My Obsession with Color Street Started 2 Months Ago

  If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably saw this post below, sharing my very first experience with Color Street nail polish strips.  My friend had asked me to try them a few months before that, but I wasn't very interested.  My nails were strong and healthy, and I was used to painting them every 6 or 7 days myself.  What changed my mind about trying them months later was a nailfie (nail selfie) she shared of some really cool looking nail art.  I LOVE nail art, but was never able to apply professional looking nail art to my own nails without going to a salon.  So, I picked out a set that caught my eye, and the rest is history . . .

View this post on Instagram

I tried #BeColorStreet nail polish strips for the first time. The color is 'Ice to Meet You.' They look pretty good since I'm a novice. Now to see how they hold up against everyday wear and the speed at which my nails grow. #quickmani

A post shared by Karen Coutu (@karen3g2s) on Dec 20, 2018 at 1:44pm PST

What exactly are Color Street nail polish strips?

1. Color Street strips are 95% dry real nail polish in an easy-to-use peel and apply format.
2. There is ZERO dry time.
3. There are no tools required for applying these nail strips. Watch this video to see how easy the application process is.
4. Color Street says one manicure can last up to 10 days without chipping.  Personally, both my 12 year old daughter and I have gone up to and past 10 days without seeing one chip.
5. Color Street sets are affordable!  Each set ranges in price from $11 to $14 per set, not including any current promotions.  Also, the strips are double-tipped, so I can do both my nails and my daughter's nails with just one set.
6. There are over 130 expressive colors and designs to choose from, and the selection is updated every fall/winter and spring/summer season. Check out all the colors here.
7. Color Street products are made in the U.S.A.

Color Street nail polish strips in Bordeaux Glitz and Lisbon Nights

After about 6 weeks of loving Color Street, I decided to become an Independent Color Street Stylist.  I am not really a direct sales kind of person, but I really love this product, so I figured I would share it with my friends and family.  Some of my readers have followed my blog for over 10 years, and know that I am genuine in my feelings about the products I share.  I sincerely believe that most everyone who tries this product will love it.  Once you try Color Street, you'll never go back to using nail polish from a bottle.

If you'd like to try Color Street for yourself, visit www.LoveNailMail.com or join my 'Love Nail Mail' VIP Facebook group to request a free sample and to enjoy VIP member perks.  I came up with that name because I always get so excited when I'm expecting nail mail!

Check out some of my recent nailfies below . . . 

One of my favorite Color Street shades is Bordeaux Glitz.

My Color Street manicure in Whole Latte Love

Our first mother-daughter nailfie

Have questions about Color Street?

Share them with me here.

Personalized Star Wars Pet ID Tags

 Since we adopted this pair of kittens in July, life has been interesting (and lots of fun).  These are not our first kittens by any means, but they are the most mischievous kittens we've ever welcomed to our family.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that Yoda is the one with the big ears, and Kenobi is the one with the smudge of black on his nose.

Although we had purchased some basic ID tags at our local pet supply store on the way to picking up these 9-week old brothers, we later decided we needed tags more fitting of their personalities.  That's when my online search led me to stumble upon the TagNTrail shop on Etsy. This shop sells handmade pet ID tags, waterproof collars, and more.  There were several Star Wars-themed pet tags to choose from, but I ended up with the Obi-wan pet tag for Kenobi because he's so lovable, and the Jedi pet tag for Yoda because he can jump so high that you'd swear he could fly.  I had a great experience buying from this Etsy shop.  I was able to choose the font color for our pets' names and contact info located on the back of the tags. The shop owner was even nice enough to change the lightsabers on Yoda's tag from red to green for me (because you know, Yoda's lightsaber is green).

At first I thought the tags, which are about 1.25" in diameter, would be too big for our little kittens, but they were very lightweight and didn't seem to get in the way of their daily mischief at all.  You have the option to ask for smaller jumprings if you have smaller pets.  I forgot to do that (oops), but it worked out well for us to simply put the tags on the ring that came with the kitten collars.  I'm pretty happy with these tags, and I'd definitely return to this Etsy shop next time I need dog or cat ID tags.

More Etsy Finds . . . 

Fuzzy Nipper Catnip Toys from the Auntiemcreations Shop

Kitten-size Collars from SusansSewingStall Shop 

Do you like to shop handmade?

Share your Etsy finds with us in a comment here!

Also, check out how these talented Etsy shop owners are Making It for some real life inspiration.

Adjustable Breakaway Kitten Size Collars

 As I had previously mentioned, our family recently adopted a pair of kittens that needed to be rehomed.  Having had kittens in our family before, we stopped by our local pet supply store to pick up everything we knew we'd need on our way to picking up Kenobi and Yoda.  Yes, my husband is a HUGE Star Wars fan.

One of the items we picked up at the store was a pair of kitten collars.  They were stretch and stayed in place with Velcro.  They seemed like just the thing we needed.  Although those collars did work, they were not ideal.  Because they were cut to fit, the ends kept unraveling on both collars.  I had to trim them almost daily.  The end of the collars also did not want to stay in the loop that is meant to hold the end in place.  I had just accepted that I would live with these collars until the kittens grew big enough to wear size small cat collars because there was no alternative.

Then one day, while I was shopping for custom pet tags on Etsy, what do you think was mixed in among my search results? . . . Kitten sized collars!  These kitten collars are handcrafted by a woman named Susan, owner of the SusansSewingStall Etsy Shop. They look just like the cat collars you'd find in a pet supply store.  They are adjustable, have a breakaway closure, and have a little bell attached.  The prices are also extremely affordable, which is awesome because there are so many other expenses when adopting a pair of kittens.

At the smallest adjustment, these collars are said to fit most 8 week old kittens.  Since our kittens were about 12 weeks by then, the collars fit them perfectly when adjusted to almost the halfway point.  They definitely have a lot more room to grow.  I suspect that these kitten collars will fit our kitties into adulthood, unless they turn out to be as big as our other cat who is almost 20lbs.

I just had to share these kitten collars since they are so hard to find and I love to shop handmade whenever possible. Plus, the shop owner is such a nice lady, and ships her ready-made items super-quick.  She even takes custom orders if you don't see what you're looking for in her shop.

What great finds have you discovered on Etsy?

Share them with us in a comment here.

Best Cat Toy Ever for Kittens!

 A few weeks ago, we welcomed two new additions to our family, Kenobi and Yoda, a pair of kittens whom we adopted from a local family.  They are in great health according to the vet, which explains how each one is just a furry ball of energy.  We highly recommend adopting kittens in pairs because they just want to play all day and all night.

After shopping around, I found very few kitten toys that enable the kittens to play independently without the toy getting lost behind the sofa or under the bed after 10 minutes of play.  Then I saw this multi-track cat toy on sale during Prime Day for only around $10.  I remembered how my older cats loved their single track toys in past years, so I took a chance and ordered it.  This item turned out to be my favorite Prime Day purchase!

Our pair of curious kittens immediately started playing with this Tower of Tracks.  It has been so much fun watching them trying to figure out where the balls go when they're out of sight.

This toys seems equally as entertaining whether there is one or two feline players.  Sometimes one kitten sits back like a spectator and is thoroughly entertained just watching his brother play.

This toy is small enough so that can be played with on the floor, on the sofa, or even on an ottoman.  For grown cats, placing the toys on an ottoman or end table works great because they can see the balls more easily without having to crouch or lay down.

Just yesterday, I saw the Petstages Tower of Tracks cat toy at our local pet supply store for about $15.  Personally, I think it's worth that much, but the current price on Amazon is much lower. If you have more than two or three cats, you might consider purchasing more than one.

Do you have any cat toy recommendations?

Share them with us in a comment here.

Custom Made Disney-Inspired Handbags for Star Wars & Disney Princesses Fans

When I went to Walt Disney World in Orlando earlier this year, I was determined to find a designer Disney bag that I loved.  Alas, it just didn't happen.  There was no magic between me and any of the bags I found.  Did I find some that I liked? . . . Sure!  I just couldn't bring myself to spend a few hundred dollars on a bag I didn't absolutely love.  During the weeks following our trip, I looked around online for a bag because I was told that not all styles were carried in the shops at the park stores.  That's when I happened upon this little Etsy shop called CaliCatBoutique.

After taking a look at the various styles of bags available in this shop, I realized that this Etsy seller offered custom bags, where I could choose the fabrics, vinyl color, zipper color, and more.  I could actually create a bag that I loved!  And, you know what? . . . I ended up creating TWO for much less than it would have cost me for just one high end bag at Disney.  It's been awhile since I wrote a Shop 'n' Share post, but I just couldn't not share about my two new bags!

The first custom handbag is a Star Wars-inspired Sublime bag.  I chose a Rey fabric paired with an off-black vinyl and contrast zippers for a bold accent.

I love the touches of silvertone hardware on this bag, right down to the six metal feet that protect the bottom of the bag from wear.

For the interior, I chose a fun star patterned fabric that picks up the colors of the exterior fabric.  I was pretty pleased with how well the two prints coordinated.

For the zipper, I chose black over a brightly colored one.  I think it worked well.

To complete the look, I found this Star Wars: The Last Jedi Rebel Logo Tassel Keychain to use as a purse charm.  Even though the keychain is goldtone, it worked well with the colors of the bag.  It's almost as if it was made for this Star Wars-inspired bag!

The second bag is a custom tote bag inspired by Disney Princesses.  I first saw this Everyday Tote in purple and fell in love with it.  As I looked around, however, I was extremely infatuated with this subtle Disney Princesses printed fabric.

I paired this pretty fabric with the same off-black vinyl that was used for the Star Wars-inspired bag.

For the interior, I chose a contrasting fabric.  I had a tough time deciding on the color.  Thank goodness the CaliCatBoutique owner is a patient woman.  Ultimately, I ended up with the fuchsia, and I am very pleased with my decision.

When I had mentioned that I never zip my tote bags up, the owner offered to make the bag with a magnetic snap rather than a zipper.  I'm so happy that she did because the functionality of the bag is just as important as the style to me.

Originally, I had purchased a fuchsia leather rose purse charm to hang on this bag, but it didn't look quite right, so I returned to Etsy to find an alternative.  I just think the bag needed a little splash of color.  Finally, I came upon the AnaBeeCreations Etsy shop, where I spotted a mouse head key fob.  I requested to have the pink dotted fabric against the black vinyl.  When the key fob arrived, I replaced the swivel lobster claw clip with a ball chain in order to hang it from my bag.  I love the way this bag turned out, and it's what I'm carrying now for spring!

I'm really just thrilled with my two new bags!  I had also been eyeing the Bonnie Bucket Bag.  Maybe I could have a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired bag made?  Although I did see a beautiful stained glass Beauty and the Beast fabric recently . . . the possibilities are really endless!

NOTE: Be sure to ask for a quote on custom orders, as the cost may vary depending on the fabrics and details you choose.

What theme would inspire your dream handbag?

Tell us in a comment here!

Let the Wand Choose the Wizard with This Handmade Gift Idea for Your Harry Potter Fan

Since this year marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, my children's keen interest in this series was renewed.  Their choice for every family movie night has been a Harry Potter movie for the past few months.  It wasn't a surprise when they brought up the wand we purchased as a birthday gift for my daughter's classmate last fall at King Richard's Faire.  They started to get excited about perhaps choosing wands for their souvenirs at our visit to the Faire this year.  When they started fashioning magic wands out of paper and using up all the rolls of tape in the house, it was clear that waiting a few months for their wands would be extremely difficult for them.

Being the avid online shopper that I am, I started looking on Etsy to see what was available and for what price.  I was surprised at the wide range of magic wands (and prices) on Etsy.  The more I looked, the more I came to realize that I wanted only hand carved wooden wands for my children, similar to the ones sold by the artisan at the Renaissance Faire.  When I came upon the shop, OrchardWorks, I knew I was getting close!

Here's where the magic happened.  I discovered that OrchardWorks offers 'random wands' at an incredible price!  You can tell the shop owners what your color preferences are, along with some adjectives that would describe your perfect wand's personality.  Then the wand chooses the wizard!  You'll see which wand chooses you when it arrives at your door.  How cool is that?

I have to admit that my daughter was a little worried about not being able to choose her wand herself since she is so particular about everything (no idea who she got that from), but she was extremely pleased with her wand, as were her two brothers.  Hers is the light-colored one in the center.  Her preferences were that her wand be honey color and delicate.  My oldest received the wand at the top.  He had asked that his wand be dark-stained and regal.  My youngest son's wand is pictured at the bottom, and is my favorite.  He asked for a black,  twisted, powerful wand.  All three have been casting imaginary spells on each other since that day.

TIP:  If you are shopping for more than one child, you can tell the shop owners the name or age/gender of your children.  They'll label each wand for you, so you'll know which wand chose which wizard.

Since I was so impressed by the workmanship and quality of these wands, I just had to share.  You would care for them as you would care for fine wood furniture.  These would make perfect gifts or even party favors for a Harry Potter-themed birthday party.  I wish I had purchased one for myself!

Who do you know who would love their own Harry Potter-inspired wand?  Share with us in a comment here.

Create Fairy Garden Magic with DIY Fairy Dust Bottles

My daughter and I have been having a blast shopping for the perfect items to add to her fairy garden.  Since she and I also enjoy crafts (of the easy variety), we decided to try our hand at creating our own miniature bottles of fairy dust.  We had seen bottles of fairy dust for sale that were filled with brightly-colored glitter.  They looked pretty cool, but we wondered how could we expand on that idea to make our bottles of fairy dust even more magical?  This is what we came up with . . .


How to make your own Magical Fairy Dust Bottles:

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Sample Pack of Glitter (Fine)

Clear or White Glitter (Regular)

Mini Glass Bottles with Corks

White Glue

Sticky Notes (or Small Funnel)

Scissors

OPTIONAL:

1/8" Satin Ribbon (Any Color)

1/16" Hole Punch

Step 1.  If you don't happen to have a small funnel handy, you can make your own by rolling a sticky note into a cone shape.  Use the self-adhesive or a small piece of tape to keep the cone from unrolling.  Don't have a sticky note?  A regular square of paper will do.

Step 2.  Place the funnel into an open bottle.  Then fill the bottle about 2/3 with white or clear glitter.

Step 3.  Using scissors, carefully snip off the very tip of the corner of the pouch holding the color glitter you have selected for your fairy dust.

TIP #1:  Since these pouches of glitter are not resealable, keep some tape handy.  Once you're done with the glitter, fold the opened corner of the pouch down at least twice and secure with tape.

Step 4.  Place the funnel into the bottle containing the white or clear glitter.  Fill the bottle to the base of the neck with the fine colored glitter.

Step 5.  Cover the mouth of the bottle tightly with your index finger and shake the bottle vigorously to mix the two types of glitter together.  Continue to shake until well-blended.

Step 6.  You'll notice that the glitter has settled a bit after all the shaking.  Place the funnel in the bottle.  If the color of the fairy dust is to your liking, fill the bottle to the base of the neck with the clear or white glitter.  Then shake to blend.  If you'd like to have more color, add a little more colored glitter.  Shake to blend.  Repeat if needed.

TIP #2:  Do not overfill the bottles.  This will ensure there is room for the cork stopper to be inserted securely.

Step 7.  When your bottle is filled to the base of the neck with glitter, apply a small bead of white glue around the circumference of the cork stopper (as pictured below).  Then insert the stopper into the filled bottle, making sure it's snugly in place.  The glue should dry clear.

Step 8.  (Optional) Choose a star from your glitter sample pack.  Then punch a slightly off-center hole through the star with your hole puncher.

TIP #3:  I found that it was common for 2 or 3 stars to be stuck together.  It would be a good idea to double-check that you are punching a hole in a single star only.

Step 9.  Cut a 5" to 6" length of 1/8"-wide ribbon.  Then cut one end at a sharp angle, so you have a point.  Thread the ribbon through the whole in the star.

Step 10.  Tie the ribbon around the neck of the bottle.  Double-knot the ribbon in the back.  Then trim the tails of the ribbon to match the width of the bottle's neck.  Then you're done!

TIP #4:  If you plan to use a different color of glitter for your next bottle of fairy dust, be sure your funnel is completely free of the previous colored glitter, otherwise traces of the previous color will appear in your next bottle.  If you are using a paper funnel, you may consider discarding that funnel and making a new one for each color of glitter.

Cool Fairy Garden Finds . . . 

Cat with Butterfly - If you shop around on Etsy, you'll see this black and white cat from several sellers, but fairyinthegarden1 made hers special by adding a butterfly.  This extra handcrafted touch is what made me fall in love with this cat.

Sitting Fairy - There are actually four of these adorable little fairies to choose from at the FairyBestWishes Etsy shop, and I ended up purchasing them all.  They are each in a different pose, wearing a different color dress, and holding a different colored gem.

Magic Wooden Chest - I found a cute little toy chest in the MLSLaserEngraving Etsy shop.  I inquired whether I could have the word "Magic" engraved in a chest in place of the word "Toys."  The seller happily accommodated my request.  Originally, I thought my daughter would paint or add gems to the chest, but she seems to like it the way it is for the time being.

Miniature Cupcake - These cute little pink cupcakes came in a set of 4.  I found them in an Etsy shop called BeesKneesMiniatures.  This shop has the most adorable miniatures.  I'll be sharing everything I purchased from this shop soon.


Like this fairy garden craft? Pin It for later . . . 

Have a cool fairy garden craft or find to share?  Leave a comment here.

Find more fairy garden inspiration here.

This Personalized Family Tree Pillow from Amazon Handmade Was the Perfect Grandparent's Gift

The Mother's Day and Grandparent's Day gift idea we are sharing about today was purchased with our own funds.

A couple of weeks ago, my mother turned 70 years old.  (I'm still having a little trouble accepting that.)  For this milestone birthday, I wanted to find something she would love for our children to present to her as a gift.  She is a tough person to buy for.  The gift couldn't take up a lot of room due to the size limitations of my parent's apartment.  It also couldn't cost too much money because she would just yell at me for spending so much money on her.

I started searching on Etsy because it's a great source for one-of-a-kind gifts, but I couldn't find anything that I loved that would get to me within a few weeks.  My next stop was Amazon Handmade.  It's still fairly new and I had never taken the time to see what items were available.  I lucked out and found this 20" Family Tree Pillow Cover sold by Crafting Rehab.  I could request the quantity of names, choose from a small assortment of pillow colors, specify the colors in the printing, and change the message located at the base of the tree.  The pillow cover and the cost of shipping were both priced very reasonably.  SOLD!

To complete the gift, I also ordered a 20" square pillow insert on Amazon for $8.50 with free shipping.  The pillow cover was shipped by Crafting Rehab in less than a week and arrived about a week later, earlier than the estimated delivery date.  I must also say that the communication from Crafting Rehab was very timely, friendly, and helpful.

I included the names of my 3 children and my nephew on the family tree to represent all my mother's grandchildren.  The gift was presented to her from all 4 children at the end of her birthday dinner.  My mother just LOVED it!  She told me that night and actually called me the next day to tell me again how much she loved it.

If you have a parent or grandparent who is tough to buy for, I highly recommend checking out Amazon Handmade.  I didn't think I could love shopping on Amazon more than I already did, but this shopping experience made that happen!

Fun & Trendy RMLA Girls Fashions {plus 20% Off Sophia's Style Promo Code}

Thank you to Sophia's Style for providing a gift code for us to shop their site for girls summer fashions and for providing a 20% off promo code for my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you and your daughter ever shopped on SophiasStyle.com? This online boutique offers everything from school uniforms to formal wear and everything in between for both boys and girls.  Be sure to set aside a chunk of time because your daughter will want to look at everything her favorite brands have to offer, such as KidCuteTure, Hello Kitty, Sophie Catalou, and more.  One brand our daughter owns quite a few dresses from is RMLA.  She loves them all because this brand adds a lot of special touches that make their clothes especially fun for girls to wear.

RMLA Colorful Kaleidoscope Knotted Top Hi-Low Sleeveless Dress

We spent quite a long time shopping on Sophia's Style.  Of the many things that were added and removed from our shopping bag, this RMLA Kaleidoscope Knotted Top Hi-Low Sleeveless Dress was the one item our daughter was not indecisive about.  It was love at first sight for her.

Our daughter wore this dress to a birthday party this summer.  It was a country-themed party with straw hats and mustaches.  This was really the perfect dress because the knotted denim top with the rhinestones on the faux flap chest pockets gives the dress a hint of country western style.  The high-low hemline and lightweight colorful printed fabric makes this dress ideal for summer.

RMLA Stripe Flower Lace Skirt Cardigan Top Outfit and Bixbee Pink Sparkalicious Girls Medium Duffle Bag

In addition to the RMLA dress, we ordered this super-cute and sporty RMLA Cobalt Blue Stripe Flower Lace Skirt Cardigan Top Outfit.  Lace overlay seems to be a huge trend this summer.  This outfit features a faux tie-front cardigan trimmed with lace at the sleeves and has built-in shorts underneath the skirt.  The floral applique on the striped top is also embellished with rhinestones.  This RMLA 2-piece set also comes in Pink, Purple, and Seafoam.  I was tempted to get one of each color because this is such a cute outfit and it's playground-friendly, making it perfect for back-to-school.

Oh, I can't forget to tell you about the Bixbee Pink Sparkalicious Medium Duffle Bag!  Can you guess what's inside?

Yes, this pink glittery duffle bag now houses our daughter's Taekwondo uniform for her to bring to and from class.  Just because she can break boards with her hands, elbows, and feet, doesn't mean she can't have a pretty Taekwondo bag, right?

Do you have a confident, colorful, girly-girl who would love RMLA fashions as much as my daughter?  Before you shop, grab SophiasStyle.com promo code: KARENSFRIENDS to save 20% off your entire purchase through 7/6/2015.