summer pedicure how-to.

I’m one of those people who has had my toenails painted since Kindergarten. Really. My toenails look very odd to me without any polish on them {in the rare moments between polish changes} and I’m always experimenting with new brands & colors of polish. While it’s a rare treat for me to get a pedicure in a salon {something I didn’t even discover before I was pregnant with C} I have all but perfected the home pedicure. If you don’t have the time/babysitter/funding for a full-fledged salon pedicure but are dying to get your feet ready for summer espadrilles, here is my go-to-guide for an at home pedicure:

1. Soak your feet in a tub of hot water & Epsom Salt {1/2 cup}.
2. Once your feet have had a good soak, towel them off and remove your old nail polish.
3. Clip your toenails {straight across}, and use a nail file to shape your toenails into a square shape {round the edges a bit} before you put your feet back into the tub for a few more minutes.
4. Dip a foot file into the hot water before you use it to buff your heels & the balls of your feet. Rinse off & pat dry.
5. Rub thick, moisturizing lotion all over your feet and calves. Once it has dried, put toe separators between your toes & get ready to paint.
6. Use a base coat first, then two coats of color, followed by a top coat. Voila! Pretty toes. {Let them dry a few hours so you don’t smudge your pedicure.}

{image via Flickr}.