New View

Remember when I mentioned I was moving?  Well, I did! 

Goodbye Big Apple, hello Garden State. 

I spent the first 5 years of my life in the Bronx, and the last 6 years in Manhattan.  And I liked it!  But let's face it, it's not like I was out at da club every night.  Or any night.  Ever. 

Aside from my easy breezy commute and delivery of absolutely anything to my doorstep, I don't know that I took advantage of all NYC had to offer, and that's on me.  But I don't have the free time, the wardrobe, or the energy to keep pace with the city that never sleeps.

I do know this: It feels good to be home. 

And probably not a minute too soon, as a lingering black mold situation in my old apt was probably killing me.  Or at the very least was "the match that lit a flame in my immune system," according to one of the docs I saw.

Anyhoo... my new digs are nicer, newer, 50% bigger, $600/mo. cheaper, and 100% more Jersey.  Yeah.  I may need my head examined next. 

Why didn't I do this YEARS ago?

Oh, and did I mention my view?  Remember my old view?  Now, this is what you'd see if you were standing on my terrace.  Not too shabby, right?  Come over sometime and I'll grill you up a juicy burger!

I've always said New York looks prettiest from New Jersey.  And when I'm not working, I can still keep an eye on her, but live in peace and quiet across the river.  Win win. 

With all this savings, I may even get a car again!  You didn't think I would actually SAVE the money, like, in a bank account, so I could buy a place and stop flushing $ down the toilet on rent -- did you? 

Silly.

So, a few days ago this blog officially had its six year anniversary.  Sadly, I've been blogging FAR less than I would like to, but I still love the old girl just the same.  And I love YOU for still reading it!  I know it's been a little stale lately.  Ok, ok, okaaaay.  A lot stale. 

I'm sure I will get inspired by my new view...

Now, as I did in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, here's a fond look back:

Total Posts I've Written (including this one):
253

Average Number of Posts I Write Per Month:
1.9 (down from 3.2 last year)

Average Number of Unique Visitors Per Month:
282 (up from 245 last year)

Average Pageviews Per Month:
1,490 (up from 1,071 last year)

Most Traffic Comes From:
Pinterest

Most-Read Blog Posts Ever:
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Pinterest (December 2012)
20 Apps I Adore (January 2012)
Pepe Le Pew (June 2011)
Comfort Food in a Storm (October 2012)
Miss Jennifer Goes to Washington (August 2012)
How the Hell is John Stamos 50? (August 2013)
Let Them Eat Jelly Beans (February 2011)
Facelift (July 2010)
Leftovers (November 2012)
Time (November 2010)

Most-Read Blog Posts This Year:
Dear Verizon
Spring Fling

Posts Nobody Gave a Crap About:
Rejected Candy Hearts
Jingle All the Way

Most Comments:
Dear Rheumatoid Arthritis

Most Popular Poll:
I Heart Rodolphe Lindt (this year)
Please Fix Voting (It Is Broken) (all-time)

Most Frequently-Used Tag for the Posts I Write:
Pop Culture

Most Popular Search by Visitors:
Dating


Here's a look ahead -- soon I'll update you on why I'm in a big fat fight with Ikea, and Fall TV is finally back, so the Loveseat Potato can't be far behind.

Thanks (as always) for reading!

PS: I took this pic one night outside my building, I think it's time to update the header...

tags: city life, health, holidays, jersey, writing

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry...

Well, today's my birthday.  And guess what?  A wish came true!  Turns out, I don't actually have Rheumatoid Arthritis!

Instead I have loads more horrible stuff. 

I won't bore you with all the nitty gritty deets, but basically my body is attacking my muscles, and my lungs and liver are inflamed.  My joints just got caught in the crossfire.

So, after 50+ blood tests, x-rays, cat scans, an allergic reaction to a malaria drug, and a couple of months where I've been sicker than I've ever been (x10), I finally have a diagnosis everybody agrees on. 

I think. 

And some meds.

Five days ago, I started on steroids.  Like the maximum amount any human can take to try and knock this shit out of my body. 

I'll be on overdrive for at least a month, and then they'll taper it down over the next few months after that. Then, the immunosuppressants kick in. This, of course, is very bad for you and has lots of fun side effects including gaining weight. 

Nobody can tell me if this will actually fix things (silly rabbit).  Maybe it will go into remission, or maybe I'll have flare-ups forever. It's anybody's guess. 

For now, it's the meds. 

So, I'm dealing with it the best way I know how -- through self-deprecating humor.  I've given this some serious thought.  If given the choice of how to handle my personal brand of  'Roid Rage, I'd prefer to channel the 70's-style Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno Incredible Hulk with those bad blue contacts, spotty green body paint, and torn up cut-off jean shorts. 

Now, when I bulk out and Hulk out, you'll know why.

Before I go stomp on a village, just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's reached out to me recently.  Your comments, texts, emails, phone calls, lunches, dinners, and hugs have warmed my little green heart.


tags: health, holidays, rants

Dear Rheumatoid Arthritis,

We first met 9 years ago when my mom got sick and you've interfered with my family's health and happiness ever since. 

Now, you're knocking on MY door?!

Well guess what?  I'm moving.

(No really, I am moving -- more on that in the coming weeks.)

I knew it was only a matter of time before we met face to face, but it's pretty shitty that you've shown up when I'm just 40 years old. 

You know I've always expressed myself with my hands. So, it's a low blow to make my fingers so inflamed that I can't properly hold a pen or open a bottle of water -- let alone type or cook.  I also can't wear my rings or bracelets or watch.

The last 6 weeks have brought a pain that's difficult to describe.  Shooting cramps from my shoulder to my elbow as I shower.  Aching in my ankles when I step off a curb on my walk to work.  Stiffness in my jaw when I try to eat a sandwich at lunch.  The most basic things have become pretty difficult. 

You are a sneaky little coward who likes to jump from joint to joint -- hiding in my wrists one minute, my knees the next, my knuckles right after that. 

And I'm left feeling weak and swollen from head to toe, like I just got a beat down from the inside out.

Nighttime is worse than the days.  I slept like a baby until YOU showed up.  Now I'm up every 20 minutes (also, like a baby?) and I've seen every late night infomercial ever filmed.  It's a special kind of torture to be laying in bed and not have the strength in your arm to reach the remote to change the channel.  So I watch.  And I listen. 

Most are total junk, but I think I actually will buy a Shark vacuum. 

That just makes good sense.

Of course, I eventually had to go in for an official diagnosis. I wasn't fooling around, I went straight to NYU.  They took so much blood, I'm surprised I had any left. Then came the tests and x-rays and NSAIDs and steroids, and who knows what's next? 

Oh, wait... I do!  Because I've been living through it with my mom for years.

My doctor says I'm in the early stages of something that has no cure.  Most of the medicines that keep the symptoms at bay have potential side effects that are worse than the disease. Plus, they lower your immune system so you can catch all sorts of rotten stuff.  Oh, and forget about having kids, unless you like serious birth defects.

Hey, salt... meet wound!  Now rub.

So far I've found just 3 good things about this awful mess:
1) I tested negative for scarier things like Lupus, Psoriasis, MS and Hepatitis.
2) I can't use my hands, so my nails look totes amazing.
3) I can't put on pants, so I've been wearing dresses which makes me look much fancier than I feel.

But guess what?  Even though I can't make a fist, I'm NOT going out like this. 

There's a showdown in my joints and I'm pulling out ALL the stops.  Medicine is just the tip of the iceberg.  I'll go gluten free, or do yoga, or transcendental meditation, or get acupuncture, or do the hokey pokey if it helps keep YOU in my rearview.

FU, RA. Lose my number.  You're not welcome in my home.

Unfondly,
Your #1 Enemy


tags: health, rants

Spring Fling

Lately, I've been up to my elbows in all things girly -- planning a Spring Fling party at work. If I show you some pretty pics, will you forget I haven't blogged in a month?

Didn't think so.

Still, here you go...

I asked for a plant wall with our logo written in flowers.
If Picasso and Miracle Gro had a baby, it would be Steve from Superior Florist.

Every party needs cute boys in pink & orange ties. We had 74 of them.
Did I mention they were models? And super nice? It's like spotting a unicorn. 

I never actually had the chance to eat the food, but if I had, I would have chowed down on this
fried chicken and watermelon like it was my job.

This was our perfume station. Guests could blend different scents and take 3 home
from Bergamot based in good old Brooklyn, NY.

This was our tribute to beauty then (as teens) and now (as ladies).
Doesn't it kind of look like a set out of a Wes Anderson movie?
 

Who could that be? I swear it's not me.  I'm definitely not at the 8th grade prom (minus my date).
And I'm certainly not wearing braces and electric blue eye shadow. Or a perm.
 

These were the stairs to the penthouse, lined with candles & flowers. Just like in my apartment,
minus the stairs, and the candles and the flowers and the penthouse.

We filled the clawfoot tub with flowers. And it was the prettiest tub in the history of bathrooms.
 

We taught all the women, and some men jockeying for husband/boyfriend of the year,
how to choose the perfect shade of MAC lipstick. I jumped into this station for a while when the line got too long
so I could help out, and I'm pretty sure I told a woman she was an "autumn" (whatever that means).

About a month ago, we saw this selfie machine at a conference and just had to have it. It's from a company called SOOH.
I still don't know how to pronounce that and now I know exactly how people feel about my last name...
 

Coachella's got nothing on us with these flower crowns from Urban Outfitters.
To no one's surprise, they "disappeared" in about an hour.
 

I would like these straws in every drink I ever have for the rest of my life.
If you would too, I suggest you contact For Your Party.

Our mixologists taught guests how to make 3 cocktails. This one is a strawberry tequila sour.
I'll have 7.

Who wouldn't want to eat healthy with this amazing spread at the build your own bruschetta bar?
The only question is... should you pronounce it bru-SKET-ta? Unless your name is Giada, I'm thinking no.

Can you get over this space? It's called Gary's Loft in midtown -- the elevators suck but the rest of the place
is so beautiful that it can make a raffle for shampoo and nail polish look like a work of art.

Our talented photographers Ashley & Scott took over 700 pictures, including the ones you see in this post. 
This is the only one of me (if you don't count the then & now pic), and I look like I'm about to sneeze. Super.

Anybody could learn to cook in a kitchen like this.

We used this for a dessert station, and I asked for liquid nitrogen so we could make sorbet & ice cream on the spot.
Somehow, our caterer, Scott and his team at Bite, made it happen. See the smoke? They are magic.

This is Jilly Hendrix, the coolest (and only) DJ I know. 
I wish I could keep her in my pocket so she could make the soundtrack of my life.

We opened up the roof deck just as the sun was setting.  This was the view.
Man, this city is pretty.

A look down at the kitchen from the roof.

String lights and outdoor heaters made a cozy atmosphere for something I called Night Brunch.
Who needs dessert at the end of a party when you can have chocolate chip & banana pancakes? 

I wish you could have been there too! 

If you still read this blog, I promise I'll post something new soon. Maybe next week. Definitely before summer. 

Definitely.


tags: city life, holidays, work


 

This Girl Is Bossy

I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've ever gone without writing a blog post.  (Cough.)  I'm so sorry, I've just been working really long hours lately and honestly, I haven't felt all that creative. 

But then I remembered, I love to blog! 

So here I am.

One of the things I've been working on is a campaign inspired by Sheryl Sandberg of Harvard, Lean In and Facebook fame -- she also recently became a billionaire (underachiever). She teamed up with the Girl Scouts to encourage girls to lead by banning the word "bossy" because it's belittling and sends a message that they shouldn't speak up.

Maybe you've heard of this?

Well, nobody can argue with wanting to empower young girls to be their best, but I think banning any word gives it way more power than it deserves. Plus, you can't ban ALL the words, right?  First bossy, then bratty, then bitchy. 

It doesn't end.

What you CAN do is get girls (and boys!) talking.  Give them the support and tools to handle whatever comes their way.  So, we made this video:



Aren't they great?!

As you know, I absolutely love doing stuff with kids, and seeing these 8 and 9 year old girls speak their minds reminded me of myself.  So I dug up this old photo of me at their age.

(Note the Wonder Woman bathing suit.  It was 1981 and she was awesome.  Still is.)

Back then, I was labeled a "social butterfly" by my teachers.  My parents thought I was a bit of a ham.  And yes, my little brother probably thought I was kinda bossy.  But he loves me anyway.

I'm sure over the years I have been called lots of things -- some good, some not. As a matter of fact, when I was a senior in college, a grown man once said, "God help the man who marries YOU," because I refused to leave his travel agency until he refunded my money (and the money of my 5 other girlfriends) after he overbooked our Spring Break trip to South Padre Island.  He cut a check that day.

Come to think of it, the old goat may have put a curse on me...

Bygones.

Point is this: Bossy is in the eye of the beholder.  This label -- or any label -- sometimes says more about the person using it than it does about the person they are trying to stick it on.  The trick is to stay true to yourself.

And those bossy tendencies?  They can be used for good!  Like, to stand up for someone, or to take charge of a situation, or to right a wrong. 

To be the boss.  Just like Springsteen.

So, what do YOU think?

I mean, I'm not the boss of you, but if I were I'd tell you to ask your kids what bossy means to them and upload a video to the social network of your choice using #BossyIs.

Or you could just show me pics of yourself in a superhero suit.  I'd like that too!


tags: family, jersey, rants, work

Dear Cough,

Please go away.

I haven’t been sick since May 2010.  I had bronchitis.  Maybe you remember? I sure do because I got dumped that week.  Since then, healthy as a horse!

That is, until last month when YOU came around.  Jerk.

I flew into Del Boca Vista and my throat started feeling a little funny.  Before long, I had coughing fits.  Hack, hack, hack, hack, haaaaack. Gasp for breath. Hack, hack.

Then came the chills.  Then the aches.  Never the green boogers. Then everything went away.

But YOU stuck around.

That was 4 weeks ago!  Officially, my lungs are clear and I had a severe upper respiratory infection.  Unofficially, I’ve got a huge pain in the ass.

I’ve taken full rounds of Delsym, Mucinex, Alleve Cold & Sinus, vitamin C, prescription cough pills AND cough syrup with Codeine, Z-packs, and more mentholated Halls than I can count.  That last one actually helps, for a minute (more on that below). 

Now, I’m on the Zyrtec.

Yes, I can hear you laughing.  I know it’s too early for seasonal allergies, but I’m at my wit’s end. I cough so much I’ve given myself a headache, which, incidentally, I treat with Advil liqui-gels. It doesn’t help that I’ve been on 5 flying germ farms (aka planes) during this time. And I had to give not one, but TWO, presentations in front of 100 people! Nothing says classy like coughing into a microphone.

But you knew that.

Also, attention makers of Pine Bros. chewy cough drops: You stink.  I don’t know why Martha Stewart is shilling for you.  I bought you in a haze of nostalgia and sickness and you did nothing but turn my tongue red.  You immediately disintegrate as though my saliva were made of acid.  And somehow you manage to both be bland AND taste horrible.  A rare skill.

I want my $4 back.

In other cough drop news, Luden’s you look and taste like a Jolly Rancher, which does nothing for me and rots my teeth. Riccola, you taste like a cherry covered in grass and you did zilch for my tickly throat.

My best bet is your archenemy, Hall’s.  I love you in all your sugar-free glory.  Keep fighting the good fight.

NOT in health,
The Girl Who Can’t Stop Coughing


tags: health, rants

Rejected Candy Hearts

So I was in Walgreens practicing my most favorite post-holiday ritual: Buying cheap candy. 

This tradition was born in college when my roommate and I would get back after Easter and head straight to Brooks Pharmacy on Post Road in Fairfield, CT.  Half off Peeps and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs? 

Don't mind if I do.

Needless to say, conversation hearts were top of my list today. Sure, you could just suck on a box of chalk but would chalk amuse you with cute short sayings or stain your tongue with pink ink?  No. 

I rummaged through the piles of Valentine's Day shrapnel and found the very last bag on the shelf, tucked under a plush insect that had "Bee Mine" printed on his red t-shirt.

Can't imagine why that gem was left behind.

I brought the bag home and dumped the hearts into a bowl so I could pick out all the oranges first. I like to pretend they're vitamins. Then, I noticed the sayings.  Not a single "Kiss Me," "True Love" or "Call Me."

The sayings inside my bag were...different.  I'm pretty sure they all got rejected at the candy factory.

Take a look at what was inside:

Find any funny Valentines in YOUR bag o'hearts?  Add them below, or make your own sweet nothings here.


tags: holidays

My 5 Favorite Beatles Songs

I just got back from a whirlwind tour for the last 3 weeks.

I hit Del Boca Vista, then Scottsdale, then back to Del Boca.  As I was walking through JFK yesterday on my way home, I saw a news bulletin about a few famous fellows who arrived at JFK exactly 50 years earlier.

The Beatles!

There was similar fanfare when I arrived. 

Beatlemania was before my time (I'm old but I'm not THAT old). From what I gather, they were bigger than Jesus.

Paul has always been my fave of the Fab Four. Ringo was too goofy, George was too serious, and John was too trippy for me. Paul seemed like a sensible choice.

What do you know? Most of the Beatles songs I like best were sung (sang? singed?) by Sir Paul. Here's my top 5:

Eleanor Rigby from Revolver (1966)
Why I like it: In 8th grade music class we learned to play this tragic song on a guitar.  Beatles, both alive and dead, rolled over in their graves that day but I bet Eleanor liked it.
Lead vocals: Paul McCartney
Fun fact: She was originally called Miss Daisy Hawkins.

All You Need Is Love from Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Why I like it: It's used in one of the best scenes of one of my favorite movies of all time, Love Actually. Plus it came out on my mom's bday.
Lead vocals: John Lennon
Fun fact: The song starts with the French national anthem, La Marseillaise.

Yesterday from Help! (1965)
Why I like it: If this song doesn't choke you up, just a little bit, you are dead inside.
Lead vocals: Paul McCartney
Fun fact: McCartney composed the whole melody in a dream at his girlfriend's house, and it was called Scrambled Eggs before it had a title.

Helter Skelter from The White Album (1968)
Why I like it: This one makes the list because of U2's cover on Rattle & Hum -- they're MY fab 4.
Lead vocals: Paul McCartney
Fun fact: The Who was the inspiration for Paul writing this rowdy song, it was later adopted as an anthem by Charles Manson

Get Back from Let it Be (1970)
Why I like it: When I was a kid I thought Jojo was a man who thought he was a woman, not a loner. Still makes me laugh when I hear this song.
Lead vocals: Paul McCartney
Fun fact: Paul looked at Yoko Ono in the studio when he sang, "Get back to where you once belonged."

poll by twiigs.com

The Beatles released 217 songs -- list YOUR favorites below!


tags: music, polls, pop culture

The Loveseat Potato Returns

Well, well, look who got a spuddy buddy?  No wonder she's so late with this fall TV post!

This is a match made in buttery mashed potato heaven.  Right?

Yeah... anyway, It's taken SO long to write this post that fall TV shows have been cancelled and their mid-season replacements have too.  And now, somehow it's 2014?!? 

Where does the time go?

While I'm waiting for a few new shows to start (Rake on FOX, and Late Night with Seth Meyers and About a Boy on NBC, I'm talking to YOU), let's feast our eyes on 50+ shows that have been clogging up my DVR.  In all cases, I've seen at least 2 episodes, but probably many (many) more.  Like, whole seasons.  Even of the ones I didn't like.

I blame the potato.


BEST NEW COMEDY

SPUD: The Millers (CBS)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Let's face it, sitcoms aren't as funny as they used to be.  But there's nothing not to like about this show.  Will Arnett?  Great. Greg Garcia, who created My Name Is Earl, created this show too? I'm in. It also makes me laugh?  Pass the chips (just don't tell you know who!).

Honorable mention goes to: Hello Ladies (HBO), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Super Fun Night (ABC), Ground Floor (TBS), Orange Is the New Black (Netflix), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

DUDS: Sean Saves the World (NBC), Trophy Wife except the little guy named Bert, he's awesome (ABC), Dads (FOX), The Goldbergs (ABC), Mom (CBS), Welcome to the Family (NBC - cancelled), We Are Men (CBS - cancelled), Back in the Game (ABC - cancelled)







BEST NEW DRAMA

SPUD: The Blacklist (NBC)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This show has a Silence of the Lambs vibe, minus the cannibalism. So far. James Spader lost some hair and gained some pounds, but is still creepy like we like him.  He plays Red Reddington, a fugitive who turns himself in to help a new FBI agent track down a bunch of other criminals who are so shady they aren't even on the Most Wanted List. Sounds dumb, but it's good.

Honorable mention goes to: Betrayal (ABC), Mob City (TNT)

DUDS: Hostages (CBS), Killer Women (ABC), The Carrie Diaries (CW), Almost Human (FOX), Lucky 7 (ABC - cancelled), Ironside (NBC - cancelled)










BEST NEW REALITY

SPUD: Friday Night Tykes (Esquire)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This show is hard to watch. And that's what has me hooked.  It follows a handful of pee-wee football teams in Texas. The boys, who are only 8 or 9 years old, are amazing. It's the coaches that are disgusting. If I had a kid on one of these teams, I'd punch the coach in the chicken nuggets.

Honorable mention goes to: Courtney Loves Dallas (Bravo), Vanilla Ice Goes Amish (DIY), Real World Ex-plosion (MTV), Below Deck (Bravo)

DUDS: 100 Days of Summer (Bravo), Thicker Than Water (Bravo), Toned Up (Bravo), Styled to Rock (Bravo), Come Dine with Me (Lifetime), The New Atlanta (Bravo), Alaskan Women Looking for Love (TLC)



BEST NEW FANTASY

SPUD: Reign (CW)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Ever wonder what Mary Queen of Scots was like when she was 15? Me neither. And even if I did, I'm 99% sure this show is wildly historically inaccurate. But hey, that's why they invented historical fiction. Just give me fancy dresses and cute boys, I'm there.

Honorable mention goes to: The Originals (CW), Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

DUDS: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC), Dracula (NBC), The Tomorrow People (CW), Witches of the East End (Lifetime)











BEST NEW COOKING

SPUD: Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Imagine you needed to roast a chicken using only a crème brûlée torch with spatulas duct-taped to your hands? A bunch of sociopaths cook up crazy sabotages like this every week, and chefs battle it out to cook a good dish despite them. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for the pitch meetings. It would be more funny to see what doesn't make the cut.

Honorable mention goes to: Knife Fight (Esquire Network), My Grandmother's Ravioli with Mo Rocca (Cooking Channel), Guy's Grocery Games (Food Network)

DUDS: Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off (Food Network), Junior Masterchef (FOX), The Kitchen (Food Network)






Lastly, it's time to roast a show I wanted to love (really, I did!), but I didn't:

WORST FAMOUS PERSON IN A SITCOM

DUD: The Crazy Ones (CBS, Thursdays at 9pm)

WHY IT'S A ROTTEN POTATO:
Robin Williams!  This had all the makings of my new favorite show -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bob from Mad Men in a modern-day advertising industry sitcom by David E. Kelley?  Genius.  Then came Robin freaking Williams.  That guy can't shut it off.  He grates my nerves down to a pile of hashbrowns, which incidentally, would be infinitely more enjoyable than his tired old schtick.  Boo.
















Disagree?  See something I missed?  Put the DVR on pause and comment below...


tags: entertainment

Santa Brought Me Lots (and Lots) of Nail Polish

Would you believe me if I told you Santa brought me 194 bottles of nail polish this Christmas?

No?  Hmm...

Well, what's more unbelievable about that statement: that I have one-hundred-ninety-four new bottles of nail polish, or that a fat man in a big red suit slid down my chimney to deposit them under my tree?

(Or that I don't own a salon?  Or that my teeny tiny 550 sqft apt can house a nail polish collection of this size?)

Ok, you're right, it wasn't Santa.  It was ME! 

It all started out innocent enough.  A present for you, a present for me.  But nail polish gift sets are like Lay's potato chips -- no one can buy just one! 

The next thing I knew, one became two, two became four, and four became... fifteen. 

Crazy.  I blame the fumes.

Good thing I have that silly nail polish blog to justify the expense.  I do it -- in the name of Science.

I knew I would be down in Del Boca Vista for Christmas, so I opened my presents (to myself) early.  In just 2 nights, I tried at least one shade from every single one of the sets.  And if you think your fingers get raw and raggedy from painting, and removing, and painting, and removing -- you're right. 

Good thing I don't take close-up shots of my hands.  Oh, wait...

If you're curious what these kits really look like, you can read the post here.  My faves were from Butter London, Ciate, Julep, OPI and Zoya.

I hope you too found lots of bright, sparkly things under your Christmas tree, Hanukkah bush, or Festivus aluminum pole!
xo


tags: beauty, holidays, shopping