Striped Nail Polish (fail)

A few days ago I came across this pin.  

I used to have painted fingernails all the time.  I only had plain nails for a few days and that was just to ensure that they didn't turn yellow.  Then I moved up to Sacramento and for some reason, I just stopped.  

For the past few days I've been wanting to paint my nails, but couldn't decide on a color, so off to Pinterest-land I went.  High and low, to and fro and scrolling back to the top in search for a nail polish design I could easily pull off.  So here I go!





Step 1:  Apply vaseline to the edges of your fingernails. This is so the nailpolish doesn't stick to the skin on your fingers.  I love this trick.

Step 2:  Apply your base color.  I decided to go with pink!

Step 3:  Cut tape into thin strips. I used regular scotch tape and cut it with scissors into strips.  I didn't care if they were perfectly even, obviously.

Step 4:  Apply tape strips to nails.  I like the "searchlight" look.  

Step 5:  Apply top layer of nail polish.

Step 6:  Peel tape. This is where you will reveal your beautiful works of nail art and impress your friends.

  

...or not.

I know that my tape strips were too thick, but I'm not really sure what else went wrong.  Could it be the fact that I use cheap nail polish?  Perhaps I just need to start with something a little simpler. 

Working Out

Two weeks ago I started the exercise routine Tapout XT.  I am taking pictures and recording my measurements.  I am also keeping a journal for myself to read as encouragement, and as a reminder to make healthy choices.  

I haven't posted anything here because I'm afraid of embarrassing myself by posting "before" pictures and then give up halfway through and never upload any "after" pictures.  

However, it is encouraging when friends and family ask me how my plants are doing and they remind me to blog about it.

So, what do you think?  Should I record my progress publicly and as it happens, or should I wait until the 90 days are over and post my (hopefully) success story all at once?

How to Regrow Romaine Lettuce From Scraps

I love the idea of container gardening, but with my recent failures I've been a little discouraged.  I hadn't been going out of my way to plant or start anything new. Until I fed my rabbit the last leaves from the head of Romaine. Normally I just throw the stump in the bowl with the leaves and she eats it, but I figured, what the heck, I'll give this regrowing thing a try. 

Step 1: Gather materials.  You'll need the stump of your Romaine and a small container. Easy!

Step 2: Place the stump in the container and add water.  I put this stump in its container on 1/30.

Step 4:  Put your plant in a sunny window and wait.  I didn't get my hopes up too high when I started.  I just made sure that there was fresh water in the container every day.  I wasn't even paying attention to any growth.  Then I left for the weekend and when I returned (2/14)....

Look at those cute little leaves! 

Can you spot the itty-bitty baby leaves?

Two more little leaves have sprouted on the other side, too!

 My confidence is restored, and I'm looking forward to watching this little plant grow.  And as always, any tips or tricks are welcome.