Merry Christmas

Hello lovelies!! I'm a little late posting today, but right after finishing these this morning I had to immediately leave. How immediate? Immediate like I was terrified I was going to smudge them while getting dressed - thank goodness for my trusty Seche Vite top coat! The chance of smudging made me snap a few quick pics and then I was out the door. I just now settled down to watch some Christmas Doctor Who (goodbye, Doctor #11 ??) and realized I never got around to taking the pics off my camera. So, here's my Christmas mani ... late but at least it's still Christmas. :)

I wanted a mani that I could wear after Christmas. Once Christmas is over I want Christmas over so I went simple - more winter than truly Christmas. I started with 3 coats of CQ Pearls and then topped it with 2 coats of Firefly from Hell.

If you'll remember Firefly from Hell was the glow-in-the-dark glitter topper from my Halloween collection. There are still a few of these glow polishes left if anyone wants one; you can get them on sale for $6 in my Storenvy shop. :) I adore how the stamped snowflakes still show up in the dark!!

I think I'm getting better at this whole stamping thing!! These snowflakes were done in mere moments (with China Glaze Blue Bells Ring) as I was in such a hurry and they're almost all there - only a few smudges and missing lines. And, as you can see, I also added a pearl to the center of the large snowflake on my ring fingernails. I think it added a slightly elegant, dressy touch.

So, how was your holiday? Do anything special? Wear anything special on your nails? How about gifts?? Did you get everything you asked Santa for? :)

Until next time,
-Ashley

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Santa Came To Say - More Christmas Stamping

Yes, this is another attempt at Christmas stamping. I think I'm getting a little better. I'm still working on placement and which colors I can stamp over which polishes but not too horrible if I do say so myself.

This is Eight Tiny Reindeer with an accent nail of Holly Jolly. The main polishes used in this mani are from my Christmas collection and except for Holly Jolly, which was a freebie with select Christmas orders, you can now get them on sale here!!

I couldn't do a Christmas mani, especially one with a polish like Eight Tiny Reindeer and not use the reindeer stamp! And since this was inspired by Rudolph, this mani just wouldn't be complete without a bright red nose on at least one of the reindeer. :)

And since this didn't show up on the full mani shot I had to do a close-up of Holly Jolly. Just look at that sparkle! Holly Jolly is red, green, silver, and gold micro-glitter, and this is just two coats for full coverage! It also works wonderfully as a glitter topper - such a versatile little glitter.

Order 6 full-size Christmas sale polishes, and I will include a mini of Holly Jolly in your order completely free! :) This offer is only valid until the year's end, 12/31/13, so order quick!!

Until next time,
- Ashley

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Happy Christmas To All

Hello lovelies! Welcome to another very simple mani idea for Christmas.

I've said it before but OPI The Spy Who Loved Me is perfect for Christmas manis. However, if you don't have this you can use a really any shimmery red or even just a plain creme red. I believe my go-to polish last year was Orly Star Spangled. It's a little bit of a darker red from what I remember, but is just as, if not more, shimmery!

So, super simple! Two coats of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me and three coats of my own polish, Spellbound Nails Happy Christmas To All as an accent nail.

This mani looks so much better in person because you can really see the sparkle and shift of the glitter and this does seem to trick the eye into thinking Happy Christmas To All really does look like a Christmas tree especially with that star at the top of my nail. I admit I started this mani with a different design in mind; a bit of a tape mani to create a tree shape on the accent nail with a carefully placed star glitter, but once the star came out of the bottle (without my permissions lol) and refused to budge it all came together so much better in my opinion!

I plan to have at least another one or two designs before Christmas so keep an eye out for those.

Until next time,
- Ashley

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Candy Canes and Holly Berries - Holiday Christmas Nail Art

Hello lovelies! Can you believe it's already less than a week until Christmas?? I feel like it was just last week that it was months and months from Christmas. Still, the Christmas spirit seems to have hit me hard ... well, hit me with nail art ideas because my house still isn't decorated and I have done less than no Christmas shopping.

And speaking of nail art ideas ... I think I'm a little obsessed with candy cane stripes. I seriously just want to keep these on until after Christmas; I love them so much!

These are actually really simple to do but there's a lot of waiting involved because the stripes are done with tape and the white polish has to be completely dry before you can start. If you don't wait for it to dry it will dent if you're lucky or ruin all your work at worst.

I think I'm also developing an obsession with OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. It is such a lovely shade of shimmery red and has such wonderful coverage. It also makes perfect candy cane stripes ... and holly berries!

Well, I think that's just about it. I hope you enjoyed yet another of my Christmas manis. :)

Until next time,
- Ashley

*A huge congratulations to Ariel of Lacquer: The Best Medicine for winning my Season of Giving Giveaway!! Her prize is already in the mail. :)

Looking for more holiday manis? Take a look at these!!

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A Candy Cane Christmas with another Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate

Hello again!! First off, have you entered the giveaways I'm either hosting or a part of yet? If not you can enter here, here, and here. That's a lot of polish you could win; don't miss out! Go on. I'll wait. Done? Okay, onto the nail art!

I really wanted something simple but eye-catching so I started with a base of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. This polish was a Christmas gift last year but red is always in season around Christmas. What makes this polish even better is the gold shimmer.

In some lights the shimmer will just look red but as you can see here and in the next pic the gold will occasionally show itself. It can be a little shy. :)

This one is a little blurry but it really shows off the gold shimmer.

via BornPrettyStore

To complete this mani, and add just a little more of a Christmas-y touch, I used my new-found stamping skills and added some candy cane stripes in white. This was done using the Born Pretty Store stamping plate M65. If you'll remember I used this stamping plate before to create my Elegant Border Nails. You can buy this stamping plate right now for $2.99. As always feel free to use MLE10W21 for 10% off your BPS orders.

If you don't have and don't want to buy this stamping plate you can always draw the stripes on freehand, use a base coat of white and put down some striping tape before painting on your red, peeling up the striping tape after ... or just use the striping tape itself to create the stripes! All it takes is a little imagination!

Until next time
? Ashley

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The Season of Giving GIVEAWAY

December is supposed to be the season of giving right? Well, this year I'm embracing that wholeheartedly! I am part of 2 huge giveaways (here and here), and I took it one step further and am now hosting my own with some of my wonderful bloggers. You may or may not recognize their names but I'm sure you'll recognize their nails. They do almost all the lovely swatches you see when checking out my polishes. If it's not my swatch, it is more than likely one of theirs. How could I give away some polish as a thank you for all the support and love you've all given me and not include them?

First up, the thing I'm sure you're all eager to know - the prizes! The winner will have their choice of 6 mini bottles from my Christmas collection - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

I may even toss in a few other things I've been holding onto for a giveaway. Season of giving and all that. ;)

And now onto business - the rules. As I cannot ship internationally at this time this giveaway is only open to those in the US or Canada ... or those who have a friend in either country willing to risk shipping for them. Once the package is out of my hands however, I take no responsibility for it - especially during the holidays when customs is sure to be cracking down on shipping polishes. Or pass on the season of giving by shipping to a friend in the US or Canada as a present. :) The giveaway starts 12:00am EST 10th December and ends 12:00am EST 17th December. The winner will have 24 hours to reply and claim their prize. If I get no reply in 24 hours, I will be forced to choose another winner.

Onto the fun! Use the Rafflecopter app below to enter. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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pre holiday haul - h&m, tk maxx, asda...

If there's a time to brave new trends, it's on holiday. When I saw these floral trousers in H&M i was worried they'd be too in your face but then I saw they were 50% off and I was swayed. They had a few other patterns and they fit really well. �7.49 H&M.
On holiday I'm going to a water park so i need something that's going to keep everything in! Asda have some really nice swimwear pieces this summer. I saw some bikini's for �2.50 which looked nice. I opted for this bandeau floral print swimming costume with a control stomach panel. �12.00 ASDA.
After my little trip to Ibiza i've got heat rash on my face which is a pain in the bum. After doing some online research i read aloe vera gel is suppose to help & it has been a life saver. �2.66 Superdrug.
I've wanted a crochet waist dress forever! I spotted one about a year ago in Topshop for �50 but i just couldn't justify the price so i'm glad i held it off. As soon as i saw this i knew it was coming home with me. �19.99 TK Maxx.

So that was my little Dubai haul, I just hope we get a good summer so i can re-wear these clothes when i get home. Are you off on holiday this year? I can't wait to start wearing summer clothes again! 

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my week in ibiza

You might not know this about me but i love travelling(even though i've not really travelled). I'm actually studying it at the moment in college. I'm so nosey i love looking at other people's holiday photos. I've just got back from a 4 day holiday so here are some pictures from my mini break to Ibiza last week cause i don't like to keep you guys out of the blue and you might be nosey like me! This was my first ever holiday without parents, i went with a couple of friends from college. It was nice not to have parents constantly nagging me - 'have you put sun cream on your nose, put your hat on, how much water have you drank today'....I guess they know best, I'm now at home recovering from heat rash and sunburn. Sorry mum. 

I'd recommend Ibiza if you want a girly break. The flight from the UK is about 2 hours, the beaches are amazing, weather was around 20 degrees and the locals seem really friendly. Visit in April if your not really into clubbing as the night life start May - October.
Do you enjoy these sort of travel posts? I'm off to Dubai on Wednesday so let me know if you'd like to see some pictures when i get back. Also, let me know if you have any holiday questions! 

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Blogs to Love #8

Hello everyone. Sorry for the late post. I thought I had it to post automatically but I got back from girl's night out and found it was only saved as a draft. Better late than never? Anyway, get ready for a long post! Since I missed last week and since Easter is this weekend I thought I'd do a huge Easter link-up. :)

 <br /><a href="http://mybeautifulcrazylifex33.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-linkup-blogs-to-love-friday.html"><img src="http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/mrsmonologues/blogstolovebutton_zps827e2b62.jpg" /></a><br />
Since this post is so big I'm going to split the links into sections.
Nails

• For a simple yet stunning mani, check out these zigzag Easter Egg nails from All Glazed Over.
• This Candy Gradient from Varnished Reputation is perfect for Easter (or spring!).
• Nail Polish Creations was inspired by my dripping yolk nails and came up with this adorable Chick and Eggs mani!
• There is just something about these nails by A Girl and Her Polish that says Easter to me.

Hair

• Spice up your Easter outfit with these cute DIY Hair Accessories brought to you by The Alison Show.
• If you're looking for something simpler definitely try these Simple Bobby Pins from Wait Til Your Father Gets Home.
• If you're stumped on how to fix your hair this Easter definitely check out the 50+ Hair Tutorials compiled by Hairspray and High Heels.

Makeup

• Want to add a little color to your eyes, but don't want to go wild? Try this Easter Look by Simply Beauty. It's a very fresh and feminine look using yellow, white, and pink.
• If you're looking for a lot of color and really want to pop try this Easter Makeup from Jessie Blush on Facebook.
• Don't want to pop that much? Try a pastel look (also from Jessie Blush).

Fashion

• Peachy-Keen by Meek~N~Mild is such a soft and elegant look that is just beautiful to behold.
• Be prim and Ladylike with this look by Penny Pincher Fashion.
• If you're more of a jeans girl, go Back to Basics with a pair of jeans, a tee, and a stylish blazer by Lilly's Style. It may be basic but it is so stylish!

Food

• I love this idea so much and have plans of making these Easter Egg Deviled Eggs for my family. It is such a brilliant idea from FOODjimoto.
• I can't get over how absolutely yummy these Easter Cake Mix Cookies with Cheesecake Filling by Couponing & Cooking look! 
• If you want a healthy Easter dinner look no further than these 15 Healthy Easter Ideas compiled by Five in Ohio.
• These Healthy Easter Snack & Treat Ideas by Le Petite R�ve are the perfect way to get children to eat healthy on Easter. 
• I am dying to try these Lemon Poppy Seed Bunny cookies from Gluten Free Foodie Heaven. They just sound so good and look adorable!
• Still, it's Easter. The best time for not eating healthy! Make and eat your very own Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs thanks to Victoria's Vintage.
• The ultimate diet ruiner (at least for me) would be these Cookies & Cream Oreo Cupcakes. They may not scream Easter, but they're too good to pass up. Thanks for the yummy recipe Gaby's Beauty Blog.

Crafts

• This one is part food, part craft. These Cute Printable Carrot Cones found on The Red Thread will make the perfect addition to any Easter basket and can be filled with candy or even healthy treats.
• What a cute idea for the little ones and it takes very little effort from you! Sew your little ones or someone else's little ones a Sweet Bunny with this tutorial by Lifeologia.
• Don't have a basket for Easter yet? Don't rush out to buy one this weekend � create your own with this Easter Bunny Basket Tutorial from Lizzie Florence!

Easter Eggs

• My favorite part of Easter (besides making myself sick on candy) was always the Easter eggs! I never liked eating them; I just wanted to decorate them!! Sharpie Tie Dye Easter Eggs by Housing a Forest are something I wish I knew about as a kid. They are so fun!! They remind me of peeling paper mache.
• If you want something a little more elegant to sit around you should try Golden Marbled Easter Eggs. It takes a bit of work but your friends and family are sure to ooh and ahh over them.
• Neither of these your style? Here are 40 other Creative Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs compiled by Brit + Co. Seriously, the Message in an Egg is genius. It leaves me wishing I had a sweetie to give one to.

My Contributions to Easter

I have big plans for making this my Easter outfit. I have nearly everything needed to complete this outfit. Simple makeup, messy hair (in blonde instead of red), pastel polish for an Easter skittles mani, the purse, the shoes and a blazer nearly like this one. The key piece however is the pink pants and I don't have them. If I can't find a pair that fit in the color I want this weekend this whole outfit will fall to pieces. :( Keep your fingers crossed for me.

My other contribution to this Easter post are my Easter nails! I plan to wear my nails like this Sunday instead of doing a fancy design. However, for this post I couldn't resist doing a little something extra.

Speckled Easter eggs nails!! I used an old eyebrow brush that was fraying to dab on the base color mixed with some white and then I used some brown polish to create the speckled look. I adore how the blue nail looks here and the purple and green nails looked really awesome in person. Sadly, the pink and yellow nails were so light on their own that mixing the polish with white didn't really add any definition. Still, I think this looks really awesome overall.
And yes, that is a brown chicken egg I'm holding. It was the next best thing since I didn't have any speckled eggs ... or even any dyed Easter eggs. :(
Forgive me for any errors or typos. It's late, and not only am I so tired I can't see straight I have a headache to contend with so I didn't do my usual ten-thousand read throughs looking for errors.

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my week in paris

1.mobbing Cara delevingne and kate moss at louis vuitton PFW 2. visiting disneyland paris 3. panoramic of the louvre museum 4. love lock bridge 5. my breakfast (and lunch and tea) everyday 6. souvenir tees 7. sephora in paris 8. french soliders at the eiffiel tower 9. another cara pap 10. view from top of the effiel tower. 

About three weeks ago now i spent four days in Paris with some friends from college. I've never been to France before but Paris is just one of those cities you MUST visit. I recommend visiting the Eiffel Tower at night, taking a boat cruise along the river Seine and seeing the Mona Lisa. Above are just a few holidays snaps i wanted to share with you after some of you lovely lot said you wanted to see them! Paris is a very beautiful city but if you are travelling by metro be warned- it bloody stinks.

Have you been to Paris before? x

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St. Patrick's Day Duo

Hello everyone! I'd like to introduce you to a cute little duo you can now buy in my Etsy shop.

This is the St. Patrick's Day Duo. I missed getting my Valentine's Day polish out so I'm jumping the gun on this collection. :) Meet Fool's Gold and Clover the Rainbow.

Fool's Gold has a clear base filled with small and medium matte green glitter and large gold glitter � all hex.

Here is Fool's Gold over Petites Black. I adore how this looks! Almost like a galaxy nail or a flakey ... maybe a combination of both. :)

I also tried Fool's Gold over CQ Pearls. I thought Fool's Gold would look better over the slightly shimmery, off-white color than it would over regular white.

The second half of this lucky duo is Clover the Rainbow, named by Lyssa over on my Facebook page.  Clover the Rainbow is a green jelly with small matte green hex glitter and rainbow holographic hex glitter.

With three coats over bare nails you might not get full coverage, as is typical with a jelly, but you could certainly wear this out and show your Irish pride!

If you're looking for full coverage, you can wear one coat over white for a minty, lightly glittered nail.

Two coats over white will get you this look in sunlight. Clover the Rainbow is a very versatile polish. Change it up for different looks, wear it alone or with an undie.

Remember to follow and favorite my shop on Etsy to be the first to see new polishes. :)

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Write Me A Love Letter

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Welcome to the last Valentine's Day manicure of 2013 � Love Letters.

I started with a base of LA Colors Energy Source. This is the best white I've found to date. It can be bought in most Dollar Stores at a great price and it takes a really, really long time to turn thick in the bottle. I used a nail art brush and Petites Night to create the envelopes, sealed them with top coat, and topped with a red heart sticker. The accent nail is a simple newspaper nail. I used the wedding announcements section of the newspaper. :)

Here is what the mani looks like without the heart stickers. You could certainly keep them like this, use heart rhinestones, or even just draw the hearts on with polish if you don't have stickers or rhinestones.

Have trouble creating newspaper nails? Don't do them on completely dry nails. Wait until your nails are almost dry before dipping your nails or the newspaper into rubbing alcohol and applying to your nails. You want your nails to be at that point where they're dry to the touch but applying any pressure will leave fingerprints. This degree of 'wetness' will soak up the newspaper ink much better than dry nails. Be sure to apply even pressure across your entire nail or you'll end up with patchy newsprint. If you do have a place on your nail that is blank simply line up another piece of newspaper � being as exact in lining it up as possible, lightly dip a finger of the other hand in alcohol, and use it to hold the newspaper onto the blank spot.

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