Alleluia!

"God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what this means also knows what it means to be redeemed." (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)

March: The Month of Saint Joseph

It greatly behooves Christians, while honoring the Virgin Mother of God, constantly to invoke with deep piety and confidence her most chaste spouse, Saint Joseph. We have a well grounded conviction that such is the special desire of the Blessed Virgin herself.                                     Pope Leo XIII

Good Friday

God is a giver of "good" gifts. Today we declare that it is "Good" Friday. It should lead us to ask, "what are the good gifts in my life?" Is winning the lottery a good gift if it steals your soul? Is the trial your facing right now leading to your salvation?

No matter how things unfold in this life, if we are seeking after Jesus in humility we can be confident in the words of St. Paul, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 We can face anything knowing that God has our best interest in mind. It's all leading to the resurrection.

Many people saw the crucifixion as a humiliating defeat but it is the source of life and eternal salvation. Jesus thank you for being the good gift. Thank you for pouring out yourself in trust knowing that the path of the Father was indeed good. Thank for saving us from ourselves and eternal death.

Let us seek his face so that we may live with him forever. The cross is the only way. Have a wonderful Good Friday. (Fr. Claude Burns)

Mani Monday

Today I wanted to try out an ombre nail and a matte topcoat polish. From darkest to lightest:

OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips
Zoya Sweet
Essie Fiji
OPI Don't Burst My Bubble (not as purple as it appears)
Julep Eileen
Topped by Essie Matte About You

I love the matte top coat - it just makes my nails look really nifty. 

Just a Note

My main computer had a physical hard drive crash, so I'm having to rely on my smartphone and my (very slow) backup computer (which has a malfunctioning screen). Unfortunately, this means besides already scheduled posts, I won't be posting until I can find a relatively inexpensive replacement (hi, ebay!) or transfer parts from one computer to the other. If you know anyone selling a macbook or macbook pro computer on the cheap, let me know by emailing: oxyparadoxy@gmail.com. Thanks and hopefully I'll be checking in soon!

March Beauty Army review

*This post contains affiliate links that I will receive credit for. If you don't want to let me have credit, then GTS.*

I know this is late, but I had a hang-up with my Beauty Army box this month, so I received it way late. Beauty Army is a monthly beauty subscription box, where you can take a short quiz, pick the samples that you'd like receive, and sit back and wait for your package. The cost is $12/month.

 

This month I received:  Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods Shower gel, Jonathan Product Dirt texturizing paste, mark. hook up lip gloss in blow kisses, Olive Natural Beauty Lemon & Lavender Soap, Whip Hand Cosmetics loose pigment eyeshadow in Medal of Honor, and Skinn Cosmetics Teen Tone Eye, Lip & Cheek Glow. More after the jump.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 Linking up with this kind of love via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

I'm loving

The get-togethers I've been having with some girlfriends to have dinner and do our nails. We've been having so much fun and I'm ridiculously excited for our upcoming gathering on Saturday. 

I'm loving

SPRING!

Although, it just snowed here a bit yesterday. I'm so ready for how spring smells and feels, and for spring rain - refreshing and cleansing spring rain.

I'm loving

This sudden crafty-ness that has come over me. If you know me in real life, you know that I am most certainly *not* an artsy-craftsy person. But I'm finding that if I want something a certain way, I'm not going to find it in stores, or I will find it and it'll be too expensive; so I'm just going to start making what I can't find! Hopefully soon I'll have pictures to share with you on projects.

I'm loving

With spring, comes a slowing down of stuff at my husband's work, which means not as many early mornings or late nights. I love, love, love that.

I'm loving

So far, I'm loving what our new Holy Father has been writing, and saying in his homilies and addresses. I'm starting to block out what the media is saying he was or he did, and just listen to what he is saying now. 

Okay, that's it for me, so have a great mid-week break!

Glamour Doll Eyes eyeshadow swatches

I bought a bunch of sample jars from Glamour Doll Eyes last week, for a good deal. They came yesterday, so I thought I'd share.  I bought 6 sample jars and 2 sample packets, and received 2 sample packets for free (thank you, GDE!). I love GDE eyeshadows because they have great colors, they go on so well, and they have great staying power. I swatched all of these over Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Top to bottom: Angel Wings, Vulnerable, Graves in May, Heedless Heart, Brown Eyed Girl, Dusk

Pope Francis' Installation Mass Homily

(My emphasis is in bold, quotes in italics.)
Via Whispers in the Loggia

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife" (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: "Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model" (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

Pope Francis (Roundup of Links)

Lots of good reading out there, folks, and I'll do my best to give you a cross-section of links. Here we go! There are things that Pope Francis is doing or saying that give me pause, but that's a good thing, I think. Have we become so enamored of "the way things are" that we don't realize that certain things aren't doctrine or dogma? Someone (on a forum I participate in) said that we should realize that the previous popes of late memory have all been diocesan priests, and this pope is from a religious order, and will of course have different strengths and ideals than the previous popes. Keep that in mind.

Via Deacon's Bench, the Pope will wear a used ring.

UPDATE ON THE RING:

OK. Lombardi clarifies. Ab Macchi's ring was model for Pope Francis' fisherman's ring.
— Catholic News Svc (@CatholicNewsSvc) March 18, 2013

LarryD at Acts of the Apostasy connects the Sunday readings to the new Pope.

God is doing something new, can we not perceive it? And if God’s behind it, then of what should we be afraid? If God is for us then who can be against us? Let’s look ahead with clear eyes and open heart, ready to receive our marching orders, recharged with confidence and joy, full of wonder and awe, and head out into the world to kick Satan’s ass, and treat everyone we meet as if they’re Christ himself.

Because they are. “As you did it for these least of your brethren, you did it for me.” It’s what Pope Francis is showing us, and has shown us – a mere glimpse, I believe, of greater and more awesome things to come.

Terry at Abbey Roads talks about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and loving poverty.

Holy Father Francis reminds me very much of the kind of Pope Cardinal Ratzinger foresaw when he wrote the following (go read the rest, it's quite good)

The Papal Coat of Arms includes the traditional Jesuit image:

The Digital Hairshirt gives us help in deciphering the meaning:

the IHS and sun is the symbol of the Jesuits. The star on a field of blue represents the Virgin Mary, and the grapes are actually a flower called the spikenard or nardo, which symbolizes Joseph, Protector of the Church. His motto can be translated as "lowly, yet chosen" or "seen through the eyes of mercy yet chosen", referring to Christ's selection of Matthew as an Apostle and taken from a homily by St. Bede. As with the coat of arms, the motto was His Holiness' when he was a Cardinal.

Pope Francis' first tweet:

Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.Pope Francis.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2013

Of course, Whispers in the Loggia has had great coverage. Here's his latest on the Pope of Chaos:

All of four days into his new ministry, Papa Bergoglio's style has already spurred significant tweaks to three pillars of the traditional apparatus surrounding the papacy: the liturgical shop (e.g. Guido Marini, now all in linen – something that, in times past, the Tradition-minded lead MC didn't even do on Good Friday), the press operation (given the Pope's penchant to veer into long stretches off-script, requiring immediate transcription and translation)... and perhaps the most formidable fiefdom of all, the security services.

Idle Speculations talks about that "poor" comment:

The present Pope has of course been studying and practising poverty for years

His words are not to be disregarded lightly

The emphasis on voluntary poverty by St Francis was as the first step toward spiritual regeneration 

However in  St Francis`s day (and before and since), poverty was often seen as a sign of moral degradation

The eventual rule of St Francis contained in the Bull "Solet annuere," began:

"The rule and life of the Minor Brothers is this, namely, to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without property and in chastity." 

St. Francis also promised obedience to Pope Honorius and his successors, the other brothers were to obey Brother Francis and his successors 

In 2001 Pope Francis attended as deputy relator at the Synod of Bishops in Rome. The theme of the Synod was Episcopus minister Evangelii Iesu Christi propter spem mundi (The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Hope of the World)

Its proceedings were interrupted by September 11 and its aftermath. It therefore did not receive as much publicity as it should

One major topic of debate was the role of poverty in the spirit and practice of Bishops

Mani Monday

Another Mani Monday!
I used Essie "Bikini So Teeny", which is a pretty periwinkle blue, with a hint of silvery glitter (shows up better in the bottle, honestly). On the accent nail, I used a Nicole by OPI silver glitter, with OPI Gone Gonzo (Muppet Collection) over the top of that.   What's on your nails this week?

Pope Francis' first Angelus

Here is the full text of his remarks, originally delivered in Italian and translated by Vatican Information Service:

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! After our first meeting last Wednesday, today I again give my greetings to you all! And I am happy to do it on Sunday, the Lord's Day! This is beautiful and important for us Christians: to meet on Sunday, to greet one another, to talk as we are doing now, in the square. This square that, thanks to the media, takes on worldly dimensions. 

 In this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents us with the story of the adulterous woman whom Jesus saves from being condemned to death. It captures Jesus' attitude: we do not hear words of contempt, we do not hear words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, that invite us to conversion. 'Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!' Well, brothers and sisters! God's face is that of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience that He has with each of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, is always patient with us, understanding us, awaiting us, never tiring of forgiving us if we know how to return to him with a contrite heart. 'Great is the Lord's mercy', says the Psalm. 

In these days, I have been able to read a book by a cardinal—Cardinal Kasper, a talented theologian, a good theologian—on mercy. And it did me such good, that book, but don't think that I'm publicizing the books of my cardinals. That is not the case! But it did me such good, so much good... Cardinal Kasper said that hearing the word mercy changes everything. It is the best thing that we can hear: it changes the world. A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. We need to understand God's mercy well, this merciful Father who has such patience... Think of the prophet Isaiah who asserts that even if our sins were scarlet red, God's love would make them white as snow. That is beautiful, [this aspect of mercy]. I remember when, just after I was made bishop, in 1992, the Madonna of Fatima came to Buenos Aires and a large Mass for the sick was celebrated. I went to hear confessions at that Mass. Near the end of the Mass I got up because I had to administer a confirmation. An over 80-year-old woman came up to me, humbly, very humbly. I asked her: “Nonna,” [grandmother]—because that's how we address our elderly—“Nonna, you want to confess?” “Yes,” she told me. “But if you haven't sinned...” And she said to me: “We have all sinned...” “But perhaps the Lord will not forgive you...” “The Lord forgives everyone,” she told me, with certainly. “But how do you know that, ma'am?” “If the Lord didn't forgive everyone, the world would not exist.” I wanted to ask her: “Tell me, have you studied at the Gregorian [Pontifical University]?”, because that is the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives: the inner wisdom of God's mercy. Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving us, never! 'So, Father, what is the problem?' Well, the problem is that we get tired, we don't want to, we get tired of asking forgiveness. Let us never get tired. Let us never get tired. He is the loving Father who always forgives, who has that heart of mercy for all of us. And let us also learn to be merciful with everyone. Let us call upon the intercession of the Madonna who has held in her arms the Mercy of God made human. 

After praying the Angelus, the Pope greeted the tens of thousands of faithful who overflowed St. Peter's Square: “Thank you for your welcome and your prayers,” he said. I ask that you pray for me. I renew my embrace to the faithful of Rome and extend it to all of you who have come from various parts of Italy and the world just as to those who are joining in with us by means of the media. I have chosen the name of the Patron Saint of Italy, St. Francis of Assisi, and this reinforces my spiritual ties to this land that, as you know, is where my family originated. But Jesus has called us to be part of a new family: his Church. [He has called] this family of God to walk together the paths of the Gospel. May the Lord bless you and the Virgin protect you! And don't forget this: The Lord never tires of forgiving. We are the ones who tire of asking forgiveness.” 

Thoughts on Pope Francis and a roundup

First off, how exciting has this week been for a Catholic? If you follow me on twitter, you know I was freaking out and typing in all caps. (This is going to be a long-ish post, fyi.)

Cardinals at Mass before going into the Sistine Chapel

What I caught first on live streaming tv was the cardinals swearing the secrecy oath - it was so interesting to watch these cardinals look around at the frescos in the Sistine Chapel (especially the Last Judgment fresco staring them in the face), and then place their hand on the Gospel and swear the oath. WOW! My friend Phil said, "And the Cardinals swear their oath of secrecy upon the Gospels, with the fresco before them serving as a reminder of judgment with a Cardinal in Hell. Michaelangelo's sense of humor becoming a good reminder for the men who gather, that their duty is to God, not personal politics."

And the memes on this from Catholic Memes. Oh my, they've been spot on and hilarious. 

Then, it was onto watch the chimney for the smoke signal. And keep watching. On Wednesday, it was so funny because a seagull landed on the chimney and wouldn't go away. Wouldn't you know it, "seagull" starting trending on twitter. And then.....the white smoke. I started shouting! My kids thought I was nuts, but when I explained that the new pope had been elected, they understood why I was excited.

How could you not be excited at a time like this? And the anticipation of who the new pope would be, and what name he would take (see wikipedia for a good explanation on this). I mean, seriously, the anticipation was killing me.

I'll bet it was killing them too.

Then, since I don't speak Latin, all I heard from the cardinal was "George" and "Francis". I was super confused. But since I was listening to NBC News with Fr. Robert Barron, George Weigel, and Cardinal Egan, I got the translation that it was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, to take the name Pope Francis.   What?! (Totally stolen from twitter: "It's not delivery, It's Bergoglio." LOL) I love that  he lead everyone in  simple prayers that every Catholic knows: The Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. Beautiful!

How awesome is that? The first pope to take the name Francis. The first Jesuit pope. The first pope from the Americas. About his name? Yeah, that's pretty awesome. It is after St. Francis of Assisi! What I said on facebook: "Being called Francis is a good indication of what he wants his papacy to look like & do. Remember that God told St. Francis of Assisi: "Rebuild my church". Could be seen as a sign that he wants to unify the differing factions of the church."

 

Stolen from facebook: "I imagine when God spoke to the cardinals and said to vote for Bergoglio, a humble bishop who lives in a tiny apt and refused the limousine (opting instead for walking and public transportation), they all said, "What? The man who does nothing everyday but minister to the sick and poor?" He has nothing!" And God said back, "Exactly."" And now for the inspiring pictures of our new Pope Francis:

Riding the bus as a cardinal

Washing the feet of the sick

Look at how dang cute he is?!

I love this story as told by Cardinal Dolan: "Dolan told reporters the surprising story of how the newly elected pope decided to take the bus back to the hotel Wednesday with the rest of the cardinals instead of riding in the Holy Father’s car.

“So we take the buses over and cardinals kind of wait outside to greet the new Holy Father as he comes back to Doma Santa Marta…and as the last bus pulls up, guess who gets off the bus? Pope Francis,” Dolan said. “So I guess he told the driver, ‘That’s OK. I’ll just go with the guys on the bus.’”"

Now, a roundup of links for you to read:

Drink Thursdays

Today I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite famous people. This man has been in several "horror" flicks, a currently running tv show, a movie out right now, voice actor in several animated films, and an author (I didn't know he wrote a book!).

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 

Linking up with this kind of love via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

I'm loving

How come no one told me how cool this is? How much it isn't just for crafting and cooking stuff (so not into crafting stuff, cooking is okay)? I think most of my boards are for nail art, nail polish, and spring time, but still! This is great!

 

I'm loving

Life Hacks. It doesn't matter how many repeats I see, I love little tips and tricks like this. I wouldn't be creative enough to come up with any, but give me all you have!

I'm loving

Coconut oil is so good for you, you can cook with it, slather it on rough spots, etc. I've been using it to make my own sugar scrubs (for hands & feet), and OH MY, it is amazing stuff. If you want to buy, amazon has it here.   

I'm loving

 
The conclave and watching for the smoke to come out. Seriously, I'm loving all of this. I love what Bad Catholic said about it:
           I love being Catholic, not only for the vast horizons the Church opens before my searching eyes and thirsting heart, but also for the mighty, wooden doors she closes in front of my inquiring nose. That the Church dares — in a world nauseous with false egalitarianism — to declare things too holy to be dressed in anything but a finery I cannot afford, a secrecy I cannot know, and a reverence I can only hope to attain — all this convinces me that she alone is the throne of Eternity on earth. In her ritual, the Catholic Church treats Christ as lovers treat each other in their deepest silence, with trembling adoration, revealing herself as the Bride of Christ indeed.

Amen. Have a great Wednesday and hopefully we will hear Habemus Papam soon (Latin for We Have a Pope!). 

Mani-Monday

I saw this idea on facebook and definitely wanted to try it out!  The cream color is "My Vampire is Buff" by OPI (Euro Centrale collection), the purple with a tint of blue is "Seriously It's a Naan-Issue" by Sephora OPI, and the gold is "OY - Another Polish Joke" by OPI (Euro Centrale collection). I love MVIB, it's such a white hot color, and very creamy. I applied 3 coats, 2 coats were just a bit too streaky. "Seriously" went on with just 2 coats, and is also a beautiful creamy color. I've used the gold over different colors before, and it is such a gorgeous pop of color. I think this might be my favorite manicure so far! 

March Lip Factory Inc box

Today I want to share with you a new beauty subscription box that I signed up with. It's called Lip Factory Inc. It's $22/month (includes shipping) for USA subscribers. First off, after my not great experience with Birchbox, I read review after review (and checked out their facebook page) of Lip Factory. Literally every one was positive. Every single one raved about their awesome customer service. I couldn't resist, and signed up. Today I received my first box, and let me just say, it is well worth the price!

Hello, beautiful! Information card on the left, introductory card on the right.

Spoilers after the jump!

Friday's Letters

 Via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

Dear boyo,

Could you please start watching where you are going? Because not only am I a little tired of you bonking your head on things, but I'm also alittle  tired ofyou   spilling things. Namely, spilling pops on my computer so my space bar sticks. *

Dear USPS,

Why must you take so long to deliver a package from Florida? Because the anticipation of receiving my Lip Factory box is  killing me!

Dear Wreck It Ralph,

I really wanted to like you! I liked parts of you, but somehow the movie fell a little flat to me. I'm glad I rented you on Amazon VOD for $3.99, because if I had had to pay  for 2 adults & 2 kids to go tothe theater to watch you, I would definitely be disappointed.

Dear Perpetual Cold that Won't Leave My House,

I'm so, so, so tired of you. I'm tired of my kids havingyou and being stuffy and miserable and cough-y. Please, go away. I am now begging!

Dear thrift stores,

Could you please, please,  please have an old spice rack so that I can re-purpose it  for anail polish rack? And have it on the cheap, too. That would be awesome!

Dear Rand Paul,

I might have aslight crush on you now.

You were totally awesome this week!

Okay everyone, have a great weekend! 

  *So sorry about the weirdness of typing. It took meforever to write this post anyways. I wasn't going to go back and fix all thespaces.

Drink Thursdays (It's Back!)

I've been wanting to re-start Drink Thursdays for awhile, and while I was at it, I wanted to re-start it as a link-up. So I hope you'll join me in toasting to the person of your choice. This doesn't have to be a celebrity, or really anyone that is known on the internet. While I've done celebrities, and bloggers, I've also "drank" with people that I know in real life.

So, for the re-starting of Drink Thursdays, I've thought and thought about who I'd really like to sit down and drink with, and why. I couldn't think of people better than friends I've known through a message board, for years.

My friends: Laura, Kate, Missy, Sarah, and Cat. I have literally cried with these women, and laughed, and though we have never met in real life, I don't have many friends in real life that are closer to me than these five. We've skyped together, we've exchanged Christmas cards, and we've drank "together" (okay, individually at our homes, but together over skype or chat). We've talked over parenting stuff, beauty stuff, fashion stuff, heavy issues, and our faith (we're all Catholic). They are amazing friends, and I'm glad to know them. I drink to them, today.

So, who would you like to virtually drink with today?

What I'm Loving Wednesday (Spring Edition)

Via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

Today, I'm loving everything spring! I cannot wait for spring. I cannot wait until Easter. First up:

I'm loving:

Wedges! These are from JustFab.com, called Belfast. I'm loving all their wedge styles right now. So, so, cute and springy.

I'm loving:

 
 

Not necessarily the necklace, pretty though it may be, but the color. This cool, minty green, is probably my favorite color right now. I know that the color of the year is emerald green, but for spring, I LOVE this color.

I'm loving:

Beautiful, effortless, casual outfits like this. I'm so ready to be done with wintery clothes and jackets and shoes!

I'm loving:

The Easter Vigil! I cannot wait for it, and I'm hopeful that this year, I will be able to actually attend. I haven't for a couple of years because of the kids (it's a very long Mass - 2+ hours), but I'm crossing my fingers for this year. If you haven't attended an Easter Vigil Mass before, I highly encourage you to go. Mass is started in total darkness, while the priest has a huge fire started (outside), blesses it, and lights the Easter candle from it. (You know the humungous Easter candle used at all celebrations, baptisms, etc, throughout the year.) Then, a few smaller candles are light from the Easter candle, and the light spreads throughout the church. It makes me tear up a bit every time I see it. It is an awesome symbol of the light of Christ spreading throughout the land.

Alright, that's it for me today. Have a great day out there, and check back tomorrow for a special feature!

Mani Monday

I bought some nail tape off of ebay and received it late last week, so of course I needed to try it out! I'm going to need a lot of practice with this nail tape, methinks, because cutting and putting them on my nails and trying to paint said nails, then take off the nail tape with wet nails....it's kind of a pain in the ass!

For this manicure, I used Revlon "Cloud" as a base color, let dry, then applied two strips of nail tape, and applied Sephora by OPI "What a Broad" over the top. "What a Broad" is not as grape colored as it seems in the picture, in real life it has a bit more of a cool reddish undertone. (I also just realized I need to do a bit more cleanup around my nails. LOL)

I thought this was a fun way to try out my nail tape. Do you use nail tape? If so, what designs do you use it for?

Friday's Letters

 Via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

Dear Ulta,
Why do you show something in stock until I go to add it to my cart, and then it's suddenly not in stock? This is really irritating.

Dear Burn Notice,
Why did I stop watching you, all those years ago? Because I've been missing out on some awesome-ness. Michael, Fiona, and Sam....you're all amazing, but the person I think I love the most is Maddie, Michael's mom. She's hilarious, and tough as nails, which equals some major kick-assery.

Dear Sephora by OPI Jasmine nail collection,
Seriously, you are so dang beautiful.

I'm so glad that I bought you, because these are going to be awesome colors for spring.

Dear my brain,
It would be super helpful if you could stop telling me stuff that I need to know while I'm trying to go to sleep. This has been you, all week long:

This has become an unfortunate nightly occurrence that I'm frankly fed up about. So knock it off!

On that note, I hope everyone has a great weekend!