Awesome Fan Submission!

I got the sweetest email last night. Earlier in October I got an email from a reader named Sara. She was having problems with the gradient/ombre tutorial I have up, and her sponge seemed to be melting into her polish, leaving little chunks of sponge in the polish on her nails. She wanted to know if I had any suggestions on how to remedy the situation.

I suggested she experiment with various sponges around the house. I also explained that if you test your sponges on paper, you don't have as much of a problem having to clean your nails over and over again til you find a sponge that works.

Last night I got another email from Sara, and this time she was successful! She was so sweet, and since she included a photo of her nails I wanted to share it with all of you. You guys are the reason I do what I d, after all!

Remember- if you use a technique or a design that's inspired by me, then snap a few photos or a video and share it with me. I'd love to see what you're doing!

Later!

If you use techniques or designs from my blog or videos, send me photos or a video. I love seeing what people do!

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House of Harlow sunglasses - gorgeous, pink, and could be yours!

One of my best friends asked if I would do her a favor and post about an auction she has on eBay. Since she's awesome and one of my closest friends, I figured I would oblige. She'd do the same for me too if I needed her to.

SO, if you're in the mood for some luscious new sunglasses, you have definitely come to the right place. She's selling a gorgeous set of House of Harlow sunglasses in Grapefruit, which just happens to be almost the perfect shade of pink in my opinion. They even come with their own hard case!

So, if you're at all interested in a pair of designer sunglasses for a great price, hop on over to my friend's auction. You'll be glad you did!

I'll do just about anything for my friends. :D

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I Return With the Fox!

My husband sent me this video this afternoon, and I absolutely laughed myself silly. Have you heard of Ylvis? If you haven't yet, you will. They're adorable, Norwegian, and hilariously funny. Seriously, watch this and laugh with me!



They have other ones, but they're questionably family-friendly, so I'll let you decide whether to track those down. It's not hard, just search for Ylvis on YouTube.

Foxes are awesome!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Some of my favorite YouTube nail artists

Ok, this weekend was filled with much whining and sleeping, but practically no nail art. That's ok, though... I'm finally starting to feel better, so I expect to get some fun stuff done today. I figured I'd share some of my favorite YouTube nail artists for today, since I get so much joy and inspiration from them! If you like me, you'll LOVE them!

These are in no real order, by the way. Consider it a random selection based on what I remember at the moment, and I'm almost positive I'm leaving people out. But feel free to look through my subscriptions to find other awesome nail art channels, as well as other fun stuff like kitties and science!

Krista's Cookies With Character

I love this guy! So cute, and so tasty!!

Recently I was lucky enough to win a dozen cookies from Krista's Cookies With Character, and I was so pleased with them that I decided I absolutely had to share them with all of you! I wish I could have shared more than the pictures, because these cookies were AMAZING!

First off, I have to comment on the packaging. We all know how rough packages can be handled by the post office. However, Krista went above and beyond with these, doing her best to make sure the cookies all arrived damage-free. They were individually wrapped, then wrapped in bubble wrap and tissue paper inside a pretty white box. That box was wrapped with a pretty ribbon and topped off with her business card, which includes a shot of the guy to the right. So CUTE!

That box was then put into a brown cardboard box and stabilized with packing peanuts. I'm telling you, these cookies were babied, and they were all in perfect condition- not a chip on any of them!

How gorgeous are these??

I was so excited opening the box, moreso than I should have been, probably. But it's been a rough time for me lately, so the cookies definitely were a pick me up! I felt like I was getting a present! And what a gift... just look how gorgeous these were!

My family said they were simply too pretty to eat (before taking a big bite and moaning happily around it). The texture of the cookies was so nice- crisp, but tender, and so delicious!The frosting was the perfect sweetness, and not so hard that it would break your teeth.

Can you tell I really, really liked these? I'll let the rest of the photos speak for themselves...

What can I say, I'm speechless at the quality of her cookies. These photos don't do them justice. And when looking through Krista's Flickr stream, I found a couple of extra cookies I had to share... This penguin is too adorable to believe! I love the little heart hat, and the puffy mittens and pompom on her hat, and those rosy cheeks just KILL me! I would have a hard time eating this one...

Finally, I had to giggle when I saw this adorable Frankenstein's monster, mainly because he reminded me of my Frankencrackle mascot! Although now that I look back on my mascot, he looks much less cute and more angry. And... well, crackly! I doubt he'd be nearly as tasty as this guy either!

Bottom line, Krista's cookies are AMAZING! If you happen to need some delicious, home-baked cookies with gorgeous hand-decorated designs, you can't go wrong with these. If you get the chance, I urge you to try her cookies. And if you do, tell her I sent ya!

Blah blah was provided by the manufacturer for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Isabel's Rose- amazing lampwork beads & jewelry

Sometimes you see an add and click, expecting to take a quick glance and go on about your business. Other times, you find yourself fascinated, clicking and clicking, looking for hours, drooling and adding to your wishlist. The other night was definitely one of those nights.

Enter Isabel's Rose, by Lori Flanders. I spotted a tiny ad at the bottom of a webcomic I read, and was drawn in... those look like polymer clay bone beads, I thought to myself. I clicked, and was suddenly blown away... these were not clay, but glass- lampwork beads, handmade with rods of glass and a torch, each one a tiny work of art.

I spent hours over the next couple of days, clicking through her various shops and her flickr stream, amazed and awed and absolutely speechless over these tiny jewels. I love the colors, I love the textures, I love the whimsicality... this stuff is absolutely amazing! So, I decided I needed to share some of my favorites with you!

Encrusted lampwork heart, $28 at Etsy

First, look at this amazing sterling-silver encrusted heart necklace. Made of ivory-colored glass, it has sterling silver embedded into it. It's suspended on an oxidized sterling silver ring, and comes on a 20" gunmetal chain.

I am so, so in love with this necklace. It looks like there's enough weight there to feel substantial without looking childish. The colors are so intriguing, and I love the cool tones of the chain and the silver contrasting with the warmth of the ivory glass. It looks equally perfect for dressing up jeans and a tee shirt or for wearing with your favorite little black dress.

Necklace photo from the artist's Flickr stream.

Then there's this necklace made of glass branch beads and glass acorns. I absolutely love the lime green on the acorns, and I think this would be stunning paired with a simple top and jeans. There's something utterly fall-like about this piece, making me think of crisp autumn breezes and that utterly blue sky. I love it!

Don't think she only works in earth tones, though. This poison cupcake showcases Lori's whimsical side, using almost-neon colors to create a charming cupcake and crossbones.

Again, this piece is substantial without being too big. Do I even have to tell you how adorable I find this? Bright colors, cupcakes, and gunmetal all make me smile. This could well be a favorite necklace if it lived in my jewelry collection!

Although I could keep pulling photos and posting them to rave about, I'll end with this stunning bracelet. Those beads aren't metal, but instead are made of glass. I'm assuming there's silver leaf on them, but I honestly don't know for sure.

Aren't they gorgeous? They're so chunky and bold, and all so radically different while still looking harmonious together. I also love the patterns of swirls and dots, the sparkle of the silver, and the deep glossiness of the black. This is truly my kind of bracelet!


So, what do you think of these? Is this something you would wear? How would you wear them. Do you have a favorite piece of hers? Leave me a comment and let me know!

P.S. If you buy something from her, note in your order that I sent you there!  :D

Someone take my internet away, I've gone down the rabbit hole!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

A Bit About SOPA

Image courtesy of The Oatmeal. Funny stuff there!

I try to avoid getting too ranty here, but sometimes ya just have to. I'm sure you noticed the internet protesting SOPA/PIPA on January 18. If I could have figured out how to shut down this blog for the day, I might have done it, but I'm not sure I could have done it without screwing something up.

However, this is something I really do believe we need to protest. I've written to my senator, as has my husband. I'm not asking you to take my word for anything, since I'm just some chick on the internet. I am asking you to educate yourself if you aren't familiar with SOPA, and if you agree with me that it's a bad idea, then write your congressperson.

Some links (courtesy of XKCD)

Learn more:
EFF: One-page guide to SOPA
reddit: A technical overview of the SOPA and PIPA bills
DYN: How these bills would break DNS
EFF: Free speech on the web

Act:
Contact information for US elected officials

Piracy is bad. So is SOPA.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Fun DIY project!

Here's another quick post because I found something adorable I want to share...

I was looking at Studs and Pearls (a fun DIY blog I read sometimes) and found the absolute cutest how-to! Kirsten showed how to use simple things lots of us have around our house to make this rockin' ring! I love it so much... and I'm now looking at all my crafty stash, wondering what I could combine to make pretties!

I don't wear rings, but I can totally see this as a pendant. Simply add a bail and thread onto a chain, or a leather cord. GORGEOUS!! Adding a layer of epoxy resin over the beads would make for a gorgeous glass-like top, as well.

You could also add in glitter... I know, I know, glitter is the herpes of crafting, but I LOVE GLITTER! Glitter makes EVERYTHING more fun!!

... I think it's time for me to go to sleep now. What do you think of this DIY idea? Would you wear it? How would you change it up? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Someone needs to take my internet away... but I won't let them! :D

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Fun and creative things to do with nail polish...

Ahhh, the weather has changed, and it is, indeed, making me feel poorly. It's ok, though... thankfully the new meds are making it much more tolerable. Instead of being curled in a fetal position, crying and/or muttering incoherently, I'm just uncomfortable and somewhat grumpy. It's definitely an improvement!

Since I'm still not feeling up to much decent blogging, I've been surfing the internet. I've found some fun things! Everyone knows you can use nail polish to paint your nails, but did you know about the other fun uses for it? Erin from Thanks I Made It made a post sharing several other uses for nail polish, including how to make threading a needle easier. I can't tell you how many times I could have used this in the past!

Then Saturday Sequins commented with a link to a wonderful step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own nail polish jewelry! These pendants are both gorgeous and simple- anyone could make their own. Speaking of, I've got a necklace I've long since stopped wearing, and am tweaking it with my polishes right now! Not sure how it'll turn out, but if it works I'll definitely share the end result!

So, while I'm trying to get back on my feet, go check out these fun links! You might even learn a few new tricks!

Til next time!

I love the internet! Learning new things is fun!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Manicure By Robot

Wow. I just found the coolest video thanks to Win! It was sort of a roundabout journey- my son told me about an amazing video of a man using a robot to make a paper airplane, with a killer surprise ending. We then went to Win! so I could see the video, and after it was finished, I saw another video showing someone using the same robot to paint a St. Patrick's Day nail design!

Now, the guy doing the manicure is a doctor, so it's not all that great artistically, but wow! The technology here is amazing. I can see this being used for so many things...



And no, I haven't abandoned this blog. I've been having the worst fibro flare I've had in years. I saw my pain management team last Wednesday and we made some changes to my meds, and since then I've slept a LOT. I seem to be adjusting to the new meds though, and I'll take sleeping lots over 8 & 9 pain days and not being able to do anything. It's just gonna take some time to get this straight.

Miss you! *hugs*

I love the internet!

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Midrash Manicures

I love my friends! I know, I use that opening fairly often, but it's so true. Today's post comes courtesy of my friend Din who passed a link along that she thought I would appreciate!

A manicure for Yom Kippur.

Let's be honest, lots of us love nail art, but how many of us use it for a positive purpose? Well, Rabbi Yael Buechler of Westchester, N.Y. does just that, using her nail art to teach Midrash, the Jewish tradition of Bible interpretation. I know, I know... nail art as a teaching tool? But hear me out!

Huffington Post had an interview with Rabbi Buechler yesterday which explains a lot.

When asked how her manicure business is an extension of her rabbinic position Rabbi Buechler is effusive: “This is truly hands-on Judaism. The hope is to expose all people, Jewish and non-Jewish, to creative forms of Judaism through this nail art, so that they might be inspired to create other forms.”

A manicure for Sukkot.

Buechler not only does a weekly manicure based on the Parasha, holidays, or other lifecycle events, she also has her students create their own manicures based on the week's lessons prior to showing them her own. She talks with the students about the themes they'll encounter that week and encourages them to spend time reflecting on them. These themes then end up reflected in the students' designs.

I absolutely love this idea! When wearing interesting nail art, I end up getting lots of questions and comments. I can see this as a way to bring awareness and information to people. I'm kicking around ideas for manicures about diabetes awareness and depression, and maybe more!

I also really like the idea of getting the students to think visually. I've found that when I approach a subject from a strange angle it helps cement the ideas into my head. I'm sure this helps the students internalize the lessons they're learning about.

I just wanted to share this with you all, and get your thoughts: what do you think about this? Can you think of any other manicures you could do to either spread awareness or help yourself learn things?

Til next time!

My friends send me the best links!
Images courtesy midrashmanicures.com.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

I am SUCH a slacker!

I have to apologize for something. I had uber plans for today, I was going to do a set of black and white nails with varying patterns, something fun to do, something to stretch my skills, and regardless of how it turned out, it'd be good. Sometimes the disastrous manicures are the most fun to write about!

Things started well. I got out my polishes, and I stuck a set of fake nails on bamboo skewers. I was totally ready to go, but then I checked email. In my email was a message from Nails Magazine's Nail Art Gallery, showing me all the recent activity on my photos, as well as currently popular designs. "Hmm... I'll just pop over and look at a couple of things," I thought to myself. "It won't take long. I'll have plenty of time to finish the blog stuff."

Yea. Right. I looked at a few designs, then found one that absolutely knocked my socks off. Guys, I don't even know what to say about this one. It's so interesting, it's so well done, and I didn't have a CLUE as to how to start it. I sat looking at it for a few minutes, and I bet you will too!

Once I realized there was a tutorial video, I immediately opened a new tab and headed to youtube. I was hoping it would be easy to find the tutorial, that maybe she'd only have a few videos to watch. I had a feeling her videos would be both interesting and educational, and if there were only a few I'd have more time to do my own thing.

Instead, I got to her youtube channel and realized she had a lot of videos. Like, 111 videos right now, and she uploads more every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They're all really good too, from what I could tell. I haven't watched them all, but I've watched enough that I'm having problems picking out a favorite, or one to suggest you watch as the best. However, I think the one that stands out the most is also the one with the most views. Robin has created a video showing how she paints a high-contrast black and white portrait of Marilyn Monroe on an accent finger, as well as a silhouette of Marilyn's iconic scene in "The Seven Year Itch." It's simply stunning.

As if that wasn't enough of a time-sucker, I then wandered over to Robin's Facebook page, where I found not just nail art photos (volume 1 and volume 2, among others), but canvases she's painted. I was right... she's got some serious skill with a paintbrush! I found myself really drawn to her art, and something about her paintings really drew me in. I spent entirely too long looking at everything, not counting the time we spent commenting back and forth. She's as nice a person as she is talented, so I just have to say that today's lack of a blog post is all her fault!

I strongly recommend you go to her page, friend/follow/subscribe to her, and tell her that I said it's all her fault I didn't have a blog for today, because her stuff was just too darned interesting. Afterward, you too can lose an entire evening's work while you oooh and aaah over her videos. :D

Why are elephants big and grey?
Because if they were small, white and round they'd be aspirins.

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