Wicked Spongicure

If you've seen my other blog, Adventures in Mani-land, you know I've been swatching my meager little nail polish stash.  I've recently acquired two Icing colors.  I'll leave the reviews on those to the swatch post, but I was noticing how the green sparklies in Witch's Brew were similar to the sparklies in Evergreen.  I thought they may make an interesting spongicure, so I went with it.  Now, this was my first time sponging, so be kind.  HOWEVER, I had a stroke of genius...at least to me!

I have read dozens and dozens of posts about sponging.  All of them said they use make-up sponges and even cut up kitchen sponges.  Well, I didn't have any make-up sponges as I don't wear foundation very often and when I do, it's just a sheer powder.  And I really wasn't up for cutting up a kitchen sponge.  So I had to figure out another option, when it dawned on me that I have a whole package of tiny little eyeshadow applicators.  I figured they should do the trick AND be less messy due to their compact size.  As I said, I've never done this before, so I cannot attest to whether or not this method is easier.  But I can say that it seemed quite easy to me, even as a newbie, and the mess was minimal.

On to the mani!  I started with two coats of Icing's Evergreen, followed by SH Insta-Dri.  Then I sponged on Icing's Witch's Brew using the eyeshadow applicator, followed by another coat of SH Insta-Dri.  What do you think?  I'm thinking not too bad for my first time.  And I've gotten tons of compliments today!  :oD

Oz-olutely Fabulous Mani

So, I have been seeing a lot of Wizard of Oz products lately (bookmarks, shoes, etc).  Since I really love the striped stockings with the ruby slippers, I thought it would be fun to try to do a mani with the same look.  Now, this was my first attempt at striping.  Manis are rare for me.  I'm so rough on my hands that they don't usually last very long so it is usually a one color slap-on mani.  But I had a lot of fun, and I WILL master and refine this in time!  Anyway, here you have it.

I started with two coats of OPI's Alpine Snow.  The stripes were done with China Glaze's (CG) Liquid Leather.  And the tips are OPI's Speak for Your Elf.  Top coat was Seche Vite (SV).  The pics aren't great, but then, neither is my PhD camera.  And the pics do NOT do the Speak for Your Elf justice...it's gorgeous!!!

Sorry the last pic was blurry.  Didn't catch it until I uploaded.  I would like to do more manis and upload them, so stay tuned for more Adventures in Mani-land!

Floating Book Bookshelves

Here is something I have done in my house for many years.  Thought I would share.
I have some old books from my days as a paralegal.  I really liked the way they looked and wanted to incorporate them into my decor.  In our last house, I arranged them along the plant shelves and placed various objects on and around them.  But, of course, that wasn't good enough!

So, I decided to create shelves.  To do this, I got four L-brackets (two for each shelf).  I measured the book that would be on the bottom and attached the L-brackets to the wall so that each one would be about two inches in from the edge of the book.  Be sure to use anchors as the books are heavy and you will probably want to put things on your new shelf, so you must account for the total weight.
Next, place the bottom book on the L-bracket so that the bracket is between the back cover and last page.  Then, use glue or double-sided tape to attach the back cover to the last page, thus hiding the bracket from view.  Stack the rest of your books and you're done!  The books I used had volume numbers on the spine and the volume numbers are all significant to me.  Fun little secret to the display!

Tried to take a picture showing the L-bracket.

Wine bottle light

Here is something I did over the holiday.  After finishing off a bottle of wine (no, not in one sitting), I decided I really liked the bottle and did not want to get rid of it.  So I decided to use it as a candle holder.  Of course, that wasn't good enough.

So, using a drill bit for drilling holes in glass, I drilled a 1/4" hole in the back of the bottle about 1" from the bottom.  To do this, wear safety glasses and get a helped to slowly pour water on the spot where you are drilling (I used a turkey baster and cup of water to do this).  This will keep the glass cool to prevent it from shattering.  After the hole is drilled, rinse the bottle to remove bits of glass and allow to dry thoroughly.
Buy a short string of lights (mine was a 35 light string) and feed it through the hole.  Use a crochet hook to catch the lights from the top of the bottle to help arrange and evenly distribute the lights.  Top with a candle and you're done!  The lights I used here do tend to heat the glass a bit, so be careful handling.  I made a second bottle for my mother-in-law using mini LED lights that were battery operated.  Not as bright, but the glass doesn't heat up either.