31 Day Challenge: Day 13 - Animal Print

So I'm sitting around the table at lunch today with this manicure, and the topic goes to my nails.  One girl grabbed my hand and said, "You changed your polish AGAIN.  What did you do this time?  Is that a sticker?"  I said no, it's a stamp/stencil technique.  Another girl said "Oh my God, where do you find the time for that" (hear the disdain in her voice).

I know that this hobby is seen as flippant, indulgent, and even vain.  I have struggled with this a little bit as of late, because during this challenge I am doing new nails every day, and I like to wear them to work.  But I did not realize how many judgments I would get because of it.  What's with the comments I wonder?

I have a daughter who is 4 and I usually do my nails after I tuck her in at night.  Does this make me lazy or inattentive to her?  Do people think that I am a bad mother because they assume that I am ignoring her whilst I polish my nails?  Or perhaps they believe I should be the sacrificial mother, who does not take care of herself because she gives everything to her children.  Should I neglect to get my hair cut, or put on makeup, or any of the other things I do to take care of myself because I will draw attention to myself and thereby, others will make a judgment on my parenting?

I am the first to admit, I am no happy housewife.  I work full time in a very physical job and I come home to a house that is not in the least bit clean, but is certainly not dangerous or disgusting (pleasantly cluttered, as I call it).  I do not like cleaning or cooking so once I get home, I am all about my daughter until she goes to bed, then I fold clothes, or wash the dishes, or do my nails (more of the last one lately)

I don't know why this has me so upset. I guess I just realized this little hobby of  mine is not seen as such a positive thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Breathe!

Now, here are my fabulous, amazing, semi-chipped nails that are supposed to look like snake scales.  I used Sephora Completely Fern-ished (3 coats, this stuff was runny!) and Sally Hansen Golden-I for the stencil.  The plate is BM 208.  For extra weirdness, I painted some eyes on my accent nail with Finger Paints Art Nouv-Yellow and Essie Licorice

Before nail art

31 Day Challenge: Day 12 - Stripes

Day 12 is stripes, and just in time for my new stamper! I bought a basic stamp kit from the beauty shop, but I also ordered Bundle Monster #200 plates - yessssss. Of course I had to play with it right away. I picked BM 201 and polished my nails up with Sephora Call Your Mother.  For the stamp pattern I used China Glaze Platinum Silver.  The entire stamp did not transfer to the nail, but I think that is more user error.  Also, I don't feel like this particular combo works very well.  I tried so hard to use Essie Penny Talk work, but it just wouldn't transfer on the stamp very well, so I had to do with the silver (which doesn't look as rich to me).

31 Day Challenge: Day 8 - Metallic Nails

Black Gold! Texas T!

Day 8 means metallic nails.  I couldn't think of what to do, until I spotted scrapbooking scissors that I use to create borders for pictures.  I cut either side of a strip of tape to create a wave strip.  Then I placed it on each nail at different wave crests on Essie Licorice and topped over tape with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I.  If I were to do this again, I would try to be more uniform, but I wanted to experiment!   It kind of looks like the magnetic polish patterns, doesn't it?

Some day I will learn to paint the left side of my nail *sigh*

If I get a little better at these, I think they might make a good tutorial.  What do you guys think?