How-To: Paint Your Nails Swirly

In the spirit of one of my favorite holidays, the 4th of July, I decided to show you how I painted my nails swirly Red, White & Blue just in time for the weekend. I LOVE this holiday. Nothing makes me smile like patriotism, watermelon(with vodka or sober), summer, block parties with good friends and good food, playing on the beach, and of course FIREWORKS!

Start with as many colors as you want. 3 usually does it. Anything more than that is overkill. Of course I picked America's trademark colors. It helps to get polish of the same company, that way they're the same consistency.

Tape up around your fingernails so it's easier to clean up afterwords.

Put about an inch of water in a small container, and pour a generous amount of each color on top. It should float.

Use a toothpick or a needle(be careful!) to swirl the colors together.

Now dip the top of your nails in horizontally just to cover your nail.

Take off the tape with your free hand, or have someone help me. Then let it dry(!!!) before you use a q-tip to clean your hands up with nail polish remover.

Fireworks!

Now you can celebrate America's Independence Day right!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July and be safe!

Don't forget to smile.

:)

Lace

How-To: Make Jewelry Out of Hex-Nuts!

Go to any a hardware store for the hex-nuts. I chose silver but there's gold ones as well. Get some synthetic line to mix with the craft line so you can melt it on the knots you make with a lighter (that way it won't come undone so easily).

Make 3 Lines. Double over the line into a giant loop and make a knot at one end. Make sure the loop is about the right size to fit a hex-nut through tightly. It will be used as a makeship clasp.

Braid the three lines together just like hair, until you get to what you've decided is the middle section of the necklace. Then add one hex-nut per braid.

I got three different sizes so I can taper them and make the middle larger like this.

Then braid it the same length on the other side and at the very end tie on one more hex-nut to put through the loop you made on the other end. Once again if you used synthetic line, flash a lighter over the knot to melt it together so it's nice and strong.

Voila! Kinda looks like fish bones.

Hex-nut necklaces make me smile, and I hope they make you smile too!

<3

Lace

How To: Make a Fishtail Braid

Seperate a side pony into 2 parts.

Take a small piece of hair from behind on side of hair.

(The smaller the better.)

Cross that small piece over and join it with the other side of hair.

Take a small piece of hair from the alternate side and cross it over to join with the first side.

It should start looking loose like this.

Just keep going. Like I said, it may take awhile, but the smaller the pieces you use, the cooler it turns out!

I like to use the smallest hair-tie I can find. Usually clear.

Mermaid Braid!

The best part about this braid is that it's ok to be messy! I even like to pull it apart a little afterwards to give it more of a beachy mermaid look. It takes longer than a normal braid but it's well worth it.

My fishtail braid made me smile all day and I hope it makes you too.

:)