A collection of designs that didn't make it into Nails Magazine

I was excited when I saw Nails Magazine make a call for submissions on their Facebook page. I left a link to my blog and got a response very quickly. Turns out they wanted a nail design using the spring colors I discussed last time. I could submit more than one if I wanted, but that was entirely up to me.

Of course, once I got started mixing I couldn't stop at just one nail. I made a few, and submitted three. Only one was selected, but I figure I may as well share the others as well, right? Even if they didn't turn out all that well...

First, let's start with the one I didn't send. I had all sorts of ideas for this one, but none of them actually seemed to work. I eventually spangled the heck out of it, but I still need to get photos of that one. This is a simple pieced design outlined in black. I like the poppy red on the right bottom corner of the photo, and I really like the peapod green. I'm just not sure about all these colors together on one nail like this! Still, it could be much worse... I've worn much worse!

Then there's this one, and I'm not even sure what to call it. A bizarre rethinking of French tips? I really like the butterscotch color, even if it doesn't seem to like me back. That poppy red again really works well with it, too, even if the peapod green sort of vibrates oddly between them.

It's not that I don't like this one... I do. I'm just not sure about it. It's not a style I do and then think, "WOW, I love this one!!"

However, this last one? Yea, I love this one. It's my favorite of the bunch, although it's pretty obvious why they didn't pick it for spring...

 A black base coat made those spring colors absolutely pop. What can I say... I love the way they look against that deep background. They almost reminded me of candy, somehow! Maybe black isn't a color one  traditionally associates with springtime, but I think this totally works!

So there we go... the other nails I did and submitted. What do you think... would you wear any of them? Leave a comment with your feedback, I'd love to know what you think!

Mixing colors is so much fun!

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So Excited! I've Been Published! :D

My husband came in this afternoon and totally made my day. He started by telling me, "I've got something that's going to make you REALLY happy!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but he can make me happy just with a hug. I smiled and told him, "Oh really... what's that?"

"This!" He handed me a large flat FedEx envelope, and I raised an eyebrow questioningly. I wasn't expecting anything in the mail, and I certainly wasn't expecting anything this size or shape. I turned it over and looked at the return address and saw that it was from Nails Magazine!

A while back, I'd tweeted that I was working on a project that hopefully I'd be able to share with you soon. Well, this is that project! I've been published!!

Ok, it's not like I wrote an article or anything. I didn't even get paid for it, but let me tell you, getting this copy in the mail complete with the page marked to my submission felt amazing! Seriously, I squealed in delight and immediately tore into the packaging (delicately, since I recycle packaging) to see what they chose!

I flipped to the page carefully marked with a post-it note, and there it was: my nail design on page 57, complete with my URL and everything! I'd actually submitted several nails using that color scheme, but they picked my favorite. There's something exciting about seeing my stuff in a magazine that people read!

So- since I sort of cropped the page and covered up most of it, I'll give you some background information. Basically, designers plan color schemes ahead of time, so that everyone from clothing and cosmetics designers to home interior manufacturers can plan out their lines and incorporate the same colors. This lets people be sure their items can coordinate.

This year, the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Spring 2011 has shown ten colors they think will be the basic palette for the season. Included in these colors are honeysuckle, a vibrant pinkish-red, coral rose, a sophisticated orange, beeswax, a warm, honeyed yellow, and peapod, a fresh yellow-green. Overall, the selection is pretty nice. You can see the full report at Pantone's web site.

I'm also sort of amused by my photo. I can tell you that while they photographed my nail tip themselves, they did not remove the bit of streaking that happened when I put my topcoat on. I was so annoyed by that! I was using Seche Vite and trying to float it on, so as not to disturb the dots. I even waited a day after painting the dots to make sure they were dry! It just goes to show that sometimes your art is going to streak no matter what you do. Accept it and move on- it's just nail polish!

The fun for this attempt came in trying to mix the colors to match the pantone values. First off, it's really hard to match paint to a computer screen! Then it was even odder trying to get that particular green or that particular orange. I went through several mixing cups, attempting to get exactly the color I wanted.

It was a great learning experience, though, and overall it was a lot of fun! It's a good reminder that if you don't have the exact color you want to wear, don't be afraid to mix and adjust your polishes until they're perfect! You might end up with that perfect shimmery army green like I did!

Hug someone special to you today. You probably need it as much as they do!

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Look, I haven't run away!

Man oh man, has this been a week. I'll keep this brief, because I know you won't want to read a huge novel of woe and distress. Let's just say that life has stolen my brain for the last few weeks. Seriously, this is no fun!

Have you noticed that sitting in the hospital will wear you out? My son was in the hospital this week, and it was a pretty stressful environment. I have no idea why doctors don't know more about diabetes or how to treat it, but honestly it's enough to make me want to choke someone. Thankfully, I was able to get the necessary people to call kiddo's endocrinology team so that they could be told what to do. But trust me... I was ready to pull my hair out, or perhaps someone else's.

If you happen to be in the hospital and the doctor/nurses/whoever isn't listening to you about how to handle a chronic condition you have, please don't be afraid to tell them to call your regular doctor. You may be able to use the phrasing I did this week:  "I know I'm not a doctor and am just some ranting nobody, and I don't expect you to take my word on this. However, my doctor knows how to handle this situation. Please call [insert specialist here] to verify how she would like this condition managed."

Also, keep in mind that no matter what they're doing, your doctor is on your side. She wants you to be healthy and strong. She isn't ignoring you to be mean, she honestly believes she knows more about managing your condition than you do. They see lots of people telling them how to treat things, and most of them are total wackadoos. Try to stay calm, and talk to them with respect. Yelling at them will get you nowhere fast.

With that, I'm going to lie down again. I'm wiped out from this last few days and need some major rest. I've got some goodies to post soon... here's a teaser of what I'll be talking about next time.

The monkeys have stolen my brain!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Hello Kitty Loves Pink Confetti

Hello there! I hope the weather is treating you better than it's treating me. Honestly, it's bizarre to have snow in Louisiana in February! I've been snuggled up in my fuzzy socks, trying to keep warm while I dream up new things to do to nails.

Speaking of nails, I finally got around to testing the Confetti polish I bought a few months back. I know, I know, I'm so behind on things. I'm getting there, though! I chose a sweet pink glitter polish with multicolor transparent glitter in multiple sizes called Pink Confetti. I know, it's an original name, but it fits!


I wanted to see just how much color this polish had, so I put it over a white base. I put one coat on, then added two more coats to the top half of the nail. As you can see, you wind up with a lovely sheer pink with tons of glitter. Looking at it now, I think I'll have to test it over some dark colors next to see if I can bring out the colors in the glitter.

However, that's for a future post. Instead I decided to try out some decals I made a while back. You may or may not know this, but I absolutely love Hello Kitty. Since I couldn't find any HK decals that I liked enough to buy, I decided to experiment a bit and see if I could make some.

So, how did I make these? Easy enough, if somewhat fiddly. I went online and searched for Hello Kitty images. I saved several of my favorites, then resized them in Photoshop. Once I had them at a size I thought might be appropriate, I decided I needed to do a test print to see if they really were a good size. It's so hard to tell on the computer!

I saved the image then printed it on regular white printer paper with my laser printer. Once I had the test print in my hand, I realized that hey, I might be able to cut these out and use them as they are! I spent a few minutes cutting with my teeny manicure scissors, hoping I could cut them neatly without losing any details. Sure enough, I wound up with the tiniest little Hello Kitty wearing her cute glasses! I added a dab of clear nail polish and pressed the paper decal onto the nail, then topped it with a thick coat of clear polish, and what do ya know... I had Hello Kitty on my nail!

Then I remembered my Fing'rs nail gems. That set has lots of shapes of gems- hearts, teardrops, and one that looks like a dog bone... or a bow! I pulled the set out and realized that it would fit perfectly, so I quickly pressed it into the wet nail polish, and you see the end result! Hello Kitty has a sweet, dimensional bow.

What can I say, I think I love this look. Once my nails grow out a bit, I'll definitely have to try this on my own nails!

It's weird to see a celebrity you like, but not talk to them because you don't want to disturb them.

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Coming Soon From China Glaze- Crackle Glaze!

Oh my goodness, are you ready for this? China Glaze is joining the list of brands with a crackle-finish polish available, only they're going above and beyond the rest. Instead of having just black, they're offering six fab colors to suit all your crackle needs! Just look at this display!

Is that teal gorgeous or what? I'm the edge of my seat here, and I wasn't feeling the crackle finish at all. But that teal sold me on it. You get to choose between six lush colors... how great is that?

I'm already thinking of manicures I could do with these... I might have to suck it up and break my no-buy if I can find these in my area. Also, I need to find a spot that sells Nails Magazine...

So what do you think of these? Are you going to get any crackle colors? Which ones? Talk to me, people!

Image was provided by the China Glaze.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Lady Gaga Wears Deborah Lippmann at the Grammys

Wow. Did you watch the Grammys last night? I have do admit that Lady Gaga is one of my favorite performers, and last night she showed why. She debuted her new song "Born This Way" and absolutely blew me away, as usual. That voice is unreal, and I love the way she uses it. No oversinging, no trying to disguise a lack of talent with the ever-present autotune.

Last night, Gaga's performance began with an egg that was carried down the red carpet by four scantily-clad muscular men, and watched over by her supermodel "nurse." Gaga's publicist had said on twitter that she was "in incubation," and on the red carpet that "nurse" said Gaga was in a "creative embryonic stage and won't be born until her performance this evening."

Later, that egg was rolled onto stage on large carriage wheels, where Gaga emerged in a buttery yellow ensemble. She then launched into her new song, accompanied onstage by her dancers. It was a hell of a show, and ended with a visually stunning image of Gaga and her dancers, all with one hand up in the air. To me, it spoke of solidarity, of acceptance. "We were born this way, and you were too. We stand together, for us, for you, for them..."

What can I say, it moved me. I love the message of acceptance, the idea of supporting people as they are instead of ask them to fit into some cookie cutter mold of society's choosing. I guess it's obvious that Lady Gaga is one of my favorite artists...

Also as usual, she was wearing Deborah Lippmann polish on her nails. Last night's creation was a stunning yellow polish called "Yellow Brick Road," and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on this polish. Yellows are known for being difficult to work with, so I'm hoping this one performs as well as the rest of the Lippmann polishes I've worn. If it's even half as nice as the rest, it's gonna be a showstopper.

So what do you think? Is this a yellow you'd wear, or is this just a bit too far out there for you?

Images were provided by Deborah Lippmann's PR.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Everybody Loves the Boudreaux's Butt Paste!

This post brought to you by Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hello, my lovelies! Things at Chez Laynie have been absolutely chaotic, as usual. Then again, when isn't it? I'm so excited because a friend of mine just had a baby, so I've been reading her journal and looking at videos and photos of the new wee one. Such a cute little guy!
I think it's so sad when babies get diaper rash. Their little bottoms are so sensitive, and even baby wipes can be harsh on their delicate skin. I remember when my kiddo was little. He would cry so hard when he had diaper rash! I wish we'd had Boudreaux's Butt Paste when he was little. My family has sworn by it for years.
I remember the first time I heard about it. I laughed so hard, wondering why anyone would name something Butt Paste. Then I realized it was brilliant, because it's a name I wouldn't forget! Then I learned the story behind the butt paste. Apparently a pharmacist had made his own diaper cream, including ingredients that he knew were gentle and soothing. Apparently, everyone heard how great his butt paste was, and soon the formula was bought by a big company who kept the name of the pharmacist on it, realizing that Boudreaux's Butt Paste was a name that would sell.
Is it true? I have no idea. But the cream really is that good. It's not just for diaper rash, either... it soothes bug bites and chafed skin beautifully. I've known hunters who carried a bit with them when they're in the woods, and moms who would use it on their kids whenever they'd get a booboo. Although I never have gotten used to hearing someone ask, "Do you know where the butt paste is?"
Quick note- if you're interested in trying a sample of Butt Paste, just visit the Boudreaux's Butt Paste website. They'll send you a free sample so you can see how great it is for yourself! You can't beat that...
Til next time!

It's weird to see a celebrity you like, but not talk to them because you don't want to disturb them.
See my disclosure statement for more information.