I was so inspired by “May’s 4 Simple Goals” post because I also have been trying to keep my nails painted for the last couple of weeks and last night I decided to try something a little different than just painting my nails one color and I wanted to share what it was because I LOVE how they turned out!  *Please excuse the quality of my photos, it was late and dark…give me a break! :)

*Our teacup and vintage embroidery giveaway is still going on!  Click here to enter and make sure you come back Tuesday when we announce the winner!

I started with two of my favorite colors of nail polish from Forever 21 – they have some of the cutest colors that cost next to nothing.

I painted my nails with the grey color in the morning and let them dry all day.

Cutting thin strips of masking tape, I covered half of my nail with it, making sure the edges were completely covering the part of my nail I didn’t want painted.  *Be careful what type of tape you use because if it is really sticky it will take your nail polish off.

I then painted the uncovered portion of my nails with my beloved teal color and let dry for about 10 minutes.

Carefully take the masking tape off and let dry completely.

And voila, fun nail polish for the start of a fun weekend!!

What is the most creative or fun technique you have used on your nails?

Hey-oh!  We have some sunny yellow inspiration AND a giveaway for you today.  First, the inspiration – a year ago MayDae hosted a formal tea party for a few of our family members and friends.  It was a lovely morning/afternoon of tea, good food made from scratch, handmade decorations, harmless games, and lots of laughter:

Earl Grey tea, Peach tea, and Indian Spice Chai were all served at the table.  I love this vintage metal tea pot, but the handle was scalding hot!

All of our decorations were vintage and handmade.  We were going for a very colorful and bright look.

The table was set up under a tent and we used lots of paper decorations, including these simple cut outs that we sewed together.  We used old magazine pages which added a lot of color, and we love how they turned out.

Our food table.  Lemonade, vintage trays, fresh flowers, cake stands, Anthropologie latte bowls, and pretty food labels on skewers were used.

I love the rustic feel of these bacon and onion tartlets.

Coffee cake, lemon cake, blackberry napoleons, truffles.

Egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, croissants.

Scones with Devonshire cream, raspberry preserves, and orange marmalade.  Yummm, we’re feeling very hungry all of a sudden…

And now, for the giveaway details:

MayDae is giving away this ultra cute Melmac cup and saucer, and this vintage hand embroidered sign that says:  You Are My Sunshine.  Aren’t they adorable?  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post (one comment per person).  We will pick one winner at random on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. MST.  Any comments left after 5:00 p.m. will not be eligible.  Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.  Happy commenting!

Wishing I owned this outfit today…

(Sarah Seven, Luna Shine Shine, Sparky Jones, Hydra Heart)

And the good news is, you can buy me these things on Etsy.com:)

I’m a huge fan of Elise Flannigan’s blog A Beautiful Mess.  This week she is challenging her readers to come up with 4 Simple Goals, and then blog about them.  Click on the link to read the guidelines, and see how you can get in on this – it’s an easy,  brilliant idea!

Here are my 4 simple goals:

————————Keep my nail polish fresh and….well, polished. I have been so bad about letting my polish chip down to nothing, and I sometimes go weeks (yikes) between applications.  It’s amazing how something so insignificant can either make you feel good or make you feel like a slob.—————————

————Get in front of the camera (a lot) more often. Being a mom of 3 little kids, means being the one behind the lens more often than not.  I’ve realized that I have hardly any photos of myself that I really love, so it’s definitely time for trial and error, with the understanding that there will be a lot of error involved.  Another plus is that I will get to post more photos of moi right here on this little blog, so you all can make sure that I am following through with this.  I mean, what good is taking photos of myself, if I’m not sharing the outcome with others?————————

——————–Make a new recipe once a week. I have a feeling this will be the hardest for me to accomplish.  I love to bake, but cooking is not my thing.  I guess that’s why it’s one of my goals.  I hope that I will end up loving it so much, that it will stick with me.  I hope, I hope, I hope.————–

————————————–Spend more time outdoors. Sounds simple enough.  Get away from the computer, phone, TV, and my to-do list for 1 hour everyday.  Walk, explore, lay in the shade, skip, read a book on a park bench while sipping Earl Grey, and slowly roll down hills on my bike.  It will be a challenge to find enough time…but I think it will be well worth it in the end.————–

4 simple goals!  Thank you to Elsie for this project – such a great idea.  I love that there is a time limit too – a little over 4 months to accomplish these 4 goals, and then if I feel that I should continue I can, and if not, I can drop them.  Don’t forget to keep me accountable on these!  Feel free to send me nail polish and recipes, invite me on a walk or bike ride, and maybe take lots of photos of me.

What are your 4 simple goals before 2011?

(Photos: A Beautiful Mess, Beauty and the Feast, Clayton Austin, Mommy Coddle, Elizabeth Anne Designs)

Good morning wonderful readers!  It is that special time of week when we (the sisterly team of MayDae) bring you an assortment of finds from our favorite online shopping source – Etsy.com.  This week’s inspiration?  Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog.  If you haven’t watched this musical tragicomedy short film (as Wikipedia so aptly describes it), then you should go and watch it right now.  You can watch it on Netflix Instant Play, or on youtube for free.  The story is set up in 3 Acts, and each Act is about 15 minutes long, so you can easily watch it over your lunch break, coffee break, dinner break, or any other break you may be having today.  Warning:  this film contains brilliantly written songs and score, so be prepared to hum them for the rest of the day.

In the story, we meet Dr. Horrible (played by Neil Patrick Harris), who is an aspiring supervillain, coming up with schemes to take over the world, while keeping a video blog of his progress.  Dr. Horrible is in love with Penny, a girl he sees at the laundromat every week, and trouble ensues when Penny mistakes Dr. Horrible’s nemesis, Captain Hammer, for saving her life.

We hope you love watching Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and we hope you enjoy our Etsy picks for this week:

May’s Etsy Picks:

This shirt looks so comfy and pretty.

Love this unique piece.

(Goggles from Cyb3r Burn, shirt by Blue Heart Boutique, laboratory flask from Gaelianna, painting by Celestina Levant, boots from Urban Lotus Boutique, laundromat photograph from Buck’s County Frames, penicillin art by T. Yarkoni, red bow flats from The Wooden Spool, binoculars from Cowgirl Caities)

Dae’s Etsy Picks:

“Hey, this is weird. I ordered one frozen yogurt and they gave me two. You don’t happen to like frozen yogurt, do you?”

The Freeze Ray

(Biohazard clock by All 15 Designs, Vintage suede gloves from Back Thennish Vintage, Ice cream cups from Paper Treats, Laundromat by Slight Clutter Photography, Floral top by Nicole Carey, Horse photo from Mountain Glass Designs, Hammer charm from Nicole de Bruin, Pyrex testtubes from Back Garage, Raygun shirt by Dark Cycle Clothing)

I haven’t ridden a bike in 10 years.  I haven’t had one around and to be honest, it never really crossed my mind to get one until recently.  Obviously I am a person who loves vintage anything – so the Cruiser style bikes that have come back in full force were appealing to me.  A few weeks ago I decided to take the plunge, and even though summer is almost over, I am ecstatic about riding my new bike.  This is Holly.

Isn’t she amazingly cute?!  “Cute” is the first word that comes to anyone’s mind the first time they see her and I couldn’t agree more.  She is cute.  I would highly recommend a Cruiser to anyone who enjoys soaking in a nice bike ride and isn’t concerned with getting somewhere immediately.  Holly doesn’t have any gears – there are cruisers that do have gears – and she is perfect for me to take a relaxing ride around my neighborhood as the sun is going down and there is a nice breeze in the air.

It’s not too late in the year.  Late summer and early fall are the perfect time for a bike ride.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Over the past 10 days I have been sleeping, healing, thinking, sleeping, planning, zoning out, dreaming, sleeping, and waiting.  It’s been a roller coaster of thoughts and subconscious, and I’m not exactly sure where I’m at.  But, I got a CUTE new pair of shoes and I have to show you!  How random is this intro?  Speaking of random, me:

My new shoes!  Aren’t they cute?  I found them at a thrift store, and I was so pleased to find that they were my exact size, AND 50% off.  The first day I wore them, I had a complete stranger come up to me, gasp, and ask if I bought them at Anthropologie.  I nonchalantly hid my enthusiasm and told the girl that I bought them from a thrift shop, and that Anthropologie is way too overpriced for me.  This is only partially true because I if I had the money to spend, oh boy would I!  On the other hand, I do think that shopping at thrift stores and paying an 1/8 of the cost is way way way better.  If only thrift stores smelled and looked the way Anthropologie does.  I think MayDae should open our own thrift shop in Denver, but we would make sure to hand wash each and every item that comes in, and make huge and beautiful window displays, and spray good smelling perfume, and have wonderful bright colors everywhere.  Sound good?  Would you want to shop there?

I love this photo!  No, these aren’t my legs (if only).  My 3 year old daughter wanted to “model” the shoes for me.  I think she was a bit bored because today was the first day of school for her older brother and sister, and she is now an “only child” from 12:20-3:35 each day.  How sweet she is.  It’s funny though, because these shoes are a size 8 in women’s, and my 3 year old wears size 8 toddler shoes, and they don’t look as huge on her as I would have thought.  In fact, I am thinking that my feet look smaller when I wear these….weird.

I found an exact matching pair of these lovely vintage oxfords at this shop a few days ago, but not surprisingly, they have sold.  I considered for a slight second that I should sell my pair in our Etsy Shop, but I love them too much.  I’ve got to keep some things for myself.

What is your current favorite purchase from a thrift store, garage sale, or flea market?  I think you know mine.

Who says prep school has to be stuffy and snoody?

Sophisticated?  Yes.  Snobbish?  Usually.  Stylish?  Most assuredly.

If the boys in prep school would take some lessons from this London based company, I would enroll myself right now at the age of 24.

Social Zombie.

I see you.

Okay honestly…this is pretty much brilliant.

I would like to buy this sweater for every male I know…or maybe just the ones who could pull it off.

(www.SiblingLondon.com)

Also – I can’t stinkin wait for fall!!  The long sleeves, scarves and hats make me giddy!

I adore red hair.  At this time in my life, I can’t imagine having any other color.  I’ve already posted on this topic some months ago, but had to make a second attempt at conveying my love.  I don’t think I will ever get tired of browsing through photos like these.  What hair color do you love most on yourself?  Is there a color that you wish you could pull off, but have always been too scared to try?

(Claudia P, Gracie Fox, Mary Kate Olsen in Bazaar, Tahti Sryjala, Lua P, Florence Welch, Olivia Harrison)

The sisterly duo of MayDae is happy to be back with our Etsy Picks for this week.  Although it was refreshing taking last Monday off, we missed it terribly!  Since it is now August (how did we arrive here so fast?), it’s time to think about all of the people headed back to school.  Whether you’re attending elementary, junior, high, college, or graduate, (or perhaps just know someone who is) we think that you will be able to appreciate our pretty finds.

We always loved the exciting new beginning of a school year.  New paper, pencils, shoes, and a sparkly back pack promised to make the year successful, prosperous, and at the very least, manageable.  What kind of feelings do you have about these back to school days?  Does it bring back memories of nervousness and angst, or happy memories of simpler times?

May’s Etsy Picks:

Girl Reading.

Can’t you just smell the wax?

(Vintage school desk from Rhapsody Attic, brown leather oxfords from Black Swan Vintage, desk supplies from AM Radio, girl reading print by Belafonte, vintage chalk board from Mechanical Stag, crayons from Vintage Bella, vintage ruler from Every Eskimo, cat eye glasses from Thrush, Snoopy metal lunch box from Mrs. Rekamepip, apple necklace by ACGA)

Dae’s Etsy picks:

(Lunchbox from The Fancy Lamb, Owl messenger bag by Boutique ID, Abacus from StilettoGirl Vintage, Saddle shoes from The Pudding Store, Vintage desk from Camp Ho-Ba-Chee, Pencil case from MyOhMy, Apple cozy by Handamade. Pencil skirt from Vonlenska Vintage, Globe from Artful Vintage, Microscope from Opendoor Studio)