I love Halloween. I would love to share a bit of history about the holiday and share some links if you would like to read more.
Traditionally celebrated on October 31st (and sometimes November 1st) Samhain (pronounced SOW-en) is the anchient Celtic holiday which marks the end of summer and the last harvest and the beginning of the winter season. In modern traditions of Paganism, Druidism, Shamanism and Wicca it is still celebrated as both a celebratory holiday and a somber occasion to honor ones ancestors. People would dress in costumes to ward away bad spirits and light candles and leave food gifts for loved ones who have passed to guide them on their journey home. Samhain is believed to be the time of year when the veil between our world and the spirit world is the thinnest. Turnips and gourds were also carved to ward away negative energies and protect the homes.
Today, Samhain is seen as the Wiccan New Year and is a time representing death and rebirth. Many old Celtic traditions have been adapted by people of many religious backgrounds to celebrate this time of year, such as dressing up and the carving of pumpkins.
I hope you enjoyed this brief look into the history of Halloween. For more please check out the following links.
History.com
Wicca.com
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Great Veg and Vegan Sites!
I am going to make this a list of some of my favorite sites and blogs about vegetarian and vegan topics. I will update this regularly when I find something cool. There will be a link in the sidebar so you can always find it!
VegWeb.com:
Make a veg/vegan online recipe box and label the recipes with your own labels. If you want a Vampire category go for it! Need a category for recipes for your picky family members? You can do that too. :) If I try any recipes here and they come out great I will tell you! :)
Vegan Yum Yum:
This girl is incredible. She also has a book out. You will find a variety of delicious recipes that are very creative.
Post Punk Kitchen:
The vegan cupcake queen. Isa Chandra Moscowitz. This woman is a vegan goddess. She has several vegan cookbooks out and the site has many free recipes submitted my her and site users. Awesome! Try the Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread or Zuchini Bread. :)
I am going to think of more and will add them as I remember them or find them. Until then have a great day.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween. My post about the history of Halloween will be this evening. :)
I think I am going to make these today!
VegWeb.com:
Make a veg/vegan online recipe box and label the recipes with your own labels. If you want a Vampire category go for it! Need a category for recipes for your picky family members? You can do that too. :) If I try any recipes here and they come out great I will tell you! :)
Vegan Yum Yum:
This girl is incredible. She also has a book out. You will find a variety of delicious recipes that are very creative.
Post Punk Kitchen:
The vegan cupcake queen. Isa Chandra Moscowitz. This woman is a vegan goddess. She has several vegan cookbooks out and the site has many free recipes submitted my her and site users. Awesome! Try the Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread or Zuchini Bread. :)
I am going to think of more and will add them as I remember them or find them. Until then have a great day.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween. My post about the history of Halloween will be this evening. :)
I think I am going to make these today!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Two Manicures and Some Kitty Eyes
Hi everyone! I have for you 2 contest manicures and a cat eye look.
ALL PICTURES SHOULD BE CLICK TO ENLARGE!
The first manicure is for Nail Juice's Nautical Nail Art Contest.
I used a sheer blue, medium blue and darker blue. I used the sheer blue N.Y.C. Scandalas Blue Green Glitter over the whole nail. Then I layered Zoya - Jo over 2 thirds of my nail and used No Miss Biscayne Blue on the tips. I applied No Miss Top Coat then stamped across the line where the sheer and medium blue met using Konad Special polish in white. I used image plate m24. Then I used Art Club Black nail art paint (and toothpics when I got annoyed with the brush) to draw the anchor and wheel. :) I finished with Konad Top Coat. I hope you like it!
The next manicure is for Nail Art World's Winter Manicure Contest.
For this manicure I used 2 coats of N.Y.C. White Lights Glitter. Then 1 coat of No Miss Top Coat. Then I stamped with Konad Silver (very subtle) the flower/star/snow pattern on plate m5 on all my nails. I randomly positioned them. :)
Then I stamped the white snowflake like pattern from plate m20 on my index, middle and pinky (I did the thumb after the candy cane.) I alternated the placement of the snowflake. I then stamped the snowman on the ring finger and the red candy cane on my thumb. I followed with the snowflake on my thumb. Next I went over each tip with N.Y.C. Starry Silver Glitter fishing out the large pieces of both pink and blue (repeat). Next I did the black snowman eyes with Art Club Nail Art Paint. Finally I applied Konad Top Coat and applied a pink flower rhinestone in the center of the thumb snowflakes. Once dry I applied a 2nd layer of topcoat on my thumb. :) I hope you like this one too!
My manicures are getting more complicated but I am so proud of myself! :)
Now for the cat's eye!
For this look I used E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow primer. Next I applied Everyday Minerals - Mistletoe to my lid and into the crease. Next I used E.L.F. Black liner (from my mini makeup collection I wouldn't nessesarily recommend this one) to line below my lower lashes and extended the line up at an angle pointed toward the ends of my brows as a guide. Next using the E.L.F. Studio Line Small Precision Brush (LOVE) and Back To The Earth Cosmetics - Tree Spirit (dark green) I lined under the lower lashes (over the pencil liner), created a defined outer V and continued a bit into my crease. I only blended where the 2 greens met NOT THE EDGES. I wanted to leave the edges sharp and fierce like an intent cat stare! I used a bit more Tree Spirit and carefully drug the precision brush up at an angle towards my brow to create the cat eye style wing. I know it is a bit over the top but I love it! I finished with Glittersniffer - Carnivore (ironically my fave highlight color) under the brow. It looks scary and pale green in the package but it is awesome. I got it as a free sample and I love it! Then of course my favorite mascara (EccoBella Black.) Please excuse my insanely messy brows!!!
I have included links most of the retailers sites. E.L.F. and Eccobella are also available in some stores in the U.S. I don't know about outside of the U.S. Everyday Minerals is available internationally from their site.
Back to the Earth doesn't appear to be on Etsy anymore. If I find it I will update with a link.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Leave comments, questions and requests! Please follow, subscribe and share!
ALL PICTURES SHOULD BE CLICK TO ENLARGE!
The first manicure is for Nail Juice's Nautical Nail Art Contest.
I used a sheer blue, medium blue and darker blue. I used the sheer blue N.Y.C. Scandalas Blue Green Glitter over the whole nail. Then I layered Zoya - Jo over 2 thirds of my nail and used No Miss Biscayne Blue on the tips. I applied No Miss Top Coat then stamped across the line where the sheer and medium blue met using Konad Special polish in white. I used image plate m24. Then I used Art Club Black nail art paint (and toothpics when I got annoyed with the brush) to draw the anchor and wheel. :) I finished with Konad Top Coat. I hope you like it!
The next manicure is for Nail Art World's Winter Manicure Contest.
For this manicure I used 2 coats of N.Y.C. White Lights Glitter. Then 1 coat of No Miss Top Coat. Then I stamped with Konad Silver (very subtle) the flower/star/snow pattern on plate m5 on all my nails. I randomly positioned them. :)
Then I stamped the white snowflake like pattern from plate m20 on my index, middle and pinky (I did the thumb after the candy cane.) I alternated the placement of the snowflake. I then stamped the snowman on the ring finger and the red candy cane on my thumb. I followed with the snowflake on my thumb. Next I went over each tip with N.Y.C. Starry Silver Glitter fishing out the large pieces of both pink and blue (repeat). Next I did the black snowman eyes with Art Club Nail Art Paint. Finally I applied Konad Top Coat and applied a pink flower rhinestone in the center of the thumb snowflakes. Once dry I applied a 2nd layer of topcoat on my thumb. :) I hope you like this one too!
My manicures are getting more complicated but I am so proud of myself! :)
Now for the cat's eye!
For this look I used E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow primer. Next I applied Everyday Minerals - Mistletoe to my lid and into the crease. Next I used E.L.F. Black liner (from my mini makeup collection I wouldn't nessesarily recommend this one) to line below my lower lashes and extended the line up at an angle pointed toward the ends of my brows as a guide. Next using the E.L.F. Studio Line Small Precision Brush (LOVE) and Back To The Earth Cosmetics - Tree Spirit (dark green) I lined under the lower lashes (over the pencil liner), created a defined outer V and continued a bit into my crease. I only blended where the 2 greens met NOT THE EDGES. I wanted to leave the edges sharp and fierce like an intent cat stare! I used a bit more Tree Spirit and carefully drug the precision brush up at an angle towards my brow to create the cat eye style wing. I know it is a bit over the top but I love it! I finished with Glittersniffer - Carnivore (ironically my fave highlight color) under the brow. It looks scary and pale green in the package but it is awesome. I got it as a free sample and I love it! Then of course my favorite mascara (EccoBella Black.) Please excuse my insanely messy brows!!!
I have included links most of the retailers sites. E.L.F. and Eccobella are also available in some stores in the U.S. I don't know about outside of the U.S. Everyday Minerals is available internationally from their site.
Back to the Earth doesn't appear to be on Etsy anymore. If I find it I will update with a link.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Leave comments, questions and requests! Please follow, subscribe and share!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
43 Things
Have any of you heard of this site yet? You make a list of goals you want to complete and see how many others have that goal. I made a list but I don't have 43 things yet and I don't have them in any particular order.
Here is my profile there.
If you have one please share your link! Thanks!
Here is my profile there.
If you have one please share your link! Thanks!
KONADomania's Konad Giveaway!
Check out KONADomania's giveaway for Konad, additional nail polish and natural beauty samples (and possibly more to be added) HERE.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Salem, MA and a Hallowmani!!! :)
ALL PICS SHOULD BE CLICK TO ENLARGE. Links to the museums are included!
Yesterday Brandon (my bf) and I went to Salem, MA.
It was a lot of fun! When we got to Salem we parked and went to the visitor center to pick up a map and stuff. Then we went to one of our favorite places for lunch, Cafe Kushco. It is this little cafe on Washington Street that has soup, sandwiches and soft serve both dairy versions and vegan! I ordered Meditarian Grilled Eggplant Soup and Brandon ordered the Three Bean Chilli. The restaurant is not entirely vegetarian but the vegetarian soups are labeled on the daily selections sign and it lists which ones have dairy and eggs and such. The corn chowder sounds like it would be vegetarian but it is NOT it has anchovies in it. Just a warning if you are there and are veg or with a veg! Also if you are vegan or allergic to dairy ask for no bread because they put butter and melted cheese on the bread. I forgot that they gave bread with the soup. I gave mine to Brandon because he is vegetarian but not vegan and he still eats dairy. After finishing my soup I ordered a "frozen tofu" (vegan soft serve) and selected peanut butter for the stir in. It was DELICIOUS!!! My soup was great and so was Brandon's btw. I stole a bite of course (since his soup was vegan as well)
My handsome bf, Brandon!
Next we made our way to the Witch History Museum. We got the combination ticket to this museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum and the Pirate Museum. You save 5 dollars per person. :) They tell you a bit of history about the witch hysteria and bring you through exibits with sound and human-like figures which are somewhat realistic. It was very informative and I recommend it if you haven't been to Salem or are bringing a group for an educational experience. They also have a gift shop.
We made our way to the Witch Dungeon Museum next. This one was eerier and spookier than the last one. You watch an actors rendition of part of a witch trial and then are lead down below for a tour of a replica of the dungeons. There was a beam there from the original dungeons and it is said to be good luck for women to touch it so of course I did. Here is a picture of it.
Then we checked out shops for a while and hurried to catch the last tour for the New England Pirate Museum. Strangely this was Brandon's favorite although I am not too surprised! He loves pirates. It was entertaining and more lighthearted than the witch related museums.
I would recommend the combo ticket to these 3 if you have never been to any of them. If you are in the mood for something a bit different check out the Pirate Museum! :)
After the museums we went to dinner at Thai Palace (located in the Museum Place Mall) We went there last year as well and enjoyed it. This time we both ordered the same thing! It was funny. We got the Sweet and Sour veggies with Tofu. Brandon ordered desert of Orange Pineapple Ice Cream. I didn't try it since it was dairy but he said my peanut butter tofu ice cream was better! LOL
Here are some more pictures!
The fall colors on the 2 hour drive there!
My mani! Seen pictured with this spooky eye bracelet I got in Salem!
I used basecoat, 2 coats of Zoya Sienna. I applied 1 coat of No Miss Top Coat. Let it DRY! Then I stamped designs from m13 and m28 and used decals by Fingrs Edge and then 2 thin coats of Color Club Abracadabra (from the Master of Disguise mini kit) on the tips. I applied 1 coat of Konad topcoat, placed the rhinestone eye on Mr. Pirate and then did KTC on the other nails. I applied a SECOND layer of Konad top coat on all fingeres after they had completely dried. I applied a THIRD layer of Konad topcoat in the morning only to make the glitter feel smoother. On my thumb I applied 2 coats of Color Club Dark Romance (from the Dark Romance Mini Kit - came in my Master of Disguise kit instead of the correct black) Then I stamped the pumpkin from m13 and applied the glitter (CC - Abracadabra) all around the pumpkin and on tips. (Three total layers of top coat on the thumb too.)
Blade wanted some love! (This of course was when I was trying to take mani pics and pics of my stuff!)
My necklace and earring set found for a DOLLAR in the sale bins at The Pickle Pot (jewelry/beading store in Pickering Wharf in Salem, MA) Also a nice shot of my thumbnail!
Some fruit and veggie wine charms from The Pickle Pot sale bins! I am going to make jewelry with them!!!
My new Salem shirt!
Blade is investigating my pirate pen! (Really he is just rubbing himself on it like he does with EVERYTHING!)
A picture from our trip last year! This is outside of the Salem Witch Museum which I HIGHLY recommend seeing. It has a presentation about witch history and hysteria with lighted scenes and a tour witchcraft through history to today. It even includes Hollywood representations of witches.
I will post more about Wicca, witches and the history of Halloween on October 31st. I hope you enjoyed this post and I apoligize if it was too long and picture heavy but I feel like you are my girlfriends and I wanted to share it all with you! :)
For more pics go to here.
Thanks for reading! Please Comment, Follow, Subscribe and Share!
If you have me on your blogroll please let me know! Thank you!
(Bare with me if there are any spelling errors and code errors with the pictures. I am checking them and will fix errors ASAP!)
Yesterday Brandon (my bf) and I went to Salem, MA.
It was a lot of fun! When we got to Salem we parked and went to the visitor center to pick up a map and stuff. Then we went to one of our favorite places for lunch, Cafe Kushco. It is this little cafe on Washington Street that has soup, sandwiches and soft serve both dairy versions and vegan! I ordered Meditarian Grilled Eggplant Soup and Brandon ordered the Three Bean Chilli. The restaurant is not entirely vegetarian but the vegetarian soups are labeled on the daily selections sign and it lists which ones have dairy and eggs and such. The corn chowder sounds like it would be vegetarian but it is NOT it has anchovies in it. Just a warning if you are there and are veg or with a veg! Also if you are vegan or allergic to dairy ask for no bread because they put butter and melted cheese on the bread. I forgot that they gave bread with the soup. I gave mine to Brandon because he is vegetarian but not vegan and he still eats dairy. After finishing my soup I ordered a "frozen tofu" (vegan soft serve) and selected peanut butter for the stir in. It was DELICIOUS!!! My soup was great and so was Brandon's btw. I stole a bite of course (since his soup was vegan as well)
My handsome bf, Brandon!
Next we made our way to the Witch History Museum. We got the combination ticket to this museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum and the Pirate Museum. You save 5 dollars per person. :) They tell you a bit of history about the witch hysteria and bring you through exibits with sound and human-like figures which are somewhat realistic. It was very informative and I recommend it if you haven't been to Salem or are bringing a group for an educational experience. They also have a gift shop.
We made our way to the Witch Dungeon Museum next. This one was eerier and spookier than the last one. You watch an actors rendition of part of a witch trial and then are lead down below for a tour of a replica of the dungeons. There was a beam there from the original dungeons and it is said to be good luck for women to touch it so of course I did. Here is a picture of it.
Then we checked out shops for a while and hurried to catch the last tour for the New England Pirate Museum. Strangely this was Brandon's favorite although I am not too surprised! He loves pirates. It was entertaining and more lighthearted than the witch related museums.
I would recommend the combo ticket to these 3 if you have never been to any of them. If you are in the mood for something a bit different check out the Pirate Museum! :)
After the museums we went to dinner at Thai Palace (located in the Museum Place Mall) We went there last year as well and enjoyed it. This time we both ordered the same thing! It was funny. We got the Sweet and Sour veggies with Tofu. Brandon ordered desert of Orange Pineapple Ice Cream. I didn't try it since it was dairy but he said my peanut butter tofu ice cream was better! LOL
Here are some more pictures!
The fall colors on the 2 hour drive there!
My mani! Seen pictured with this spooky eye bracelet I got in Salem!
I used basecoat, 2 coats of Zoya Sienna. I applied 1 coat of No Miss Top Coat. Let it DRY! Then I stamped designs from m13 and m28 and used decals by Fingrs Edge and then 2 thin coats of Color Club Abracadabra (from the Master of Disguise mini kit) on the tips. I applied 1 coat of Konad topcoat, placed the rhinestone eye on Mr. Pirate and then did KTC on the other nails. I applied a SECOND layer of Konad top coat on all fingeres after they had completely dried. I applied a THIRD layer of Konad topcoat in the morning only to make the glitter feel smoother. On my thumb I applied 2 coats of Color Club Dark Romance (from the Dark Romance Mini Kit - came in my Master of Disguise kit instead of the correct black) Then I stamped the pumpkin from m13 and applied the glitter (CC - Abracadabra) all around the pumpkin and on tips. (Three total layers of top coat on the thumb too.)
Blade wanted some love! (This of course was when I was trying to take mani pics and pics of my stuff!)
My necklace and earring set found for a DOLLAR in the sale bins at The Pickle Pot (jewelry/beading store in Pickering Wharf in Salem, MA) Also a nice shot of my thumbnail!
Some fruit and veggie wine charms from The Pickle Pot sale bins! I am going to make jewelry with them!!!
My new Salem shirt!
Blade is investigating my pirate pen! (Really he is just rubbing himself on it like he does with EVERYTHING!)
A picture from our trip last year! This is outside of the Salem Witch Museum which I HIGHLY recommend seeing. It has a presentation about witch history and hysteria with lighted scenes and a tour witchcraft through history to today. It even includes Hollywood representations of witches.
I will post more about Wicca, witches and the history of Halloween on October 31st. I hope you enjoyed this post and I apoligize if it was too long and picture heavy but I feel like you are my girlfriends and I wanted to share it all with you! :)
For more pics go to here.
Thanks for reading! Please Comment, Follow, Subscribe and Share!
If you have me on your blogroll please let me know! Thank you!
(Bare with me if there are any spelling errors and code errors with the pictures. I am checking them and will fix errors ASAP!)
Color Club Revvvolution
This NOTD was from last week. I love this color so much and the picture doesn't even begin to do it justice. It is a medium to dark gray holo with many colors in it. I think the most prominent holo sparkles are dark green, and orange/brown/gold. It is incredible and if you can find it at a local beauty store or see it online snatch one up. I thought it would look strange against my skintone but I love it! It is one of my favorites now! Here is the picture:
Click to enlarge!
I have counted my polishes!!! I now have 50 polishes not including basecoat, topcoat, nail art and Konad Stamping polishes. If you would like to see looks with any of them let me know. I will be posting a list of my collection soon. I will try to organize it by color or put a short description next to each. :) In the meantime if you have any requests for themes or colors leave them in a comment. I owe Thriszha a Asian themed look and I need to do a nautical before the end of the month for that contest, if I can remember who it was for! I do promise to get to the requests that are left though.
I am working on my Salem blog and will post that as soon as it is finished.
Click to enlarge!
I have counted my polishes!!! I now have 50 polishes not including basecoat, topcoat, nail art and Konad Stamping polishes. If you would like to see looks with any of them let me know. I will be posting a list of my collection soon. I will try to organize it by color or put a short description next to each. :) In the meantime if you have any requests for themes or colors leave them in a comment. I owe Thriszha a Asian themed look and I need to do a nautical before the end of the month for that contest, if I can remember who it was for! I do promise to get to the requests that are left though.
I am working on my Salem blog and will post that as soon as it is finished.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
You Make Me Smile Tag!
I was tagged by GlitterMillie :) I love her blog and am honored to be tagged by her. :)
The rules are that I am supposed to post a song that makes me smile and tag some other blogs that make me smile and why I love them!
I chose this song that my boyfriend discovered and shared with me! It is an original song by Mike Lombardo. I think he is cute and funny and can sing and play piano/keyboard very well.
Other songs that make me smile are Hey There Delilah by The Plain White Ts, Here in your Arms by hellogoodbye, Everything I Do (I Do it for You) by Bryan Adams, Swing Life Away by Rise Against (my bf and my song) and anything by Scott MacIntyre.
I tag:
Nicole (Magic Maid): Nicole is my newest follower! I love her blog because she has great swatches in more than one lighting condition (my flaw is I don't have good pictures because I am lazy and hate dealing with my camera) I also like her descriptions of the colors :)
Beauty Judy: I love Judy's blog because she has a variety of brands and posts nice swatches. She is friendly and gives honest reviews whether she buys the item/collection or is sent it and she always thanks the company for sending it. :)
Thriszha (Fab Your Nails): This is one of my favorite blogs! Her designs are very creative and always well done. :) She takes very good pictures too! :)
KonADDICT: I think this was the first beauty/nail blog I followed. This one along with others inspired me to try Konad. I like her step by step pics and the borders around them are so cool! She has complex designs but makes you feel like you could pull them off yourself.
I also tag anyone else who hasn't done this tag yet! :) All my followers and blogs I follow make me smile. These are just a few of my many favorites :)
And as a bonus:
I'll Take Tom (The Myspace Breakup Song) by Scott MacIntyre. (my other boyfriend LOL)
I have 3 reasons to justify adding this one as a bonus:
1. I love Scott!
2. This song makes me smile and LOL.
3. It is the perfect geeky breakup song to go along with the geeky love song!
Embedding was disabled on that one. If you like it you can buy his EP "A View from Above" on iTunes. It is a great buy for any Scott fan! :)
And for Lucy!
Happy Birthday Graphics
That is all! Hope you enjoyed the song(s)!
The rules are that I am supposed to post a song that makes me smile and tag some other blogs that make me smile and why I love them!
I chose this song that my boyfriend discovered and shared with me! It is an original song by Mike Lombardo. I think he is cute and funny and can sing and play piano/keyboard very well.
Other songs that make me smile are Hey There Delilah by The Plain White Ts, Here in your Arms by hellogoodbye, Everything I Do (I Do it for You) by Bryan Adams, Swing Life Away by Rise Against (my bf and my song) and anything by Scott MacIntyre.
I tag:
Nicole (Magic Maid): Nicole is my newest follower! I love her blog because she has great swatches in more than one lighting condition (my flaw is I don't have good pictures because I am lazy and hate dealing with my camera) I also like her descriptions of the colors :)
Beauty Judy: I love Judy's blog because she has a variety of brands and posts nice swatches. She is friendly and gives honest reviews whether she buys the item/collection or is sent it and she always thanks the company for sending it. :)
Thriszha (Fab Your Nails): This is one of my favorite blogs! Her designs are very creative and always well done. :) She takes very good pictures too! :)
KonADDICT: I think this was the first beauty/nail blog I followed. This one along with others inspired me to try Konad. I like her step by step pics and the borders around them are so cool! She has complex designs but makes you feel like you could pull them off yourself.
I also tag anyone else who hasn't done this tag yet! :) All my followers and blogs I follow make me smile. These are just a few of my many favorites :)
And as a bonus:
I'll Take Tom (The Myspace Breakup Song) by Scott MacIntyre. (my other boyfriend LOL)
I have 3 reasons to justify adding this one as a bonus:
1. I love Scott!
2. This song makes me smile and LOL.
3. It is the perfect geeky breakup song to go along with the geeky love song!
Embedding was disabled on that one. If you like it you can buy his EP "A View from Above" on iTunes. It is a great buy for any Scott fan! :)
And for Lucy!
That is all! Hope you enjoyed the song(s)!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
First Matte Polish & Simple Vegan "Recipe"
I had my very first experience with matte nail polish. I received my back-ordered polishes Savita, Harlow and Roxy yesterday from Zoya. Last night I painted my nails with Harlow. Honestly I don't think I am a matte convert. I would be happy for any tips or links you could share about matte polishes. The polish dried very fast and I am not used to using that type of formula. The finish is different and an interesting change but they chipped by morning. I let them dry plenty before bed. I applied it directly to the nail with no base or top coat. I read that was what you are supposed to do. I couldn't stand the chipped look so I tried to disguise it with a couple of coats of Roxy on the tips which worked surprisingly well but didn't last on the fingers that were chipped. I broke my thumb nail on my right hand. I don't know if this is from lack of base coat or the matte formula.
So I ask you ladies: How do you feel about mattes? Does putting a shiny topcoat on the tips prevent chipping? How long do they wear for you? Do you ever use matte polishes on just your toes?
I am sorry I didn't bother with pictures and hope you will forgive me. I will probably create a new mani tomorrow.
Vegan Chili Mac
For the simple vegan "recipe" (if you can even call it that) I used 1 box of wheat shell pasta, 2 cans of vegan chili and about 1/3 of a block of Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Nacho Cheese (shredded). You could use more of the "cheese" if you have it. This would also be good for using up leftover vegan chili you make yourself. Just cook the pasta and drain, add the chili and "cheese" and heat on the stove stirring until hot and "cheese" is melted. Enjoy! Brandon really liked this :)
Thanks for reading! Comment, follow, subscribe and share please!
So I ask you ladies: How do you feel about mattes? Does putting a shiny topcoat on the tips prevent chipping? How long do they wear for you? Do you ever use matte polishes on just your toes?
I am sorry I didn't bother with pictures and hope you will forgive me. I will probably create a new mani tomorrow.
Vegan Chili Mac
For the simple vegan "recipe" (if you can even call it that) I used 1 box of wheat shell pasta, 2 cans of vegan chili and about 1/3 of a block of Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Nacho Cheese (shredded). You could use more of the "cheese" if you have it. This would also be good for using up leftover vegan chili you make yourself. Just cook the pasta and drain, add the chili and "cheese" and heat on the stove stirring until hot and "cheese" is melted. Enjoy! Brandon really liked this :)
Thanks for reading! Comment, follow, subscribe and share please!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hey There Deliliah
There is a little story to these nails and why I bought the polish used to do them.
The polish is Zoya's Delilah. It is a deep red with lots of glitter. It is 2 coats. The Konad is done with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White. I used image plates M43 and M73. I chose these designs because it is my 23 month anniversary of my first date with my boyfriend, Brandon. I think they look very romantic. All photos can be clicked to enlarge. :)
I added a little detail with my thumbs to fill the corner. I used Art Club by Color Club nail art paint in Neon Pink.
And the reason I bought this polish:
Her name is Delilah, named after a little song... you may have heard it :)
This song was playing in my head when I was holding her and my mom said I could name her. She is sweet and pretty and I think the name suits her.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's or know any of them personally. The video is linked directly from their record label's Youtube account. Thank you :)
The polish is Zoya's Delilah. It is a deep red with lots of glitter. It is 2 coats. The Konad is done with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White. I used image plates M43 and M73. I chose these designs because it is my 23 month anniversary of my first date with my boyfriend, Brandon. I think they look very romantic. All photos can be clicked to enlarge. :)
I added a little detail with my thumbs to fill the corner. I used Art Club by Color Club nail art paint in Neon Pink.
And the reason I bought this polish:
Her name is Delilah, named after a little song... you may have heard it :)
This song was playing in my head when I was holding her and my mom said I could name her. She is sweet and pretty and I think the name suits her.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's or know any of them personally. The video is linked directly from their record label's Youtube account. Thank you :)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Hallowglam Konad Mani Starring M57
Konad Rule #1: M57 is to be worshiped like the goddess that she is.
Konad Rule #2: Black stamping polish is a pain in the booty to work with.
Konad Rule #3: Lining up patterns takes patience and practice :)
This mani was done with yesterday's post's color, Zoya Sienna. To read more about my thoughts on the color and application and see yesterdays post. :)
I was wondering if anyone has any tips for cleaning up the edges. I am going to clean them up better before I go out tomorrow. I used I cotton swap dipped in acetone. Should I try the pointed tip ones or a french corrector pen from Konad or anything else. I feel like my manicures could be so much neater.
Here are the pictures as promised of my Halloween Konad. I call this one Hallowglam. It was done using plate M57 and Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black. :) The lighting today was pretty gloomy and overcast. I think it adds to the mood of the mani. I used festive decor for some of the pictures.
All pics can be clicked to enlarge! Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Please comment, follow, subscribe and share!
Konad Rule #2: Black stamping polish is a pain in the booty to work with.
Konad Rule #3: Lining up patterns takes patience and practice :)
This mani was done with yesterday's post's color, Zoya Sienna. To read more about my thoughts on the color and application and see yesterdays post. :)
I was wondering if anyone has any tips for cleaning up the edges. I am going to clean them up better before I go out tomorrow. I used I cotton swap dipped in acetone. Should I try the pointed tip ones or a french corrector pen from Konad or anything else. I feel like my manicures could be so much neater.
Here are the pictures as promised of my Halloween Konad. I call this one Hallowglam. It was done using plate M57 and Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black. :) The lighting today was pretty gloomy and overcast. I think it adds to the mood of the mani. I used festive decor for some of the pictures.
All pics can be clicked to enlarge! Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Please comment, follow, subscribe and share!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Zoya Sienna!
Zoya Sienna is a semi-bright medium orange with lots of orange/gold/yellow shimmer/fine glitter. :) It is a very pretty color for Halloween! I thought I would share some pictures with you! These are taken in the sun and my timing was pretty good because the sun went and hid after I took these. I left the edges messy because I knew I was Konading it (as I usually do!) I would have pics of the Konad but when I tried to take pictures after Konading I realized my camera is dead! I need a new one terribly. It eats batteries like crazy! Anyway... here is Sienna in all her glittery glory.
Zoya Sienna: 2 coats with No Miss Base Coat and No Miss Top Coat. (Base coat has a cloudy look but goes on clear. ) I bet it would look amazing layered over a black creme. :)
Don't you worry... I will have pictures of the Konad tomorrow! I hope I get more sun! *crosses pretty manicured fingers*
Zoya Sienna: 2 coats with No Miss Base Coat and No Miss Top Coat. (Base coat has a cloudy look but goes on clear. ) I bet it would look amazing layered over a black creme. :)
Don't you worry... I will have pictures of the Konad tomorrow! I hope I get more sun! *crosses pretty manicured fingers*
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Zoya Akyra Konad M39, M56
I did my nails yesterday and thought I would share!
I used No Miss Base Coat.
The base color is Akyra by Zoya. I would describe it as a deep teal (blue/green) with a slight silver/blue shimmer. This color seemed watery and thin compared to my other Zoyas. I applied one thin coat then one thicker coat.
I applied No Miss Top Coat and let it dry a while before stamping. I stamped the tips with the swirly pattern on french plate M56 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Sky Pearl. I then stamped the triangle arrangement of flowers from plate M39 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Silver.
I feel that the Silver is very subtle compared to other Konad polishes. I realize they are not perfect and I am not that great with lining things up and my frenches are wonky but they were a lot of fun to do! You could use many different patterns for a similar effect. Please excuse the messy edges. I forgot to clean them up before taking pictures! :( Hope you can forgive me? <3 I need lots of practice with my french tips so expect to see many more soon!
Thanks for reading! Please comment, follow, subscribe and share!!!
I used No Miss Base Coat.
The base color is Akyra by Zoya. I would describe it as a deep teal (blue/green) with a slight silver/blue shimmer. This color seemed watery and thin compared to my other Zoyas. I applied one thin coat then one thicker coat.
I applied No Miss Top Coat and let it dry a while before stamping. I stamped the tips with the swirly pattern on french plate M56 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Sky Pearl. I then stamped the triangle arrangement of flowers from plate M39 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Silver.
I feel that the Silver is very subtle compared to other Konad polishes. I realize they are not perfect and I am not that great with lining things up and my frenches are wonky but they were a lot of fun to do! You could use many different patterns for a similar effect. Please excuse the messy edges. I forgot to clean them up before taking pictures! :( Hope you can forgive me? <3 I need lots of practice with my french tips so expect to see many more soon!
Thanks for reading! Please comment, follow, subscribe and share!!!
Over The Top Blog Award:
I was tagged by Sherry for:
Thanks for tagging me! Now my answers (must be one word each)
Where's your cell phone: purse
Your hair: brown
Your mother: British
Your father: loud
Favorite Food: asian
Dream last night: forgotten
Favorite drink:
What room are you: mine
Hobby: blogging
Fear: loneliness
Where were you last night: home
Something that you aren't: carnivorous
Muffins: yummy
Wish list item: KONAD
Where did you grow up: Massachusetts
What are you wearing: tee
Your pets: cats
Friends: ecentric
Something you're not wearing: socks
Favorite store: thrift
Favorite color: purple
Last time you laughed: today
Your best friend: Damian
Place you go to over and over: restaurants
Person who emails you regularly: none
Favorite place to eat: vegan
I pass this tag & award to the following people:
You!
Thanks for tagging me! Now my answers (must be one word each)
Where's your cell phone: purse
Your hair: brown
Your mother: British
Your father: loud
Favorite Food: asian
Dream last night: forgotten
Favorite drink:
What room are you: mine
Hobby: blogging
Fear: loneliness
Where were you last night: home
Something that you aren't: carnivorous
Muffins: yummy
Wish list item: KONAD
Where did you grow up: Massachusetts
What are you wearing: tee
Your pets: cats
Friends: ecentric
Something you're not wearing: socks
Favorite store: thrift
Favorite color: purple
Last time you laughed: today
Your best friend: Damian
Place you go to over and over: restaurants
Person who emails you regularly: none
Favorite place to eat: vegan
I pass this tag & award to the following people:
You!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A Konad Video I Found
I did not make this video but I enjoyed all of the Konadicures in it so I thought I would share it with you. It was made by mraya22 on youtube.
There are lots of others I like on Youtube I just love how that video has SO many Konad ideas in it! :)
Which Konaders do you like on Youtube (or other site)? Do you have a favorite Konad related video? Please post the links for me! :) I LOVE watching nail videos!
I have new nails!!! I will post pictures of them tomorrow.
I have went back and edited many post so that the nail pictures are bigger when you click on them. If you find any mistakes like missing pictures or broken links let me know. I am going to use this new format for my pictures from now on. They will be both bigger on the blog and even bigger when clicked. I will try to take better pictures and crop them better as well. Thanks for the suggestions, Lucy. I hope everyone will like the new changes. I am trying to make this blog better for everyone! Feedback is welcome!
There are lots of others I like on Youtube I just love how that video has SO many Konad ideas in it! :)
Which Konaders do you like on Youtube (or other site)? Do you have a favorite Konad related video? Please post the links for me! :) I LOVE watching nail videos!
I have new nails!!! I will post pictures of them tomorrow.
I have went back and edited many post so that the nail pictures are bigger when you click on them. If you find any mistakes like missing pictures or broken links let me know. I am going to use this new format for my pictures from now on. They will be both bigger on the blog and even bigger when clicked. I will try to take better pictures and crop them better as well. Thanks for the suggestions, Lucy. I hope everyone will like the new changes. I am trying to make this blog better for everyone! Feedback is welcome!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
For Lucy: Bigger Better Pictures In the Works!
I haven't been able to figure out how to make the images clickable and larger on the blog itself at the same time. I have had to either resize the pictures or make them clickable thumbnails... maybe if I had two copies of each picture on photobucket I could link the smaller picture to the really big one. I am somewhat new to blogging and I am still trying to figure some things out. Any suggestions are welcome. Please know that I am trying hard to make this the best blog I can with the knowledge that I have at this time. :) Please be patient with me. If I am able to figure it out I will make ALL pictures medium size in the blog and HUGE when you click them. :) I will attempt to go back and edit all previous posts as well but that may take some time.
I posted this as a new post (as opposed to a comment) so that everyone could see the changes I plan to make. If during the process pictures wind up missing or links don't work please 1. be patient with me and 2. let me know that things aren't working right.
To the seasoned bloggers out there... any tips to improve my blog are greatly appreciated. I don't quite know what I am doing yet. :)
EDITED TO ADD: I have already put the changes into effect on my "Zoya Toe Swatches" post. Please let me know if this formating is better. I love it and think it is awesome! :)
I posted this as a new post (as opposed to a comment) so that everyone could see the changes I plan to make. If during the process pictures wind up missing or links don't work please 1. be patient with me and 2. let me know that things aren't working right.
To the seasoned bloggers out there... any tips to improve my blog are greatly appreciated. I don't quite know what I am doing yet. :)
EDITED TO ADD: I have already put the changes into effect on my "Zoya Toe Swatches" post. Please let me know if this formating is better. I love it and think it is awesome! :)
Monday, October 5, 2009
I have 3 columns now!
I figured out how to make 3 columns with the help of a tutorial I read. Let me know how you like it :) If there is anything that could make browsing my blog easier on you just let me know :) Thanks for reading :)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Zoya Toe Swatches!!! (plus shipping news!)
I did it!!! I swatched my new Zoya's and Trixie just cuz I love her on my toes. By request the pictures are now clickable to make them bigger. Try it out and let me know how it works. :)
The Pinks, Reds and Oranges
The Others
I will have more on my hands soon.
Zoya contacted me and let me know that my order will ship in a couple of days.
My Scott MacIntyre CDs have shipped and are on their way to me too so I have 2 packages I am awaiting!!! You better believe there will be swatches of Harlow, Savita and Roxy when they arrive. And don't be surprised if you see a Scotty Mac inspired mani soon! :) I love my Scottie Too Hottie <3 For those of you who don't know who he is check out his music here.
Here is a picture of Scott for you :)
NOTE: I tried the picture sizing thing on this blog. With the 2 foot pictures I had them link to a larger copy of the picture (If you click on it you will see). Let me know if this works better for you all. :) I didn't do this with Scott though. I just left him be. :)
The Pinks, Reds and Oranges
The Others
I will have more on my hands soon.
Zoya contacted me and let me know that my order will ship in a couple of days.
My Scott MacIntyre CDs have shipped and are on their way to me too so I have 2 packages I am awaiting!!! You better believe there will be swatches of Harlow, Savita and Roxy when they arrive. And don't be surprised if you see a Scotty Mac inspired mani soon! :) I love my Scottie Too Hottie <3 For those of you who don't know who he is check out his music here.
Here is a picture of Scott for you :)
NOTE: I tried the picture sizing thing on this blog. With the 2 foot pictures I had them link to a larger copy of the picture (If you click on it you will see). Let me know if this works better for you all. :) I didn't do this with Scott though. I just left him be. :)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Coming Soon: Zoya!!!
I received my order of Zoya from the BOGO promotion. Sadly 3 of my polishes are missing :( I sent an email and I know they are best sellers (Harlow, Savita and Roxy) so they may be out of stock and I am not too worried. On a happier note... I now have 12 Zoya's that I can swatch for all of you (all 8 of you) hehe.
I have the following colors:
Midori (which you have seen a couple of times)
Trixie
Vegas Freeze
The NEW ones: (and how they look to me in the bottle)
Jennifer -looks light brown :) - my name polish!
Penny - coppery, orange gold
Sienna - bright orange glitter
Shivon - very hard to describe gold, rose, brown?
Delilah - glittery red - one of my dog's name!
Lola - Pink with blue shimmer?
Jo - calming blue with subtle blue/silver shimmer
Juno - deep purple possibly duochrome?
Akyra - teal, blue/green
Would anyone be opposed to toe swatches??? :)
I have the following colors:
Midori (which you have seen a couple of times)
Trixie
Vegas Freeze
The NEW ones: (and how they look to me in the bottle)
Jennifer -looks light brown :) - my name polish!
Penny - coppery, orange gold
Sienna - bright orange glitter
Shivon - very hard to describe gold, rose, brown?
Delilah - glittery red - one of my dog's name!
Lola - Pink with blue shimmer?
Jo - calming blue with subtle blue/silver shimmer
Juno - deep purple possibly duochrome?
Akyra - teal, blue/green
Would anyone be opposed to toe swatches??? :)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Zombies Attack Halloween Konad
This is my entry for the Halloween Konad/Nail Art contest hosted by Sasse.
I applied 2-3 coats of Zoya Midori last night and did the Konad today. I stamped the blood splatters and drips first, then the Zombies. Does anyone else have trouble getting the Zombies to transfer to the stamper? I got the blood great! But the Zombies were a real pain!!! :-/ I have been wanting to use those Zombie Girls since I got the Konad! I recommend Zombie Girl eyeshadow by glittersniffer (on etsy) with this manicure. :)
The link to the contest is here.
There is about as week left I think. :) Hope you like it. Please comment and follow me!
I applied 2-3 coats of Zoya Midori last night and did the Konad today. I stamped the blood splatters and drips first, then the Zombies. Does anyone else have trouble getting the Zombies to transfer to the stamper? I got the blood great! But the Zombies were a real pain!!! :-/ I have been wanting to use those Zombie Girls since I got the Konad! I recommend Zombie Girl eyeshadow by glittersniffer (on etsy) with this manicure. :)
The link to the contest is here.
There is about as week left I think. :) Hope you like it. Please comment and follow me!
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