Closing out 2012

12/31/2012 06:53:00 PM Ashley 0 Comments

As I watch 2012 come to a close, I can't say that I am all that sad. It's been a year of adjustments and a lot more self doubt than I care for. But it hasn't been all bad. I have taken some major steps in a direction that I have been tiptoeing towards for months, years even.

So while 2012 might be quietly making its exit in my life, 2013 is waiting to start with a bang. Why is that you might ask? Well that's because I have taken a huge leap and am excited with where it's going.

I have started another blog, one that revolves around my love of all things nail polish. It's about time, seeing as I have a very large love of all things nail lacquer. But that alone is not the big jump. The big jump is that after 6 months of making nail polish of my own, I am going to launch a shop. I am going to sell my nail polish!

If you would like to join me on this journey, please join me over at Emerald & Ash. I will not only share my polish collection, but also the polishes I have made and that I plan to sell.


Running my own shop and making something I truly love has been something I have dreamed about for years. So I am beyond excited. I hope to be able to still blog over here, but it will probably be slow while I work on my shop and getting everything up and running.

2013 is already looking to be full of excitement and new things and I hope that you will join me in this new endeavor.

I also hope that you have a wonderful new year and that it brings you all of the things you have been hoping for.

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Review: SquareHue

12/06/2012 02:14:00 PM Ashley 1 Comments

Hello! Today I am very excited to share with you a new monthly subscription box called SquareHue. Why am I so excited? Because SquareHue is a nail polish box! Yep...it's like my dream box.

When I first heard about the box it sparked my interest. After looking through their website I knew that I had to try it. You get 3 polishes each month that have been specifically made for that month. The company looks at what is trending in colors for at the time and they create beautiful colors from there. Even better is this:


We are sure you’ll love SquareHue quality. Our colors are developed by the same lab as some of the largest international brands. No cheapy stuff here.
  • “3-Free” Clean formula – Does not contain (1)DBP, (2)Formaldehyde, (3)Toluene.
  • We like our formula extra clean… so no Camphor either.
  • Not tested on animals.
  • Proudly Made in the USA.


Here's what really hooked me. Their bottles are the "normal" .50 oz bottles. None of this tiny bottle for a high price crap (I'm looking at you Julep). That and it's their own brand. So if you're like me and have a huge collection you don't have to worry that they might send you an OPI you already have. 

I was actually lucky enough to get their very first box, which was December's, sent to me for review and I have to say that not only am I honored, it was an absolute pleasure talking with Laura at SquareHue. She was nothing but helpful and answered all of my questions. 

So after a little wait (wrong zipcode issue) I finally got my box yesterday. I have to say, it's an adorable little box. It's so small, but perfect for the polishes. Once opened I was greeted with a welcome card that was signed by everyone from SquareHue. It was a simple, but sweet extra. 


Getting past the welcome note, the polishes were packed with crinkle cut paper. Both pretty and great padding for the polish.


Each polish was held in it's own space with a divider. Also super smart for shipping the polishes safely. 



The bottles are a great square shape with a good weight behind them. They don't feel like they are going to fall over at all. One side has a large white square printed on it with hue written inside of the square. The opposite side has their website, size of the bottle and Made in USA printed on it. All of the printing is nicely done and allows you to see the polish through all sides.


On the bottom of the bottle are stickers with the company name, name of the polish and the date of when the polish was sent out. I actually love that they put the date on the bottles. So I always know which collection they were a part of. Seriously...it's brilliant. This month was all about the holidays and the names reflected that as well. 


Now for the swatches! I started with Champagne Toast, which is a great light gold foil. There are some flashes of silver in it as well. It really does have a Champagne feel to it. This went on to be opaque with two coats. The first coat started out a little streaky, but I find that to be true with a lot of foils that I have used. After the second coat everything evened out and looked great. It didn't show much in the way of brush strokes either. It dried fairly quickly to the touch and is shown here without a top coat.






Next is Sugar Plum. It's a great deep purple metallic with a little shimmer in it. I honestly don't own enough purples, so I was haver happy to add this to my collection. The first coat started out very streaky, but was easily fixed with a second coat. I did do a thin third coat for peace of mind, but probably would have been fine with only two coats. The formula was really nice, not too thin that it flooded my cuticles and not to thick that it was hard to work with.






Last, but not least is Holly Berry. It's a great red metallic with gold shimmer. Maybe not the most original red, but lets face it there is no such thing as an original red at this point. I do really like that it's a metallic with the shimmer, because it makes it look lit from within. I will apologize now, because the sun went off and hit by the time I was ready for pictures, so you can't see the gold as much, but it's there. After applying the purple I decided to try 3 thin coats with this color, which worked perfectly. Again, streaky at first, but smooth and wonderful after the second coat.






So overall what do I think? 

Well I'm impressed. The colors are perfect for the holidays. And while I would have loved a green (I adore green and have a huge desire for a green polish with silver shimmer), it's just a personal wish and nothing to do with SquareHue. Really the purple was perfect in this set. It took it away from the basic green and red of the holidays. 

Now for the details. Right now they have a deal where you can get the subscription for $14.99 per month with free shipping, but that does end on the 8th of this month. Then the price jumps to $21. 

I personally feel like it's a great deal and will be jumping on it, because getting polish each month that has been picked out based on trends is right up my alley. I really look forward to seeing what their next colors will look like and I hope that their formula is just as wonderful down the line. 



Disclaimer: This was sent to me to review, but all thoughts and views on the products are my own. 

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Decor: The rainbow tree returns!

12/04/2012 12:51:00 PM Ashley 0 Comments



It's back! After a year of our rainbow tree being gone, I couldn't wait to get it back up. My only wish it is that it would put its self up. But I love it...and am so happy that its back again!

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