Circus! Circus!

 Hello, Fireflies!

Our penultimate challenge this month is Circus Day.  I haven't been to a circus since I was a little kid.  What I remember most vividly about it was going to the bathroom with my friend and she ditched me there.  I couldn't remember how to get back to my seat, and I was pissed and a little scared, and an usher had to help me find my friend and her dad out of the thousands of people there.

Probably why I didn't go to the circus again...

Deep breath.  Clean slate with Revlon Spirit, a lovely white.  I topcoated it with Rica Glossy Glam, so it's shiny and hard, too.  I was gifted with a bottle of Glossy Glam from Ricarda, and I must say, I really like it!  It is a thin, smooth topcoat that flows effortlessly over the nail and dries fast and glossy. It makes a great surface to stamp on, too.  The only thing I can't speak to is longevity, because I change my polish so often.

There probably isn't going to be a better time to use this Winstonia W209 stamping plate than a circus challenge! All circus/fair type images! I stamped with Finger Paints Black Expressionism.

I took a bunch of stripers and played Coloring Book.  My husband said it was like a color-by-numbers!

 I added SOPI Meet Me At The Disco for a sparkly finish.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Finger Paints Black Expressionism, stripers in red, metallic pink, and glitters in purple, gold, and green, and SOPI Meet Me At The Disco.

Do you have happy memories of going to a circus or fair?

An InLinkz Link-up

Peace Out!

 Hello, Fireflies!

I'm going to show my ignorance here... I didn't know there was a Peace Day.  Turns out, there's a World Peace Day, and an International Day of Peace.  I'm all about letting my inner hippie out, though, and peace-ing out today.

I've been wanting to try Drew Barrymore's Flower brand for a while, and this lovely came in my Allure Beauty Box! This is Good Bud-dy, a groovy teal blue.

 I wanted a colorful, but distressed look for my background, so I went with the grunge technique, popularized by Chalkboard Nails.  I used Cult Nails New Day (yellow) and Evolution (peach) and Finger Paints Get Real-ism (purple) for the soft, floaty...peaceful.. background.

Doves are the symbol for peace, right? And I happened to get this image on my new set of stamps from Winstonia.  I stamped this with Milani White On The Spot and Winstonia W205.

I also hand-drew a peace sign.  OMG, circles are HARD, y'all.

Glitter, on the other hand, is easy.  China Glaze Fairy Dust gives my doves an ethereal glow...

Does this say "Peace Day" to you?  Or does it just say, "Peace sign, bird, stripey colors, bird, bird, glitter?"

I really like that grunge technique.  So easy - just use an almost dry brush to paint bits of color.

Bottle shot:  Flower Good Bud-dy,  Cult Nails New Day and Evolution, Finger Paints Get Real-ism. Milani White On The Spot, and China Glaze Fairy Dust.

Did you know about Peace Day?  I think I'll celebrate with a cocktail and a hammock, which sounds peaceful to me.  What about you?

An InLinkz Link-up

Memorial Day Skittles

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's post is a combination of two challenges - Celebrating Memorial Day, and skittle nails for the NCC.  So, I give you my Memorial Day Skittle:

I wanted to do a traditional Red, White, and Blue theme (Sinful Colors Embers Only, LynBDesigns Old St. Nick, and Pupa 701) but I also wanted to recognize the somberness of the occasion; hence, the Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

And stars, because I gotta stick something on my nails, right?

Bottle shot:  Sinful Colors Embers Only, LynBDesigns Old St. Nick, and Pupa 701, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and my little dollar store bottle of stars.

If you're celebrating this Monday, please take a moment to remember those who gave all in service to their country.

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

Not Your Typical Graduation Manis

Hello, Fireflies!

When I started preparing for this challenge, I starting thinking about nail art like mortar boards and diplomas.  Then, I realized I had the *perfect* nail art to show you.  A few weeks ago, one of my friends graduated with her Masters' degree, and the day before the big ceremony, she had a little party.  I did a few manis for the graduate and her friends and family, and in return, I got to eat some of the best grilled chicken I'd ever had.

None of the girls had experienced stamped nails before, so most of them were eager to try it! Their reactions were priceless - like I had just done some wand-waving magic over their nails!

The graduate, Chelsea, loves purple, so she chose Sinful Colors Enchanted as her base, and Essie No Place Like Chrome for the stamp. 

Our friend, Carolyn. wanted seahorses over a glittery blue base, so I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Blue By! with OPI In True Stefani Fashion for most of the nails.

Again, I used Essie No Place Like Chrome for the stamp.  Sea horsies!

The Mother-of-the-Graduate had a gorgeous floral blouse with blues and purples, so I painted her nails with Sally Hansen Salon Trouble Maker, a soft blue-toned violet, and dabbed some L'Oreal The Shift Me, a pink iridescent color-changing topcoat over it.  POP Beauty purple glitter went over everything.  So festive!

Last, but not least, was the Graduate's sister.  She wanted a gradient, but I forgot my sponges, so I did a dabbing gradient of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Jumping Jade (which is really more teal to me, than jade..) over Sinful Colors Nice Stems, a light blue.  I used Milani White On The Spot to stamp some simple flowers.

It felt great to give my friend a very unique and special graduation present! We all had a great time chatting and doing nails, and I'm going to miss her now that she's graduated!

An InLinkz Link-up

Party On! #NailArtForNubs

 Hello, Fireflies!

It's time to Party On! Party on, Wayne, party on, Garth!

What says party more than red? How about OPI's red with Gwen Stefani - Over and Over a-Gwen? A true, classic tomato red:

To that red, I say we add a disco ball! OPI In True Stefani Fashion is a glitterbomb of silver and holo in tiny hexes and medium squares.

If it's a formal party, that means Black Tie, right? 

I love sticking things on my nails.

What are your go-to party nails?

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday Stamping - For Mom

 Hello, Fireflies!

I'm combining two challenges today - Adventures in Stamping is over a pink base.  Check! Too Cute-icle Bikini is a bright pink scattered holo.

Challenge Your Nail Art's week-long challenge is all about celebrations! Today, we're celebrating moms. So, my first stamp (done with Finger Paints Black Expressionism and Anna's Nail Art W228) is a tattoo-style heart-mom!

My mom loves hummingbirds and flowers, so that's the theme for the rest of the mani.  Plate W202 from Winstonia has this cute hummingbird that I had the *worst* time getting to work.  I originally wanted metallic hummingbirds.  Nope, none would work! Finally, I got the black to work, and dabbed a little Dollish Polish It's Bigger On The Inside on it for a little blue glitter.

My mom also loves jewelry, so I got out my Profound Glassworks crushed synthetic opal topcoat.  It's subtle, but you can see the bits of red and green opal over the black!

My mom has always loved gardening.  When my folks moved to Florida, she left behind a ton of flowers and trees, and a thriving tomato garden back in Virginia.  I think of all the things she left behind, that was the hardest for her.  Now, she's starting over again, and already the flowers are blooming all around their new house. 

Hers are much prettier and smell better than the pseudo-acrylic flowers I attached to my nails!

I bought these flowers from Winstonia, but you can get similar ones on Ebay and the like.  They're kinda rubbery, actually, not true acrylic flowers.

Bottle shot: Too Cute-icle Bikini, Profound Glassworks crushed synthetic opal topcoat. Finger Paints Black Expressionism, and Dollish Polish It's Bigger On The Inside.

Flowers, hearts, and hummingbirds are my homage to Mommy! What would be a part of your Mommy Mani?

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday Holo Spam - Indie Purple Edition!

Hello, Fireflies! 

Welcome to Saturday Spam! I have a few purple holos to show you today, all wonderful in their own way!

I Love Nail Polish Kings & Queens. Royal purple holo goodness.  Have you seen the new Summer holos? They're on presale now.  I couldn't resist getting a few.  Her polishes are buttery!

Aly's Dream Polish  Intense Blurple.  When Aly does a pre-sale, it's amazing! She puts everything up, and will make it to order.  She doesn't use Spectraflair, and most of her holos are scattered holo.  Look at this amazing pigmentation!

The Devil Wears Polish Lady Marmalade.  This picture doesn't do it justice - it's complex, with purple and pink holo flame. Her polishes tend to be a little on the thick side, but not gloopy.

Girly Bits Ho-Ho-Hope.  Forever a GB fan! This was part of her holiday collection, and it's a gorgeous purple.  In the next picture, I add to it!

Joss In A Violet Haze.  This is a white glitter holo with a purple shimmer.  Looks great over Ho-Ho-Hope!

And a bottle shot of Girly Bits Ho-Ho-Hope, and Joss In A Violet Haze.  Don't the purples match beautifully?

Do you love purple like I love purple? Have you tried any of these Indie brand polishes?