HinW is Closing!

I'm not sure how many of you out there actually still read this. I just haven't been feeling it anymore. I do still plan on blogging but not about nails or random "favorite" posts. I have picked out the 3 things that I love doing most and that is what I'm sticking with. I created an entirely new blog so that I can start over fresh. I would love it if you wanted to join me over at my new location! (click the link below) I will be posting book and product reviews mostly. But I will also be continuing my 101 challenge and posting about our home renovations.  So there will still be some "crafty/diy" stuff... just not my main focus. I do still plan on opening a shop one of these days. The opportunity just hasn't presented itself to me...

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Let's be Honest..

I am not the best blogger in the world. But I'm not going to apologize for that .. again. Blogging is something that I've always done, way back to LiveJournal days. I wrote something every day. It may not have been deep and purposeful but it was something. And it made me happy. I enjoyed the silly comment conversations and the friends that I made. These days I find myself putting way to much thought into writing out a blog post. There are so many great bloggers out there and I admit, I get caught up in it. I am the worst for questioning myself. "Am I good enough?" "Do my photos compare to so and so's?" "Does anyone even care about this project?" I know we all probably ask ourselves things like this from time to time. But lately, it consumes...

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Pineapple Birthdays!

Today is Marc's birthday! The cake he requested was a Pineapple Upside Down cake. He is mildly obsessed with pineapples. I've planned a small dinner for him tonight with some of his favorite foods. I invited a few family members. Small, Simple and fun! Check back tomorrow to find out how it all went down! ...

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NOTW {glitter & hearts}

This is how my nails started out last week. A nude color with a turquoise tip and some hearts. Of course, my impatience didn't allow me to let them completely dry first. So a few nails were flawed. Then my tips weren't even. My hearts were free handed and not that hot. Trust me they look much, much better in the picture than they did in real life. So, I took it all off and started over with a new plan. That led me to these nails... And I'm still rocking them. It was fairly easy to do. I just used a clear glitter polish on the tips and bottom of my accent nail. I actually think this might be my new go to nail. It would work on so many colors and with so many different colored glitters. I love it! Then on Saturday night, Marc and...

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Freebie Friday #9

I am way behind this week. I took my photos on Friday but I haven't gotten around to editing and uploading. FAIL. Marc's birthday is tomorrow and I've been trying to focus on getting things done for the dinner I'm cooking and making sure the house is all clean. Eh, but I decided instead of doubling up on Friday, I'd just post last week's now. ITEMS PICTURED: 3 issues of Latina magazine Men's Health magazine Newsweek magazine Oprah magazine Road & Track magazine 2 issues of Lowrider magazine 4wheel & Offroad magazine Lego Club magazine a week supply of Stri-Vectin SD full size Lickety Stix cat treats SmartyPants vitamin sample cigar ash tray from Black & Mild Hydro Silk razor 3 Kcup samples from Starbucks Prevention...

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PinFabulous No.1

I know everyone loves Pinterest. I am not as addicted as some people I know but I do like to browse around from time to time. I've gotten a lot of great ideas and recipes from there. I thought it might be kind of cool to share some of the things that I pinned with you guys. Kind of like my version of a "weekly favorites" that so many bloggers do. I think it's fun to see how different everyone's taste is. So, let's get on with it! Luux via pinterest I think this is the cutest thing in the world! Even tho it is meant for children (I'm a big kid!), I'm thinking this would be super cute in one of my rooms. I may try this... 2 girls being crafty via pinterest I am one of the few crafters out there that doesn't have a stock pile of scrapbook...

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NOTW {pink stripes}

This is actually a mani I did a couple of weeks ago. Right now my nails are just natural and that's not very exciting. So, I figured I'd share these nails that I still had some photos of. I started out using tape. But I was kind of impatient so I ditched that half way through and just free handed it. So my lines are little wonky but I still think it turned out cute. ITEMS USED: N.Y.C color 108a (light pink) N.Y.C color 111a (hot pink) Sally Hansen Diamond Strength glitter top coat The only thing that I wasn't happy about with this was the glitter. I think it would have been much cuter if I'd just used a plain top coat. But eh, you live and you learn! Overall, it was super easy to do and it would be fun to play with the colors. Maybe even...

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Freebie Friday #8

ITEMS PICTURED: 2 bags of Uncle Bucks Beef Jerky 1 10ct package of Aleve pain relievers 2 travel toothbrush with Colgate toothepaste packs 4 bags of Kettle Chips Tias cool rach chips 1 pack of 5 React gum 2 packs of Stride gum 1 pack of Chapstick 2 bags of Sniders pretzel pieces 1 bag of Gardetto's 1 Moonpie 11 5ct packs of Black & Mild Apple Cigars 9 5ct packs of Black & Mild Original Cigars 20 loose Black & Mild Cigars various 1 6ct pack of Black & Mild Fast Break Cigars 1 60ct box of Swisher Sweets Cigarello's 2 25ct boxes of Black & Mild Apple Cigars 1 25ct box of Black & Mild Original Cigars 1 25ct box of Black & Mild Royale Wood Tip Cigars 2 5ct packs of Black & Mild Original & Wine variety pack All...

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REVIEW {unreal candy}

I was given the opportunity to try Unreal candy for free through BzzAgent. The following is my own opinions based on my experience trying this product. I am not being paid in any way other than a free candy product. At first I was skeptical. I mean a lot of healthy or good for you snacks taste like cardboard. I was hesitant to even accept this campaign offer from BzzAgent. But, considering it was my very first offer ever, I figured I probably should take it. Well, I am happy to report that I was wrong. I am now glad that I tried Unreal candy. It was really good! And that means something coming from a girl who doesn't care much for chocolate or sweets. UNREAL 54 - CANDY COATED CHOCOLATE PIECES Let's just say these are the healthier version...

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RECIPE {sweet & sour meatloaf}

This is a favorite in our house. A few years ago, I was looking for a good meatloaf recipe and my husband actually found this one. I decided to try it and I haven't made another kind of meatloaf since. This is seriously the best meatloaf I have ever had. And it's so easy to make! I have found that we prefer it in a 9x9 pan instead of a loaf pan. It seems to not get as done in the loaf pan because of the thickness. But it comes out perfect in a 9x9. SWEET & SOUR MEATLOAF (via Allrecipes.com) 1 1/2 pounds ground beef1 cup dry bread crumbs1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper2 eggs1 teaspoon dried minced onion1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce2 tablespoons brown sugar2 tablespoons cider vinegar1/2 cup white sugar2 teaspoons prepared...

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NOTW {golden flowers}

I actually received these nails for free. A sample for signing up with PrettyWomanUSA. I'm not much for the press on/glue on nails but I gave these a shot. Like most nails of these types, they didn't last more than a couple days before popping off. But they are really pretty and they have so many designs to pick from. I would definitely use these for a special occasion, where you only need them to last a few hours. I'm not sure what this style is called. It's not listed anywhere on the package and I can't find them on the site either. But they are a golden yellow color with glitter. The accent nail has little pearl flowers and rhinestones. Linking up @ Just Lov...

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REVIEW {5 hour energy}

I received 2 bottles of 5 Hour Energy from Smiley360.com for free. I am not being paid to write this post. These are my honest opinions, good or bad, on my own personal experience testing this product. If you are interested in more information on Smiley360, then jump over to there website {here} and sign up for free! You could be testing out products next! Finding the energy for work and family responsibilities is hard enough. Throw in a second job, go back to school, or simply have a sleepless night and you’re bound to hit the wall. So what do you do when that afternoon lull strikes? Run for more coffee? Grab a soda? But how long does that last before you need a refill? Try this instead – take one 5-hour ENERGY®. It’s the quick, simple way...

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NOTW {dark clouds}

First off, I apologize for the picture quality. I'm not so hot at taking close up photos, especially with one hand doing the other hand. Meh. Colors Used: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth as a base & top coat N.Y.C #116A Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup in Canary Diamond Chrome I have always loved nail polish. I just chose to never wear it because I thought it made my fingers look even shorter and chunkier. Crazy, I know. Regardless, I still have a drawer full of polishes that I never wear. Some of them I probably haven't even opened once. So I've decided to work my way through every single color I own and play around with it. Plus, I need to some easy "blogging" to ease my way back into posting regularly. This was my first try at a full...

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Freebie Friday #7

ITEMS PICTURED: Emergen-C sample 2 samples of Nescafe Momento September 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living August 2012 issue of Forbes August 1012 issue of Town & Country August 2012 issue of Maxim issue of Newsweek L'oreal Fructis Fall Fight shampoo & conditioner sample L'oreal Fructis Strength & Shine shampoo & conditioner sample Miessence hand, face & body lotion samples 2 100% Greens samples GetGlue stickers 4oz bottle of Ecos laundry detergent sample Arm & Hammer Sensitive toothpaste sample Honey Nut Cheerios sample 3 Sheets sleep aid samples 5 $1 off coupons for Koch foods $1 off coupon for Sara Lee 4 mini tubes of Smashbox Cosmetics Foundation Primer samples 2 Caswell & Massey lotion samples 1 card from...

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Freebie Friday #4-6 {catch up!}

OK. I have kind of put this off because well, I don't have a good excuse. So now I have 3 weeks worth of freebies to list out. I have no idea if any of them are still available. I'm sorry about that. I think I have come up with a plan to make this a little bit easier tho. I'm gonna start fresh on Monday and see if I can't keep up with it a little bit better. Ok, well on to the free stuff! ITEMS PICTURED: NewsWeek magazine American Baby magazine Road & Track magazine O magazine 4wheel & Offroad magazine 2 Super Chevy magazines a week's worth of WSJ 2 Shape magazines (not pictured) Similac Newborn Pack (1 full size original formula, 1 fullsize sensitive tummy formula & 1 newborn bottle.) 4 pack of Kcups from Green Mountain...

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REVIEW {Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish}

I was given the opportunity to try the Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color for free. It came inside my Influenster Summer Beauty VoxBox 2012. I was not paid for this review. The following is my honest opinion based on my own experience from using this product. I think the idea behind the whole magnetic nail polish craze is pretty cool. It's neat to play around with this stuff. I was pretty happy that I received the color Silver Elements. It comes is several other colors, but the silver is most appealing to me. I have used this a few times already and I know it will become a staple in my nail painting. It is super easy to apply. Just like normal nail polish, you apply one thin coat and let it completely dry. Then you go back and, one finger...

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