Happy Year End 2013!!!

Hi girls and lovely friends and followers! This, my last post of 2013, wishes you all the very best for 2014 – may only good things and good experiences visit your doorstep. For my year-end mani I chose simple elegance: a-england's Avalon from her Mythicals collection. A true royal purple (two coats of it!). This was then topped with a coat of Orly Can't be Tamed (a purple and black glitter), and a nice heaping of OPI's 18K Man with the Golden Gun. Let's end the year in style, eh???

Looking back at all of mine and other posts this last year I am so proud and surprised at what I have personally accomplished, but also at what I have seen others create. Of course there is much room for improvement and growth, the path, though, is a strong one. I have put together some of my favourite manis and blog posts on this page (page here). My nail polish collection has grown, I now have a studio area to work and play in, and I have meet many kindred spirits in the nail art community.

stash 31 dec 2013

This year is ending differently than I imagined. The future of my wee café is very much uncertain. Decisions about this have caused many sleepless nights and much dilemma. I think the weeks may be counted, certainly the months. It makes me very sad to perhaps see it go as I put all my love and thought and ideas and life and money into it. Windows close, doors open.

my wee café

Towards the end of the year I decided to go online with my jewelry – perhaps an open window. I had been making earrings, rings and pendants and selling at the café. In my little PANZ group here in NZ, some girls started doing jewelry, and I noticed they went online. A gf suggested selling online as well, so I started wee shops. I have one on felt.co.nz (nz based handmade craft faire) and on etsy (a global handmade marketplace).

my shop on felt

my shop on etsy

So, my friends, I close now for a glass – or two or three – of bubbles (even the good stuff of Moet!), some cheese and baguette, pizza, perhaps a movie with the Mr and a feeling of love. Even if the last weeks have been strained, I live the life I love and love the life I live. Focus on the beautiful positive. Peace and cheers my friends!

200th post! Hand painted green skittlette

This is my 200th post!!! I am slowly coming up on one year of blogging (29 Sept) and in honour of all my new found friends, ideas, "success" I will be starting the 31 day nail challenge on 1 Oct. Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for giving me inspiration and for reading my little ramblings about life, nails and love - oh, and travel!
Hands down, I love this mani! Not to toot my own horn and all that - but I love it! I am so happy with the flowers (on my second outing) and just love all the green.

I started with the flower part of the skittle. Figuring, if that goes downhill I can change plan mid game. My base is two coats of Butter London All Hail the Queen (a totally fab nude shimmer). I wanted to darker this a bit so thought up this pk-esque way of adding depth. I dropped Layla Coffee Love on the nails, let it sit a sec then sponged around them. That gave me a flecked base for the flowers.

I wanted a darker green than the leafy green I have in my acrylic set. Here is the link to the set off BPS as it really is good, inexpensive and easy to use (link). I used the green supplied and mixed it with royal blue and black to create a dark green. Then I meshed this with white for the flowers.

I drew some random flowers (the one stroke approach) then used a small brush just dipped in black for the stems. I am still not happy with that brush, not tiny enough. I need to go through my brushes and sort them all. I seem to have brushes everywhere and just grab what is in front. Used a toothpick for the white dots. I quickly top coated this before moving on.

This skittlette is again ABBCC = two sets of identical nails and one accent. So the flowers are BB. For CC I applied my new - and totally groovy gorgeous! - Layla hologram Emerald Divine! I did not base coat, but did buff. I hadn't buffed my nails in a while so did that. I applied two coats of ED. This is probably a bit lighter than I thought it would be, but it is just beautiful. Thank you CandyGirl for finally getting this in stock!!! I think Layla makes the best holos - so elegant, super shiny. I have four now and all are great. My A accent nail is piCture pOlish Kryptonite - another great holo.

I am even happy with my right hand flowerwise! Even the Mr said, these look like flowers! Last time he thought they were blobs! Sorry for all the pics, but they are too beautiful (will die of big ego soon haha!!).