Birds Of A Feather!

Hellooooooo!!  Long time, no blog... sowwy :(

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, altho I think it's only been 1 week since my last post?  I have lots of mani's to share with you (202 photo's to shuffle thru!).  Today's mani features my attempt at a feather :)

Colors Used: Julep - Mandy, Patti and Brandt

I recieved Mandy in a 3 pack of polishes.  I really loved the color combo of the 3 polishes together (I think it was called to Bora Bora pack), so I made it an add-on for my January Maven Box.  Mandy is described as a "fresh, bright, deep coral-pink crème."  It's an interesting color...

My fat feather was inspired by a nail art tutorial I saw on YouTube... hers is way better lol.

So there you have it!

Check back tomorrow for my new pride and joy.  All I can say is the mani is out of this world!!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Tr-tr-tr-tr-tribal!

How's it goin' lovelies?

Today's mani is tribal inspired.  I saw this pattern on a blog that I can't seem to remember at the moment and I loved it (If it's yours please please tell me! I give credit where it's due haha)!  I used it recently on another mani as an accent nail and decided I would try it on all of my nails for fun.  I stuck with the blue theme for the week as I am continuing to spread the word about human trafficking...

 Colors Used: Julep - Fina and Mystery Blue

Fina only required one coat.  It's my favorite thing about frosty polishes... one coat that dries fast!  I then took my striping brush and applied my design.  It was very relaxing to just sit and carefully paint my nails.  I can see why artists love it so :)

These pics were taken without flash about 3 days after I had done this mani.  Hence the tip wear...

To continue with our journey of human trafficking... I found this really awesome organization/website called Not For Sale.  They have some amazing articles and awesome tools for people to utilize.  There is an interactive tool called the Slavery Map that you can use to report any trafficking that you might see in your neighboorhood.  You can also see other's reports and the outcome of the victim's story.  It's pretty fantastic!  I really hope that you take a moment to check it out :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Kinda Like Streamers?

Hello hello my wonderful readers!

Today's mani continues in the "blue" trend for the week :)

 Colors Used: Ulta - Inkblot Blue, Essie - Borrowed & Blue, Color Club - Hydrangea Kiss, Sinful Colors - Midnight Blue

2 coats of Inkblot as the base and then I used a striping brush to apply the streamers :)

A pic of my mani with my Cookie Monster onsie pj's that my daddy got me for Christmas lol.

 

 Tada!

I mentioned in yesterday's post that it is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  I want to do my part by spreading the word, if only through my blip on the interwebs.  So... what is human trafficking? 

"Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings mainly for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. Other purposes can be extraction of organs, or tissues or even surrogacy or ova removal." - Wikipedia.

 I first learned about trafficking during my senior year of high school.  A dear friend of mine who was studying to be a Social Worker shared stories with me and gave me some literature to read.  It changed my life.  I probably matured about 10 years in 3 weeks.  Just reading stories of young men and women who have to live that life... it's horrible.  You can read more about it here...

Until next time!

Stef <3

I'm Loving Taylor!

And no I don't mean Taylor Swift lol.  Hello lovelies!

The sickness has finally left me and I'm ready to do some blogging.  In my short absence I have certainly been painting my nails so I have a few mani's stored up, ready to be shared :)  Today it's all about Taylor...

 Colors Used: Julep - Taylor, Love & Beauty - Gold Tinsel

 I am in love with this polish!  Taylor is described at a deep-sky blue.  I like to think of it as a deep periwinkle :)  This is 2 coats with accents in gold glitter.

I loved this color so much that i went onto Julep's website to order another and... it's gone!  I can't find Taylor anywhere on their site.  Maybe she has been retired?  I don't really know...

I've never really been a huge fan of the color blue.  When this polish came in one of my many Julep orders this month (things got a little out of hand lol).  I wan't sure i was going to like it.  But once I put it on... *sigh* we're going to be life-long friends, Taylor and I haha.  

It also got me thinking about other blue polishes in my collection and seeing as it is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I'm going to be sharing "blue mani's" for the rest of the week.  I will also be sharing some info about Human Trafficking and how we all can get involved to help :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

I've Been Attacked By Highlighter's!!

Juuust kidding!  Hello dolls :)  I'm still sick.  Alas, that is the way of things and I'm hoping it shall pass soon...

In down time, I've been looking for new nail techniques and inspirations.  I've found a lot of things that I'm excited to try (and I will do my best to give credit where credit is due, as usual).  I am amazed at the things I've stumbled across on the inter-webs.  And so many great tutorials on YouTube!I saw a technique using a fan brush by Simple Nail Art Designs that I had to try...

Colors Used: Finger Paints - Inkblot Blue, China Glaze - Pool Party, China Glaze - Celtic Sun

Aaaahhhh I love it so much!!

 More after the jump...

Why Me??

Hello friends,

I'm writing this post in a medicated haze so forgive me if it comes out a bit jumbley-wumbley.  I have the flu.  3 days back to work and *wham!* the flu hits me.  It's pretty awful and I'll save you the ugly details, but it is the inspiration for today's nail art...

 Colors Used: Love & Beauty - Light Green, Rimmel - Black Satin

I had another mani ahead of this one to share with you but I got sick and was too achy to sit at my computer and post.  I will share that mani next week...

I chose to do lime green because... well, it is reminiscent of boogers lol.  The question mark is the "why me" portion.  I always seem to be the one that catches everything at my job and I can't stand it.  I plan on having a lecture with the kids next week on the importance of washing their hands, if only so Ms. Stefanie stops getting their germies.

On a side note... I broke the left corner off of the nail on my index finger Tuesday morning, while trying to put on my shoes.  With the help of silk wraps, nail glue and a piece of paper towel, I argue that it is the best looking nail on my whole hand now.  It's magical lol.

Until next time!

Stef <3

Willing Warmer Weather!

Brrrr, it's so cold!

Hey there peeps :)  How are we doing today?  Depending on where you live on the globe, you may be freezing like I am at the moment (please not that this post is being written a couple of days prior to being posted haha).  It is the coldest California winter that I have ever experienced and I am not pleased!  This long rant is a precursor for my mani, I promis lol.

This month's theme for Julep Maven Boxes is "Escape & Unwind", encouraging you to relax and think of warmer places.  The warmest place I could think of... Africs!!

 Colors Used: Julep - Bette and Ava

Bette is a Neon jelly that I probably should have put a white polish under... oh well!

2 coats of Ava, 3 coats of Bette and then some fiddling with my striping brush...

I'm pretty fond of this one, I might submit it for Julep's NOTD ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Cotton Candy Clouds

This is my 7th post in a roll... this streak could break at any time, I'm sure of it!  Haha ;)

Usually at this point, I'm burned out from painting/posting so I take a mini hiatus,  it's always my pattern and I don't mean for it to be.  I'm going to try being more consistent this year with 2-3 posts each week, but you'll forgive me if something goes awry right?

Well today's mani is a very girly, "cloud" design...

 Colors Used: Julep - Lauren and Barbara

It's pink... crazy, huh??  I'm trying my best to wear my untried polishes ;)

  

With a rounded anail-art brush, i painted 2 coats of Lauren.  I then manipulated Barbara, using about 3 coats of polish.  While Barbara looks like a compacted glitter in the bottle, it takes a few coats to reach opacity.  I would recommend using a fuchsia polish underneath to save some time :)

Very glittery, very girly... very NOT me!  Lol.  I wore this mani for all of one day :D

That's all for now chickadee's...

Until next time! 

Stef <3

Chruch Mani: Taupe of the World!

Happy Sunday :)

I haven't posted a Church Mani since November!  With the holidays and all I just didn't have the time to devote special mani's for Sunday's.  But I do now :)  The title of this post comes from the name of the polish that dominates this mani...

 Colors Used: Elf - Taupe of the World, Elf - Blushing Beauty

I applied 2 coats of each color and then I used my striping brush to free-hand the design.  I don't know how I managed to have tip wear on my nails while I was sleeping... I literally did this mani before I went to bed!

I feel like there are lots of different ideas as to what the color taupe actually is.  In my opinion, taupe should be a little lighter than this in color, with a purplish-grey undertone.  Kind of like Essie's Chinchilly.  I do really like this color tho :)

 

Well, I hope you all have a fabulous day and...

Until next time!

Stef <3

If At First You Don't Succeed...

Good morning, all!

Today's mani, in my personal opinion, was a total bust!  But I decided long ago that I would share the good and the bad of my nail art *sigh*...

 Colors Used: Julep - Trina and Harper

Ok, so I was going for a glitter gradient from the base...

 It just turned out looking like a hot mess!  So, then I said to myself, "Self... put a matte top coat on it!  What's the worst that could happen?"

More pics after the jump....

I Loves Me A Dirty Martini!

Four days in a row!  Wooooo!!  It's like a record or something lol

Today's mani is inspired by my current drink of choice and a post that I saw by Jocelyn at Polishpedia.  I have been on a Dirty Martini kick for a few weeks now.  Whenever I'm out to grab a drink with my hubby/friends it's what I gravitate towards, which doesn't make much sense because overall I can't stand olives lol...

 Colors Used: China Glaze - For Audrey, Rimmel - Black Satin, Julep - Barbara

I orginally wanted to use an olive-green polish as the base until I realized... I don't have one!  Over 250 polishes and I don't have an olive-green??  Absurd!  It's on my list of buys now...

I had to spice it up a little with a dab of Barbara en lieu of an olive :) 

Here's a recipe for a Dirty Martini, in case you want to give them a try ;)...

3 oz vodka
1 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz olive brine (I like mine extra dirty, with 1 oz olive brine)

Until next time!

Stef <3