White Tulip Designs » Inspiration, Design, and DIY for all of life's events.

Masthead header

Create Your Own Nail Kit

I recently read an article about manicures and pedicures tools. It was basically describing how to best be sure that everything used on your hands and feet stayed sanitized at the spa. You see these articles all the time but typically they only give you half the info you might need and the half they do give is not completely accurate either. Here’s the proper way to keep the money clean, store them, and choose the proper tools. 

 

Basic Nail Tools

 

If you want to bring you’re own implements and tools I’ve included a suggested list below. I would be sure to ask your nail technician before purchasing more expensive tools. You’ll want to be sure to bring in tools they are familiar with. Before you ask, most states do not allow technicians to cut cuticles and most are trained to only “push” cuticles as it is much healthier for your nail beds. But cuticle nippers are must-have tools for other reasons.

Suggested Nail Kit:

 You’ll want to start with a basic list: 

  • Fine grit nail files - make sure they are sanitize-able
  • Orangewood sticks - for pushing cuticles; they are disposable so have your tech throw them out
  • Ask about your tech’s favorite brand/style of cuticle nippers and nail clippers and ask what other tools they prefer to use.
  • If you really want to stay clean, bring your own polish, base coat, and top coat.

You can keep your implements in a small cosmetic bag but don’t put your dirty implements back in it. Keep a plastic bag on hand to put them in until you can clean them.

 

Nail Brush

Cleaning your implements-

  1. Using your nail brush scrub everything in hot water with anti-bacterial soap.
  2. Lay everything out to dry. If you let them dry in front of a window that’s best.
  3. Spray your dry implements with a mist of 99% isopropyl alcohol  and let them dry again.
  4. Now you can store your tools back in your bag.
  5. It is very important that you clean your tools properly. If you don’t, having your own won’t do you any good.

Maintaining your mani/pedi:

To keep your polish from chipping as well as keeping your nails super strong add one coat of top every other day or so. When you polish, be sure that you swipe the end of your nail to seal in the color. 

 Polish

A few side notes:

  • I held a cosmetology license for a decade (while putting myself through design school) and was over the nail department in the largest day spa in the area.
  • I’ve been using Nail Tek brand for over 20 years both personally and for nail clients. If used properly, your nails will be healthy and stronger than ever and your nail polish last at least 2 weeks. Pedicures will last 4 weeks or longer; even at the beach! (I’m not being compensated in any way for this endorsement. I just really believe in this product.)

 Have a lovely day! See you soon! ~XOX

* This post contains affiliate links but all tutorial directions and opinions are my own.

 

Linking up at Wow Us Wednesday,

Ice Cream Party - Saturday Style

 Well finally! It’s the one day of the year you can feel completely guilt free about eating your weight in ice cream! Ok, not so much that, but it one of those silly fun holidays that we can feel inclined to celebrate just for the fun of celebrating. And my boys both adore ice cream. It’s actually fairly endearing how much they both love ice cream with a passion that should be reserved for one’s favorite pet. (In all fairness, I have a similar weakness for doughnuts but that’s a story for another bizarre holiday. It was June 5, if you missed it.) If you have a similar fondness for the sweet creamy delight that is ice cream you may also be interested in a list of where you can find free ice cream to aide in your celebration. Click Here!

On to the cool, sticky, yummy goodness!

 Ice Cream Party

 

 
 
Hmmmm, are you ready for a cone yet? Or perchance a bowl? If you’re feeling so motivated this fine summer day to whip up your on batch here is a collection of recipes from some fabulous foodie blogs around the web:
 
                      
 I want to send a thank you to Michelle from A Latte Food, Elizabeth from Sugarhero, and Lori from Recipe Girl for letting me share a sweet piece of their wonderful blogs. Take a minute, click the pic, and check out more of their recipes!
 
Please enjoy the rest of your weekend! See you next week!
 
Jennifer (White Tulip Designs) - 07/27/2015 - 10:15 pm

Thank you! See you there!

Lou Lou Girls - 07/27/2015 - 5:16 pm

Oh my! This looks so fabulous! Pinned and tweeted. Please join us tonight at 7 pm, and party with us. I can’t wait to see your new masterpieces or amazing classics! Lou Lou Girls

Throwback Thursday - Soap Dispenser

 For today’s Throwback Thursday I wanted to share a project that was one of my very first. And, I still use it every day. I love my fancy dish soap pump! I remember coming up with the idea and making the plan which, of course, didn’t work out quite the way I had thought. Then, after dropping G off at school one morning, I ran in the door and started pulling everything out and putting it together before I had even finished my first cup of coffee.  It’s one of those subtle things that nobody will notice unless they use my kitchen sink. But it makes me so proud every time i use it.

 

Soap Dispenser(click the picture for the original post!)

 If you haven’t made yours yet, I will tell you the hunt for the perfect bottle doesn’t really stop. Even after you’ve finished!

~Have a lovely day! See you soon!

 

 

4 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Do you wish that you could make some changes in your home? In case you are already tired of looking at the same old furniture and design but you have a tight budget, you have to find an easy and inexpensive way to improve your home. There are many things you could try but we advise you to focus mostly on the details in your real estate property. In case you can’t afford to invest in big improvements, you can make some small changes which can still bring you the desired results. One spring cleaning will be a great start of the transformation of your home, so the sooner you plan this procedure the better.

 

File:Chestnut Hill Nice House.JPG

(image credit: Smallbones)

The secret to the comfortable and beautiful home is hiding in the specific details which make the place unique. It is possible to renovate your home without investing a big amount of money in it with a couple of simple but very effective changes. In this article you will find some great ideas which will help you improve the look not only of the bathroom and the other rooms in your property, but of the entire home. After you are done with the transformation of your apartment or house, however, don’t forget to perform one deep cleaning of the place. This way you will remove the pollution and will reveal the true beauty of the improvements you made.

  • White cabinets in the kitchen – If you look around in your kitchen, you will probably notice right away that the cabinets and the drawers look too worn out. You can renovate this part of the room very easy, by simply painting the entire cabinets in white. The reason you should choose precisely this colour is that it will freshen up the entire room, it will make it look bigger and will erase all traces of stains and grime. You can choose another colour as well, of course, if you think that it will look better.

White Cabinets and New Light Fixtures

  • New light fixtures – A lot of people forget about the light fixtures in the different premises of their homes once they are installed. Now you have the chance to clean them and then inspect their condition carefully. You can replace them with new ones, which will freshen up the look of every room. There is a big variety of models you can choose from, so this will be a cheap and effective renovation. You can consult with the specialists at the store, in case you are having troubles deciding.
  • Rug in the living room – Getting a nice rug for your living room will be a great idea. The large carpets are usually too expensive and require a lot of cares. The small rugs, however, are easy to maintain and you can find different interesting models which won’t cost a lot. You can put it in your living room or in any other room of your home you like. You will see how the look of your entire home will change right away.
  • Extra space in the bedroom – If you live in a small apartment, then you could definitely use some extra space in the room. You can get it by installing built-in drawers in different places in the room. For this procedure you may need some professional help, so better make a research and hire specialists from an experienced company which also has affordable prices.

You can renovate your home by introducing those 4 simple changes. They don’t require a big budget and at the same time are effective enough to transform your home. You won’t even need professional help for most of them, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t try them right away.

(This article is kindly contributed with London painters)

Article written by Anna Aamone

Have a lovely day!

Jennifer (White Tulip Designs) - 07/15/2015 - 10:35 pm

Ha! I know what you mean. There was a lot of compromise when we painted ours.

CoCo - 07/15/2015 - 8:53 pm

These are all such great tips! I would LOVE to paint my kitchen cabinets white. Sadly, I live with a lover of wood grain so I may have to wait a little bit longer 🙂 Hope your week has been a happy one, CoCo

Spa Inspired Guest Bath

 Whew, it’s been one heck of a busy week! How about you? For today’s Saturday Style, I thought we could use a Spa Day, right? Grab a cup of coffee or a mimosa and enjoy!!
 
 

Spa Inspired Bath

 
Ready to book your massage yet? Need more ways to add a little spa to your bathroom? Try some of these . . .
 

 

Hope today’s Saturday Style has inspired your Spa side.

Would you like to see more Saturday Style inspiration? Click Here!

Have a lovely afternoon! - xoxox

Linking up at Met Monday, Wow Us Wednesday, & The Scoop

 

Jennifer (White Tulip Designs) - 07/15/2015 - 2:14 pm

I’m so glad! Making all those new house choices can be such a fun adventure!

Christine - 07/15/2015 - 12:34 pm

This is exactly what I needed for inspiration! We just moved into our new home, and I’ve been trying to gather ideas for the master bath. Thank you for sharing!

D I Y   S h o p