Sweet Candy Valentines #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's nailart is so sweet, it'll give you a toothache! 

Moody Valentine #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's nailart still features lots of hearts, but on a darker, moodier background.  Almost Anti-Valentine's Day, but not quite!

Hearts and Chains #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Chain, chain, chain.. chain of fools..

All You Need Is Love #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Today, I'm combining hearts and words for a Valentine's message! 

Hearts and Lace #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Is it still Sunday Stamping, if I post on a Monday?  I really like this stamping nailart, and hope you do, too!

Chain Of Hearts #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

Time for some more nailart today!  It's a little bit of failed double-stamping, and some cute heart recovery.

14 Days of Valentines - Handpainted Hearts #14DaysofValentines

Hello, Fireflies!

I admit, I think Valentines' Day is a Hallmark holiday.  We should be showing the people we love how we care for them all year long.  Still, 14 days is better than 1 day of Valentines!

14 Days of Valentines - Holo Hearts #‎14DaysofValentines‬

Hello, Fireflies!

I've joined a few other bloggers for a challenge that is bringing out the romantic girl in me.  I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve (and on my nails!) for the next two weeks to bring you (up to) 14 days of Valentines!

Candy is Dandy But Dandi Is Cleaner #dandicreations

Press Sample.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I love scented bath products, and there's something even more special about handmade ones.  Each ingredient hand-picked for a particular skin-loving reason, and a touch of unique scent to remind you that this isn't any ordinary experience!

Pink and Glittery Hearts

Hello, Firefilies!

It's not Valentines' Day... but I couldn't help stamping some hearts to go with today's Sunday Stamping theme, "over a pink glitter."  I chose two different stamps, but it's all hearts and glitter!

Wearing my heart and Konjac on a string..#wonderpiel

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I've been reviewing a lot of different konjac sponges lately, and this one is the last I have in the queue.  I've shown you round white ones, and round green ones, round black ones, pointed red ones, and today's is a pointed black one from Wonderpiel.

Happy Valentines' Day!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today is Valentines' Day, the day all about hearts and love.  I think it's a Hallmark Holiday that only served to make me feel miserable when I was single, and to drive up the price of flowers and chocolate.

But, I like having an excuse to do heart nail art, so here we go!

Love Actions

 Hello, Fireflies!

When I was thinking about today's challenge, Love Letters, I kept coming back to the idea of actions being stronger than words.  The love 'letters' I'm going to show you are the letters I create with nail polish for some of the people I love.

Love that color!

 Hello, Fireflies!

Today's challenge is about the color I love.  Well, my favorite color is midnight blue, but it's hard to find a perfect midnight blue polish that doesn't go too black.  Plus, it doesn't really say 'Valentine's' to me.  So, I picked my husband's favorite color, purple.

Sunday Stamping - Hearts and Bars

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge is to celebrate Valentines' Day.  I like flowers and chocolates as much (or more) than most, but I like them better the day after Valentines' Day, when they're cheaper.  I do like breaking out all the hearts and flowers nail art, though!

Sunday Stamping - Broken Heart

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures in Stamping challenge was to use pink and black.  I've been gearing up to do some Valentines' Day manis, and thought this might be a great opportunity to do a 'broken heart' one with these colors.

Monsters In Love - Frankenstein's Monster and Bride

Hello, Fireflies!

If you saw yesterday's patchwork mani, and with today's Frankenstein's Monster and Bride mani, you might sense a theme - that Halloween monsters are known for being stitched badly!  Was no one proud of their craftsmanship?

Today's mani is inspired by this Pinterest roundup post - they couldn't identify the original artist, and neither can I, but if you can point me in the right direction, I'll be happy to give credit!

I decided to add the hearts because they are monsters in lurve.  Look how they have goo-goo eyes for each other... You could break out this design for an alternative Valentines' Day mani!

Bottle shot:  Sally Hansen White Tip mixed with Revlon Spirit, Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!, Revlon Cherries In The Snow, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and stripers in black and white.

Is there a romantic side to your Halloween?  My husband and I like to do couples' costumes!  One year, we were stereotypical tourists, another year we were 'Old and Retired' Han Solo and Princess Leia..

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

Minion Party!

Hello, Fireflies!

You may remember that a while ago, I had a friend ask me to paint Minions on her nails, so I practiced and did a set for her. (You can see my post on my Minion nail art here.)

Well, her friend had a Minion-themed party, and invited me to come! There was a big Minion cake!

And there were Minion cupcakes! With REAL Twinkies!

My contribution was to paint a few of the girls' nails.  The hostess wanted, of course, Minion nails, which I was more than happy to do. 

Everyone was duly impressed that I gave some of the Minions teeth.  I have to say, that's one of my favorite details!

These turned out so cute! I love them.  The colors I used to make the Minions:  Zoya Pippa, OPI I Saw..You Saw..We Saw...Warsaw, Milani White On The Spot, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Presto Pewter, and Julep Anisa.

One girl wanted simpler nails, but couldn't resist the blue and yellow, so she chose an accent nail.  I used OPI I Saw..You Saw..We Saw...Warsaw, and Zoya Pippa for this mani.

This young lady was having engagement photos taken the next day, so she wanted something simpler.  I was going to do some nail art, but unfortunately, I ran out of time.  I love the subtle shimmer on these!   I used Finger Paints Silver Sculpture and OPI Next Stop...The Bikini Zone.

My friend, Carolyn, took soooo looong to decide, we had to do a quick mani.  This is my idea of a faux gradient, and then I gave her little hearts as accents.  I used Milani White On The Spot, China Glaze Elfin' Around and China Glaze Just Be-Claws.

I had such a good time at the party, and it was so much fun to give these girls fun and unique manis.  It's very different painting someone else's nails after you've been so used to only painting your own! I made such a mess - thank goodness I remembered to bring my cleanup brush!

Do you like doing other people's nails, or having yours done by someone else?

Chalkboard Hearts

Hello, Fireflies!

Tired of all the hearts and flowers and stuff? I hope you'll read 'till the end, anyway!

I have a simple chalkboard mani today.  This double-ended Revlon Chalkboard is called Study Date.  One end is a wax-finish black that looks like this:

The other end is a nail art tip with this creamsicle colored polish.  So, I did what I probably would have written on a chalkboard this time of year as a kid.  I know I wrote crap like this on plenty of notebook margins! TrueLove4Evah, BestFriendsForever, TrueLoveAlways!

For me, it's true! I married my best friend 18+years ago, and we're still best friends and he's my true love. Here's my best, unsolicited, relationship advice:  Don't take each other for granted - be thankful for the little things. I thank my husband every time he takes out the trash, feeds the dogs, or does the laundry - and he's pretty much the only one who does these things, so it's all the time.

What can I say - I'm a thankful, but very lazy, person.  Works for us!

And, if it's just you right now, this advice also applies - don't take yourself for granted, either.  Be proud of your accomplishments, no matter how small or insignificant you may think they are.  Be happy for a good hair day!

Thanks for coming by!