High Five for Friday | Link-Up

Happy Friday! It is Labor Day weekend already? That is absolutely mind blowing to me. Well I had a rather exciting week, so let's get down to it.

1.  So in an unexpected turn of events, I purchased a new car! I have drove the same car for pretty much ever. It was a delightful 2002 Saturn SL2 with no frills, and it ran perfectly great for many many many years. When she finally stopped running she was at 162,000 miles. She had a great long life. My new car, Astrid, is a 2014 Toyota Corolla S Plus. It has quite a few frills that are completely unnecessary. It has been an odd experience to be driving something completely different, but it is fun.

2. I went back to work on Monday and our training room had this lovely view. It was kind of a tease to be stuck inside listening to people talk, while looking at this nice table on a patio.

3. For my birthday from my grandparents I got this awesome Tervis Tumbler! We registered for it for the wedding, well actually I registered for it. I have been using it nearly everyday this week!

4. We have a wedding to attend this weekend, and I am excited to go to a wedding and hangout with people and eat food. I'm easy to please at times.

5. I have made a lot of headway in my classroom. I have all the furniture and place and am going through and organizing everything. Yay organizing!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend! Make good choices!

Pure Michigan Travel | Eaglemonk Pub & Brewery

So I turned 30 a few weeks ago and it seemed appropriate to go get some drinks and a brewery. A nice classy way to maybe have some giggles with some friends. The brewery options in Lansing, Michigan are few and far between, but luckily we have EagleMonk Pub and Brewery.

The first thing we did was order a sampler. It comes with 8 sample sized beers, and in this case it happened to contain every beer they had on tap. They placed it on this tray with a laminated paper stating what beer was what. I assumed I was going to enjoy the lighter beers only, but I was wrong. They were all delicious!

I am going to consult their brewing list and try to recall which ones I tried...I make no promises as to whether I am accurate or not. It's been like 3 weeks. Also, EagleMonk also has wine, soda and food! We all had pizzas, and they were delightfully delicious. EagleMonk also sells a variety of souvenirs with their logo, including howlers and growlers. We purchased a howler and are looking forward to going back to refilling it. Alright beers sampled:
Red Eye Rye 
Instigator Doppelbock
Irish Red
Belgian Wit
Michigan White
Scottish 70
Delta Porter
And one other that I cannot recall...

EagleMonk also has an awesome program called the EagleMonk Mug Club. It costs $50 for life, and includes one free fill up. You get to chose a mug made by a local artist (mugs pictured above) and they are SUPER COOL. They hang from the ceiling and are super neat. You get a larger pour for the pint price, $10 growler fills on craft beer daily, $2 off any pizza on Tuesdays and $3 mugs on Sundays.

I am so happy that we have a great brewery like EagleMonk in our area, and I can definitely ensure that I will be going there again. With our howler in hand.

Life | August Favorites

The end of another month is upon us, and with that a round up of some of my favorite THINGS from August 2014. It's quite an eclectic grouping of items this month, but that's life.

1. Keurig Brewing System

I couldn't tell you what exact model we own for our Keurig. We bought it many years ago after our cheap coffee pot caught our kitchen on fire. But the reason this is making my August Favorites is because it has been in storage for almost 6 months and now it's back in my possession! I forgot how much I enjoy it, the simplicity of brewing my one cup of coffee. Since I am in the only one in my home who drinks coffee regularly, I feel like the Keurig and I have a special relationship. I am happy to have it back in my kitchen.

2. Bath & Body Works Lavender Blossom Foaming Hand Soap

I can't actually find this product on the BBW webpage anymore. My grandma got this for me I believe either in my Christmas stocking or Easter basket (don't judge me). I adore this scent. It makes my whole bathroom smell delightful after using it. I am bummed that I can't find it at BBW currently, but they have lots of awesome fall scents, so I am sure I will be able to find a replacement.

3. iPhone 5c Otterbox Symmetry Case

We upgraded our phones a few months back, and I previously had an iPhone 4 with an Otterbox Defender case on it. It was super protected, but it was so bulky. One of the things I love the about the iPhone is that is slim, but with this massive case on it...notsomuch. I still wanted protection, but not as much bulk. Enter the symmetry case. I adore this case. It matches my phone perfectly and it protects it without adding bulk. 

4. Victoria's Secret Bombshell Perfume

I have had this perfume for awhile, but just recently began using it more frequently. It's a nice light scent, kind of flowery and citrusy. I have been loving it for the month of August.

So there you have it, a nice little round up of a few of my favorite items during the month of August! Have a great Wednesday!

Book Review | Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

Sarah Jio is another author whom I love. I don't think I have read a book by Sarah Jio that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, before this one. I wholeheartedly recommend The Bungalow that book was AMAZING. But we are here to discuss Goodnight June. 

This book follows June Andersen and when we are introduced to her she is a hard-hitting financial person in charge of foreclosures...especially shutting down small businesses. Naturally, her work life takes precedence and her personal life is falling apart all around her. She never visits her family, she doesn't speak to her sister, her love life is is non-existent, etc. She seems content in living this life, until she receives a letter stating that her great Aunt Ruby has passed away, leaving her bookstore to June. The bookstore is a children's bookstore that her Aunt Ruby has owned for decades, and June hesitantly heads back to the west coast to settle Great Aunt Ruby's affairs. Once there, June discovers a secret the Ruby has kept hidden all this time - her friendship with renowned children's author Margaret Wise Brown, who you might know as the writer of Goodnight Moon, a childhood favorite for many. June begins to uncover all of her aunt Ruby's secrets, and the truth of how Goodnight Moon came to be.

It seems like, how could this book be bad? It has all the elements of greatness; books, authors, intrigue, even romance.  While the actual intrigue and kind of mysterious, secret uncovering parts I found to be decent...the character development for the lead fell short for me. It's never a good thing if you loathe the main character in a book. I just felt like she was so...awful, and then we never really rectified her awfulness. It just didn't go deep enough for me, I guess. The relationship between Ruby and Margaret was developed so much better and that was told and developed only through letters. I was disappointed, but I suppose you can't hit every one out of the park. I will continue to read to Sarah Jio, but this one didn't do it for me.

I gave this book 2/5 stars on Goodreads.

Weekly Wrap Up | Photo a Day

While you are reading this, I am officially back at work! I get to sit in a training from 8-5, which is FINE because it's a simple way to ease back into waking up and getting dressed...lame.
So here is the weekly wrap up from 8/18 - 8/24!

8/18 Arrow: This is an arrow in my apartment building directing people downstairs.

8/19 To-do: I really phoned it in on this one, this is a screenshot of my to-do list. Such exciting stuff.

8/20 Before bedtime: I always read before bedtime, barring I have a migraine or am deathly ill in another way. So before I got into bed, I snapped a picture of  my bed with the book I'm currently reading on it.

8/21 Decorate: We have lots of little trinkets and "decorations" if you will. This happens to be one of our favorites, and it has a lovely note from a dear friend written on the back of it. It always decorates our living space.

8/22 Words: i chose to take a kind of macro style shot of a page in the book I was reading.

8/23 Style: I bought my first new car! I have drive the same car for about 12 years and is pretty much the only car I have ever drove. It's a 2014 Toyota Corolla S Plus, and it has lots of style!

8/24 Fragrant: While on a walk around the neighborhood I spotted these cheerful flowers!

Enjoy your week!

High Five for Friday | Link Up

Since it is my last week of official summer vacation, it has just been a chill week. Laying around, going for walks and reading. The calm before the storm if you will.

1.  On Saturday a group of friends and myself went out to celebrate my birthday! We went to a local brewery that I had been wanting to try, EagleMonk Pub and Brewery. Pictured is the sampler that C and I split, to decide what beer we liked best. I had about 4 favorites (out of 8), so that's a definite win in my book! It was a great time, and I super appreciate the people that came to help me celebrate. 

2. It's always a great week when I get to see this old girls smiling face. She was my 16th birthday present, and seeing that I just turned 30...that tells you how old she is. She continues to live at my parents, since it seems evil to yank her from her comfort zone. She has lots of land there, plus her best friend Mojo to snuggle with on cold winter nights. I love her. 

3. I have been going for walks everyday, usually to the library. It's been great to get outside and walk to one of my favorite places ever.

4. I am test driving some cars this week. Unfortunately my car has pooped out. That is not a high five. BUT getting test drive some cars is. I have had my current car...for 12 years. I have never really driven anything else, so this is kind of exciting.

5. We are going to be joining some friends for dinner in Old Town, Lansing. It will be delightful to eat some great food and catch up with people.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, see you back here on Monday!

Pure Michigan Travel | Kayaking in Mt. Pleasant

For my 30th birthday, I wanted to do something that I love to do. I wanted to be outside, near/on the water, with my best friend/fiance celebrating entering the next phase of my life. So, we went kayaking. We had a groupon (we almost always have a groupon #dealsfordays) to Buckley's Mountainside Canoes in lovely Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (home to Central Michigan University). It's about an hour north of where we live, so we made a reservation for right when they opened @ 10 am. 

It was a chilly morning, but beautiful. Big puffy clouds, sun shining bright, the sky was a brilliant blue...pure michigan at it's finest. We got our kayaks without a hitch and we chose to do the 2-3 hour option (about 6.5 miles) figuring we would just take our time and enjoy the scenery. They drove us to our drop-off location, and off we went!

The river we were on is the Chippewa River, and it had a pretty decent current going. For the first 45 minutes or so all we really needed to do was steer, and make sure we didn't get stuck in the shallows. Naturally, we each got stuck in the shallows, but we managed to get out without any major problems. Even though we have had tons of rain this summer, the river was still pretty shallow in some spots.

We saw lots of fish, turtles and even a crane! It was sitting by the river, and we scared it so it flew ahead and hid in the brush. But of course, we were still going in that direction, so as we neared it it flew in front of us again. We played this game for awhile, until finally it gave up and flew off somewhere. It was super awesome, and I wish I had been able to capture a picture of it.

The temperature was perfection, it got a little steamy in the sun, but there was a great breeze and lots of trees. It couldn't have been an easier river to kayak and the entire process of renting and using the groupon was so simple. Buckley's also rents canoes, and stand up paddleboards for various trips. They have a variety of different routes, so if you're not comfortable with your ability they have a shorter route that you could do. They were super easy to work with, and they have so many options for the things.

*Buckley's & Groupon have no idea who I am or that I am singing their praises. All purchases and opinions are my own.

August 2014 Birchbox Review

I am delighted to be here today to share with you my August 2014 Birchbox! Everything I received in this box I will most definitely use, and that is always a win! Although, to be fair, I rarely get something that I am like I will NEVER even use this. I am always willing to at least try the samples. Or make my brother try them.

1. Key West Aloe Moisturizing Lotion in Mango

$12 for full size.

This lotion smells like summer and sunscreen...in a good way. I will probably throw it in my purse in February when I need to reminded of sunshine, good times and beaches. It has a 50% aloe content, which is amazing. It rubs in and dries quickly, leaving your skin smooth and soft, smelling like a tropical island. I love this.

2. Neil George Shampoo

$9 for full size

This shampoo has that luxurious, expensive smell that only shampoos they use at salons usually have, so that's super neat. This shampoo is full of antioxidants and promotes shinier hair. I haven't used it yet, because I will throw it into my travel bag and use it next time I travel, but I can't wait to see if my hair is shinier and smells as nice as the product does.

3.Neil George Conditioner

$9 for full size

Pretty much everything I said for the shampoo applies to this as well. This conditioner is paraben free and detangles and smooths hair with antioxidants.

4. Laura Gellar Beauty Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Sands

$19 for full size.

I have just recently started experimenting with cream shadows, so I am excited to try this out. It comes in three different colors, and I received the Silver Sands which is a...you guessed it, silver shade! I kind of wish I had gotten the bronze, or rose gold shades but it just gives me something to use points towards! This shadow swatched on my hand super smooth and it dried quickly, maintaining it's silvery finish.

5.  nugg Beauty Revitalizing Face Mask

$14.99 for full size (5 pack)

Obviously I have not had the chance to try it, and since it in a little pod thing I am unable to even feel the texture, smell it or see it until I open it. According the product packaging, it is sealed up the way it is because it will prevent the mask from oxidizing...so I don't want to open it until I am ready to use it. I love experimenting with face masks so I am excited to try this one!

Well there you have it, a lot of super awesome products to try out! Tune in tomorrow to read about my birthday kayaking experience in Mt. Pleasant!

Book Review | MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood

First and foremost, this is brief overview of all three books. So if you haven't read any of them and you don't want to know some spoilers...DON'T READ THIS. Or don't read beyond the first book. 

#SPOILERALERT



So I have recently completed the MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Obviously, it consists of 3 books and I plan on giving a brief overview of each book, along with my thoughts on it. Let's get to it!

Book one is Oryx and Crake. These books jump around in time, some is in the present, some is in the past. In this book we meet Snowman, also known as Jimmy. He is living a world decimated by a plague, in which he survived. He does not know if he is the last human alive and he is mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and enchanting Oryx whom both Jimmy and Crake love(d). We are also introduced the the Children of Crake, Crakers, who were created by Crake before the plague. Jimmy embarks on a journey with the aide of the Crakers to find out if he is the only human alive still.

My thoughts: Atwood does a magnificent job of creating this dystopian world. I definitely found myself fully immersed into it. The book ends at a place that leaves you wanting more. I enjoy that feeling, especially in a trilogy. After I read the last page I couldn't wait to get my hands onto the second book to continue the adventure. 
I gave Oryx and Crake 4 stars on Goodreads.

#SPOILERALERT 

Book two is The Year of the Flood. This book is more a sidequel, which just means that the main story is taking place at the same time as the first book. In this story we are introduced to some new characters, including a group of people known as God's Gardeners. With the environmental stability on shaky ground, this group of people meld together science and religion; also predicting a huge disaster would one day destroy Earth as they know it. Well...it happened. Two women survived; Ren and Toby. Ren is locked inside of a high-end sex club and Toby (who was/is a God's Gardener) has barricaded herself inside of a spa. They each wonder if they are the only one's who have survived. Ren's friend Amanda? Her step-father Zeb? Her once lover Jimmy? While these two women are fighting their own battles, gene-spliced life forms are rapidly increasing in numbers. Separately, the need to decide their next moves and venture to see what is out there. This book takes a pretty dark turn, but I promise it's a great adventure getting there.

My thoughts: This was my favorite book of the 3. I loved the unraveling of the individual stories, and seeing how all the story lines crossed over one another. I loved learning more back story about the character's, I loved it all. I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

#SPOILERALERT

Book three is MaddAddam. In the third book you meet even more characters, and honestly it gets to be a confusing. At this point, Ren and Toby have met up with Jimmy, the Crakers and a whole mess of other people. We learn about Zeb, who has an interesting past. The group is being stalked by angry Painballers, plus Amanda is still being tormented by her abduction. It's great to finally have all the characters in one place, but the relationships are kind of odd, not mention they form an alliance with the pigoons against the Painballers and that's kind of weird, in an awesome kind of way.

My thoughts: The last book definitely created more questions for me. I didn't end this book feeling like I got any closure, but I guess that just means I'm going to talk about it and ponder it more frequently. I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads.

I would definitely recommend this trilogy to a reader who likes dystopian novels, with a bit of sci-fi thrown in there. The characters have a great back story, and it was fun to read.

Weekly Wrap Up | Photo a Day

Greetings on this Monday morning! I hope your weekend went well! I start work in one week!? WHERE has the summer gone? I swear, it goes by faster and faster each year.

Today is my weekly wrap from Fat Mum Slim and her photo a day challenge and the prompts are from the days 8/11/14-8/17/14! 

8/11 Mirror: I was in Meijer, grabbing some last minute items for dinner and I happened upon the mirror aisle. 

8/12 Gather: This is a gather[ing] of ingredients to make a delicious taco soup for dinner.

8/13 Inside: My birchbox came today and I was anxious to see what was inside of it!

8/14 Give: Today was my birthday! C gave me two groupon's to get two of our engagement pictures put onto a canvas to display in our apartment. So thoughtful!

8/15 Clouds: I was on my daily walk to my neighborhood library and it was a gorgeous day, big poofy clouds in the sky and a nice breeze blowing.I took this picture of the clouds outside of the library.

8/16 Clean: I was out with some friends celebrating my 30th birthday and the brewery we were at had all these awesome handmade (locally!) mugs hanging from the ceiling!

8/17 Dinner: i was at my parents house to have my "birthday" dinner with them. My mom made my favorite meal everrr, chicken parm. It is sooooo good!

Another week gone by...

High Five for Friday | Link up

Happy Friday! Yesterday was my 30th birthday! I don't feel 30, I usually still feel like I should be 23, but apparently that is not the case. Just ask me that after a night of staying out past 11 pm, 30 feels 30 the next morning fo 'sho.

1. We officially have unpacked all the boxes we will be unpacking. We have put some that are not needed in this smaller space down in our storage area in the basement. But pictures and clocks are hung, Sparty is on the wall, so it's officially home! 

2. Did some work on some wedding stuff. December is going to be here so fast, our wedding is obviously kind of winter-esque hence the snowflakes. It's crazy to be thinking about snowflakes in August, but here we are.

3. I enjoy cooking, especially soups! It was kind of a dark and stormy day in Michigan on Tuesday so I cooked up some Taco Soup! So good and filling!

4. My mom and I went to have a meeting with the bakery that is going to do the cupcakes for the wedding in December. Samples are the bomb, even though we had an idea of what we wanted. Luckily, we don't have to finalize until the beginning of December  because we want to try the fall/winter flavors when they come out in September! So excited to have another vendor finalized! 

5. On my actual birthday, C and I went kayaking up in Mt. Pleasant on the Chippewa River (a blog post on this in the coming weeks). It was a great 6.5 mile trip, that took us just under 2 hours. It was beautiful, and I wish we were able to kayak like 3 times a week. 

Some of the lovely and peaceful views on the river.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! 

Pure Michigan Travel | Crunchy's East Lansing

So my beloved college town of East Lansing has many bars, a little something for everyone if you will. My college friends and I certainly had bars we preferred for every occasion and mood, and naturally our overall favorite. Crunchy's was certainly a favorite, and still is to this day. I just recently went for a friends birthday gathering, and we sat out on the patio and tried some beers and a wonderful time was had.




Crunchy's has 27 beers on tap, and is definitely deeply entrenched in the craft beer world. They often have nights dedicated to one brewery, and all taps will serve beers from that place. They are a big supported of Michigan made beer, which makes me happy. They are known in the area for having "the best burger in town" which is the Crunchy burger and it's a BEAST. I've never had it, I can't handle that much meat *ahem*. Moving on.

They have some sort of food special every day of the week, along with karaoke on thursday, friday and saturday. Back in the day I may have sang a little bit of Ace of Base.  Maybe. 

Crunchy's has even introduced their "secret society", the Burger and Beer Society card is full of perks if you use it frequently. I don't have one, but C does and he enjoys it.

Crunchy's is a great place to gather and hang out with friends, family or just to hang out solo and meet some new people. I will continue to frequent it and will be sure to tell my future Spartans to go there for some great Michigan brews!

Beauty | My Nail Polish Collection

So, I have nail polish. Not a ton, but enough that I finally had to figure out a way to store it. I used to store my nail polish in a small jar, it was nice and pretty but if I wanted to find a particular nail polish I had to dump all the nail polish out and look through it way. My brother used to store his rocks (as you do) in this small three drawer unit by Sterilite. We did a trade, and everyone is happy.

I organize them by color right now. The top drawer are my base/top coats and more neutral colors. The second drawer is my bright pinks, dark reds, coral, orange, etc. The last drawer is my darker colors.

For the purpose of this post, I am doing it by brand. It seems simpler to do it that way, minus the top/base coats. So first, up...top and base coats.

L.A. COLORS Base and Top Coat 

I actually hate this product. It's sticky, it takes 1000000 years to dry and it dries all ripply and weird. I don't even know why I still have it.

Essie 3-way glaze

This product is a nail strengthener, base coat and top coat. I love this. This is my favorite, because then you can just have one polish for everything. It goes on great, smooths everything out and your polish is still nice and shiny. Perfection.

Dreams Nail Lacquer 2-in-1 Base and Top Coat

This base and top coat I received in a Birchbox. It doesn't compare to Essie's 3 way glaze, but it's pretty decent for a 2 in 1 deal.

Pure Ice is a brand of nail polish that is sold at Wal-Mart, it is like $2 and for that price it's a pretty decent nail polish. 

Pure Ice Best Friend

I love this color because it's really neutral but with a slight gold undertone. It has a tiny little bit shimmer, and it really goes with absolutely anything

Pure Ice Honey Do

This is a nice orange-y color and I am not a fan of the color orange. I like to wear this color in the summertime, because it's bright and reminds me of fruit.

I have quite a few Color Club nail polishes, most of them are samples from Birchbox but they last forever! These are my favorite nail polishes (closely tied with China Glaze) that I have tried. Color Club nail polishes are vegan and they use no toxic ingredients and they work with a few charities that our near and dear to my heart. So I might be a little bias, but whatever. A lot of these are from collections available on Birchbox.

1) Color Club Dark'n Stormy

This polish is a part of Cocktail Hour collection. It's a gunmetal grey, but it is reallllllly dark. It's really pretty, but dark polishes always scare me. I have worn it once, on my toes. One day I will be brave enough to put it on my fingers.

2) Color Club Disco Nap

This polish is from the discontinued Foil Collection on Birchbox. Disco nap is a metallic gold color with a kind of silvery finish. It goes on smooth, which is great. A lot of super metallic colors can go on kind of chunky, but this is not one of them.

3) Color Club Gold Struck

This is from the Gala's Gem collection on Birchbox. Gold Struck is a soft and subtle gold color with very little sparkle. This color is great if you're not a fan of the loud gold like in Disco Nap (featured above). I prefer to wear this one on my fingers, because it's a little less LOOK AT ME, if you know what I'm saying.

4) Color Club Mod in Manhattan

This is part of the Wanderlust collection on Birchbox. This is an off-white color, and I have worn in once and didn't care for it. I like neutral colors, but white is not really forgiving and I feel like I notice every little imperfection on it. I keep it around because you never know when you might NEED an off white polish...right?

5) I can't out what the name of this color is or even what collection it's from. I think it might be from the Neon Collection, which is no longer in existence. It's a nice kind of bright green color, great for spring!

6)Color Club Put a Pin in it

This is from the Birchbox and Color Club Custom Collection. Put a Pin in it is a beautiful rose gold color, with lots of shimmer. It goes on super smooth though, and it's a great color to jazz up your fingers!

7) Color Club Wild Cactus

This is from the Fiesta Collection. Wild Cactus is a DEEP emerald color. I mean, the color is so incredibly rich. This another polish that I have only worn on my toes because it's not super forgiving and it scares me. It's super pretty though.

OPI Nail Lacquer is up next. I was surprised to see I only had two of this brand. I could have sworn I had more, but I have moved a lot in the last few years so maybe they vanished. OPI isn't one of my favorites, but really for no particular reason. It's fine, it goes on smooth, the handle is nice and comfortable to hold, the polish dries fine. I just like other ones better.

OPI Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs.

First off, just because of the name I am considering this for my wedding day nail polish. It's a beautiful soft pink color. It's very subtle, and I absolutely love that. 

OPI From A to Z-urich

A few Christmases ago my sister got me a pedicure from a salon in our hometown. It's one of those places where they let you keep the nail polish that you choose, it's included in the cost. I was feeling rebellious that day, and this deep red color seemed kind of wintery and Christmasy to me. I tend to use it in December, with a layer of Nailtini Millionaire over it and it's amazingly awesome.

RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer was a discovery through, you guessed it, BIRCHBOX. Their unique handle is designed for comfort while holding the want and applying polish. I LOVE that feature, it seems like a small difference, but it's amazing.

RUFFIAN Ambrosia

This color is a Birchbox exclusive. It's a metallic lavender color, with a little bit of shimmer. I am obsessed with purple, so I love it. It goes on great, with the aid of the art-deco inspired handle, and dries smooth, shiny and perfect.

RUFFIAN Fox Hunt

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this color. It is my go-to polish in the summertime it seems like, I even wear it on my actual fingers! It's a fox-inspired orange color, but it's not like BRIGHT in YOUR face ORANGE, it's a bit more saturated and really rich and deep.

I discovered China Glaze at Ulta one day while browsing. The nail polish was the price I was willing to spend, so I decided to give it a go. I love this brand, it dries so quickly it seems. I turned my sister onto it and now she owns about pretty much every color.

China Glaze Coral Star

This is tied with the above Fox Hunt with my all time favorite summer nail polish. In the pictures, they kind of look like the same color.  Coral Star, obviously, is more of a coral color than orange. 

China Glaze Harmony

Last summer I took my niece into Ulta with me and was unable to make a decision regarding nail polish color. I allowed to choose for me (she was 5 at the time) and this is what she picked. I don't wear a lot of dark purple, I prefer lighter, more natural shades. But, I promised, so I purchased it. I have worn it a few times in the fall and winter.

Now Essie has the best selection of colors I think. I am obsessed and have to restrain myself from purchasing more. Plus, Essie is my nickname (within my family and close friends) so I just like seeing it on things. Going left to right:

Essie Chinchilly

This is my absolute favorite gray ever. I wear this constantly in the wintertime. It's a beautiful, sleek granite color and it's just amazing. It's not too dark, it's not too light...love it.

Essie Muchi, Muchi

This a very light pink color, and it goes on very sheer. I have to layer it like 3 times for the color to show up, and even then I'm so pale it still kind of looks like my natural fingernails. I only use this on my fingernails, because it is incredibly subtle.

Essie Turquoise & Caicos

This is another great spring and summer color. It's a nice aqua color, that reminds me of some place tropical. Since I sunburn easily, I like to wear this polish and pretend that I am on a beach.

Essie Lapiz of Luxury

So, on the website it says this is supposed to a blue color. Mine is definitely purple, a really pretty light purple. So, I'm not sure what that means. Either way, I like the color that I have in possession. I don't really wear blue nail polish.

Phew, well there you go. All of my current nail polish and how I store it. Hope you enjoyed it!