Babbling Brooke

Go Ravens!

2012-01-22T13:57:00.001-05:00

In a little over an hour, the Ravens will take on the Patriots for the opportunity to play in the Superbowl, and I am hoping the Ravens will shatter the competition.

Zoya Mimi with OPI Black Shatter

Raven's cheerleaders and marching band

Zoya Mimi

Zoya Mimi with OPI Black Shatter on two nails (no top coat yet - look how matte that shatter is!)

Me with two of the Raven's cheerleaders

The Raven!

Good luck to the Ravens today! Baltimore is rooting for you!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and enjoying the holiday season! I have photos of some of the red polishes I've been wearing this past week, as well as my sister's festive nails and some of my favorite parts of the holidays. Enjoy the holidays!!

China Glaze Poinsettia

China Glaze Ruby Pumps

My Christmas Eve polish

China Glaze Ring in the Red

My Christmas polish this year

My sister's candy cane nails

OPI An Affair in Red Square

Holiday raspberry margaritas

Cupcakes and cookies!

A wonderful holiday dinner with friends

A gifted box of truffles from Godiva. Thank you, Godiva!

I love seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations that everyone puts up.

My sister's cat

Cara with one of the pretty pillows my sister made for our mother

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Upcoming Posts - 2 great Christmas gift ideas!

2011-12-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

I have two great posts coming up soon. Tomorrow I will be reviewing the SensatioNail at home gel nail kit - a great Christmas gift! The SensatioNail kit allows your to achieve salon-quality nails easily at home. I'll have photos and information tomorrow!

Next week, I will be reviewing the Spa Sonic Skin Care System Face and Body Polisher. Through January 15th, the Spa Sonic is specially priced at $45 at Target (normally $65). The Spa Sonic exfoliates, cleans, and smoothes skin, but costs significantly less than the leading brand. To purchase the Spa Sonic, visit Target.com.

Festive French

2011-12-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

China Glaze Snow

I love french manicures! I did this one right before my second nail broke :( I ran out of Seche Restore over a month ago and my nails have become so weak and brittle.

The bracelet I made! After admiring all of the gorgeous beaded bracelets I saw at a local craft fair, I decided to try my hand at beading. Not perfect (and it took me HOURS), but I am still so proud of it!

Eye Shadow Polish

2011-12-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning when I was getting ready for work I was inspired to put eye shadow on my nails. I was really surprised that it adhered, somewhat, so last night I tried layering shadow and top coat. The result? Gorgeous, shimmery nails - but I definitely need to work on the clean up!

What I love about this is that you can do a gradient (see the silver and blue I did on two nails) or match your nails to your eye shadow for a fun, coordinated look. I am LOVING home the dark purple turned out!

I used Seche Vite and the Coastal Scents Ultra Shimmer Palette.

To turn shadow into polish, start with one coat of Seche Vite. While that is still tacky, pat eye shadow over nail. Top with another coat of Seche Vite. Again, while that is still tacky, layer another coat of eye shadow on top, and then cover with more Seche Vite. Once that dries, wash with soap and water to remove the excess shadow, then clean up edges with a q-tip dipped in polish remover.

Blue and silver gradient. It was so beautiful in person, but photographed too metallic-y, so it is tough to see.

The terrible, horrible first attempt (but I liked the way the blue shadow looked). Notice on the first attempt I got top coat outside of my nail (it was basically a mess as I was trying to figure out how to turn these shadows into polish).

The shadow shimmer palette

The holidays are here!

2011-12-15T23:29:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for Christmas, New Years, and winter break this year! Maybe it is because it was my first year working full-time, but I am exhausted and so, so excited to take a few weeks off. That makes the holiday season even more fun :)

I was wrapping gifts when Delilah hopped into one of the boxes I was using. How adorable is she??

Justin's mom hosted a gingerbread house party. I spent hours making this house...

only to bring it home for my cat to eat (seriously - she ate the corners and made off with some frosting before I hid it from her!).

A week ago I went to an awesome light show with my friends at Brookside Gardens here in MD. And this week, I finished grading essays and submitted all of my final grades. Hip hip hurray!

Happy Holly Days

2011-12-13T08:55:00.001-05:00

For the french tips, I used China Glaze Snow. Next, I did holly leaves and leave with polishes from China Glaze's new holiday collection.

left hand

right hand

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Present the Best You!

2011-12-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

Monster just released a brand new Facebook and iPhone app called BeKnown. BeKnown is an awesome networking app for professionals. With BeKnown, you can set up a professional Facebook page completely separate from your personal Facebook page. This can be a great way to display your resume to potential employers, plus it can help you connect to a huge network of professionals in your field. College Pages, part of BeKnown, even connects you to fellow alumni and recent graduates. With BeKnown, you can discover new job opportunities and network with local employers.

In this current job market, it is increasingly important to promote and control your professional online presence. Employers are drawn to potential employees that are engaging with new forms of technology and social media. BeKnown is an excellent way to expand your job search and professional online presence.

Once you've used BeKnown to network and discover local professionals and potential employers, the next step is to ace the interview. As a recent graduate myself (I finished graduate school in 2010) in an extremely competitive job field, I have become an interview expert. I am a college professor, and a very young one at that. I have the job of my dreams at an incredible college - but it wasn't easy getting here. I had two terrible, cringe-worthy interviews (and a few just average ones) before I finally did things differently. I followed my own advice (below) and had an INCREDIBLE interview, that was only made better by the call two weeks later telling me that I had been chosen from over 200 highly qualified applicants for the job. And now it is your turn. Skip the bad interviews and go right to the phenomenal interview - and your dream job - with these tips:

Be enthusiastic!

The absolute most important tip during an interview is to demonstrate your enthusiasm about the job. This can be tough if you're nervous, but keep in mind that employers want an employee that really wants to work there. You can show your enthusiasm by learning more about the company and visualizing how you will help them.

Ask for advice

A tip I wish I had realized sooner is to ask the interviewer what specifically they are looking for. When I went on my first teaching interview, I attempted to act scholarly and serious, but I came across as dull and boring. It wasn't until I starting talking to some of the full-time faculty that I discovered that they were actually looking for someone with exciting, current ideas and creative ways to use technology. I was taking the wrong approach to these interviews and hiding my best attributes. By asking the interviewer, or other people who work at the office or have jobs similar to what you are interviewing for, you can help prepare yourself to be as successful as possible.

Dress for success - but be comfortable

Keep in mind that it is important to look professional, but make sure that you are comfortable also. Wear lower heels so you can walk without worrying about a slip, trip, or wobble. Remember too that it is always better to be over-dressed for a position than too casual. I've discovered that I feel more professional when I wear my blazer and dress pants versus when I wear khakis or a flowing skirt.

Sell yourself

Don't forget that you are there to sell yourself. If they called you in for an interview, they already think you are great and they want to hire you. Keep reminding them of all the things they love about you. Don't think that just because you said something in your resume or cover letter that you shouldn't mention it again. You should! I tend to feel uncomfortable about my accomplishments, so I try to cover them with jokes. But an interview is the last place where you want to put yourself down or downplay your accomplishments. Emphasize your best attributes, and explain how they will benefit the company you are interviewing for.

Be prepared

This sounds obvious, but it amazes me how often people don't do this. Learn as much as you can about the company you are applying for. Find out who will be interviewing you, if you can, and what exactly they are looking for. Trust me - there is nothing worse than sitting through an interview wondering what the interviewer is talking about. It is unbelievably awkward!

Do the legwork before and after

The only way you will get this interview for your dream job is to network, apply, and have a strong resume and cover letter. BeKnown is an excellent tool to help you find local professionals. Spend time now writing a strong cover letter that you can easily tweak for various jobs. It will take time (and it should), but having a well-written cover letter will set you apart tremendously. On that same note, writing thank you notes after the interview is just as important. For most companies, email is just as appropriate as snail mail these days. Speak specifically to your qualifications and skills, and address areas you talked about during your interview. Doing this sets you apart and reminds the interviewer(s) of your enthusiasm and skills.

Finally, remember that they will be lucky to have you

Self-talk is so important before an interview. Visualize the interview going well, and remind yourself of how fortunate the company will be to have you. Even if you worry that you may be under-qualified, think about what you have accomplished and how you are qualified in so many ways. Listen to upbeat music, and give yourself enough time to get to the interview so you are not stressed out. Think positive and walk into the interview full of confidence. Remember, if they want to interview you, they already want to hire you. Good luck!

As a recent graduate, it can be overwhelming trying to find your place in the competive job market. Joining BeKnown is a great way to get started. You can easily sign up on Facebook and download an iPhone app to keep you connected no matter where you are. Good luck with the job hunt, and be ready to ace those soon-to-come interviews!

Discloser: I am a blogger participant in Monster's "Present the Best You" online contest. All opinions (and tips!) expressed in this post are mine. As a participant, I was provided a makeup kit and a business card holder.

Red-y for December!

2011-12-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

I have been wearing this great combination of China Glaze Poinsettia with China Glaze Ring in the Red. I LOVE how these two looked layered; they become the perfect holiday red! I think this is the perfect red to start December.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We always celebrate Thanksgiving at my grandmother's house with my grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, great uncle, and family friends. I feel so fortunate to have such a great family that comes together every year for Thanksgiving. This has been our tradition my entire life, and I can remember as a child walking from our house to my grandmother's house with our sweet potato casserole and apple pies. It had just started snowing and everything felt so magical.

A few weeks ago, I took the photograph below of my grandmother's garden. Everything about it reminds me of those childhood walks to Thanksgiving, and the small, wonderful world I lived in that consisted of walks in the woods, awaiting the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and cold-weather holidays with family.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's My Private Jet

2011-11-10T10:03:00.001-05:00

Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk with a Konad design in OPI My Private Jet

I am loving Kendall on the Katwalk more and more. The purple/blue iridescence is gorgeous! (And I LOVE pink polishes with iridescence). I think this combination is terrific - and who doesn't love My Private Jet (the name enough is fabulous!). Sorry for the poor clean up - it looked fine before I photographed it.

What do you think of this design and color combination?

Pretty in Pink

2011-11-09T11:00:00.001-05:00

OPI Be A Dahlia, Won't You?

J saw my post about how much I loved this gorgeous sparkly shade, so he surprised me with not one but two bottles of it! I LOVE it even more now (and I understand why beachgal has multiple bottles of it stashed away!). I love everything about this one. I'm so happy to have it!

Polka dotted

(my ring fingernail was already starting to break here - it totally broke off today!)

Kardashian Collection - Nicole by OPI (part 2)

2011-11-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

Rainbow in the S-Kylie

Christmas-toned silver, red, and green chunky glitter in a clear base

Sealed with a Kris

Maroon jelly

Follow Me with Glitter

Really cool metallic nickel-toned shimmer with a small amount of medium-sized chunky rainbow glitter. This is a cool shade and one of the most unique here.

Kendall on the Katwalk

Pretty blue loaded with blue glitter

Listen to your Momager!

Gorgeous dark blue with very fine shimmer

Khloe had a Little Lam-Lam

Greenish blue creme

Kardashian Collection - Nicole by OPI (part 1)

2011-11-07T11:19:00.000-05:00

Kim-pletely in Love

Shimmery pale pink

It's All About The Glam

Surprisingly shimmery sheer white

Wear Something Spar-Kylie

Fun super-sparkly pink glitter in a clear pink base

Wear Something Spar-Kylie over All Kendall-ed Up

All Kendall-ed Up

Fun hot pink. Love it!

Disco Dolls

Cool copper with rainbow glitter and silver shimmer (a fine glitter)

My Empire... My Rules

Medium grey

Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi

Bright red jelly

What do you think of the first half of the new Kardashian Collection?

Please vote for Babbling Brooke!!

2011-11-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

Please vote for Babbling Brooke in the Baltimore Sun Mobbies!

You can vote for each category every day. I am in three categories:

You don't have to vote in each category (You can click each link above separately to go to the categories Babbling Brooke is listed in, or use the "Find" function to search for "Brooke" and then vote that way). You can sign in to vote using Facebook or Twitter, and voting runs until November 10.

Thank you so much for your support!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-10-31T19:53:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting all year to do this combination!

I love it!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Pink for October

2011-10-28T08:11:00.000-04:00

OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You

I so wish I owned this beautiful sparkly pink! I had this manicure done at a local nail salon and I just love this polish - mostly for the name. My grandmother grows beautiful dahlias every fall. I actually have made Vera Bradley Hello, Dahlia my signature print because of the name as well :) Does anyone have a bottle of Be A Dahlia Won't You that they would want to swap for something? I just love this color! I also love that it is pink in support of breast cancer awareness for October.

Halloween Candy

2011-10-26T20:09:00.000-04:00

It's almost Halloween and I have been sporting my favorite candy corn nails!

Check out the tutorial here. For this design, I used OPI Need Sunglasses?, OPI Flit A Bit, and China Glaze Snow.

What is your favorite Halloween nail design?

Truly Tempting

2011-10-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

I can not get enough of OPI's newest Designer Series sparkle: Temptation. Temptation is a rich purple with purple and royal blue glitter. I used two coats. Because it is a glittery polish, it dried very fast. The sparkle is really amazing and the color is extremely unique and eye-catching.

I am always excited to try out new polishes, but this one is a truly special polish. I have been wearing it since Friday and I still can't stop admiring it. Check it out from a variety of angles below. I just can't get enough! The most impressive thing? All of these shots are without flash - it is that sparkly!

It is amazing, isn't it?

Fall favorites

2011-10-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin patches, birthdays, and my current polish obsession: metallics!

Happy belated birthday, Mom!

I'm loving metallics right now. This is Color Club Foil Me Once, and I am obsessed with it.

Candy Corn Nails

2011-10-07T10:28:00.000-04:00

Last year, I created this fun candy corn manicure, and one year later it is still one of my absolute favorite nail designs. Halloween is quickly approaching, so now is the perfect time to try out this easy and festive fall manicure.

Step One

PAINT NAILS YELLOW

I used two coats of OPI Need Sunglasses? because I love how bright it is, but pretty much any yellow should work. Make sure this is dry before moving to step 2.

Step Two

PAINT ORANGE STRIPES

I freehanded the stripes, but you could use french nail guides to make them neater (but definitely make sure the base coat is dry if you do that). I made the stripes curved, because I thought that looked more candy corn-like. To do this, I painted from the left of the nail to the middle using the flatter side of the brush, then I painted from the right side over, connecting the two arcs. Then I filled everything in up to the tips of my nails. For this, I used OPI Flit A Bit. Let that dry before moving to step 3.

Step Three

PAINT WHITE TIPS

Complete the candy corns by adding white tips. This can also be done with french nail guides, as long as the polish below is totally dry. I freehanded this using the Kiss Nail Art Striper in white. This has a really thin, tiny brush, which is perfect for finer detail work.

Step Four

TOP COAT TIME!

To finish my mani, I applied two coats of Seche Vite. This helped to smooth out the layered feeling, plus it gives tons of shine.

Now go show off your fabulous Halloween nails :)

Pink for October

2011-10-06T10:10:00.000-04:00

To show my support in the fight against breast cancer, I am wearing shades of pink polish throughout October. Today I have OPI Dim Sum Plum, a beautiful purplely-pink creme.

OPI Dim Sum Plum

Bluefly

2011-09-26T21:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you that are as obsessed with Project Runway as I am, you've probably seen some fabulous shoes and accessories on the Bluefly accessory wall many times. I fall in love with the accessory pieces, and after nearly every episode, I scour Bluefly.com for shoes (and new clothes too, of course!). Right now I am looking for a new pair of heeled boots to wear to work since the weather is getting cooler. Bluefly has boots from tons of top brand name designers, including Gucci, Prada, Jimmy Choo, and Christian Louboutin. In addition to that, Bluefly has Cole Haan Shoes.

On top of shoes and accessories, Bluefly has plenty of clothing options, including tops, dresses, pants, skirts, sweaters, and clothing for men. What is great is that you can shop by occasion, designer, style category, or price. The selection is nearly unlimited and the prices are below retail. I also love that they have a special sale section with even deeper discounts on great items. I found a fabulous Michael Kors blouse a coworker of mine was wearing recently for under $50.

Bluefly.com also has fast shipping and great customer service. In addition to that, they also have special discounts when you sign up for their email list. What is not to love?

Chocolate Houndstooth

2011-09-22T09:28:00.000-04:00

Chocolate Houndstooth

I've been wearing OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle for nearly two weeks now. With the cold weather we've had lately, OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle just feels so perfectly fall-ready. Over that, I stamped Color Club Antiquated, which is a gorgeous foil metallic.

I have been so busy that my nails - and blog - have been neglected this month. With teaching, tutoring, and a series of birthday/going away parties, I've been taking the lazy route and just reapplying the same color over and over. I apologize for the lag in posts.

I hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

Sporty Tips

2011-09-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

For this design, I used one coat of OPI Mod About You, then I drew a black "V" using a Kiss Nail Artist pen in black. Next I used a pink Kiss pen to color in the triangle edges.

Chevron

2011-09-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

Chevron

I've been really into color blocking and chevron patterns lately. I did this chevron manicure by starting with one coat of OPI Mod About You. Once that dried, I drew "V" shapes using Kiss Nail Artist pens in pink and black.

I hope you like my pink and black chevron design!

Glitters!

2011-08-29T08:56:00.001-04:00

OPI's Glam Slam collection just keeps coming! I got these in the mail and could not figure out what collection they went with (I thought they might have been part of the Miss Universe Collection because of the gorgeous glitters). But these two are part of the Glam Slam collection - and the first Glam Slam duo without a shatter!

Pros and Bronze

This color looked orange to me in the bottle, so I didn't think I'd like it, but I was surprised by how cool it looked once I tried it on. Pros and Bronze is still a little orange, but all of the glitter makes it shine like a new penny. Plus, even with all that glitter, it wasn't difficult to apply.

Love is a Racket

Bright red and super shimmery, Love is a Racket is the perfect notice-me red. It covered nicely with two coats.

What do you think? Are you happy to see a Glam Slam duo minus the shatter? And would you rock these shades on the tennis court?

Happy 21st Birthday Kelsey!

2011-08-25T10:02:00.001-04:00

Happy 21st Birthday, Kelsey!

My sister turned 21 today! Kelsey is such a great person, and I am so lucky to have her as a sister. Plus, she has gorgeous nails! For her birthday, she wore OPI Nice Color, Eh? Happy Birthday, Kelsey!

OPI Miss Universe Collection

2011-08-24T09:01:00.001-04:00

OPI Miss Universe Collection

Crown Me Already

Crown Me Already is pure glitter. It is a clear base with a variety of sizes of ~~gold and~~ silver glitter. It was a little difficult to apply because of the chunky glitter, but glitter addicts will love it.

Mystery Solved! A lot of wonderful readers tweeted saying their Crown Me Already polishes were all silver, no gold, but that they preferred it with the gold. I got my bottle out and looked at it in a few different lights, and then tried it on a piece of white paper, and it was totally silver. So where did the gold come from? That is when I remembered that I swatched Crown Me Already over OPI Pros and Bronze (I'll have pictures of it up on Monday). Mystery solved! And I agree with others - it does look better layered with gold!

It's My Year

Gorgeous plum loaded with golden glitter. Check out how my nails look gold from some angles and plum from others. Isn't that cool? I really like how interesting this polish is.

Congeniality is My Middle Name

Like the polish above, this is a really unique shade. It is a medium bright red filled with purple shimmer. So pretty!

Swimsuit... Nailed It

A very pretty royal blue with lots and lots of microshimmer. I took the picture above with flash just to show you how crazy shimmery this polish is (the photo below is in natural light).

For all of the nail swatches, I used two coats. OPI's Miss Universe Collection is available at retailers now. Learn more at OPI.com.

Have you picked up any of these shades yet? Which ones do you like?

The Antiques Roadshow

2011-08-22T20:05:00.000-04:00

The weekend before last, my mom and I drove to Pittsburgh for the Antiques Roadshow! We weren't filmed for a segment, but we are ~~hovering awkwardly~~ waiting in line in the background of two segments they filmed. On top of that, our chair was appraised by Andrew Brunk, my favorite appraiser! It was strange seeing so many people that I have seen on TV all around the Antiques Roadshow tent. The best part of the Roadshow was meeting so many interesting people and seeing what they brought. It was such a fun experience and I hope my mom and I get to go back someday.

At the Antiques Roadshow, everyone waited in a long line in one section of the convention center before we were given tickets based on our item categories (furniture, artwork, etc.), then we went into another area of the convention center (where photography was not allowed) and got into lines based on our item categories. Two of the category lines we stood in lasted minutes, but the third one we got into took about 90 minutes. These category lines sort of spiraled off of a circle of temporary walls; inside of the temporary walls, the appraisers made the appraisals and television segments were filmed. A few segments, such as a very tall grandfather clock, were filmed outside of the temporary wall area.

On the way home from Pittsburgh, we made a detour into Newell, WV to visit the Fiestaware Factory (more about that later because it was amazing!) and then drove an extra couple of miles into Ohio because my mom had never been to Ohio before!

In the town next to Newell, WV, we saw the World's Largest Teapot! Chester, WV was such a cute town too. I really wish this teapot was made from Fiesta (or made to look like Fiesta); how cute would that have been?

It's a Polish Mystery!

2011-08-22T19:59:00.000-04:00

OPI ?

I've been wearing this sheer, shimmery OPI polish for the past few days now. It is an older polish, and the sticker on the bottom has worn off. I really like it, I just wish I knew what it was! I wore two coats and I thought it was a perfect neutral for all the work events/planning/preparations I've been going to these past few days. Schools starts next Monday (can you believe summer is over already??) and us teachers are making sure we are ready!

If you have any ideas what this polish may be, I'd love some suggestions! It drives me crazy when they lose the labels (my OPI Maryland Crabcake lost its label and honestly, the name was the best part about that funky peach polish, so I was disappointed to lose the tag. Luckily, I know that polish - with or without a name tag!).

My commenting has been pretty sporadic lately because I was on vacation from August 3-14, and when I got home, my computer battery had died and so my laptop refused to turn on until I shelled out $100 for a new laptop battery. (Apparently you save $20 or $30 if you buy the battery through the Genius bar at Apple versus off the shelf, so at least I saved a bit. That said, I made my laptop promise to run for 12 more months minimum if I was going to invest in a new battery!)

ICE.com $100 Giveaway

2011-08-18T16:22:00.004-04:00

I ce.com has recently redesigned their entire site, and to celebrate, they are giving away a $100 gift certifcate to one Babbling Brooke reader.

What's new at Ice.com?

New Look and New Styles

Everyone needs a makeover from time to time. … and it’s time. With our new look comes new styles, launching all the time. We will be bringing customers the latest jewelry trends from around the world, as well as keeping you covered with the classics. We attached a screenshot of the new site to give you a sneak peak!

New Collections

We’re always discovering new and unique approaches to fine jewelry, and will be bringing a wide range of new and dazzling collections of jewelry to our customers. Some of our latest include, The Eclipse Collection, Gallery 10, The Diamore Rainbow Collection and Mom & Me Collection. Stay tuned for more gorgeous assortments in the weeks and months to come.

Top Designers

Jewelry is fashion… and fashion is design! We’re creating partnerships with some of the leading fine jewelry designers from around the world to bring you some stunning looks like Michiko’s dazzling approach to pearls, and the modern and innovative bracelet designs from Tattooed Steel . We’ll be launching many more designers in the days ahead, so keep an eye out.

Guest Stylists

We get our inspiration from the most amazing people…. And we’re partnering with thought leaders from throughout the web and the world of fashion and jewelry. We’ve hooked up with some outstanding women - celebrity stylists, editors from leading fashion magazines, award-winning artists and business leaders – to get their take on jewelry and fashion, and to commission unique collections of jewelry from the Ice catalog. We’re always looking for new approaches, so if you’re interested in being a Guest Stylist for Ice, let me know.

Free Shipping & Free Returns

Our customers asked and we listened. We’re thrilled to offer all of our US customers FREE Shipping and FREE Returns on all orders. Saving on shipping means more to spend on fabulous jewelry! Free Returns means you can shop with absolute confidence.

These are just a few of the exciting things that we’ve been working on, but this is really just the tip of the Ice! In the weeks and months to come, we’ll be rolling out even more exciting news and surprises. So be sure to stay in the loop over at our Facebook Page and on Twitter.

To enter to win a $100 Ice.com gift certificate, simply leave your email address and the correct answer to this question:

Ice has a collection of jewelry inspired by what movie?

Check out Ice.com to find out the answer! This giveaway will be open through Friday, August 26 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

Thanks for all of the entries! This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations to the winner:

#7 Mom2ThreeBoys!
Enjoy the Ice.com shopping spree!

Behind the Scenes of a Nail Polish Blogger

2011-08-16T12:39:00.000-04:00

When I started reading polish blogs, I was baffled. Who is writing this? Where did they get these polishes? Did they really try on all of those polishes? Now that I've been blogging for a few years, I wanted to share the inside scoop on nail polish blogging.

Nail polish blogging is a glamourous job; I sit for hours trying on polishes and removing them, pausing only to snap a round of 15-20 photos between shades. I'm surrounded by the unmistakable scent of nail polish and acetone, and my kitchen table is littered with polish bottles. After a few hours of "swatching," or trying on various polishes, taking photos, and removing them, I upload the photos, select the best one or two of each color, then crop them. Next I upload them to blogger, write descriptions and commentary, send the post out into the world, and sit back to wait for comments from wonderful readers like you. But while the swatching isn't always the most fun, I love sharing the photos I take in my blog posts.

Nail polish blogging is an unpaid position, unless the blog is through a specific company, such as Zoya's polish blog. I blog about polish because I love nail polish. I enjoy trying on new colors and I have always loved doing my nails. I have a "real" job (the kind that pays me in money, not polish), so it can be difficult finding time to swatch new collections, but most of the nail polish bloggers I know are in similar situations; they have jobs, or kids (or both!), or they go to school. Which brings me to my next interesting fact. When I started reading nail blogs, I often wondered if all these polish bloggers knew each other (or if they even knew so many other polish blogs existed). Surprisingly, a lot of us are friends with each other. We've been blogging for years together and enjoy reading each others' blogs. Only a few polish bloggers that I know live near me here in Maryland, but we all keep in touch, whether through our blogs, on Twitter or Facebook, or by email. This is a great community of polish-bloggers and polish-lovers filled with amazing, kind-hearted people.

Like most polish bloggers, I am not professionally trained in cosmetology (although some polish bloggers are!) and I am not a manicurist (I'm a teacher, actually). I buy a lot of my polishes, and a lot of the other ones are sent to me by the manufacturers or the PR teams as a form of advertisement. They don't pay me for my posts, and all of the opinions I share about the polishes are my own. I own hundreds of polishes. At last count, I was in the 600's, and I would guess I'm close to 800 now. I keep all of my polishes organized in clear bins that are sorted first by brand, then by color. My favorite polish brands are OPI, China Glaze, and Zoya.

Nail polish blogging is a lot of fun - that is why polish bloggers like myself do it. I love having the opportunity to share my favorite polishes, fun designs, and new collections with those of you who read my blog. And I truly appreciate that you take the time to look at the polish pictures and posts I share, and I love reading your comments.

Nicole by OPI Smorgasbord

2011-08-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Nicole by OPI Target Exclusive Collection came out months ago, and I was head-over-heels in love with each and every color, so instead of doing swatches like I normally do, I ended up wearing each shade for about a week. I just couldn't get enough of this collection. But because of that, I never got around to posted all of the polish pictures. This is a really nicely thought out collection filled with excellent polishes that pair so nicely together. All of these polishes are available exclusively at Target and they are truly all winners. I hope you love them as much as I have!

Light A Candle

A very light, delicate shimmery pink. Light A Candle is a gorgeous soft pink and it is perfectly work appropriate.

Pink, Seriously

I've raved about this pink a few times before, but I'll say it again: this is a perfect hot pink creme!

Make a Comet-ment

A clear coat with loads of holographic glitter. I've used this one a lot; it looks great over everything!

You're An Angel

I bought my mom this polish a while back and it is her absolute favorite - she wears it all the time. You're An Angel is a stunning pink with gold glitter that looks just amazing. You're An Angel is beautiful.

Daffy Dill

A fabulous bright, springy green creme - this is one beautiful, happy polish.

Brilliant Idea

A clear coat filled with green glitter and green shimmer. It looks great with Daffy Dill.

Sea How Far You Go

A silver metallic with gold shimmer. A really pretty and very unique polish.

Nicole's Nickel

Nicole's Nickel is a clear coat packed full of chunky glitter and shimmer. I used it over top of Sea How Far You Can Go, but it could be worn alone - the glitter covers like a solid polish with just 2-3 coats.

Iceberg Lotus

A gorgeous shimmery teal polish. There is slight visible nail line, but this color is just too pretty to pass up.

Respect the World

Beautiful bright blue loaded with shimmer.

Which Nicole by OPI shades are your favorites?

Cherry Cola

2011-08-11T12:07:00.001-04:00

OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle with Kiss Fine Art Pens in pink and white

I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this manicure when I started, but I liked the chocolaty base of A-Taupe the Space Needle. When that dried, I made random dotted swirls using Kiss Fine Arts Pens in pink and white.

Nicole by OPI for Target

2011-08-09T11:32:00.001-04:00

Today I have the four new polishes joining the Nicole by OPI Target-exclusive collection. For each swatch I used two coats.

It's Not Me, It's Blue

This is a unique shade; It's Not Me, It's Blue is more purple than blue with tons of silver shimmer and glitter. This is a very metallic polish.

Sounds Grape to Me

Sounds Grape To Me is a duochrome reddish purple with hints of pink and gold.

I Love You Cherry-Much

This is a bright red loaded with glitter; it has a slight magenta sheen to it. A very pretty bright red.

Green Up Your Act

This is more of a dusty teal than a green, but I really like this color. It turned out to be my favorite of the group. It applied very nicely.

Which one of these Target-only shades is your favorite?

OPI Simply Smashing

2011-08-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

Simply Smashing is a unique shimmery light green that is slightly sheer with two coats. It was designed to be paired with OPI Black Shatter as part of OPI's Glam Slam collection with Serena Williams.

What do you think of this color? Is it a hit or a miss?

Camo Nails

2011-08-04T11:15:00.001-04:00

In my town, it is not unusual to see people walking around in camo year-round. That being said, I've never worn camo myself, so I had to look up a few pictures of camouflage before I set out to attempt this manicure. But I was so inspired by the color (not the name) of OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window that I couldn't wait to do a camo manicure.

For this manicure, I started with two coats of OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window. Next, using a toothpick, I attempted to make leaf-like shapes using OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle and OPI French Quarter For Your Thoughts. Then I used OPI Stranger Tides to add a few highlights.

What do you think? Could my nails camouflage me in the wild?

Color Club Back to Boho

2011-08-03T09:55:00.001-04:00

Color Club

Back to Boho

Today I have the Color Club Back to Boho collection for Fall 2011. I used two coats for each polish. All photos can be enlarged just by clicking on them. Check out the swatches and let me know what you think!

Shabby Drab

I LOVE this gorgeous medium purple creme! It is light, soft, and summery and applied so nicely and streak free. One of my favorites in the collection and a color I will certainly return to.

New Bohemian

This is a very "Tiffany Blue" creme, although perhaps a hint lighter.

Earthy Angel

This isn't a color I would typically gravitate to, but I really liked how it looked with my skin tone (if only I was a bit tanner I'd have a perfect mannequin hands shade!). Earthy Angel is a soft, peachy nude creme.

Nomadic in Nude

Nomadic in Nude is a very light tan creme that applied nicely.

Artsy Crafty

This is a nice dark green jelly. It could have benefit from a third coat, as it applied slightly sheer in some places.

Rad Nomad

Rad Nomad is a nicely dusty plum with a ton of shine. Like Artsy Crafty, it would have benefitted from a third coat to even out the jelly finish.

Nouveau Vintage

Nouveau Vintage is a STUNNING polish. In the bottle, it is super duochromy with shades of copper and green. On the nail, it comes out mainly copper with a hint of green, but it is beautiful. Nouveau Vintage is loaded with glitter and dries quickly. This is the absolute standout in the collection - it is a true winner.

Boho Mojo

This is a pearlescent silver polish. It showed brush strokes in a metallic-way; it looked a lot like the inside of a shimmery seashell to me.

Voodoo You Do

Like the previous two, Voodoo You Do is a very pretty unique shade, and also like Nouveau Vintage and Boho Mojo, it is one of my favorite polishes in the collection. Dark and metallic, this gunmetal green is a true individual.

Red-ical Gypsy

A red jelly, which I still consider fairly rare. Nice, squishy look that jelly-lovers love, with a hint of visible nail line. Three coats would have likely given a more opaque look. This one stained my nails, so make sure to wear a base coat (or perhaps wear it over a white or a color like Nomadic in Nude to hide the visible nail line and protect your nails).

Blue-Topia

A very dark blue jelly. One coat gives a sheer wash of color, while three coats would have provided a dark, opaque finish.

Rebel Spirit

While this looks almost brown, it is actually more of a purple wine jelly.

Color Club products are available at major polish retailers and all Color Club polishes are never tested on animals. Learn more at www.cosmeticgroup.com.

Which Back to Boho shades do you like the most?

Urban Decay Lush Lash System

2011-08-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

I have been using Urban Decay's Lush Lash System for the past 6 weeks and I am SO excited to share the results because they are phenomenal!

Urban Decay's Lush Lash System contains two products: a serum that applies at the base of your lashes, and a mask that you apply like mascara. Urban Decay claims that the system will give you 25% longer, thicker lashes in just 2 weeks, with 40% improvement in 4 weeks and 63% longer, thicker lashes in 6 weeks. I decided to try for six weeks to see the best results possible.

Around the two week point, I started to notice that my lashes looked thicker and darker than normal, but I was unsure if they looked longer. It was around the four week mark that my lashes started to look longer and fuller, and now, at the end of six weeks, my lashes are very noticeably longer and thicker.

Urban Decay explains how the system works:

The clear gel-like serum accelerates the growth of your lashes with peptides. Use the tiny brush to apply it at your lash line. It penetrates at the root and stimulates keratin to lengthen, thicken and fortify your lashes. Simply brush it on each night before bed. The conditioning mask applies with a wand and loads your lashes with growth peptides and high potency ingredients like Panthenol and Vitamin E. Your conditioned lashes can now resist loss and breakage from being too dry and brittle.

I have been really impressed with the Lush Lash System, and judging by the favorable reviews at UrbanDecay.com, others have been too. I was fairly skeptical, since I have never had success with a lash lengthening system, but I am really happy with the results (even my lower lashes look longer!).

The Lush Lash System retails for $42.00 and is available through UrbanDecay.com or at major retailers, such as Sephora and Ulta. Like all Urban Decay products, the Lush Lash System is never tested on animals, and it is also vegan! Learn more about the Lush Lash System at UrbanDecay.com.

It would be redundant to ask why wants longer lashes (don't we all?) So instead, have you tried (or considered) the Lush Lash System before?

Product provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own. I used The Lush Lash System most nights for 6 weeks; for all of the photos, I wore Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara.

OPI (Still) Touring America

2011-08-01T11:42:00.003-04:00

OPI Touring America

Fall 2011

Earlier today I posted the first seven polishes in the OPI Touring America Collection for Fall 2011. These five are the darker shades in the collection, with a lovely navy blue, two browns, and fall-ready browns. Check out the other half of the collection HERE!

A-Taupe The Space Needle

A-Taupe The Space Needle is a warm chocolate brown creme. It applied really nicely.

Honk If You Love OPI

While this polish was thin and difficult to work with, it is a very pretty grape jelly. I used two coats, but there are spots that you can see through (like most jelly polishes).

Road House Blues

I LOVE this deep, rich navy blue. It was a little difficult to apply, since it was fairly thin, but the color is just gorgeous. I have only used it for this swatch, but it didn't stain during the five minutes I wore it.

Get in the Espresso Lane

If I were to choose one of the two browns in this collection, I would pick A-Taupe The Space Needle because I like the lighter brown better, but Get in the Espresso Lane is a rich, deep, beautiful brown polish. This one was also somewhat difficult to apply because of how thin it was (it bled outside of my nails).

I Brake For Manicures

I Brake For Manicures is a smoky, faded plum jelly. It applied better than the previous three, but was still a bit thin. I like the dusty shade; this is another great autumn shade.

Which part of the collection do you prefer? These darker shades or the brighter, shimmery ones posted here? Also, which one of these five is your favorite?

Did the Touring America Collection live up to your expectations?

OPI Touring America

2011-08-01T11:10:00.002-04:00

OPI Touring America

Fall 2011

Having just returned from a 13 hour road trip late Saturday night, I was ecstatic to find this collection waiting in a box in my foyer when I walked through the door. OPI's Touring America takes us on a trip across our vast and exciting country. It is filled with a wide variety of colors and a multitude of finishes, and I am just as excited seeing the colors on my nails as I was when I got the initial press release many months ago.

In this post, I have all of the shimmers and three of the cremes; later today I will post the rest of the collection (you can see it by clicking HERE!). For each swatch, I used two coats. The polishes dried quickly and all had a really nice shine. Check out the swatches below and let me know what you think!

My Address is Hollywood

Beautiful light pink rose with gold shimmer. A true old-Hollywood glamour. I love everything about this polish - the color, the glitter, and the name.

Are We There Yet?

A peachy-pink loaded with golden shimmer. Fun, and perfect for these last few months of summer (or a nice road trip to California!)

I Eat Mainely Lobster

Another favorite in this collection, I Eat Mainely Lobster is a fabulous bright, orangey pink (a little reminiscent of OPI My Chihuahua Bites). It is filled with pretty, teensy shimmer like My Address is Hollywood, Are We There Yet?, and Color to Diner For.

Color to Diner For

This name fits this polish perfectly. Color to Diner For is I'm Not Really A Waitress' cousin. Dark red with tons of shimmer and a hint of copper and oh-so pretty. I can just see a waitress wearing this pretty shade at a roadside burger joint.

French Quarter For Your Thoughts

French Quarter For Your Thoughts is a pretty light gray creme.

Suzi Takes the Wheel

This one is very similar to French Quarter, except it has a hint of green, which didn't show up too well in pictures. If I were to choose between the two, I prefer French Quarter.

Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window

Honestly, I hate the name (is this supposed to be puke-colored?), but I love the color. This is a great army green creme that is fabulous for fall and warm up my fair-weather hands.

OPI's Touring America Collection is available at Sephora, Ulta, and most nail salons. Learn more at OPI.com.

Which Touring America shades are your favorites?

Check out the rest of the collection HERE!

OPI Shorts Story

2011-07-28T11:19:00.001-04:00

OPI Shorts Story

Shorts Story is one of my absolute favorite pinks! I have two bottles (although one is nearly empty) and I wear it throughout the summer. I love this beautiful, fun pink. In my opinion, this is one of OPI's best pink cremes. Any other Shorts Story addicts out there? :)

OPI Skulls & Crossbones

2011-07-27T10:59:00.004-04:00

OPI Skulls & Crossbones

OPI Skulls & Crossbones is a very light gray creme. I used two coats. I like this color because it is different; I used it for this swirled manicure a few weeks ago. I also like that chips don't show as well.

The weather this week has been beautiful; the tomatoes are doing great, and the dogs love spending time outdoors.

Today is also a great day because today is my friend Melanie's birthday.

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY, MELANIE!

Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette

2011-07-25T12:15:00.001-04:00

I bought a Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette earlier this week because I was intrigued by the number of colors (88!) for the price ($20). The palette arrived today (I ordered it just two days ago, so it arrived quickly, but shipping was high).

First impression: the individual shadows are VERY small. A bit smaller than a dime each, and not very deep. But while I read many reviews that shadows came cracked or broken, mine arrived in perfect condition.

After playing around with the shadows a bit, I am really happy I chose the Shimmer Palette. There is a really nice selection of fun colors and I love how shimmery they are - without being frosty. The shadows are harder than I am used to from more expensive brands, but if you are just looking for something to give you a wide range of colors, this is a nice set. There was some minor fallout from some of the shadows I tried, but not all of them. They applied nicely wet or dry and although they didn't blend as well as more high-end shadows, they are blendable. I applied the shadows without primer and they came out moderately pigmented.

This is a fun set for experimenting with colors, but the shadows are not the highest quality. That being said, I'm happy to have such a variety of shadow colors, since I typically just wear neutrals. It is a fun palette to have!

The 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette is available for $19.95 from CoastalScents.com.

It's a Vera Bradley Party!

2011-07-22T11:53:00.001-04:00

Welcome to our very Vera Bradley party!

I LOVE Vera Bradley; the prints are fun, creative, and inspiring, and I love all the cute bags and accessories Vera Bradley creates. I was so excited to discover that Vera Bradley has an entire party collection, complete with plates, napkins, and reusable cups. How fun - and what a good reason to throw a party!

For our party, we used large plates for brunch and the small plates for desert (coconut cupcakes!). The large dinner plates are available in sets of 8 for $7 and they come in a variety of fun Vera Bradley prints. I especially love how they look in Baroque!

The cocktail and desert plates also come in packs of 8 and retail for $6. In addition to the design around the rim of the plate, they also have center designs (I adore Folkloric!).

For the party, we used luncheon napkins and guest towels. Both napkins were very thick and the prints were gorgeous. It was almost too pretty to use! The luncheon napkins are only $6 for a pack of 20, and the guest towels (which are very large) are available in packs of 15 for $8. Plum Petals, one of the newest prints for fall, is one of my favorites.

In addition to plates and napkins, Vera Bradley also has adorable matching plastic reusable cups, which looked fabulous at our party. Cups are sold in a pack of 6 for $14 - and they hold up great in the dishwasher! I have run the entire set through twice so far (on the top rack) and they look like new.

A happy hour set, complete with coasters, place cards, and napkins completes the party (and helps guests know where to sit!). With 8 reusable coasters, 10 place cards, and 20 napkins, the happy hour set retails for $20.

And a party wouldn't be complete without Vera Bradley wrapped gifts (and a few Vera Bradley gifts as well, like the new Vera Bradley readers we got my mom).

I picked these up at the Vera Bradley outlet in Leesburg, VA just a few weeks ago.

All of these fun items are perfect for a party - or a simply fabulous meal. Vera Bradley plates, napkins, cups, and happy hour items are available in the four new fall shades: Plum Petals, Mocha Rouge, Happy Snails, and Africa Safari, as well as the beautiful spring patterns: Deco Daisy, Watercolor, English Meadows, and Viva La Vera, the fun print I used for our party.

Vera Bradley items are available at Vera Bradley boutiques and online at VeraBradley.com. They frequently send out free shipping offers and exciting sales by email (and sometimes on Facebook too!).

Thanks for stopping by to see my Vera Bradley party!

Pretty in Purple

2011-07-21T11:05:00.017-04:00

Zoya Mimi

Mimi is a gorgeous color both in the bottle and worn on nails. It is loaded with glitter and iridescent shimmer that is so hard to capture with a camera. For months now, I would think of this color and go looking for it in my polish bins, time after time. Each time I would give it up for lost. It wasn't until I was talking with my sister a few weeks ago, bemoaning the loss of one of my favorite purple polishes, that she revealed that Zoya Mimi had been at her house for months! I love how glittery this rich, deep purple is - plus, it covers with just 2 coats and dries quickly.

What is your favorite purple polish?

Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer

2011-07-19T11:06:00.001-04:00

Urban Decay's Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer does exactly what it says it will: protects your skin! With SPF 20, this tinted moisturizer provides sheer coverage along with powerful sun protection, thereby protecting your face from damage and wrinkles.

I love this formula because it blends easily into my skin, providing just enough protection without covering my freckles. It gives my skin a great glow too, which is perfect for summer. I have been wearing Urban Defense in Halo daily this past month and I love it (I especially loved wearing it at the beach! My skin was able to breath while looking flawless.). It applies easily and melts into my skin (even Bodyguard, the slightly darker shade, blends into my skin well). The sun protection is great also. On Sunday, I spent half of the day at a car dealership and came home with a terrible burn on my arms and shoulders - but my face was protected and was thankfully burn-free.

I've shied away from tinted moisturizers in the past because I never felt that I got enough coverage; I was very happy with the coverage this provided, while blending and letting my skin still shine through. I would definitely recommend Urban Defense, plus it is SO important to wear sun protection every single day, and this tinted moisturizer marries beautiful coverage with powerful skin protection perfectly.

Urban Defense is vegan and like all Urban Decay cosmetics, it is not tested on animals. Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer is available at UrbanDecay.com, Sephora, and Ulta and retails for $30.

Urban Defense comes in four battle-ready shades: Halo, Bodyguard, Bulletproof, and Forcefield. For my fair skin, Halo is perfect.

Halo, Bodyguard, Bulletproof, Forcefield

Natural daylight

Wearing Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer in Halo

Learn more about Urban Defense at UrbanDecay.com or stop by a Sephora or Ulta near you to pick up the perfect shade for you!

Brooke Cooks - Tofu "Crab" Cakes

2011-07-18T19:58:00.001-04:00

I have been craving crab cakes for days, so after looking over a few real-crab recipes, I came up with these. I made them for dinner tonight and enjoyed them so much I couldn't wait to share the recipe. To make this vegan, substitute the mayonnaise for Vegenaise and omit the egg. I would also like to try adding some shredded zucchini next time, as I remember enjoying zucchini "crab" cakes years ago. These are a great vegetarian substitute for crab cakes; I hope you enjoy them too.

Ingredients

1 package extra firm tofu

3-4 teaspoons Old Bay

1/4 cup red pepper

1/4 cup sweet onion

10 Ritz crackers

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 egg

Directions

Crumble one container of extra firm tofu and mix with 3-4 teaspoons of Old Bay. Freeze for a few hours (this improves the texture of the tofu, but is not necessary).

Very finely dice 1/4 cup red pepper and 1/4 cup sweet onion. Saute until soft. Mix with 10 crushed Ritz crackers, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and 1 egg. Add tofu and stir until combined.

Shape into patties and pat both sides in flour. Either fry or bake at 400 degrees until crispy (I baked them for about 20 minutes, then broiled for 4).

Serve with tartar sauce (mayonnaise, relish, and lemon juice).

Before baking

Leopard Printastic

2011-07-18T11:29:00.000-04:00

My fabulous friend Amy turned 25 last week, and to celebrate, I wore this fun manicure to her party.

I used China Glaze OMG then stamped China Glaze Kiwi Cool-ada and Nicole Pink, Seriously using Konad plate m57. Sorry for the chip! I was slicing tomatoes (from my garden!) and I nicked my nail.

Happy Birthday, Amy!!

Mermaids and Seashells

2011-07-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

Nicole by OPI Baby Blue over OPI Suzi Feng Says Shui with OPI Spark de Triomphe

On Wednesday, I returned from vacationing on Chincoteague Island. While there, we visited tons of beautiful, inspiring locations and stores. One of the stores we stopped in was mermaid-inspired (and half of the store was filled with shelves and shelves of nautical-themed books!). This manicure makes me think of the ocean and mermaids, with the wave-like blues and the mermaid sparkles.

Glam Slam!

2011-07-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

OPI Rally Pretty Pink

OPI Red Shatter over OPI Rally Pretty Pink

To be honest, I don't love this combination; I'm not a fan of pink and red shades together, and I'm not loving how the Shatter looks a bit blood-like. But I think the base shade is gorgeous. Rally Pretty Pink is a mauve-ish hue with tons of shimmery gold. It is slightly sheer.

I LOVED the combination of Spark De Triomphe and White Shatter. Check out pictures HERE!

Which Glam Slam combination do you like the most?

Bright White

2011-07-12T09:20:00.000-04:00

When she was in high school, my sister wore white polish all the time. I couldn't find a white polish, so I picked up OPI Mod About You to attempt to duplicate the look as close as I could. Now that my polish collection is much bigger than it was then, I have a few great white polishes. Today I am wearing Nailene's french manicure white, which goes on pure, bright white and dries surprisingly fast. I love the all-white nail look, especially for summer. It looks so chic!

PS: I noticed that Blake Lively had fabulous white nails in the July issue of Glamour, plus Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere wore white polish with her Summer Whites look last week! Talk about trending. How do you feel about summery white nails?

The Best of Babbling Brooke

2011-07-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

I've been writing this blog for nearly three years now, so it is high time I put together some of my favorite designs. I went through my polish posts and pulled my favorites from the years. I'd love to hear which one is your favorite!

The Inner Workings of a Clockwork Grapefruit

Hey, YOU get off of my cloud!

Polka Dot Nails and Shoes

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Flowers

Cat Burglar

Thank you for reading, whether for the past three days or the past three years. I really appreciate all of the support and wonderful comments :)

Baby Blue

2011-07-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Nicole by OPI White Texture over Nicole by OPI Baby Blue

Nicole by OPI Baby Blue

Nicole by OPI recently introduced a new line of shatter polishes called Texture Coat. Texture Coat works in the same way as OPI Shatter; when applied over dry polish, it 'shatters' to reveal the color underneath. I like this combination of white and blue; it makes the shatter look more subtle. What do you think?

Summer Classic

2011-07-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

On Monday, my sister wore OPI Catch Me In Your Net for the 4th of July. All day, I kept noticing how amazing it looked, so I broke mine out. Last summer, Catch Me In Your Net and similar blue glitters, like Zoya Charla and Orly Halley's Comet, were hugely popular - and I am remembering why. Catch me In Your Net is stunning. Check out the photos below for proof:

Indoors

Gilded Glow

2011-07-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

Nicole by OPI Gold Texture with Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously

I am LOVING this combination of pink and gold! For the base, I used Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously (a fabulous pink - my favorite of the season!). I topped it with Nicole by OPI's new Gold Texture polish.

Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously

What other colors do you think Gold Texture would look good over?

China Glaze Metro preview

2011-07-06T18:05:00.002-04:00

This Fall, China Glaze has captured the big city feel in 12 sexy, sophisticated shades that are on trend, exciting and will be on every fashion maven’s “must have” list. Whether you prefer downtown funk or uptown class, China Glaze’s METRO collection pulls together ensembles and will undoubtedly make heads turn! Colors in this collection include:

· Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.

· CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.

· Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town – rich purple crème.

· Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.

· City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.

· Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better.

· Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.

· Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.

· Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.

· Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.

· Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.

· Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.

Fall in the City is a magnificent time and China Glaze has interpreted the hues of the urban jungle into their limited edition METRO collection. Escape your everyday and indulge in the city life!

The China Glaze METRO collection will be available in an “Uptown” (first image) 6 piece box collection (includes CG in the City, Urban-Night, Traffic Jam, City Siren and Street Chic and Brownstone), a “Downtown” (second image) 6 piece box collection (includes Skyscraper, Concrete Catwalk, Westside Warrior, Trendsetter, Loft-y Ambitions and Midtown Magic),

a brand new, amazing 3D 12 piece counter display, a 36 piece rack display, and as open stock colors.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

What do you think of the new Metro Collection by China Glaze?

Tipped in Gold

2011-07-05T13:45:00.000-04:00

I love how beachy this manicure looks! I used two coats of Nicole by OPI Baby Blue, then painted blue glitter tips using OPI Last Friday Night. Next I painted gold tips over the blue glitter using OPI Spark de Triomphe.

Brooke Cooks - Red, White, and Blue Crisp

2011-07-04T10:19:00.003-04:00

I made this delicious crisp on Father's Day and couldn't wait to make it again for the 4th of July. I guesstimated on all of the measurements (I was just making the recipe up as a I went), so feel free to cut back on sugar or nuts to taste.

Filling:

1 cup raspberries

3 cups blueberries

2 cans lite Comstock's cherry pie filling

Topping:

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 cup walnuts, chopped

cinnamon to taste

Mix berries and canned pie filling together in a large baking dish. In a large bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, flour, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon (I used about 2 teaspoons). Stir until crumbly. Scoop topping over fruit. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the perfect red, white, and blue dessert!

Before baking

After baking

Happy 4th of July!

Red, White, & Blue

2011-07-04T09:38:00.013-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

Today I am wearing a very patriotic red, white, and blue manicure to celebrate the USA. For the base, I used Nailene's french manicure white polish. Once that dried, I used french manicure guides to paint Nicole by OPI You're Steal the One on my tips. After that dried, I stamped OPI Color So Hot it Berns using the star stamping plate from Born Pretty Store. I love how You're Steal the One has fine, pretty shimmer in it.

What are you doing for the 4th of July? We are having a cookout, making homemade ice cream, playing board games, and swimming. I hope everyone has a great day!

Brooke Cooks - Margherita Pizza

2011-07-03T18:15:00.001-04:00

I am obsessed with homemade pizza - I make it at least once a week. I normally make margherita pizza because I love fresh mozzarella. I prefer to use spaghetti sauce instead of pizza sauce because I think it is more flavorful, but it can be a bit thinner than pizza sauce.

Ingredients

1 package yeast

4 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Pizza or spaghetti sauce

8 oz fresh mozarella

2 diced plum tomatoes

Directions

Soften yeast in warm water with honey for about 10 minutes. Mix yeast with olive oil, flour, and some of the basil; add flour until dough is no longer sticky. Place in an oiled bowl and turn; let rise for about one hour. Divide into two and roll out.

Bake on a greased pizza pan or cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with pizza sauce and mozzarella. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then top with tomatoes and remaining basil. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!

Natural Eye

2011-07-01T15:13:00.000-04:00

I don't often post pictures of my makeup on Babbling Brooke, but I really liked this look today. Thanks for stopping by to see it!

Too Faced Natural Eye palette (Silk Teddy, Nude Beach, Honey Pot, and Cocoa Puff)
Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer in Halo
Revlon Color Stay liner in black
Revlon Custom Eyes mascara in black
MAC 275 & Ecotools brushes

OPI Shatters

2011-07-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

OPI's new Shatter polishes have taken off like wildfire. I constantly see people wearing shattered manicures and I get frequent emails asking about the shattered look. OPI introduced Black Shatter a while back, but just recently came out with White Shatter, Red Shatter, and the four new shattered polishes below: Navy Shatter, Silver Shatter, Blue Shatter, and Turquoise Shatter. Which one is your favorite?

OPI Navy Shatter over OPI Sparrow Me the Drama

OPI Silver Shatter over OPI Steady As She Rose

OPI Blue Shatter over OPI Skull & Crossbones

OPI Turquoise Shatter over OPI Mermaid Tears

OPI White Shatter over OPI Spark de Triomphe

All OPI Shatters should be applied over dry polish. OPI Shatters are available at salons and stores OPI polishes are sold. Learn more at OPI.com.

Subtle Swirls

2011-06-28T11:23:00.001-04:00

For his design, I started with two coats of OPI Skulls & Crossbones as the base. Next I stamped OPI Planks a Lot using Konad plate m64. Planks a Lot stamped very light; combined with Skulls & Crossbones, which is so neutral, this manicure is soft, subtle, and sweet.

Have you had a chance to check out the new Pirates of the Caribbean shades yourself?

What are your favorites so far?

Gray Day

2011-06-23T15:05:00.000-04:00

Zoya Dove

For this manicure, I freehanded french tips with Zoya Dove. I actually got SO many compliments on this manicure. I really liked it! It was subtly different.

OPI Silver Shatter over Zoya Dove

This combination didn't work out nearly as well as I had hoped. Perhaps if the french color had been different (like hot pink?) it would have given a better contrast. Also, the shatter polish doesn't shatter as well without a base color under it (I only had Seche Vite under it). But I still love OPI's new Silver Shatter - it is gorgeous and so unique!

Apothica Giftcard Giveaway!!

2011-06-23T13:53:00.002-04:00

Giveaway time!! Today I have a fabulous giftcard to Apothica to give to one very lucky reader. Apothica carries tons of cosmetic brands, such as Too Faced, Clinique, SkinMedica, DuWop, and La Roche-Posay. They also offer free shipping for all orders over $49!

There are many ways to enter! You can choose to enter one way, or you can enter all four ways - it is up to you! Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry that you complete:

You need to be a Babbling Brooke follower. Leave your email address for one entry. For each additional entry:

Option 1: Facebook

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica

*Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter (enter with a separate comment)

Option 2: Twitter

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account (@BBabblingBrooke)

*Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway (leave a separate comment)

Option 3: Blog

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica

3. Post the link to the blog post here

*Bonus: Write about one of the brands I highlighted above and link it to Apothica (leave a separate comment)

Please leave your name, email address, and how you entered in the comments form. One lucky winner will be drawn after July 20, 2011 to win a $25 Apothica giftcard.

Thanks for entering!

This giveaway is closed. Congrats to #65, SunnyGal!

Thank you to everyone for entering!

Summertime!

2011-06-21T09:48:00.003-04:00

Happy first day of summer!!

For this summery manicure, I painted China Glaze Pool Party on my index (2 coats),Yellow Polka Dot Bikini on my middle finger (4 coats), Kiwi Cool-ada on my ring finger (3 coats), and one coat of Zoya Jancyn topped with one coat of China Glaze Sun Worshipper on my pinkie. Even though it has been SO, SO hot out for weeks (and the "summer semester" course I am teaching is nearly finished), today is actually the first day of summer - and this manicure makes me long for a swimming pool!

Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma!

2011-06-20T13:54:00.000-04:00

Today is my wonderful Grandma's 90th Birthday. She is such a great person and it is amazing to be able to share her 90th birthday with her. The weekend before last, we had a 90th birthday party to celebrate her landmark birthday with her.

Grandma :)

Dad and I with Grandma

Great-grandchildren and Granddaughter Amy

Grandma laughing about the fact that we only had 5 candles on the cake :)

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!!

Glitter + Pink = A 21st Birthday!

2011-06-20T13:35:00.001-04:00

My fiancé's younger sister, Meredith, turned 21 a few weeks ago, so this past weekend we all went out to Philadelphia to celebrate. I wore this fun hot pink glittery manicure all weekend. I started with just one coat of Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously, which is a fabulous pink and one of my current favorites. I topped it with one coat of Nicole by OPI Make a Comet-ment, a gorgeous holographic sparkle. I polished over everything with Seche Vite. I love this fun combination!

Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously and Make a Comet-ment

Nicole by OPI Pink, Seriously

For Meredith's birthday dinner, we went to Morimoto Restaurant, which is owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. We had a great meal!

The sushi my sister, Kelsey, ordered.

Meredith, the birthday girl!

After dinner, we saw Miss Saigon at the historic Walnut Street Theatre. It was phenomenal!

Brooke Cooks - Avocado Salad

2011-06-18T12:40:00.011-04:00

I tried a salad similar to this one at a local vegetarian restaurant about a month ago and I've been crazy for it ever since. So after craving one all day last week, I was disappointed when I called after work and was told that it was too late to order food. So instead I went to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients to make my own. And you know what? It was just as good (and unbelievably easy!).

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 package extra firm tofu
Newman's balsamic vinaigrette
romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

Dice and marinate tofu in balsamic vinaigrette. Wash and chop romaine, tomatoes, and avocado. Toss with tofu and vinaigrette. Top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Caribbean Flowers

2011-06-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

Today I am wearing OPI Planks A Lot from their new Pirates of the Caribbean Collection. I really like this shade; it is a medium purple with some grey undertones that give it a very chic, sophisticated look.

On top of Planks A Lot, I drew silver flowers using the new Kiss Nail Artist fine tip pen and then drew white dots using the white Kiss pen.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the great weather! I've been pretty overwhelmed these past few weeks with the course I'm teaching and the course I am taking (I forgot how hard it can be to take a class you know nothing about!). But in just a few weeks, summer vacation begins and I will be resting, relaxing, reading, and polishing. Plus, I have a great giveaway coming up next week!

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Pandora's Box

2011-06-16T09:41:00.001-04:00

For the past few days, I've been wearing Zoya Pandora, one of their gorgeous new nudes. I love the name (probably due in part to the fact that I have been lusting after a Pandora bracelet of my own for months and months). Zoya Pandora is a shimmery, pink-hued nude polish that covered great with two coats. This doesn't give me a mannequin-hands look like Zoya Minka did, but the pink hues go so well with my fair skin.

Zoya Pandora

And a few shots of the tan kittens! You may remember these kitties from my Zoya Minka post (Tan Polish and Tan Kittens!). They are growing up (plus, I got a new camera lens yesterday and couldn't wait to try it out!).

The flowers in my garden are finally starting to bloom!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Thursday!!

Babbling Brooke gets a Makeover!!

2011-06-12T12:48:00.000-04:00

My blog had been in serious need of a makeover for years. My previous design was a hodgepodge that I had put together and it truly was a mess. I have been wanting to do a redesign for a long time, and being the DIYer that I am, I thought I could do it myself. But after spending hours upon hours reading tutorials and even signing up for an html course, I still couldn't make something that I was proud to share.

That's when Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs came to my rescue.

Summaiyah, the design maven behind Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs, made the blog design process look effortless. She completely redesigned my blog exactly to my specifications and she kept me involved the entire time so there were never any surprises.

To start the design process, I filled out a survey identifying exactly what I was looking for in a blog redesign. I also had the opportunity to select the design elements, colors, and backgrounds (from a nearly unlimited selection) that best fit me. Then the designer created six different headers and sent them to me to start narrowing down what I liked and what I didn't like.

Summaiyah kept me up to date during the design process and made the page she was building available by link so I could see how things were progressing. She asked for my feedback throughout the process, which I really appreciated, and she always made sure I was happy with how the design was coming along.

I must have sent Summaiyah at least twenty emails asking for changes or thinking of things to add (custom navigation bar! right aligned sidebars!). She was always so quick to respond and she answered all of my questions. On top of that, she was always so gracious, friendly, and helpful. I really appreciated working with someone so kind and knowledgeable.

I am loving how my new design turned out. I wanted something organized, functional, and clean and this fits that perfectly. Working with Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs made the design process a breeze. I can't believe how easy it was - and how quickly I have my great, new blog design. Plus, working with Summaiyah was fantastic!

The header Summaiyah at Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs designed for Aurora Moments Photography

The Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs design process is super easy. To get started, visit Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs and check out what they have to offer, then just request a quote based on what changes you would like to make to your blog.

Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs offers packages as well as items that you can choose from a la carte. In addition to that, Summaiyah provides free tutorials right on her blog for DIYers. For example, just this week she went through the steps to back up your blog posts (which is SO important and something everyone should do!).

Thank you so much to Custom Scrapbook Blog Designs for the fabulous blog makeover!!

Fractured

2011-06-10T14:58:00.000-04:00

Today I am wearing Nicole by OPI The Next CEO with one of Color Club's new Fractured polishes in Clean Break. I started with two coats of The New CEO, and once that was dry, I applied one thin coat of Color Club Clean Break. On my index finger, I used Color Club Broken Tokens, a silver Fractured polish.

I have been really into metallic shades this month. They feel so summery, and they are perfect for this 100+ degree weather we've been having.

Clean Break and Broken Tokens are two of Color Club's new Fractured polishes. I can't wait to try Have a Bash and Crush on You, the bright blue and fuchsia Fractured shades.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tan Nails - and Tan Kittens!

2011-06-08T15:44:00.001-04:00

For the past few days, I've been wearing Zoya Minka from Zoya's new Touch Collection. During these last couple of days I have also been petsitting for three adorable little kittens!

Zoya Minka

Can I just say that I am in LOVE with this color? The nude shade (with hints of pink) matches my skin so well and gives my nails such a natural, professional look (not to mention it makes my fingers look long and lean). I used two coats for excellent coverage and although I've been wearing it since Sunday morning without a top coat, my nails are still chip-free.

Now for the kittens!

My parents' neighbors found these kittens about a month ago; their mom is a feral (we are getting her spayed as part of the trap-neuter-release program). Two of the kittens are girls and one is a boy. Most orange or tan cats are males, and orange/tan females are very rare because in order for a female cat to be orange or tan, her mother needs to be a calico and her father needs to be orange. Isn't that interesting?

How adorable are they? Kittens are just so cute! This is the tan girl:

This is the little orange girl (she is the most shy):

Here is the tan boy:

Hope everyone is having a nice Wednesday!

Navy Shatter

2011-06-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

This morning, I tried out OPI's Navy Shatter over OPI Sparrow Me the Drama. I thought Navy Shatter was purple before painting it on my nails (clearly I didn't read the name ahead of time), but it is a perfect dark, navy blue. This was thinner than other shatter polishes I have tried, which made it really, really easy to use - I didn't have to worry about trying to spread it on my nail or not covering everything, because it went on fast and easily. Plus, it was shattering within seconds! I really like the way these two look together.

OPI Navy Shatter over OPI Sparrow Me the Drama

So what do you think - are these two a good combo?