JulieG "Mermaid's Tale"

I'm excited about today's notd because it is an exact dupe for a polish that has been on my wanted list for quite some time, Zoya's "Charla." JulieG is a brand I've never heard of before, but I stumbled across "Mermaid's Tale" the other day in Rite Aid and recognized the color immediately. And the best part is that at $3.99, "Mermaid's Tale" is half the regular price of a Zoya polish!

(photographed: JulieG "Mermaid's Tale")

"Mermaid's Tale" is a blue foil infused with green and bits of gold. 

MAC "Abalone Shell"

Today's notd is one from a MAC collection a couple years back. "Abalone Shell" is a creamy nude that is slightly warmer than neutral. "Abalone Shell" is the only MAC polish I've ever bought, and though I've heard controversial things about their polishes in general, I have nothing bad to say about the formula.

(photographed: MAC "Abalone Shell")

My Favorite Pixar Movies

After reviewing Pixar's newest movie, Brave, I thought it would be fun to rank all of Pixar's films on a scale that offered perspective.

Each movie will be accompanied by a number between 1 and 10. 1 - 3 will represent the range of disliked to "just okay" movies. 3 - 5 will represent the "okay" to "good" ones. 5 - 7 will represent the "good" to "really good" films. 7 - 9 will represent the memorable and loved films. And a 10 will represent sheer perfection.

Make sure to take note of the score differences. While one movie may beat another movie in rank, the number score will help gauge how much one movie is favored over another.

(photo taken from Google Images)

One last thing before I start. If you have not seen The Pixar Story, it is a must for Pixar-lovers. I have watched it several times, enjoying it just as much with each watch. It is utterly inspiring.

And now that I got that gushing out of the way, here is my ascending list of least to most favorite Pixar films:

Orly "Rage" & Essie "A Cut Above"

After wearing shade after shade of different cream colors, I was craving something with glitter. Today's notd combination of Orly "Rage" and Essie "A Cut Above" is satisfying that craving.

(photographed [left to right]: Orly "Rage," Essie "A Cut Above")

Brave: A Movie Review & Discussion

There WILL be spoilers. Do NOT read any further if you don't want to spoil anything for yourself.

When I saw Pixar's newest movie, Brave, I knew I had to write about it.

These are all the thoughts that I can recall on seeing the movie only once. I try my best not to forget anything, but I inevitably will.

(photographed: Brave poster)

NOTD: Essie "Haute As Hello"

Today's nail post is a coral/peach color that was from an Essie collection back in 2010. Essie's "Haute As Hello" is a bright, almost-neon, coral, though slightly pinker than the normal coral. It's a great color for summer if you love brights.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: A Book Review

There will be no spoilers in this review. Enjoy! (:

Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is a book I had been meaning to read for quite a while. I flipped through at least a year ago and was immediately curious about the strange photos that were scattered throughout the book. I probably would have read this book much sooner if I were able to purchase it on my Kindle (the Kindle price is significantly lower than the hardcover). However, upon reading reviews, I kept repeatedly coming across comments that the vintage letters and photos in the book, a vital part of experiencing the story, were not clear enough on the Kindle screen. This was enough reason for me to wait to purchase a tangible copy, once I could justify the price difference.

(photographed: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs)

I have never been a fan of descriptions on the back covers or inside covers of books. I always feel they reveal too much of the book, however, readers other than myself seem to enjoy them and find them useful. So, without further ado, here is the description on the inside cover:

"It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive."

Revlon "Whimsical"

Today's nail post is primarily about Revlon "Whimsical." "Whimsical" is famous for it's striking resemblance to Deborah Lippmann's "Glitter In the Air," a color I had wanted for a long time.

I chose "Sea Spray" as a base because it was the color I owned that I felt came closest to Whimsical's base color, a light creamy grey-blue.

(photographed[left to right]: China Glaze "Sea Spray," Revlon "Whimsical")

NOTD: Sally Hansen "Pacific Blue"

I went a little photo-crazy with today's nail of the day: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in "Pacific Blue." I don't know who thought having such a long name was a good idea.

(Sally Hansen "Pacific Blue")

Slaughterhouse-Five: A Book Review

There will be no spoilers in this review. Enjoy. (:

Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is a book that explores the effects that war can have on a generation. His narrator tells the story of a fellow war-mate, Billy Pilgrim, and how a traumatic bombing in the war has affected their lives. The story is a compilations of scenes that move back and forth through time, and I enjoyed putting all the pieces in chronological order. I am not typically a fan of war books or movies, but I have to admit that I am left amazed by Vonnegut. His words are powerful, his characters memorable.

(photographed: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five on my Kindle)

Thoughts On Running and Music

I was speaking to a friend the other day about her exercise plans for the following day. She mentioned how her iPod was fully-charged and ready to go and how the music would help her forget about the pain that would inevitably come. The way she phrased it as if the requirement of music was a given made me aware of the relationship people tend to share with music and how it commonly serves either as a motivator for exercise, or a distraction from emotional exhaustion as a result of physical exhaustion.

(photographed: park)

NOTD: Essie "A Crewed Interest"

I currently have Essie's "A Crewed Interest" on my nails and I love it. It works for those moments when something like Essie's "Van D'Go" is slightly too bright, but I still want a peachy-cantaloupe color. "A Crewed Interest" is from the Essie Navigate Her Collection for Spring 2012. Did I mention the name is pretty hilarious?

(Essie "A Crewed Interest")

What I Blog About When I Blog

The world is filled with numerous things to enjoy and explore, and I want to begin this blog with some things I'm obsessed with to the extent that I yearn to tell whoever is willing to listen (a little Zizek-y if you ask me).

Why Warm French Onion Soup? To put it simply, I love french onion soup. It is the ultimate comfort food. And since this blog will entail subjects that (as cliche as it may be) are near and dear to my heart, I thought it was fitting. (I credit Raymond Carver for the rest).

Therefore, in no particular order, I give you some of my favorite things:

1. Food. Cooking it, eating it, photographing it, all of it. I love trying new and different places, while at the same time, I love reordering past favorites. I'm that strange girl who sits and photographs pretty patterns in her lattes and food fresh from the kitchen.

(photographed: fresh oysters)

2. Books. Reading is one of my favorite past times. If life didn't require stepping outside the comfort of my room, I could read all day. My range of tastes is fairly wide. The only genre I single out entirely is romance. You know those books with covers depicting a steamy, erotic scene? Not my thing.

(photographed [top to bottom]: Amazon Kindle, J.D. Salinger Nine Stories, George Orwell Animal Farm, Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring, Milan Kundera The Unbearable Lightness of Being, John Green The Fault In Our Stars, Herman Melville Moby Dick, Haruki Murakami What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, J.D. Salinger Franny and Zooey, John Green An Abundance of Katherines)

3. Health & Fitness. Not the same thing as food because it includes physical fitness aspect as well. I enjoy spending time looking up nutritious facts about certain foods and finding delicious ways to combine them. I'm also addicted to running.

(photographed: spring mix salad and poached egg in a lemon vinaigrette dressing)

4. Nail Polish. It is my one girly obsessions. Seeing a fresh glossy manicure on my nails always makes me smile.

(photographed: Deborah Lippmann 'Mermaids Dream')

5. Dogs. What can I say? I gush at every dog that crosses my path. It is impossible for me to be in a bad mood if I have a puppy in my arms. My dog, sadly, lacks in the super-model department.

(photographed: my dog, Snoopy)

6. Knitting. I have been in the beginning stages of knitting for the last six months or so, mostly because it's difficult to find the time to keep practicing. I do, however, have the ambitious goal to knit myself a Weasley sweater by winter!

(photographed: scarf-in-progress)

7. Writing! A good segue into a conclusion. My love of writing stemmed from my love of reading and when it comes to obsessions, I can't talk about them enough. Hopefully my list gave a good indicator about potential future updates. In the end, this is just meant to be a blog of random things that come to mind. I already have a few ideas of where to begin and I can't wait!

Til next time (: