Nutty for Nail Polish

Most of you know that I work from home, this is great because I have absolute abandon when it comes to selecting my attire (or not, Hugh Hefner really had something with the 24/7 pajama idea). It also means I'm responsible for not only showing up on time for work, but staying there all day. This setup is not for everyone. One of the ways I keep myself occupied at work between conversations with clients is by painting my nails. I telecommute, so I'll never see anyone face to face, the fumes from the polish will offend none but myself. If it bothers my boyfriend, he's never said so, which means he's perfectly fine with the tell-tale aroma of creativity. Right?

Water marbling, gradient color, ombre, konad stamp plates, dotting tools and detail brushes, you name it, I've used it. Fimo canes and rhinestones have found their way to my fingertips as well. If I could figure out a way to sport some of the wild, three-dimensional designs which are so popular in Japanese nail art and still function throughout the day, I would totally do it. Someone needs to clue me in to a toned-down version, so if you know of something, please comment!

In the meantime, please enjoy this little compilation of some of my amateur attempts at creative nail coloring. Emphasis on amateur, after all my job does come first!

  

Sleeping Beauty – Treat Yourself Like a Princess

Some days I just run myself ragged. I know I'm not the only one who has fallen into bed at the end of a long day, not even bothering to wash my face after giving my teeth a half-hearted brushing. Lazy shortcuts are fine every once in a while, but bad habits do catch up and the whole world will know about it, because the results of a lackluster bedtime routine will be written all over your face. The poet Ovid once said, “beauty is a fragile gift” and I'm pretty convinced this comment was made after one of my great (great x10) ancestors forgot to wash off their khol before hitting the hay.

Good Days Come From a Great Night's Sleep

It doesn't have to be so difficult, trust me, I am a woman of convenience. I enjoy feeling pretty, pampered and princess-like, but I don't like investing a whole lot of time in achieving these goals. Being low-maintenance doesn't make me no-maintenance though, I just like to follow an equation of minimum input/maximum output. Drugstore make-up, homemade face masks and body scrubs, you name it. In my mind, true beauty blossoms from within, and starts at home, with sleep and water being the most vital ingredients to my daily routine.

Three Bedtime Tips to Make You Feel Just Dreamy  

A good night's sleep will help alleviate dark circles under the eyes and sallow skin, but also make you feel more alert and centered, which is great for lifting your mood and putting a genuine smile on your face. Before you dive under the duvet in defeat, hear me out, try out the three tips I have to share and see if you don't notice a difference.

• Cap That Minty Toothpaste – Mint-heavy toothpaste is fantastic for morning perk-ups, mint being a natural mood elevator, but not so great for setting the mood for a trip to dreamland. Instead, try a toothpaste with a calmer, gentler flavor formula. Good choices include lavender, vanilla, and chamomile. Read the label, some blends may also include valerian root which has been reported to improve sleep.

• Check the Potion In Your Lotion – Did you know that your skin loses quite a bit of moisture during the night? Anyone that's woken up at night drenched in sweat is probably wondering what took me so long to learn this interesting tidbit, but it's still true – your skin loses quite a bit of moisture during the night. Slathering on any ole lotion is fine, but why not reach for something containing cardamom. This fragrant cousin of the ginger root is also a natural relaxer, its aroma will help put you in a more restful mood while the rest of the lotion goes to work at keeping you moisturized.

• Speaking of Aromatherapy – If the chamomile in your toothpaste and the cardamom in your lotion have gotten you to the edge of Slumberville, then dabbing a scented oil on your wrists should put you on the VIP list in the Dream District. Not sure which scents are the most sleep-friendly? Lean towards sandalwood, rose, and iris, each of these are fantastic for relieving stress and clearing a cluttered mind.

Of course, there may be other factors which contribute to your tossing and turning at night. If you're not able to get a restful night's sleep, consider a new bed, I happen to love my Select Comfort sleep number bed, or maybe a new pillow if a brand new bed isn't in your budget. Sweet dreams!  

Socks Suck

I am not a fan of socks.

That's not entirely true....

I love brand new socks, fresh from the package.  Those are the best socks ever.   After that, I hate them.

I will avoid doing laundry for weeks, just to avoid washing, then subsequently sorting, matching, and folding socks.

If I think about it long enough, I could form a convincing argument supporting the primary reason for working from home is to avoid needing socks. 

Two Women You Need To Know

By now the news has circulated around the world several times; crazed Christian fundamentalist opens fire on a campsite in Norway, kills 92, injures another 96. This is horrible, tragic, and shocking, but in the midst of all this there are the heroes who drop all sense of self and leap right into reaching out a helping hand to people in need. Hege Dalen and Toril Hansen are two such people, having heard the commotion at the campsite across the lake from where they were dining, the women dropped everything, got into a small boat and set to rowing towards the island to pluck panicked people from the waters as they attempted to flee the gunfire. Four trips were made by Dalen and Hansen, forty people were saved, so why hasn't the news touched upon their heroic tale?

Because Dalen and Hansen are a married, lesbian couple.

Really?!

This is nearly as tragic to me as hearing someone who calls themselves a Christian opening fire upon a peaceful collection of children. These wonderful women performed a gracious act, born of genuine concern for humanity, yet their story is overlooked by all of the media outlets which would normally scramble all over this sort of “human interest” tale. For this reason, I'm sharing their words with you now and encourage you to share this with your friends as well.

The Finnish capital city's largest daily newspaper “Helsingin Sanomat” published this account (Translated from Finnish):

Hege Dalen and her spouse, Toril Hansen were near Utöyan having dinner on the opposite shore across from the ill-fated campsite, when they began to hear gunfire and screaming on the island.

“We were eating. Then shooting and then the awful screaming. We saw how the young people ran in panic into the lake,” says Dale to HS in an interview.

The couple immediately took action and pushed the boat into Lake Tyrifjorden.

Dalen and Hansen drove the boat to the island, picked up from the water victims in shock in, the young and wounded, and transported them to the opposite shore to the mainland. Between runs they saw that the bullets had hit the right side of the boat.

Since there were so many and not all fit at once aboard, they returned to the island four times.

They were able to rescue 40 young people from the clutches of the killer.

“We did not sleep last night at all. Today, we have been together and talked about the events,” Dalen said.