Seize the Sparkle

It's kind of hard to believe that I'm almost done with Blog Every Day in May. It seems like I was just finalizing my list of prompts a day or two ago! Spring is almost over, but that doesn't mean there aren't a whole lot of things coming up that I'm looking forward to! 1. The return of Mr. Sparkle ... Quite easily thee thing I'm looking forward to most. He's been gone since January, so it's been a long time coming! Very excited to have him home to enjoy all the warm summer weather that he loves so much. 2. Le Nouveau Chez Sparkle ... The return of Mr. Sparkle also means the end of the gypsy lifestyle Peanut and I have been living for over a year now. I'm soooooo ready to have all my things in one place. I'll be able to unpack my stash, my makeup bag, and have access to every. single. article. of clothing I own. No more packing a bag! Woohoo! 3. Peanut and her Big Girl Bed ... I'm excited to see how this transition goes. The nighttime

When I sat down to start a blog for the 4th time, Seize the Sparkle was the result. I had a little bit of experience blogging previously, so I knew that the name was important. I probably spent about a week researching and testing out names I liked. Seize the Sparkle came about early on, and was a growing favorite over that week. I wanted to make sure that the name I chose would eventually allow me to branch out beyond my original mission statement. It also helped that Seize the Sparkle was available across every social media platform I planned to utilize. The name stems from the Latin phrase Carpe Diem. In 10th grade, we watched Dead Poet's Society in my Honors English class. The movie made an immediate impression on me, and has been amongst my favorites ever since. In the movie, Robin Williams' character John Keating whispers to his students "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." Replace boys with girls, add in a little glitter, and

Out of all the prompts I chose to include in La Fishbowl, today's prompt is easily one of my favorites! Just like how every blogger has their own unique voice... every nail blogger has their own SIGNATURE STYLE ! Polishes Used: 1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler 2 Coats Orly On The Edge 1 Coat Pure Ice Oh, Baby 1 Coat Sally Girl Trapeze Artist 1 Coat Max Factor Fantasy Fire 1 Coat Sally Girl Trapeze Artist 2 Coats SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite What is my SIGNATURE STYLE ? Definitely layering manicures like the one you see above. It's an easy enough kind of manicure to do. Depending on what polishes you layer, and how you layer them, you can create all kinds of really fun and neat effects! This layering has been on my mind for quite a while. On The Edge is seriously such a fun bright blue-leaning purple, that it needed to be in a mani with Fantasy Fire. But then there's Trapeze Artist, which is just about the coolest mi

I'd like to think that I'm a pretty welcoming kind of person when it comes to meeting new people. Labels and stereotypes have always really bothered me. I can't say that there's any specific type of person that could be my friend. I always prided myself on having friends all over the spectrum when it comes to personalities. It makes life a whole lot more fun! But when it comes down to it, there are characteristics that are really important to me... 1. Good Sense of Humor ... I'm kind of a goofball, and I don't take myself too seriously. So I like having friends who can laugh at themselves and make me laugh. Total bonus points if you've got a quick wit and a little bit of snark to your personality. 2. Individuality ... Maybe it's the contrary in me, maybe it's the fact that I was raised in an extremely accepting home. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's fake people. Especially when you can see right through all the fakeness. Bei

Polishes Used: 1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler 5 Coats Pure Ice Tickle Me Pink* 1 Coat Pure Ice Top Coat 1 Coat Pure Ice Girl on the Run It's been a very, very long time since I have worn a sheer, pale pink polish. I forgot how much I really like shades like this. Classic, clean, and really pretty. Also a great contender for wedding season! Tickle Me Pink has the same great formula that I've come to expect from Pure Ice. Not too thick, and buildable to an opaque finish without getting incredibly thick or goopy. But it did take five coats to get to what you see in my photos. In real life, there's still a little bit of visible streaking, but only if you're right on top of my nails. If I were to use this polish again, I'm not sure that I would wear it alone. I think it would look really cool as the base polish for a neon tip French manicure. I'm curious what it would look like mattified. And, I did contemplate using the Pure Ice Shimmer-W

Yep. That's my Chromey. Pretty sure this is one of the default images that came pre-installed, too. Love this photo, and I also really love how clean and uncluttered the "dekstop" is. Although, it's not really a desktop in the traditional sense... but still!

For some people, warmer weather equals project season, but around Studio Sparkle, there are projects in various stages of completion all year long. With so many great articles, blog posts, and TV shows documenting every aspect of the DIY process... It's kind of hard not to have a lengthy To-Do project list. What's on mine? I'm so glad you asked... c/o Ikea 1. Helmer #2 ... I receive a 2nd one for my Birthday and still haven't put it together.  Mainly because I just haven't had the time! There's the bedtime routine with Peanut, which keeps getting elongated as her stall tactics become more elaborate. Then there's the fact that in order for her to go to sleep, I've gotta lay down too. So, I typically play on my phone while I sing to her for a little, and wait for her to go to sleep. Once she's out, I'm free to do what I need to do, but that usually times out to around 8ish if I'm lucky, closer to 9 if I'm not. Most nights, I have jus

Polishes Used: 1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler 3 Coat SinfulColors Otaku Anime* 1 Coat SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite These nails are giving me the most serious cravings for all things lemony right now. Lemonade, lemon drops, limoncello, lemon meringue... I seriously cannot look at them without thinking about lemons! Otaku Anime is a sheer, lemon yellow polish packed with incredibly superfine orange, yellow, and green shimmer. There's a lot of it in there, and it builds up to a nice sheen on the nails that prevents it from being streaky. Application went really well, too. This is just three coats, and while you can see VNL, there's a lot of pigment in here for a sheer polish. In all honesty, this isn't a shade of polish that I would normally purchase myself, and I probably wouldn't wear it on its own again. But that doesn't mean to count it out by any mean! I think it would definitely benefit from being layered over another pol

Pretty sure there's not a person alive who hasn't considered how different their life might be if they just didn't do that one thing, few things, or series of things. I think we've all got regrets, myself included. If I could write a letter to my younger self and assure that it would be delivered, read, and taken seriously? Hmmmm... I doubt it. In fact, I probably would've read it, laughed, written it off and continued to do what I wanted. Because that's just me. One of my favorite quotes comes from the musical Rent... "Forget regret, or life is yours to miss." I could sit here all day and wax philosophically about the changes I would make in my life. But the thing is, you really never know exactly the effect it would have. Do I have the best life in the world? Oh, I'm sure as far as some people are concerned... not at all. But to me? I'm pretty damn happy with the way things are going at the moment. The only thing I could ask for, is that

While I know that this list isn't comprised totally of "things..." Rather, it's a list of my personal righthisminute must-haves. Because while there are definitely things that we consider important, it's mainly the people who make our lives something really special, sprinkled with a little bit of how we connect to them... 1. Peanut ... For the fact that I was never an "I definitely want kids" kind of person, the effect she has had on me is ridiculously amazing. When people tell you that having a child changes everything, they're really not kidding. I fell in love with her the instant that I saw her, and that love just continues to grow. She's constantly melting my heart with her silly giggles and huge smile! I'm so, so, sooooo blessed to have such a sweetie for a daughter! 2. Mr. Sparkle ... It's very cool to be married to your best friend. He definitely knows me better than anyone, and it's been hard having him gone for so lo

I know, I know... but the craziest thing isn't the fact that I'm wearing orange polish. The crazy thing is that I actually kind of like it. And no... I don't have a fever! Allergies, maybe, but no fever. Just a really pretty, shimmery polish... Polishes Used: 1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler 3 Coats SinfulColors Maroon Fine* 1 Coat SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite So, it's definitely safe to say that if I had seen this on a display in the store, I would've walked right by it. I just don't do orange polish. I'm not a big fan of the color, or the way it looks on my skin. But technically speaking, this is described by SinfulColors as a "high-shine metallic copper." So... does it really count as orange? Because honestly, it's growing on me the longer I wear it! Maroon Fine is a burnt orange, almost caramel colored polish with superfine pink and orange shimmer. Maybe it's that signature SinfulColors shimmer t

Apologies again for the lack of posts over the weekend. It was definitely busy, busy, busy around Chez Sparkle! Lots of sanding and painting trim, coupled with Memorial Day Weekend picnics and fun stuff. Soooo... I was pretty much ready to crash at the exact time Peanut did every night. That definitely happened on Friday. I was seriously exhausted! Let's start with piercings, since I have more of those... I've got two holes in each ear, but I only wear earrings in the lowest set of holes. I got my ears pierced in 1st grade, and I remember feeling so cool, because my teacher didn't even have pierced ears! My second holes... I can't really remember when I got them. I think sometime during high school? They're not evenly placed, so I really don't put anything in them. Ever. They're just kind of... there. Both of my ears have had cartiledge piercings. The first grew shut, and the 2nd developed a really weird bubble next to it after piercing. After a little

When I picked the prompt for the 29th edition of Fishbowl Friday... I was a little smug. TRIANGLE nails? Easy, right? Wroooooong. What you're seeing below is actually my 4th attempt at making this prompt work. They might be a bit... abstract ... but here they are. TRIANGLE nails...  Polishes Used:  1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler OPI Indigo Motif OPI Pen & Pink OPI Purple Perspective OPI Turquoise Aesthetic 2 Coats SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite Some nights, you just can't get a design to translate from your brain onto your nails. Last night was one of those nights, three times over. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for hanging in there until something worked!  Attempt #1 ... I taped off my nails to create triangles at the bottom, and did a little seriotype. Pulled the tape off, then went on to what were going to be my accent nails. I was planning on stamping them, and that just didn't work. I went back to e

Isn't looking at old photos the best? Remembering moments you've completely forgotten, or in some cases, still not remembering those funny stories only parents can tell! I guess that's probably why I try to capture so many snaps of Peanut. I want her to be able to look back see what her early years were like! So... here's a couple shots of my early years. I wish I could say I remember anything about these, or the days that they were taken, but I remember nothing! I might have been a little nixie back then, but it certainly looks like I was having fun... an early love for flowers posing nicely with my sister yep. that's beer.

While I wouldn't say that I'm an extremely well-versed foodie... I do looooove trying new foods. Asian, Thai, Greek, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, all of it. So, I've got a pretty big repertoire of what I've tried and what I love, what I would order again, and the one food that I will always, ALWAYS pull a Bartleby over. So let's get started, shall we?   1. Surf & Turf ... Crab Cakes & Filet Mignon. It's usually between these two for a special meal out with Mr. Sparkle. I like my Crab Cakes with very little filler and lots of lemon juice. Then, for my Filet, medium, no fancy sauces or dressings required! 2. Cheeseburgers ... We have a couple good burger places around here, one in particular that is constanstly switching up their menu. Regular burgers, Angus burgers, Elk burgers... slather it in cheese and I'm there. I could never be a vegetarian. Oh, and make it medium. It tastes better that way! 3. Grilled Swordfish a la Mr. Sparkle ... He usual

After posting yesterday about brights and neons for Summer... it seemed only natural to go that route for my nails today. Endless Blue is thee cobalt blue you need in your collection and on your nails! Polishes Used:  1 Coat Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler 3 Coats SinfulColors Endless Blue 1 Coat SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite Cobalt is definitely riding on a high at the moment, and I'm not ready to let it go anytime soon! It's such a fun way to add a bright pop of color to your outfit. Like I said, if you don't have it in your collection, you really need to get a bottle and see for yourself!  The formula on Endless Blue was excellent, which always makes application easier! This polish is really pigmented, so most people would probably only need 2 coats. I added a 3rd because that's what I do! A layer of clear and a layer of Seche, and I was ready to call it a night.  Theoretically, I could use this as a base for Fishbow