By Connie Kulberg and Derik Landry, Pinkies Nail Salons

Pinkies Nail Salons was one of the girls-day-out sites featured in Chill, Making Time for a Time Out, in the third issue of Nesting Newbies Magazine.  Connie and Derik, Pinkies’ owners, have more to say regarding the “tootsies” topic:

Why is a pedicure important?

Healthy feet are vital to overall health.  According to Foot Care Direct, the average person walks approximately four miles every day or 115,000 miles in a lifetime.  Strenuous activity increases the miles.

Pedicures are an excellent way to help keep your feet looking and feeling great.  A pedicure cleans feet, provides nail care, and promotes circulation.  A good pedicure can be very relaxing and therapeutic.

Not only does it feel luxurious to pamper you and your toes, getting pedicures on a regular schedule also offers physical benefits.  Your nail technician helps improve the appearance of your feet as well as your overall comfort by removing dead skin and calluses with pumice or other implements.  Having calluses on your feet can cause uneven pressure when you walk or stand, causing pain when on your feet all day.

The massage in a pedicure or manicure is one of the most important parts. Many technicians use foot reflexology.  This helps stimulate the blood flow to the feet and legs and provides the relaxation you feel when someone is massaging.

Using certain scents in pedicures provides additional benefits above and beyond the physical.  Certain scents and oils may improve circulation, focus, memory, and mood.  The smell of citrus invigorates the mind, while sugar excites, and lavender relaxes.  Leaving the salon with pretty toes may seem like the only reward you get, but you are also gaining a good mood and better health.

How You Can Give Yourself a Pedicure at Home:

This is something that couples can do together. Light a scented candle to create a relaxed atmosphere.

• First remove old and chipped nail polish from toenails using nail polish remover.
• Next soak your feet for a few minutes in warm soapy water, and then pat them dry.
• Cut the nails of the toe using a nail cutter, and file them straight across.  Filing is a must to smooth rough edges.
• Then apply a cuticle cream and massage it into the cuticles with a tipped orange stick.  Do not attempt to trim cuticles with a metal nipper unless you are a professional and have experience with this tool.
• Clean and exfoliate feet using a pumice stone. Some hard rubbing may be needed on thick heels and ball of foot calluses.  This removes dirt, grease, and dead skin.
• Soak your feet in water again.
• Apply a nourishing cream to the foot, ankle, and lower leg to moisturize the skin.  Give the foot, ankle and lower leg a very long, luxurious massage.  This is best if your partner does it!
• Clean the nail beds well with alcohol to remove any of the oil from the lotion.  Apply a base coat, two coats of polish, such as OPI or Essie, and finish with a good quality top coat such as Seche Vite.
• For men or women who do not prefer polish, a “shiny buffer” gives a beautiful long lasting shine to a natural nail.

Pinkies Nail Salons is a collection of locally owned and operated salons across the Bay Area—Los Altos, Lafayette, Burlingame, San Ramon, Danville, and San Francisco. Owners Connie Kulberg and Derik Landry ensure each salon provides clients a relaxing and indulgent experience at an affordable price. Our exfoliating scrubs, private label lotions, and polish give your feet, hands, and nails all the love and care they deserve.

Gentry Magazine, a popular regional magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area, sponsors an event called Hollywood Hosts to benefit Peninsula Youth Theatre, an incredible theatre company (a group that changed the course of my autistic son’s life, I might add).  The Hollywood-themed tablescapes are the highlights of the event.  Designers and stylists choose a favorite movie and set a table as though a character in the movie was hosting a party.  The tables are raffled and the winners get to take it all home!

Every year, the designers continue to surprise and delight the guests with their whimsical, romantic, or over-the-top creations.  Time to share:

Bet you can guess what Tiffany & Co did their first year at Hollywood Hosts…of course, it just had to be Breakfast at Tiffany’s!  Holly Golightly awaits the arrival of Paul in a table set with Tiffany & Co china, crystal, flatware…and oh yes, that little blue box!  Most interesting to me is how the stylist used palm leaves as the floral arrangement she cut from the surrounding foliage, and really, with a Tiffany vase, who needs a fancier arrangement?

Our very own Lea McIntosh created this Pride and Prejudice table…a perfect scene so Mr. Darcy can finally propose to Lizzie. The table glitters with diamond shaped napkin rings, tea lights, and silk pillows offered by Beau-coup Wedding Favors. The champagne flows! She collaborated with Bloomster’s for the perfect white flower arrangement and Wildflower Linen provided the tablecloth – a gorgeous piece in sumptuous layers that resemble the English skirts from the early 1800’s.

A close-up look at the flowers!  Notice in the previous photo that it starts with a wreath at the base, then Lea added the silver trumpet vase and Bloomster’s filled it with the same luscious roses, peonies, pepper berries, and lilies.  Then Lea added the white manzanita branch with dangling crystals for over-the-top drama and sparkle.  What’s so clever is that you can get two distinct looks from one arrangement…go for the drama for an evening affaire and then remove the trumpet vase and you have a beautiful wreath of flowers for a morning brunch.  Just add a candle in the centerpiece…done!

Another view!

Susan Davis set a charming tea party for Anastasia, the daughter of the last Tsar of Russia. The Faberge egg china is a memento of happier days in Russia. She found the Russian samovar on Ebay.

The stylists at Neiman Marcus Stanford envisioned a cool, classic table set poolside for Grace Kelly to host a between-scenes luncheon on the set of High Society. The table setting of choice is Haviland “Serengeti” china in gold and aqua tones.

It’s a beautiful night in Paris and romance is in the air. Fred and Audrey meet at a charming bistro with friends for dinner but Ooh la la! They only have eyes for each other. Designer Victoria Thorne created a chic tableau using vintage tableware, fresh flowers by Nicole Hitchcock of Blooms, a bottle of Cuvee Dom Perignon 1995, a Restoration Hardware wine bucket, and custom linens created from vintage French fabric.

This year, the event was held in January so the event moved from the outdoor garden court at the Stanford Park Hotel to the indoor ballroom at Kimpton’s Cypress Hotel.

Kathy Goodman of Well Rehearsed presented Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  The centerpiece is a chocolate fountain and the room smelled scrumdiddlyumptious! This could make a fun spring or Easter setting…just change the signage!

Aren’t the edible oompa loompas by Studio Cake adorable? Studio Cake is the winner of the Food Network Challenge for Simpson Cakes.

Kathy thought of every detail.  She worked with Beau-Coup Favors to create Wonka Bars, and she handed them out throughout the eventing.  Five had golden tickets inside and the winners took home a basket of goodies!  Very clever.

The design team at Brick Monkey selected Slumdog Millionaire, not for its rags to riches story, nor its energetic Bollywood music–but because they fell in love with the colors and textures of India.

Magenta.  Citron.  Chartreuse.  Brown.  They used these colors to create a high-style look mixing luxurious, opulent fabrics, papers and objects with more rustic, simple metals and pottery.  Jai Ho!

I couldn’t end this post without sharing Lady & the Tramp from year one…Tramp found a home that night!  At Hollywood Hosts, everyone has a Bella Notte…