I used Adobe Illustrator to create the graphic, then uploaded it as a header in tumblr’s “Customize” sidebar.

Nails for Election Day! Or July 4th. Or any other patriotic holiday, really!

Base: Zoya Laurie
Color: Zoya America, Song, Purity
Top: OPI Pirouette My Whistle
Technique: Sponging

Zoya Trixie with OPI Crown Me Already on top

A blinged out manicure that’s great for holiday parties! Will definitely keep this in the running for my Christmas or New Year’s Eve nails.

Sunday grilling (24/7): August 2011 issue of Bon Appétit edition.

1. Rosemary Grilled Chicken

2. Roasted Cucumber Sandwiches

3. San Francisco Garlic Fries

4. Lime & Blackberry Italian Meringue Pie

5. Rosé, Bourbon, and Blue

Deborah Lippmann - Glitter in the Air

Three coats of Glitter in the Air on two coats of Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat, topped with Julep Fast Dry Topcoat.

Halloween manicure… in April. >_>

Zoya - Raven
Sephora by OPI - Traffic Stopper Copper
Essie - Matte About You topcoat

Sunday grilling (17/7): turkey burgers edition.

1. Southwestern Turkey Burgers

2. with Cajun Grilled Onions and Cilantro-Avocado Spread
I used Emeril’s Original Essence to coat the onions before grilling, except I put in half the salt the recipe called for, to avoid having them be inedible. The spread is just mashed avocado with minced cilantro and a bit of salt.

3. Plum Upside-Down Cake
My sister brought home plums from one of her friends’ trees, and they were in need of saving, so I used a Real Simple recipe I’ve had work for me before. This time around, however, I skipped cooking the plums. Last time, this step made the plums completely mushy, so I find it totally unnecessary. The cake turned out sweet in the batter and tart in the plums, just the way it should be!

4. Margaritas
Holy guacamole were these strong! I used the International Bartenders Association standard ratios, which tasted good, but definitely needed to be sipped slowly. Also, if you’re committed to using fresh lime juice, you will need a ton of limes. A ton of limes. You will also spend forever squeezing said limes and your arms will hate you. You’ve been warned.

Standard Margarita

2½ cups tequila
1½ cups triple sec
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 10-12 limes)
agave syrup to taste (my preference: ¼ cup) (optional)

Stir all ingredients in a pitcher and chill. Serve over ice.

Makes about 5¼ cups (pitcher).

P U R I T Y (by georgianna lane)

Butter London - Rosie Lee

The formula was a bit of a nightmare—I don’t know if this is indicative of the brand in general, this particular polish, or just this one bottle—and it started peeling in chunks on day 3, but the color is just so damn pretty, I’m willing to forgive it practically everything. However, I was bummed out about it, especially since I completely caved in Nordstrom when I saw that they had a Butter London display, and bought Rosie Lee at full price. Plus tax. Lesson learned: stay out of Nordstrom when you’re in a hurry.

Sunday dinner (10/7): homemade pizza edition.

Option #1: pesto, mozzarella, fennel, caramelized onion, bacon
The pesto was made from leaves I gathered in my backyard basil patch. I also snipped the fennel for these pizzas from the accidental fennel jungle that grew next to our tomatoes.

Option #2: ricotta, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, mushroom, bell pepper, tomato
Minced garlic and fresh oregano were mixed into the ricotta—along with some salt and pepper—before spreading it on the dough. The bell pepper and tomatoes were fresh from our garden.

Dessert: peach-custard pie (Martha Stewart Living, June 2011)
A great and fairly simple pie one could probably make with pears or apples. I wish the peaches I used were a bit more ripe; it would’ve made the pie easier to eat.