Mermaidens by Laura Manfre

A little over a week ago Laura Manfre, a U.K. based artist I have long admired for her brilliant skill with watercolors and love for kitsch, surprised me with this! Laura painted this portrait of little old me, and I can't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world! Such an unbelievably sweet gesture and something I would have never excepted to come about because of starting this blog! ♡

Meanwhile, I really am sorry for how quiet things have been over here lately - I have lots of fun things scheduled but I keep running into road blocks! Tomorrow I have an interview with one of my favorite ladies scheduled, so look out for that!

I hope everybody is enjoying their holiday season (and aren't feeling *too* stressed out by it all)!

♡,
Kailey

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Mermaidens Illustrated!

It seems my life dream of becoming a cartoon character has come true! I began following the incredibly talented Kathryn Wilkins after seeing her illustrate some of my favorite blogging ladies, so imagine my utter shock and delight to see that she had chosen me to be part of her Lookbook Illustrated project!

I am positively over the moon and somewhat speechless - I can't get over the attention to detail (my hair looks exactly like that!) and how she drew me holding my new ice cream lamp; squee! I feel like this is what I would look like in Candyland! Thank you so much again Kathryn! Be sure to check out the rest of her illustrations, and if you'd like one for yourself, she is open for commissions!

Happy Monday everybody! Mine has had an incredible start! *_* Any interesting plans for this week?

♡,
Kailey

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Ice Cream Dream

SHOES: c/o BAIT Footwear PETTICOAT: Sock Dreams TIGHTS Forever 21

Happy December 1st! I kind of forgot to mention that I moved about a month or so ago, and stacks of boxes are littering the floor and it has been rather chaotic over here! I haven't really had time to sit down and schedule posts, thus my absence! Currently I am working on some interesting posts (like a DIY, a giveaway, outfit post, and an interview with a favorite blogger) - but until those are ready, please bare with me and take a look at this ice cream lamp I bought on sale at Fred Flare! ♡

Kailey

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Thrifting 101

Since I've been having a really good thrifting streak lately, I thought it might be fun to compile a post of little tips and tricks I have learned throughout my thrifting adventures! There is something so gratifying when, after digging for hidden treasures, you discover something perfect - and that you had no idea existed in the first place!

I found two of these Strawberry Shortcake mugs at Goodwill for .49 cents each!

Find & Frequent
ALL of the thrift stores in your town! It is imperative that you explore as many as you can and frequent them... well, frequently! Thrift stores are getting new things almost everyday, and so the stock is in a constant state of changing - one day you might go and find absolutely nothing, and the next, you hit a jackpot! The Thrift Shopper was an incredible directory - just put in your zip code and it will show you a list of nearby stores!

Leave No Stone Unturned
Look through everything! Go through sheets, toys, records, books, clothing (including the mens and children sections!) - you never know what you might find! It is very time consuming, (and I am still guilty of skimming through things too quickly sometimes!) but chances are you will be rewarded for your hard work! One of my absolute favorite finds was a Disney's Cinderella soundtrack that I found in the very last stack of records there I looked through!

This adorable cheerleader-esque pinafore skirt was missing a button, so I replaced it with two red ones!

Be Open Minded
Found a shirt with an awful shape but brilliant fabric? Instead of wearing it as an actual shirt, why not use it for backdrops or repurpose it into something that you will love? That said, don't go overboard and overwhelm yourself! Try not to buy anything that is truly beyond repair.

Bring Hand Sanitizer
This one is pretty important for me! Bring hand sanitizer when doing your searching (you never know where some of those things have been!) and be sure to wash the clothing throughly before use!

My kitty Turnip investigating!

And now I have to ask: what are your thrifting tips? I want to hear them!
♡,
Kailey

Rainbow Nails

How cute do my nails look right now?! I saw these on Pinterest (thank you Glitter and Nails - you're a genius!) and just had to try to recreate them. I freehanded the stripes, so they are far from perfect - but I still love how they turned out!

NAIL POLISH I USED: Wet n Wild Shine in Tickled Pink (402), N.Y.C. Taxi Yellow Creme 114, Wet n Wild Megalast I Need a Refresh-Mint (218A), Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Lacey Lilac (270), & Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On (300)
The links in this post are provided so you can see more clearly which polishes I used - I bought mine at drugstores where they are significantly cheaper!

Lately it has been raining nonstop (or absolutely freezing) so it's nice to glance down and see these bright nails! Before I moved earlier this year, I lived in California, so this weather is going to take some getting used to!

Currently I'm trying to figure out how to dress warmly and still show my aesthetic - can anybody recommend a pretty, candy-colored coat?!

What do your nails look like right now? :3
♡,
Kailey

(p.s. don't forget to enter my giveaway with I Love Crafty!)

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Giveaway: I Love Crafty!

I have a super exciting giveaway to share with you all today! Laura, the wonder behind I Love Crafty, a jewelry line stocked with gorgeous pieces, is offering one lucky Mermaidens' reader a $30 gift certificate to her shop!

She also was generous enough to send along a necklace for me to review! I have long admired her jewelry - which includes necklaces and rings with themes like mermaids, bakery and cats (all of these things happen to fall under "my favorite things" category…)! I chose her I'm Really a Mermaid necklace to try out after seeing pictures of it all over the internet, and was not disappointed! I adore how the blue chain and pink shell look together, and the workmanship on this piece is truly incredible *_*

What to win a piece for yourself? Just enter below using the Rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open internationally and ends December 4th, 2012. Good luck!

♡,
Kailey
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