Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Turkey Day!



Julep - Candace
Maybelline - Bold Gold
BM04 - leaves

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
- Henry Van Dyke

Friday, November 22, 2013

The Day of the Doctor - a fandom nail art post

WARNING - YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A FANDOM POST. 

WHILE READING THIS POST, YOU MAY BE EXPOSED TO OR EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: DOCTOR WHO JARGON, GIRLISH SQUEALING, EXTERMINATION, TORCHWOOD REFERENCES, A STRONG DESIRE OR IMPULSE TO TRAVEL AND EXPLORE THE WORLD/UNIVERSE, MORE GIRLISH SQUEALING, SUDDEN DESIRE TO RUN AWAY WITH THE DOCTOR, THE NEED TO BE CALLED STORMAGEDDON DARK LORD OF ALL, INTENSE CRAVINGS FOR FISH FINGERS AND CUSTARD, FEAR OF BLINKING, EXTREME HAPPINESS AND THE URGE TO SAY ALLONSY, BRILLIANT, I'M SORRY...I'M SO SORRY, GERONIMO, AND/OR TIMEY WIMEY.


YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

..............................................................................................................................
 Hi all! So for those of us dorks, geeks, fan girls/guys, BBC lovers and scifi followers, tomorrow is an extremely important day. Specifically, it is the day of the doctor.

What does this mean you ask? Well if you have been following the British TV series, Doctor Who, you know that tomorrow is the 50th anniversary episode of our favorite T.V. show. The series began in 1963 with William Hartnell as the very first doctor. The show ran from 1963-1989, stopped, started again in 1996, stopped again and relaunched in 2005. Doctor Who has been consistently shown since then and has introduced us to Doctor's 9, 10, and 11, respectively Christopher Eccleston, David Tenant, and Matt Smith. This scifi series, which originally began as a black and white 30 minute show, has truly evolved over the years. This show has led to the creation of Doctor Who related movies, books, comics, action figures, toy sonic screw drivers and even toy plush Dalek's that shout "Exterminate!!!" when you squeeze them. 
All thanks to the good doctor. 

And in honor of the 50th anniversary, I came up with this nail design, inspired by the Varnished Valkyrie


But before we get to the art.

So I don't want to bore you with too much history and chances are those of us who follow the show, already know most of what I have just mentioned. But in writing this post, I kept thinking, how am I supposed to describe the awesomeness of this show? I mean, technically it's about an alien called a Time Lord who has two hearts and looks like a human who travels around in time and space with a companion in a box called the Tardis which makes a whooshing noise.

But really, it's so much more than that. Why is The Doctor so important (even as a fictional character) to so many people? Well for me, its this. 

By all means, The Doctor is an ordinary man. Yes, he can regenerate (almost never die) and yes he has the Tardis to help  him travel. But ignoring all that, he is an ordinary man. He has no job,  no money, and no famous friends. He doesn't have a million dollar mansion, a Lamborghini, fancy suits...actually he wears the same clothes everyday. He isn't a talented singer (not like John Barrowman *girlish squeal*) and his dancing abilities are questionable. He isn't a businessman, a lawyer, or even a real doctor. I mean really, for a scifi show, he doesn't even have supernatural powers (levitation, orbing, telekinesis). The truth is he doesn't seem to have much, except for a sonic screwdriver...which might I add doesn't even work on wood. He doesn't have many of the things we tend to hold to high esteem or strive for in our current society. So what is it that has so many people hooked on this show?

Well for me, what's so beautiful about the idea of The Doctor is that even as someone who is pretty ordinary, he still manages to do extraordinary things and inspires those around him to do the same. He takes regular, ordinary people and shows them they have much more in them than they may have believed. He doesn't need weapons, money, or power, to beat the Daleks, Sontarans, or Cybermen.  Rather, when a situation seems impossible, he relies on his friends, knowledge, and ultimately his faith to fight his way to the next episode. He has a tireless stock pile of faith in humanity and a frightening determination.  Ultimately, he represents never ending hope.

Of course, as a TV show, The Doctor is always going to win.We wouldn't love The Doctor if he lost every battle. And to be fair, the level of optimism in the T.V. series (just try your hardest and never give up) doesn't always translate to real life. But perhaps, in some situations, we can learn a lesson from The Doctor and his companions. Think outside the box, attempt the impossible, and persevere despite the difficulty of your situation...and see what happens. You never know. And of course, don't forget your sonic screwdriver...even though it doesn't work on wood....

And despite the shows optimism (everything always turns out alright in the end), the show is not without it's loses...Rose, Amy and Rory, the woman The Doctor fell in love with when he was a human,  the blonde woman from the titanic, and the teenager who worked with the Santorans, just to name a few. The message behind this? In every war we fight, in every battle we win, we sometimes lose something along the way.  If you really want to achieve something, sometimes sacrifices (time, effort, etc.) have to be made. Sounds like real life to me.

But that's just me. I am in no way affiliated with BBC or Doctor Who except as a huge fan, so that's just my opinion. But anyway.

That's enough talking. Now onto the nail art! Allons-y!

What else is special about this mani? The color I used for this mani is actually my very first indie polish purchase! I purchased this polish a few weeks ago from LynBDesigns which can be found on Etsy. I tend to stay away from indies (even though I love them) because they tend to be super expensive. However, this little beauty was on sale, so I thought, why not? Also, can we talk about the name of the polish...Time and Relative Dimension in Space aka Tardis? How perfect for the 50th anniversary!

Time and Relative Dimension in Space is a stunning navy blue jelly polish with tiny silver and blue square sparkles. The picture directly below comes from LynBDesigns Etsy website. As you can see with two coats, this color is is not completely opaque, but has a Jelly like quality to it.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/98486163/time-and-relative-dimension-in-space?ref=shop_home_active
For my design, I first did one coat of Essie's Midnight Cami, which is a shimmery navy blue polish (basically the same color as Time and Relative Dimension in Space, just without the sparkles). Then I did one coat of Time and Relative Dimension in Space, to make my mani completely opaque. Look at those sparkles! Love it! <3


And because the T.V. series would be incomplete without the Daleks (those suckers always manage to worm their way back through a rift or alternate universe), I had to add a Dalek on my ring finger, which I affectionately named Dalek Bob (after Angel Bob in The Time of Angels episode). Dalek Bob was painted using Revlon's Star, which is a smoky black/gray polish with a bit of shimmer to it. I used some nail striping tape to separate the Dalek's head from it's body. Then, I added some Swarovski crystals (purchased from the born pretty store) to make the Dalek's eye and to recreate the hemispheres (bumps) on their bodies. 


And here is my trusty sonic screwdriver (belonging to the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith) which  my boyfriend bought me for my birthday. I like to bring it to work with me and point it at people when they are getting on my nerves. It lights up and makes the whirring noise and everything! Thankfully, my boss is also a HUGE Doctor Who fan, so I don't get in too much trouble....but I do get weird looks from the rest of my coworkers : )

So that's the end of this ridiculously long post! But if you made your way through the entire thing, congrats and thanks for reading!

And now I want to hear from you! 
What's your favorite Doctor Who episode?
Whose your favorite villain? 
Who would you like to see the doctor fight next?

Pick a question and leave me a comment!

Like what you see? Check out my other designs on pinterest and tumblr!


Awesome Doctor Who Art <3
Adipose Nail Art
Dalek Nail Art
The 11th Doctor
Bad Wolf
The Silence


“The universe is big. It’s vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles.”
                          - The Doctor, Season 5, Episode 12

LynBDesigns - Time and Relative Dimension in Space
Essie -  Midnight Cami
Revlon - Black Star
Swarovskri Crystals - Born Pretty Store

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Fools Gold - Vintage Mani

So today I have a new technique to show you. Most of you have probably heard about it at one point or another, but this was my first time testing it out.



At first glance, when you look at this mani, it might look like I used gold leaf.

HAHA! Tricked you!


For this mani, the technique I actually used is the saran wrap method. In order to get this look, I first painted my base using Mellow Khaki, a soft green/gray creme. Once my base coat had dried completely, I applied one coat of Bold Gold (a metallic gold polish). As soon as I finished this coat, I took a crinkled ball of saran wrap and dabbed on my nail a few times while the gold polish was still very wet. And ta - da! The saran wrap removed some of the wet polish, leaving some of the base coat showing through. I added some glitter and top coat and BAM!
Instant vintage nails!



What I love about this mani is how vintagey it looks. Not 1980's vintage, more like, old painted dresser vintage. Something you might find in an antique shop or in your grandma's attic.

Thanks for stopping by! Like what you see? Check out my tumblr and pinterest for more designs!



KleanColor – Mellow Khaki
Maybelline – Bold Gold
Wet and Wild – The Gold and the Beautiful
Sally Hansen – Copper Penny



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Keep Calm, Paint On - Free Handed Corner Flower

So I know we have all heard some pretty wacky nail polish names. Lonesome Dove, Jail Bait, Breakfast in Red, My Silicone Popped....just to name a few. Even the main color  I used in this mani is kinda weird...it's called Gym Dandy...what does that even mean?

Anywway...of all the different nail polish names I have heard of, I have to say the one I used for this mani is one of my favorites. I would like to introduce you to the lovely pale blue on my ring finger called, "Keep Calm, Paint On."


For this mani, I mainly  used Essie's Gym Dandy. I would say this grey/brown creme is definiely not your average attention grabber but would suit someone who is more into earthy/neutral tones. Over Gym Dandy, I painted Revlon's Stunning,a polish with a clear base and lovely tiny silver sparkles.

For my ringer finger I used China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On, a light blue creme with a tiny bit of shimmer. To create the flower in the corner I first drew the 4 petals using a regular nail polish brush. Then using a small black striper, I outlined the four petals to give them more definition. Finally, I painted (using a regular nail brush) the center of the flower with Gym Dandy and Stunning..and Voila...


What do you think?

So that's it for today! Like this design? Check out some of my other nail art designs on pinterest or tumblr


Sally Hansen  - Black Out
China Glaze - Keep Calm, Paint On
Petites -  Peach Blush
Essie - Gym Dandy
Revlon - Stunning

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mystery Essie

Happy Thursday everyone! It's around 2 o'clock and if I don't get coffee soon, I might fall asleep in the middle of this post. But before that happens...

I wanted to share with you a mani I did a few weeks ago. I have to say I really, really like this one, which is kinda funny because normally I would think something like this was too boring. But what I have found is that sometimes I get so caught up in trying to be creative and keeping up with all of the fabulous nail artists out there, that I forget to appreciate colors simply for what they are. 

And this color definitely needs to be appreciated. 

So what is this fabulous color, you ask? 

Well actually...I have no idea! haha I picked up the Essie (base) and this glitter polish (topcoat) at a flea market for a total of $4 a few weeks ago (score!). The Kleancolor polish is called Chunky Holo Bluebell, and as you can see, is a gorgeous glitter. It has a clear, slightly purple tinted base, filled with small (but not minute) pieces of holographic glitter that shift colors according to how you look at it. The Essie on the other hand, was unlabeled, hence the title of this post. 


 So after looking at the Essie website and eliminating some colors, the two I decided this color came closest to were, Bouncer its me! and Butler Please. I really think it might be Butler Please, but whenever I compare it to Bouncer, It's Me!, I change my mind. But anyway, I love love love this color. It's a vibrant blue creme, so blue, it's almost purple. When I threw on the glitter topcoat, some of the purple hues came out even more.



Tell me this glitter isn't fabulous!


And so you guys can get a really good idea of the color changing quality of the glitter, I took this photo in doors with flash...not sure why my hand came out so yellow...


Like this design? Check out my others on facebook!


Essie - Bouncer its me! or Butler Please
KleanColor - Chunky Holo Bluebell





Friday, November 1, 2013

First Floral Manicure!

Hello my lovies! I hope you all survived Halloween without becoming possessed, frightened, haunted, or nauseated from eating way too many sweets.

I don't even want to talk about how much candy I had yesterday...
but just to give you an idea...
...yea...I don't want to talk about it...so moving on...

Being that the past few weeks, most of the nail blogs have been filled with witches, bleeding cuticles, eyeballs, classic movie monsters, and candy corn,  I thought this manicure might be a nice change of pace.


Super floral and girly, I know. But I wanted to work on my free handing a little and I figured flowers were an easy way to go. And not too shabby for my first free handed flowers...What do you think?

To get this look, I first painted the creme blue base (Revlon's, Minted) on my nails and let that dry. Then for each flower, I started by first placing a nice big polish dot in the center. While the dot was still wet and movable, using the dotting tool, I placed the tool in the center of the dot puddle. From here, I pushed out from the center of the dot, in different directions 4 - 5 times, which created 4-5 petals for each flower. Then I placed another singular dot (yellow) in the center of each flower and voila! 


So thats my short post for today! I have to go sleep off this sugar hangover  X_X

As always, if you like what you see, become a fan and follow me!
https://www.facebook.com/OnWednesdaysWeWearPolish

Revlon - Minted
China Glaze - Sunshine Pop
China Glaze Texture - Toe Tally Textured  (orange)
Wet and Wild - Tropicalia (pink)
Dotting Tool