I Got Lucky this Month

I was pretty lucky this month, I got the gold Julep Maven box this month.  I won a giveaway but haven’t won one this month.  The Julep box was cool though.  First it came in a gold box and I just thought they changed the boxes but I knew I was wrong .

Because this was right on top when I opened it.

So, here is what was in it.

A box, geez I wonder what is in it.

A bracelet.

ohh, strawberry lipgloss.

The Rock Star Hand Lotion.

What is in here?

Six, count them six nail polish.  But I have a question this is only my third box.  Did I get this so I would keep ordering so that I might think I will get the Gold Box or was I just lucky?

Let me know if you are with Julep and if this has ever happened to you.

Ciao Bellas,

Patty

Crumpet’s Tri-Color Challenge

So, I joined another challenge it is the Tri-Color Challenge.  We are given three colors and have to use only those colors for four postings.  The only colors we can use is a purple of our choice, a coral and a green.  The colors I chose were Zoya’s Arizona (coral), Zoya’s Suvi, (purple) and China Glaze Close Encounters (green).  A little hard?  So, far it is ok.  Today I did the most obvious to me a water marble.  I only did three fingers and painted the pinkie green and thumb coral.  I just think it brings out the colors of the marble that way.  Here is my entry.  Let’s see what the other girls did.

What I Wore on St. Paddy's Day

 This post is going to be totally promoting a polish that I bought.  It is .......Shamrock Floam.  I love floam and I got this one to shine which reinforces my belief in my new favorite top coat.  I put three coats of Seche Vite on my right hand which I should have.  I like mattes but sometimes I like shiny.  I used Nubar Diamond top coat.  It works great.  The only down side is that you have to clean up right away because it is hard as a rock.  The other down side is you need to order it.  It is less expensive than Seche Vite on Amazon but do what I do order a bottle every week.  I still use Seche Vite when I am going to stamp.
Now, about this floam, it is the same as the rest of them in consistently.  I find you just have to wait another minute than with normal polishes for it to dry and if you have not visited Ninja polish lately you gotta check out their polishes.  They have some beautiful ones.  I have two more that I will be posting this week so keep an eye out.  I am still doing Kimber's A-Z challenge, we post on Wednesday and I am doing Crumpet's tri- color challenge.  We post on Tuesday and Thursday.  Our first post is tomorrow, I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with these next three days.

St. Paddy's Day mani

I know this is coming really late but it comes with a little story.  Now, many of you are saying what is a Jew doing celebrating St. Paddy's day.  Well, I was a Catholic till around the age of 30.  But here is the thing.  As parents we really need to watch what we say around our children.  I grew up thinking my maternal grandmother hated me because I heard it from my parents.  There was an incident that happened with two of my cousins and I was blamed.  So, if my aunts hated me it reinforced my thoughts.  Then I started to remember that every St. Paddy's Day my grandmother made sure she gave me something, money, candy, or a little piece of jewelry and when I was 16 she gave me a Bulova watch.  She had saved for two years for it.  Then my aunt told me she gave one to her daughter also.  She died a year later.  At the funeral, I found out she never gave my cousin a watch.  I did not know who to believe and did not care by this time.  I just loved my grandmother and now I know she loved me.  She always remembered St. Paddy's day, she taught me and only me how to crochet, and she took care of me when no one else could but alas it took too long for me to find out.  So, I dedicate this post  to my beautiful grandmother.  The cute old lady with the rosy cheeks and eyes like the sky.  

Ciao bellas,

Patty

Kimber’s Challenge “A-Z” Letter J

 For my "J" I used Just Add Milk by whimsical ideas by Pam.  I love her polishes when I first showed it I did not know much about using underpants.  This time around I used Nubar's Marshmallow.  Just one coat let it dry and then a coat of Seche Vite that way it would stay in place.  Then two coats of Just Add Milk and I used Nubar's top coat.  I really like their top coat better than Seche Vite because it does dry fast and hard as a rock.  I used to despise jellies but once you learn to work with them you can have a wonderful turnout.

Ciao for now, 

Patty

Review GALS Stamping plates.

I love getting new stamping plates usually spend a whole day playing with them and then there came the GALS plates.  I had seen the review Ginasoguesswhat11, my favorite you tuber , review the plates and ordered them.  I guess seeing them together made me realize I made a mistake.  If you like geometric shapes, these plates are for you the good thing is that I think 3 plates have a frilly design which suits me fine.  But too many geometric designs.   I ordered the Wistonia Plates and those should be here this week.  They do look a lot better but with a name like GALS Princess Plates I accepted something more frilly.

Here is a plate not too geometric.

This one is ok it has some frill to it.

 geometric

 geometric

 geometric

They are all like this. The little designs are ok but I am just not into having a whole set of plates with nothing but geometric designs for some people that is their thing.  That is fine.  This set was made for you.  I want frill and flowers and butterflies.

Now, there is one plate in this set that is a little disturbing. 

Does anyone know what the middle design is?  I think it is a vagina.  Many people have seen it some say it is one thing or another but on my end the consensus is vagina.  I don't want to display my vagina on my fingers.  So, if you know for sure what it is will you let me know.  Otherwise it is going to be in the WTF file.  I already got the opinions of the girls from Adventures in stamping and a little more than half agreed.   There were some funny comments.  So, know I share it with you to try to figure it out.  Please help let me know what you think it is nothing is out off limits in the comments section.

Ciao for now,

Patty

A vagina.  I don't want a vagina on my nails.

Stamping Sunday

On Sunday’s I do belong to a group called Adventures in Stamping.  Our Challenge this week was to use any plate with the number 6.  So, since I got my new GALS plates on Friday and have been playing with them.  So I used GAL plate 6.  I one of Color Club’s holo’s in Beyond and stamped with Harp on It I was surprised that it came out so easy.  It is usually hard to get a color to stamp on black but this one worked just fine.  I will be reviewing the GALS plates tomorrow.  There are a lot of plates to photograph and cropping so while I was busy doing that my nieces and nephew showed up and they are so cute I got side tracked.  So, I’ll finish it tomorrow.  If you are a stamper it is will be worth the read.

  So till tomorrow.

 

Ciao Bellas,

Patty

China Glaze Balancing Act

 Hi,
I hope everyone is doing well today.  I am so behind in showing swatches it isn't even funny.  More polish comes in and not enough time to swatch and do posts.
This is Balancing Act from the Cirque de Soliel China Glaze collection.  It is a turquoisey blue.  I felt like it had a bit of a rubbery finish, which I am still up in the air about.  Not sure if I like it or don't.  I used only one coat of top coat for this polish

















One thing I do often is recycle my manicure.  I kind of do it all the time it gives me time to enjoy the actual polish then change it up.  So here what I did was add a coat of whirled away.   It reminds me a lot of Lynnderella's Connect the Dots which I have not put together to compare.  I will do that in a future post.  I liked whirled way.  It was a really nice fast dry glitter polish.  The glitters are black and white bar and dot glitters.  It dried nicely and took a top coat without moving.

KImber’s Challenge A-Z Ilamasqua Cameo

Today for my I, I have this beautiful Illamasqua creme.    The name is Cameo.  I did not have one that started with an "I".  This color is going to be so popular this spring and summer.  But I want to talk about the formula.  Illamasqua's formulas are great.  They don't run at all like a lot of polishes can.  I really hate that because it means more clean up for me.  I hope you enjoy the color.  Illamasqua polishes can be found at Sephora or on their website.













Ciao,
Patty d

February Favorites

February was is a short month but for me it seemed really long for the first time in my life probably because I can’t believe this but I did only 26 post the whole month.  Next month is my blogiversary so I will be running a poll on the right column of the blog.  Another thing is my follower number did not change at all I am stuck at 193 and would love to be at, at least 200 by my blogiversary.  So, if you haven’t signed up please do.  You don’t get emails and it just makes it easier for giveaways.  I sign up for so many sites that if I got emails from all them I would probably about 150 a day.  It’s just a number but a number that kind of means something to bloggers.  So,  if you want join the site and just know that when there are giveaways on this site it is just easier to enter.

Ok, of course I like all most posts, some are too wordy and some are too mechanical and finding a balance sometimes is hard but since I buy all my polish.  I can post whatever whenever I want.   So, my first favorite is my post for the Letter E from Kimber’s Challenge and not so much because I love the manicure but because I got such funny comments from those who read it and I love that.  I want you all to laugh.  I will put up the comments so you can see what some people wrote.

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Next favorite was the Ciate Monte Carlo just because it was so damn pretty and I did get to wear it all day sometimes I do a mani just for the blog.  I always have back up pictures in case something happens.  I have broken my pinkie twice and index once.  So, I have pics and other bloggers who if I asked I am sure would guest post but I still just paint my nails or get an idea and have to do it but it might not be practical for what I am doing that day so I have to take it off.  My therapist asks me doesn’t that kill you, I told her a little but I have pictures and know that someday I will redo the manicure again.  So, this the pic of Monte Carlo

Then there was this beauty from Whimsical ideas by Pam.   I love her polishes and she is the sweetest woman in the world.  This is Persian Violets a purple base loaded with lighter colored glitters in the purple family.  I loved wearing this one.  I usually get her polishes and put everything aside to wear them.

I really like the glitter polish on this manicure.  It is called Mooney from Tea Cups and KItttens.  The possibilities are endless with this glitter top.   There is a cute story behind this polish but it is rated PG and some things are best kept under raps, I chose the pink because I love black polka dots with pink and the ring just went perfect so I laugh when I see this but the glitter top is great.  You can get information at Mara’s blog at Mara in Polishland. 

Everything doesn’t have to be glitter and gold to make a statement.  This was the polish I wore on Valentine's Day and I just love the color not too brown not too red just a happy medium.  This is Cabernet by Ciate.

My favorite of the month is Cookie Monster.  I was in my just sitting in the polish room playing with Goldie and her Miss Piggy doll.  When the idea came to me.   While I was thinking I did run to the kitchen for a cookie and it all fell in place I set up the light box and then I used my little tripod to capture the picture and I just thought of a little kid or a woman sneaking a cookie.  You know us women we are always on some diet so I thought it was appropriate.

Those were my February Favorites.  Do you agree?

Ciao,

Patty

The Crumpet: The Tri Polish Challenge - starts March 19th

The Crumpet: The Tri Polish Challenge - starts March 19th: Hi Goddesses So who's ready for a new challenge ? Crumpet's Nail Tarts are proud to present The Tri Polish Challen...

Blue Monday

I remember when we used to do Blue Mondays.  My very first was blue Monday.  Those pictures were terrible.  I was terrified posting them.  I had a bad camera and did not know how to navigate around blogger.  I think I am 20% better and that’s ok at least it is not 20% worse although sometimes……I know I am still lost when it comes to Google + and did order Google+ for Dummies but no time to read it.  Have you ever wondered where your day went.  One time I just could not sleep because I was actually thinking about what I needed to do for the blog.  So many ideas for manicures, I am a little less anal now. 

So, my friend came over on Sunday and she goes straight to the polish room.  Any girl who comes over goes straight to the polish room.  It is just four shelves away from being set.  I guess my husband will have the honey do blues tomorrow.  Nah, I can do it.  I was talking about it and someone pointed out that it was the equivalent of a man cave and it is.  So, I am putting my efforts into this.  My mood is better because even though I wasn’t able to make my friend’s brother’s memorial service she posted some beautiful pictures for close friends and family and they were beautiful.  That really puts me a peace.

Today I did a Blue Monday.  It was so easy and it went perfect with what I was wearing.  I do have a small Dillard’s haul.  You should see my husband’s.  We did 65% off at Dillard’s with an extra 40% off.  This is the time to buy sweaters.  Yes, I know summer is coming but you can wear them next year styles for men do not change that much.  We even went shopping on Sunday when my girlfriend came over and he was just one of the girls.  It was cute and I know part of the reason he did it was to make me feel better.  He even helped us find nail polish in the sale bins at Ulta. 

Ok, to the manicure this is really easy to do.  I used these polishes I get on Ebay from a brand called Peripera,  these polishes are really nice you can stamp with them and use only one coat and be ok and they only cost about $5.00.  So one coat of blue (they don’t have names just numbers).  Then I did one white stripe down the middle. One black on each side of the white, then I put three dots on the white stripe and two black on the black lines.  Once the dots were almost dry I a smaller dot of the opposite color and that was it.  Top coat and you are good to go.  You could use any color combination to do this manicure and that is what I like.  I can even make it a gradient.  Take a simple pattern and run with it you don’t need to be an artist to do this.  You can use a tooth pick to make the dots.  If you ever see the goddess of nail art, Robin Moses, she uses tooth picks makes her own glitter polish as she is doing her manicures.  I am wowed by her she is truly and artist who can paint on a very small canvas.  I think she made me loose the fear of using stripers and dotting tools.  If you never have seen her videos check one out someday.  You will be amazed at her creations and may even realize I think I can do that.

Ciao for now,

Patty