Immune system, don't fail me now.

Preschool pickup in an hour.  Still one more errand to run.  But in a desperate need of a mani/pedi.  What to do?!  So in a zealous attempt to be Super/mom/woman/business owner, I try to do it all, and slink into the nearest nail salon I could find.  In this case, I was already in a big box store that offers everything from wonton wrappers to plant fertilizer to, well, nail salons. 

I think it was during the calf massage portion of the pedicure that I literally thought to myself, "Immune system, don't fail me now."  I assumed that the equipment was sterilized, but as I glanced nervously about the room, I saw traces that led me to believe otherwise.

The manicure/pedicure turned out to be mediocre and about $10 less than what I was used to paying.  (If you're looking for an awesome nail tech, go see Chaun--pronounced 'Shawn'--at Nail EnVogue in Hamburg.)

So now that I've painted myself to be a high-maintenance nail snob, I must explain why the "spa" day was necessary.  

Who can tell me what starts this weekend in Lexington?  Why the Holly Day Market, of course!  This was the one part of preparation for the Market that hasn't brought tears to my eyes, but after today's sketchy experience, it came close.

Today's happiness:  The Holly Day Market officially starts on Friday, the 12th.  But for me, it starts tomorrow night when the Preview Party begins.  If you read my blog, come by and say "hi" sometime this weekend!  I would love to meet you.  And don't look too closely at my fingernails.

The Miss Evelyn. 

How to tie a pretty bow

And the holidays are upon us.  With all of the feasting, family, and travel, the least of your concerns may be how to tie a pretty bow.  But I assume that since you are reading this, you would disagree.

The idea for this blog post came when my friend, Brandi, asked me to show her how to tie a nice, symmetrical bow for her daughter's new a La Modish dress.  And so without further ado, I give to you the "secret" for tying a pretty bow.

1.  Make sure that the tails of the bow are of equal lengths.  If you are tying the sash (bow) on a dress, they should already be even.

2. Cross the right tail over the left.  This is a very important step for keeping your bow from being wonky.

3. Pull the right tail under the left tail and up through the opening on top.

4.  Make a loop with the tail that is now on the right side.

5.  Place the new left tail over your loop and pull up through the opening.

6. Perfectly symmetrical bow!

Feel free to post pics of your newly found bow-tying skills on the a La Modish fan page!  Not a fan?  Click the facebook icon on the right, and it will take you right where you want to go.

Today's happiness:  Well, pretty bows!  Or the happiness that surrounds them, rather.  Maybe it's on a wrapped gift, Christmas tree, antique mantle, holiday dress, or a little girl's lovely locks.  Wherever you find them, you will almost always find something good and joyous.