#ManiMonday: The Paintbox Ice Queen Manicure

Over the weekend, my best friend Katie and I took a girls trip to NYC. And, while we've had plenty of those over the years, this one was more special than most -- because we were celebrating our 35th birthdays! (Hers was on the 14th, mine is this coming Saturday, the 31st.) Katie and I have always loved nail polish (you can see the proof in our 12 Days of Favorite Nail Colors Series), so we decided to treat ourselves to a bunch of beauty treatments. And at the top of our list? A trip to Paintbox.

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The Beauty of Life Turned 8! Happy Blogiversary to Me!

A little over 8 years ago -- on January 12, 2007 to be exact -- The Beauty of Life was born. I'd been wanting to start a blog for awhile, but was struggling a bit with what I should write about. At the time, LiveJournal was all the rage (remember that?) and my brother gave me a very sage piece of advice: "Whatever you do, Jamie, don't start a LiveJournal blog. You don't want just anyone reading about your exploits." How very right he was! So as I looked around my room one night, eyes settling on everything from nail polishes and body creams to eyeshadows and candles, I suddenly realized that I had a lifelong passion for (read: obsession with) all things beauty. And just like that, I started this very blog!

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#ManiMonday: Rescue Beauty Lounge Wild Raspberries Grow from A Poem Collection

You know those nail polishes that just call to you immediately? The second you see them, you know they must be yours? Well, that's how I felt when I first laid eyes on Rescue Beauty Lounge Wild Raspberries Grow. It captured my heart and made it impossible not to fall in love.

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Sparkletastic Mani: Essie Hors D'Ouevres and Pinkadelic

It's Friday, so why not change my manicure? And, while I'm at it, why not make it super duper sparkly? Well, that's exactly what I decided to do today. I'm headed into a long weekend -- one that I hope is filled with equal parts fun and relaxation -- and I thought there was no better time to add a little pizazz to my nails. Enter the duo of Essie Hors D'Ouevres and Essie Pinkadelic.

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In Memory of My Grandmother

I'm stepping away from beauty for a moment today to talk about something that happened in my life recently. My beautiful grandmother passed away on January 2 at the age of 88. I gave a eulogy at her funeral, and I'm including it here -- because it really does say everything I've been thinking and feeling since it happened. I hope you'll get a sense of the wonderful woman she was through the words and photos below.

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