D.I.Y. Gel Nail Hack

So, I recently tried a “Gel Nail Hack” tutorial that I found on Pinterest. I was curious to see if it would work, what it was like, and if it would be better than the UV light gel nail kit I already have. Here is my own version of the Pinterest tutorial, plus the pros and cons versus a regular UV gel nail kit.



Supplies:

– Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat (found at Sally’s Beauty Supplies)

– ANY regular nail polish of your choice (pictured is NYC in Spring Street #221)

– Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (also found at Sally’s Beauty Supplies)

Let’s get started!

1. Start with freshly cut and filed nails, make sure they are clean and dry.

2. Begin with one coat of the Gelous Gel Coat polish, let dry.

3. Apply one coat of the nail polish color of your choice, let dry fully.

4. Apply a second coat of the Gelous    Gel Coat polish, let dry completely.

5. Apply a second coat of your nail polish color and let it dry. 

6. Apply one coat of Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, let it dry fully.

7. You will apply one FINAL coat of the Gelous Gel Coat polish, and let your nails dry…. which is the hardest part in my opinion! 

8. YOU’RE DONE! 



After wearing the polish for a week, here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

– Affordable: This Gel Nail Hack is fairly inexpensive compared to the UV lights and special gel nail polishes you need to buy to go with the light. The Gelous, NYC, and Seche Vite polishes cost me a total of $14, whereas a Gel Nail kit alone can cost over $100. Not to mention every time you want a new UV nail polish color it’s around $12 for a little bottle!! 

– Quality: It feels like a real gel manicure! It has the thickness that the UV gel kit gives you, and once my nails were totally dry I felt like they were indestructible! 

– Options: You can use ANY nail polish you want!!!! That’s what I love most!! I can buy whatever color nail polish my mood is for that day and turn it into a gel manicure. Typical gel nail polishes can get expensive and this is a perfect solution.

– Convenience: When I was religiously using my UV Gel Nail kit, I had to take 4 different polishes with me (not including the color polishes), plus my sometimes bulky UV light, batteries for travel, or the outlet cord, plus nail polish remover to remove the sticky residue, from the final layer in the UV light nail polish series, and lastly some cotton balls in order to use the nail polish remover! Such. A. Hassle. My sisters and I were carrying around plastic totes full of nail polish stuff wherever we went just to have a perfect gel manicure! With the Gel Nail Hack you have 3 polishes MAX and that’s it. Whew, so glad I don’t have to try fitting all my UV stuff in a suitcase again, more room for shoes! 

Cons: 

– Dry-time: UGH we all hate nail dry-time, especially with six nail polish layers! It was hard trying to decide if my nails were fully dry before moving on to the next coat, but overall I ended up smudge-proof! 

– Chipping: I did notice a chip in the polish right at one week of wear. I wasn’t too surprised because I tend to pick at my nails and I think in the end, I caused the chip, but my other nails were still perfect right at a week! I got bored with the color and changed it, so I’m curious to see if it will last longer than a week this time!!

– Layers: With 3 layers of the Gelous Nail Coat for every manicure, I know the bottle of nail polish won’t last forever! I’ve only done 2 manicures and my bottle has an obvious amount missing from it. It’s not close to being gone, but it won’t last as long as my small bottle of UV gel nail “foundation” did.

Overall, I HIGHLY suggest trying this Gel Nail Hack. If you love gel nails or just don’t want to spend a bunch of money on the UV kits, this is a great alternative! 

As always, share your Pros and Cons, or your current favorite nail polish colors!! 

Simply,

The Hoosier Peach

D.I.Y. Vintage Paper-Mâché Block Letters

Calling all beginner crafters! Maybe you’ve said the phrases, “I wish I could craft”, “I’m not good at crafting” or “Teach me your crating ways!!” This post is for you.

Supplies you’ll need:
– Paper-mâché letters in the word of your choice. I like short words like, “EAT”, “XOXO”, “HELLO”, “LOVE”, and my example, “BATH”. I got my 6″ block letters from Hobby Lobby when they are 50% off. Each letter ends up being $1.50!!
– Scrapbook paper in coordinating patters (1 page per letter). For a vintage look, I chose a floral print and a shabby chic wood chevron pattern.
– Paint in a neutral color that coordinates with the scrapbook paper
– Pencil
– Scissors
– Elmer’s Glue for a matte finish OR Mod Podge for a shiny finish (I used Elmer’s glue).
– Sponge paintbrushes

Let’s get started!!!

1. First, you’ll need to decide which paper you want to use for each letter. Then, place the letters on TOP of the paper and trace around them with a pencil. (I painted my letters first and got a bit of paint on the paper, so tracing first is a good idea!)

2. Paint your letters (I didn’t paint the backs to save dry-time and paint. However, if your letters will be set out in the open you will want to paint the backs)!!

3. While you’re waiting for your letters to dry, cut-out the letters from your scrapbook paper.

4. Depending on how long that took, about 20-30 minutes is good for drying time.

5. Spread a thin layer of Elmer’s glue or ModPodge on the front surface of the letter and apply your scrapbook paper on top. Do this for ALL letters before the next step!

6. Once you have applied the scrapbook paper, add a generous amount of Elmer’s glue or ModPodge on TOP of the paper.

7. Make sure all edges of the paper are covered with the glue and that there aren’t any glue drips on any sides!!

8. Your letters will be fairly thick with glue, so allow around 1 hour to dry.

9. If you’re hanging your letters, I used Scotch Permanent Mounting Squares 1in x 1in, around 2-3 for each letter.

10. If you’re hanging your letters on a wall- the EASIEST way to get them completely level is to hang up the first and last letter (eye ball it and just gently adhere them on the wall in case you need to move them) place a yard stick on top of the letters and move the letters until the yardstick is level!! Then, place the middle letters under the yardstick evenly spaced out so the yardstick remains level.

11. YOU’RE done!! How was it?? Leave a comment and let me know how hard you rate this craft on a scale from SO EASY being 1 and STILL TOO HARD being 10!! I want to see your finished products so share them with me!!

Be Mine, Valentine

One thing my Mom taught me from a young age is how to make other people feel loved through small gifts. She made almost every holiday special in some way for my sisters and I as well as for her friends and family. With Valentine’s Day almost here, I thought it was a great time to share some ways you can make the people in your life feel loved.

I speak the love language of gift-giving; not necessarily lavish or expensive gifts, something simple and thoughtful easily makes me feel just as loved. For example, the other day my husband surprised me with iced-coffee and some breakfast left on my nightstand for when I woke-up. It was simple, it was easy, it cost him probably $3, but I loved being thought of during his busy morning rushing to and from work. Another time he went out with a friend and was gone most of the evening and surprised me by bringing me back a nice Nike work-out shirt! It was so sweet to know that he was thinking of me, even while he was out having a good time with his friend.

If you aren’t familiar with love languages, Gary Chapman’s book The 5 Love Languages explains that there five different ways people receive love. There’s physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, and quality time. If you are interested in finding out what yours is head to http://www.5lovelanguages.com to take the test!

With gift-giving being the central aspect of Valentine’s Day, and most holidays, here’s how you can make the special person in your life feel most loved on what I have dubbed “Love Day”:

1. Physical Touch
This one is pretty obvious for the married couples out there! If you know your husband is a physically motivated kind of guy, take the time to do your hair the way he likes, put on those tight out-of-the-dryer jeans, a top you know he loves, and some lipstick he can’t help but notice and greet him with a hug and kiss! Of course, don’t forget the steamy night ahead and that red slip you haven’t worn in awhile….. 😉

If you’re a guy reading this, take the time to hug your wife, hold her hand when walking even short distances, and kiss her often! We love hand holding because it shows the world we are yours, and kisses in public (we’re not talking about the French kind), show that you are proud to call us yours and you want every one else to know it!

Maybe you are just going to be with friends or family this Love Day, well a hug and a simple “I love you” can mean the world.

2. Words of Affirmation
This is another top one for me, I love hearing or reading about how much someone loves me!! This is a great way to get creative. I obviously enjoy blogging and writing so coming up with a sweet letter, or poem can be a great way to express how you feel for the special person in your life. Don’t let the cheesy card do all the talking! Your handwriting inside of a blank card, or on lined paper is beautiful enough! Leave the card or letter in a surprising place- in a lunch box, on a pillow, or somewhere you know they will find it when they need it most.

For your BFF or your family members, snail mail is still a way to communicate! You know, a cute kitten card inside an envelope with an address and a stamp? Just imagine the smile opening up a kitten valentine from YOU!

3. Acts of Service
My husband is a very service oriented kind of guy. He’s constantly doing things for others and never complains about emptying the litter box, doing the dishes, and it’s almost always his idea to vacuum. If your Mom, Dad, husband, or wife has a heart of service, an act of service back will truly speak to them. On or around Valentine’s Day, offer to come over and help clean-out something they have been mentioning, but just haven’t found the time to do yet. If you see the dishes in the sink, load the dishwasher and stay long enough to unload them. If you’re a military wife- you know that doing your husband’s laundry is a huge act of service and he will be so glad he didn’t have to match all of those 50 Shades of Green socks (see what I did there?)!! It doesn’t necessarily have to be a chore, if you’re working on your cooking skills, go out of your way to attempt your significant other’s favorite meal- and don’t forget to clean the kitchen afterwords! 🙂

4. Receiving Gifts
Like I mentioned, this is my strongest area for receiving love. But, even though I love getting gifts, I love giving them even more! On Valentine’s Day, the most popular of gifts would be roses and chocolate- which I would never complain about receiving!! Last year while my husband (then boyfriend) was in Basic Training, he still managed to send me a dozen roses, a teddy bear, and a box of chocolates ON Valentine’s Day!! It was the SWEETEST surprise ever!!! How he pulled that off while he was miles away training, I’ll never know. But, I still remember how loved I felt when I saw a large box in my living room with my name on it. Whether it’s roses, or your favorite flowers (mine are sunflowers), for some reason, we are just wired to love beautiful smelly things that die. If you’re on a diet, save those chocolates for a special treat and the love will last even longer!

However as women, we are often left wondering what to get the man, BFF, Mom, or sister in our life!! Here’s my go-to list of some easy things to make or buy to say “I Love You”:
– Fleece tie blanket in favorite team colors
– “Man basket” filled with his favorite treats! Think beef jerkey, cheese, chips, candy, and a drink!
– Bestie Box filled with some treats you made, a chick flick, and a necklace.
– Tickets to a movie, concert, or sporting event the gift reciever has been wanting to see! Make a cute “golden ticket” wrapper with some yellow construction paper and markers! Don’t forget a chocolate bar for full Willy Wonka effect (and to stash in your purse for the event)!!
– If your lover one has a new (or old) hobby, do some research and find out what item they have been “dying to have”! For my husband, some golf shoes or an indoor mini golf set would be a big hit!
– A small photo album with pictures of your relationship through the years, or a classy boudoir photo shoot for your hubby if you’re feeling fabulous!! Emphasis on CLASSY!!
– His favorite beer, maybe you had to drive an hour to Whole Foods to get it, but he will LOVE you for it!!!
– Take your bestie a bottle of wine and a magazine and leave it on their doorstep with a cheesy construction paper valentine!

The idea that you were attentive to what your loved one likes, and you were sensitive to their wants and needs is the biggest act of love in gift giving. So if your craft is a fail, or you got the wrong weight golf balls- the fact that you paid attention and thought of them will always be enough!!

5. Quality Time
This one is also pretty obvious, sometimes the person we love simply just wants some uninterrupted time with us. Maybe it’s the husband that just enjoys some QT- so reverse the rolls for a change and make the dinner reservation! Call ahead and get a table for two, dress-up, and sit across from each other laughing and talking for longer than you normally would! For something a little more personal, plan a trip together to the grocery store, make dinner together, and then snuggle up and watch a movie afterwords.

Even if those are things you already do, switch it up by playing some romantic music and drink some wine while cooking, try your hand at Sushi or something you don’t normally make, turn your cell phone off and leave it in the other room, get a babysitter even if you’re just cooking at home, or look through wedding pictures and watch your wedding DVD!

Whether you’re single, married, living at home, or living away from family and friends- there’s a way to show every one you love them this Valentine’s Day and every day! And most importantly, remember that it’s not just a day to feed into the crazy culture we live in, it’s a day specially designated to tell someone you love them in their own unique way.

Simply,

The Hoosier Peach

I Was Wrong About Marriage

I can’t even believe we will be married for one year in just 5 months. These past 7 months have been the biggest challenge and learning experience I could ever have. No college class, part-time job or bridal shower advice ever prepared me for being married. I had SO MANY misconceptions about marriage coming into this, things I never saw coming and things I was flat out wrong about. I remember one day texting a friend in frustration just saying, “I feel like no one talks about the first year of marriage, like it’s a big secret no one wants to share!!” So I’m going first, I’ll let you in on the secrets you WILL ask yourself within the first year, if not the first month you’re married.

1. Nothing is “Normal”
This word “normal” will suddenly rule your life. You’ll wonder if you’re “normal”, if he’s “normal”, if that weird conversation at dinner was “normal” or if your marriage is “normal”. Nope. It’s not. Nothing is normal. It’s not normal to move-in with a guy and share 100% of your space, or to show him how many shoes you really do have, or how often you really don’t like to shower. Everything you’ve ever known as “normal” has changed. But you will get a new “normal”, you’ll create a routine together, you’ll find out every single thing you didn’t even care to know, and that will eventually be something you love and cherish and miss within daily life. Key word: eventually.

2. Except arguing IS normal
This one really scared me. We didn’t fight before we got married- maybe a few stressful wedding planning moments and me just being sassy, but nothing I ever spent more than 10 minutes stewing over. Marriage is stressful, combining your bank accounts, figuring out jobs, car accidents, Doctor appointments, moving, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning… Life happens after the wedding day!! As long as the arguments are respectful and without any type of abuse… all you can know is that it really is normal!! Every time my husband and I argue it breaks my heart, it really does- but what matters most is how it’s resolved, what you learn from it for the next time an argument arises, and that holding a grudge just causes you to become bitter. The best thing about marriage is that even when we don’t feel like we deserve love, we continue to receive it anyways. And that’s better than any “I’m sorry” in my book.

3. The Pages Change
You may be wondering, “what pages?” Well, the pages in the book of Life, of course! When you’re first falling in love at some point you’ve probably told someone “We’re on the same page” or “We have the same goals” or “Our paths have crossed and now we are going down the same road”…. all meaning you want the same things in life in that very moment. This is so important!! While your shared goals such as saving money to buy a house or having children should be the same- other things will change!! Whether that’s a career, moving to another state, acquiring different hobbies, or your relationship with Christ!! My husband and I are SO ALIKE in SO MANY ways!! However, we are very different in other areas. Since being married I have started a Christian Book Study and joined a Bible study with some other Army wives here in Georgia. My faith and personal relationship with Jesus is growing and changing- and it’s been long over due, while my husband’s may not be growing and changing at the same rate as mine. THAT’S OK!! This is a pretty deep example, but just because you’re on different pages in some areas doesn’t mean you no longer have the same ideals you started with. I’m not the same person I was 2 years ago, and in 2 years from now I will be different in other ways. Continue to pray for each other, lift each other up, don’t hold things in, talk a LOT, and the little things that change about your spouse won’t seem so big in the long run.

4. Your Past will Haunt You
During those first few months, you’ll start to re-live the past. Whether it’s during an argument or something someone says in passing, or a dish left in the sink, you’ll watch the past repeat itself from your point of view. All of those things you experienced that had a negative impact on you WILL come up. Maybe not in ways you thought, but they will. For me, I had a horrible relationship with my Dad. He was mean, he was easily angered, he made his wife and daughters full of stress, shame, and repentance. My past haunted me when my husband emptied the dishwasher after I said I would do it and it made me feel so horrible and lazy. This was a preconceived idea that was formed in my head because my mom, sisters, and I were always on edge about what “task” we needed to do next. There was no relaxing when my Dad was around. If he hollered for one of us to do the dishes, we had to do it immediately. If he cleaned out the litter box, he’d threaten to get rid of the cats. He had us all feeling horrible for ever “making” him do any sort of task. This was something HUGE I dealt with on several occasions. Again, it’s NORMAL!! You’re creating a new normal and mine is realizing that a man can respectfully help around the house and not make his wife feel bad about it. How lucky am I?? I know right…. 😉

5. It Will Feel Different
Somewhere along the lines, when life gets hectic, you’ll realize how different your relationship is from when you first met. You’ll get really sad, and you’ll ask yourself if it’s “normal”. And I’m here to tell you once again…. It’s totally normal. Well, whatever “normal” means. You’ll think about how perfectly flawless you thought your spouse was and how you stared at pictures of them for hours because you were enchanted and captivated. You’ll read your journal and see all the now silly worries you once had about falling in love because now you’re full-force, 100% in love and committed for life. Some days will feel more “dreamy” than others, some days will really suck, you’ll make each other mad, you’ll cry, you’ll waste an entire day together watching The Walking Dead on Netflix, and you’ll realize that regular life being married is better than any single life before.