Thanksgiving Nail Tutorial (NaBloPoMo Day 5)

Okay, I know it's only November 5th, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and if you're going to perfect nail art turkeys by the 22nd, you're going to have to start practicing early.

This nail tutorial was inspired by changing fall leaves and, of course, turkeys.

Okay, here goes the tutorial:

I started with a base coat to keep the nail polish from staining my nails. The one I really like right now is called Rejuvacote and it's really strengthening to help my nails grow, which is good because they usually break pretty much always.

Next, I painted half of three of my nails with colors that reminded me of fall leaves. The red is Smok'n in Havana by OPI and the green is Veruschka by Zoya. I painted both of my ring fingers with a neutral sort of brownish gray color. This one is You Don't Know Jaques by OPI.

After those pretty much dried, I painted the other half of the nails with other fall colors. The dark one is actually a sort of medium brown color called Little Brown Dress by Essie, and the gold sparkly one is Disco Dolls by Nicole by OPI. 

For my thumbs, I painted the middle in a wide horizontal stripe with the same red from earlier, and once that dried, I went over it with the same gold from before.

When the gray was dry, I placed a drop of gold in the middle of the nail, and formed a point at both ends with a toothpick to make it look like the shape of a leaf. I used red for the leaf on the other hand.

I used the brown on my thumbs to create the shape of a turkey with a semicircle and then a smaller circle above it, being careful not to cover a small part of the gold for the beak. I painted the tip of my thumbnails gold, and put a dot of red beneath the beak.

After all the nails were completely dry, I used a Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in black to draw the veins on the leaves and the feathers on the turkeys. I finished it all off with Seche Vite topcoat which is the best topcoat, seriously. It dries really quickly and it helps to make the nail polish last longer and it's really shiny. Ta da, those are my Thanksgiving nails!

I hope you'll give them a try! Also, I'm considering doing another Thanksgiving nails tutorial later in the month with Thanksgiving foods on them. What do you guys think of that idea?

Yours till the snow falls,

S. R. Feder

What I'm listening to right now: Stay Stay Stay by Taylor Swift

Some Guys in Front, or for those of you who are less tech savy, GIFs (note: not pronounced like Jif peanut butter)

 

 

 

If you have not already heard, this is my cat Bella. I often refer to her as "my person," like Meredith and Christina from "Grey's Anatomy."

I also refer to Spencer as my person. On second thought, when I say refer, I mean I think of them as my persons in my head.

 

And this is our family dog.... "Chloe" is her given name, but she was born with the name Satan. 

 

And finally, here are a few images of my cat from about a year ago when I was bored. I often decorate my cat with random objects. This time it was a banana peel, a fruit roll-up mustache and bread. 

Now apparently "breading" cats is a thing. There is a whole website dedicated to it.

Toodles for now, 

LA

   

Things for Cheering Up (NaBloPoMo Day 4)

Okay, so here's my list of potential/dream careers:

1) singer/songwriter (because I have a passion for singing/writing songs)

2) construction worker (because I have a desperate desire to be a part of a brotherhood; still, a less practical option)

3) poet (my book Poet Tree: Just a Little Book of Poems by Spencer Feder will be available at a store near you some time in the next 14 decades)

4) baker/bakery owner (the idea of waking at 4 AM to bake in a quiet kitchen is intoxicatingly beautiful)

5) a fortune cookie fortune writer (because THERE AREN'T ENOUGH GOOD FORTUNES IN THIS WORLD)

You see, the writer of the above work knows how to do it.  It's an actual prediction for the future, it's positive, it's open-ended, and it makes me believe it is true. I just think I would have so much fun writing those. Unfortunately, until my 5th career dream comes true, only those of us with good fortune will end up getting good fortunes (see what I did there?). 

TALK about things that cheer you up. This is Josephine. She has been in numerous Lauren/Spencer Project posts. She lives in sunny Florida and mostly just sleeps and lifts the spirits of those around her. Most of the time, she does these things simultaneously. I miss her to no end.

Who decided you can't have cats in college dormitories?? OK, actually that's a good idea.

Attending an art school, floor bonding activities generally include tape art. The first week of school, my RA put this on the wall in the hallway and it is such a comfort. Seriously, you should save this picture to your computer and look at it when you feel sad. I won't even be mad about copyright infringement or whatever. You could even make it your background or post it on your own blog (!). 

This sits on my desk, and I follow its instructions almost every day. Well, definitely the second part, anyway.

This is just something that happened when my camera wouldn't focus, but it certainly cheers me up to look at it. Let's hear it for bokeh.

And finally, this is a picture I took in English class. Surprisingly enough, in art school, you still have to take liberal arts classes. Fortunately for me, I don't have to take many of those without Maggie, my English teacher's dog. 

Who's excited about the number of posts we're putting up? Lauren and I are on NaBloPoMo fire. Or something. Speaking of which, I've decided to call my first album or memoir or whichever comes first "Or Something." What do you guys think?

OK, drink some hot apple cider for me today.

Smiles and Hugs,

SF

What I'm listening to right now: Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead

NaNoWriMo

 I wrote a longer, localized story on National Novel Writing Month last week and I thought I would publish a compressed version here since Spencer mentioned the event in a previous post.

NaNoWriMo is a really nifty idea that I always mean to participate in and I will some day, but for now I can just write about what it would be like to write in it.

Anyway, I imagine NaNoWriMo would look like this if I ever participated. Note mug of coffee, handy dandy thesaurus, laptop and cat.

A little bit more about NaNoWriMo:

From the lunchtime meatball marinara to the alcohol-induced tattoo, the mundane and the quirky can be shared via multiple media platforms.

Applications and websites are continually created to facilitate this new kind of sharing that is practiced on a worldwide scale.

One of these inventive, social websites challenges aspiring novelists to write 50,000 words in just 30 days during November. National Novel Writing Month is the name of this unique, shared experience, which is affectionately called NaNoWriMo by participants, who call themselves “NaNos” or “Wrimos.”

The idea of the project is to get people to start writing. It is an international writing prompt that may result in a stream of consciousness for some, but result in a New York Times Best Seller for others like Sara Gruen, who wrote Water for Elephants for NaNoWriMo in 2007.

Novel-writing or “noveling” can be a fun, social event rather than a painful, closeted process, founder of NaNoWriMo Chris Baty, said on the event’s website. He describes NaNoWriMo as “half literary marathon and half block party.”

Every one from amateurs to accomplished wordsmiths is welcome to participate. To start, one can sign up on the NaNoWriMo website and create an account.

From there, one can choose to either write independently or connect with other writers and commiserate in the process.

The important, final step is to upload one’s finished document of about 175 pages by 11:59:59 PM on November 30 to be verified for its complete word count. Winning, according to the NaNoWriMo site, means meeting the 50,000-word tally and having a personal sense of accomplishment.

According to the website, over 250,000 people logged on to NaNoWriMo in 2011, and almost 37,000 of those people wrote a novel and won.

Though writing is not typically perceived as the extrovert’s passion, NaNoWriMo challenges the tortured writer archetype by bringing writers together. Participants in the event can connect online through the official website’s forums or connect in person through organized meet-and-greets, write-ins, and “Thank God It’s Over” parties, celebrated on December 1.

Write-ins are planned get-togethers organized on the local level. Participants meet at regional libraries, coffee shops, parks, etc. to sit and write together. Usually, some one volunteers to take over as “Municipal Liaison” for a local area and organizes the events.  

I often ask questions at the end of my posts because for some reason I think that is "the thing to do" when you have a blog, even though it a pretty pointless conclusion when you have a handful of followers, but I have always been consistent, so.....Will you participate in NaNoWriMo?

xo,

LA

Cake Pops

Photo by Heavenly Cupcakes

Bigger than most martini olives, but smaller than most bacon-wrapped figs, the newest trend in party fare is also skewered and bite sized.

From birthdays, graduations, wedding receptions and other events that call for sweets, "cake pops" are replacing slices as the must-have dessert. 

Cake pops look exactly as they sound. They are moist, cake balls on a stick, coated in chocolate, that can be molded into anything. 

The lollipop-sized treat was first conceived in the blogosphere and pushed out into national markets due to their infectious cuteness and the fandom they inspired.

Photo by Bakerella

Angie Dudley first introduced cake pops to the world in 2007 through her blog, Bakerella. Dudley is the Jeno Paulucci of baking, the inventor of pizza rolls, in that the simplicity of her idea is what makes it great. 

Dudley launched her blog to chronicle her baking pursuits and incited a nation-wide craze.

Starbucks caught onto the trend and introduced cake pops as part of its petite sweet series in 2011. Since the dessert's debut, several books have been published with instructions on how to make the dense pops, including one by Dudley herself. 

I think Spencer and I should make a few of our own over winter break. What do you think? Would you try this trend?

Official story: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121022/ARTICLE/121029932?tc=ar

Not Yo' Mama's PB&J

Recreate the peanut butter sandwich so you can fall in love with it all over again. 

The peanut butter sandwich is a quintessential American food. The sandwich belongs on a shelf in a nostalgia shop, between the Betty Boop lunch box and the Slinky. 

You don't suddenly lose a taste for PB&J once you turn a certain age (unless you become allergic), but you may want to revamp the old favorite.

Sometimes I play with my food, and that's OK. Sometimes, my experimentation results in unique peanut butter combinations that commemorate the legendary staple. But you can be the judge of that. 

Here are a few for you to try:

1. Elvis was a pretty cool guy, and among other achievements, he was famous for his grilled peanut butter sandwich, stuffed with bananas and honey (maple syrup is also fantastic). Try it with bacon; you will be saying "thank ya, thank ya very much."

2. Combine fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, apples or pears with peanut butter and cream cheese.

3. Make "ants on a log," i.e., celery slathered with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins, and sandwich it between slices of bread.

4. Of course you can pair jam with peanut butter, but you could also use the leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving dinner (Yay, Thanksgiving is coming up). Yum!

5. Drizzle your peanut butter sandwich with maple syrup and add granola.

6. Balance out the peanut butter with something salty, like roasted peanuts or crispy chips.

7. Make a peanut butter sandwich for dessert! A hazelnut-chocolate spread complements peanut butter sweetly.

8. A Fluffernutter is a trademark sandwich made up of gobs of Marshmallow Fluff spread and peanut butter.

9. More eccentric variations include the peanut butter sandwich stuffed with dill pickles. I tried it for the sake of the blog, and it surprisingly worked.

10. A Thai twist is a chilled grilled chicken sandwich with peanut butter and pineapple jam.

Some of my classic PB&Js:

* I melt dark chocolate chips with butterscotch chips, and spread this warm mess all over my peanut butter sandwich. (This description is Liz Lemon-esque)

* I also love to add figs and honey to my peanut butter sandwich for a little something, something extra.

Interesting Tid-Bits:

• Peanut butter was invented in 1880 when St. Louis physician Dr. Ambrose Straub crushed peanuts into a paste for his geriatric patients with bad teeth. 
• A 2002 survey showed the average American will eat 1,500 PB&Js before graduating from high school. 
• Grand Saline, Texas holds the title for the world's largest PB&J, weighing in at 1,342 pounds. 
• Peanuts have more protein than any other nut. They have a higher antioxidant capacity than grapes and green tea, and they are naturally cholesterol-free. 
• Peanut butter was the secret to making the horse "talk" in the beloved 1960s television show, "Mr. Ed."

  xo, 

 LA

What I am doing right now: Editing video for class deadline...

My Favorite Nail Trends for Autumn (NaBloPoMo Day 3)

I think this is the most exciting one. Partially because I was actually capable of growing my nails long enough to do this, a significant feat in my world. It's easier than it looks. All you do is press a strip of clear tape horizontally over each nail, making sure the edge closest to the tip is pressed down all the way so no nail polish will get underneath it. Then, you paint the end and allow it to dry a little bit but not all the way and then carefully remove the tape. I used Blue My Mind by OPI.

It's also fun to use two colors, especially when one is glittery. Glitter makes almost everything better. But not pudding. NOT pudding. I'm serious. For this one, I used You Don't Know Jaques by OPI and Disco Dolls by Nicole by OPI.

My favorite autumn nail trend is dark red. This one is Lincoln Center by NYC. It chips fairly easily, but it's only a dollar I think. Also, chipped dark nail polish is so totally art school so I'll fit right in.

I got this gel manicure right before school started. It lasted for about a week and a half. I think they're normally supposed to last longer, but my nails break really easily. It was in the color Lincoln Park After Dark from OPI. Dark colors are a good idea for longer lasting manicures like this one because chips show up more with darker nail polish than light. Also I just really like dark nail polish for fall. And always.

And finally, I jumped on this nail polish trend bandwagon. Why not, right? Also, I think brown nail polish is fun for fall. No one ever thinks brown is a fun color. Whatever. This is Little Brown Dress from Essie and Disco Dolls by Nicole by OPI. And the blue pen mark on my finger is by PaperMate. So in for fall.

Which one is your favorite? You should leave a comment. We love comments here at The Lauren/Spencer Project!

Happy Saturday!

Sincerely, 

Spencer Feds

What I'm listening to right now: The Joy the Baker Podcast (And you should too!)

Reasons I'm Excited About Fall (NaBloPoMo Day 2)

pumpkin spice lattes and walks in the rain and cheetah print rain boots

changing leaves and lines of trees

pumpkins on tables in local cafés

sitting outside and charcoal on hands (always)

seasonal scents at Bath & Bodyworks (but I can't burn candles in my dorm eek!)

Thanksgiving displays!

I hope your autumn days have been filled with all the best orange-colored smells and windy weather that's rainy but not too rainy.

Your friend,

Spencer

What I'm watching right now: Ruby Sparks

Happy Halloween!

Like most things on the blog these days...it is belated, but there it is.

I was last minute with my costume as well, so I went as a three-hole punched piece of paper like Jim from The Office.

Yet, it did not much matter what I was anyway because I was quickly wrapped in toilet paper.

It was a really toasty time. No, really, it gets warm under all of those layers.

 

Tot volgende tijd!

(I am currently taking Dutch. I actually have an exam tomorrow. Yikes! Oops..I mean, Yummer!

xo,

LA

The Possibility of a Plan? (NaBloPoMo, primarily autumn-themed)

Every year for the past four years or so, I've gotten inspired in late October to succeed in completing
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, a program that encourages its participants to complete a 50,000 word novel over the course of the month of November.  That's 1,666 words per day. You can say "yikes" again. Yeah, you totally said it.

As you may or may not know, I'm not the greatest when it comes to sticking to plans. I routinely break routines.

In conclusion, I have never completed NaNoWriMo (or even come close).

But over the years, some of my favorite bloggers (Smitten Kitchen, etc.) have done an alternate version of NaNoWriMo called NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month; try saying that 10 times quickly) in which you put up a blog post every day of November.

What do you guys think? I'm going to give it a go. This whole art school deal is a serious business and I don't have very much free time, but what a nice way to spend the free time that I do have.

Also, I thought I'd try to have an autumn theme for most of the posts because you must know how much I love this time of year.


Check back soon!

xo,

SF

What I'm watching right now: Leap Year

Spencer's September-October 2012 Videoblog

College Life So Far

At the end of the summer, I packed everything up to move it across the country.  It was weird to create a tangible representation of my whole life.  This is it.  Don't you feel like you know me better now?  (That was a joke.)  Note: poster rolled up created by The Lauren/Spencer Project's own Lauren Adamson for my birthday (I carried it with me through multiple airports and I think hit a bunch of strangers with it accidentally, but it was totally worth it. It's on my wall now.)

There was already a bulletin board in my room at the foot of my bed, so I covered it with pictures to try to make it feel like home.  I have this really unique tip that you should put up pictures to make a place feel like home. 

I usually eat breakfast alone in the dining hall, but not really alone because I'm almost always with Joy the Baker and Tracy Shutterbean of the Joy the Baker Podcast which is totally awesome.

The first weekend I was here, I got to hang out with my little cousin who had a lot of trouble choosing only one bear. 

For me, however, one bear is enough. He studies so I don't have to.

I spend most of my time here either like this

or like this.

Also, it is comically hilly here. Quick challenge: think of 3 more things that are comically hilly.

There's a panini press here

and I have crayons

and my English teacher brings his dog to class

and the view is just beautiful.

xo,

SF

What I'm listening to right now: If I Go I'm Goin' by Gregory Alan Isakov

Leftover Birthday Memories

I turned 19 right before I left for college, so it was sort of a hectic time, but I had a really nice day with my family. That was more than two months ago, but the thing about starting college is that you don't have any time to blog about things.

I've finally started videoblogging again which is good, because how else are people who may or may not know me going to know what I do every day??

The day after my birthday, I had my wisdom teeth removed and really bonded with this guy:

He followed me to college, and he's offered me a lot of moral support. More on college later, though.

Things are okay, but there's a hurricane coming today (yikes) so no class (not yikes). Maybe I'll do some blogging (??). This blog has become a series of posts that say "Maybe I'll start blogging more" that are one month apart from each other. That can be our thing on The Lauren/Spencer Project. 

I hope your life is going great and you're not caught in the middle of a hurricane.

xo,

SF

What I'm listening to right now: Feel Again by OneRepublic

Spencer's Gap Year!

I made a video of my whole gap year! In real time! (Joke)

Watch it! And then decide to take a gap year! (?)

Now both parts of The Lauren/Spencer Project are in college, but here's to many more gap years in the future (or something). Or to at least two graduations. Or to waking up at seven o'clock on Sundays because that's just the kind of girl you are. Plus, no one is using the laundry room. Oh, that reminds me, my clothes are done in the dryer.

I'll let you know how post-gap year life goes.

xo,

SF

What I'm watching right now: Revenge (ahh!)