Polished Up Tuesday: OPI My Very First Knockwurst

This polish is the color I wore on my nails during my cruise last week. This is from OPI's Germany collection. The color is called "My Very First Knockwurst". I chose this because the soft pink, neutral shade would go with all my outfits while I was away. The polish had a little trouble going on (not as smooth as I would like), but that also may have been because I was applying it outside where it was quite windy. I did also experience some bubbling in the polish after application.
It took two coats to achieve the look above, but I could have also used one coat since the color is very opaque. Overall this polish lasted me about 4 days before I saw a small amount of chipping.

Also, I will be posting several days of photos from each island I visited while I was on vacation. Tomorrow will start with St. Thomas :)

Packing for my Cruise

In two days (on Jan. 6) I'll be setting sail with my mom on a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean. It is a graduation gift from her and I'm looking forward to some girl time. I started packing days ago and I wanted to share with you my progress. I still need to pack my everyday toiletry products, but otherwise I'm ready to go! Below are some photos of what I'm bringing with me. I'm trying to pack as light as possible. Thankfully beach clothes are lightweight :) This will be my last blog until I return from my trip, but I plan to post lots and lots of photos when I do get back.

 As you can see, most of my clothes fit in just 1/2 of my suitcase. I still have plenty of room for more toiletries and any purchases I make while on vacation. This is a medium-sized suitcase, about 24 inches tall. I'm packing two scarves. The top is a beautiful and large scarf with ocean colors (blue, green and white). I can use it over a plain tank or as a quick coverup for my swimsuit. Below is a black, sparkly scarf that will go perfectly with my nighttime dresses for fancy dinners on the boat.

You have no idea how difficult it was to pack only 3 pairs of shoes. I plan to wear the gold flip flops on the beach, the black, quilted heels for fancy dinners and the white sneakers for everyday sightseeing. The sneakers are from the brand Propet and they are VERY lightweight and offer a phenomenal amount of cushion. 

 I'm also taking a minimal amount of makeup. I'm taking some SPF 50 for my face, my mark. makeup brushes (along with some others thrown in), mark. Touch and Glow, Wet n' Wild I Heart Matte palette (it has both beachy and neutral shades), Benefit's Cha Cha tint (a nice coral tint for lips and cheeks), an assortment of nude and pink lipsticks and Covergirl Lashblast mascara.

Last, but not least, this tan crossbody bag will go with me everywhere. It's the perfect size and has slots for my ID and cash (no wallet to carry is a plus). And, of course, I can't forget my passport :)

See you all in a little over a week!

Graduation Day

It has been a long journey, filled with nervousness, stress, anticipation and joy. But I could not have gotten through without the support of my family, friends who always keep me laughing and a husband who has stood by me through it all. This past weekend I graduated with my B.A. in English with a minor in communications. Now I'm preparing for my next steps in life. I'm excited to see where God leads me.

Almost at the End

For those of you out there who are still with me I want to offer up my thanks. It's been a while since I've posted and I'm hoping to get back to blogging within a few weeks. This is just a little update to let you know I'm still here, but just really busy.
I'm graduating in less than three weeks (yay!) but that also means final projects will be due soon. I'm up to my ears in essays and papers. I'm also starting a new part-time position this week at our town newspaper (double yay!). Needless to say I've been a busy gal.
So bare with me just a little longer. I'm hoping to at least get a nail polish blog up to you here and there (and maybe and outfit-of-the-day for my first day at my new job).
You all are great :)

Polished Up Tuesday: Sally Hansen's Peachy Keen

Out of all the neutral colors in my collection, this polish from Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure line is my favorite. It gives a soft wash of color on my nails and it is not completely opaque (making the look more natural). This polish is in the shade Peachy Keen. It gives smooth and easy application with the brand's large brush. The staying power for this line is also phenomenal. Even without a base or top coat it lasts on my nails for almost a week without any chipping. The look above took three coats to achieve. I usually only apply two coats for everyday wear, but today I wanted the camera to pick up the true shade of the polish.