DIY Wood Nail Polish Rack

 No Foam Board here!!

I got the idea to use wood instead of foam board from dulcecandy.com. Depending on your polish brands and size/types you could display hundreds of bottles here...I currently have 187 bottles displayed here and about 90 more that had to stay on the table top (I know my little collection is no where near some of you super serious varnish lovers out there!)...watch my YouTube video below to see how I made this!!

Here are the supplies I used:

1 -   24" x 36" back board  $8.34 at Lowe's

2 -   2" x  36" side pieces   $1.97 at Lowe's

10 - 2" x 24" shelf pieces   $0.97 at Lowe's
1 can spray paint (your choice) I used Rustoleum in Khaki $4.24 at Lowe's
Plastic drywall anchors w/screws $2.55 at Lowe's
Gorilla Glue $4.99 at Lowe's
Nails $1.30 at Lowe's
Hammer
Drill (to drill pilot holes and to drill screws into plastic drywall anchors)
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks (i used a high temp gun w/high temp glue sticks)
Pencil
Ruler

If no price is listed, I already had these items.

I spent less than $40.00 on this project and it took me a little over a day to complete it. I really love it...I stare at it all the time!

Thanks for reading!!

Top Coat Tuesday: Essie Aruba Blue

I have been after this polish for a long time. But anybody that knows me should know that I pretty much refuse to pay full price for nail polish.

Well, I finally broke down and bought it, I mean, it was only $8, so whatever. I probably have that much lost in the bottom of my purse!!

This is the Best Blue Ever. This is 2 coats of Essie Aruba Blue topped with a coat of SV. It is a frosty sapphire blue that covers beautifully.

Essie has lots of richly pigmented colors and this one does not disappoint. It's very electrifying...so shiny...I can't believe I took so long to buy this!!

I've been really impressed with my Essie polishes because they are very chip resistant. Most of my OPI and especially China Glaze start to chip rather quickly. I see a great future for me and Essie...



Linen/Room Spray Recipe

Linen Spray can be a wonderful thing. But when you customize it to your own preferences, it can be even better.

There are several ways out there that this can be made, some using isopropyl alcohol, and even vodka. But the way that I show here is what works for me.

You will need:

Distilled Water

Fragrance Modifier

Fragrance/Essential Oil

Mister

Funnel

Blend 1 part fragrance/essential oil with 3 parts Fragrance Modifier and mix well.

Add 1 tsp of the fragrance modifier per 2 cups of distilled water. Shake well.

That's it! This makes about 3 cups of linen spray, depending on how you decide to measure out the volumes of fragrance and fragrance modifier. I don't like to make a huge batch because I don't want to have to store large amounts of this, so I use 1/4 cup fragrance and 3/4 cup modifier. And my favorite scent, Pink Sugar, has just the right amount of "umph" for this size batch.

The main benefit I get from making my own linen spray is that I control the amount of fragrance that permeates my room, whether it be strong or subtle. And also, I can play around with my oils and customize my own signature fragrances!

Pink Sugar is my absolute fav! I also used it in my Homemade Bubble Bath. Be careful with the oils you choose because some are not recommended for use on skin. I use the mister seen below because it is small enough to keep in my car console, and it's really sleek and cute! You can use any misting spray bottle or buy the one I have here. 

Fragrance Modifier allows oil to dissolve and incorporate into water. You can buy it here. Distilled Water is water that has been boiled to remove minerals and other elements, then allowed to cool again, which increases it pureness. It can be bought at your local grocery store. This can be really rewarding, play around with it and tell me what you think. Or let me know what recipe you use. Thanks for reading!!

11 Things: Tagged by Mandy

Mandy Q tagged me for the 11 things survey...here it is!

1. Post these rules

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things about you.

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions ad tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

Here are 11 random things about me.

1. I chew about 20 pieces of gum everyday. 5 Gum is my absolute favorite!

2. If I connect the dots on the tiny moles on my forehead, they are shaped like the big dipper, or maybe the little dipper!

3. My favorite movie of all time is Steel Magnolias. I think I know every word.

4. I wash my hands at least 50 a day...job necessity!

5. I hate saying Ma'am and Sir to anyone, it just sounds so submissive. I know that sounds stupid.

6. I've been with my husband for half of my life now & I still love him with everything in me!

7. I have really bad OCD. Let's just keep it at that...

8. I have 263 bottles of nail polish, and there are still so many new colors that I want!

9. I don't like cats at all. Sorry cat lovers...

10. I think I might know the words to almost every Whitney Houston song. I love them all.

11. I hate stopping to put gas in my car. What happened to all the Full Service stations?

Mandy's questions for me...

1. What is your favorite word? I know it's not really a word, but I say "hmm" a lot. It keeps me from making decisions in conversations that I really don't want to be in.

2. What is your earliest happy memory? I remember watching my mom & dad dance in the living room. I wanted to be in love like that.

3. What music have you been loving lately? The Weeknd, I put all of his mixtapes on one CD so that I never have to switch em out!!

4. What is the nicest thing someone's ever done for you? When my husband broke one ankle & sprained the other, a neighbor saw me struggling to get him up the stairs to our apartment so he came over, put my hubby on his back & carried him upstairs for me!

5. What would you do if you won the lottery? I would travel to Africa every 3 months. I want to teach a class in Oprah's school & hold some of those precious babies!!

6. What is the most impulsive thing you've ever done? I bid impulsively on a bottle of nail polish on EBay & won. I ended up paying waaay too much for it. Very disappointed once I actually used it.

7. What fictional character can you most relate to? Uma Thurman in My Super Ex Girlfriend was too funny! This would probably be me if I were ever in that situation.

8. What is the best vacation you've ever taken? I went to Alaska and was able to actually see The Aurora Borealis in person. It was great!!

9. What do you appreciate the most that costs the least amount of money? I appreciate the respect that I get inside the walls of my home, because it seems that you can't naturally receive it from anywhere else these days. Thanks hunny bunny!! ;-)

10. Do you have any tattoos? What are they? I have 2 tattoos and I would like another one. I have a grapevine around my ankle & my name on my arm.

11. What website am I most likely to find you browsing? I spend a lot of time on my blog, but if there is a particular website I favor, it would be Pinterest!! I'm hooked!!!

Now, my questions for Callye, Alexandria, Callie, Jennifer & Torri

1. If you don't have an iPhone, what kind of cell phone do you have?

2. It's 7pm. What are you watching on TV?

3. What brand of paper towels do you buy?

4. If you had a jar of nutella, what would you eat it with?

5. If money were no object, what would be the 1st materialistic thing you would buy?

6. Do you wear a watch on your left wrist or your right?

7. When you paint your nails, do you ever paint your toes to match?

8. If you were riding in a Limo, what would you yell out if you stuck your head out of the sunroof?

9. Besides your keys, phone & purse, what's the 1st thing you grab when you're headed out the door everyday?

10. Have you ever worn a turtleneck shirt of any kind?

11. Do you prefer soft drinks from a can, a bottle, or a fountain drink?

If you participate, let me know by sending me a link...thanks!

Pamper Me Mondays

DIY Body Butter

This product is a "Beautiful Lovely Thing". To make this for yourself, you will need the following items...

 

I couldn't find the photo I took of the Vaseline, & I didn't have anymore, so I had to google one. Anyway, I simply add all of these into a large bowl and whip them together with a hand mixer. I start with only half the container of lotion because I want to make sure my product is thick like a body butter should be. Then, I add the remainder, as needed.

I don't feel like I should have to wear my arm out stirring this, so I have a mixer that I use only for bath products. And I also like to ensure that my body butter ingredients are very well combined.

(I'm trying out a new watermark)

I have made this many many times. And through trial and error, I've decided that these products work best for my needs.

Vitamin E creme, instead of vitamin E oil makes for a creamier more luxurious product. In the brand I use, I've only been able to find the creme in 25,000 I.U. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and can help reduce wrinkles. I'm all for that!!

Johnson's Baby Lotion has always been a staple in my home because it moisturizes my skin without leaving it oily. I use the Vanilla Oatmeal scent because I want my skin to feel like a baby, not smell like one.

Petroleum Jelly locks in moisture, but it can be a bit greasy. So to cut down on that greasy oily feeling it can leave behind, I started using Vaseline Smoothing Body Butter. Not only does it condition my skin and give it that "glow" of healthiness, the Cocoa Butter smells great with the Vanilla Oatmeal. The fragrance combination is nice and subtle, and it keeps me from having to add any essential oils to the mix.

This stuff is "The Business"...I love love love it!!!

Thanks for reading!!