Who is Laynie?

Good question. I'm a mom, a wife, an artist. I love messy media- paint, charcoal, anything that can make a huge mess as well as make something beautiful. I love painting my nails, and finding uncommon ways to make them look pretty. If you see me in the hardware store with a glint in my eye, don't disturb me, just let me go. I'm probably thinking about ways to turn something into an art project!

I love to make people laugh, too, so don't expect just the gorgeous glamor shots that so many people do. I'm not a model, and I'm not a perfect 10, so I don't feel like showing my imperfections is a bad thing. We're all human, and we all make mistakes. Why not show them off as a way to laugh together, and to realize that we all do things that don't quite work out the way we thought they would?

I've got a pretty varied background, and have done a little bit of a lot of things. I've done all sorts of needlecraft, including helping my mom and grandma work on quilts. Being part of three generations of hands working on a quilt was a pretty fantastic thing, and I'm glad I have that to draw on. I've painted, drawn, sculpted, worked with polymer clay and paper mache. I've worked as a DJ,  a photographer, and as an editor at a newspaper. I went to college for years without graduating and got a fantastic liberal arts education which I wouldn't change for the world!

This leads me to my love for makeup. Ahh, where do I start. When my mother first let me start wearing makeup, she taught me to do it well, so thankfully I've avoided most of those scary early 80s looks. I was the one my friends always came to when they wanted someone to do their makeup. When I got to college, I became active in theatre, and wound up not only acting on stage but also doing makeup backstage. I even traveled with the theatre group a bit, doing makeup on the road. That was a BLAST!

Once I got out into the real world, I spent a brief amount of time working at a local photography studio, where I did a little bit of everything. I worked primarily in the back working my digital magic on the photos (I was a photoshop artist), but I also worked as second shooter at weddings, helped out in the studio, and worked as a makeup artist for the people we photographed. That was so much fun! There's no way to describe the feeling you get inside when someone's face lights up as she sees the makeup you've done. It's an absolutely wonderful feeling!

So why did I start this blog? Oh, I'm totally in it for the free stuff. ;) If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you...

Ok, ok. I realized that I have lots of ideas about making nail art (and cosmetics art, and other kinds of art... all SORTS of things, basically) and I wanted to share them with people. I wanted to share not just the stuff that turns out amazing, but also the stuff that makes me wonder what the heck I was thinking. I want to make people smile a little bit during their day, and I hope people see my blog as a way to catch up with that kooky person who makes them giggle.

So come on, laugh with me. Leave a comment, show me what makes you laugh. Show me your nails, but most of all have fun here. :D