Manicure on Monday: Turquoise & Caicos

I woke up this morning, and it was SNOWING outside!  Since it's been so nice lately, I decided it was necessary to wear something bright and fun that reminded me of summer on my nails today.  So, I reached for Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, which is a beautiful robin's egg blue that adds a fun pop of color to just about any outfit!

What is your favorite summertime nail polish?

Today's Video: April Sweater a Month

Yesterday, I put up my very first sweater pattern, which I was really excited about, not just because it was the first sweater pattern I've written, but because it is also the sweater that I have chosen as my May sweater for my Sweater a Month series!

Each month, I choose a different sweater pattern to knit, and at the beginning of the month, I show it off!  So, in this video, I am showing off the sweater I made for the month of April, and I absolutely love it!

I would love it if you tried to make a garment a month with me, and if you are of the knitting persuasion, the pattern I have chosen for May is my Anita sweaterdress, which you can find here.

The pattern the dress in the video was based off of was the Dahlia sweater, which you can find here.

What would you make if you could make any garment?

In the Wardrobe: Anita Sweaterdress

Well, I've done it!  I've written my first sweater pattern, and have named it Anita.  It is a burgundy sweaterdress that has a cabled belt worked into the front, and also ties in a bow at the back.   I think it is gorgeous, and I can't wait for fall just so I can wear it!

We're moving!  If you'd like to see the pattern, click here: Anita Sweaterdress

Quick Teeth Whitening Tips

I've been drinking a lot of Coca-Cola with grenadine lately, and noticed that my teeth were starting to get a bit yellow.  Although I do have the  Glo Whitening System, and like that quite a bit, my brother is borrowing part of it right now, so I had to find something to substitute it with.

Luckily, I remembered that there were certain fruits that actually do help whiten your teeth, and they happened to be ones that Cornelius and I have been using for our fruit smoothies.

The first are, of course, strawberries.  One way to whiten your teeth is to crush a strawberry and combine it with baking soda.  Just apply it with a toothbrush, and leave the mixture on for five minutes.  Take it off by brushing your teeth again, and that's it!  You can do this once a week, but don't overdo it.  The baking soda could eventually damage the enamel on your teeth.

Another easy DIY teeth whitening trick is to first brush your teeth, then take a section of banana peel and rub it against your teeth for about two minutes.  Minerals like potassium, magnesium, and manganese are in the peel, and will absorb into your teeth, helping to whiten them.

I've also heard that eating fruits like apples after meals can also help to remove surface stains, because they remove food particles that are left on the teeth from eating.

How do you keep your pearly whites sparkling?

Sources:
http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410846,00.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4807031_whiten-teeth-banana-peel.html

Manicure on Monday: Easter Egg Accent

Although I love doing my nails, I don't usually get too terribly fancy with them.  Usually, I stick to one color, and one color alone.  However, I was lying in bed one morning, when I thought that it would be really fun to do something fun on my nails for Easter.  I decided that I could stretch myself enough to do an accent nail, and maybe try my hand at a little nail art on that chosen nail.  Finally, I decided on the design you see on the left.

I stayed pretty simple, using my new favorite Essie polish,  Ballet Slippers, which I've talked about in a previous post, on most of my nails, but then had fun on my ring finger.  I painted that one completely white, and then used a toothpick and some other colors I had lying around to make a couple fun designs on it.  It was almost like dyeing my own Easter egg!  I love the way it turned out, and the fact that it is only those two accent nails that are very bright is actually very appealing to me. I can definitely see myself doing this for future holidays!

All of the polishes I used are from Essie, and I have provided the links below.

Instructions

• Apply 1-2 coats of Ballet Slippers to all fingers but the ring finger until color is opaque.
• Apply 1-2 coats of Blanc to both ring fingers until color is opaque.
  
• Using a toothpick or other nail art tool, apply a zigzag line across the center of the ring finger with Beach Bum Blu.
  
  
• Directly beneath the zigzag, draw another, this time in Trophy Wife.
  
  
• Draw little pink polka dots in between each peak and valley using Mob Square
  
  
• Finally, draw a couple wavy lines above and below the rest of the design using Turquoise and Caicos to complete the pattern I'm wearing.
  
  
• Finish with a top coat, and you're done!

Change up the colors and egg pattern for a more personalized look! I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial, and please let me know if you'd like to see more! I'm trying to decide if I want this to be a weekly thing or just do them when I get an idea!