Summer Nail Polish

I don’t know about you but Grace has got me ready for the season with her summer countdown. My own personal countdown usually starts with my first pedicure of the spring. I love being released from the tedium of shoes and I love new colors!

A good friend took me out for a pedicure present about a month ago and my first foray into summer colors was with this little guy: 

Essie: Pretty Edgy

This may not be super surprising considering my current love of green and, at the risk of overdoing it, I think I might try this one next: 

butter: British Racing Green  

PS I think that butter might be my new favorite in the nail polish packaging department- so classic, so symmetrical. It just warms my heart.

So the pastels have been around for a while but, unfortunately, they’re not flattering on me at all. But I’ve been seeing light blue around so much on fingernails that is makes me want to try it again that way.

Oscar de la Renta: Larimar

And can you ever go wrong with a beautiful nude nail polish?

Chanel: Emprise

(Correction: Can you ever go wrong with Chanel? I don’t think so.)

I read a description of this one as ranging from “cool cantaloupe to iced tangerine”. Consider me sold.

butter: Chuffed

And then there’s my fallback summer color that rotates in between pedicures: 

Essie: Tart Deco

It’s so darn cutesy and beachy that I can never get over it. Just like summer.

Have a colorful weekend, Friends!

-Alissa

Doggie Style

We adopted a dog in October. He looks super fierce but he is by far the most loving pound puppy ever! We love him and are so glad he's ours! However, one downside to Nelson, our shelter pup, is that he frightens people because he looks so tough. To counteract his tough exterior, I checked out Agatha and Louise for the perfect preppy dog collar and leash.

Photo Credit: Sarah Harper

Agatha and Louise

The Agatha and Louise website is jam-packed with preppy collars and leashes. I purchased the green and navy whale collar and leash pictured above. Total with shipping was $47.85. I was thrilled with the cost! Here are some other collar patterns that I think are just fab!

Ooo lala—so Lilly Pulitzer-ish. 

Lacoste style. 

Adorbs! 

I should mention we adopted our pup through Mid Atlantic Bully Buddies. If you are looking to adopt a dog, I highly recommend adopting a shelter pup and we were thrilled with the Mid Atlantic Bully Buddies agency. 

- Grace

Our Christmas Tree

Since Micky and I planned extended visits with our families for Christmas this year, we decided to forgo the real 4-foot needle shedder we usually get and try something different this time around. Three-and-a-half rolls of dark and lime green wrapping paper later, this is the understated tree-ish-shaped beauty that stands before us. I spent a leisurely three or four nights covering the tallest of our book collection while watching White Christmas, Sleepless in Seattle and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation---so really, it took practically no time at all to transform our ordinary bookcase into a festive holiday display. Full disclosure: I started to run low on paper towards the end and only covered the spines of some of the smaller books, but figured as long as you couldn't see any of the cover peaking out, no one would be the wiser. Except for the people I told this to. I'm thinking of adding a string of white Christmas lights and a paper snowflake at the top, but packing for our trip and wrapping actual presents in paper has suddenly taken precedence. The only adornment that now stands is a pickle ornament I got for my birthday from Micky's mom. Whoever finds it first gets a special Christmas surprise! 

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!

- Cathleen