Young and loved and feel it in our bones…

It’s warm out. And while I typically enjoy Cold better than Not Cold, I’m sort of enjoying being able to throw on a skirt without the tights.

And now I have some very important questions for you.

It looks like I’ll be getting my first pedicure (of the season) tomorrow afternoon. (I know. I despise talking about feet. But again, I have pressing needs, and I love your opinions.) I’m typically drawn to my old favorite when it comes to color, but now I’m wondering if one should go brighter because spring has sprung or something. Also, my fingernails are so so so short. Does one get a manicure when one’s fingernails barely exist, or should one grow out those nails before engaging in manicurish behavior? Should the color of your hands match that of your feet, or are contrasting colors encouraged? Should I throw in something about health care just to make myself seem a bit more legit?

I have soup in the Crock Pot, I just accepted some freelance work, I can almost do the Ludacris part of the Justin Bieber song, and my book club is meeting Thursday to eat soul food and discuss The Help. All is well. Better than well, in fact. I hope you are the same.
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The girls ate ice cream and Pop-Tarts, and now I’m giving away a $100 Visa gift card! Follow this link if you’re interested!

I’m drinking lots of juice and diving into the Tropicana Juicy Rewards Program. (AND giving away a $50 Visa gift card!) You can follow along right here! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

21 thoughts on “Young and loved and feel it in our bones…”

  1. Okay – so on the mani/pedi. I encourage you to branch out on the color – it’s just nail polish, you can always change it – way easier than hair, less expensive than clothing. Get bold! (Also, you have shown a propensity in your shoe color choices to consider bold, I say take it to the toes!)
    A manicure will make even short fingernails look pretty. Fingers and toes do NOT have to match. I usually do something more wild on the toes than the fingers (assuming that in the most staid situations I will not be wearing open toed shoes, and also people look at my fingers more than my toes – I think?)

    My book club is ALSO discussing The Help this week (tomorrow actually) – cool!

  2. I hope I’m qualified to answer this – or at least, give my opinion! – since I live in LA where it’s always sandals weather and practically the law to have beautifully pedicured feet ALL THE TIME. So here’s my 2 cents:

    ~yes, definitely play with the color on your feet! I love choosing my pedicure color based on how I’m feeling that day or whichever one just speaks loudest to me at that moment (whether it’s pink, red, purple, sparkly blue…). It’s really, really fun to have that small burst of cheerful color every time you look down at your feet, or, if you’re wearing shoes, just knowing that your toenails are deep burgundy can give you a private lift. It’s like the G-rated version of wearing lacy red underwear.

    ~you can absolutely get a manicure regardless of the length of your nails. A manicure is about maintaining the health and overall look of your nails – the surface and the surrounding cuticles, as well as the skin of your hands – and not just about the length of the nails.

    ~I tend to think that having the same color on your fingers/toes is a bit matchy-matchy, but it’s definitely just my opinion – plenty of people do it. I’d recommend, though, getting a more sober color on your nails, or just getting a light iridescent pink or beige (depending on the color of your skin underneath). It’s more subtle and a bit classier, I think, especially because more people are going to be seeing your hands.

  3. I always do my toes in a fun bright color. If it’s winter, who cares because no one but me and the family see them and it’s just more fun to see in the shower. :) And in the spring and summer it just feels right. I like a bright coral or purple, personally.

    As for the manicure, go for it. I keep my nails moderately short; maybe 1/16″ above the fingerline but I still like to do a manicure every now and then. I think of the manicure as a $30 hand massage and cuticle treatment and such with a $5 paint job so I don’t cry when the paint chips the next day. And it will. I never match it to my toes because I usually pick a soft pink or neutral color that won’t show as badly when it chips mid-day. Right now, actually, I have A Grape Fit on my fingers which I’ve stripped and retouched twice since my manicure two weeks ago. My toes are Shoot Out at the OK Coral and have been untouched since my pedicure almost a month ago.

  4. A bright color is actually a great choice for very short nails. Like, I’d do a bright red on very short nails, but not long ones. You might check out a “black” color to see if you’re intrigued. These are the colors that look almost black but are really a dark dark green or blue or something, like Wonder Woman’s hair. I did a blue like that on my toes for my last pedicure and I am so in love. It’s also a color that would go good on short nails (in fact, a bit of a sophisticated look). Have fun!

  5. Okay, so my fingernails are almost never painted, so they never match my toes. Which I totally need to do.

    I tend to go bright colors on my toenails, things I wouldn’t wear on my hands. Blue, green, etc. Sometimes I go the more traditional bright pink, too.

    I would like you to get a manicure on your short nails & share the results with me. I am HORRIBLE about taking care of my nails and such, which leads to them not looking so great sometimes. :)

  6. I’m well, thanks!

    Short nails look awesome with a pop of bright color – I like hot pink, personally. It just makes me happy. Also, I come from the diva camp of the toes and feet have to match, especially if you wear a lot of open toed shoes. I’m a bit OCD, too, which might have more to do with it than anything relating to being a diva. :)

  7. I too am a believer that short nails look great with a bright color. I usually go with a hot pink, or red. I love getting manicures, my favorite part is when they massage my hands.

    I am going to sound like the “Debbie Downer” or the over protective mother when it comes to pedicures. I now do my pedi’s at home. A few years ago, two of my toe nails fell off not long after a pedicure.

    I am sure that you are going to a clean and reputible place for your pedicure. My advice is that you do not shave your legs the day of the pedicure, if they use the whirlpool type of tub for soaking your feet. That’s just an easy way to get bacteria or nail fungus. I feel like I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t warn you.

    I am OCD and I like to have my toes and nails match most of the time.

  8. I just got a pedicure on Saturday! I love OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress. It’s a dark red (nothing like the website shows) with a bit of sparkle.

    I nearly never get manicures because I am always doing projects/dishes/bathing children/typing and it never seems like it’s worth the $30 to me. That being said, I prefer a sheer neutral on my nails when a blue moon passes and I actually get one.

    Everyone is telling me to read The Help, but I am trying not to buy any books until I’ve read the ones in the giant pile by my bed. Can I borrow your copy??

  9. I always get a bright color for my toes! That is the only place I have a “wild side”.

    I type for a living & have a 5 yr old boy so I rarely get a manicure. My nails are kept short on purpose. When I do, it is always just plain old clear polish. I only get color on my fingers for super special occasions.

    I get more pedicures than manicures to be honest. We have a long sandal season down here.

  10. Fingers and toes need not match but could compliment. Complement?
    If your nails are very short I suggest you consider a neutral shade. Beigey or pinkish.
    I, clearly, am losing my sense of spell.
    Talk to you later, kay?

  11. I always go bright red on the toes and either French manicure or a sheer nude polish on the fingers. So I guess David would like. :-)

  12. I have pastel purple on the toes right now – very Easter eggish. I do not do my nails cause I wash my hands 4000 times a night at work and they chip too fast leaving me pissed off. Toes should be fun and when you get a little tan (not easy for me) a french looks great on toes, too!

  13. Please use a brighter color on your toes! I never get manicures (4 boys and all that entails) so I have no advice there. My favorite color for my toes is OPI Cheyenne Pepper. It’s a shimmery copper color. Really perfect actually. Although, when I’m feeling rebellious I like to go with a blue.

  14. I got my first pedicure of the season a couple weeks ago when we had that warm weather spurt which lasted like two days and I didn’t get the pedicure until the second day so my toes were all painted with no place to go. I always get a bright color on my toes because I’m so pale. I also have very short nails and this winter had either blackish purple or grey but with spring have switched to the in color of pale lavender.

  15. I love “I’m Not Really a Waitress” it’s one of my favorites. Re: almost black – I like “Lincoln Park After Dark”. Can’t wait to see what you picked.
    Our group discussed The Help today – a good discussion, but since we are all Yankees, born and bred, and our book group is completely lacking in ethnic diversity, we’ve wondered what others might have to say . . . .

  16. I suggest either a bright happy color or dark moody color, toes should be all about the drama! I’m really liking a dark plum or a midnight blue right now myself. I have very short nails myself and I usually go pale or nude there since it shows less when the chipping happens. :)

    p.s. did you try the pumpkin bread?

  17. My book group is discussing The Help this week too – but I’m jealous, we didn’t think to incorporate soul food into our meeting plans!

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