I can’t stop looking at these adorable glitter encrusted blue elephants by wishdaisy on Etsy. They would make such a great addition to my cube. She sells them in pairs for around $40, so it might not be in the Top 10 Practical Purchases, but if something makes you smile every single time you look at it, it might actually be totally worth it.
I’m happy to report that I’ve been doing an excellent job saving money by not running to the nail salon every time I need my nails done. I’ve been having a great time getting creative and tackling the job myself and Monday evenings before hitting the gym seem to be the operative time for me. (Sorry for the sloppiness in the photo, I tried to keep it tidy but since I knew I wasn’t going anywhere until the next day, it didn’t seem super important.)
This time, I enjoyed some Hulu time while using my Sally Hansen Jewel Overcoat once again. I think it turned out pretty great! I’m starting to think that maybe I could start practicing manicures on other people…
I ordered a ton of nail stuff from ebay the other day and I’m patiently waiting for it to arrive. I’ll be honest, one of the items is clay fruit slices, better known as Fimo Nail Art Canes. I can’t wait to show off a fruit salad manicure!
I posted recently about how much I love the Wet n Wild Megalast nail polishes, but I always had a problem with the Sugar Coat shade never looking complete. It was definitely missing something, but what? Then one day while running errands, I spotted Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength Jewel Overcoat in Ring-a-Ding! – a sort of rose gold confetti glitter – and it totally clicked! The other day, I tried to create the manicure I had so hoped would work in my head and I think it turned out really neat. The subdued ballet pink balances the fun of the confetti glitter pretty well, if I do say so myself. (Please forgive the messiness, I was about to run to the gym but wanted to snap a few pictures beforehand in case any nail got ruined while working out. Also, these pictures do not do the polish justice because in motion, the glitter is very shiny and sparkly.)
In my lifetime, I may have had hundreds of trips to nail salons, nail spas, salons and spas that offer nail services, cosmetology schools that teach nail services, etc. but I can honestly say that on New Year’s Eve, I had the best manicure and pedicure of my life! Let’s back up a little: A few weeks ago, I was actually able to have a latte “for here” at Ghostlight Coffee with my sister. As we were looking around at all the cool stuff to look at in Ghostlight, I found a card for an organic spa called Dual Expressions: an Organic Salon for Faces, Hands, and Feet. I was impressed that this spa offered any organic services at all but that they also perform nail services? I wasn’t expecting to ever see that on a card on a coffee shop community board – in Dayton. So I called and scheduled an appointment for a mani/pedi on New Year’s Eve before a big party my husband and I were throwing in hopes that I would look great for the evening and maybe get some me time to relax before the shindig.
Arriving at Dual Expressions, I met Kelly and some of her helpers and I was immediately struck by how well they had worked with a small space to create a calm and relaxing environment without making the customer feel claustrophobic. They accomplished this by utilizing smaller furniture and making the pedicure stations perpendicular to the front door. Speaking of the pedicure stations, Kelly made the bold decision to do away with the traditional ultra-shiny glitter, chrome, and plastic throne of most nail salons, opting instead for a lush wicker swing. Basically, rather than feeling like you’re getting your nails done, you end up feeling like you’re just enjoying a glass of wine on the veranda on a summer day. The services are personalized to you based on your preferences – I chose grapefruit oil for my pedicure to help get me energized for the party.
I left Dual Expressions feeling completely calm and relaxed and my nails looked amazing, I can’t wait to go back!
I apologize for the fuzzy iphone photos, I was trying to be stealthy. Except for the last one, I was trying to show how awesome the glitter looked for NYE.
Dual Expressions 931 A Shroyer Road Dayton, OH 45419 937-298-3825
girl about town 