Have the latest news articles at your fingertips (literally) with the newspaper manicure. This mani is for everyone from the aspiring journalist to the average manicure-obsessed woman (myself included). Achieve this newsworthy look using the steps below.

What You’ll Need:

• Newspaper (I like to use the Style section)
• Scissors
• White or  grey nail polish (I used Sally Hansen’s White On)
• Small glass rubbing alcohol
• Clear top coat

The How-To:

1. Cut out ten small pieces of newspaper (enough to cover your entire nail) and set them aside.
2. Paint two coats of white or grey polish on your nails and let dry completely.
3. Soak one nail in the rubbing alcohol.
4. Place strip of newspaper on nail and hold for 15 seconds, making sure to press the whole nail.
5. Remove the newspaper from left to right. Doing this will keep the ink from smudging.
6. Repeat for all nails.
7. Finally, apply a clear top coat to keep the design in place.

By Carolyn Schultz, Staff Writer

Have a manicure tip? Share in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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Forget tiling and plumbing. When it comes to sprucing up shower time, look no further than a few towels. Rolled or folded, when displayed right (a.k.a. not in a heap on the floor, which, okay, I’ve been guilty of), towels go from simple bath-time necessities to stylish accessories. See how:

For a spa-like feel: roll towels so they’re the same width and stack them on open shelves. Use a different shelf for each towel size and alternate where each size is stored for greater visual interest.

For a whimsical touch: hang towels from a wooden clothes hanger then suspend the hanger from ordinary hooks. This is ideal for guest bathrooms so visitors can carry their towels from room to room.

For a hotel look: fill a punch bowl, box, or wicker basket with a set of rolled towels and  place it on the sink-front or edge of the bathtub. Placing towels on a unique object such as a vintage chair or wine rack is also a great way to make a statement.

For a quick and easy display: arrange differently hued bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths in a simple stack that shows off their contrasting colors.

Our The White Sale: Bedding, Bath, & More Boutique open Thursday, January 17, at 3PM ET.

By Keriann Coffey, Associate Blog Editor

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Channel your inner Monet and Van Gogh with the artistic water marble manicure. This latest nail craze has me wearing fingerless gloves (even on those freezing New England days) just to show off my creative work. Become your own artist with the steps below.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 – 4 bottles of your favorite nail polish (I used essie’s Bahama Mama, Lady Like, and Merino Cool)
• Small cup/bowl of room-temperature water
• Tape (optional)
• Toothpicks
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton swabs
• Inspiration (see here)

The How-To:

1. Place three drops of nail polish #1 in the cup of water and wait for the polish to spread. (Tip: open all the nail polish bottles before starting – this makes the process much easier.)
2. Immediately following, place a drop of polish #2 in the center of polish #1 and allow polish to spread, creating a bull’s-eye pattern.
3. Do the same for polish #3 and repeat, rotating the nail colors until satisfied.
4. Here’s where you can get creative. Take a toothpick and drag the polish from the center of the pattern outward until you have a fun design.
5. If you like, tape your nails to prevent getting polish on your skin. Dip nails facedown into the water.
6. Finally, remove the tape and clean off excess polish with nail polish remover and cotton swabs.

By Carolyn Schultz, Staff Writer

Have a manicure tip? Share in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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Cue the season of entertaining – and with it, an insurmountable amount of hors d’oeuvres. In my case: lots and lots of cheese plates.

For a twist on my average serveware, I found inspiration in this seasonal DIY and made my own little cheese plate – in under an hour! All you need is a white plate (secret: your local dollar store has loads of them), a Porcelaine 150 pen (found at any craft store), a list of your very favorite cheeses, and an oven.

Directions: 

• Wash and dry your white plate thoroughly.
• Write down a list of your favorite cheeses. Want to skip this step? Peep this extensive list.
• Using the Porcelaine 150 pen, carefully write your list of cheeses around the edge of the plate. It’s okay if it looks scribbled, but if you want to make your writing straight, try blue painter’s tape.
• Make a mistake? No worries. Simply wipe with a wet paper towel and start again.
• Once you’re happy with your plate, bake at 300°F for 30 minutes. 
• Let set for 24 hours, then add cheese and serve.

As it turns out, those empty bottles of Malbec adorning my kitchen windowsill serve a higher (and more aesthetically pleasing) purpose.  I have two words for you: home décor. From monogrammed wine cork letters to wine cork bulletin boards, there are a ton of ways to turn the remnants of wine night with the girls into eye-catching home accessories.

What you’ll need:

1. A wooden monogrammed letter of your choice or a bulletin board
2. A glue gun or glue sticks
3. A razor blade
4. A drinking buddy (let’s face it – that’s a lot of legwork to accomplish solo). If you’d rather not waste time or money building up your cork collection, you can order them online or check out a local craft store.

Steps:

1. Before you start gluing, organize your corks on the letter frame to figure out which sizes best fit the dimensions of the letter or bulletin board (just beware of the domino effect).
2. As you’re organizing, make sure that any corks featuring a unique graphic are facing out.
3. Once you have the corks laid out, glue them on to the wooden letter or bulletin board. Contrary to the timeless piece of wisdom that cautions against mixing your alcohol, don’t be afraid to combine different colored corks.
4. Using the razor blade, quarter a few corks and use these pieces to fill in any gaps.
5. Place the finished product on a mantel, bookcase, or other focal point where it’ll be sure to catch the attention of houseguests.

By Lauryn Paiva, Staff Writer

Recycled your wine bottles into cool home décor? Share your how-to in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala. 

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Carving pumpkins is a favorite pastime of mine. But when it comes to the upcoming spooky holiday, I was looking for more than just the typical Jack-o’-lantern (but with, of course, the bonus of baked-and-salted pumpkin seeds). Cue this easy-as-pumpkin-pie DIY project.  Perfect for your next ghostly gathering, just cut off the top, hollow out the insides, then display your favorite autumn beverage (chilled apple cider?) or fill with the season’s favorite flower – mums!

Materials:
1 pumpkin
Potted mums (or your favorite bevy)
A serrated knife
A spoon

Directions
1. Cut into the pumpkin to remove top.
2. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds and hollow out.
3. Place potted mums in pumpkin planter or add ice and favorite beverages.

By Emily Gibbons of LuckyLittleLove.com, Staff Writer

What other not-so-typical décor ideas have you used a hollow pumpkin for? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.

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