Nude nails.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Quick Sand.

Nude nails are very fall 2011. And this shade is great because:

1. It dries in a minute or less
2. Has a shimmery UNDERTONE which makes the nudeness of it not so boring
3. Makes your look “polished” literally and figuratively.
4. It’s cheap.

Here are some Hollywood hotties rocking the trend.









Please excuse the nubs that I call nails.

Hey bloggers.

Sorry I have been MIA. I have been trying to avoid the internet in general. I work on a computer 8 hours a day. Instead of blogging on my lunches and when I get home from work- I’ve been sitting/walking outside; simply enjoying nature and the wonderful weather. It’s really done numbers on my mind. At the same time- I really enjoy blogging. Right now I am researching a bunch of eye creams and new skin care products I have stumbled upon. So hopefully I will have some positive feedback from these products that I can share with you in the next couple of months.

Peace & love,
kat

Be the change you wish to see

My body misses yoga but my heart misses dance.



Why do my hobbies have to be SO EXPENSIVE!? Why can’t there be enough time to do jazzercise, dance and yoga in my daily life? At this point in life, I choose dance. I start back classes in a couple of weeks and am PUMPED. I figure- I can dance in my twenties and do yoga forever.

But still- I need yoga. So I came up with a somewhat solution. Yoga at home. After an 8 hour work day and almost hour commute to and from Dallas every day, I have to PUSH myself to get to jazzercise. So I know there is NO way I am going to do some yoga in the afternoons. I’ve set my alarm clock just 15 minutes earlier (5:22 people) and am waking up and doing some sun salutations. It’s only been a week of this new routine but I feel better. I’m not nearly as sore as I usually am from getting my booty kicked in jazzercise.

This all comes down to a little phrase I have always admired but have recently come to comprehend:

Be the change you wish to see.

I know what I wanted to change about my life, so instead of wishing, I am being. My next goal is to start walking more. Sitting ALL DAY LONG is starting to freak me out; especially after my husband showed me this article. Starting today, we are going to take a little walk around the ‘hood after dinner. We’ll see how long this lasts with his insanely busy school schedule starting on Thursday…

feng shui [Friday]: color

It’s the weeeeekend blog lovers. Today we are going to discuss the use of COLOR in feng shui, as it is one of the easiest ways to transform a living space and influence your mood.

The colors are categorized by the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

FIRE – passion and Energy
A balanced Feng Shui Fire Element in your space will bring a supporting energy in all your career efforts and will help you achieve recognition.

· Red
· Orange
· Purple
· Pink
· Bright Yellow

In my office, the columns in the building are bold red. I think they had a good decorating consultant for sure.




EARTH – nourishment and stability
A strong and harmonious Feng Shui Earth Element in your home will help create stability, nourishment and protection for all your relationships.

· Pale Yellow
· Beige
· various Earthy/Sand Colors

I grew up in a home of various shades of beige. I found it BORING as a child but now I see that it truly did provide nourishment to grow and a sense of stability.




METAL – clarity and preciseness
Feng Shui Metal Element brings the qualities of sharpness, precision, clarity and efficiency; its balanced presence will help you live with clarity and lightness.

· Gray
· White

I am really into gray right now. I want a gray room in my future home for sure.



WATER - EASE, FRESHNESS AND ABUNDANCE
A harmonious Feng Shui Water Element will bring a refreshing energy of calm, ease, purity and freshness. Water is also the ancient symbol of abundance, thus a potent feng shui cure.

· Black
· Blue

I decided to paint our master bedroom a shade of blue (bluish greenish teal) to bring about the aspect of calm. It definitely is a very relaxing space. Since we put an ottoman in there, I can watch movies and I really do love the instant feeling of relaxation the color gives.



WOOD - HEALTH AND VITALITY
Lush and healing, the Feng Shui Wood Element will bring the energy of health, vitality and growth. It is also an expression of abundance, thus an ancient feng shui cure for wealth and prosperity.

· Brown
· Green

I definitely plan on using green in a baby’s room one day; an environment providing health and growth are perfect for little ones.




*thank you about.com for helping me put this into words

feng shui [Friday]:

I purchased an amazing book on Feng Shui about 3 years ago from Recycled Books (big purple building that says Opera House on the square) in Denton. First of all- what an incredible store to find the most random books on any subject and a plethora of old records. Took Megan Beasley and I literally had to drag her out of there.

As a lover of all things interior design and Eastern theory- I find feng shui so intriguing. There are so many elements to this subject I am going to ATTEMPT to make Fridays “Feng Shui Fridays.” (half way because its sounds cute and half way because there is so much awesome info to share on the subject). I believe that applying these theories to my little apartment have transformed it into a home.

Feng shui /FUNG-shoo-ee/: is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi (energy).

feng = wind

shui= water

These two elements are associated with good health in Chinese culture, which they translate to good fortune. The Taoist vision is that the earth is living and filled with all sorts of energy. Being very superstitious, the ancients believed that the location and direction of their kingdom could influence their reign positively or negatively. The building blocks of feng shui come from the concepts of yin and yang and the five elements: earth, wind, fire, water, and wood. Todays topic is the compass, which is used to grid your living space, as it helps one to understand the movement of certain kinds of energy in certain places.

I literally drew this and saved it 3 years ago.



If you place this diagram over your living space (get a compass [iphone app]and find north) then you are able to see the areas of your home that are most conducive to certain activities. After doing the chart to my apartment, I found that some of my areas were in quite perfect positions for what’s going on in them.

North East sector is for study/contemplation: This is where I relocated Nicholas’s desk. He’s been super productive on his thesis and is bringing in 4.0’s…which he always does, but I do like to think having his desk here helps his mind concentrate.

South west sector is for relationships: This is the area that we made our master bedroom. Rather perfect for newlyweds sharing a room for the first time.

West sector is for children/projects: This is where I started my little business, KatBeckDesigns. All my featherbands are made sitting at my dinner table located in the west sector.


Take it as you will- but what you believe really affects how you perceive.

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone is having a great start to AUGUST! How did 7 months already fly by? Explanations please. I’ve just been spending my time battling with the glue gun. I found this on Pinterest (check it out if you haven’t already- pure amazingness) today.



I was just thinking about how I may not have fingerprints in a couple of years as I was making these featherbands now posted on KatBeckDesigns shop on etsy. Too funny. Too true.






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Master bedroom makeover.

Immediately after returning from our wedding & honeymoon last June, I made over our bedroom into a “master” bedroom with the help of a king sized bed and some paint on the walls. However, since then I haven’t been completely satisfied with the room. What we were lacking was an actual headboard or just some type of décor for above the bed to bring the room together. I wanted to write a pretty quote on the wall but Nicholas and I couldn’t decide on one. I’ve always LOVED the look of trees or the silhouettes of branches painted on walls to personalize a bedroom.



So- on my lunch break last Thursday I sketched the design I’d like.



Then I went to WalMart and purchased 97 cent acrylic paint in “French vanilla” along with a set of small paintbrushes.



That night I put up 2 large, golden frames above the bed and started the outline of the branches. (I’ve been wanted to fill these frames for a year now and just haven’t found anything to do so)



Friday afternoon in about 45 min I finished the painting.



This simple DIY project cost less than $10 and took only an hour to complete all the while totally transforming the look and FEEL of our bedroom.

FROM THE DESK OF LADY GAGA

FROM THE DESK OF LADY GAGA

Take a tour of my dream home.

You may find this odd (unless you’ve known me for years) but this is my dream home; an elaborate tree house. Swiss Family Robinson style. I’m not really sure what all you could do with the interior of a little place like this but here are some to DIE for rooms I’d like inside my ideal tree house- or any house really. I’ve been apartment living for 6 years now and have 3 more to go (or whenever my hubby’s got his doctorate). So I’m allowed to fantasize…















































































I have been surrounded by such talented women in my family whom have actually made a career of interior decorating (check out www.razzberryfizz.com their online shop). I grew visiting their homes which were always designed to be classic, cozy, and clean; so I am naturally drawn to this style. I have also developed a taste for throwing in some modern pieces with antique finds. I love the way the straight angles of modern furniture and the rusticness of antiques juxstapose (favorite word ever) eachother. Everytime Nicholas and I drive by a beautiful old home I feel this yearning to have my own. I’ve managed to make my 2 bedroom apartment feel as much like a house as possible. But when I get my real one- I may die of happiness.

Yay for Thursday lovelies!

Location:Fantasy land

Christmas in July

Is it too early for a christmas wish list? Just want to put this out there for my fellow loved ones…hint hint. As my sister has once put it “you’re really easy to buy gifts for; you just like anything that is pretty.” This could not be more accurate. I appreciate and love anything aesthetically pleasing. Oh- and anything on my Etsy Favorite List is highly recommended. We must support the crafters.











































Happy hump day my lovelies!

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Guest post: Kinsey in the city

When one thinks of New York, you think Broadway, shopping, taxi cabs, busy streets. When I think of New York, I think of dreams coming true.






New York is a melting pot of different cultures, personalities, and beliefs. JayZ and Alicia Keys sing about New York quoting, "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do." I never understood how powerful those words were until I recently spent a week in New York with my sister. Upon arriving we took a walk to Columbus Circle, I was amazed to see so many people out and about at what I thought was late- 11pm. There were teens riding skateboards, mothers and kids walking the dogs, lovers who couldn't keep their hands off each other. Every restaurant and convenient store was open and ready for business- quite the difference from small-town Greenville, SC. I looked at my sister and said, "see this is what I love about New York- there is always something for everyone" later on throughout the week, I realized just how true this statement was and just how amazing this city was.






Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon. Alone in some way to tall heels I borrowed (without asking) from my sister, I made my way to Broadway to see Mamma Mia. This is my all time favorite Broadway show- the costumes, dancing, music, and overall genius of the play has always enthralled me. I left the play thinking- I would give anything to move to New York and be on Broadway. I sent a text to a friend saying would u think I was crazy if I moved to New York in order to pursue a career in Broadway- he responded why not!? I then proceeded to explain how my musical career has been limited to Sheryl Crow karaoke at the Garden City Pier and Clarence Carter at wedding receptions when I force myself upon the mic. Once again my friend was encouraging saying go for it. The more I talked with my friend I thought why not move here. Frank Sinatra sings, " if I can make it there, I can make it anywhere. You know what frank- you may be on to something! What have I got to lose! Of course, I blame my friend entirely for boosting my self esteem enough to think I'm the next Broadway sensation- but if I ever do make it big- he has first dibs on being my agent.






Fast forward to Friday afternoon. My sister was able to take off work so we went together to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the met. Talk about a dreamer! Alexander McQueen has designed some of the most outrageous, intimate, intricate clothing I have ever seen. He has designed for the likes of Lady Gaga, Sara Jessica Parker, and many many more. McQueen had some of the most talked about Fashion Shows. It was said he grew his inspiration after casting the models, giving each one their one story on the runaway. One of his most famous models was Kate Moss. McQueen's designs were truly inspirational and a site to see- complete outfits out of Conch shells, plastic discs, duck feathers- there was no limit to his designs. McQueen is proof that with enough determination and a lot of sweat and blood your dreams can come true.






Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. Brunch. 16 bucks for bottomless screwdrivers, mimosas, sangrias, and bloody marys. I ate with my sister, her boyfriend, her friend Sam, and a plethora of Sam's friends. Conversation shifted towards the major events of the weekend- gay pride parade and same sex marriage. I found it refreshing to see so many businesses show their support for gay pride- even the empire state building was lit up in rainbow colors! What a statement made by the city of New York- just recently New York senate passed the law to allow same sex marriage in its state. Gay pride meant so much more that particular weekend knowing that awareness was being brought to the issue of equality. It was exciting to hear Sam and his friends talk about the parade. I began to think once again, New York is helping to make others dreams come true as well. It was eye opening to sit at lunch with a group of gay men and lesbian women and hear them talk about gay pride. When it comes down to it they are just like me (except they look way better in bf shorts but that's another story)- we are all dreamers. And New York has made some of their dreams come true. No wonder Sinatra speaks so highly of New York saying "I want to be a part of it New York, New York". Who wouldn't want to be a part of this great city? Kudos New York, until we meet again!

Results are in: clean & clear.

Well people- after a week of NO squeezing and applying Clean & Clear gel twice a day- I am happy to say that the entire time, you couldn’t actually see the zit (even though I could feel it) and it shrank in size daily. This product (even says it on the label) won’t over-dry your skin- and it did just what it advertises; no flaking or crusty skin surrounding zit. Clearasil has always over dried my skin as well as Pro Active- so if you have very dry skin – this is the best stuff I’ve found!



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