Easy Nail Ideas

I have a confession to make- I cannot do my nails! I can hardly paint them a solid color. Whenever I try to paint my nails, disaster strikes. I'm really impatient and I don't let them dry properly. Then, they get ruined. I proceed to try to fix them, but it only makes things worse. This cycle is followed down to the last detail every time I want to put on some nail polish.

I have been researching on easy nail art ideas (ones that I might have a chance at executing nicely) and I realized that there is still hope for people like me. Whenever I have some free time, I'm going to sit down and try these out.

1) Galaxy

These are super cute and also seemingly easy to pull off. All you need is a black , pink/purple, blue, grey, and silver glitter polishes and a foundation sponge for application. Apply two coats of black to your nails. Put a small amount of blue polish to the foundation sponge and began dabbing it on until it is blended well on the nail. Do the same with the grey and pink, and go over any nail with a color that has been blotted out. Make sure everything is blended. At this point, you shouldn't be able to tell where the colors begin and end. Once this is dry, apply a layer of silver glitter. Now, you are set! Super easy and the product is fabulous!

2) Stair-Step

This nail art is also great for beginners. It requires no nail art tools, and no art skills. Keep in mind that you can use any colors you'd like, including darker and metallic colors for a more sophisticated look. Apply two coats of the color you want on the back of the nail (it will show the most) on the entire nail. Once this layer is dry, take the color you want in the middle of the design (only a little will peek through) and apply it to the nail in a stair-step like fashion. To achieve this, move a little closer to your nail tip so the color you applied just before will be visible in the design.Start from one end of the nail and do a long stroke. Then, next to it, do a shorter stroke, and next to that, an even shorter stroke. Fill in the stair-like shape to the tip of the nail. Now, take the last color you want to use (at the tip of the nail) and make another stair shape over the middle layer. Keep it shorter, so some of the middle layer is visible. Add a top coat, and there you go! An easy way to create a fun and interesting design.

3. Half Moon

For this, you will need two colors, one for the half-moon shape, and one for the rest of the nail. You will also need circular stickers. Apparently you can get them at office supply stores or office supply isles at a grocery store. It's really hard to explain so I took a terrible picture (below) so that you could understand. I think that any circular sticker with a similar size would work.

First, paint your nail completely the color that you want your half-moon to be. After it is totally dry, apply the sticker to the bottom of the nail for a perfect half- circle shape. Now, apply your second color over it. Use the sticker to your advantage. It's okay to get polish on the outer edge of the sticker. Just make sure that the color covers from the tip of the nail to the sticker's outer edge. Wait a couple of minutes until the second color you applied is almost dry, but still sticky. Now, pull of the sticker to reveal the perfect half-moon shape! Apply a top coat, and you have a professional-looking mani!

4. Cornered French Tip

This literally takes a couple of swipes of nail polish, and you are good to go!I think it's a cute twist on a French Manicure. Again, you can change up the colors however you would like to. First, apply a sold base coat. Once this is dry, go in with your second color (in this case, pink.) Start from the edge of the nail, and swipe to the center. Do this for both sides. Make sure to be fast, so that the lines have a smooth feel. Then, go in with the darker color and do the same, but a little below the first tip you made to it peeks through. Fill it in at the tip and viola! Super adorable!

Ok, I seriously need to try all of these! I can't believe how simple they are to do! I got all of the ideas from a Youtuber/ blogger called MissJenFabulous. She does nails and beauty tutorials. Check out her blog at polishandpearls.com! Let me know what you think of these designs and feel free to try them out!

Cuisine of the Month: Chinese

I'm sure everyone has tried "Chinese" food... But is it really Chinese? The Chinese food available in America is almost always non authentic, and many of our classic "Chinese" favorites are just made here. I've always liked Chinese food, but I never really knew what it was until I ended up in a small, locally owned, traditional Chinese restaurant called Chou's Kitchen in Chandler. If you think Panda Express, Pei Wei, or P.F. Chang's is Chinese, think again.

Come here for the BEST Chinese food

Chou's Kitchen isn't the fanciest restaurant, but has a family friendly atmosphere. The owners and staff recognize us now, and are always super nice. Chou's specializes in Manchurian cuisine, and is famous for it's selection of pies, buns, and pancakes. Whenever I go to Chou's, I HAVE TO order the beef pies.

Crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside

True Chinese food has a homemade element that you can rarely find at a chain restaurant. The uniqueness comes from the use of a variety of spices, including the Szechuan peppercorn. This special pepper causes your tongue to become numb. Some say that it even helps you handle spicier foods than you could normally eat. When eating a Szechuan peppercorn, your mouth starts to tingle a little bit. It's quite an interesting sensation. When at Chou's, I always have Szechuan Chicken and Beef in Chili Oil, dishes that both play with the complexity of the peppercorn.

Beef in Chili oil highlights the Szechuan Peppercorn

Szechuan Chicken with dried red peppers

What else do I love about Chinese? The answer is simple: dried chili oil. No Chinese dish is complete without a little dried chili oil. A lot of the times, you can find mildly spicy homemade chili oil, which won't make your tongue burn, but definitely provides texture and flavor. People think I'm crazy, but I enjoy eating it on it's own... with a spoon... I told you I was crazy.

This completes any Chinese dish

Other Chinese dishes that I love include, ones like these:

Cumin Beef highlights cumin's smoky flavor

Crispy Chinese Noodles

Stews made in clay pots

Before you start your meal, you can ask for complimentary Chinese cornmeal porridge. Before this, I had no idea that cornmeal porridge was part of Chinese cuisine. It's a bit bland for me, but after dumping in a satisfying amount of chili oil and soy sauce, is the perfect way to start off a meal.

Try ordering this at Panda Express

So- I bet you can't find any of this at Panda Express. Well, in a flavorful manner, anyways. Chinese cuisine is really homemade and you can taste the love in the food, when it's made correctly, of course. I would really advise you to try an authentic Chinese place out- trust me, you'll never be able to eat a fortune cookie ever again.

Now, I'm going to go complain about how hungry I am to my parents... Maybe they'll take me to Chou's kitchen.

What's "In" Winter 2013-2014

So what's hot this season? Scroll down for the top 10 ultimate trends to keep you looking sharp for the new year!

1. Lots of Prints
This season, designer collections such as Miu Miu and Prada showcased bold, colorful prints. Pair printed pieces with plain pieces for a nice complement, or be daring and wear prints with other prints.






2. Military
Structured coats, buttons, greens, and blacks, are featured in the collections of many designers, including Victoria Beckham, Prada, Valentino, and Tommy Hilfiger. The essence of this "military" style is the mixing of hard structure, color, and material with soft feminine touches.





3. Goth/Punk
A toned down version of gothic and punk styles is easy to accomplish with dark colors (especially black), black leather, velvet, long and slender silhouettes, and metallic accents. A pop of red is also a great way to go goth. This edgy trend is not only in clothes, but also in hair and make up this season.





4. Leather
Leather is always hot, but becomes even more "in" as the weather gets colder. A cute biker-esque jacket is a must have for any closet. Leather does not have to be black, but comes in almost every color of the rainbow! This season, camel, beige, black, and darker colors seem to be the trendiest.






5. Fur Accents
Fur seems to sneak into our wardrobes every winter. The most effortless way to wear fur is to wear fur-lined coats, jackets, and boots.





6. Over-sized Clothing
Who doesn't love the occasional oversized sweater, shirt, or jacket?






7. Peplums
Peplums are so cute! They are fitted tops with a flare at the bottom, and are a must have for anyone's closet. They come with a variety of colors and materials. Personally, I think peplums are great in any season.





8. Knits
Knitted sweaters are the perfect companions to any winter clothing item.




9. Full Floral
Floral is usually associated with summer or spring, but don't be discouraged to pop that floral dress out this winter! Just layer to accommodate the colder weather and style with boots!







10. Knitted Hats
Knitted hats not only keep your head nice and warm, but also work as an accessory with your outfit. They can be found in many colors and patterns, and add a cozy winter touch to any ensemble.






I'll be posting more soon, so stay tuned! Let me know of any cool winter outfits you come up with. Make sure to let me know what you think of this post and comment below.

Girl, You Look Swagrid

We can all agree that the way you dress, your unique sense of style, says a lot about you. You can show off your personality and make a statement through your wardrobe. So how can we display the things we love while still looking fabulous?

I am a huge Potter fan, so I go gaga over this kind of thing. You can display your love for Harry Potter while still looking extremely fashionable!

Daily Prophet Tights

Adding a burst of color or print with leggings is a great way to make a fashion statement. The leggings above display the Daily Prophet, from Harry Potter.

Deathly Hallows Tights

At first look, these Deathly Hallow tights look patterned with a unique design. But, with a trained eye, you will notice that the pattern on the tights represents the Deathly Hallows symbol.

Show off your House pride with these tights!

Deathly Hallows Bathing Suit

A cute, sometimes over sized, graphic tee is a comfortable way to show off your style, even on lazy days.

The Daily Prophet Tee

A graphic dress can pack a punch! Some may be afraid to wear such a big statement piece, but I simply love these!

LOVE IT!

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good

All of the pieces above are sold by Black Milk Clothing, and will get you looking "swagrid" in no time! These aren't the only cool graphic ensembles put together by Black Milk.

So creepy but so cool

Galaxy Tights

I hope this inspired you! You have to check out Black Milk Clothing on their website

 blackmilkclothing.com . They seriously have the coolest stuff and I NEED IT NOW. Questions, comments, concerns? Leave them below!

My Cat Raja

My cat, Raja, is now 6 years old! It's crazy for me to think that... I remember when he was a tiniest kitten like it was just yesterday. He was only 7 weeks old when we got him in 2007. I can't believe it's been that long.

Raja and I are best friends. He definitely lives up to his name. Raja means 'king' or 'ruler' in Urdu, my native language. Raja thinks he's the king of the universe. He only likes attention when he wants it, he meows at you until you give him treats, he makes you stand there when he eats, and he hates being held. He basically sleeps and eats the whole day long. He's a lazy cat, although he was a very active kitten. He's also a big cat, which leads to a lot of confused people asking us if he's pregnant. 

Don't get me wrong, he might be a lazy ball of fur, but he is really smart. Sometimes I think he can understand everything I say to him. 

Once, Raja saved me. I remember being asleep in my room. I woke at some early hour in the morning to a terrible stomach ache. There was something really wrong, and it hurt so much that I couldn't get up to get help. Raja knew that I was hurt. He went to my parents' bedroom and started meowing and scratching at the door. My mom stepped outside to see what was freaking Raja out so much. Raja immediately stopped meowing, so she went back into her room. At this point, Raja started to meow loudly again. My mom came out of the bedroom for a second time, and followed Raja to my room. I ended up going to the hospital. It was nothing life threatening, but Raja saved me. I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't.

Raja is a huge part of my life. He's a perfect companion when you need someone to listen to you, to make you feel safe, or even just to curl up next to you. He is really friendly (but sometimes evil of you don't do exactly what he wants.) Some people may think that cats don't genuinely love their owners, but that's not true. They are independent creatures, but just like their canine counterparts, they are willing to risk anything for the sake of their owners. Oh, and they also spend their lives thinking about one other thing- WORLD DOMINATION.

Reign Soundtrack

Hey! So my last post was about a new show called Reign. If you haven't read it yet, you need to STOP, DROP, and ROLL! Or you could just go read it... right now.

Ok, now that you know what I'm talking about, I shall continue. One thing that I noticed while watching Reign for the first time was its soundtrack. They have a lot of songs by the Lumineers (you may know them) and songs from other bands I haven't heard of before. I'm totally in love with the songs and I was listening to them while doing my homework last night.

The song below, Scotland by the Lumineers, is basically Reign's theme song. It's so good!

Below are my favorite songs that are played during the first two episodes. They are great! I can't wait to hear all of the songs that will be played throughout the season. The video directly below is Back to You by Twin Peaks. It might be my favorite so far.

This one is called Flowers in Your Hair by the Lumineers.

Follow by the Crystal Fighters

Charlie Boy the Lumineers

The Loved Ones by Sanders Bohlke

There are a bunch of amazing songs to listen to from season 1 so far. I love them! Listen to them and tell me your favorites in the comments below!

New Show: Reign

Hey guys! So, I seriously need some shows to watch. And no, I don't watch PLL. I've been watching Once Upon a Time, one of my all time favorite shows, since the first season, but I need some other stuff to watch when it isn't on. I tried out a new ABC Family drama called Twisted, and I got my cousin hooked on it, but the season ended a while ago.

I've been on the hunt for new shows to watch for a while, and I looked up a handful of them that were premiering in fall. There are a lot of shows that recently came out on the CW like Reign, The Tomorrow People, the Originals, and probably more that I don't know about. I decided to try out Reign and The Tomorrow People, but The Originals is a vampire show, which is not my cup of tea.

I tried to watch The Tomorrow People, but I didn't really like it... It was actually as stupid as it sounds. But, I decided I would watch one episode of Reign, just to try it out. I wasn't expecting much.

Reign is a historical drama with characters that actually existed in real life. I know, it sounds boring. But I am amazed at the modern twist they put into the show, and I really doubt any events in the show are actually historically accurate.

Reign follows the main character, Mary Queen of Scotland, who is off to marry the future king of France, Prince Francis, after multiple assassination attempts by the English. At the age of 9, she was hidden away to live with nuns at a convent. She is rushed to French Court after poison is found in the porridge served at the nunnery. Her friends from Scotland, her new ladies in waiting, meet her there.

Adelaide Kane plays Mary. She is so pretty! asdfghjkl

Even at French court, Mary faces problems. Francis, to whom she has been engaged to for almost her whole life, does not seem to want to marry her. His illegitimate half brother, Sebastian, also seems to take interest in her. Trust me, there is lots of drama and a mysterious girl who travels the palace through secret passageways...

Francis, future king of France

Sebastian, the half-brother

It is foretold that Mary will cost Francis his life. The Queen Catherine, Francis's mother, will stop at nothing to alter the prophecy- including hurting Mary. 

Queen Catherine

Mary's friends have their own issues. They have to make sure Mary is doing well, but that doesn't stop them from having their own fun. 

Kenna, one of Mary's friends

The show is only two episodes in, with a promise of royal drama to come. I'll be tuning in to Reign on Thursdays. Will you?