Nail Trends

I've recently become intrigued by the nail trends craze, which has been sweeping the runways, movies, blogs and magazines more than before. 


While I've been falling in love with summer colors (I've played around with royal blue sparkles, mint green, and especially neons), I've also been obsessing over fun twists in the nail polish world that go beyond choosing a color.


One of the easiest nail trends to follow is having an "accent nail" - polishing all of your nails one color, and the nail on your ring finger a different accent color. I have to admit I tried quite a few combinations before finding an accent nail that worked with my main color, and didn't seem silly. Accent nails aren't meant to look clownish, but rather to complement the main color.


Ultimately, I love what I ended up with: 

Another trend I love is switching up a traditional french manicure. I decided to channel the movie Something Borrowed and do black tips instead of the typical white. I'm in love with them.

What nail trends are you trying out this summer?

New Designer Alert!

A few hours ago, as I browsed my aptly named "Fashion" list on Twitter in preparation for the #stylechat hosted by @StyleCaster from 3-4 p.m. each Wednesday, I came across a tweet from @Fashionista_com (fashionista.com) that caught my eye:

Things I liked about this tweet:
1. Fashionista.com: That's pretty much a given.
2. "Win": Contests, yay!
2. "Adorable Romper": I only own one romper, but I have tried on countless others, and they are my obsession (along with my new, similar obsession: jumpsuits. I have one of those, too, but that's a post for another day).
3. "Cool Indie Brand Miha": I had never heard of them, but why should that stop me? 


It sounded cute. I entered the contest. And next, I headed over to Google to check out this "cool indie brand," Miha. (You can also follow them on Twitter @MihaNewYork).


Miha's name stems from the Spanish term of endearment meaning "my daughter." They were established in 2011 and have produced 3 collections to date, Spring, Summer, and Fall 2011. 


Their clothes are GORGEOUS; I would wear virtually every single piece in every single collection. The pieces are composed of elegant fabrics, and their silhouettes are clean and tailored, yet fresh and fashionable.


Here are some of my favorite pieces.

Fall 2011:

Summer 2011:

Spring 2011:

How Bad Can That Be?

I know, I know. Rule #1 of blogging is never to go too long without posting an entry! And in that case, I fail. 


I am, however, on my way to crossing one of my goals off my list! I have been working on "learn[ing] to cook (AKA watch[ing] lots of Barefoot Contessa)." I am proud to say I've been doing both consistently.


In a previous blogpost I talked about the chocolate-covered strawberries I made using a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and tonight I cooked salmon in a mustard sauce and a watermelon arugula salad that would have made Ina proud (since the salad is her recipe, after all).


For those of you who are thinking that it sounds delicious (it is), here's the incredibly easy recipe in my words (since I sat down in front of my TV while watching and scribbled out the instructions):


1. Place half a pound of baby arugula in a large bowl.

2. Add 2 lbs. of seedless watermelon, diced in 3/4-inch chunks.

3. For the dressing: In a separate bowl, add 1/4-cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/3-cup of olive oil, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/2-tsp of black pepper. Whisk together.

4. Pour dressing and toss. Add shavings of parmesan cheese and sprinkle a pinch of salt.