Loving the Gray Nail Polish

I love black nails, but they're a little too dark for summer.  But sometimes you just need a break from colors, you know?  So I turned to gray - a summery black.  I'm loving it!

I have been wearing Zoya's Kelly, from the new 'Wonderful' collection on my toes.  I expected Kelly to be a little lighter, and a little less blue (kind of like the true gray in the splatter up top).  I think it's too dark to wear on my finger nails in the summer.  But it'll be a great color for fall and winter, and is great for toes.  Although I was hoping for concrete, I'm kind of digging the blue'ish hint to this one.  It looks almost navy in low lighting.  I feel like I'm too old to be sporting an in-your-face blue or turquoise.  So I'm thankful for Kelly, because the blue-gray color satisfies my blue needs in a sophisticated way.

For my fingers, I picked up Essie's Chinchilly from the Fall 2009 collection.  I am really digging this color.  It's a concrete gray with just the tiniest hint of beige - which warms it up ever so slightly and makes it very flattering with my warm skin tone (NC25).  The formula is a bit sheer, but I find that two coats are sufficient for a smooth even (non-streaky) coverage.  I am also happy to report that this formula works wonderfully with the Zoya color lock system, so my manicures have been lasting well for about a week.  Sweet!

Swatches of Zoya Kelly and Essie Chinchilly - taken in daylight.  One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a gray polish is that they tend to look lighter in the bottle than they do on your nails.

What nail polish colors have you been digging lately?

The Girl Next Door - Elizabeth Noble

Eve and Ed are two Brits who come to New York City when Ed gets a job offer he simply can't refuse.  They find a lovely apartment in a co-op on upper east side.  The story takes us into the lives of all of the residents in the building.  It tells us about their lives, the stories of their past, and their plans and prospects for the future, as their lives intertwine in the big city.  

I enjoyed The Girl Next Door for two reasons.  First and foremost, Noble is excellent at exploring relationships.  Even though I found the characters somewhat stereotypical, the depth of our journey into their lives, thoughts, and emotions is unique to Noble.  Secondly, Elizabeth Noble is a good writer.  There were no slow parts that I needed to skip.  And more importantly, there were no loose ends to the story.  

I enjoy books and movies that explore the inner workings of relationships, people, lives, and choices.  I love to think about the events, motivations and feelings that lead people and/or relationships to change.  This is the strength of Elizabeth Noble's writing. So pick up The Girl Next Door if you like to explore the inner workings of people and relationships, and/or are a fan of Noble. 

At the Movies - Charlie St Cloud

Charlie is an accomplished young man and a skilled sailor, who graduates from high school with a full scholarship to an ivy league college.  His life is on the fast track to success.  Then the unthinkable happens, and Charlie loses his younger brother Sam, and the light dims on his bright future.  Having faced death himself, Charlie comes out of the accident with a unique perspective on the world, and an ability to see and talk to Sam.  Charlie spends the next few years in limbo, clinging to Sam and the past.  That is, until Tess, a former classmate comes into town for an unexpected visit.  Soon Charlie finds himself at a crossroad, and must make a choice between the past and the future.  A choice that will change his life.

Charlie St Cloud was one of those movies I could have watched for days.  I did not want it to end.  Charlie was a great bird's eye view into how life in a sleepy Northwestern town can be both ordinary and extraordinary.  The acting was believable, and the characters were endearing.  So it was easy to transport myself to that sleepy small town.  And I really enjoyed the story.  It was definitely a love story.  Actually two love stories, one romantic and one fraternal.  Charlie explored our beliefs of what happens when we lose loved ones, and how we cope with that loss.  As expected, there is a bit of cheese interspersed throughout, but it was pretty good cheese that fit in with the story. 

Check out Charlie if you're a fan of the chick flick, and like Nicolas Sparks.  It was one of those kind of stories.  So if you want a sweet tear-jerker to cut through all the summer blockbusters, bring the girls to see Charlie.  But leave the significant other at home, because it is pretty much guaranteed to bore him.