Bogner's of Penticton - A Taste Test

I'm going to preface this by saying one thing - I'm not fancy, and I'm not a foodie. That being said, I love good food and drink - which is exactly what I got at Bogner's of Penticton last night. As a part of the Sun FM/EZ Rock team, I was invited to try out what the menu had to offer and now I'd like to share!

The outside of Bogner's is a bit sneaky when you drive up.  It's set inside an old Doctor's house from 1905, which quite frankly, is pretty unusual but adds to the overall ambience.  If you don't know you're looking for a house, you might miss it, even with the signage. As far as location, it's just outside Downtown Penticton and easy to get to.


When would you go to Bogner's? Any time you want a nice night out.  The restaurant is set up to encourage conversation with it's low, smooth dinner music, dimmed lighting, and linen-clad tables.   The decor is beautiful with chandeliers that play well off the support columns and wide, framed windows.   You can tell a lot was put in to creating an elegant dining environment that feels comfortable. 

A really great part of living in the Okanagan is the fresh fruit and veggies that grow in our backyard.  The climate here is perfect for all kinds of growing, which is why this is "Wine Country" as well as the home to many fruit growers.  Chef Darin Paterson actually pointed out to us some of the spots where herbs and veggies are grown right outside the doors of the restaurant, and told us about their farm that supplies a lot of what's on the menu! Chef Darin and his team are very passionate about keeping it local as he expressed to us throughout the night while explaining the different food items.  They grow their own veggies and raise their own chickens.  In 2014, it's nice to know where your food is coming from (and that it's not processed).

  Liquids: 

Any time I sit down at a table and am brought a drink I've never tried before, I know I'm going to enjoy my restaurant experience.  Cue the Pineapple-Sage Mojito.  It was sweet, a little sour and a truly unique flavour.  It's made with "patio grown Pineapple-Sage, White Rum, Pineapple-Sage infused Sugar, & Lime".  A drink that's delicious and dangerous.  And of course, it wouldn't be a dinner in the Okanagan Valley without wine.  We were offered some choices from River Stone Estate Winery in Oliver.  I personally tried the Pinot Gris and it was lovely. Fruity, but not too sweet and it paired quite well with the food!

Appetizing Appetizers:

There were all kinds of appys brought out and shared among the table.  If there's one thing you never do in radio (or ever, really), it's turn down food! Some of the items were simple choices that anyone would love, like freshly made flat bread and Classic Wedge Caesar Salad (with the biggest, freshest pieces of romaine I've ever seen!). The rest of the options were inspired by the season and what the team had on hand when creating the menu.  There were vegetarian options like the Organic Curried Zucchini Squash Spring Roll with Japanese Plum Sweet and Sour Sauce or the Asian Crispy Pumpkin Fritters with Sour Ranch Dressing and House Fermented Pear Hot Sauce.   I, myself am a carnivore.  While some of my co-workers enjoyed Warm Shrimp Dip Brie or Snails with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Capers done up with Chardonnay and herbs, I had something very interesting placed down in front of me.  House Duck Sausage Ravioli with sage butternut walnuts and roasted mushrooms.  I've only had duck maybe twice in my life before this, but I've eaten a lot of ravioli (pasta fiend, right here) and this was by far my favourite, maybe ever.   

After a little more wine and conversation, it was time for the main event. 

Entrees:

A few different meals were brought out for the table and randomly placed in front of each of us.   There's no better way to explore new food than to have the chef "order" for you (and I'm normally a pretty picky eater, so there was some risk here). If there is one thing you can always get from proper dining, it's an excuse to use a fake french accent. To the left of me, was a Châteaubriand à la Forestière, which is roasted tenderloin of beef with made to order béarnaise sauce and a potato croquette with forest mushroom sauce.  It looked like this: 

Thanks to Karen for taking a photo of her meal, I have never insta-food-grammed in my life and I didn't think to take pictures!

Across from me, was the Slow Braised Organic Chicken Cacciatore with garlic potato rösti, carrots and mushrooms.  It smelled heavenly.  Some of the other meals down the table included Parchment Roasted Arctic Char with shaved fennel and preserved lemon pan roasted potatoes, and a Local Okanagan Rack of Lamb with herb Mashed Potatoes, reduced lamb demi and veggies.  

I ended up with a Bacon Wrapped Halibut Steak with grilled mushrooms, maple glaze and french fries.  You read that right - BACON WRAPPED.  We all know maple and bacon go well together, but I was surprised at how well it paired with the Halibut Steak.  Personally, I've never been big on any kind of seafood, just eating the odd bit of tuna or salmon, but this halibut was done up well.  The maple and bacon flavouring really soaked in to the steak and gave it a savory flavour (because: bacon, as the internet would say).  Trust me, me finishing an entire halibut steak is a feat for any chef up against my picky, ocean-opposing taste buds (you win this round, Darin!).  Plus, I had the only plate with french fries, it's like they knew my weakness for deep fried potatoes.   I also tried a bite of the mushrooms, the flavour seemed alright, but I've never liked the texture of mushrooms and couldn't get past it(picky eater problems).   Overall, my main course was not something I'd have picked off a menu, but something I ended up truly relishing! 


Coffee & Dessert:

After dinner, I think we all needed a few minutes to breathe, digest, and digest some more.  As a part of dessert, the coffee orders were taken, and I was impressed with the options at Bogner's.  While most restaurants offer coffee, not all offer espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.  Being the caffeine addict that I am, I opted for the cappuccino.  As a certified coffee connoisseur (I swear I'm telling the truth here as long as connoisseur really means barista/addict.), I was happy to receive a cappuccino with the perfect amount of foam, good quality espresso and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I even managed to avoid giving myself a foam mustache in public, so obviously I'm a real grownup.  Dessert for me was a made-in-house Raspberry/Strawberry ice cream, Orchard Coffee Cake, berries and Chocolate truffles.  Was I in heaven? Yes.  Did I ever want to leave? No.  The ice cream made by Chef Darin's team blew me away.  It was sweet, tart and you could tell the flavour came from actual berries.  So.Good.   Around the table, there was also some Cherry Apple Cobbler that looked and smelled fantastic, as well as the always popular Creme Brulee.  


At the end of the day (literally, it was like 9pm when we left), Bogner's was truly a great experience.  We spent almost 3 hours enjoying food and conversation, and time really flew by! If you want to have a divine girls night, or a special date night - this would be my pick for where to go.

If you're worried about price, they've got some great deals on right now with complete meals for $25 or $35.  Plus there's a Groupon right now.

Sun listeners can go to www.sunonline.ca where Bogner's is the Restaurant of the Month and you could win a GC to try it out! 

The full menu is at www.bogners.ca

Thanks for reading (and sorry if I made you hungry)!

American Hustle Review

 It's been out for a while now, and I finally got to see American Hustle last night.   When I initially saw the trailer for this movie, I was a little foggy on the plot, but definitely excited for the cast.  I mean, seriously, another movie with Bradley Cooper and JLaw?  Awesome.  Then they add in Amy Adams, one of my favourite actresses working today,  Christian Bale, who I hope needs to introduction at this point, Jeremy Renner who's proven himself charismatic time and time again AND LOUIS FREAKIN' C.K.!   Yes, excitement was the word. 

Flash forward to last night.  Big comfy theatre seats, a wacked out thermostat (seriously, is that an issue in EVERY movie theatre?) and a couple solid trailers, then we're good to go.

From the beginning, I couldn't stop giggling.  Seriously, this hair style does not come easy:

He worked really hard to make it look like this.

As far as opening scenes go, a guy gluing a really sad hair piece under his really elaborate comb over was ridiculous in the best way.  It really sets the tone for the comedy aspect of the movie and lets you peer in to the character's carefully put together, very anxious world. 

As far as con men go, Irving Rosenfeld is small time, but he's smart about his plays.  Of course, things get complicated when love is involved.  He meets Sydney (Amy Adams) at a pool party held by some kind of deli king (I assume these people exist still?) and falls instantly in love as they connect over some good jazz.  That wasn't even a euphemism for anything.  The hitch? He's hitched and has an adopted son.

Naturally,  Syd's cool with that (or at least puts up with it in the beginning) and even agrees to join him in the con game as a Brit with "banking connections in London", Lady Edith Greensley.  The accent's a little off sometimes (as I'm sure it would be if someone from middle america were trying to pose as royalty) and I'm pretty sure a lady of royalty would own a bra.  The character within the character is a little over the top, which makes it so much better when everyone believes her.  As a team, they get an A+ for being so classy while selling stolen art ("Don't show that to your Spanish friends") and for convincing low-lifes in trouble that they'll try and get them a loan, for a non-refundable fee of course.  It's the loan con that lands them in trouble with Richie DiMaso, FBI.

Also particularly concerned with his hairstyle

To try and find success at the bureau, Richie enlists the dream team to help him snatch other con artists, which is the plan that keeps growing as he realizes just how deep the con game goes. The entangled relationships are a big part of what make this movie tick.   Everyone is thick as thieves (probably because they are thieves).  You go through one con man to find another, who gets you involved with a small time, beloved Mayor with a heart of gold(Jeremy Renner), who connects you to congressman and senators and somehow the mob gets involved in building a casino and everybody's on the take in some way or another. Richie wants to catch EVERYONE.  He's got ambition, and that's what gets him in too deep. It should be noted that his boss, Stoddard (Louis CK), tried to warn him with an excellent unfinished story about ice fishing in Michigan.  Every time that story is brought up, you'll probably get a good chortle out of it. 

"No, that's NOT the point of the story!"

The thing I particularly liked about the characters in American Hustle, is that each one is redeemable, if not likable in some way.    David O. Russell has really perfected the "I know what they're doing is against the law, technically, but I really like this guy" angle.

The story progresses really well, without feeling slow at any parts.  Some of the scenes are predictable, but I couldn't imagine them any differently than how they are.  For example, any time there's a love triangle in a movie, there's going to be drama and the person who was cheated on is going to go flirt with someone else at their first opportunity.  Irving's wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), does this at a party, and of course happens to fall for a member of the mob.  These things happen.   I was actually quite surprised by how little screen time Lawrence's character got.  She was used a lot in the media coverage (THE GIRL ON FIRE!), but I'm sure that was a way to get more butts in the seats.  I don't think her character warranted any more scenes, as she was brilliant when on screen.  Watching J-Law "clean" (she was wearing dish gloves and holding a cloth) while singing and dancing to Live and Let Die really made my day.  Believe the hype, that girl is a treasure.

When it all comes down to it, the dream-con-team do what they can to help the good guys and end up screwing over the FBI agent with (you guessed it!) a con!  A well thought out elaborate plan that rivals the intricacies of Irving's hair.  Everyone comes out a better person, sort of.  Things end up where you think they should if everyone were to be a little more legit.

Overall, the movie was stylistically pleasing, had an interesting story line and almost a Goodfellas vibe in the camera-work and narration. It probably goes without saying, but the acting was also fantastic. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy smart comedies.  I don't recommend it if you're not going to pay it your full attention.  A lot of the comedic aspects come from the details, like the facial expressions, or the way the characters move and interact.   I can guarantee that I'll watch this again when it's out on netflix, because I can't remember the last time I bought a DVD.

4/5 Rating -  Must see, if only for the cast's hair and make up (which I can't believe wasn't nominated for an Oscar! COME ON ACADEMY!). 

Christmas Decor - 2013

Just three weeks until Christmas means it's time to break out the decorations! 

To some it may not look like much, but I'm only one person!

In the interest of keeping things somewhat simple, I decided to dedicate one corner to Christmas and just add a few other touches.  

Before: Just a blank corner.

After: Christmas Magic! 

Here's a rundown of what went in to the corner: 

The basic set of baubles is Silver, Blue and Purple.  This year I decided not to use the purple as a lot of my other ornaments are red and I tend to be overly particular about colour matching - to a crazy extreme... My secondary set of matching baubles are big sparkly red christmas lights.  They're very obnoxious and I love them.  I also set some glass Candy Canes throughout the tree.  The rest is made up a mishmash of Disney and random ornaments, along with a set of mini Rudolph figures: 

I want to be a dentist! 

I also set some removable wall decals in the background.  I thought the red lines and music notes would work well behind the tree.  I'm quite pleased with the result! 

As a good 90s kid, there's a number of TY Jingle Beanies in my collection.  They don't sit very well on the tree, so they end up all over the place instead - like my TV stand. 

Oh haiiiii, Santa!

Aside from the beanies, I also added the candy striped candle holders (the lanterns live there year-round) and the "noel" sign with little penguins.  The sign is also meant to be a stocking holder, but since I don't have a mantle, this'll do. 

The other touches outside the corner went to my bookshelf, on the opposite side of my living room.  I added just a few things to make it more Christmas-y.

Yay! Books!

Silver bells. Ring a Ling. 

Little Angel.

And a little snowman on the door handle for good measure.  

Hopefully tomorrow I will get the chance to decorate my office at work!

Thanks for reading!  I hope to get back to updating the blog regularly!

Arrested Development - Season 4

#sixseasonsandamovie

I will be very disappointed in western society if this isn't a trending topic by the end of the day along with #ArrestedDevelopment.  Today is May 26th.  Today is a very important day in the lives of pop culture junkies, cult show fanatics and people who happen to have netflix.  Today is the day, Arrested Development returned to us.

Though it wasn't on television or in a primetime slot or even on a major network, I think this is how a show with a farfetched, yet amazingly possible interwoven story line, needs to be enjoyed.  A full season (or series if you're behind) at a time.  The comedy binge was well worth half my day and the crick in my neck.  In all honesty, I don't even know if it was a nice day outside, I kept the shades drawn so there wouldn't be glare from the possibly present sunshine as I hooked my HDMI cable to the TV and laptop.  Screen quality is important so you don't miss any pop culture cues in a show like this.  Trust me, they happen a lot.  I will probably rewatch the episodes next weekend to try and pick them out (I know, I'm cool...).

I really REALLY hope that people will actually go and watch the season and netflix will go and make more episodes, but things need to be discussed so SPOILER ALERT!!!!!.   What you really need to know is, the jokes and references were still witty, the insults were amazing, the running gags popped up and the character development was there, though the storyline's timing was random.

****HERE IS WHERE THE SPOILERS START****

Let's start with the jokes and references.  To me there were certain cues that were impossible to miss, probably because I have no life and watch massive amounts of television and movies while cross referencing them with the internet...  Some of the highlights in my opinion, were the nods to The Social Network in how they dealt with George Michael, "FakeBlock"'s ownership and lawsuits and even the twins (though I didn't see the WinkleVoss'... WinkleVi?). It was just about perfect, right down to Michael Cera's inherent ability to not only be super awkward, but to look extremely similar to Jesse Eisenberg.    At least 2 different times they mentioned that while Lucille 2 and Buster were an item there was some awkward Captain and Tenille thing going on, which is why Lucille 2 had the red wig.  If I were Lindsay, I would not have worn that wig, I would have burned it, and that could have saved us from George Sr.'s awkward-redheaded-lady-breakdown.  In the words of the almighty internet memes "Ain't Nobody Got Time fo Dat".   The guys from Workaholics showing up as airline employees when Michael tries to get a copy of the in-flight magazine he's featured in, just about had me on the floor laughing.  I don't know what it is about that trio, but they are comedy gold (or "tight butthole" if you watch their show).  The whole Eat Pray Love angle was a little overwrought, but I really enjoyed it once we got to Maeby's take, plus there was a good liner in there about the Real Housewives.  She's always been one of my favourite compulsive liars.  Another joke that ran right through the new season was the cast getting "A New Start" or more specifically "ANUSTART" which plays right in to the running gag about Tobias' sexuality....   

The running gags in this show have always been one of my favourite things about it.  Anus Tart (aka Tobias) continues to say things that just sound unfortunate, not only leading in to more of the family making fun of his sexuality (nothing was implicated), but also to him becoming a convicted sexual offender on television.  Way to go Maeby.... Tobias' unfortunate speaking and reading abilities make me wonder how he ever became a doctor, and I'm not surprised when he ends up taking his next acting classes at a "Method One" read: "Methadone" clinic, were he meets his second love DeBree, who literally ends up in the garbage.  Sad, yet giggle-worthy.  Also, the jorts returned, and he compared being a never nude to being a drug addict, which are totally like the same thing.  To round out the Tobias section (it's like they make fun of him a lot or something...), this happened again, to save the Fantastic Four Musical of course!

The chicken dance made a half-executed comeback when George Michael was naming his app, apparently his noise is "block block", and one leg is awkwardly up in the air.  I also really enjoyed how they employed the "I have made a huge mistake" line in this one, with the narrator starting to say it, then Maeby brushing it off, she really does.not.care..  Though it does seem Gob does care, after continuing to read his audience wrong (Jesus tricks on a huge Christian audience at a wedding apparently don't work), and dancing to The Final Countdown on his way to another genius escape gone wrong, has another fleeting romance where he rides in shopping carts, but this time with his nemesis - Ben Stiller's Tony Wonder.

Instead of his adorable ex-wife.

A few others to look for: the return of the literal doctor ("He went down in Afghanistan"), Carl Weathers, Mr. F, the stair car, child manipulation using the cornballer,GM as star wars kid, more banners, Jon Beard, Ann (who), but sadly, no new bits with Franklin Bluth.

Also... what in god's name happened to the epic Steve Holt!?

He looks older than Gob, too much pesticide.

As for character development, where to begin?!  With every episode focusing on one character's perspective, there's a little something happening for everyone.  Michael still has a hard time letting go, but he finally makes in to Phoenix!  First online, then in real life, then he wants to leave immediately and does.   Talk about an anti-climactic end to your dream.  George Michael however, finds himself very different than before (so OS) after some time in Spain, that is until Maeby comes back in the picture and he reverts back to his old self before realizing his penchant for lies (it runs in the family).  The biggest moment for character development in the whole series in the last moment between George Michael and Michael, when George "Maharis" finally stands up for himself.  It was oh-so satisfying to see.   The show is mostly about the father and son, but we also get to see issues from everyone - Buster tries to get over his need for a full time mother and falls in "Love" after getting a fake hand from the army,  George Sr and Oscar trade strength roles and become character foils for one another,  Lindsay gets political again only to find out she truly is a princess, Maeby needs attention (seriously she has the WORST. Parents. Ever.), Tobias tries to be a psychiatrist again super briefly to return to his true passion of show biz, Gob tries to take down Tony Wonder and mistakes friendship for love as they find out just how much they have in common and Lucille (1) realizes she no longer wants to be the villain when really she's the invisible girl (fantastic metaphor, I loved this with her evil queen type outfit she was wearing, it was a shining moment).  Everybody went through something, and aren't we all glad they're not better people?

The one gripe I have about this season that is different from the first 3 seasons (which ended over 7 years ago, so there was bound to be differences) is the timing.  I quite enjoyed the storyline, but I do feel it was a bit overdone.  15 episodes to revisit the same week from everyone's perspectives came to be a bit taxing at times.  Especially when certain scenes were revisited with pieces added.  The feeling of information being withheld the first time around seemed more like something Lucille would do, and not the writers of Arrested Development.   They made it work, and it was connected in a funny way, I just found it strange.

Overall, I really did enjoy the reincarnation of one of my favourite shows of all time.  The actors who were cast in for this season were also excellent - see Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig as the young George Sr. & Lucille Bluth, as well as Isla Fisher as Rebel.  I've always loved the casting decisions on this show, and there was no exception to that this time around.

Just look at those angels

Now my plea:
If you enjoy smart comedy, please watch this show.  The fanbase is always growing, and for good reason.  There are a lot of ways this re-emergence could have gone wrong, but luckily, there's a lot of ways it went right.   Keep watching and rewatching it.  Even if it's just on the internet, it's back.

I love this screen.

#SixSeasonsAndAMovie


(that hashtag goes for Community. I know, but goddammit you should be fans of both shows /EndRant)
 

Attack On The Beauty Department

Going to the beauty department at Walmart is awesome.   People from all walks of life are there.  One second you're staring at a little girl who just wants to be on Toddlers and Tiaras, along with her own Momma June who's got a full cart of pinks and blues, then you see the plain, but pretty business woman grabbing a new tube of mascara and trying to stop her teen daughter from buying that "freaky, neon hair dye stuff".  In short, it's a gong show.

It's also magical.  You can pick up products to primp and plump and change your whole outer self.  If that isn't magic, I don't know what is.

This particular attack on the beauty department was inspired by the lovely woman who threaded my eyebrows.  I like her, because she was very straight forward  in saying "Your face, it's dry, fix it."

So off to find something to clean and moisturize.  The search for one facial product led to this:

One item is never enough. 

I have a shopping problem.  It's apparent, and I don't care.  So I'll blog about it (the only time you'll ever see me take selfies, ugh) ! YAY!  Let's go through the process and the products.

Step 1:

Washing my face with my normal Clean and Clear Daily Pore Cleanser (not pictured) to have a clean slate. 

I'm also terrible at taking selfies, who needs the rest of my forehead anyway?

Step 2:

Clay Mask

It goes on moist.

It's a really weird sensation, these mask thingys.  I'm not really much of a girly girl most of the time, so I'd never tried this before.  But first it's really sticky, then it hardens and you can't move your face.  It goes completely dry and you feel like Bride of Frankenstein. 

This must be what Botox feels like.

Step 3:

Rinse.  It takes a few minutes to get the guck off your face, but my skin was much softer afterwards.  SUCCESS!!!

THERE'S FEELING IN MY FACE!!!

Step 4:

BB Cream.  This is totally a new thing for me.  I don't normally wear foundation, or use any creams on my face.  I really kind of hate the heavy feeling of foundation and don't feel like I should have to hide my skin anyway.  So I gave this a try.

I've been wearing it for a few days now and it is growing on me.  It is much lighter than foundation, doesn't feel greasy and evens out my skin tone nicely (which is really to say, it lightens some of my redness).

That wraps up the skin portion!  (Okay, that sentence sounds terrible, whatever, I'm leaving it there)


Mascara!!

Lash Blast Fusion - Very Black

Before

After

I wanted to try a new mascara than I have previously used before.  I seem to get something different every time.  This one had a big poster around it saying it added volume and length, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

Not too shabby overall. 

AND FINALLY!!!  (drum roll)

My guilty pleasure - a new nail colour!!

 

It's super shiny and vibrant.  The Sally Hansen Salon Effects line goes on nice and thick and it's shiny so you don't always need a topcoat.   I quite like it, and it's usually only $3-$4 a bottle. 

There we have it.  The nails could even be called "Shiny Walmart Blue", though I doubt it would sell very fast...

My name is Alysha and I'm a shopaholic.  I'll have to try and avoid the super centres for a while. Temptation is everywhere!

Playing Cinderella (with my nail polish)

I wish I had a full size costume so I could just BE Cinderella (or any other Disney Princess for that matter), but since the Princess Workshop is for children only (the NERVE),  this will have to do.

My latest nail polish purchase:

"A Brush With Fate"

I'm not going to lie to you,  I went to Sephora and begged one of the sales reps to find this for me, even though it was special edition and discontinued.  I was a little late... (ps. They have "Jasmine" ones now!)

I went through and tried each of the colours and thought I'd do a little review for you.

First off, I visited space... or at least I felt like I should have with this silver, labelled "So Totally Enchanted".

Astronauts can talk like valley girls who want to be princesses, right?

I had that on for a few days with a Nicole by OPI top coat and it kept well, just the odd chip, similar to other OPI colours.  I find that the Sephora by OPI sets are just as good.

Now, instead of doing a full set of each colour, I decided to try out all the rest at once!

Sparkles really DO NOT photograph well.

Pointer Finger - "I Blue My Curfew" - A very pretty dark blue with sneaky sparkles.  Reminds me of the night sky when there's Ice Crystals (you know you're Canadian when you use this description)
Middle Finger -  "Bibbidi Bobbidi Pink" - Straight up pink confetti.  It's gorgeous and fun!  Perfect for a girls night. 
Ring Finger - "Self-Maid Millionaire" - Talk about your money polish.  This gold is contained enough to be classy, yet still shiny with a laid back sparkle.  Would look fabulous with a black and white ensemble.
Pinky Finger -  "Rags to Rhinestones" - All that glitters is gold eh?  These gold flecks are shiny, brilliant and statement-making. 
Thumb - "Step Off, Sister!" - What is it about silver and blue sparkles that's so whimsical?  This polish IS the magic from the fairy godmother's wand.  It's also wicked distracting as I type this ...OOHHH SHINY!

All hilariously punny names.  Thank you OPI, for the giggles and nail colour.

I truly feel like a princess, on my left hand, so now it's time to feel like a scientist!

EXPERIMENTS!

Seriously, sparkles ruin photos, or maybe I'm just a terrible photographer (probably the latter)

Pinky finger - The two gold shades (the solid with the sparkles on top) aka "Self-Maid Millionaire" with "Rags to Rhinestones" on top.  I feel like Beyonce in Goldmember.  I wonder if I could pull off the 'fro... No, No I couldn't.

Ring finger - Gold & Pink flecks aka "Self-Maid Millionaire" with "Bibbidi Bobbidi Pink" on top.  For some reason this reminds me rose petals and champagne.   It's quite pretty.

Middle finger - Silver with Pink flecks aka "So Totally Enchanted" with "Bibbidi Bobbidi Pink" on top.  If you're a fan of metallics - do this combination.  It's like shiny, metal confetti.

Pointer finger - Silver with Silver & Blue flecks - aka "So Totally Enchanted" with "Step Off Sister" on top.  This would be a great nail for a New Years Eve or Winter look.  The colours are perfect for that "I'm not allowed to celebrate denominational holidays so I decorated in Silver and Blue" look.  So PC.

Thumb - Blue with Silver & Blue flecks - aka "I Blue My Curfew" with "Step Off Sister" on top.  The blue undertone sets off the silver and blue sparkles really strikingly.  I'm not American, but if I celebrated 4th of July, I'd do this nail and find a Red Sparkle to add to it.

My Cinderella/Frankenstein nails are complete.  I will leave them mismatched for a few days until I get bored and try something new.  Until then... SPARKLE SPARKLE!


There we have a princess' tail of pretty nails.  No prince needed.

I.AM.A.PRINCESS. (and that's what I'll keep telling myself)

And my nails lived happily ever after. The End.  (yeah, I went there)