I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of one-piece bathing suits. I have literal worn a two-piece bathing suit 2 times in my whole life. It's not that I'm that self-conscious, it's just that I feel so naked in a bikini. It's like I'm in my undies! In public! Horrors! I'm a total prude at heart.
J. Crew has some great (and flattering I might add) options for all you like minded tummy-hiders out there. Not overly expensive, and they look like you could actually swim in them! Such a novel idea. I am in love with the gray retro sheath. If I were going on a honeymoon anytime soon, I would totally get that one and wear it with these.

I have a bad case of the Mondays. It's so gorgeous outside and all I want to do is go out and dig in my garden! Alas, I'm inside staring at my screen and day dreaming about being outside instead. On the upside, I did discover these adorable hair bands from Untamed Petals while I was aimlessly wandering around the web AND my fingernails still look fantastic (in case you were wondering).

Done! I got my fancy manicure! It was really very much like any other manicure, only in the end my nails were instantly dry. They have a shiny wet look to them, but are completely bulletproof. I was able to dig around in my purse right after with no damage whatsoever. The product I tried was called CND Shellac, which uses a thin base coat, polish and then a thin top coat that are all cured under UV light. The results are not thick and lumpy like a lot of acrylics or other gels, and they are said to last at least 14 days. At $30-35, it's more expensive than a regular manicure, but if it really does last, it seems sort of worth it. The only minor complaints I have is that you have to go back to the salon to have it soaked off. Normal nail polish remover will not do the trick. And they have only 12 colors, most of which are on the boring side. I chose a coral color called "Tropics" because I was feeling summery, but they do have some lighter shades that could be very bridal. I think the best thing about it would be that you could get your manicure several days before the wedding, rather than the morning of, and not worry about it looking dull or chipped, then off you go to your honeymoon with no touch-ups or anything. I will keep you posted at the 14 day mark to let you know if I am still without chips. I have high hopes, so far I am quite happy with it. It really does look nice.

Lately I've been addicted to painting my nails. Purple! Coral! Fun!
I previously wore them totally natural, moisturizing and buffing them shiny every week or so. Sadly, after several "newborn" months of scrubbing my hands 12 times a day and neglecting my nails in favor of sleep, they are now looking rather pitiful. The phrase "she's let herself go" pops to mind whenever I look at my hands. No so good. So I polish.
This is fun but I'd also forgotten how annoying it is. Let them dry, nick them, chip them... It's not a perfect system. So! You can imagine how intrigued I was when I heard of this "3 week manicure" thing. That's right, reportedly this manicure lasts, unchipped, for up to 3 weeks. I've read about it here, and here. I have appointment today (in the interest of science) to discover if indeed this mani can last from the wedding night straight thru the honeymoon. The things I do for you! Stay tuned for pics.

What a fun idea! I got a piece of shard jewelry from the hubs for Mother's Day and I love it. It would be fantastic to make a set of matching necklaces for bridesmaids or sisters of a beautiful thrifted plate, or an orphaned piece of Grandma's china. Chic and sentimental, my favorite! From The Broken Plate.

I adore the creative shapes in these fascinators by YJ. The yellow one is my favorite, especially with a vintage inspired dress and a nice red lip! Love!

I have been boring the pants off myself lately with a wardrobe of white, gray, black and denim... snooze. These lovelies from Anthropologie would be just the ticket to liven things up for summer. Dell, if you are reading this, the orange bracelet has "birthday present" written all over it. Just sayin'.
I'm out until Monday, have a great weekend everyone!

I've decided that I want to cage dive with Great White sharks. I know what you are thinking in regards to my sanity, and you might be right. I'm still doing it.
I want an adventure! A wild story to tell my son! An adrenaline rush of a lifetime!
Unfortunately, these sorts of adventures are not free. My Mom has about 18-24 months to talk me out of it while I save up.
Anyone out there ever done this? Dare I ask if anyone is doing something like this on their honeymoon? Adventurers? Adrenaline junkies? Anyone?
Image by Lee Micheals, via San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions.

Claire La Faye of CLF creates these gorgeous dresses, complete with a lot of glamour and a hint of rock n' roll. I adore the accessories she chooses, it just goes to show how easily you can take a simple dress and make it your own!

What a great idea for bridesmaid's gifts! These adorable little cosmetic bags by Juju Baju would be so fun to fill with little beauty treasures.
Had I about $100 to spend on each girl, I would include a Mac Shadestick in a different shade for each of my ladies, a Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, (because everyone needs one), a bottle of relatively environmentally friendly Sephora Nail Color by OPI (my favorites are Caliente Coral, On Stage, Bare To Be Different, and Metro Chic), a wand of L'oreal Beauty Tubes Mascara (as a girl with dainty lashes, I think the 'tubes are perhaps my most favorite mascara), and last but not least, a Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker in Dr. Pepper (because that was my favorite when I was 9).

Since April of 2006 I have been blogging everyday or every other day, but, (as you know) these last two weeks I've been completely and totally absent - with no explanation whatsoever. You must all think I've been flattened by a bus! Turns out, nope. I am not flat, but indeed as 3 dimensional as ever. I'm alive and well, and I have no dramatic reason for my absence. I just needed a break. Does that make sense? I was feeling burnt out, needed a little concentrated time to explore some new directions for Kenzie Kate (wait until you see!), needed some time to snuggle with my little guy, needed to recooperate and regrouperate... excuses, excuses.
The good news is, I'm feeling refreshed and I will be returning to you on a far more regular basis. On that note, I want to reach out to you and ask you for your input. Have you worked with an amazing vendor? Found a hidden resource? Discovered a money saving idea? Started a fantastic new company of your very own? I want to hear about it. I can troll the web, scour the earth, and consult my secret sources, but nothing can compare to your ground floor experience. I want to hear from you!