Halloween Nails & Manicure Inspiration...

Inkblot nails: Rorschach Manicure
It's almost October... really I can't believe it!! So I've been searching for a little Halloween nail art inspiration of course, and the internet is brimming with fun ideas. I gathered up my favorite manicures and my goal is to somehow come up with something new and different... and FUN! And in my search, I realized my very own Rorschach manicure could be a fun option, especially if you decide to wear a white robe and go dressed as a crazy person for Halloween. Fun and easy! and FUN! {did I mention FUN!?}

Here are a few fun options...

1. Bloody Stumps manicure via Fashionista
2. Candy Corn Halloween Nails via Huffington Post
3. Halloween BOO nails via Polished Love Affair
4. Mummy Nails... halloween designs via Nail Art by Rachelle
5. Orange Sparkles w/ Jack O'Lantern accent nailFunky Trend Nail Art
6. Black sparkles w/spiderweb accent nail via Every College Girl
7. Matte Sparkle Manicure w/ green polka dot accent nail via PShiiit
8. Orange Spiderweb manicure via Pimp My Nailz





Black ClawsFunky Trend Nail Art




Orange and black nails via missadelinne




Bloodsplattered Nails via Refinery 29 & Tumblr




Googly Eyes Halloween Manicure via icy Nails

Here are a few more fun Halloween manicure ideas...

* Dripping Blood manicure via Northern downpour sends its love.
* Midnight Sparkles Halloween Nails via concrete and nail polish
* Jack O'Lantern nails via luxuriousnails
* Cute glow in the dark nails via Party City
* Cleopatra Nails via Party City

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One Last Summer Safari...

What I'm Wearing

* Old black lace-print tank. One of my favorite tanks ever.
* Vintage nylon pants... cuffed {seen here pinned with hem gems - in one of my favorite outfits}
* DIY Scarf vest.
* Leather braided belt c/o Jigsaw London {also seen here} I love to wear this with all black!
* Vintage beaded necklace
* Hermes leather wrap bracelet, branch bracelets, leaf bracelet, Kenneth Cole watch, Joseph Mimi rings, big hoop earrings {my husband's favorites}
* Gucci vintage stripe sunglasses
* Sandals... the "Sexi Flip" c/o Crocs {and some of my favorite summer sandals}

No, I didn't go on safari, but I could have... :) I created this mock-jumpsuit look by pairing a matching tank and loose-fitting pants with a huge belt in the center to hide all the seams. As if you couldn't tell and needed an explanation, there it was ;)

Also loving my new vest from a scarf. Actually, this was simply leftover fabric from this project and I keep it around to wear as a scarf {like in this outfit} because I love the print and the sheerness. Since it wasn't as long as my original scarf I DIY'd, my armholes were a bit smaller, but it was still comfortable.









And one last summer pedicure on my toes w/ Sephora polishes: "how cute is that?" & "traffic stopper copper"...

Happy Thursday!

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No-Sew DIY: How to Turn a Scarf into a Vest in 2 Easy Steps...

This genius idea {which I am in no way claiming to have originated but merely stumbled upon a youtube video of it a few months ago} is yet another way to make your scarves work for you. Light scarves, as we all know, are the perfect transitional accessory from Summer to Fall. They warm us up just enough while adding a little pop to our ensemble. This is a brilliant way to add a light layer on a chilly day without spending a dime or even pulling out a needle and thread. It's genius I tell you... anyone can do it! Go try it now!

Here's What You'll Need...

* Scarves OR simply, Fabric. {the scarf I used here: Nepali by TDM Design 8 colors available}

Specifications: look for your longest scarves in your closet. The pretty ombre scarf I'm using here is 77" long x 26" wide. The longer the scarf, the larger your arm openings will be. The width of your scarf determines how long it will be on your body, aka: where it will hit; waist, hips, thighs, etc. Mine is 26" wide and therefore, a fairly long vest. The fringe on the ends of your scarf creates a fun detail in the front of your vest.

Steps...

* Fold your scarf or fabric in half lengthwise.



* Now grab the top two corners of your folded scarf or fabric...



* And tie them in a small knot with the least amount of fabric possible.



* Open your folded scarf and you should see two arm holes... now go ahead and slip your arms right through those ;)

Voila!

psst! see how I wore the leopard print one in an outfit post here

Have Fun!

Find all my DIYs here!

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House Hunting: Lake Arrowhead

If you're following my House Hunting Series, you'll already know that in our quest to find and buy our dream house, the husband and I have begun looking about an hour or two outside of LA. We really, in our heart of hearts, don't want to leave LA {A. we both grew up here B. our families are here C. we REALLY love our neighborhood}. But when you find far superior real estate listed for far less elsewhere, it's hard not to at least consider our options, considering we both pretty much work from home and can live anywhere.

In our search to find an "affordable dream house", the husband and I have looked at Palm Springs, ultimately vetoing it due to the horrendous heat, and now we've ruled out Lake Elsinore as well, due to the overwhelming negative comments we received on this post {even though the house is really cool}.

So next we venture 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles to the dreamy resort town of Lake Arrowhead which has apparently been dubbed the "Jewel of Southern California".

Even though we'd feel like city folk completely out of our element, the idea of four distinct seasons, especially a white snowy Christmas, has left us dreamy eyed, envisioning an idyllic storybook life. There seem to be plenty of restaurants, movie theaters, and entertainment, as well as unbelievably scenery and fun outdoorsy activities. Unfortunately though, there are no mail carriers that go directly to the homes there so we'd have to go pick up our mail at the local post office. A cute and fun little outing, sure, but if you knew how many packages were delivered to our house on a daily basis, this could be a con. A major worry and downside would be the fear of fires, of course, but I'm positive if there is mandatory fire insurance policies for living in the Hollywood Hills {there are} then there must be the same rules for this woodsy forest life.

What has really sold me though, of course, are the homes. Ranging from cute and quaint little cabins to beefed up beautiful palaces with a lake view, all within and mostly below our budget.

The closer you get to the lake the higher the prices get and the lakefront properties are over a million. And though I'm not quite sure of the other locations within Lake Arrowhead, it seems like there are handfuls of fabulous places under $400K that would suit our needs just as well.

The house shown here is one of my favorites... mostly because it has a warm Spanish feel {our favorite} and though it does seem a bit dark in the photos, the potential for redesign is limitless. I also do love some of the characteristics like the wood beams and the colorful tiles. This one is also a bit further from the lake with no lake view {which I kind of do want} but it's on a private lane with a lot size of 42,570 Sq. Ft {which could also mean living with more mountain creatures we are NOT used to}... it's listed at $399K {you can see the full listing here}

























Obviously, and unlike Lake Elsinore, we'd have to take a little vacation like we did to Palm Springs to see if Lake Arrowhead is a viable option for us. {I love this house too!}

And of course my question to you, dear readers, what can you tell me about living in Lake Arrowhead?

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Fashionista Fundraiser for Endometriosis Awareness... Help Us Spread the Word

When I was in my early twenties, I had an older girlfriend who suffered from Endometriosis. She often had horrendously painful periods and would go into hiding those times of the month. But since she also had a flair for the dramatic, we all were pretty dismissive of her disease and brushed it off.

Ten years later, I left what I thought was a regular gynecological visit and checkup with a fertility specialist, with a diagnosis of Endometriosis myself and a recommended surgery to remove cysts on one of my ovaries.

For a woman who had a regular, yet often very painful 28 day cycle, this news came as a shock to me. In retrospect only had I realized that all those painful periods weren't "normal" and that pain is one thing but accompanied with all the other symptoms I had, was not.

Many women with Endometriosis don't have any symptoms, but I'm not one of those "lucky" ones. Maybe I have a flair for the dramatic too? But with random stabbing upward pain in my lower abdomen, leg soreness and excruciating back aches, pain during sex, and major pain during bowel movements {sorry TMI}, being dramatic is the very last of my intentions. Sometimes I can only liken the bowel pain to contractions while giving birth... sometimes the pain is so intense I worry I'm going to pass out from it. I just want the pain to subside. I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep it away. It keeps me from doing things and as hard as I try to schedule my life around my period, it always seems to show up in time for an important event. I am also completely exhausted during this time, probably from all the pain, but it also doesn't happen with every cycle. I've tried to keep track of the habits and as soon as I think it's every 3rd cycle, it happens on the 2nd or the 4th.

"Lucky" for me and other sufferers, there is no cure. There is also little known medication to help except contraception, tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant and actual pregnancy. Otherwise, there are pain meds... which I am not fond of taking, but have to on occasion. What's also really "fun" about Endometriosis is that it often leads to fertility issues, and infertility, which I also have been facing since 2007. {read my infertility story}

That was an unbelievably momentous time in my life, being diagnosed with Endo, Cysts, having surgery then facing the monthly disappointment of another failed attempt at having a baby. I'm not going to lie, I have a difficult time accepting this diagnosis and fate even now, 5 years later. I often feel like a failure and like my body has let me down. I wish I was one of those who didn't want children because this would be an easy lie I could tell people when they ask.

176 million women & girls worldwide suffer from Endometriosis

If you think you may have Endometriosis or can help someone diagnose their symptoms, you can read more about Endometriosis here to find out and make an appointment with a fertility specialist rather than your regular gynecologist to make sure.



Endometriosis Foundation of America founders: Padma Lakshmi and Susan Sarandon with Bridget Moynahan. original photo via EFA, altered photo via the Asian Cajuns

Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public, the EFA places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.

Go to Endometriosis Foundation of America to find out more.


If you'd like to help spread the word or donate to help us fund Endometriosis research, you can Donate via Paypal safely and securely by clicking this link.

All proceeds for this fundraiser will go directly to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.

Thank you Diane at Snapshot Fashion for organizing this fundraising event and Lauren at Asian Cajuns for helping spread the word with your story as well.

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Mon chandail dit Bonjour en Francais et je l'aime...

What I'm Wearing...

* Boujour! sweater from Asos.
* Vintage red blouse worn under.
* The BoyFriend jeans from Current/Elliott {I bought them a size bigger and love the extra baggy "boyfriend" look - even though I still kind of think I may want my regular size too :/ }.
* Tiffany "T" necklace, gold & rosegold branch bracelets, Kenneth Cole watch, Made Her Think rose gold and drop stud earrings
* Tom Ford sunglasses... I still love these but I am dying for a new pair of sunnies.
* Alice + Olivia snakeskin pumps.
* Brahmin vivian dome satchel

* Title: My sweater says Hello or Good Morning in French and I love it. {lol - thank you google translate!}

Happy Monday!

* Check out my Emmy Red Carpet Recap at BlogHer... who was your best & worst?

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Happy First Official Day of Fall!

Looking forward to cooler weather and warmer tones... light layers and warm soup... redecorating and updating... shorter days and falling leaves... and of course, the holidays.

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