Syrup Bonanza!

A big order of syrups arrived today for our soda making adventures here at Quaintrelle HQ! 6 full size and 24 tiny samples to play with. Rose and Violet are already 2 of my all time favorite flavors (I can never decide which one of the 2 is my all time favorite), the rest I'm just excited to try. Almond sounds like it should be a good mix for some interesting flavors maybe?

We're still moving on with our home re-model project, as soon as it's all done it'll be time for a fancy mocktail and soda party in our shiny new home!

Vintage Nails

When it comes to vintage style, every once in a while you come across a little flourish that is as practical as it is retro chic! Today I thought I'd make a post about the wonder that is the vintage manicure or reverse French manicure. Back in the day ladies would leave the tips of the nail and/or the lunula un painted. I personally love the style for the way it looks, but for girls like me who work with their hands the extra couple of minutes it takes to do, saves plenty of time because your manicure lasts so much longer!

I know for me that the tips of my nail polish are always chipped by the end of the day when I paint them, and the base of the nail is quick to show wear shorty after. With the reverse French manicure these places are bare save a little clear topcoat, so upkeep is as simple as an extra lick of clear topcoat every couple of days, and your nails look spiffy for so much longer! The downside (there always is one) is that you do need to keep your nails a decent length, which is just as tricky for us handy types as getting nail polish to stay put. A basic nail care regimen can help with this though!

My Nail Care Routine:

• Use a clear nail treatment as a base coat such as Sally Hansen's Miracle Cure To help fight flaking
• Moisturize your hands every night with a good hand cream (Always a good idea for crafty types to help fight painful callouses caused by lot's of handy work)
• Rub your nails and cuticles with cuticle oil every night to help promote nail growth, and healthy nails.

My nails still get broken when I'm working on heavier tasks such as metal work, but if I'm able to stay mindful when I work, it is possible to save nail disaster!

How to Paint the Reverse French Manicure:

Not as hard as it might seem. Instead of painting 2-3 stokes vertically top to bottom, paint about 2 strokes side to side with a nice curve to get those half moon shapes. Clean off any excess at the side with a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover and "jobs a good un" as they say in Yorkshire!

This might qualify as a slow news day in the world of blogging, but for any crafty quaintrelle out there it might be as useful to you as it has been to me!

Retro Sale

 A few people told me they were planning Mad Men based costumes for Halloween this year, so for anyone else having a similar idea, we're having a Candy Violet sale this week!! Daisy Cutter, Lady Luck and Day Trip items are all on sale till next Monday!I hope you'll stop by for some retro bargains (also great for people like me who are just always looking for new vintage styles to wear every day) Check over at  www.candyviolet.com to find out more!