low light and wi-fi. I'm dying for a wi-fi camera. I think it would perfect for work. (And having my photos upload instantly might break my of my "grab my phone for photos" habit.)

If you're like me and you're always worried that you'll find a better deal as soon as you commit to buy you don't have to worry. Best Buy's low price guarantee means you'll get the latest technology at the best price. As a bonus, you'll even get free shipping on all cameras at BestBuy.com! You can even trade in your old camera for a Best Buy gift card. Looking for a great way to share your pictures? How about a digital photo frame? You can get 25% off select digital photo frames now at Best Buy!

{Makeup Monday} Removing Gel Nail Polish

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:05:27 PDT

I love gel nail polish, but taking it off can be tricky. Luckily if you have the right tools it's a snap! (These are week-old nails. I managed to chip the one nail yesterday at the airport so it was the perfect time for a new color.)

I have used foil and cotton balls, but Red Carpet Manicure's removal wraps are only $10 at Ulta for a box of 100. At $.01 a piece it's easier and cheaper than making your own.

I also use Red Carpet Manicure's Erase remover. (You can use acetone, but for me Erase seems to work better.)

The first step is to rough up your nails with a nail block. This step is key and allows the remover to soak into the polish.

Apply the Erase or acetone to the cotton on the removal wraps.

Then wrap up each nail and wait. Wrapping them by yourself is tricky but not impossible. (If you have an extra person around getting them to help is a good idea, though!)

After ten minutes your polish should look like this. Use an orange stick to scrap off the rest of the polish. If any spots are difficult to remove just put the wrap back on the nail for a few more minutes.

If any polish remains just wipe off the nail with more remover. Your nails are now ready to paint again. If you're planning to skip polishing for a while just buff the nails and you're done!

My Week In {First World Problems}

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:25:09 PDT

I just got home from a little over three days in beautiful but freezing Arkansas for SoFabCon. I froze my ass off. Seriously, snow in May. I packed for spring and refused to change. I've had about six hours total of sleep since last Wednesday. And I'd do it all again. I had the time of my life.

Meanwhile, I'm too tired to write about my week in First World Problems. Mostly because other than a little snow I didn't have any. See you next year, SoFabCon!

{Word of the Week} Convivial

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:00:01 PDT

Adjective
(of an atmosphere or event) Friendly, lively, and enjoyable.
(of a person) Cheerful and friendly; jovial.

It's the last day of SoFabCon. I'm all sad face. It was convivial while it lasted...

{Fashion Friday} Sears SoFabStyle

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:00:18 PDT

Some days I love my job and other days I love my job. Getting a chance to shop at Sears for my SoFabCon wardrobe? I love my job! Friday night at SoFabCon we'll be celebrating Collective Bias' birthday at a special dinner. I get to hang out with the Sears team and wear this awesome CB green dress!

And even though I'm bringing an impressive collection of shoes I picked up this cute pair of "what was I thinking when I brought all of these heels" flats to stuff in my purse.

But where did things get really awesome? I had a dress that I liked but didn't love for Thursday night's cocktail reception. While I was shopping for my Friday dress I spotted this on the rack. I tried it on, thought it was so much better than the dress I had, but I wasn't sure if I should buy it. That is until I checked the price using the in store scanner. Can you say $4.99? Yes, that's right. My cocktail dress was less than $5!

Thank you, Sears for the gift card! Stay tuned for my post SoFabCon updates to see more SoFabStyle!

Planting Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:21:04 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
So remember when I mentioned that I don't have a green thumb? That doesn't mean I don't look for inspiration all around me. I want to have a green thumb. Really, I do. I want to garden. I want to grow things. I'm just not skilled. At all.

Luckily I know a few really talented gardeners who help to inspire me. (And in one dire situation foster my sick and dying plants!) I love finding new ideas about how to get things growing. Since I work in education I also love anything that's kid friendly and educational, too!
One really easy and cool project is this tube planter. It's just a few basic plants growing in a clear plastic tube. (A glass vase would work well for this, too!) You can see all of the roots and what's happening beneath the soil. Pretty cool, right?
All you need are seeds or cuttings, Miracle-Gro potting soil and a clear container (a tube like this, a vase or even a soda bottle with the top cut off!). Fill the bottom of the container with the potting soil, add the seeds or cuttings and watch it grow!

Or how about planting without soil at all? Lots of plants can grow well in water! This provides an even better view of what's going on at the root level. (And it's low maintenance!) Depending on the plants you can even have fish, too!
For this project use a vase or waterproof container that's clear. Find a plant that can grow in just water like peace lily, dracaena or arrowhead vine. Add rocks and marbles to the bottom of the container. Then add water and your plants. The roots will grow and wind around the rocks and marbles.
Learn more about what you're planting online and use the best products to keep things growing like LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Advance Starter Kit, Moisture Control Potting Mix or Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food.
To help those (like me!) with a less than green thumb, Miracle-Gro has created The Gro Project. It's a place for new gardeners to seek fun garden activities and track their growth. You can also find fun garden projects by visiting Miracle-Gro's page on Pinterest. Find out more about The Gro Project on Facebook.

Going Green...Until I Kill It

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:54:22 PDT

What's the opposite of a green thumb? Because whatever that is, that's what I have. I can occasionally keep a houseplant alive. I've actually done pretty well with a few Winter Gem shrubs around my house. Anything more elaborate than that? Yeah, I'm gonna kill it. (And when I say kill it, please be assured that I do need mean that in the good way...)

Two years ago I was given two tiny saplings on Earth Day. I needed more trees in my yard and I babied those things for weeks. Maybe even months. They were growing. They were thriving. I was gonna have new trees by next year to plant! But then I got busy. And I forgot to water them. I live in the south. A potted sapling on the front porch in 100 degree weather? It's not pretty...

Fast forward to this Earth Day and my friends at Collective Bias offered to send me another sapling. This time I received a cute little Norway Spruce. And I've potted it. And I'm babying it. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't forget to water it. (Should I have disclosed that I'm a sapling murderer before taking them up on their offer?) I promise I have the best of intentions. I'm going to do my best! Really...I promise!

And as if raising my new sapling wasn't ambitious enough I signed up for a seed exchange last month. I got an awesome package of seeds from my friend Samantha at Nifty Mom. Thanks for the seeds, Samantha! And I apologize in advance for what becomes of them all. I have already picked up a little indoor plastic greenhouse. I'm going to put it in the kitchen where I can't help but see it every day. And yet I'm still pretty sure I'm going to do something horrible to them all. I'll try to take care of them. Truly, I'll do my best. Sadly, my best-at least in the world of growing things-is pretty much equal to negligent homicide...

Oh Marriott...you tried. Just not that hard.

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:26:32 PDT

Oh hi, Marriott.

What's up? I hope you're doing well. I'm good in case you were wondering. It's been a while since we talked. I've been busy. I'm sure you've been busy, too. It's cool. I was sort of waiting for you to write me back since I was the one who emailed last, but whatevs. I'm OK with being the next to make a move.
So anyway, here's the deal. I'm not that cool with how things went down on my last trip. I know we talked but I'm just not feeling your response. I wanted to make a few suggestions. Maybe help you the next time someones in my shoes. Cool?

OK, so anyway, it's not your fault that I had a totally long road trip and was super tired on the way down. You had nothing to do with it. I gotta say, though, that when I got to your hotel over an hour after check in time and my room wasn't ready? Not cool. All I wanted to do was relax for a bit. Maybe take a quick nap or a shower or something. Sitting in the lobby until you called saying my room was ready was not my idea of a good start to my trip. I know things happen outside of your control sometimes. Really, I understand. Maybe I was expecting too much to think you might offer me a different room? Perhaps a free drink in the bar? A coupon for the spa? I don't know...just...something for my trouble. But I didn't ask. You didn't offer. And now I'm not happy. So the next time someone shows up and their room isn't ready and it's well past check in time? I don't know. Offer them something. Anything, really. Just let them know that you feel bad and appreciate their patience.

A room with an island view...

So after the check in incident I think you thought we were totally fine. And to be honest after I had a chance to rest my heart was full of forgiveness, earned or not. I was amused by my island view room. (Which was really a view of a roof.) The room seemed clean. The bed was comfy. Things were gonna be OK. At least they were until the frat party started outside my room. (OK, I exaggerate.) But seriously, your hotel was really loud. Like super loud. Like everyone walking by sounded like they were in my room loud. And look, I travel a lot. I've stayed in tons of hotels. And I can honestly say this was the loudest hotel I've ever stayed in. Maybe it was timing. I am pretty sure a college event was going on while I was there. I think the hotel was overrun with students. That probably didn't help. (And that poor child who woke up screaming and continued to scream for an hour bright and early Saturday morning? So not your fault...but still...not sure why she sounded so loud that she could have been in the room with me.) And when I tweeted about it you said I should contact you. I thought that was awesome. Really amazing customer service there.

Of course I was in your hotel for work and I had things to do so I didn't get back to you right away. But no biggie. You responded and that was cool. So I went off to work, did some shopping. Came back to my room to find a fire alarm going off. What was that? Well, apparently you didn't know either but the letter you slid under my door let me know everything was safe. So now it's Saturday night and I'm hoping the child who may or may not be next door doesn't start screaming again as I try to get some sleep. Too bad I can't sleep. There's music playing in my room. OK, not in my room. It's playing somewhere else. Like the ballroom of the hotel, I guess? I'm nowhere near the ballroom. I'm not sure why I can hear the music with my balcony door closed. But I can. I can hear every song. It was a long night.

So we get to Sunday morning. It's time to check out. I'm ready to go. This was not the work/vacation trip I had hoped for but it is what it is. I'm gonna pack up and hit the road and wait for you to contact me. (Because you said you wanted to fix things.) Of course my parting gift from the hotel wasn't what I wanted. A $15 a night resort fee? Plus tax? On a room I had already paid for in full?

So here's the thing...resort fees? They suck. A lot. If your hotel is a resort and you feel like that makes them worth more money then charge that for the room. Seems basic enough, right? But that's beside the point. I've stayed in several other hotels with resort fees. I didn't like them but I paid them. (By the way, you win the prize for having the biggest resort fee I've ever paid...even bigger than the really awesome hotel I stayed in on Oahu with tons of amenities.) What was different from those other hotels I stayed in with the resort fees? They told me about them. Up front. At check in. They explained what the fees covered. You did not. Really, all you told me at check in was that my room wasn't ready, then later you told me it was. If you had told me about the fee up front I could have at least asked what it included, known to expect it and not been surprised at the end of my stay. But whatevs...you said you were gonna contact me. I wanted to go home. We could discuss this later.

And to my surprise you totally called me on Monday! That was totes awesome. I told you everything, you took notes. I thought you were going to make things happen! Yay! Maybe we'll have a happy ending to this trip after all! So you said you were going to pass along my info directly to the hotel and they would contact me. And they did! So far, so good right?

But that response? So not cool, Marriott. So not cool. First of all, you only acknowledged the issue of the room not being available at check in. You didn't mention the excessive noise. You didn't mention the unexpected resort fee. You just said that the room not being available at check in time was not acceptable and you were sorry. Period. End of story. No please come back and enjoy a discount on your next stay. No please forgive our part in this trip from hell and enjoy this refund of your resort fee. Nothing but a "sorry your room wasn't ready, that's not cool, come back again anyway." (OK, I might have paraphrased there but you get the picture...)

So I am thinking you must have missed most of my complaint. Some people skim things. (I do that myself sometimes.) So I wrote you back. I explained in detail my complaints during my last trip. And you didn't write me back. Not even to tell me you were sorry about all of the other stuff but were still not going to do anything to make it right. I gotta say, that kind of hurt my feelings. I thought we were cool but you really let me down.

So anyway, if you read this and want to make things right...you know where to find me.
-Amy

{Makeup Monday} Fysiko, Hourglass and FusionBeauty

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Fulcher) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:56:53 PDT

I love any chance I get to check out new beauty products! Here's what's new and working it's way into my daily routine:

After a trip to the day spa and a good look at the amazing lashes on one of their employees I was ready to shell out big bucks for Latisse. Thankfully before I committed to that purchase I was sent a sample of Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum. It's going to take a few months to see results, so expect a report back a little later with before and after photos. For now, it's easy enough to use. Just apply like liquid eyeliner at the base of the lashes. I've been using it for about a week now and so far so good!

I have pores that you could park a large Buick in so I'm always ready to try something that might help them look smaller. This large sample of FusionBeauty's Illumifilll came with my last purchase from Little Black Bag. Although it hasn't made my pores disappear, at least they only look large enough now for a compact car.

Sadly I had to shell out my own money for this compact of Ambient Lighting Powder from Hourglass. (And it's not cheap.) As you can see it's in use. As in multiple times per day use. I had read that this powder would give your face instant photoshop. Although I can't say I look like I've been run through photoshop (see previous comment about the size of my pores) it definitely works. I'm using Mood Light, a nice general purpose shade. I also saved the $35 they wanted for the brush and use this with the e.l.f. studio Kabuki Face Brush.