Copycat tutorial - Chalkboard Nails

Ahhhhh this was so much fun!  Chalkboard Nails has a couple of great tutorials, including her Beauty and the Beach Summer Nail Art tutorial!  When I saw it I was all like, "I CAN DO THAT."  Well, sorta.  Not as good as hers but it was still pretty awesome!  I used Essie Sand Topaz for the base sand, OPI Alpine Snow for the pinkie, index, and thumb base.  Other colors used for accents were China Glaze For Audrey and OPI Cajun Shrimp. Cuuuuuute, right?

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 11 - Polka Dots

Polka dots!  Hurray for fun-ness!  I enjoyed this challenge and I got A LOT of compliments on it at work.  Everyone asked me if they were decals, and I said nope, look at my right hand and see how messy it is in comparison to my left HAH! Anyway, nothing fantastically flashy but I think my dotting technique has gotten a lot more consistent and for that I'm pretty proud!  I used China Glaze For Audrey and Sally Hansen White Out for this look.

 Check out the lovely ladies of Challenge 2012

31 Day Challenge - Black and White nails

Fun fact: I was about 20 before I got the "black and white and read all over" joke. I didn't understand why it was red, newspapers aren't red!  Anyway, OPI apparently posted a tutorial on these nails, which I did not see until after I had done them! Oh well, they are a little messier but I like the result! Mah MUSTACHE nails are 1 coat Sally Hensen Xtreme Wear White On or Black Out with one coat Different Dimension Selene then topped with a free hand mustache.

How very mustach-y

My favorites thus far!  I need to clean them up with some practice but I'll be doing this again!  MUSTACHE NAILS (try saying it without smiling!)