Friday, October 30, 2015

40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Halloween


"I got you where I want you, and now I'm going to eat you!"


Welcome to another installment of 40 Great Nail Art Ideas! Today's prompt is Halloween. I wanted to do something easy but that I hadn't seen before. Well, I think this worked. ;)

It's based on a scary story/joke I heard often as a kid:

I'm Gonna Eat You

(click title to go to source)
There were these 3 guys. They had to find a place to stay so they went to a hotel.
The first guy went up to the counter and asked the clerk if he had any rooms for the night. The clerk said we only have one room and its the attic. I'll give you a gun, a knife, or a flash light. The first guy said,"I'll take the gun." The clerk said ok and gave him the key to the attic.
The guy went up to the attic, and he heard a voice, "I've go you wher I want you now. I'm gonna eat you!" The guy got so scared that he shot himself.
The second guy went up to the clerk and said, "Do you have any rooms for the night?" The clerk said, "I only have the attic and I can give you a knife or a flashlight." The man said, "I'll take he knife." The clerk gave him the knife and the key to the attic. The man walked up to the attic, and heard a voice, "I've go you wher I want you now. I'm gonna eat you!" The man got so scared that he stabbed himself.
The third guy went to the clrk and asked if there were any rooms. The clerk said only the attic. The clerk gave the guy a flashlight. The man went up to the attic and heard a voice, "I've go you wher I want you now. I'm gonna eat you!" The man turned the flashlight on and opened the closet door and saw this little boy sitting there picking his nose, eating his boogers, and saying, "I've got you where I want you now. I'm gonna eat you!"

 Muwahahahahahaha! Yep, I really did create a booger for my blog! And by create I don't mean by my body, because I promise you it's totally fake!


See! Just a little bit of hair glue, some Color Club Tribe and True, BarryM Paprika, BarryM Cotton, and Poshe Top Coat.

Voila! Booger!


Enjoy!


Last week's Orange, Purple and Green Prompt!


Don't forget to check out the other Halloween manis!


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

What's Up Wednesday - October 28, 2015

So I was going through my blog feed a couple months ago and came across this really cool post from Steph's Spot Blog. She links up with other bloggers (Mix & Match Family, Pinterest Told Me To, The Larson Lingo <--- The ladies who created it). So I thought I would try it out. :)


What I'm Eating this Week:

Let's just say this pertains to everything right now. :)

What I'm Reminiscing About:
My years at University. My niece is headed to the same University that I attended and I've been helping her find housing and deciding on classes. It totally made me want to go back 8-10 years ago (graduated with my BS in 2007, but I'd redo two years) and be back in that school atmosphere. I miss it so much. Do I miss the homework and all that junk? Hmmm, yes and no. The stress - no; but the learning - yes.

What I'm Loving:
That it is fall and all the Owl themed items! Yay!

What I've Been Up To:

Coping. Can I just say how well Allie from Hyperbole and a Half, perfectly describes everything! Bah, I want her books so bad.

What I'm Dreading:
Black Friday. Ugh, customers. Don't want to deal with customers. And why are we open on Thanksgiving. Thankfully as far as I know I don't have to work on Thanksgiving, but definitely Black Friday.

What I'm Working On:
Trying to get more organized so that I can get my blogging more consistent.

What I'm Excited About:
All the new holiday gift sets for makeup and nail polish and everything! I love holiday gift sets!

What I'm Watching/Reading:
Watching: I think the question would be what am I not watching! Bahahahahaha! I did binge watch the Heroes Reborn (now caught up). Yay! Hiro is back! Also The Walking Dead (but am not caught up so no spoilers!) and Grey's Anatomy.
Reading: Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. This is a very very interesting read about an investigative reporter who has no memory of month of her life to a disease in which she lost the ability to move or speak. Also in the middle of My Story by Elizabeth Smart which is about her kidnapping back in 2002.

What I'm Listening To:
Youtube, youtube, youtube. It's playing constantly in the background of everything that I do. ItsKeerstin, Wayne Goss, grav3yardgirl, and RawBeautyKristi are just a few that I watch/listen.

What I'm Wearing:
Today (day off): jeans, tshirt, and cardigan. My normal work day: black, black, and more black. Oh, just bought some more black pants today too! :)

What I'm Doing this Weekend:
Halloween. *joy* Ugh, not may favorite thing. Don't want to walk around, wah!

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month:
The Digit-al Dozen theme of Pinterest Inspired!

What Else Is New:
I got a new to me vehicle! A 2007 Ford Escape, 62,000 miles! Woot woot! (well, not for the car payments though, but I got a great deal).

What do you think? Do you like these types of posts?

Saturday, October 24, 2015

40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Orange, Purple, and Green (+ Splatter) and NCC Funky French


Today is was Friday and so it's another prompt for 40 Great Nail Art Ideas! Today I bring you Orange, Purple, and Green plus Splatter. Yep, it's a color and design prompt! Also, I've added in The Nail Challenge Collaborative prompt of Funky French! It's a two for one day!



So why is it that when you create a splatter mani it looks all fabulous and then you try to add just a teeny tiny bit more and BLAM! Massive gloop of polish! Does this happen to anyone else? Bah!

For the base I used: China Glaze Papaya Punch and China Glaze Def Defying, For the splatters I used Papaya Punch and Def Defying as well as:China Glaze Mummy May I and China Glaze It's Alive (two older China Glaze Halloween polishes, of course I had to use them!).

So after splattering I tried to figure out how to create a funky french, I used black acrylic paint to create a normal french tip that I added (a la Tim Burton). I didn't leave it alone there, of course not. I decided create witch stockings and shoes using the Def Defying and Papaya Punch. I added Essie Matte About You.

What do you think? I'm thinking I should have just left the funky french without the stripes. Also, should have not added that last little splatter. Meh, whatever! :)


Look how pretty my UberChic mat looked after my splattering! So pretty! :)


Here's the collage for last week's prompt of Geeks!

Don't forget to check out the other amazing nail art ideas!



Don't forget to check out the other funky french manis!

Friday, October 16, 2015

40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Geeks


As you can see, this is a late post. To be honest, I had almost thrown in the towel on blogging this week. I really thought I was done. I had even created a mani for The Digit-al Dozen Does Autumn Week, but I couldn't get it to turn out the way I wanted it to and so I became anxious and gave up. I told the DD ladies that I didn't know what to do anymore. 

But! I woke up this morning with an idea for a mani! A mani that fits both themes that I needed today! I needed a Digit-al Dozen Autumn mani and I needed 40 Great Nail Art Idea: Geeks mani.

And I did it! I did it! I can't believe I did it! Yay! (Hahahahahaha, I hope someone sung that song while reading that).



I am hoping you all can tell where I got my inspiration. (pssst, my own blog!) 
Owl and colors I used = Autumn. Steampunk and Owl = Geek (because that's me!). Boo-yah! I tried to match the colors as close as I could (thought I did a pretty fantabulous job). 

My blog designs were all created by a dear friend of mine Missy (from Gnarly Gnails) (girl, I wish you were still blogging!I miss your face!). Looking over the icons and avatar and header she created got me thinking about the past couple of years. I realized that though I myself haven't grown so much as an artist (I think this is as good as it gets) but I do know that I have grown as a person. You all have been there for me, complete strangers, and yet we are all connected. And that is why I love the nail polish community!

So I chose my own blog design because the prompt was Geeks and I am a big huge Geek (with a capital G)!


I used BarryM Chai for the base of three of my nails (actually, this mani was a full mani....yep, all ten! Woot woot!). My accent finger is Pretty & Polished In the Buff (a gorgeous dusty mustard! Yummy!). I stamped using BarryM Cancun and Barry M Mustard using Messy Mansion MM43 for the Steampunk aspect. I used Konad Black and Born Pretty BP-L019 for the owl (I think he looks a lot like my little tab avatar guy). I used HK Girl Top Coat.

Guess what. I did this mani in an hour. All ten fingers! All with first try stamping! I think the polish gods were smiling down on me. I think I should take this as a sign. ;)


This is the collage for last week's 40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Teal (+ a pattern). I love these collages!

Don't forget to check out the other DD Ladies and their Autumn manis!




Also don't forget to check out the other Geeks among us! :)

Friday, October 9, 2015

40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Teal (+ Skittle)


It's another Friday and that means another challenge from Crumpet's Nail Tarts 40 Great Nail Art Ideas. But this week starts something different with the challenge. Last week we did a theme. This week it's a color prompt (Teal) and a pattern prompt (with each of us doing a different pattern prompt!). So many ideas to be inspired by!


Ok, so funny story. Well, sort of. This past week has been kind of crazy, just a lot of drama and a lot of stress and anxiety (wait? like that's something new? hahahahaha!). So I didn't get to create my mani until today. I had the idea but not the time. 

So this morning I woke up and got ready. I had to take a conference call for work and when that was done I knew I had three hours before work and could get my mani done. So I started and was doing everything, painting and stamping away.

I happened to look up at the time trying to calculate when I needed to start my lunch so I could eat before I went to work. By now I am finishing up my last few stamps when it dawned on me.

I work an hour earlier today than my normal time! Yikes! I had 20 minutes to finish getting dressed (I had on comfy pants and not my work pants), eat, and get to work which is ten minutes away!

I slapped the last two stamps on, grabbed my camera took some photos (because I knew my mani wasn't going to last through work with it being a truck day and all). Got dressed and flew out the door. I made it just in time!

So the quality of my photos (or lack thereof) is due to being rushed. But, it still kind of fits my mani.


Didn't have time to set up my light box! My mani represents Anxiety Awareness. A teal ribbon represents (among many of things) Anxiety Awareness. As most of you know, I suffer from both anxiety and depression. I know that it will always be a part of me and I am ok with that because having anxiety and depression have made me who I am today. I am stronger than I would have been. 

Even today with all of our technological marvels there are some who still believe that mental illness isn't real. Because we can't see it or touch it directly it can't exist. But we can't see the wind or touch it directly, and it exists.

Mental illness can be seen in the faces of many on this planet; it touches nearly 1 in 4 Americans annually. How can people not believe that it exists?! It is an illness, not a weakness. You can't just buck up and all is good. Would you say that to someone with a broken arm or cancer or diabetes? No, you wouldn't. So why then mental illness?

We need to end the stigma. We need to catch up to all the amazing technology we have because if we as a society think that mental illness isn't real, then why should advance with anything else? Why then are not still just treating our humours and blood letting and using leeches?

End the stigma. #IAmStigmaFree


I used BarryM Cancun as my base. On my index finger I chose the butterfly as a representation of becoming more beautiful through our challenges. I used BarryM Cotton and A England Saint George with UberChic 3-01. My middle finger is also from (as are all the rest of the stamped images) from UrberChic 3-01. The words, stamped with A England Saint George talk about fighting the good fight, never face your fears alone. My ring finger is also stamped with Saint George and simply says: Faith, Hope Love. Because it helps to have all three of those when you are struggling. My little finger has a stamped image of Konad White and UberChic 3-01. I used this image to represent confusion and stress. The teal ribbon (Saint George) is stamped over it to create awareness.

The rushed feeling of these photos helps to portray a bit of anxiety.

Here is last week's collage of the theme: Hobbies


Amazing huh!


If you want to follow us, you can find our Pinterest Board here - all the members will also be sharing the collages on IG and Facebook with the above hashtags. I hope you enjoy and find it as useful as we're finding it fun!

And don't forget to check out the other Teal prompts!

Friday, October 2, 2015

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Hobbies


Hello Owlets! I have a new adventure to share with you, a rather grand adventure! It's a new nail art challenge from Crumpet's Nail Tarts called 40 Great Nail Art Ideas.

It's a fabulous new challenge with prompts for each week, we post on Fridays, with a huge link up! So many fabulous ideas to be inspired by!


Today's prompt is hobbies! Besides nail art and polish my other (ok, one of my many other) hobby is makeup. I love it, I work with it, I buy, I hoard collect it! My job is being a Prestige Manager at Ulta I get to play with makeup all day helping others find products and color matching them so they get the right items. I get to go to classes with the brands and learn about their products!
I get to help change a life when I am able to cover and conceal imperfections that they do not like. To hear them gasp and see their face when they look into the mirror and love what they see.  To see a guest leave with their head held high warms my heart!


One of my favorite brands is Urban Decay. This is most of my Urban Decay makeup, what's missing is the palette I created from depotting other shadow palettes (and it's full!). My goal is to own every single eyeliner they make as well as the Moondust shadows (they are the light silver circle shadows that you can see in the photo). I am way pumped to see what Urban Decay and Gwen Stefani have created! Can't wait to see that line!


So I decided to create a mani that is inspired by the Vice 4 Palette, specifically the bag it comes with.


I used Color Club Harp on It as my base. Needed the silver holo to match the holo lines on the bag! I stamped using Konad Black and Pet'la Geomatrix, the image was perfect for it! I used HK Girl topcoat to make it shine!


I really loved how this turned out! Sorry for some tip wear, really hard to wrap tips with nubs! >_<


If you want to follow us, you can find our Pinterest Board here - all the members will also be sharing the collages on IG and Facebook with the above hashtags. I hope you enjoy and find it as useful as we're finding it fun!

And don't forget to check out the other hobbies that we all love!