31 Day Challenge: Day 13 Animal Print

Okay everyone, so I've told you how I'm doing the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge. Now, I'm satisfied with my entries thusfar, but by no means amazed. HOWEVER, China Glaze Reggae to Riches is now my new favorite color. EVER. And here's why:

 This is the color by itself. It's a bright duochrome with a fuchsia base and a blue/purple shine. Opaque in two coats, not too thick or thin...the best color EVER.

So the thirteenth day of the challenge was animal print. I had originally intended on painting zebra stripes on all my nails. But I was careful to start with my accent finger, because once I did, I didn't want to cover the color!

So there you have it, if I have any other awesome days in the challenge, I will totally share!

Update, with lots of links! :-)

So I have been neglecting my actual blog for ten days now, because I've concentrated on my Facebook page (which you should check out here).

First of all, I've been working on the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge for Painting Outside the Lines's contest. I'm seven days in so far, and you can see everything I've done in an album on my Facebook page. That's the biggest reason I've neglected the blog :-(

Second of all, I'm hosting a Sally Beauty/China Glaze giveaway on Facebook! If you click here you will be directed to the wall post that contains the giveaway, along with the rules of entering!

Thirdly, though not AS significant, I took part in Zoya's polish exchange, and ordered SEVEN bottles of Zoya at 50% off, which is FANTABULOUS!!

So I'll be posting soon, one of my favorite challenge days is coming up and I just HOPE it works on my nails like it does in my head!

Nail Art: Little Owl

So my nail art skills are limited, I will definitely admit. BUT I do have a thing for owls. They are my favorite animal, and yes this is very much due to my love for the Harry Potter series (I WILL be doing Harry Potter nails in the future). And I always feel I can paint them on my nails, even if it doesn't REALLY look as much like an owl as I would hope. Regardless, I'm sharing my little fella' today because I am on house cleaning duty during my break at work (yay working in a school!), and he's gonna get chipped off as soon as my hand go in the dishwater!

Now, I will say, I actually did these nails yesterday morning so I would have them for my grad class last night, but I never had the chance to post them. And after the house gets clean today, I have an epic candy-based design plan using SEVEN different polishes, which I may or may not do tonight:-)

This is China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Four Leaf Clover. The owl design in done with both of those colors, along with OPI Did it on 'em for the wings and belly, and Sinful Colors nail art polishes for the beak and eyes.

So is he as cute as I thought? I kind of want to name him before my messy apartment peels him off, and I get the feeling he's a male owl...is that weird of me? :-P

Awards: Liebster Award!

So I received this award as well from Manicured Mommas, whom I'd like to thank very much for thinking of me :-) Now here's how this one works!

The Rules:
1. Put the link to who gave you the award.
2. Put the award on your post.
3. Choose 5 blogs with under 200 followers to receive the award.
4. Let them know you awarded them.

And my five chosen are..... (as usual, in no particular order!)
1. Pixel's Polish
2. Lacquered Love
3. Bound 2 Beauty
4. Lacquer Pamper
5. Sweet Sucree

Here ya go, ladies! Thanks for my award, and congratulations to those that I have nominated!

Awards: Versatile Blogger

So I received one of these awards quite a while ago from Absolutely Cee, and recently got another of the same award from Lace & Lacquers. I'm not gonna lie, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with it. But now that I've read more about it, I think I know what I'm supposed to do, and am very flattered by being chosen! 

So here's the lowdown:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers that are relatively new to blogging.

2. Let them know you have nominated them.

3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

4. Thank the blogger[s] who nominated you.

5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post.

 

And the winners are (in no particular order!)...

1. xo, Noelle

2. Love Lady's Nails

3. Jen's Nail Files

4. All Polished Off

5. Mega Nailatude

6. Pretty and Polished Pointers

7. Peace Love Lacquer

8. Jilltastic Nail Design

9. Manicured Mommas 

10. Presh Polish 

11. Pretty In Paint 

12. Quite Polished 

13. BeautyGnome 

14. GaGa for Nails 

15. Enchanting Cosmetics 

 

So there is the first part of the award, now for 7 random facts:

 

1. I am in graduate school to be a professional school counselor (code words/PC term for guidance counselor).

2. I am married to an amazing man who has so far supported my nail polish obsession.

3. I live in the middle of nowhere just about, 45 minutes to the nearest "city" in any direction.

4. If it's sparkly or shiny, it will get my attention before anything else (hence the name Sparkle and Shine!)

5. I love cats! I have two, and they are the cutest pets ever.

6. For non-pet animals (though I kind of want one, anyway), owls are my favorite, and yes this is because of the Harry Potter books.

7. I spend approximately 1 1/2 on the road on a normal work day, and five hours on the road for school days.

There you have it, I think I have this award business down, but I would again like to thank the ones that awarded me with this, and congrats to those that I awarded! :-)

Easter Weekend Nails

Wow, I feel like I've neglected my blog since April began :-(. But that's okay, it's been crazy this past week. I spent a night at the Great Escape Lodge (which did not treat my CG Love Marilyn and Color Club Black Fractured nails very well). Then I had a wedding Saturday and Easter today. Which are the nails I am going to share (the pic isn't great its from my phone, but I almost forgot to take it!)

Here we have Color Club Pretty in Platinum, with a coat of China Glaze Latticed Lilac on top. Now, I know some people are over crackles, but as I believe I've said before, I still love them. I'm all about a design I don't have to spend a terrible amount of time on, hehehe (hence my one time attempt at a water marble!). 

This mani was done to coordinate with the outfit I wore to my husband's uncle/godfather's wedding Saturday, but had enough pastel to work for Easter today (because I was a LITTLE too buzzed to attempt painting my nails after the wedding, the wine was too good!). It was a fun night, I had fun nails, and am very much contemplating what to do tonight. I'm on break from work for the week, so I can either take it easy because not many will see my nails, or go crazy because not many will see my nails!

April 2, 2012 Nails :-D

So I found out tomorrow is World Autism Awareness Day via Facebook. The color is blue, and I had SO MANY options for blue combinations in my stash.

HOWEVER this evening my niece and nephews wanted us down for dinner. So we went, and my niece also wanted a nail painting party (my niece is five and LOVES painting nails with her mom and aunts!). Well, we do this often and usually use my stash. She actually has quite the collection herself, so between all of our polishes we find something fun. Since I didn't bring any of my polishes down, I used my sister-in-law's polishes for a fantastic blue design :-)

 Here we have Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Shooting star (a gorgeous glitter with holo glitter in a blue jelly base), UNDERNEATH Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in Distressed Denim. Now, I have my reservations about Sally Hansen crackles, but my sister-in-law wanted a crackle and this was the only brand at the store she was at, so she tried it. It works much better than the gold one I bought, that's for sure! And even though Shooting Star is sheer even with three coats, you don't notice it as much under the crackle, just the sparkle coming from under the cracks.

 So overall, I'm loving my World Autism Awareness Day nails. Raise awareness, everyone!