31 Week Nail Art Challenge - Week 30: Inspired by a Tutorial

We're almost there everyone! Only one more post after today left in the 31 Week Nail Art Challenge!
Today's nails are inspired by this tutorial uploaded by Mod Nails. It's a super cute leopard and black matte design:
If you haven't checked out her videos yet, please do so. I don't think she's posted in a while but her designs are super cute. For my manicure I used a Kleancolor polish (unfortunately the name label fell off but thanks to Ananka's suggestion I think the polish is Mocha) as the base, made the spots with China Glaze Chocodisiac and Orly Liquid Vinyl, and matted out the middle finger and pinky with Essie Matte About You.
I really liked how these turned out but has anyone else been let down by Essie Matte About You? I was really disappointed in the matte lack of matte finish it gave to my nails. I've had the bottle for a couple years so maybe it just wasn't mixed well? Meh. In any event I have to repaint my nails anyway because boyfriend has a work party tonight that we're going to. Free food (and booze)...Yes, please! I guess I should figure out my outfit! Have a great day everyone.

Next up: The last and final one! Recreate Your Favorite

December Nail Art Challenge: Lights

Another entry for the December Nail Art Challenge I'm doing! Were you looking forward to it because I certainly was! The last time I did a Christmas Light manicure was way back in 2010! My oh my, how time flies! For this year's lights manicure I painted these:
For these, I used Sally Hansen Camelflage as a base, Art Deco in Black for the strand, and China Glaze Phat Santa and China Glaze Paper Chasing as the light bulbs. The bulbs are more like dots but ehh you get the idea! 

Next up: Candycanes!

Product Review: Activity Tracker

Two posts in one day what?! I guess that's one good thing about job searching...more free time than a 40 hour/week job. So hello for the second time friends! What brings me to post again today? Well, I recently received the Cel-Lab Fit Clip Activity Tracker to review and I wanted to share it here on the blog in case any of you are considering purchasing an activity tracker for yourself or another this holiday season.

Fitness and activity trackers are really super popular these days (most of my family now have Fitbits that they wear and I have had my chunky Garmin Forerunner running watch for years). So what does it do? Naturally, it tracks your daily activity! The Cel-Lab Fit Clip Activity Tacker retails for $23.99 and acts as a pedometer, calorie counter, distance tracker, and even a sleep tracker....all in one convenient tiny package! The face of the tracker glows blue and you can read all the information super easily and quickly. To activate the sleep tracking function you just hold down the single black button for about 5 seconds and you'll see the face change. Overall, it's really easy to use. Here are the various tracking stats when I first turned it on:
So that is what the tracker itself looks like. Now here is what the product packaging looks like:
You can tell it's pretty small -- probably only about 3 or 4 inches long and only about 1.5 to 2 wide -- so it's a really convenient size. Inside the package are the following: one activity tracking clip, one USB charging cable, and a black soft sleeve (I'll talk about that later). Here is a photo of the products:
The USB plugs into your computer (I plugged it into both my Mac and my PC and it charged no problem). You simply plug the USB into your compuer, clip the tracker over the large end of the USB cable, and voila the battery bar shows up on the face of the tracker so you can tell when it's done. Additionally, one charge can last up to 7 days...so you're not constantly charging!
Here's where it gets interesting. This Activity Tracker actually comes with software that you can use to track your long-term activity. Note: You do NOT have to use the computer software if you just want to look at the end of each day and leave it at that. I'm a sucker for long-term tracking though so I was excited that the software allowed for all kinds of graphs to track your progress in more detail. The homescreen looks like this:
You have to first put in some info (weight, height, sex, etc) in your settings and then you can explore your activity, your sleep, and your history and progress. You can set an individual daily step goal (I went with 5000 steps because that is roughly 5 miles) and monitor your percentage completed on your tracker. It also keeps track of your active time.

Now for how you wear it. As I mentioned the actual unit is a clip itself, so you won't be finding yourself working with any type of strings/ties/rubber connectors/plastic connectors/etc. This makes it SO easy to clip on your clothing (or wherever) even when you're in a rush. Also, you don't even need to clip it to your clothing. You can slip in your pocket, slide it in your purse, hide it under your beanie, whatever you can think of. As long as it's on you when you're moving it will keep track of your steps. The tracker can be flaunted with pride (you know, if you want everyone to see you getting your pedometer tracking on!) or concealed discretely (if you clip it to an undergarment or slip it in a pocket). The tracker also comes with a band...which I used to strap the pedometer to my ankle while I was just vegging around the apartment. The band looks like this and attaches with velcro so it's one size fits most:
So how do I wear my activity tracker?  Today I went for a walk so I decided to keep it on my waistband but you can also clip it to your sweater/top/jacket. I also tried the clip on my shoes too. And then when I was just relaxing on my couch I had it strapped to my ankle (oddly comfortable by the way and I forgot it was there).
Now, no pedometer will be 100% accurate. I view trackers as just giving me an idea of how much I move and also just making me more conscious that I should be keeping active. If you count steps in your head or use two different devices to measure your distance you will most likely find that the readings vary. I personally am okay with that because I just use for a general tracking of movement. I don't need to know that I actually moved 7282 steps even though my tracker reads 7300. That being said, I think this pedometer is pretty accurate when I compared it to my phone reading.

This tracker could be a great gift idea for YOURSELF if you want to keep track of your movement throughout the day, you kids if they are really active, your parents if you want them to maybe think about taking walks/becoming more active, or really anyone in your life. Who doesn't want to set goals and see themselves meeting them?!

The tracker retails for $23.99 so I think it's such a great deal compared to more expensive alternatives that do the same job (FitClip I'm looking at you!). I also think it's more accurate than the super cheap options that will break in five seconds. This tracker is also sweat and water resistant so don't worry about moisture. Lastly, whether you're a gym bouncing bunny who does insane workouts OR a leisurely daily stroll-taker, you will definitely find yourself enjoying this Activity Tracker.

I was provided this product for a very discounted price in return for my honest opinion and review. Rest assured, my opinions were not influenced in any way.

Wishlist Wednesday: Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is...

With Christmas fast approaching I've been tasked by my mother with coming up with a few ideas for presents I would like to receive from "Santa" this year. While there is honestly nothing that woul dbe appreciated more than some generous cold hard student-loan-payment cash, there are a couple items that I've had my eye on. Nothing crazy like my November Wishlist Wednesday but a few items that I would really love. Dear Santa, if the elves must spoil me perhaps these...

A Mortar and Pestle.
Andrew and I love to cook anything and everything. We frequently cook meals together and so we've been amassing quite a few new kitchen gadgets along our culinary adventures. Recently, we tackled a pumpkin cheesecake recipe that required us to grind whole cloves...a difficult feat when you don't have a mortar and pestle to use! Because we cook so often I'm thinking it's worth the investment to finally get a mortar and pestle for grinding spices and making quacamole (my fave!). I really like this option that I found on Amazon for only $10.99. It's the 4.5 inch Greenco Marble Mortar and Pestle in white/gray. It looks clean and it's small enough that I don't feel guilty adding it to our already overstocked kitchen cabinets.

A Wide Angle/Macro lens.
I've also been researching new lenses for my camera and I really like the macro capability of this lens (good for the blog photos right?) and the look of wide angle photos (for regular life picture taking). So this 52 millimeter 0.43x Altura Photo Professional HD Wide Angle Lens (w/ macro Portion) for only $29.99 is the perfect tester. If I really like I could invest in a better macro lens when I can afford one and give this to my sister, who just recently purchased a DSLR before her honeymoon.
A Wireless Adapter.
Pretty much all my wishlist items are camera related, haha. I researched this Nikon WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter for $39.99. It's a really cool attachment that allows the photos you take to wirelessly upload to your phone/tablet automatically. It also lets you use your phone to view the photo and activate the actual shutter (so you can actually see the photo before you take it even though the camera may be propped up across the room!). I love to post my nails on Instagram but I really only like the photos taken by my DSLR so I can't easily upload. I have to plug the SD card into my computer and then email the photo so I can access it from my phone and then post from the phone. Quite the process! :( This makes it easier.

A Shutter Remote.
If the wireless adapter isn't an option I would love this very simple option instead. It's a less expensive Foto&Tech FTML-L3 Wireless Shutter Remote that is only $9.99 and still lets you activate the shutter from across the room. You can't use your camera to preview the photo and the photos you take won't upload to your phone/tablet though because it doesn't have that capability. This is small though and doesn't have to be plugged into the camera so it sticks out awkwardly. This can just get thrown in my camera bag and pulled out when needed. It's also easier to hide this remote than a giant cell phone in the pictures taken.

A Flexible Tripod.
I'm also interested in the Vidpro GP-24 Gripster III Flexible Digital SLR Camera Tripod. This is a cheap but great option because it's only $9.58 and it has flexible legs so you can wrap it around things to secure the tripod. You also can accommodate any type of angle or hill the tripod might be set on. Can you say great deal?!

A New Planner.
I am a girl who loves planning. I plan and scribble notes constantly and I can't imagine entering a year without a planner to keep track of everything in my life. Last year, I invested in an Erin Condren Life Planner (remember my planner review post from last October) but I'm not sure I want to invest $mucho$dinero$ in a planner again this year. The EC is really steep and despite the custom coloring and various cover options, I think I would like this adorable Sugar Paper Planner from Target instead. It does the same job as the Erin Condren, you can still use stickers and stuff in it if you want, and how adorable is the black/white/gold? Clearly, I'm loving those colors right now...hence my new blog banner! Plus, this planner is more transportable because it's smaller and it's only $9.99 so it definitely beats the $50+ pricetag of Erin Condren life planners. I'll leave the EC life planners for the chic college students and busy moms!

So, what are you hoping Santa spoils you with this year??

31 Week Nail Art Challenge - Week 29: Inspired by the Supernatural

This nail art is sort of a lame cop out for today's prompt in the 31 Week Nail Art Challenge. I didn't have any other ideas for the supernatural so I just used stamps of ghosts. What do you think?
I know I know, not very original. You just saw ghosts stamps here on The Files not too long ago in one of my Halloween designs....but I tried to do something a bit different for today. I painted China Glaze Peachy Keen as a base and then stamped the double helix (is that a good way of putting it?) in Zoya Shawn off BundleMonster plate 203. Then I added the ghost BundleMonster stamp in black on the top from BM223. So supernatural, right?!

Next up: nails inspired by a tutorial!

December Nail Art Challenge: Sparkles

Hello there, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Andrew and I spent ours getting outside (it is ridiculously warm here for December) and picking up some gifts for friends/family. We also spent some time perusing Christmas decorations and finishing our apartment decorating. When we lived apart I always decorated my apartment (I shared last year's tree here on The Files) but Andrew never really decked his halls (maybe it's a girl thing?). It's been really fun meshing Miss Holiday-spirit-everywhere with Mr. Bahhumbug. This year we have a Christmas tree, window lights, balcony lights, red bows in every window, a couple small indoor wreaths, garland hanging over the kitchen archway, some festive tabletop decorations, a candy cane (not the candy though) garland on our stairway banister, and festive dishtowels,....oh and a poinsettia on the way. Too much?? A lot of it came from the dollar store though so it was a steal! Giant red bows for a buck?? Yes please! Photographing everything would mean waiting until nightfall and I want to get this post up stat so here's a photo of our tree. It'll have to suffice for now! Anyway, onto the nails...they are the reason for being here after all.

Ugh, photographing sparkly nails might just be my downfall, am I right?? Today's nails are for the "Sparkles" entry in the December Nail Art Challenge and my camera and I weren't seeing eye to eye...so they aren't the best photos on the blog. I layered China Glaze Mistletoe Kisses over China Glaze Jolly Holly to get the SPARKLINESS and then tried to capture the accurate green and sparkle. It was NOT working out.
Doing sparkly nails also reminded me of a quote:
 (photo from Decor Designs etsy)
Next up in the challenge: LIGHTS!
If you're doing the challenge (or any holiday nails), post your links below so I can check them out!

31 Week Nail Art Challenge - Week 28: Inspired By A Flag

Today's post is Week 28 of the 31 Week Nail Art Challenge, or Inspired by a Flag. As you may remember from my September First Friday Favorites post, I ADORE the show The Royals on E! Network (about a fictitious British royal family). I am also obsessed with the real British Royal Family (Kate Middleton obsession much?). So when I saw this prompt coming I wanted to do nails inspired by none other than the Union Jack. These were actually painted for LAST Sunday but I held off on posting them so I could keep the challenge in order. Here are my nails inspired by a flag:
Because it was inspired by a flag I did the Union Jack on my ring finger and then stamped two crowns on my index and middle fingers as a nod to The Royals. Then because I can't leave well enough alone I added some more pizzaz on my pinky nail by adding some rhinestones in red, blue, and white.
And just a few more photos. The Royals premiered its second season on November 15th....and for my premiere watching party I created a giant Big Ben and some fruit tartlets for our show watching.
The left most was a delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter tartlet, made of chocolate filling with a peanut butter icing dollop on top. The middle was a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tartlet, which was strawberry filling topped with three chocolate chips and powdered sugar. The right most was a Cheesecake Tartlet, which was cheesecake filling topped with crushed graham cracker. They were a big hit for everyone that was over here for the premiere party! The cheesecake and graham cracker one was my personal fave. If you want a post on the recipe comment below or email me!

Also hung this adorable DIY banner near the TV:

 Only an hour until this week's episode...Cheers!

December Nail Art Challenge: Plaid

Today's prompt for the December Nail Art Challenge is Plaid. Although the most iconic and recognizable plaid would have to be Burberry, I adore this pattern because it brings back memories of my old school uniforms. Plus, I already did Burberry nails during Designer Week in 2011 so what fun would that be here? For today's nails I decided to use OPI What's Your Point-settia as the base since it is red and adds just a bit more Holiday pizzazz and festivity if you ask me. Of course I had to use my Burberry jacket as the background because it's plaid! These aren't the cleanest nails but you get the point.
And a rare glimpse of my Cinderella hand!
Next up Sparkles! Any ideas?
Let me know if you're doing any holiday nails so I can check them out. Leave links below!

That time I swatched a polish without a name!

Has that ever happened to you? I'm guessing this polish is Kleancolor "Sheer Pastel Nude" but I really have no idea because apparently the ID sticker on the bottom of the bottle has gone missing. Of course, I realized that AFTER I had painted my nails for the swatch photos and so I didn't want them to go to waste and not be used here on The Files. Ugh, has anyone else lost the name of a polish before? Anyway, for lack of polish name, here is "just some nude Kleancolor nail polish." If you can identify this polish let me know in the comments below so I can correct the name. Please and thank you! EDIT: One of my dear blogging buddies has helped me to decide that it is in fact Mocha.

In other non-nail news, I am officially sworn in to practice law in both the states that I took (and passed) the bar for! Yay, Nikki, Esquire at your service!

First are the photos with flash. The flash didn't really mess with the color too much so the photos are pretty accurate.

No flash, natural sunlight, indoors:

Is it true?? A Challenge I Can Do?!

Remember when I started the 31 Week Nail Art Challenge? Lol yeah I don't either...it's been so long how could you possibly remember? My Week One post was OVER A YEAR AGO on August 24, 2014. Is this challenge 31 weeks or 31 years?! Anyway, even though I haven't finished that challenge it's about time that I start a new one. I chose the December Nail Art Challenge I saw posted by Wondrously Polished years ago. Let's see if I can keep up with this one in a timely fashion, shall we? Here we go, let's start the December Nail Art Challenge!

Today's post is for December 1st, aka Snow, and I have these light gradient snowflake nails to show for it:
I think I did amazing with the gradient! If you've been reading The Files here for a while then you know just how badly I struggle with gradients. I think I've got the hang of it now! I used Essie Barbados Blue, OPI What's With the Cattitude, and Sally Hansen Hydro Eectric Miracle Gel polish for the gradient. Then I stamped the snowflake stamp from BundleMonster in Zoya Snow White (is there anything more perfect for snow designs than Zoya Snow White??). I added a few dots in silver and white for a little pizzaz.

If you want to join in on this challenge, leave your links in the comments so I can see. I'd love to see what you come up with!
Professional Blog Designs by pipdig