Superbowl nails

I'm back!! Well, sorta. I ended up with a super bad cold, and it's sooo much harder to recover from illness when you have a little one! Before I could just take some Benadryl or Nyquil and sleep it off. Not anymore! Plus I have to be extra careful since I'm nursing.

Anyway, I found this mani I did for the Superbowl that I somehow never posted! I'll be back this weekend with regularly scheduled blogging.

Index: for the 49ers and I used Zoya Sooki and Revlon Gold Coin

Middle: football, and I used OPI Suzi Loves Cowboys and Rimmel French White Nail Tip Liner

Ring: for the Ravens, and I used Sinful Colors Amethyst and Revlon Gold Coin

Pinkie: for the turf, and I used OPI Don't Mess with OPI and leaf green flocking powder from TKB Trading

The 31 Day Challenge is over!! Can you tell I'm excited? I'm so happy that I managed to complete it for a second time, and this time with a new baby!

However, the challenge really wore me out. I have other hobbies (reading, crochet, cooking/baking) that I've neglected a bit during the last month and a half. So I'll be taking a bit of a break from blogging. I guessing it'll be 1-2 weeks total, probably closer to 2.

I'll still be doing my nails during the time, of course! Can't have naked nails! In the meantime, I have shortened up my poor nails a bit and added on Sally Hansen nail strips in Love Letter. The strips were a good easy choice (though I did some some problems around my cuticles) and perfect for Valentine's Day!

I'll still be around to read blogs and any comments posted here. See you back here in about 2 weeks!

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 31, Recreate a Manicure

For the final mani of this challenge, I decided to recreate Geeky Owl's Inspired by Fashion mani. I did change things up a bit and still tried to fit in with the Valentine's Day theme I've been rolling with.

My base coat is 2 coats of O.P.I. DS Opulence. It's a very pretty mauve-ish color with some holographic glitter. The color is sort of a neutral color.

I got my glequins from the dollar store. They came in these cute little glass jars and had 8 different colors in a pack. Not bad for a $1! They are pretty tiny though, but I think I like them at this size.

I did different designs on each nail including a cute little heart on the pinkie for Valentine's Day. I think I like how the middle and pinkie fingers turned out best. 

Check out some other recreated manis for the final day of the challenge!

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 30, Inspired by a Tutorial

For today's challenge, I decided to follow the Nailside's famous cloud design tutorial. It's such an easy design, and I've never done it before so I thought today was the perfect opportunity.

Once again, I went with a Valentine's Day theme. My base coat is two coats of Zoya Loretta. Then I used Pure Ice Peony and NYC MoMa to create the clouds.

This mani was sooooo easy to do. I need to do this in every color. But the pink? Way too girly for my taste!

Check out other manis inspired by tutorials below.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 29, Inspired by the Supernatural

For today's mani, I was originally just going to go with an alien and a spaceship. But since I did a few manis this week with a Valentine's Day theme, I decided to go with alien love for today's mani

I love how super cute this turned out!

I used two coats of Sinful Colors Neptune for the base. The shimmery blue was a perfect not-too-dark space background. The spaceship was done with Barry M Emerald Green. The first alien was created using Sinful Colors Dream On, and I used Sinful Colors Rise and Shine for the other alien. The hearts are Pure Ice Peony. I added in the black and and white details using Rimmel Black Satin and Rimmel French White Nail Tip Liner.

Check out some other far out manis inspired by the supernatural below.

NICOLE BY OPI ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH KELLOGG’S® SPECIAL K®

NICOLE BY OPI ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH KELLOGG’S^® SPECIAL K^®

Three custom shades available with the purchase of eligible Special K products

• @NicoleByOPI and @SpecialKUS offers free bottle of lacquer with purchase of @SpecialKUS product in April

Nicole by OPI announces that the brand will be producing three custom nail lacquer shades for Kellogg’s^® Special K^® beginning in April to pair with a campaign encouraging women to “show off your confidence with color.” Shoppers will have the opportunity to receive free full-size bottles of Nicole by OPI nail lacquer by signing up for the Kellogg’s Family Rewards program and entering codes from specially marked boxes of Special K products, while supplies last.

The three custom shades include: Challenge Red-y (crème red), Pros & Confidence (crème turquoise) and Be Ama-Zing! (crème pink).

With the purchase of three eligible Special K products, consumers will receive the shade Challenge Red-y. After submitting the purchase codes from eight eligible Special K products, consumers will receive all three lacquers – Challenge Red-y, Pros & Confidence and Be Ama-Zing!

“Nicole by OPI is delighted to partner with Kellogg’s to offer such an exciting reward to Special K consumers,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “At our company, we always say that nail lacquer can change your look – and your outlook. In working with Kellogg’s Special K, we hope to inspire and motivate women who are striving for beauty both inside and out.”This promotion will be available in the US where Special K products are sold.

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About Nicole by OPI:

Nicole by OPI offers a salon-quality range of bold, fashion-forward nail lacquers. The brand’s heritage is based in OPI’s well-established foundation of excellence in both color and technology, providing premium products to a broad range of consumers looking for trendsetting nail lacquers.

About Kellogg Company:

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), we are driven to enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter. With 2012 sales of $14.2 billion, Kellogg is the world’s leading cereal company; second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks; and a leading North American frozen foods company.  Every day, our well-loved brands nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. These brands include Kellogg’s®, Keebler®, Special K®, Pringles®, Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Corn Flakes®,Rice Krispies®, Kashi®, Cheez-It®, Eggo®, Coco Pops®, Mini-Wheats®, and many more. To learn more about our responsible business leadership, foods that delight and how we strive to make a difference in our communities around the world, visitwww.kelloggcompany.com.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 28, Inspired by a Flag

For today's challenge, I wanted to do the state flag of Wisconsin. However, it's pretty complicated with TONS of details so I decided against it. Instead, I went with the flag of Texas which is where I was born.

Source: Wikipedia

I did the lone star on the flag around my index and ring fingers. It was kind of hard to do, but I think I did okay!

The colors I used are Revlon Royal (blue), Zoya Sooki (red), and Sally Hansen Whirlwind White.

This mani was super easy to do, and I really how like how it came out.

Check out other manis inspired by flags below.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 27, Inspired by Artwork

I decided to continue the Valentine's Day theme and was excited when I found this piece of art by Robert Indiana called "Classic Sky Love." I've seen this artwork before and thought it would fun to do as a mani!

Source: Art.com

I started with a base of Essie Mojito Madness.

The rest of the mani was done with acrylic paint. I should have done a second coat on the red, but I really do love the way this turned out!! I stayed turn to the artwork, and I love the pop effect.

Check out other manis inspired by artwork below.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 26, Inspired by a Pattern

For today's challenge, I really wanted to do something with heart since Valentine's Day is coming up soon. So off to Google Images I went!  I found this pattern with pink hearts on a grey back ground and loved it!

Source: Dreamstime

I started with a base coat of Rimmel Grey Matter. I really like this polish because I love the color, the Rimmel brush, and its fast dry time.  I added the hearts using acrylic paint.

Check out other manis inspired by patterns below.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 25, Inspired by Fashion

I am definitively not a fashion person! So for today's challenge I scoured the Neiman Marcus website until I found this beautiful dress by Vera Wang.

Source: Neiman Marcus

For this mani, I started with a base of Nicole by O.P.I. Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam. This is my favorite color, but I had a hard time photographing it this time. Look back on this post I did to see the color in a better light.

On top of it, I stamped using Konad Black and Mash-08 to simulate the lace on the dress. The mani was really dark so it was super hard to photograph, and this was the best photo I could come up with :(

Also, my poor middle nail broke. I didn't really want to trim down my other nails, but looking at these photos is really bothering me so I'll be shortening it up before my next mani.

Check out other manis inspired by fashion below.

31 Day Challenge, Part 2!: Day 24, Inspired by a Book

My thought process to complete today's mani was a bit different than normal. I decided I really wanted to use A-England Tess D'Ubervilles somehow in this mani because 1. it's beautiful!, 2. it's one of my few untrieds, and 3. it's named after a book heroine.

Here is Tess on it's own. A-England says Tess is "like the secretive black of a deep forest, sublimely displaying its provocative emerald secrets" and I think that describes it well! The emerald shimmer peeks out from the black base.

I can't leave well enough alone searched for a cover of Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy for inspiration to add to this mani.

Source: Phillip J. Pirages

 This cover is the first edition illustrated copy from 1891-1892.  I took my inspiration from the the corners on the cover and the square/diamond pattern there.

I stamped using BM 203 and Barry M Foil Nail Effect Gold.

Check out other manis inspired by books below!