Sunday Night Nail Art - Rio

Babygirl loves having her nails painted so every Sunday night (sometimes we miss a Sunday) I paint her nails for her so that they are done for the school week ahead.

Rio has been a huge hit in our house - even though I am terrified of birds :). We saw it in 3D (well, I didn't see it in 3D because I can't see 3D) at the theater and we purchased it on DVD. Babygirl loves it so much that this week she wanted Rio nails.

We started off with a semi-clear base because Babygirl requested something "sandy coloured" and let it dry. Once dry, we began painting Blu in a rough outline on Babygirl's thumb. Poor Blu looked more like a blob of nothing at first.

Once Blu's blue blob was complete we painted on the beak with black polish. I don't use any fancy tools for this. I have one fine nail art paint brush that I use to paint everything on that I just clean with nail polish remover as I go. You could use a fine art brush if you'd like.

Once the beak was done I went back in with black and defined Blu's eye and feathers. Don't forget to paint on the three little feathers on top of his head :) You could also use white to add more definition to his eye but I didn't, I just used a baby blue.

Once Blu was all done we started painting the word "RIO" on Babygirls other fingers. The blue "R" went on the ring finger of her right hand. When painting the "R" be sure not to forget the three little feathers that poke out of the top of it (just like on Blu's head).

Then came the yellow "i" on the middle finger of her right hand.

And then the orange "o" on her pointer finger. Once the letters were done I began to define them in black, again, just using the nail art brush that I have.

Below is the finished product on Babygirl's right hand. Because her pinky finger was left unpainted she requested that I paint it hot pink.

Then we began painting Jewel in on her left thumb. Start with a backwards "C" and build the neck down from the bottom of it. Go in with black and paint the beak, also similar to a backwards "C".

Define Jewel's eye and paint a hot pink flower onto the side of her head. As an added touch you could even add a flower decal rather than painting a flower on.

Once Jewel was complete, we finished up by painting the other four fingers on her right hand in hot pink as well. Let dry and paint on a top coat. Sadly when I was painting the top coat on I accidentally leaned on the "R" and ruined it so I had to re-paint it lol.

It's always a huge ordeal choosing a nail design but we definately have fun once we begin the painting. Normally we watch a re-run (or two depending on how long the design takes) of iCarly or Tawny Town, sip juice and paint away. It's a fun way to end our weekends.

If you have any nail ideas please share! I would love to hear them!

I hope that you all have a great week :)

xTx

Rio movie poster courtesy of www.disney.com

All nail art photo's Copyright © Tawny Gelinas, 2011

Five ★ Sunday - Hello Autumn, I Have Missed You xo

Five ★ Sunday is dedicated to Autumn this week. Truthfully, I will more than likely drive you crazy with my love for this season but since it's my favourite time of the year I can't help but talk about it. Below are a few things that make me Autumn-happy.

www.beso.com

So, remember back in the day, like, prior to a few months ago when I was terrified of eBay because my identity was stolen? Well, I'm not so terrified of shopping online anymore. Actually, I think that I am now borderline addicted. Maybe acrossline addicted. Maybe just completely addicted. I am loving me some eBay and online shopping. I suppose that my identity crisis caused me to be a bit more leery but I love searching the online aisles for super cheap deals on things. When I'm bidding on eBay, I don't make big purchases at all. I always refine my searches to free shipping and start with the lowest prices listed. I have bid on and won some super cool things for less than $2.00. I love chunky cocktail rings and have scored quite a few for only $1.00. Scarves, makeup, bracelets and beret's are all in the running under $2.00 too. Deals are ridiculously exciting - which leads me to my first fav of the week.
Through my stumbling for good deals I have discovered Beso - Every online shoppers dream! Beso is an easy navigation site that links to hundreds of stores and brands which makes your shopping super fun and super easy. No matter what you are looking for, type it in the search box at the top left side of the page and a listing of the item that you are looking for will come up for purchase available from all online stores. I love that once your search results come up, there are tabs that you can click on which provide all of the deals and free shipping related to the specific item you are looking to purchase. You will also find tabs along the top of the page linking to various items on sale from 20-80% off, a brand and store directory, the Beso Blog, and quick link categories for women, men, home, kids, jewelery and beauty. Obviously this isn't one of my Autumn-ism's but I think that you should check it out!

Revlon ColorBurst™ Lipstick

I don't wear a lot of lipstick. Actually, I only own one lipstick (M.A.C. Spirit) which I rarely wear but absolutely love. I know that may sound crazy given my obsession with makeup but I've never really worn a lot of lipstick. I am a lip gloss junkie (you will find various lippies all over my house, vehicle, purses, drawers and office. I am literally the Hansel & Gretel of lippies - I leave them where ever I go) but I just don't wear lipstick.
I have full lips and I love the voluptuous look of them but I don't like to enhance them with colourful lipstick (lip gloss, yes, lipstick, no). I definitely don't wear lip liner (I don't even own one) because it adds so much definition to lips. Collaborate a bright coloured lipstick with those lined lips and you have my nightmare.
I think that this is a psychological thing. When I was 10 years old and in grade 4 I knew this girl that used to occasionally wear pink lipstick to school. When she wore it she always applied it over top of her philtrum (the area between your upper lip and your nose that has those two little vertical lines). I always thought she looked silly when she did this and one day I asked her why she wore it above her lip. Her response was: "because it is a part of my lip and I want to make my lips look big and pretty". I wasn't allowed to wear makeup until I was 16 so at 10 the thought of "big pretty lips" was nonsense to me and I thought she looked like a clown. Anyway,  I think that this may be the main reason that I don't wear a lot of lipstick.
A couple of weeks ago while I was at Shopper's Drugmart browsing the makeup section, I came across the Revlon ColorBurst line of lipstick's. I am a huge sucker for matte packaging (odd, I know) and I loved the grid pattern of the lipstick shell (odd again). Clearly I only purchased the lipstick because I liked the package (obviously my sudden urge to make a purchase based solely on the packaging is every marketer's dream) but I was actually surprised when I got home and tried the lipstick on. I paid about $13CDN (tax included) for my #70 Soft Nude purchase. It has a very smooth and creamy consistency which I like and the colour doesn't bleed onto my philtrum which means that I don't have to wear a lip liner with it (bonus). The top of the lid is the colour of the lipstick so I imagine that this would come in extra handy if you had a plethora of lip stick's in your collection and wanted to find a colour quickly. I find this lipstick has a very similar feel to the one M.A.C. lippy that I own and it is rather moisturizing. The colour that I chose is neutral and also perfect for Autumn. I give the Colorburst 5 ★'s because it has made me want to try other lipstick's. What is your favourite lipstick brand? Do share so that I can try them out!

Calgon Refreshing Body Mist - Marshmallow Scent

Another thing that I love is body spray. I have plenty of perfumes but I like that body sprays are soft and don't linger everywhere that you go for 15 minutes - because a scent that you enjoy may not be a scent that other people enjoy. For example, I am not a fan of patchouli and I can smell it from a mile away. It has to be the muskiest smell in the world, it lingers FOREVER and it kicks all of my senses in the face. Just thinking about it as I type this is making my nose hurt! So, again, my point is that what you think may smell lovely may not be so wonderful to someone else - which is why during the day I only wear body spray. My signature scent is Victoria's Secret - Vanilla Lace which I wear all of the time but I have many Calgon spray's as well. My favourite from Calgon is the Marshmallow scent. Although it doesn't really smell like roasted marshmallow's to me, it is soft and sweet scent that has notes of brown sugar, vanilla and sandalwood. Very pretty and also nice for Autumn.

Kings & Queens - Queen Isabella, Cinnamon Orange Body Milk

It is the time of year that you want to start preparing your skin for Winter weather. All skin varies, but if you are like me, I don't have to use a lot of lotion during the summer because the weather is moist with humidity but come Winter when the air is crisp and dry, my skin requires a lot of TLC. Last year around this same time, I purchased a bottle of Queen Isabella's Cinnamon Orange Body Milk by Kings & Queens - I couldn't get enough this Body Milk. It smells amazing; very spicy and warm - something you want to put on after a hot bath to cuddle up next to a fireplace sans comfy clothes and a good book. Because it is a body milk, it will not leave your skin feeling heavy; it's light, goes on smooth and soaks in quickly. Made in Greece, all Kings and Queens products are free from mineral oil and parabens and are beautifully enriched with pomegranate (which we all know is amazing), blue Egyptian lotus (which was used by Ancient Egyptians as a natural aphrodisiac) and malachite extracts (which is a strong detoxifier and antioxidant). You can conveniently purchase these lovely products (with equally lovely packaging) at Shopper's Drugmart for $10-$20CDN. Additionally, each product comes bearing a story about Royal's and Noblemen during Ancient and Medieval times who each played a part in bringing herbs and spices to the New World.

BeaverTails

I love the Byward Market in Ottawa because there are so many great shops and restaurants to be had. One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday afternoon in the Autumn is to stop by the BeaverTails shop at the corner of George St. & William St. in the Byward Market. 

BeaverTails' are a thin pastry made in the shape of a, you guessed it, beaver tail. They are each made fresh at purchase, can be ordered with various toppings and are so yummy on a cool day. Babygirl and I always order the Cinnamon & Sugar flavour - delish!

What are some of your favourite things to use or do in the Autumn?

xTx

$12.99 EVERY DAY!

I hope that everyone had a great week!

Babygirl was stoked to be back to school with all of her friends. Thankfully I have a child that loves to wake up to get ready for school so our morning's (for now) are not a battle. I am sure that eventually when she becomes a teenager, mornings will become a nightmare so I will gladly take each easy morning that we have until that day.

Shopping for back to school clothes this year was interesting. Tiring. And funny. Babygirl finally broke out of her "pretty is for girls" stage and decided that it was time to give pantihose and dresses a run. Year after year I have begged and pleaded that she let me buy her dresses and skirts. It was always "No, Mom. I don't like dresses, I'm a cowgirl". Although I have always wanted her to dress "pretty" but allowed her to define her own style personality. According to Babygirl, cowgirls don't wear dresses and she was happy wearing her jeans and yes, her cowgirl boots to school. Much easier to gallop around her school yard on her imaginary pinto horse during recess.

I grew up in the country on a farm with horses and spent 16 years of my life traveling to rodeo's but I never cared to compete in them. I was happy riding and caring for my horses but as much as my Dad wanted me to, I never deemed myself a cowgirl. My daughter on the other hand is the complete opposite of me. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she will immediately answer "a cowgirl". I don't think that a single week has passed in her life that she hasn't (at least once) asked if we can move into the country on a farm and often states that we can keep a pony in our backyard if we aren't going to move to the country any time soon. She's such a country girl and with her cowgirl dream comes a lack of dresses and drawers full of jeans.

For some reason this summer Babygirl became fashion savvy and decided that it was time for her to start dressing "pretty". I didn't argue. While shopping we spent countless hours holding each outfit up so she could analyze it in a mirror in order to make her final decision. I was a very proud Mama when we left each store with cute outfits (that included sparkles and sequence [but absolutely, 100% NO FLOWERS PERMITTED]) in hand! Most Mom's may think that this dress thing sounds crazy but when you have a daughter that has refused to wear "pretty" clothes for her entire 7 years of existence, you would have jumped all over the "pretty" shopping spree too.

With all of the galloping that Babygirl does, she manages to go through a ton of shoes. I'm talking a TON of shoes. Her last pair of cowgirl boots lasted her entire grade 1 year (she sadly grew out of them this summer so now we are on the hunt for new cowgirl boots) but she tore every pair of sneakers that she had apart. I guess that cowgirl boots are made to withstand the galloping; sneak's - not so much. Because she gallops through all of her shoes and so many at a time I try to buy them on sale. I refuse to spend over $30 on a pair of shoes because it is literally money wasted in our house.

Payless always has super cheap shoes which are easy on the wallet. While back-to-school shopping this year we purchased three pairs of shoes from payless. On Monday morning while Babygirl and I were putting her indoor (black Mary Jane's - SO exciting to me because that means she is dressing like a girlie girl) shoes into her backpack, I took the shoes out of the box and placed it on our coffee table.

As I am trying to fit her Mary Janes (!!!!) into the bottom of her backpack (without scuffing them) she yells out in horror "OH NO, MOM!!!!! WHY DID YOU BUY THOSE SHOES!!!!! THIS ISN'T GOOD!!!!!"

I'm quickly pull the shoes out of the bag! "What?!" I said, "What's wrong with them!?!?" I'm panicking now, thinking the worst, she's onto my pretty girl tactics! She's never going to wear the cutesie little shoes!

Frantically, Babygirl grabs the shoe box that I placed on the coffee table and points to the sign that says "Every Day - $12.99". "Mom, LOOK!!!!! WHY DID YOU BUY THESE?!?!"

I'm quickly trying to recover. "Because they are cute and they match your pretty dresses and they were cheap! What is WRONG?" I want to cry...

"Mom, they aren't CHEAP!" she declares, "You are going to have to go back to the store and pay $12.99 for them EVERY DAY!"

...LOL...

Fortunately it was just a price concern not a style concern (phewf!). My Babygirl may be a cowgirl. But at least she is a frugal little cowgirl.

xTx

Banana's for Pravana

As I previously mentioned, this post will be the kick off to my Five ★ Sunday series. Each Sunday I will publish a post highlighting some of the things that I am currently using and consider to be super wonderful. If it has made it to Five ★ Sunday, it is because I want to share my excitement with you :)

Canadian summers (as all Canadian's know) are extremely hot and humid so I don't generally style my hair until autumn arrives. The arrival of autumn means that the humidity disappears and pretty hair styles are able to return. To me, this means curls. I adore long bouncy curls. Curls that keep their shape but are fexible. There is nothing worse than the feeling of rigid hair that won't move! Autumn hasn't quite arrived yet, but in preparation for it I have been curling my hair and trying out some new products that are amazing.

The first is Pravana's Elevate Botanical Root Boost. This booster is alcohol-free and happily fortified with natural ingredients like horsetail, sunflower and jojoba extracts and Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5. After washing my hair and towel drying the wetness out, I simply apply the foam to my roots and work it out to the ends. I comb through, blow dry (with my head upside down) and curl with my flat iron. I love that the hair on top of my head stays awake even with the added weight of my curls. I never walk away from my bathroom mirror looking like Snookie but I do walk away with hair that stays moisturized, has volume, shine and bouncy curls that move when I move - and it smells like fresh pomegranate's too :)

My curls don't generally keep their shape for very long  (without help) in the summer. Pravana's Super Shape Hair Spray is phenomenal. It is highly concrentrated so only a small amount of product is required to tend to your hair's style and to provide a very flexible but firm hold. If you are working on a style that requires a heavy hold, just spray longer until desired. Brushing through your curls with a round brush after you have applied your hair spray will again leave them bouncy, full of life and smelling lovely. Last night I was in Quebec for an evening out - After applying my Root Boost, I curled my hair and spritzed it with Super Shape. Even though it was hot and humid, my frizzless curls didn't want the evening to end - They stayed in place all night long. Most importantly, when I use this hair spray it doesn't make my scalp itchy (which hair spray often does) nor does my hair feel like a dried out train wreck at the end of the day.

In ancient Sanskrit, Pravana means "the source of all things". Out of Woodland Hills California, Pravana's hair care and style collection (everything from shampoo and conditioner to hair paste) was created by professional stylists and all products are sulfate-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free and eco-conscious. Their fabulous products can be purchased in fine salon's and spas throughout America. An added benefit to purchasing Pravana products is that they have a Technical Hotline for any questions that you may have pertaining to their hair products. That is serious service!

Below are a couple of pictures that I took last night. I apologize for the terrible quality. Next time I will bust out my Canon.

Happy boosting and spritzing, my lovelies ;)

xTx

Product photo's courtesy of http://www.pravana.com/

Three photo's of Tawny, © Copyright Tawny Gelinas, 2011

Full Disclaimer: The products I have spoken of were provided to me by Pravana. No further compensation was received and no guarantee of a positive review was promised nor expected. All opinions expressed are my own - we all know I have one! Thank you, Pravana for assisting with my curls, I am ready for autumn to arrive!

Mammoth Cupcakes

So, I overfilled the cupcake cups, which resulted in gigantic cupcakes! My icing turned out yummy but I am unfortunately really bad at decorating :(
I hope that everyone is enjoying their long weekend so far!!

Good Morning World

My prediction was wrong. I wasn't up before 7am. I was up at 7:15! 15 extra minutes if sleep? Yes, please! Haha :)

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