Brand New Inspiration

Just a little side note:

I recently uploaded more photos into my inspiration page.

Feel free to check them out and find a little inspiration of your own!

-ALV

Shades of Gray

I just bought a whole new spectrum of gray nail polishes this week, as this color trend is all over the place this fall and winter. I did have a couple grays already, but I was surprised at how many different kinds I could find at the store! (Not to mention I even found a metallic gray shatter available too). Gray is clearly the new black this season, and the best part is that there are so many different shades of gray to choose from. I'd suggest to keep it simple and not get too shimmery. Try the darker slate colors, the grays with a hint of blue or even the lighter silvery tones. No matter what you choose, your alternately neutral nails will be sure to make a splash and help you to stand out from the deep purple, maroon and black hues that are 'oh so popular' this time of year.

Above (left to right): Essie-Cocktail Bling, OPI-Skull & Glossbones, OPI-Silver Shatter, OPI-Suzi Takes the Wheel, Essie-Power Clutch

Wow...

I literally just bought 10 brand new fashion magazines yesterday & I can't wait to tear through them this weekend! Be on the lookout for new posts this week, as I'm sure to find some inspiration after going through the stack :]

Enjoy your Easter weekend,

ALV

Spring is in the air!

Both yesterday and today were nearly perfect as far as spring weather goes. I enjoyed the sunshine, light breezes and chirping birds all around town. Earlier this afternoon I took some time to sit out by the pond and draw. To the left is one of the sketches I came up with... Early spring is one of my favorite times of the year to sit outside with pen and paper and pass the time. I hope you all got out and enjoyed the day as well. :)

Be a Square

Have you heard of Square yet? It is a free piece of technology that reads credit cards. It can be attached to an iPhone, iPad, iTouch or an Android phone, and it runs credit cards wherever you are. I'm sure that Square readers will be all over the place very soon. In fact, it is completely free to get one. You can sign up to receive your own Square directly on the Square website. And then all you have to do is download a free app to go along with it on your phone/iPad and you are ready to go.

What's really interesting about this card reader is that it gives individuals more opportunity to accept and earn money on the go. Think babysitters, artists, musicians on tour, clothing retailers, fashion designers, food cart owners and the like will all be able to easily and quickly be paid via credit card through their phone. The device itself is just a small, plastic square that plugs into your phone or iPad -- it's that simple. The design is clean and chic and unassuming. But what is even more interesting is that the designers asked fashion designer Vivienne Tam to design a limited edition Square all her own. The black and red patterned design stands for "double happiness" and is available to buy through her website. You can also stay current with all of Square's interesting updates via their twitter.

 Since style and design are obviously important to the company, I wonder who will be designing the next limited edition version? I even wonder if, at some point, users will be able to design their own Square readers? They have done such a good job at keeping the process uncomplicated, that I bet designing other versions would be easy to do. Until then, be on the lookout for this tiny new wonder. I can't wait to see what all they will be used for, and what the next generation of readers will look like.