BEAUTIFY: Ninja Turtle nails... but not how you're thinking.

I know I said I learned my lesson about being lazy in the last post, but I was lying.  (From laziness comes... something something, mother of invention... blah blah nachos...)

When my polish starts to chip and I don't feel like busting out the remover or completely redoing them, I'll just paint the tips with some glitter. (Inspired by this style.)  If the polish hasn't peeled off too much, this usually makes them look fresh again with only minimal work.

I had been having reservations about this flat green color all week, and I'm sure my husband will never help me pick a polish color again after my incessant ranting about how I thought this color made my fingers look like stubby ninja turtle hands.

Michelangelo thinks I'm being a dick.

Adding some drippy-looking navy polish with a layer of blue and purple glitter seems to have tricked me into liking it, for now.

It's not a terrible shade of green, really.  But it IS the exact hue that smothered every inch of colorable space in my high school, including my graduation gown, which incited a four-year-long hatred of all things green.  I thought that teenage angst was long gone, but apparently some things don't just disappear like that pair of JNCOs hidden in the depths of your closet for waaaaay longer than you care to admit.

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BEAUTIFY: Evil Eyes and Awkward Yoga Poses

I've been fascinated by evil eyes for quite some time now; I have a nice collection hanging around my apartment and they flesh out the majority of the bracelet designs I make in my shop.  So it seemed fitting that I added them to my nail designs.

Originally inspired by this design, I took her idea and ran with it to the only place my brain seems to understand:  MORE GLITTER, MORE BLING.  I probably should have used the hole reinforcement stickers technique to get better/straighter painted moons, but... whatever.  Somehow it seemed easier to just paint a big messy half circle across the top of my entire damn finger than to get out the stickers?!?  I know, it doesn't make sense, especially when you consider that I had to spend all that time putting those glitter pieces on "just so".

Lesson learned:  stop being lazy, it usually creates more work for later.

I'll admit it was kind of strange catching these eyes looking at me all week, but I didn't mind too much until that awkward moment during my yoga practice where I close with a linga mudra (see figure #12) and it turned into an uncomfortable staring contest between me and my thumbs...

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BEAUTIFY: Illumi-Nerdy

You never know where the Illuminati will exert their influence next.

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BEAUTIFY: Plastic bag! Plastic bag!

I was originally trying out the technique I read about here, but I was either too impatient or not applying the polish thick enough on the baggie to be able to peel it off!  So instead, I just cut the bag into shapes I liked and stuck them on my nails, polish side down.  (I already had a base coat applied which helped them stick better.)  After applying all the shapes I wanted, I swiped some top coat over them.  Once dry, I took my fine point black permanent marker and drew the accent lines and dots.  The top coat kind of smudged the ink, but I found if I was able to only go over an area once it helped prevent this.  The designs reminded me of Joan Miro art, but my husband said it reminded him of Saved By the Bell...

Wah wah.

Making up pretty new nail art is a nice distraction from the news...  I'm still weirded out by all that's been going on around town with the APD protests this past week.  It's so strange to see cops in riot gear right in my own backyard.  This city is still pretty new to me, and though it has its faults (um, worst drivers EVER!), I love more and more about it every day.  The people here seem so much more involved in their community than any other place I've lived.  It's awesome.  I can't wait to explore more and get involved with things myself!

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BEAUTIFY: Ain't Nobody Got TIME to Post!

Just in case anyone was wondering what I have been up to, the above photos just about sum up the most interesting parts of the last nine months I haven't written anything here!  Really though, it's been quite eventful lately and I wish I'd make more time to write, more often.  Maybe that can be a belated New Year's Resolution?

So I turned 30 this past year...  My mom wigged out that I was actually looking forward to it, haha!  It feels good to be out of my 20s, honestly- at times they seemed more annoying than my teenage years.  You think you've figured things out, everyone around you acts like you're a capable adult, but really you're still pretty naive about things.  Maybe it's just me.  

I'd like to think that I take every chance I get to grow and learn and play and love.  Lots of self-evaluation and listening to others helps me on this journey.  That's really been my focus lately, to be more self-perceptive and to listen better, to everything, everyone.  Seems simple, but really it's easy to miss a lot when you stop actively trying to do these things.  Love, friendship, health, family, creativity...  all these things need constant nurture.  Well duh!  But it's the "obviousness" of these things that makes us forget, makes us lazy.

I guess making time to write more would contribute to these aspirations.

Maybe tomorrow.

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BEAUTIFY: Strange Hand Photo, Tiny Glitter Bottles.

        Here is the other glitter set I ordered!  Aren't they precious?!  Why are miniature things so cute?!  I don't understand.  Ben & Jerry's ice cream pints?  They're super good, but nothing special.  MINI-SIZED Ben & Jerry's ice cream?  IRRESISTIBLE!!!  It's stupid, but I can't help it.  Apparently neither can anyone else.  Just sneak a peek at Etsy and you'll find tons of crafts dedicated to things in miniature.

But I digress.

        This is the manicure I came up with to showcase my lovely new glitter treasures:  strategically placed chevrons and lots of shiny topcoat.  I used my nifty dotter tool again to set each glitter piece just right.  (Maybe I should get a photo of it?  Poor thing does all the work and gets no credit!  hahaha)  I'm glad I was able to photograph it okay, I wasn't sure the hologram glitter would show up too well.  Pretty and practical, I figured something understated and easily repaired was best since I have tons of packing to do and not really much time to sit and play with nail polish right now.  Boo-hoo.

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BEAUTIFY: I Could Use A Rainbow

         Been on a bit of a writing hiatus this week... reading all the nonsense in the news this week has really got me down and I didn't want to spew any more vitriol into the world by adding another angry blog to the pack.  I have a few posts in bones right now, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish them.  Next week looks promising -- I'll just have to make sure I finish writing before I read the news.  (Wah-wah.)

        Doom and gloom aside, I finally got one of the new glitter packs I ordered!  This one is a pretty rainbow mix I ordered from pinkypoo39 on Ebay.  I thought the squares were gonna be a bit bigger, but apparently I don't know how to read!  (It clearly has them listed as .8mm, but duh! I didn't pay attention to that!)  Since I have all those other glitter pots from last time, I'm thinking I should make a custom mix with some of them.  We'll see.  I have another order of glitter on the way which I know is also going to be awesome.  Horray for cheap entertainment!

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BEAUTIFY: Maaaaaan...

 

        I waited a week for my awesome shipment of awesome to come in and this was all I got.  Poop.  Okay, this is better than poop, but only slightly because it'll prove to be just as versatile for my nail art as poop would.  "There was a mix up with inventory, yadda yadda yadda, keep what we sent you, we'll refund your money."  That's cool and all, I appreciate your prompt response, but dammit!  I wanted what I ordered!!!  Round two of internet glitter hunting has begun; this time I took my search to Ebay since Amazon is full of disappointment right now.

        Oh, and the glitter on my nails in this pic isn't even anything from this set.  It's just some random old craft store glitter I had stashed in a box!  Gold squares and black mini-rectangles over Sally Hansen's "Blue Me Away!" with lots of top coat. 

        What better blow me away are my shipments from Ebay...dammit.

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BEAUTIFY: Sad Nails Need Love Too!

        Ugggh..... so my nails are worn all the way back down to stubs again! *poutpout*  Please don't gawk at my painfully short ring-finger nail...ouch!  Sadly, this hand was actually the better looking of the two!  My poor right hand has a band aid on it from a dish washing accident... don't ask, I'm a klutz.  The anxiety of getting a root canal the other week and forgetting to take my vitamins has done a number on my nails (not to mention my bank account too, BOO URNS to dentist bills!!!)  But I decided to try making them pretty again anyway.  Used three coats of my favorite nail color (Whimsical by Revlon) and added tiny silver hearts from the polish my husband bought me for Valentine's day.  They're pretty cute, not quite the best polish job this time around, but it'll have to do because I'm lazy and don't feel like taking it all off to start over!

        In good news though, the nail art bundle I order from Amazon this week should be on its way!  SOON, VERY SOON, I will have 72 new styles, colors, and/or types of glitter and things to put on my nails!!!  I am so excited for this stupid package, it's, well... stupid.  But hey, it's cheap entertainment and it keeps me out of trouble!  (Mostly...)

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BEAUTIFY: I Still Always Think of Men When I Hear the Word "Ombré"

I MAEK GOOD FOTO THIS TYME!! YYYAAAAAYYY!!!111!!!

        But some of my nails broke so they're starting to look a bit stumpy all around...GRR!!  My fabulous spouse-man bought me this ombré set of five purple polishes just because he got them in at work and he knew I'd like them!  He sent me a pic of all the color choices and said "Pick one."  D'aww, he's so sweet!  I asked if his assistants tease him at work for buying so much nail polish... because really they should.  HAHA!

        This is just a rehash of my Pop Art Girly Freak Out nails but with a better quality photo so you can actually see what's going on:  DOTS GALORE!!  I keep coming back to this style because IT IS SO EASY TO DO.

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BEAUTIFY: Triangle Man, Triangle Man...

        I'm gonna go ahead and say it:  I have attempted this manicure several times before and it always ends in FAIL.  I've tried using triangle-shaped tape decals, a mini paint brush, and have now had mild success with using a tape stencil as a guide.  I had higher hopes (and more detail) in mind for this but ended up so frustrated that my lines STILL weren't perfectly straight that I just left them like this.  I know, it's not the worst, but I'm a little OCD and these crooked triangles kinda bug me.  At least the colors complement each other and my skin well; I still think it's funny that I actually really like to wear gold now.  It all started with my wedding ring... I had to have nail polish to match it!  I still love all things silver, but this past year has been all about change and I'm more than willing to dive head first into something new... even when that something is as simple as adding a new color to my wardrobe.

        As an added bonus, here is Particle Man by They Might Be Giants.  I was trying to think of a title for this post and this silly song popped into my head, so I went with it.  And if you actually remember seeing this on Tiny Toons, there is a high possibility that we could be friends.

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BEAUTIFY: Blue Valentine!

        Okay, so maybe that's a bad title because all I think about is that terribly sad but also very beautiful movie starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.  Haven't seen it?  Go rent it already!  (I think it's on Netflix right now too.)  But be prepared to cry your face off for the rest of the day!  (Or is that just me?)  Anyway, here is my version of the stupidly cute Valentine's day manicure that everyone loves to do!  (It's not everyone you say?  Just dorks like me?  Hey, YOU'RE the one still reading this post, so... )  I think this is the fanciest I've made my nails look yet and it was surprisingly pretty easy to do.

        First I painted my nails blue, and while they were drying I painted some scotch tape with the darker polish I was going to cut into strips for the stripes... try saying that five times fast!  I got the idea to paint tape with polish here.  Note:  I would've linked to the site it's actually on, but when clicking through on Pinterest, the picture didn't link to the post with the tutorial and the site was loading terribly slow on my computer so I gave up searching.  Sorry.  You'll just have to forgive my bad netiquette this time.  Once the polish was dry on the tape, I cut it into little slivers and stuck it to my nails.  This was probably the hardest part because I had trouble cutting them all the same width.

        I then fished around in one of the lovely new heart glitter polishes the husband gave me as a gift for V-Day and stuck those itty bitty hearts on top of the stripes with my ulta high-tech, homemade nail dotter tool!  (It's really just a mechanical pencil with a pin stuck in the end... STAY CLASSY!)  The extra glitter on my ring finger is from the polish I'm holding:  Rainbow in the S-Kylie by Nicole.  Pro tip:  Ulta makes a glitter polish that is almost identical to this one and it's cheaper!  I very rarely buy nail polish that costs more than about $3, but when I do it's because I either have a coupon or I just absolutely, positively NEED that specific color.  A lot of the nail art blogs I come across all use the super-cool, custom blended stuff they find online, but I honestly just don't have and can't justify spending as much money as they do on polish.  So if you're looking to make your nails pretty for cheap, you've found the right blog!  But if you're too fancy to use dollar store polish, well... can you send me money?  Hahahah

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BEAUTIFY: Pop Art Girly Freak Out!

        Why was the only photo I took of this manicure done with my stupid phone camera?  It's only my FAVORITE color combo and design I've made for my nails thus far!  DUH!  So why would I want to take a decent photo of THAT?!

The universe holds many mysteries and stupid things...

        It's February and I'm feeling all happy and loved, so I thought I'd go with some pastel girly pink!  But me being me, I couldn't survive with pink alone, so plop! plop! plop! I added some splashes of turquoise, navy, fuchsia, and yellow with my handy-dandy nail dotter.  (It's made from a mechanical pencil with a pin stuck in the eraser. DIY FTW!)

Next time I'll remember to take better pictures.

P.S. - No, I am NOT watching Downton Abbey back there...

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BEAUTIFY: The NAIL FAIL Files!

        Yucky yuck yuck ew!  I decided to try out the nail marbling trend at home which resulted in very mild success.  At least I was a source of entertainment for my hubby who watched as I unceremoniously stuck my fingers into strange, swirly liquids, hoping for the best.  I think I did a decent job not turning my hands into a globbly nail polish mess thanks to the tips from others who have tried this (put tape your fingers or use vaseline, etc.), but it seems almost inevitable that you WILL make some kind of a mess during this process...

Like this!  (from http://www.emybloom.com)

        Thankfully the polish is only a very thin layer, so it's not that hard to clean off.  The designs came out pretty cool on my nails but I had some problems with bubbles and wrinkling on the edges where my nails meet my skin.  Overall it was fun but slightly tedious and I feel like I was using a lot of nail polish for just one nail at a time.  I think I might be happier if I practice this and experiment with proper color combinations because the white base looked really bad with the colors I chose.  (I picked a white base because most of the tutorials suggested that.)  I will totally attempt this again at some point.

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BEAUTIFY: Playing With Glitter or How to Go Cross-Eyed and Love It

        So for the first time in my entire life, I HAVE NAILS!  I've never really been a nail biter, I just tend to pick at them when I'm nervous which causes them to weaken and flake, causing breakage.  But I've been taking my vitamins regularly and learned not to be such a stress-mess!  The results?  I have pretty, adult-looking hands.  Okay, I admit they're still not up to par with what most would consider to be "long" nails, but there is no way I could do anything if I had talons of doom!

There was a woman who worked at my old bank with nails like these.

        Here is my first attempt at artfully placing individual pieces of glitter on my nail polish!  This isn't as [technically] difficult as it may seem, but I only had the patience to do this for two of my nails at the time.  The result was a pretty and not too over-the-top manicure.  I bet this would look really cool with a silver base coat... it would be like a mirror ball effect!  The awesome blog at Polish All the Nails has been a great source of inspiration; I highly recommend checking out some of her amazingly intricate manicures!  Maybe soon I'll be able to do full mermaid nails like hers without going cross-eyed before it's done!  Maybe.

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