Nekaro

A Day in My Life

2013-05-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was supposed to be a post featuring photos from a day in my life. I think I took one photo yesterday and that was after I'd been up and gotten the kids off to school. I did blog yesterday though so I think it still counts!

I did do something fun and interesting yesterday.

1. I got my first Diamond Candles in the mail. They smell lovely and it is taking all of my will power to not just dig through the wax to get to the ring. It's close to the top, but not so close that it would be easy to dig out. Oh you Diamond Candles people! So sneaky!

2. I joined Ancestry.com! And proceeded to zone out looking through little leafy hints for almost 6 hours! Within 30 some odd minutes, I found a photo of my grandmother and grandfather on my Mom's side of the family.

My grandmother was pretty young when she married my grandfather, only 15. Of course, in 1945 that wasn't too young to marry. They had six children together, my uncles Danny, Gary, & Wayne, my Mom and my aunts Carolyn and Frances. My mother was their middle child. My aunt Frances was born prematurely and passed away only one hour after birth.

Unfortunately, my grandparent's divorced when my mom (and aunts and uncles) were very young. She remarried, changed everyone's last name, and eventually moved from Tennessee to Florida. I was only able to meet my natural grandfather once. It's an extremely vague memory, but I still have the ceramic piggy bank that he made for me.

I snapped a pic of the photo of them above and sent it to my mom via text. I called her a few minutes later to hear her crying on the other end. She had NEVER seen this photo of her mother and father. I'm not sure who the person is who uploaded the photo, but I'm extremely grateful.

I was able to find draft cards for my grandfather and his brother. Plus tons of other census reports and links to relatives. I have a feeling this is going to take a while. And I haven't even started on my dad's side yet!

Nail Update - Week 3

2013-05-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

I've got nails!

Last week I bought and used some new stuff to try to curb my nail appetite. I think it's working! The polish stayed on with minimal chips for almost a week. I can really tell a difference in the strength of the nails using the Essie base/strengthener. One plague I have is nails that split on the sides. *knock on wood* So far I haven't had that problem. I removed the color polish and just put on one coat of the clear base. The cuticle oil does seem to be working, b..u..t... I'm not using it as directed.

I also started taking a multi-vitamin and drinking a glass of Naked Green Machine every day. I figured it wouldn't hurt to work from the inside out as well! I hope that I can get my nails to the length they were several months ago. We are experiencing a peaceful time in our little corner of the world and I hope to keep it that way for a long, long time.

I Love Me Some Samsung!

2013-05-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Like thousands of other mom's on Mother's Day, I had to pick out my own gift. It's a bit of a downer, but then again I know that I will get something I will like and use. Though I would like to get at least a card without having to pick it out myself.

Several months ago, my nearly five year old laptop started doing strange things. Mainly, the monitor went on the fritz. I had to use a VGA cable to attach my old desktop monitor to my laptop to be able to use it. The whole setup was nice, my old monitor is fairly large, but I don't have a desk so I was taking up half the dining room table. What a pain. I quickly took over my daughter's laptop. Except it's small and covered in purple and blue flowers and butterflies.

I started looking for a new Precious.

I had no idea that Samsung made computers! I love my Galaxy S3 and have had other Samsung phones in the past, with a brief lapse of judgement that lead me to Apple, which I loved for it's short period of time in my life.

Best Buy had a 15.6" 4GB memory 750GB RAM Samsung laptop! The best part about finding this gem online was that we have a local Best Buy so I could pay online and pick up in the store! And that's just what I did! If you've never done the in-store pick up at Best Buy, you should give it a try. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. So freakin' easy.

And we shall call her Precious and she will be mine.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2013-05-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

It's Ten Things that Make Me Happy day!

Waking up this morning.
My children - Neil, Kaia, and Rowan.
Sunshine
Spring weather
Wearing flip flops
Silk Very Vanilla
Anything Reese's
The sounds of nature like birds and crickets and bees.
Finally getting a raised garden bed built.
Coffee, cappuccino, java....

What makes you happy?!

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

2013-05-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

Today is Issue a Public Apology day of blogging every day in May. I touched on this on my personal Facebook page.

I've recently heard of the newest television cancellations. Once again, ABC has cancelled a show that my family and I love to watch. Last season it was 666 Park Avenue and Last Resort. Way to just drop some shows and leave us all hanging. Then it was Don't Trust the B and Zero Hour. Now it's Happy Endings. And ABC isn't alone, FOX cancelled Alcatraz just as I was getting interested.

I wish that I didn't have so many shows that I enjoy watching. I'm so sick and tired of these networks creating great new shows, getting the audience hooked and then dropping them!!

So... I publicly apologize to ABC for not watching any of your "new" shows. Like How to Live with Your Parents, Family Tools, Mistresses (REALLY?!?!), or Motive and even *gasp* the Marvel comic book one. Because I know if I like them, YOU WILL JUST CANCEL THEM!! In all honesty, I'm not really sorry and I'm not sorry about that fact either. I'm just using this as a way to vent being pissed off that yet another show that my family and I enjoy is getting the ax!

Boo to you ABC. You stink.

That is all.

What do you miss?

2013-05-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

Day 12 of blogging every day in May. What do I miss?

I miss being skinny. By skinny I mean, not having a "mom" belly.

I miss when my babies were actual babies.

I miss my grandmother, Louise. Even though she and I were not close in any sense of the word, I miss and regret not picking her brain about what it was like growing up during the Great Depression, her family, sewing, cooking, life.

I miss my father's parents. I never met either of them. I know it sounds strange to miss someone you've never met, but I do.

I miss carefree days.

I miss when time went so s-l-o-w-l-y. Days went on forever and next week seemed like an eternity away.

I miss riding my bike or walking around my little hometown with my friends.

I miss the beach. Since my husband has a new job, he doesn't get vacation time this year.

Speaking of Summer, I miss peanut butter fudge milkshakes from Sonic. BUT... They've brought them back for the Summer!

What do you miss? A person, a thing, a place, a time of your life?

Pimpin' Ain't Easy

2013-05-11T12:22:00.000-05:00

I'm supposed to sell myself today. In 10 words or less...

Uh... sure. I'm not even sure what part of me I'm supposed to be selling.

Can I use a mulligan on this day? How about some fast facts?

I'm 5" 1'. Blue eyes, brown hair. Size 7 shoes. Six cats. Three kids. One dog. One fish. One husband.

Any questions? =)

Can you sell yourself in 10 words or less?!

Most Embarrassing Moment

2013-05-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

When I first saw the prompt for today, Most Embarrassing Moment, my brain immediately hit on when it happened.

It was in the Spring of 2011, I was pregnant. Big pregnant. I think I was around six or seven months. I was at a Little League meeting with mostly men though there were a few ladies in attendance. We were going over the budget when it happened.

I choked. Literally.

I couldn't get my breath. I raised one arm. I raised my other arm. I began to wheeze trying to suck in air that just wouldn't come.

Everyone panicked. The president of the Little League jumped up and ran over to me with a look of confusion. Later he told me it was because I was pregnant and while he was trained in CPR, he didn't know how to Heimlich a pregnant lady.

Eventually the woman next to me gave me a couple of slaps on the back and apparently that made my throat muscles wake up and realize that I needed oxygen.

After all the commotion was over, that same woman leaned over and asked if I had choked on my gum. The apparent lack of oxygen killed several brain cells and instead of just saying, "Yes!" I said...

"No! I just choked on my own spit."

*facepalm*

It's Not Sew Hard

2013-05-08T09:24:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I decided to start working on a couple of patterns that I recently purchased from Blank Slate Patterns.

If you follow me through Instagram then you already know that I had a few issues with the School Day Skirt pattern. First, I accidentally sewed the top onto the bottom upside down. I did this using my machine's overlock stitch, which is like a serger. It would be an understate to say that removing that seam was a pain in the ass. When I got it done, I realized that I couldn't really use the top half anymore so I cut new pieces. I made sure that I pinned the top half on correctly and proceeded to attach the two halves.

Then I realized I'd sewn the bottom half on wrong side out. D'OH!!!

I put the material down, turned off the sewing machine, put away my notions, and WALKED AWAY. The pattern and instructions themselves are easy to follow and it has photos. It's just that I wasn't paying attention and was distracted by everything going on. Store that pattern away for another day.

Tuesday morning I was feeling a tad on the crafty side. The sting from the weekend's debacle was subsiding. I decided to try out the Little Bow Pleat dress. How cute is that name? For real.

I thought to myself that I was probably testing fate because this dress has a zipper. I've never before sewn a zipper into an article of clothing.

After getting the zipper all squared away, it wasn't as hard as I thought! I guess I shouldn't get too confident though. It was a pretty straight forward insertion.
Front of completed dress

Back of completed dress (with invisible zipper) BOOYA!

Look at the cute bow in the front!

It's Rowan approved!
From start to finish, this dress took me about 8 hours. I did have to pause frequently to monitor what the baby was doing, read her a book, fix her a snack, lunch, another snack, diaper changes, and then I had to eat too. Without interruption, I could probably get it done in six hours.
I look forward to giving that skirt pattern another chance now!

On Goes the Nail Saga

2013-05-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

I'm pushing forward with the non-nail biting. The first project didn't really turn out as well as I had hoped it would. By the end of day four, I had easily chipped and peeled off all the polish. I didn't even need to use polish remover.

So I decided to change that routine. Saturday I bought some Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil and Essie 3-Way Glaze at Ulta. Let's face it. My cuticles are HORRID. The oil will help and you can't beat how good it smells.

A couple of hours before I went to bed, I painted my nails. I started with massaging in some cuticle oil on each nail and cuticle. Gave myself one coat of glaze, two coats of Essie Merino Cool, one coat of glaze. Letting the polish dry between coats.

I guess I should have waited a little bit longer before going to bed because when I got up on Sunday morning, my nails looked like my sheets. Well, not all of them. I think my thumb got a good imprint of my hair.

The real test? Grocery shopping at Diablo Mart, better known as Wal-Mart. I'm excited to say that I only have one small chip to report!

I hope this works! Although right now I'm less worried about not biting my nails and more worried about the state of these poor cuticles! Home girl needs some good lotion.

BOO!! Did I Scare You?

2013-05-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

I'm afraid of many things. Spiders, centipedes, wasps, bees... basically anything with more than 4 legs creep me out. Using a public restroom and having TP on my shoe, broccoli in my teeth, losing my flip flops...

But what is it that really scares me? I have two things.

1. Losing my family. The day I became a mother I began living for someone else. I'm sure most mother's would say the same thing. I would do anything to protect my children from any harm. As my two older kids approach their teenage years (my son is 13, oldest daughter is 11), I find that I worry more and more about that day when they will be driving/riding in cars with their friends and going out on *gasp* dates. I may or may not have considered locking them in the basement when they start high school.

2. Drowning. This is pretty self explanatory. I have determined that I must have died in this manner in a past life because my fear is that great. At 34 years old, I've never learned to swim. I love the water (ocean, beach, pools). I just can't get too deep into the water or the anxiety kicks in. This also goes to #1 as well because I freak out when the kids get too deep. I fear they will start to drown and I won't be able to save them. I know I need to learn to swim. I want to learn to swim. It's just hard to get through the wall of panic!

Do you have irrational fears? What are you most afraid of?

What I Do

2013-05-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't worked a paying job in eight years.

Occasionally I miss it. Mostly it's just the paycheck that miss, but having fun with my co-worker friends is high on that list too.

Now when people ask me what I do, I say that I'm a stay at home mom.

But that's not really what I "do", because what I do is who I am.

I'm a Mom,
..... crafter,
..... amateur photographer,
..... baker/chef,
..... laundry manager,
..... transportation master,
..... chief tucker-inner,
..... el presidenta of this domain.

What do YOU do?!

Public Proclamation

2013-05-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends.

I thought this was going to be super hard, but when I really got to thinking about it, it was a simple choice. I have been reading and following this blogger for years. She's inspirational and just all around awesome.

Alicia, from Project Alicia!

She is a wife, mother of 2, and an awesome photographer! When I first started reading her blog, she and her family were living in cold, flat Iowa. No offense to Iowa residents. I'm sure there are probably warm, hilly sections there too! Now they live in beautiful South Carolina.

She has the best sense of style. Even with her tiny little self, she always has the best style. Ok, I'll admit it. I'm jealous. I want to drive to South Carolina and have her shop for me.

I'm not even sure how I began following her blog, but I think it was photography. I'm still fairly new to digital photography and cameras. She is a photography master. Her photos are absolutely beautiful no matter what the subject is.

But the best part about Alicia is that she is also just like you and me. She has ups and downs. Good days and bad days. And she shares them. It's not always sunshine and puffy clouds. That's what I love. I love that all her posts are thought provoking. Whether they be about something funny, fashionable, kids related, photography related, a yummy recipe, I always enjoy reading!

She's a crafter, photographer, foodie, tutorial sharing, Mom, blogger who I love!

Find out more about Alicia by clicking here!

Favorite Quote

2013-05-04T11:05:00.001-05:00

Don't worry about the world ending today.

It's already tomorrow in Australia.

Charles Schulz

So basically as long as Australia is OK, the rest of us are good to go! I love this quote because I feel it is telling me to relax. Enjoy life. Be carefree. Hakuna matata y'all!

Things That Make You Uncomfortable

2013-05-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

It is Day 3 of Blog Every Day in May. Things that make me uncomfortable. Hmmm...

Public places in general make me uncomfortable. I suffer from social anxiety so I tend to be a homebody. Some times the anxiety is worse than other times. I feel it really just depends on the level of stress in my life.

Death. Who isn't made uncomfortable by death/loss? I tend to take it to heart even if I don't know the person well. I feel for their family, for them. I'm a big ugly crier, but I'm also that awkward person who doesn't know what to say or do and just tries to make light. At inopportune moments.

People who wear glasses but are constantly looking over them instead of through them. This makes me uncomfortable because I always want to push their glasses up on their nose. Probably more of a pet peeve, but still it's uncomfortable.

Underwire bras. I recently broke down and finally purchased some new bras. I was still wearing nursing bras. She quit nursing months ago. My boobs didn't fit in any of my pre-pregnancy/pre-baby bras. Why does every bra have to be made with an underwire?!? Too many choices, not enough non-underwire choices.

Also underwear that ride up and people who say, "All of THE sudden...". No, just no.

That is all.

Nurture Photography - Ivory/Dream

2013-05-03T07:27:00.001-05:00

It always seems that when I'm looking for something specific, I can't find it. Spring took it's time getting here this year, but when it finally did arrive, it showed up with a bang. It seemed that once the trees started to bud they wasted no time in finishing the process of forming full grow leaves.

We have one dogwood tree that is being a bit sluggish though. It still has tons of beautiful ivory blooms. The bees are so happy.

I'm still not sure what type of bush has these tiny little blooms in great abundance, but they are usually the earliest to bloom in our yard.

I'll really have to search for something pink next week! I may have to just go with the home prompt instead. Thank goodness there are two!

April 5th - Yellow/Easter

April 12th - Turquoise/Splash
April 19th - Green/Nature
April 26th - Lilac/Flowers

You can find out more by visiting the Nurture Photography Facebook page. They are also on Instagram (hashtag #nurturephoto) and there is even a inspirational Pinterest board! Also check out Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, Rebecca of Bumbles & Light, and Alicia of Project Alicia.

Blog Every Day in May - Day 2

2013-05-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

Day 2 - Educate Us on Something You Know Alot About or Are Good At

Originally I had added this in with yesterday's topic and it had been about banana bread. This morning while I was waking up my toddler and getting her dressed for the day I realized there was something that I was knowledgeable about that could use some talking about.

Cloth diapers.

These aren't your grandma's cloth diapers and rubber pants. That is a common misconception I've run into since I began cloth diapering my youngest daughter when she was a few months old.

I always hear how cute my daughter's diaper cover is, but when I say that it's not a cover, it's her actual diaper. I get the what's, the no way's. Then the "tell me more". It can be very overwhelming though. There are so many different styles and brands and places to buy. It was only many months into cloth diapering that I began to feel I had a grasp of what I was doing.

Here is a general break down of what you might hear when asking about cloth diapers:

All in One or AIO - A cloth diaper that has a waterproof cover and an absorbent inner liner all in one piece. All In Ones are frequently used by parents who need a convenient diaper for a day care, for quick and easy changes on the go, and by parents who just want the convenience of a one-piece diaper along with the ecological advantages of cloth.

All in Two - A mix of pocket diapers and AIO. With an all-in-two, the insert goes directly again the baby's skin and can be changed out without having to wash the cover every time.

Aplix - A hook and loop closure. Such as Velcro.

Nappy - European word for diaper.

Fitted Diaper - A fitted diaper has elastic at the legs and usually, at the waist. Fitted diapers have closures built in such as Aplix or snaps. A fitted diaper requires a cover.

One-Size Cloth Diaper - A one size diaper usually fits a child from birth up until about 30 or 35 pounds. Although I have found that one-size diapers generally fit better once your baby reaches 10+ lbs. Of course, my babies were around 7 lbs at birth. This diapers typically have a row of snaps on the front of the diaper. This allows for the front of the diaper to be folded over and to create a smaller size. As the baby grows, several snap settings allow for waist and leg growth.

Pocket Diapers - A pocket diaper is usually made of an absorbant fleece (or fleecelike) inner layer and a waterproof outerlayer. These two layers sewn together form a pocket for an absorbent insert. These diapers do not require the additional use of a diaper cover.

Flat diapers - Single layer diapers just like granny used to use. Not really good for today's modern diapers, but make great liners or burp cloths.

Prefold diapers - Rectangular shaped diapers that are divided into three sections. The outer sections are thinner with the inner section having more layers for absorbency. These require a waterproof cover and need to be pinned or used with a Snappi.

PUL - Polyurethane laminate. The waterproof fabric.

The majority of my cloth diaper stash are pocket diapers, though I do have several prefolds that I use with a Snappi fastener. There are newborn sized cloth diapers available, but I never purchased or used any. In total I've probably spent around $500 for all of the diapers that I have, but when you compare that to the cost of disposable diapers, it seems to be a no-brainer to me. Not to mention the ecological impact of all those disposable diapers. I will use these same diapers until she is potty trained and then they can be resold! Waste not, want not!

Washing and drying cloth diapers is a bit trial and error. However, when you find the way that works best for you, you'll never look back. I currently use Charlie's Soap to wash my diapers. It is a little pricey, but I only wash diapers every other day so it lasts a while. My method is as follows:

Warm rinse
Hot wash
Cold rinse twice

During the warmer months of the year, I hang my diapers outside on a line to dry. Sunlight is amazing when it comes to removing stains. Also it's a great energy saver! During the Winter, I do use my clothes dryer, but you have to be careful of the temperature as high temperatures can cause covers and the PUL (the waterproof laminate) to de-laminate and that would cause leaks.

Overall I am very please with my decision to use cloth diapers. It is much easier than people realize. There are several blogs and websites that can help you get started.

Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diaper Resources on Pinterest
Diaper Pin
Ultimate Cloth Diaper Care Resource Page
Diapering Basics
Cloth Diaper Users Guide

I did this video how-to for Sew is Your Baby a while back. It's a brief two minutes of what a pocket diaper is all about.

Blog Every Day in May - Day 1

2013-05-02T07:10:00.000-05:00

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I have bouts of blog stage fright. I'd love to be one of those stay at home moms who blog about all the awesome stuff that happens. All the crafty things I make from Pinterest, but that's not me. So when I ran across a post yesterday from Misty of Handbags and Handguns, I saw an opportunity to expand my blogging. Jenni, who blogs at Story of My Life, issued a challenge. Blog every day for a month. To help, there are prompts. Definitely helpful. There are rules, but no rules. I like it. I'm going to give it a whirl. Since I kind of missed Day 1 because I just learned about it, today I'm doing a two-fer!

Day 1 - Story of Your Life in 250 Words or Less

I was born in Russellville, Kentucky in 1978. The hospital I was born at is still there, but it's a derelict old building now. I went to the same elementary/middle school from Kindergarten through 8th grade. I was a band geek in middle school, playing the clarinet. I tried out for the color guard for the high school marching band and made it, but because I got sun poisoning during band camp before school even started and had to miss several days, I ended up having to quit band. Without band, I joined the Army JROTC class. I credit my ROTC teacher, LTC Clapp, with giving me confidence. I was always painfully shy when I was younger. He pushed me to first be a squad leader and in the end I was a company commander with a Captain Rank. I was a signature away from joining the Army. I was to do my basic training the Summer between my junior and senior year. Instead, I became pregnant. I was 16 years old. No sooner had I found out that I was about to have a baby, I had a miscarriage. I was young, naive. I didn't realize the gravity of loss. I am now married to that same man that helped me get through. We have been married for 12 years and have three beautiful, crazy kids. Neil is 13, Kaia is 11, and Rowan is almost two. Whoa... 250 words is not enough! Better luck next time!

Day 2 - Educate Us on Something You Know Alot About or Are Good At

I had originally written this portion last night, but this morning (after it had published, of course!) I realized there IS something that I am knowledgeable about and can tell you about!

CLOTH DIAPERS!

So I'm setting up a post for later today! Stay tuned!!

Calling All May Sponsors!

2013-05-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce that we are now accepting sponsors for the month of May!

Spaces start at just $5 and all ads run for 30 days. Visit our Sponsor page for more details or you can contact us via email!

Giveaway Winner!

2013-04-30T07:05:00.001-05:00

I'm so happy to be able to host a giveaway to celebrate reaching 100 Likes on the Nekaro Facebook page! Again I'd like to say...

The winner is...

Renata Sassi

Congratulations Renata! Thank you for liking Nekaro!

Renata will have 24 hours to respond to the notification email. Thanks to ALL who entered the giveaway and to ALL who have pushed the Nekaro FB page likes to 150! Y'all are awesome!!!!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2013

2013-04-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

I was happy to be able to participate in this year's Great Cloth Diaper Change last weekend. Looking back on last year's change, I can't believe how much my wee little one has grown!

I'm sure potty training is in our near future. I've ordered some cutesy trainers. I'm a little sad about this whole process though. I feel like once she's finally out of diapers, she won't be my baby anymore. AHHH! I'm not ready to not have a baby.

Nurture Photography - Lilac/Flowers

2013-04-27T07:51:00.000-05:00

Our lilac tree/bush has been blooming for a week or so and it smells so lovely. Many of the blooms have begun to die off so I was glad I was able to capture a few photos before they were gone.

We also have some wisteria growing in our back yard. It also smells great, but the bees think so too! I had to be cautious getting so close.

And then we have these cute little miniature daffodil looking flowers.

UPDATE: On last week's challenge, I had posted a photo of a plant that I thought was a trillium, but I couldn't determine what kind it was. I recently downloaded a new app on my iPad called Audubon Guides - A Field Guide to Birds, Mammals, Wildflowers, and Trees. It's on sale for $5 (normally it's $20) until 4/29/13 to celebrate Audubon's birthday. Through this app I was able to discover that the trillium I photographed is called a Toad Shade (trillium sessile). I also discovered that it supposedly smells like decaying flesh. Ick! I'm glad I didn't get that close.

April 5th - Yellow/Easter

April 12th - Turquoise/Splash
April 19th - Green/Nature

Nail Biting and Me

2013-04-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

I've been a nail biter for as long as I can remember. I've tried several times to quit. Sometimes it's been mildly successful and sometimes it's just completely failed. Usually I do well until a stressful situation presents itself, then I get nervous and bite them all off. I'd love to go have acrylic nails put on, but I simply can't afford them. Not to mention how bad they are for your natural nails. Someone mentioned to me that I should try shellac. Hmmm... I thought that over too, but again, I can't afford to keep going back to the nail salon every two weeks.

Enter the ever efficient Pinterest.

I stumbled across a pin that suggested you can do your own knock-off shellac for a fraction of the cost of going to the salon over and over. I find that if I keep my nails painted, I tend to bite them less. I decided that I would go on a nail biting strike and use this as my starting point. I already had the Sally Hansen Powerful Acrylic Gel and Essie polish (I LOVE ESSIE!!). I just needed the Sally Hansen No Chip top coat.

Here are my first use results:

I applied one coat of the gel, two coats of Essie Go Overboard, one coat of no chip top coat. Initial results were amazing! My nails had a high gloss finish and did look very similar to a salon finish.

However, by the end of Day 1, I already had a chipped nail. I chalked this up to the fact that I have nubs for nails. I wasn't able to go completely under the nail with the top coat like it had suggested.

By the end of Day 2 (last night), my right hand had large chips on three fingers and my thumb. My left hand had two small chips on two fingers.

I am unimpressed. Right off the bat, it looked great, but it didn't even last a day. Upon reading the reviews of the No Chip top coat I found that they were all very low. Every review mentioned the same thing that had happened to my nails.

I'm not giving up on my mission though. I'm just going to move on to a different process. Hopefully with more success! Stay tuned!

Throwback Thursday

2013-04-25T10:14:00.000-05:00

Le sigh... I wish I was this skinny again! I think this was taken around 2003. We were at my grandmother's house in Tennessee. I have that insanely flowery couch now and the sewing cabinet. If I had the lamp, it'd be a trifecta.

But forget all that... look at how skinny I was!! Aaahhhhhhhhh!!!

Romping Around

2013-04-23T08:26:00.000-05:00

Monday was actually a good day! I have to make note because that rarely happens.

Two weeks after being let go from his job of eight years, my husband started a new job yesterday! He's basically doing the same thing that he was doing at his old job with a little extra opportunities to learn more about his trade. He's not making quite as much per hour, but this job is closer to the house. He doesn't have to worry about getting up at 4:30AM so he can get ready and drive 45 miles in one direction. It's a great opportunity and I'm (we're) grateful for the change.

I guess that old adage of "everything happens for a reason" is true.

I was also able to get some sewing done on Monday afternoon. I got a baby gift done, but I'm not posting any photos because I don't want the mama to see it yet!

Since it's FINALLY starting to warm up around here and I found THE CUTEST fabric at Hobby Lobby on Saturday, I decided to break out a 5 Berries pattern that I've been sitting on all Winter. A romper!

Pay no attention to her awesomely funktastic shiner of a black eye. She had a run in with a side table in the living room.

I went with the 2T size. It turned out to be just a smidge too big, but I think the 18-24 months would have been too close to perfect. She would have outgrown it by next week. The pattern called for elastic in the legs, but I just wasn't sure if I wanted to add it. Her chunky thighs tend to eat her shorts when they are too tight on her legs. I got a second opinion from my husband when he got home and we agreed. No elastic.

She posed for me for one tiny nanosecond. Then away she went! I can't believe how fast she goes on those little legs. I kept snapping photos anyway. I'm glad I did because I captured the first photo of her supermodel self....