1. Snapchat: I resisted downloading this app SO HARD, but I finally broke down and did it last week. And it’s so much fun! I haven’t fully figured out all the features, but it’s worth it just for the Layers, which the app updates daily. Layers basically overlay crazy filters over your face so that you end up with looks like the ones you see below. The weirder and crazier the better, IMO! I’ve also figured out how to create Stories (aka “I Googled ‘how to create Stories on Snapchat’ because I’m old) and am trying to get in the habit of doing those.
2. All Men Must Die notebook: this phrase is very sadly true, as we saw on Game of Thrones last Sunday. (“HOLD THE DOOR!”) I recently started using this notebook that my friend got in a GoT swag bag at Comic-Con two years ago after attending the panel. She wasn’t going to use it so she gave it to me. I had gone to the same panel but lost my ticket to redeem the swag bag, so I was happy that I at least got one item from it!
3. The Path: we started watching this Hulu Original show this week and are totally sucked in. The cast is GREAT: Hugh Dancy, Aaron Paul, and Michelle Monaghan, just to name the headliners. It’s crazy how different Hugh Dancy is in this show compared to Will Graham in Hannibal (#FannibalsForever)—it speaks highly of his skill as an actor. And I’m thrilled to see Jesse Pinkman in another show! Six episodes in I’m not entirely sure where the show is headed, but I can’t wait to find out.
4. Nail Art: I haven’t tried to do any nail art in quite some time because with my skills it usually ends up looking like garbage. But a couple days ago, Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere posted a very easy nail art pattern on Instagram that I just had to try for myself. Emily’s tip was this: “For the ultimate in simple, understated nail art, I love the look of a nude manicure with a single navy dot using the top of a @Qtips.” (FYI, the post was sponsored by Q-tips.) So yesterday I painted my nails with two coats of Essie’s Limo-scene, then poured a bit of Sally Hanson’s Complete Salon Manicure in Navy Baby onto a piece of paper, dipped a Q-tip into it, and placed one dot at the base of each nail. My mani doesn’t look quite as good as Emily’s, but I’m still really happy with it and want to try this trick with other color combos too!
5. Roses of Windsor Terrace: is a hashtag I’m going to start using on Instagram. When my husband and I first started exploring this neighborhood before we moved here last summer, I was amazed by all the roses in peoples’ yards. We’re getting into rose season again and they are just everywhere around here. Witness this perfect pink specimen, hashbrown no filter: