I-Do-What-I-Want Wednesday

Warning : the following is a non-nail post. 

File Under:  The Handbag Obsession of Summer 2013

That's how it's gonna go down in my history.  Why?  Where'd this come from?  No clue really.  But it hit me like a train and suddenly I wanted --no, needed-- to own a chic handbag.  So I did what I always do... off to research I went.  

I started at the top, fell in love, got sticker shock, recovered, rationalized (TARDIS blue ♥)  started making long-range plans --I have a birthday in the fall... I have a Christmas Club Nest Egg...-- crafted a backup plan.....  Then I consulted my mother who resolved it all thus:  You have handbags for fall. What you need is a Summer bag.  Let's go shopping.

♥  I  Love  My  Mother  ♥

Yeah-- look what we found at the first store we went to! 

Ipsy Glam Bag : June

Happy Summer!!!

As much as I love make-up and beauty stuff (confession: I buy far more than I actually use) I have stayed well away from the monthly subscription services. I get the appeal of "waiting for a surprise" in the mail and all... yet I still wasn't into it.  Not even when I encountered a nails-dedicated subscription.  Now why am I suddenly an "Ipsy girl"?   

Let's all say a "howdy!" to rxstrmom! 

I find Patti utterly sweet and charming and I ♥ watching her You Tube videos.  One such video gave me (us?) the benefit of her (not-so-great) experience with a beauty service, and her subsequent happy ending with Ipsy.  Quite frankly, her video sold me on giving this service a try.  Period.  Now I have my first Ipsy bag and I'm very, very pleased. 

June 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag: On The Wild Side

Signs of Life

Oh my gosh-- it's June! 

How time flies... in retrospect, because when you're actually living it... that's a whole 'nother story.  Sorry for being M.I.A. blogging.  Work has been a horror.  My nails have been a disaster; breaking, peeling, gross cuticles. I'm still working on my 100 Untrieds, but I've only taken quickie cellphone pics.  

All in all-- it's Juuunnneee!  Fiiiinnnnaaally! =) 

Maybe I can come up with a decent post soon, eh?

Love,
~*Ari

Blog You Heart Out, girlfriend!

Hey everyone!  

The following award is very special to me.  It was created by the wonderful Samantha at Totally Chic and she chose me as one of the first bloggers to give this too.  I'm honored and touched, and yes as you intended, very happy right now! ♥ 

Here are the rules for the award (taken directly from Sam's award post):

The Blog Your Heart Out button for girls and young women that love to blog. It is awarded to bloggers that have under 100 followers and, well, blog their heart out! If you are awarded, you must nominate 5 other bloggers with under 100 followers and answer the following questions:

1. What/who encouraged you start blogging?
2. How did you choose what topic(s) to blog about?
3. What is something that most people don't know about you? 
4. What are 3 words to describe your style?
5. What do you like to do when you're not blogging?

...and these are my answers:

1. I was encouraged to start blogging... because I wanted to 'play with my friends'.  
2. The reason my blogging topic is nail polish is... because that's where the cool cats are. ;-)
3. Something most people don't know about me... that I am a ballroom dancer.  I know, right?!  Who dances now a days?!  I've been taking lessons for 2 & 1/2  years now, which makes me a Ferrari that only a few men are qualified to drive. 
4. My style in three words... ooohhhh, tough one!  Right now my job doesn't let me reveal a personal style, fashion-wise --thank God nail polish doesn't matter!-- so I feel as if I've somewhat lost my 'voice' in style.  In my previous job in the corporate world my day-to-day style could be described as business-like and feminine, but with an edge.  
5. When I'm not blogging I love to...  read, I read a lot.  I like taking road trips.  I love food tourism.  When I watch food network I always ask myself can I drive to that place? ;-)  I'm a girl therefore I shop, it's in my nature.  I love to thrift and slum in stores where others refuse to go, to discover a cool bargain.  

And finally, who I now nominate (Drumroll, please...)

1. Ginger Elanor - I consider her my very first partner in lacquer crime. LOL!  
2. Jazz - So very cheerful!  Plus she likes Nightmare Before Christmas!
3. Simple Joy of Polish - We have such similar taste in polish. 
4. Patricia at Polished & Glittered - She's just moved to a brand-new blog name.
5. Lacquer-loving Lawyer - Because my car is also my fave sunny spot to snap mani pics.

Again. thank you very, very much for this award, Samantha! ♥

~*Ari

The Liebster Award!

Hey everyone!  I've received another award!

I was tagged by the wonderful Samantha of Totally Chic for the Leibster Award! Thanks so much! Now, the rules for the award are as follows:

1. Each person must list 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award.
3. Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.
4. Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.
5. Absolutely NO tag backs. (I don't know what this is but...)
6. Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers

First off, eleven things about me...

1. I LOVE music.
2. I LOVE reading. - I love books.  I love the library, but I love owning my books more. 
3. I LOVE mythology. - Especially Greek mythology.  And faerie-tales.  My blog's name comes from Beauty & The Beast.  My blogger name, Ariadne Elise, comes directly from my favorite Greek myths: Ariadne and Hades.  No, they don't really meet in myth.  So I wrote their story myself. Ha! 
4. I love ballroom dancing. - I've been taking ballroom dance lessons for just over 2 years now. I especially love how it let's me interact more fully with music, since I don't sing or play an instrument.
5. I am an only child. - I never think about this, until it comes up with other people and they find it bizarre. I don't. Siblings are bizarre to me; like, share my Mom?! Oh hell no, I don't think so. ;-)
6. I have radically changed careers. - I went from law to teaching. Yes, my parents thought I was nuts. =)
7. I am at the halfway mark of my weight loss journey. - 40lbs. with HCG. It changed my life. It really does work. Now...
8. I am an organic fiend. - This makes me the most annoying person to grocery shop with.  I read every label.  Lord bless my mother for putting up with me.
9. When it comes to food, I try not to be a conspiracy theorist nut. - Sometimes I fail. I really think big food companies are out to make you fat. 
10. I buy gorgeous make-up... and then rarely wear any. - I blame my current job. I start too early in the day and to little 6 year olds, you're beautiful no matter what. 
11. I am a techie with a very stubborn streak. - I like what I like and I usually don't follow the crowd. I have never owned anything Apple. I don't have an iPod, I have a Zune. (Back in the day, it was cheaper, had more storage & a bigger screen.)    In this iPad world, I bought a Kindle Fire HD.  (Love it.  Happy Birthday to me.)  I don't like laptops, only desktops.  I have never bought a  pre-built, off-the-shelf desktop.  I get a PC clone custom made.  Right now I am typing this on a BA rig that'd make a gamer salivate.  I don't game.  I just like power.

Now for Samantha's Questions.  They're all Coke-or-Pepsi style, meaning which do you prefer, she thought they would be more fun that way and I agree. =)

1. Target or Walmart? -- Both! ^_^
2. Coke or Pepsi? -- Pepsi (sometimes, back when I used to drink soda)
3. Dogs or Cats? -- Cats
4. Winter or Summer? -- Summer
5. Macy's or J.C. Penney's? -- Macy's
6. Big house or cozy house? -- Big.
7. Disney or Universal? -- Disney! Plus now they own Star Wars!!! *geek!alert*
8. Giving or receiving? -- Giving
9. Bracelets or necklaces? -- Bracelet
10. Long hair or short hair? -- Loooong, please
11. Hair in a ponytail/updo or hair down? -- Ponytail
12. Loki or Thor? -- LOKI!!!!!!!  Ok, I just totally made that one up. Sorry... not. LOL!

Now for my 11 Questions, also Coke-or-Pepsi style** and as randomly as they came from my flu-ridden and over-medicated brain today (:   

**Feel free to cop to both, so long as you elaborate as to why ;-)

1. Asgard:  Loki or Thor? -- 
2. Lacquer:  Red or Pink? -- 
3. Make-up:  Lipstick or Lipgloss? --
4. Food:  Sushi or Pasta? --
5. Drink:  Coffee or Tea? --
6. Sweet:  Chocolate or Fruit? --
7. Fandoms, part 1:  Star Wars or Star Trek? --
8. Fandoms, part 2:  Doctor Who or Sherlock? --
9. Vampires: sparkle or no sparkle? --
10. Books: paper or digital? --
11. Hunger Games:  Peeta or Gale? --

And finally, who I have tagged (Drumroll, please...)

1. Ginger Elanor - I consider her my very first partner in lacquer crime. LOL!  
2. Jazz - So very cheerful!  Plus she likes Nightmare Before Christmas!
3. Simple Joy of Polish - We have such similar taste in polish. 
4. Patricia at Polished & Glittered - She's just moved to a brand-new blog name.
5. Lacquer-loving Lawyer - Because my car is also my fave sunny spot to snap mani pics.

I'm going to stop here because I have another award to answer/nominate for.  

Thanks again, Samantha! ♥

~*Ari

A Beautiful Award

My UK swap buddy Anna has nominated me for an award!!! 

This is so exciting!  I feel like Agnes!

This award comes with a few simple... Rules:

1. Thank the person that nominated you and link to their blog.

HEY ANNA...

ELANOR'S NAILS

2. Tell us how the idea of making a blog popped up and what makes you continue it?

On Holiday

Hi!  Gone to the beach!

I've set off on a Summer holiday for a couple weeks. 

But I've left a few pre-scheduled posts for you. =)
~*Ari

Message in a (paper) Bottle

The mail is a lovely thing.  For instance, yesterday, it brought me stripping tape. (Hooray!)  Tomorrow, it'll most likely bring me Nail-Venturous Floam (Double hooray and props to Ninja Polish! Shipping in under 24hrs!) Today, the mail is also helping me to send out a message in a (paper) bottle.

Wanna see?  (Warning: non-nail related blabbing ahead...)