ROUNDUP: Week in Photos - Vacation Edition

The combination of summer heat, long days and too many plans has been making me a total lazy bones on the internet. I'm just too busy being busy (and did I mention hot?) to actually write up blog posts, which I guess isn't too bad of a problem to have. Because of this, I've been meaning to maybe get around to thinking about posting a week in photos for the vacation I took one month ago. Oops. Well, better late than never, right? Here is a collection of lovely things that occupied my eyes and mind during a blissful week in the New Hampshire lakes region.

Too much time in a secluded cabin = overly elaborate manicures. 

My green hands on the right and my friend's rainbow manicure on the left.

 Our favorite retro diner and an order of blissful fried pickles.

 A perfume spraying machine! Only 25 cents for a blast of Tommy Girl, can you believe it?! 

Also, an adorable water bowl for furry friends.

 We had an influx of ducks this year and they were super friendly! 

This poor raccoon got stuck in the dumpster for a while.

 Me with our beloved ball, which we use to play the best-ever version of 'keep-it-up' in the water.

Fresh faced and scouting out summer freckles.

 Our cove has tons of tall trees and a wonderful private beach/dock right on the lake!

 Every road is SO GREEN. Me being a passenger is like a whole other kind of vacation for this perpetual driver. 

Also, a delightful waterfall at the old-timey shopping center.

My boyfriend lazes around on our last night with a tiny guitar found in an antique shop. The strangest pencil case in the entire world (what can you actually fit in there?) found at Staples. I laughed at this so hard and for so long that I was politely asked to stay in the aisles rather than the front of the store by management. Worth it!

P.S. I just realized that today is the one year anniversary of Neon Rattail! It seriously flew by! I love posting projects here and I'm so glad to have you read them. Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,
Michelle

DIY: Easy Beach Coverup From a T-Shirt

Normally I spend my vacation watching everyone jaunting around in amazing leopard print or floral swimsuit coverups while I'm wrapped in my Cinderella beach towel (I'm very cool), but this year I decided to finally plan a fun coverup BEFORE I was already by the water. Foresight is amazing! To keep it easy, cheap and simple (after all, I'm just throwing it over my wet swimsuit) I wanted to work with a t-shirt. I also wanted it to match the shape of my suit to avoid weird tanlines. Here's what I came up with:

What You Need

Oversized T-Shirt (mine was fluorescent yellow)

Another T-Shirt(s) (to cut up for the straps)

Sewing Machine or Needle & Thread

Scissors & Sewing Pins

How To Do It

FOLD: 

Lay your oversized t-shirt flat. Fold in half lengthwise so that armholes match up.

CUT: 

Cut off the sleeves, making sure to follow the curves and remove seams. Remove the neck, cutting straight across just below the lowest point of the collar.

SEW: 

Open the t-shirt back up and lay flat. Fold the top inch of the new neckline down on the inside and pin. Sew along this line. You can finish the hem nicely, but...eh, it's summer. This makes a channel for your strap.

STRAPS: 

Cut strips of your other t-shirt (I used 2 - blue and pink) about an inch wide (it's easier to fold it a bunch and then cut). This will give you loops so cut the loops to make a strip. Tie the ends of your strips together to form longer strips. The goal is 3 strips about 4 feet long. When you have that, tie the ends of your 3 strips together and braid them. It helps to pin them down and work slowly to avoid tangling.

FINISH: 

Thread the braided strap through one of the channels you created at the neckline, looping through both in a "U" shape and ending with 2 loose strap ends on the same side.

WEAR: 

Turn the t-shirt sideways so that the armpit is over your chest and the loose strap ends are in front. Tie the straps behind your neck and TA-DA - coverup! You can also wear it the "right" way and just tie the straps over one shoulder.

I added a pink ruffle to mine afterward because everything is improved by a pink ruffle. I hope this is clear but I would be happy to clarify or answer any questions that you have!

xoxo,

Michelle

ETC: Summer Road Trip Playlist

My boyfriend and I make new road trip soundtracks every summer for our drive to the lake and instead of our usual setup where I make a mix CD (yes, CD) and he makes one, we had the genius idea last year to make 2 CDs by alternating our picks track by track - his song, my song and so on. Very simple idea, but it was revolutionary for us! Now neither of us needs to wait more than a song length to hear our pick. It also gives my voice a rest, as I can't help but sing along to songs in the car. :)

Here's a sampling of our vacation soundtrack for 2012, including both of our picks. Listen while imagining me lakeside, hopefully sunburn-free. I hope you're on (or going on) vacation too!

Summer Road Trip from NeonRattail on 8tracks.

TRACK LIST
1. Beach Boys: Breakaway
2. Bikini Kill: Rah! Rah! Replica
3. Little Teeth: Japanese Candy
4. Best Coast: Let's Go Home
5. Cap'n Jazz: Oh Messy Life
6. Freda Payne: Band of Gold
7. Carole King: It Might As Well Rain Until September
8. Jenny Lewis: You Are What You Love
9. Sleigh Bells: Born to Lose
10. The Stokes: Under Cover of Darkness
11. Mariah Carey feat. ODB: Fantasy 
12. Love: My Little Red Book
13. The Ettes: Crown of Age
14. Santogold: You'll Find a Way
15. Go Sailor: Fine Day for Sailing
16. Buddy Holly: Everyday
17. Outkast: Hey Ya!
18. The Oohlas: Small Parts
19. Violent Femmes: Kiss Off

20. Japandroids: The House That Heaven Built

xoxo,
Michelle

STYLE: OOTD Stripes & Brights

I just never get tired of a black and white stripe. It's timeless - classic and modern at the same time. As simple as it is, this kind of pattern always catches my eye, either in stores or on people. Love it, especially with bright pops of color!

Dress: Dots

Belt: Dots

Cardigan: Target

Leggings: Forever 21

Purse: Target

Wedge Flip Flops: Old Navy

Oversize Bow Ring: Craft Fair

Hair Daisy: Claire's

xoxo,
Michelle

DIY: Nail Polish Jewelry

I'm always looking for fun new kinds of jewelry to experiment with and when I found this cool new technique I just had to share! I bought a bunch of jewelry making supplies online - mostly materials I'd never worked with that I couldn't find at my local craft stores. Among them were these clear glass flat-back beads with a magnifying effect. 

They remind me of those glass beads that everybody thought looked
SO classy in a vase with fake flowers in the 90s.

You can see the magnifying effect here.

Because of the magnified appearance, putting images or decoration behind/under the bead creates a cool look. I tried mine with some nail polish for a fun gemstone-esque look. Here's how you can do the same:

What You Need

Magnifying Bead & Bezel Pendant Kit 

(I bought mine online here, but I'm sure you can get them tons of other places)

Glitter Nail Polish

Color Nail Polish

Strong Glue (I used E-6000)

How To Do It

1. Paint your bead with your glitter polish until you reach your desired glittery-ness. Mine took 3 coats. Make sure to let it dry completely between each coat. I used Queen of Beauty from Sinful Colors.

2. Paint your second color over the glitter coat until it's opaque. Mine took 2 coats. I used Hazard from Sinful Colors.

3. When completely dry, apply a thin layer of glue over the entire back of the bead and press it into the necklace base (bezel) and press for 30 seconds. Let it dry upside down to avoid air bubbles.

I've also made some earrings with smaller beads and rings with larger ones. I'm thinking of making a million of these to wear and to add to my Etsy shop because they are so fun! Here are a few that I made without glitter, just capturing some especially shimmery and holographic polishes. 

Canadian Star from Nicole

Teal of Fortune from Wet n Wild

Fuchsia Rage from Nina Ultra Pro & Pacific Blue from Sally Hansen with Make U Smile from Nicole on top

They look even more sparkly in person and when they catch the light they're incredible - it's distracting having it on my hand! You could try this with paint too or other thin materials like confetti, printed images or pieces of maps or book pages. The magnifying effect makes whatever you add really shine!


xoxo,
Michelle

STYLE: OOTD Americaaahh Edition

Happy (belated) Independence Day fellow Americans! I took it upon myself to celebrate in style, opting to dress as literally as possible in red, white and blue for no good reason except to be the weirdo at the party. It totally worked! I'm really into maxi dresses for the first time ever and now I want approximately one million of them in my closet. I've never found one that wasn't massively long on my short legs, but this one shrunk right up to the best length. I would have been willing to hem it, but the dryer did all of the heavy lifting, which was much appreciated. How have I been missing out on these wonder dresses?!

Hands on my hips in every shot because I'm a one-trick pony.

Striiiiiipes as far as the eye can see & a gratuitous hair shot because it is finally getting longer!

 I also kept it 'Merican on my nails, using these products and tools:

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: Target

Belt: Dots

Wedge Flip Flops: Old Navy

Pretzel Ring: DIY by me (another available here)

Any fellow theme dressers out there?

xoxo,
Michelle

ROUNDUP: Week in Photos

I can't believe today is July already - bring on the summer sun! Here's what I've been up to this week:

1. Homemade popsicles with fresh raspberries from the farmers market!

2. Working on new pieces for my shop

3. Got a new overnight bag for vacation later this month

4. Growing scallions from discarded roots is SO EASY! Disregard the red cups... 

5. First attempt at ombre nails...tutorial coming soon!

6. New cotton candy and ice cream hair pieces for either myself or my shop...

7. Treated myself to a Betsey Johnson wallet from T.J. Maxx for surviving a very busy week

 8. My boyfriend just got his very first cell phone - at age 27!

9. This awesome vintage planter is now my coffee table caddy

How is your week going?

xoxo,

Michelle

BEAUTY: 5 More Beauty Products I Love Right Now

I love buying and trying new beauty products (I have to reward myself somehow for running Target errands) so as a follow-up to my 5 Beauty Products I Love Right Now post, I want to share more awesome items I can't get enough of. Let's go!

1. Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum
I bought this on a whim after seeing a positive review on Beauty Broadcast and, honestly, I would use this product every day even if it did nothing to stop breakage (but thankfully it does!) because the scent is AMAZING. I am admittedly a coconut fanatic (scent and flavor) so this milky, sweet scent instantly endeared me to the serum. Aside from that, it seems to actually prohibit breakage. My hair is pretty healthy, but it does fall out a lot when I comb it (although I've heard it's normal to lose 100 strands of hair per day - HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!). I put a small amount in my wet hair and run through with with my fingers and I've noticed less strand loss when I use it. One warning: don't use too much or you will have awkward greasy bangs all day.

2. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

There's a reason this stuff has been popular for way longer than I've been alive - it works SO WELL. I remember my mom using this green goop when I was little and it seems like it's made a cameo in practically every sitcom and movie in the overused 'AHHHH! They caught me in my face mask!' scene. It feels so cool and tingly when you put it on and this is probably the only face mask that has ever caused a noticeable difference in my skin. I got a big tub of it at Sally's Beauty Supply (for like $5), which I recommend because it can be a little too thick to squeeze from a tube. 

3. Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

This isn't so much a product as it is a method, I guess. I've been occasionally substituting a vinegar/water mix for conditioner and loving the results. If you haven't heard of this I know it sounds weird, but it leaves my hair super soft without the chemicals found in most traditional conditioners. Plus, it's super cheap! You simply mix a 1:4 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water (you can adjust that as needed) in a spray bottle and after shampooing saturate your hair with the mixture and rinse. I sprayed it in my eye and mouth the first time I used it, but now it's a breeze. Yes, your hair kind of smells like vinegar when it's wet but the scent completely goes away almost immediately and you'll never smell it when it dries.

4. ELF Shimmering Facial Whip

Despite the overly fancy name, this is just a basic highlighter but it really does a great job. I have it in Lilac Petal and I use a bit on my cheekbones and brow bone to add dimension. At first I was put off by the lipgloss-esque texture, but by using a small amount and rubbing it in the sticky feeling disappears. The shimmer and shade are exactly what I was looking for and at just $1.00 I am now attached to this product.

5. EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint

If you know me, you've definitely seen me with a lip balm in hand...I literally never leave home without it. I've been a diehard Burt's Bees user for years and while I try new ones here and there I always rely on my Burt's for the heavy lifting of hydrating and smoothing my lips. This is SO not the case anymore! The EOS balms are amazing, but the Sweet Mint flavor is especially wonderful. It is really similar in scent to the Orbit gum flavor of the same name and it lasts and lasts and lasts. It's not a superficial lip balm - this baby moisturizes. It'll definitely earn a permanent place in your purse.

So I have to ask - what are your favorite beauty products right now?

xoxo,

Michelle

STYLE: OOTD, Pants Edition

Sometimes I wear pants...sometimes. 

Although, I'm questioning why I chose the first day of summer (also the middle of a heat wave) to do so.

It looks like little kids painted all over my shirt - I love it!

I got these Moccasins for $10.00!

Nail polish is Mint Sorbet by Sally Hansen

Jeans: YMI

Shirt: Forever 21

Cardigan: Thrifted

Moccasins: Mix No. 6 (via DSW)

Tank Top: Dots

Polka Dot Bow Knuckle Ring: DIY by Me

Silver Bracelet: Vintage 

(and stolen from my sister's thrifted jewelry collection when I was in 5th grade - sorry, Jen!)

It's fun to play in Pants Land for a little while, but I'm looking forward to more skirts, dresses and everything summer!

xoxo,
Michelle