As you know from this post and this one, I am definitely into bold nails.  And a couple months ago I came across this super-cool nail design technique: tie dyed nails!

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I’ve been wanting to try them for ages, and last night I finally got the chance!  And let me tell you, they’re totally worth trying!

I found a great tutorial online here, and I’ve got a few tips for you if you try it yourself:

-Use bright colors. I tried this look with a combination of rose pink and bubblegum pink, and the effect just wasn’t as funky.

-Make sure the water is warm. It helps to keep the polish from sticking to the marbling tool (just use a toothpick!)

-Move quickly. If you leave the polish on the water too long, it makes the design more difficult to manage.

I love the fact that there are limitless possibilities because you can combine any number of colors!

What do you think of this look?  Have you ever tried marbling your nail polish?  What colors do you think would look best?  Let’s chat nail art in the comments!

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I can’t believe that we’re practically halfway through November already!  The second half of this year is flying by, and Christmas is just six weeks away! (Only THREE weeks until Hanukkah!)

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So I’m curious whether you’ve started shopping for gifts yet…

Travis and I have not actually purchased anything for the Holidays, but we’ve had plenty of present-related discussions.  We have a few gifts decided, and a couple more that are stumping us.  Overall, though,  I’m feeling pretty on top of the gift-giving.

My mom is notorious for her early preparation for the holidays.  She’s been known to purchase Christmas presents during the Summer and store them away until the end of the year!

Where do you fall on the gift-giving spectrum?
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Have you started buying any holiday gifts or are you more of a last minute gift giver?  Do you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah (or both?!)  What’s on your wish list this holiday season?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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Alas, the moment you all have been waiting for: the rundown of my photo shoot with Glamour Magazine!

The day started at 8:30, when two cars pulled up to our hotel to take me and three other lucky brides to the studio where the photo shoot was held.  I was so nervous, mostly because I had no idea what to expect.  I kissed Travis goodbye and headed to this super-chic industrial space where a team of beauty pros was waiting to pamper us!

I got my hair done first, by this French guy who seriously looked like a male model.  (I didn’t catch his name… go figure.)  I got a mani-pedi by Bernadette Thompson, who is not only the sweetest woman EVER, but has painted the nails of just about every supermodel and actress you can think of.

getting my hair done!

Then, I was scooted into the chair of renowned makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen.  If I wasn’t already impressed by Bernadette, I was floored by Brigitte’s portfolio.  It was so nice to talk to her about beauty and pick her brain about the industry.  (I definitely came back to cosmetology school with a renewed sense of excitement!)

When they put me in the wedding dress, the whole experience really started to sink in.  The dress was something I never would have picked out for myself— think Glenda the Good Witch meets ballerina princess— but it was so fun to play dress up in such an amazing gown!  Once I was situated, Vera Wang showed up in the studio and styled each of the brides personally.  I tried to play it cool, but inside I was jumping for joy.  What an honor to wear one of Vera’s designs for Vera herself!

As I shared with you previously, the photographer for the shoot was none other than Patrick Demarchelier.  I was super intimidated to meet him— he photographs the most beautiful people in the world, and I wasn’t sure how he’d treat us normal girls.  But the moment I met him, I was put at ease.  He was so friendly, and joked around with us in his awesome French accent.

the set!

Being in front of the camera was a lot more comfortable because of him, and once the nerves subsided, it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

What an honor to be in the presence of all of these amazing professionals!!

I wish I could share more photos with you, but I’m not allowed to release them until the magazine comes out.  Fortunately, the spread is set to appear in the February issue of Glamour, which means it will be out in early January.  (Of course, I’ll keep you all posted!)

Thanks for all the words of encouragement and support!  This was such a blast, and I’m so happy to share it all with you!

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New York City was freezing!  There was no way I could have survived without my scarf and gloves.  And to be honest, it’s not much better on the West Coast…

Which is why I’m on the lookout for more cold-weather gear.  This time, I’m on a tight budget.  Lucky for me, there are lots of great options:

This snood from Forever 21 looks effortless and cozy.  And it’s just $8.80!

This teal scarf is a cotton-silk blend, so you know it will feel super luxurious on those chilly Fall mornings.  Get it at Mod Cloth for $15.99.

You could keep all kinds of treasures in this adorable pocket scarf!  ($16.99 at Target!)

This chunky scarf from Old Navy ($16.50) only looks homemade— and it comes in a ton of colors!

Are you experiencing scarf weather in your neck of the woods?  Which of these do you like best?  Does anyone make their own scarves, rather than buying them?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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What a whirlwind!!  Travis and I are back from New York and still in a daze from our amazing trip…

People told us before we left that four days in the Big Apple wouldn’t be enough time to see it all, and they were right.  But, considering the limited time we had (and the time that was taken up by the Glamour photo shoot and our engagement session), I feel like we did quite a bit!

When we arrived at JFK on Thursday, it was pouring down rain!  I was exhausted— we’d taken a red eye, so it was only 3:45 a.m. in California.  We were picked up by a private car (thanks, Glamour!) and taken to our hotel at Cooper Square, but since it was so early, we weren’t able to check into our room and get some shut eye.  Despite the lack of sleep and torrential rain, we wandered the streets of New York and had a blast admiring the sights and sounds of the city.

We finally checked into our room that afternoon and, let me tell you, we LOVED what we saw!  Our corner room had a view of both the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge!

The rest of our trip was filled with sight-seeing and neighborhood wandering.  We enjoyed eating our way through parts of the city, and Travis had the pleasure of trying his first cannoli!  I got super excited as we wandered through Bryant Park (even though fashion week isn’t held there anymore…)

We enjoyed a lovely walk through Central Park, and I squealed with joy when we came across the Boat House.  (I’m hoping you all have seen 27 Dresses!)

We had our engagement photos taken on Saturday, and I can’t wait to share them with you when they get back to us!

And of course, the Glamour shoot was out-of this-world!  (Check back on Wednesday for all the details…)

Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better trip!  Thanks to all of you who gave us recommendations and advice!  (And thanks again to KC for guest-blogging while I was away!)

What did you do this weekend?  Take a quick getaway?  Got in the Holiday spirit?  (There are already Christmas trees up in parts of New York!)  Relax at home?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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