to thine own nails be true!

according to my manifesto, pampering myself is a must. one of my absolute favorite ways to do this is getting my nails done. a pedicure can brighten any day! can i get an amen?! 

if you haven't had a shellac manicure, you are missing out! 

shellac is similar to a gel polish that sets under UV light.

two of the most amazing features of shellac vs. regular polish are...

no dry time {which means NO smudges!}

chip free polish that lasts weeks {and looks as shiny as the first day!}

{source}

you can see the progression of my nails in the photo above. by using shellac consistently, my nails have grown tremendously! i get compliments all the time and lots of people think my nails are fake! 

if you live in/near grand rapids, mi, you must check out pleasant nails (28th street and the east beltline). they are the sweetest people and do excellent work.

if you live near milford, ct, let me know your recommendations for a great nail salon that does shellac!

also, shellac doesn't come off with regular nail polish remover. you need to get pure acetone and soak them {or put some on a cotton ball and wrap them in aluminum foil and leave on for 15 min}. this will save you tons of frustration :) 

let me know if you have any questions.

happy shellac-ing!

high five for friday!

happy friday everyone!
i link up with lauren every week to share five things that made my week great!


five.

we got an outdoor table and umbrella! LOVE it. can't wait till it's not 90 and we can sit out there :) 

four.
j & i sang at our friend's wedding. it was so beautiful! (he looks HOT in a suit :)

three.

i got a neon mani inspired by andrea. yeah, she inspires me a lot...:)

two.

we braved the heat and went to a parade on the 4th of july!

one.
the incredible lindsay from out of alabaster sent me the silhouettes that i won from mandy's blog.
i am in love.
cannot WAIT to display it in our new home!

{isn't it amazing?? and she got every little hair of mine perfectly!}

have a great weekend everyone!

boyfriend jeans: part II

if you missed part 1 of the boyfriend jeans series, check it out here.

these images provided the inspiration for the casual look of styling boyfriend jeans---> neutral colors, simple, everyday pieces paired with comfy shoes! 

{source}

a few of my personal essentials for the casual look are: 

part three of this series is coming soon!

oh how pinteresting // june {a little late} edition.

{happy independence day!}

 
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i've decided to share my favorite pinterest finds once a month instead. here are my favorite pins for june and i will share more at the end of july! i have lots of original content and ideas, so i thought once a month would be a great balance to do a pinteresting post! :) enjoy!

frozen banana goodness.

pinned here.


these colors are stunning.

pinned here.


i'm dying to try this homemade bread in the crock pot! {kinda skeptical though}

pinned here.

love this soft & casual look.

pinned here.

y e s !

pinned here.


some of these are extreme, but so much inspiration!

pinned here.


drool.

pinned here.

beauty breaking through.

the inspiration for this post was a line spoken at a beautiful wedding j & i sang at this past week.



life isn't always pretty but it's always beautiful. 

both the bride and groom have been through a tough journey, many nights full of tears and days full of grieving and pain. so it was an appropriate phrase to describe their wedding day.
that beauty has come from their past.
you could almost tangibly touch the joy radiating from the core of their beings.
they've come through the fire as pure gold.

life isn't always pretty but it's always beautiful.

the process that it takes to get to the other side makes life beautiful. 

mandy said: we have all survived something.
a survivor has a sparkle they didn't have before.

calling something "pretty" can sometimes be superficial. 

but beauty.

beauty has girth. beauty has depth.

beauty always breaks through.

this image has been imprinted in my mind since i took this photo this past spring.
the flowers were growing through the fence.
new life and color and a sweet smell was busting through what was hard and gray and lifeless.

a wise & amazing mentor of mine, mary, said once that there are certain species flowers that only grow among the rocks.
{woah.}
they won't grow in nice, moist, traditional soil.
nope, this kind only grows where it's rough and rocky.

we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

romans 5:3-4

it's never the end. there is always hope. and that makes life beautiful.