Nailed it 001

Alright, I said I as thinking about another recurring post and here it is!

I love to do my nails. 

I think, for me, it's almost therapeutic to do my own at home, rather than go and get it done. 

Besides, I figure for every one mani at a salon, I can buy what, two? three? bottles of nail polish. 

And as often as I like to change colors, that fits me just fine.

Right now, I'm really into Essie's nail colors.

My particular favorite of the summer is Tarte Deco.

It's a really bright coral, with lots of orange undertones. 

I've worn it all summer, but this last time, I used a little Martha Stewart glitter in turquoise to add a pop.

See how dramatically different the color looks in each photo? I was trying, trying to get the color to photograph right, and just wasn't satisfied.

I think the truest to color images it the largest photo.

Lots of fun.

I get tons and tons of compliments on this color.

There are lots of other things I can cover, so stay tuned.

I've tried the Sally Hansen Nail Effects (I love in Blue Ice! Notsomuch in the multi glitter) and the newest OPI shatter, Silver, which is a blast and a half. I'll cover all those things in the future.

For right now, though, I am going to sit and remove my coral and give Absolutely Shore a try with a little Aquamarine Crystal glitter. We'll see. 

I'm fully expecting glitter removal to be a complete pain in the butt. 

cinephile saturday: cars 2

Cinephile Saturday is actually ON Saturday this week. WHOOP!

Tonight, all 5 of the Clarks (I'm including my in-laws!) went to see Cars 2 at the Alamo. Shocking. I know. 

(as I write this post, I'm diverted by Jonah Hex on my TV. It's a God-awful, terrible movie. But my goodness, i will watch a horrible movie to watch Michael Fassbender. ESPECIALLY as hot as he is in this one. Moving on... oh. le *sigh*)

I have to say, I'm hugely biased towards the Cars films. 

I myself happen to be a car racing fan ...

or. 

Rather, I'm a Formula 1 fan. 

Regardless, I like car racing. I watch car racing. 

So the Michael Schumacher Ferrari cameo in the first one? I quite literally squealed in the theatre and jumped half way out of my seat. 

I did have a squeal and jump and yelp moment in this one too, taking place right at the beginning. We will get to that momentarily.

Not shockingly, this sequel was NOT as good as the first. Hubs thought it felt like just a money grab. Sadly, I must say I was a little disappointed that the racing element was much more limited. Of course, they still have plenty of those references, and more so for F1 fans this time around. Which I'll explain in a sec. Regardless, I enjoyed the film. I enjoyed all the car trivia and the little things that make the movies so fun for people who just enjoy automobiles (right here, TopGearHead!). 

My favorite part, though, were the cameos.

Namely, Crabby the Fishing Vessel, Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbscap. 

David Hobbscap was voiced by David Hobbs, who is a former F1 driver and a current F1 commentator. I watch him on Sundays on Speed. I recognized his voice as soon as he started talking, and just don't think they could have picked a more perfect car to represent him. He's awesome.

Lewis Hamilton is a current F1 driver and a past F1 World Champion. He drives for McLaren-Mercedes right now and is a prat. Don't you love that Disney & Pixar even gave the car Lewis' actual little tooth gap? I recognized that car right off. I knew Lewis had done a voice for the movie, so I wasn't shocked to see him.

Crabby? Oh, Crabby was my jump and squeal moment. I recognized him the instant that FV flashed white. It's the FLIPPING NORTHWESTERN from Zach's favorite TV show (and one of mine, I must admit!) Deadliest Catch. And not only that!? It was VOICED by the Captain of the FV Northwestern, Sig Hansen himself. Yes, I flipped out. Squealed. Upset my child. Incoherently babbled to my husband while giggling and pointing at the screen. Mostly, I was ecstatic because the Hansen brothers (Sig, pictured, Edgar and Norman) are my FAVORITES on Deadliest Catch, and the they're Norwegian. You know how much love I have in my heart for Norwegians. 

SO. 

All in all, I think moms won't be bored when they take their kids to this movie.

I think a lot of them won't get the joy out if it that I do.

I thought that about the first film, too, though. 

I guess I just love my Cars. 

P.S. If ANYONE finds a Diecast version of any of the above 3 vehicles I posted, I will pay you back for it :) I must have them. 

{image sources: poster, crabby, car lewis, car david, real david, fvnorthwestern, sig, real lewis, mclarenf1}

pinnable me: smarty pants

Pinnable Me

Firstly, y'all were AMAZING last week!!

Today's post is about smart ideas. Ways to save a buck (via Mandy), ways to create ingenious spaces (via Erin) and ways to spruce up something that is otherwise drab (via moi). 

Enjoy!

BY THE WAY... if you don't follow the MandyLynn on Pinterest you're missing out. Just saying.

Atticmag via Erin on Pinterest.

(DIY tutorial!)

McLaughlin Designs via Mandy on Pinterest.

rebecca june Interior Design via Stefanie on Pinterest. 

As always, LINK UP!

on my {digital} bookshelf: june

Welcome to yet ANOTHER feature on the blog!

On My {Digital} Bookshelf isn't going to be a weekly feature,  nor can I guarantee that it'll be monthly. I'll just try to update as I go.

I have been a reading fiend this year. 

So far in 2011 I have read:

* ALL 11 Sookie Stackhouse Novels

* The Invisible Man

* Water for Elephants

* Who Censored Roger Rabbit?

* Who P-p-p-plugged Roger Rabbit?

* The Island of Doctor Moreau

* The Hangman's Daughter

*Around the World in 80 Days

* King Solomon's Mines

(that'd be 19!)

And I'm in the middle of The War in the Air by H.G. Wells, which I "put down" to let my brain rest a little. Wells upon Wells upon Wells is fantastic, but I needed a bit of a breather. 

So.

I started:

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent 

I actually came across this in Barnes & Noble LAST MARCH and promptly bought it on my Kindle when I got home. But I was already reading the complete works of Jane Austen, and when I finished that I started right in on the Sookie novels (yes, I've read them all twice in the last year. OY.). This one got forgotten. But I found it again after ATWI80D, and decided to give it a try. 

Honestly?

I'm having a bit of trouble following the story at the beginning, but I'm going to push through. I think once I get into the characters and figure it out a bit, I'll really enjoy it. 

Next up after Mrs. Quent?

These SIX:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm for Swords, A Feast for Crows

* and on preorder A Dance with Dragons

My hubbers is reading the 4 books right now, and we'll download Dragons once it's released. He's loving the books. He did what I did with Sookie. He started watching Game of Thrones on HBO and couldn't wait to see what would happen next so he got to reading and is so far ahead of the show. He loves the books, but says it's definitely not light reading. Not HARD, but it's not a light hearted story. I'm anxious to start them, but really want a few fun reads before I get into heavy stuff. 

I've actually still got about 10 unread books on my Kindle, but we'll get into those when I'm ready to read them.

Goodness knows how long it'll be before I'm done with what I'm planning on reading next!

{image sources: mrs quent, dragon tattoo, ice and fire}

toddler tuesday: being a big boy

Man alive, there have been some changes in this household lately! 

Well, at least for Liam. 

Last Tuesday, as per usual, we put Liam on the potty before he took his bath. We'd never had *any* success on that potty before. But LO! He got it and went numero uno. Our ecstatic reaction must have been the spur the child needed because he is a toilet training fool. 

We've been having regular PTS every day and we're averaging 4 successes a day. I'm beyond thrilled with his overnight understanding. My mom dropped by with pull-ups and trainer underwear for him, too, so we're going to start transitioning to big boy pants while we're at home. Um, yeah, diapers while we're in public, still ;)

Not only have the PTS been a huge change for Liam, but last Friday night (he didn't dance on table tops) he spent his last night in my old crib. Our crib. *le sigh* Saturday afternoon, we set up his oh-so-darling big boy bed and he's been a complete and total CHAMP at that as well.

Truthfully, I was nervous about the bed. I was nervous he would climb out fifty times a night. I was nervous he would stand up and start throwing hissy fits and fall out. Thankfully, knock on wood, he hasn't done either (yet). 

I guess I'm just thanking my lucky stars that he's actually going to sleep in his big bed like he was in his crib, he's not sitting in it for hours crying. That may have been my biggest fear. Saturday night we were prepared to "fight the fight" and put him back in his bed about 20 times, and listen to him whine and cry until midnight. Neither. Heaven. 

(you like the dying baby monitor? oh summer monitor, you have served me well. i apologize for letting liam abuse you. lesson learned.)

He's such a good little boy.

Like, I know he's my kid, but he really has amazed me this week. He's potty training like nobody's business. He's sleeping in his big bed without a fight. He's just... an amazing little man!

Isn't his room cute? We moved ALL the furniture around. He (knock on wood!!!!!) doesn't mess with the paintings, luckily. 

We're going to transition away from Dr. Seuss as soon as my sweet FIL is done with his current (huge) undertaking. Once he's got some time freed up, we are going to turn Liam's room into a Phineas and Ferb room. 

Complete with Roger art right on the walls. 

I'm so excited!!

welcome: meet the clarks

Howdy, readers!

It strikes me that we've got a LOT of new followers at PP&PB! Welcome!

Instead of making you wade back through years of posting (oh heavens!) to figure us out, I thought I'd give you all a brief overview. 

We met in 2001. It wasn't love at first sight.

We started dating February 2002. He was a senior in HS, I was a junior. He played tuba, I played flute. SO cliche. My mom spotted him at my very first football game at AHS and told me about the cute blonde, blue-eyed tuba player with the happy looking father. Little did she know... 

He went to Texas A&M fall of 2002, majored in Biology. Got into Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine a year early. DVM c/o 2009.

I went to Texas A&M fall of 2003, majoring in Aerospace Engineering... which changed to ENGS. My passion is English, though.

We attended many a football game. Many a Silver Taps. Many a Midnight Yell. We watched George Bush Sr. ride a segway down the sidewalk while we were tailgating. It was awesome.

We got engaged on December 17, 2005.

We were engaged for a year and a half. 

We have two dogs. Jethro, the bloodhound, who will be 7 December 1. Shiner, the hound mix from the labs at A&M. We also have a teeny-weeny white long haired cat, Lily, a Mexican Red Knee tarantula, The Cuteness, and an albino Cornsnake, Snowflake. Yep. 

We got married at his home church on June 2, 2007. We had been "together" for over 5 years when we finally married.

June 2 also happens to be his parents' anniversary.

His mom's name happens to be Stephanie. So. We have the same name. And the same anniversary. We're making things easy, folks. 

We are kids at heart. We honeymooned at Disney World and did a Disney cruise. 

And we've done Disney twice since then.

We found out we were expecting a bundle of joy in November of 2008.

At Beutel. 

Yes, Ags, I found out I was preggo at Brutal. I'm a real-life Brutal Beutel joke.

He graduated with his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in May 2009. He always wanted to be a Vet. He had NO back-up plans. He got into Vet School a year early, after only 3 years as an undergrad. 

He's a freaking genius, and a passionate, devoted doctor.

We moved back to the Houston/SL area and he started working at the clinic where he grew up taking his dogs. Oh so wonderful.

We welcomed LRLC on July 13, 2009.

2009 was a darn big year. 

And now we have this:

We're a pretty happy little family. I am so thankful for all of you who have started following along on our little family's journey. Thank you all for embracing us!

cinephile saturday: the women

Shockingly

(and I do mean shockingly)

I didn't see anything this week that I haven't seen before. 

Nothing new.

I know. What's going on?

However, I've decided that on weeks where I don't have anything wonderful and new to post about, I'm going to feature movies I think are worth mentioning. Mostly, that means I'm going to highlight a classic film that I love. 

Once in a while, it'll be something that really bears recommending (ie Wild Target or Pan's Labyrinth). 

Be looking for those two titles featured in future.

TONIGHT, however, we're going to talk about one of my all time favorite movies, from the great George Cukor. 

THE WOMEN.

(1939)

I LOVE this movie. 

The ingenious thing about this film is that there are NO MEN in it at all. No shots of them on the street as the ladies pass, no male drivers, no husbands seen, NO MEN AT ALL.

But.

The film is, in its own way, all about men. 

It's just genius. 

Pure, wonderful, amazing genius.

The main three stars are Norma Shearer (center), Joan Crawford (left) and Rosalind Russell (right).

I am no huge fan of Shearer, and I think Joan Crawford is one of the most despicable women ever (remember that movie Mommie Dearest? Oh yeah- she IS the ACTUAL Mommie Dearest. Freaking psycho!). BUT. Rosalind Russell is a complete comic genius in this film. And the supporting cast is wonderful. I love Paulette Goddard as Miriam and Joan Fontaine (Olivia de Havilland's little sister! And the star of the Hitchcock classic Rebecca!) as Peggy. They're wonderful, and Marjorie Main as Lucy is just too funny.

Interestingly, this movie has been remade twice.

Once in 1956, when they made it a musical, added MEN to the cast and renamed it The Opposite Sex.

That movie is a disaster. From start to finish, and it doesn't help that I'm supposed to feel for June Allyson when all she does in every movie she's ever made is made me want to scratch out both my ears and my eyes. Just can't decide which first.

The SECOND remake was in 2008. They changed up the dynamic of the women, kept the cast all female (with one STUPID exception) and kept the original title.

This movie is also a travesty. Of course, Meg Ryan does Mary Haines NO service, and they took Rosalind Russell's funny, catty Sylvia Folwer and turned her into Annette Bening, who just feels aawwwwwful about everything. I really, truly, hate this movie. I'm offended by this movie. 

Truthfully, the original 1939 film stands the test of time.  And it is perfect. These two remakes are terrible because the original cannot be improved upon. It's like trying to remake The Wizard of Oz or Casablanca. It cannot be done. It should not be done. 

Oh. And if you're dying for Mary and Sylvia's Jungle Red nails- Nars has some! I'm ordering as soon as it's back in stock on Sephora. Yes. I will tell everyone too.

SO. IF your husband has gone to bed early, or if he's out of town, find a way to rent this movie. Or DVR it the next time they run it on TCM. 

I doubt you'll be disappointed. 

{source: poster, j|n|r}

pinnable me: party on, wayne

My amazing friend Meredith threw her son Slade the most darling 1st birthday party of all time last Saturday. 

OF. ALL. TIME.

So now I'm preoccupied with parties. 

Party wares.

Things to do.

Especially for the big numero 3 that's in about 1 year and 1 month.

(hey, I'm planning on doing it up b-i-g, so start early, people!)

-Candy Dot Cake-

{via Ivy on pinterest}

-Wine Barrel Buffet-

{via Molly on pinterest}

-Balloon Pathway-

{via Mer on pinterest}

-Phineas & Ferb Cookies-

{via moi on pinterest.}

As usual, link up!

help! have you seen this tablecloth?

TABLECLOTHS FOUND! THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO WILLING TO HELP!
And I apologize for the weird update... on my phone :)

I am sending out a big plea.

HELP ME!

I need FOUR of these tablecloths from Target:

I have two now, so I need TWO more.

The problem is that they're now on clearance. 

And at Target.

On clearance.

Which means they're HARD TO FIND.

If you see any, give me a shout and let me know where they are, pretty please :)

(also, if I get desperate, I'll pay you back)

Since a few of you wonderful people have asked... I bought my first one at the Target in Katy, and the one I picked up today, I found in Brazos Town Center in Rosenberg. I found the first in a section near the towels and home goods. Today, I found one in the same type section, but at the end of an aisle. Honestly, I don't HAVE to have them, but they'd make me very happy ;)

toddler tuesday: in the bathroom

Liam never fails to make us laugh.

What's better is when it's HIS laugh that gets us tickled.

He loves for Zach to give him a bath. LOVES. 

Last night, Zach took him back and after a little big, I heard him call me and I headed back with the video camera. 

(pardon my French right at the beginning)

Not only is bath time a huge success...

BUT...

Last night, Liam discovered that it makes us really happy when he goes Numero Uno in the potty.

Not only did he do it once last night, but TWICE today.

Every time he's been put on the potty since bath time last night, it has resulted in a successful PTS (Potty Training Session)... 

I'm ecstatic.

So apparently he's ready to learn.

Bring. It. ON.

(Let's talk again in a week. I might be less enthused.)

oh, those five.

I'm going to warn you now.

This is just silliness.

But fun silliness and I've gotten multiple questions, so I'm gonna post it.

ALSO, if you've got no shame like me, and you, READER, want to, I will post a McLinky tool and you can link back here so we can all post together. It's fun.

The FREEBIE FIVE.

The five people your partner couldn't begrudge you a "fling" with. 

The get-out-of-gaol-free pass. 

We all have them. You may not have five. You may have two. You may have eight. 

What's funny is when you actually LOOK at your five, you'll find you have a definite type. I knew Zach's five and when I started putting this post together, I didn't really think there was a definite trend between either of our fives.

Oh boy, is there!

(we also have a plus one. the person that would jump into the five should somebody do something heinous. or... just a plus one.)

So, let's start with Zach's.

Zach's five is sadly, NOT in order. 

I don't know the exact order, but I know that Gina Carano and Kate Beckinsale are in the top spots. Maybe tied for first. Depending on the day. 

Top Row: Kate Beckinsale, Mila Kunis, Milla Jovovich.

Middle Row: Natalie Portman, Gina Carano

+1: Katy Perry

 ----- + 1 -----

My five IS in order. 

I watched The Hangover and thought that perhaps BC had jumped Michael Fassbender. But then after seeing X-Men, I'm positive MF is in the right place.

Also, this wasn't as easy for me to put together. I knew MF, BC, JB and JGL were in the right place but couldn't decide whether or not to flip flop RR and JG. In the end, RR in Van Wilder has been in my heart a lot longer than JG in Prince of Persia ;) 

Top Row: Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds

Middle Row: Justin Bartha, Joseph Gordon Levitt

+1: Jake Gyllenhaal

----- + 1 -----

Ugh. FUN.

And so pretty.

See?

 Zach likes dark haired, dark eyed, exotic looking ladies.

I like dark haired, light eyed men who can play badarses and dorks. Awesome.

(though, I've never seen MF be a dork.)


WHO MAKES IT INTO YOUR FIVE??

{Image Sources: KB, MK, MJ, NP, GC, KP, MF, JGL, JB, JG, BC, RR}