NOTD: Going Halfsies

Today's nails of the day is a super fun stamped design in vibrant summer colors. I realized that I haven't stamped in a while and I knew I wanted to incorporate two different pattern plates into one design for my manicure. Honestly, I feel like the design would have looked better and a little more finished with a black line dividing the two patterns but eh, I still like the way it came out!

NOTD: Pink Corset Nails

My nails of today are reminiscent of a previous design shared on this blog wayyyy back in August of 2010, if you can believe it. When I posted the design originally I used shades of blue so for this time I decided on shades of pink. Plus it kind of matched the "Bride to Be" button my sister gave me on my bachelorette so that had to be in the nail photo too.

 

For this look I used Sally Hansen Fuscia Power, Color Club Art Club in white and black, and Zoya Nikki. The button was courtesy of my sister.

My Travel Bag - Travelon Anti-Theft Travel Bag

Once we decided on Europe for our honeymoon I started shopping, shopping, and more shopping for various clothes and items that we needed to get ready for our two week adventure. I needed clothes anyway (someone has been enjoying too many sweets these days!) so this was a good excuse opportunity for a mini shopping spree! One of the more difficult things to purchase though was a purse to use while traveling. After reading online how prevalent theft is throughout Paris (and any city really) I wanted to protect my stuff as much as possible while we do our touristy stuff.

Let me say, there were SO many options online. So picking a bag would be easy, right? Wrong! I had a hard time finding actual reviews and photographs of the bags to see what they were really like for use. Plus, they were hard to find in stores! I finally settled on the THE Travelon Anti-Theft Bag from Amazon.

It has really good anti-theft features yet it was still fashionable enough that I felt like it doesn't scream "I'm a Tourist!" It can be worn as a shoulder bag or a crossbody and it's big enough to hold the essentials that I'm planning to bring with us. Because we're traveling I obviously won't bring ALL of my stuff. I'm thinking just my cards, passport, phone, umbrella, map, water bottle, and camera.

Speaking of water bottles, it has a nifty zipper pocket on the side that can stow water bottles up to 1 liter. They might be a bit too large but if you really wanted to you could definitely do it. And if you don't need to pack a water bottle you could use this pocket for an umbrella.

There are four main security features in this bag. First, the strap has a wire sewn into it that makes the strap slash-resistant. People can't cut through your strap and take your bag. Second, the whole body of the bag has a metal mesh under the fabric. This means that even if someone were to cut your bag, all of your stuff would stay inside. Third, each zipper pull clasps to the bag. This makes it more noticeable if someone were to attempt to get in your bag without you noticing.

There are three compartments in the bag. Two regular compartments and one compartment for your to store your wallet type items. The first pocket is perfect for a map, umbrella, sunglasses, or maybe even a small tablet (super small).

The middle compartment is for your cards, cash, and passport. I will use it to replace a wallet. Added bonus though -- the card slots are RFID protected.  There is also a pen holder, zippered pocket, and two other pockets for cash.

The last pocket is the largest and I'm happy to say this will definitely be large enough to fit my camera. Possibly even a second lense, too! We'll see.

 And the final seurity feature that I really like? The strap that you can lengthen to wear as a shoulder strap or crossbody bag has a locking clasp. Why is this secure? Because rather than throw your back on the chair next to you so someone can stroll by, grab it, and run away, you can wrap the bag around an immobile object (chair, armrest, table leg, etc).

Overall, I think this will be a great addition to my purse collection and will very well while we're traveling. I know that buying a secure bag might be a bit "overkill" but I like having the piece of mind that I have secured my belongings as well as I could. I'll let you know how it works out after our honeymoon!

NOTD: Weekend Recap

Yesterday was my bachelorette party and my friends all met for dinner and some drinks. I'm not a big partier, or drinker for that matter, so it was nice that is was low key. The dinner was delicious and I shared too much of it on Instagram probably but hey, it was delicious. Here's a shot from the bachelorette.

And then tonight we said good bye to my broski with a farewell dinner before he returned back to college for his junior year. Fiance was still away on his bachelor party and my brother-in-law was away for a day trip with his family so it was really nice to have the original five together for dinner. I cannot remember the last time that happened.

GOOD LUCK BRO! 

DO WELL AND MAKE US PROUD!

Festive Summer Nails

Finally some nails on this site again! It's been a long while, no? For today I have these super festive summer nails to share. I really love the colors together and although this might be a bit too eye-catching for my mediation on Monday it is perfect for the weekend.

Oh and that cut on my pinkie? Yep, someone got a little too zealous with the orange stick and cuticle trimmer. I hate it when that happens!

The Files turns 7!

And that makes seven, everyone! I can't believe The Files has been around for 7 years. It's lasted as long as the Gilmore Girls television series (one of my personal faves--I have seen all the episodes multiple times). For a bit of fun I scrolled through my blog toward the very beginning. It's so funny to read my posts and to look at the pictures (those were before my upgrade to a nicer camera).

Then I looked more at my recent posts. It's been a not-so-interesting year due to my general lack of posting, I don't really have any good excuse (that's life, right?). Between planning for the wedding, working full time (and then some), working out, trying to keep the home in order (uhm hello laundry piles and dishes in the sink!), and my overall laziness, keeping up with the blog this year has been a struggle. Long gone are the days of multiple nail posts per day and many posts per week. However, I have recently been re-inspired by this little blog and am hopeful that I will return to a more active posting schedule.

One thing I have always liked about this blog is that it no one judges it. I really enjoy that I can post whatever I want whenever I want.  Although it's not AS FOCUSED on nail designs any more, nail polish continues to be the driving force behind this blog. I hope you all continue to check back often and share my blogging journey. Talk to you on the next post!!

Paint Night with my Sister

I was on Facebook a few weeks ago and I saw that one of our local Painting With a Twist locations was doing a Beauty and the Beast themed painting of the rose. My sister is a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast and so I thought it would be a really fun time out...so we booked our seats.

If you've never been to Painting with a Twist, then it's pretty simple. They offer a painting and people show up to try their hands at creating something similar. And of course, you drink wine. I brought some super cute mini moscatos that had been hanging in my fridge.

 Ah, the beginning. A blank canvas, my mini wine (it's like an adults-only-water-bottle), and some paint ready for an artistic adventure.

Which became a blue and black egg shaped design with white specks.

This is a sneaky shot I took of my sister working on her masterpiece.

 And our finished project . They're not so bad, right?!

Maybe I should just stick with nail polish...lol. It was a really fun experience though and we spent the next hour or so looking at all of the paint nights available in our area.