Well, well, well, it has been awhile! Some great things are happening 'round here, let me share the awesomeness.

1. Cardinals continue their postseason! We are 2 - 0 in the NLCS as we head out to LA to hopefully sweep the Dodgers. Chris and I went to Game 2 on Saturday with my mom and dad.

Something you should know about my parents and sporting events - they only like good seats or seats that come with extras. So we sat in the outfield with a primo view of everything with an all-you-can-eat buffet and free beer through the 8th inning. All inclusive + a Cardinal victory = AWESOME!






Of course I had to get my nails in the Cardinal's spirit.



My youngest sister turned 21. And we had the a seriously amazing Sunday funday birthday party complete with a party bus, a trip to Fast Eddie's, and topped off with Taco Bell.



While school has been keeping me busy, I have found some time to whip up some wreaths for mi familia...

I really can't believe it is mid-October. I worked on swapping out my summer and fall wardrobe today but I fear I won't be wrapped up in any cozy sweaters for a couple more weeks. It was still in the 80s this past week.

Well I'm off to get ready for the work week. Here's hoping it's a quick one!

What is it about summer that makes me want to spend money with reckless abandon?

Is it because I have oodles of time to online window shop? Or possibly because my crazy school district pays me 5 paychecks at one time, which makes feel like I'm rich?

The world may never know but Mr. Postman is going to be delivering some fun to my doorstep over the next week or so.

My new purchases included a new GHD Flat Iron.

Folica.com

 
My Sedu straightener shorted out a couple of months of go and I've been roughing it with a small travel size straightener since then. The plates are literally a 1/2 inch and pulls out my hair. After looking at pictures of my hair from my cousin's wedding last week in which I felt my hair looked a little "fluffy", I decided, no more!

I got an alert that Folica was offering 25% off through Wednesday, so I pulled the trigger and invested in a new flat iron. I use the word "invested" when I want to justify than I'm not crazy for spending $130 on a tool that makes my already straight hair - straighter. Also, I used Ebates and received an additional 5% cash back.

$185 flat iron - 25% off coupon + 5% cash back = slightly less panicked Sara.

Then I took my online shopping self to the mall. Normally I show great restraint in shopping but on Saturday I was in a buying mood. I proceeded to Victoria's Secret and took advantage of their 7 for $26 panty deal and bought the cutest little Cardinal's outfit which my sister assured me was not in the least bit "skanky".

Victoria's Secret

The picture doesn't show the navy bandeau I bought to go underneath the tank.

When I showed the outfit to the boyfriend, he looked at me and replied, "I don't get it."

Not quite sure what there is "to get" but the jury is still out on if I will actually wear this ensemble to the game on Saturday or not.

While checking out at VS, the sales girl sprayed my bag with one of their body sprays. Normally I detest this practice because I am somewhat sensitive to smells but much to my surprise, I love the scent. So I went home and ordered it online as well as another bra. Oops. At least I got free shipping and 2% cash back from Ebates.

I continued my spending spree yesterday when I decided I needed a new nail polish color. Off to Walgreens to purchase my favorite Sensationail gel nail polish.


 "Cabana Boy" -  a great orange-y red to kick off summer. Thankfully, I had a $1 off coupon and found another $2 off coupon in store.

As I re-read this, I realize it may not be the money burning a hole in my pocket but the fact that I feel like I'm getting "deals" on everything. Congratulations marketing department of every store in America...you're doing a great job!

What about you? Has the shopping bug bit you recently? Or are you forever a window shopper?

I've been a little nail-centric lately since discovering Sensationail but just one more update...promise, last one I swear.

After a cleaning binge today, I broke two nails which in turn damaged my manicure - so it came time to remove the gel color. I've heard that removing gel nail color can be quite the process and I'm here to say that yes, yes it is. Definitely block out some time to sit...perhaps while an all day Law and Order: SVU marathon is running.

I followed the directions that came with the packaging, buff shine off nails, soak nails in acetone for 15 minutes, then push gel color off nails using a cuticle stick. Besides the acetone fumes it wasn't so bad. It does NOT just fall off as you might hope. It takes time and poking at your nail with a cuticle stick can be unpleasant for some but I didn't mind. I filed the rest of the polish off rather easily leaving my nails pretty rough.

I also tried another method that I had seen online recently...soaking a cotton pad in acetone and placing it on my nail then wrapping in foil.


Honestly it worked the same as putting my fingers in a bowl of acetone to soak, still had to wait, still had to push color off my nails, still had to file off remaining color. So unfortunately no miracle removal trick here.

Over the weekend I picked up a new color, Coral Sunset, a lovely shade for the summer.


And I am pleased as punch at the results. So there you have it, my last (lengthy) post about my nails.

How was your weekend? Mine was lovely - a Brad Paisley concert, b-day party at the park, and movie night with the boyfriend (we watched Crazy, Stupid, Love), a nice preview of my summer to come...only three more days!

You took a little longer to get here this week Friday, I'm going to need you to get on that. I don't like waiting. But now that your here I'm so glad!

I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk about our favorite things this week, you should head over and check out some of the awesome gals that link up each week and leave a few comments - it brightens everyone's day!



A high five this week for:

1. Making it through an absolute bonkers week with my 6th graders. I'm pretty sure they've already started summer vacation and they aren't sure why their parents keep dropping them off at school each morning. 3 more days.

2. My nails.

I told you about my Sensationail discovery on Sunday and I am happy to report that my nails are still looking great...super shiny, strong, and practically chip free, only one tiny chip on my pointer finger which I can totally deal with. I've gotten so many great compliments too!

3. MFJ (My friend Jody) and I are headed to the Brad Paisley concert tonight. Yes, I have my sundress and cowboy boots already to go!

4. My youngest sister is home from college and now we can hang all summer!


5. I tried sushi. Jury is still out on if I would try it again. I would definitely cut it in smaller pieces instead of eating the whole bite like your supposed to but overall not as bad as I thought it might be. Yay for trying new things!

Hope you have a lovely weekend full of sunshine and rainbows!

Update: After 5 days

Update: Removal 

I mentioned last week that I removed my acrylic nails after three years of going to the nail salon every 2-3 weeks to have them cut down, filled, and painted. I love having nice looking nails - even the slightest chip would have me repainting my nails, sometimes even a day after doing them myself, so acrylics suited me well. But frankly, I just got tired of the hassle - I spent at least an hour at the salon and sometimes that didn't include drying time. Something that was supposed to be relaxing was now just turning into a chore. And the cost -around $50 a month to maintain, sometimes more when I got a pedicure too.

After removing my nails last week - I've already painted them three times due to chipping and it was driving me nuts!

So I set out to solve this conundrum.

My Google searches all seemed to point me in the same direction: gel nail polish. Gel nail polish is like regular nail polish but it is cured with a UV or LED lamp to create a manicure that lasts up to two weeks with no chips. I thought gel manicures were only available at the salon with products like Shellac and axxium but lucky for me gel nail polish is now available at your local Wal-Mart.

Yep. Wal-Mart. What don't they sell there?


I found the Sensationail kit for $50 at Wally World (I looked at CVS too but no dice). While 50 bones seemed a tad bit expensive, the box said it was enough for 10 manicures so that works out to $5 a mani. And most other gel nail systems were much more expensive, somewhere around the $100 mark. And, after reading so many great reviews about the product I felt like it was a safe bet.

The kit came with a gel primer, gel base and top coat, gel cleaner, raspberry wine nail color, LED lamp, buffer, cuticle stick, and lint free wipes.

I was super excited when I got home to dive right and in and start painting but this is a type of product that you really want to follow the directions on for optimal results. But to my surprise the directions were relatively simple.

1. Shape and buff nails.
2. Use a lint free cloth and the gel cleaner to cleanse nails.
3. Swipe on a coat of gel primer and let air dry.
4. Paint a THIN coat of gel base onto nails staying clear of cuticles then cure under the lamp for 30 seconds.
5. Paint a THIN coat of nail color onto nails then cure under the lamp for 60 seconds. Repeat with a second coat of color and cure for 60 seconds.
6. Paint a THIN coat of gel top coat onto nails then cure under the lamp for 30 seconds.
7. Wipe nails with lint free cloth and gel cleaner to remove moisture layer.


At first glance it doesn't seem simple or quick and I'll admit my first thumbnail took me 10 minutes because I kept re-reading directions. But once I repeated the process it was SUPER quick. And the best part, my nails were instantly dry. Not kinda dry where you have to avoid picking up your keys or rooting through your purse. I'm talking 100%, send a text message, dig to the bottom of your purse, D-R-Y.



I think I'm in love. My nails are super shiny and look like they came straight from the salon. The box says up to two weeks of "dazzling damage proof wear" so I'll just have to wait and see but I'm pretty positive it's going to last. I'll be sure and report back in a few days.

Removal might be a different story but again I think following the directions are key. I'll have to soak my nails in acetone for about 15 minutes before the color will budge but we'll just have to wait and see.

P.S. This was just my experience with this product, Sensationail (Nailene) does not know who I am nor asked me to promote their product. I just love sharing great stuff!


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