Friday, May 27, 2011

these photos do no justice

I somehow can not get these glass flecked polishes to photograph accurately. This is NYX Girls-Sea of Cortez. It's pretty close to a dupe for Zoya-Charla but with more green and gold shimmer. It's gorgeous, and I wish the photos showed it better.

















Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Lookie here! I'm back!

I got burnt out on daily posts, and had a string of disappointing manicures, so I neglected posting. Since only two people read this, I don't think it's a big deal that I took some me time. Today I'm going to post my last three songs (to get that crap done) and my new manicure using the Kleancolor Crack polish in Red Crackle. It's fantastic!

Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty
I feel guilty for still liking Modest Mouse even though dude was accused of being a rapist. I feel the same way about liking Rosemary's Baby, except Polanski is a convicted rapist who skipped sentencing.


Day 29 – A song from your childhood
I'm a Muppet fanatic. I'm going to break my OPI no buy (since they were bought by a company that tests, their products still aren't tested, and the ingredients are vegan, but I try to boycott them to avoid giving money to Coty) to buy the Muppet glitters this winter. I might skip family Thanksgiving to see the new movie on opening day. I want a Miss Piggy tattoo, and if we ever have a kid, the hubs and I are doing the nursery in a Muppet theme, as he loves Muppets too. My favorite Muppet movie is the Great Muppet Caper. This song makes me super happy, which is fitting, since it's about the Happiness Hotel.


Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year
I listened to Bratmobile a lot last summer. This song is super good.



And now, my nails!
Kleancolor Crack polish in Red Crackle over Studio M-French Tip. The Kleancolor Crack polishes are really weird, a lot like how I remember the old Cover Girl crackles working. They don't smell like anything, they crack really slow, and you have to apply them over nail polish that is still semi-wet and sticky or they just flake off. They're really hard to clean up off my cuticles even with pure acetone, they don't dissolve, but peel and flake off like plastic. When I swatched this and their Teal Crackle on my swatch wheel I used my regular top coat (Beauty Secrets) and the polish made the top coat matte/plastic-y, which has never happened before, and you have to use top coat or the crackle flakes off, so for my actual manicure I used a coat of Revlon Quick Dry top coat I had laying around underneath my Beauty Secrets top coat, and got a nice glossy manicure. Even with all the work, and the strange formula, it was worth it. I love this manicure, and I think I like these crackles more than the newer type ones from China Glaze and OPI. Plus, I bought the Kleancolor Crack polishes for $1.99 each. ♥





















































































































































Sunday, May 15, 2011

Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play

I can't play anything, as we already determined. I would like to be able to play an infinite number of songs, on the drums, if we're being exact. I've wanted to play drums for as long as I can remember, but I had a mother who forbade drums in her house, and as an adult I've only been an apartment dweller, so I am without drums and drum playing abilities.

I can't narrow this down. I'm too bitter.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

My very first glitter jelly gradient

I'm really happy with how this turned out. I worked on it for almost all of Empire Records last night. It's (from light to dark) Ruby Kisses-Baby Blue which is a sheer very lightly tinted blue to almost be clear base with teal and silver glitter, Chine Glaze-Blue Iguana which is a glass flecked blue jelly with flashes of teal and purple, and China Glaze-Dorothy Who? which is a medium blue jelly packed full of silver glitter. I used two thick coats of top coat to give it a thick, clear, shiny, almost gel nail quality. I'm totally obsessed with this manicure, and sad I have to take it off tonight, but I promised Dan he could pick what polish I wear to his graduation, and he didn't pick this. Pardon the dog hair on my finger in the first two photos, I didn't see it til I loaded the pictures.
























I don't have a song for today. It's supposed to be Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument, and although once upon a time I could play Three Blind Mice on the recorder, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on one of those pocket sized electronic pianos, I doubt I could play either now, decades later. So marvel at my glitter nails, and ignore my lack of talent.

Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh

Did an amazing glitterbomb of a manicure, a blue glitter jelly gradient. Photos tomorrow!

I don't know if any songs make me laugh, but this song makes me downright giddy and gleeful, and it's about monkeys, and monkeys are super funny. So yes, that's my reasoning.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Wild Child

Finally, nail photos. This is Wild Child, one of the Funky Fingers I picked up at the Five Below that just opened in a nearby town. I love this green, a blue toned almost neon green, squishy, jelly. I've had it on three days with no chipping or tip wear. ♥ It's greener in real life, and more vibrant.





















I'll get today's song out of the way too, so I don't forget. Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral. I decided years ago that I want this played at my funeral. I can't think of a better funeral singer than Nico.

Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding

This one should be the indicator that I'm not the target market for this activity, as I'm already married, same as a not insignificant number of my peers. So instead, I'll post the song we had play as we had our first kiss as a married couple.



I ended up not taking nail photos, again, as we've been busy all day, as my husband is going out of town for a couple of days starting Friday, and we're preparing all sorts of easy foods for me to eat, as when I'm left to my own devices I tend to forget to eat, or I'm too lazy and unmotivated to eat. So we're stocking the fridge with simple stuff. My nails haven't chipped at all though, even the tip wear is minimal, so I can snap a photo tomorrow before we head out to do laundry. Too busy, not liking it.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

oops, life got the best of me

So I had to stop taking all vitamin and herbal supplements for some medical testing I have coming up, and that includes the valerian root I take ever night to fall asleep, so my sleep is off and weird, and it has me a bit frazzled. I totally forgot to post a song yesterday, so today I'll post two (and yes, it's still Tuesday for me, as I haven't gone to bed yet, I'm ignoring all technicalities.)

Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy
I feel like the song subjects are getting redundant. Maybe I'm missing nuances, but I already did a song that makes me happy, now it's a song I listen to when I'm happy, which doesn't seem like a massive difference. I'm beginning to regret starting this song challenge (I'm a quitter by nature, I get bored halfway through everything.) Anyway. I like driving around the in country, which I do pretty often since I live in a tiny farming community, and have to drive in order to get groceries or clothes or nail polish or basically anything. Technically, I like being the passenger while my husband drives, especially on days where the sky is bright blue and the sun is shining and the cows and sheep and horses are all out on the farms. I like to watch the fields roll away from the road, and the horses flicking their tails. I get really blissed out. It feels like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be, and I feel really at peace. When I feel like that I inevitably put on Carnavas by the Silversun Pickups. It's my bliss album.


Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad
I'm a bit of a cliche. I like the songs everyone likes when they're sad, you know, the Smiths, the Cure, 90s emo. So here's my favorite Smiths song.


I've been so out of it I hadn't changed my polish since I last posted. I did do my nails tonight, but I want to wait for sunlight tomorrow for photos.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry

Ended up staying home and in bed all day feeling kinda lousy, so no new nails. I did make some delicious cornbread for dinner to have with leftover chili we made Friday but hadn't had a chance to eat yet. So there's that.

I already posted my favorite song for when I'm angry as a different song, FYR by Le Tigre. I don't tend to get angry about my interpersonal relationships, except sometimes I'll fight with my mom, because even though I'm an adult she and I still know the exact right buttons to push to set each other off. It doesn't help that we're best friends too. So usually, if I get angry it tends to be political, either jerkoff dudes being gross and sexist, or racism/homophobia/transphobia/classism (my most hated ism lately) and on and on. I get mad crazy angry about political stuff, like if I get too wrapped up in it I can feel the veins in my neck bulge and I start obsessing wondering why people have to be such douchebags. So sometimes I listen to music when I'm angry about that stuff. When I fight with my mom I just vent to my husband, no music, though when I was a teenager and I'd fight with her I'd blare Nine Inch Nails just to irritate her.

So I'm having a hard time here. I just listen to music that makes me feel cathartic when I'm angry, because it helps get the anger out. I do like the Distillers-the Young Crazed Peeling for when I need some catharsis.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Day 19 – A song from your favorite album (and Across the Universe!)

I used two of the polishes my in-laws gave me for today's manicure, since I'll be seeing them tomorrow for Mother's Day. Chanel-Blue Satin with Deborah Lippmann-Across the Universe as an accent nail. It's all soooooo shiny. ♥

























One Beat is in my opinion the best album Sleater-Kinney put out. I know that the critics swoon over the Woods, but One Beat will always own my heart. This song is my favorite, though it's hard to choose, because they're all so good. It's weird, Sleater-Kinney are probably my favorite band if you base favorites on frequency of listening, but I always tend to forget about them when forced to pick a favorite. I think it's because they're more subtle than a lot of the bands I tend to listen to. They're covertly awesome, sneaking into the top of your rotation without even trying.

Almost forgot!

It's 3:30 in the morning, way later than I intended to be up. I did my nails, but I want to wait for daylight for photos. I just remembered I need to post today's song, Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio.

I don't listen to music on the radio, like I said before. It's not a snob thing, I just only listen to the radio in the car (rural living means crap reception in my apartment,) and I'm obsessed with Chicago Public Radio, so I almost exclusively listen to NPR in the car. But if I could wish for any song to randomly come on the radio it would probably be something by my husband's band, as more people need to hear them, because they're really good (and yet, I'm not linking to them, because I'm trying to at least sorta limit my personal identifying info on here.) But alas, they don't have any videos on youtube, so instead for today I'll post a cop out instead, a song that I really like that is ABOUT the radio.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio (and a manicure!!!)

First my nails, because I'm in looooooooooove. Yesterday I stopped by Sally to see if they had the new Orly collection, and they did, so I got the polish I wanted from it, the green glitter called Here Comes Trouble. I also found Ancient Jade from the spring collection on sale for $1.99, so even though I have a bunch of mint green polishes already, I snatched it up. Plus I bought my first Finger Paints polish, a purple glitter named Purple Palette (I can't find any mention of Purple Palette, or swatches of it, anywhere online, so maybe it's new?) Tomorrow Five Below opens in my area, so I'll be getting my very first Funky Fingers polishes (repackaged Color Club) and I'm super excited because the bottles look adorable in photos. Plus, 3 for $5 is awesome!

Here is today's manicure, Orly-Ancient Jade with an accent nail of Orly-Here Comes Trouble. I love accent nails because I'm incredibly indecisive.
























Here Comes Trouble is quite possibly my favorite green glitter yet. It's two different sizes of a grassy green glitter in a sheer green jelly base. Yum yum.


Today's song is hard, because I don't listen to music on the radio. I either listen to my ipod, or Chicago Public Radio if I'm in the car, and at home I listen to itunes on my computer, or CDs or records. No music radio ever. The last song I likely heard on the radio was from Sound Opinions or A Prairie Home Companion, and I can't remember what it was. I hear the powdered milk and rhubarb pie songs on A Prairie Home Companion pretty regularly, but I'm not sure those count. I did hear this song on A Prairie Home Companion a few times, and fell in love. This is Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen. It's swoonworthy.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate

I don't know that I have an answer to this. There are songs I used to listen to a lot, that I don't much anymore, but I can't think of any I hate. Earlier today I was jamming to Weezer's Blue Album, and that was literally one of the first CDs I bought, in 8th grade, in 1994. The closest I can come is maybe Queens of the Stone Age-Feel Good Hit of the Summer, because it's become a pro-drug anthem, regardless of the band's ambiguous intent behind it per statements in interviews. But I never owned the album, and only enjoyed the song, I didn't love it. Whatever. Drugs are a massive waste of time, addiction is a disease, not a glamorous lifestyle choice, and drugs have played a major role in destroying various activist movements and popular uprisings in the US for decades.


Nails. They're naked again right now, well, coated in strengthener and Bonder, but otherwise naked and mid-manicure. I loved this squishy red jelly, Arissa-Red Signal, but then I put China Glaze's black crackle over it, and it just got murky. Did not want. Enjoy it in it's pre-crackle tomato red glory, I'll post something new tomorrow.





Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Day 15 – A song that describes you

I quit talking to most of my friends, because they were a bunch of privileged straight white dudes, and they didn't even bother making an effort to understand anything. I get lonely, but it's still better than smiling and nodding and pretending to laugh. Bratmobile-Cool Schmool, because the punk/indie scene just replicates the same race/sex/class/gender dynamics as the rest of society, but pretends it doesn't. I am one woman who got fucking tired of rape jokes and crude drawings of dicks.



I did my nails, I'll take photos in the daytime.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love

I love me some Beyoncé. I think she's one of the greatest pop stars of all time, I think she's a direct descendant of the amazing ladies of Motown, and I think she and Jay-Z are both ridiculously adorable together. If you looked at me, or my music collection, you'd never guess.




Sunday, May 1, 2011

Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure

I had a ridiculous weekend, first my allergies are so bad I took 4, count them f-o-u-r different types of allergy medicine yesterday and still managed to feel like death, on top of that my lovely doggie Pogo had to make two trips to the emergency veterinary clinic. Far too much money later he's home and alright, incredibly tired and only getting small amounts of soft food for the next day or so, but alright, and he'll be completely fine soon. Then, when we got home from our second trip to the vet today we arrived home to find a small ant invasion in our kitchen.

So I needed a happy manicure. Chine Glaze-For Audrey, Wet n Wild-Easy Peasy Lemonhead on the accent nail, and cheerful nail decals of an ice cream cone and cherries. Happy happy nails.























For today's song (again, technically a day late, but since I'm still awake it's not really tomorrow yet, dig?) I was initially going to choose some pop song, possibly Christina Aguilera. But I'm not really that ashamed of my love of pop. I am however ashamed to admit I totally jam out and play air drums and car dance if this comes on the radio- Fall Out Boy-Sugar We're Goin Down (I saw these guys forevah ago in a tiny venue, a converted car repair type garage waaay before they got famous, because they used to have a few guys from my hometown in the band. They were AWFUL and everyone went outside during their set. My husband went to high school with one of them too, and used to play shows with these guys in their various previous bands with his old band. So it's even more embarrassing for me to love this song than it is for most people. Revel in my shame.)