Christmas inspiration

Holly, and ribbons, and a festive bow, all across silvery-white swirls.

Swirls which, of course, don't show up for my camera. Oh well, they're gorgeous. Just take my word for it!

Ruby red, forest green, and shimmery silver across a snowy background definitely seem to invoke the spirit of the season.

Next up on these nails: Reindeer. Ten fingers = 9 reindeer + Santa. It'll be great!

Bring on the Snow!

It has been a very, very dry year here in Texas. And while rain has been something to hope for, snow is a very rare occurrence even at the best of times.

Still, with Santa on his way before too much longer, it's worth hoping for! And just in case it doesn't fall out of the sky, I can just paint some on and get a chance to see it anyway.

Thanksgiving - in another part of the world

While brainstorming Thanksgiving nail designs - most of which featured turkeys - I came across this design from Anastacia in Korea (mymakeupmania.blogspot.com).

There's a fall Thanksgiving / harvest / good times festival in cultures all across the world, not just the American version that gets so much attention. Probably because the dinner is so good!

I love the colors, and the idea of celebrating Thanksgiving and another country at the same time!

Random Trivia of the Day - for the first Thanksgiving, the Indians didn't just bring a turkey. Stuffing was definitely not on the menu. Popcorn was, though! Though as it was brought in already popped without butter or salt, cold, and carried inside a leather bag, I'm betting it wouldn't have posed much of a competition to Orville Reddenbacher.

Sometimes, a great idea is somewhat lacking in execution

I saw a great flame design. And an awesome art project where fire was enhanced by the addition of holographic glitter.

Putting them together didn't quite end up as fantastic as I'd hoped, unfortunately...

Not so much a sparkly flame as a spiky smudge. I'm thinking this will require a do-over.

Proof to anyone reading who is new to Nail Art - it doesn't always work the first time. Don't give up on a good idea, though. You might be surprised the difference a second try can make.

Sometimes a change in application technique is all you need. For a fiery nail, this made all the difference in the world!

Movember

Everybody recognizes that iconic pink ribbon showing support for current and past patients of breast cancer.

October is all about breast cancer. We know that breast cancer is not something only experienced by women, that men can get it, too - but the focus here does seem to be on the ladies. I'm all for the "Save the Ta-Tas"

November has a different focus, and this one's all about the guys. Movember is a movement that started in Melbourne, Austrailia to raise awareness and support for prostate cancer. It encourages supporters to set aside the razor this month and grow a 'mo'.
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/men/Grow+moustache+November+raise+money+prostate+cancer/3759019/story.html

Try as I might, I've failed to get a good crop of facial hair growing to show my support. In leiu of getting facial hair replacement treatments, I'll just resort to art.

Alright ladies, let's get behind this one! The guys support Save the Ta-Tas. This needs a slogan, too. Power to the Prostate? Somehow, that doesn't work quite as well. Ah, well. Someone will find the perfect catch phrase soon, I'm sure ;)

Inspiration between sneezes

Dots, stripes, and glitter make glam. I spent a week periodically having inspirational design ideas - when there was enough of my brain working to get an idea through.

I'm just getting over a nasty cold I got to share with my hubby... Gotta say, spending time at home together with nowhere to go and nothing to do is a lot more enjoyable when it doesn't involve loads of Kleenex. Oh, well, at least it gave me time to be creative. No full manicures, but I did make some singles that turned out really cute!

 This is a really neat pebbled design, mostly in shades of silver and shimmery gray, but with touches of color for variety. It has a very slightly marbled texture - enough to be interesting, but not enough to catch on anything. Best of both worlds!

Inspired by a college dorm room design bean bag I saw somewhere. Hooray for retro!

My first attempt at a braided design - definite potential. It's also more than a bit of a pain to paint. I'm thinking this one's not going to be a regular design, and there's NO WAY I'll be able to paint it on myself with my left hand. 

Another example of a nail that looks great and an unfortunate job getting a good picture of it. Stripes of matte and glossy rich royal purple, with accent stripes of green. You can't tell me Maleficent wouldn't love these! ;)

And the crowning glory - here's the glitter & glam. Part shimmer, part glitter, delineation via stones. I think this could be a great every-nail look for a LOT of glitz & glam (I'm thinking New Year's Eve party), or as a ring-finger masterpiece against others that 'pop' a bit less for a slightly less "Look At Me" look. 

Bright, Rainbow Nails

And now that I've thought of that, I'm going to have to do some Rainbow Bright nails. Great...

Anyway! Yesterday I went to the time & effort of a nice design. Thanks go to Robin Moses yet again. She's my hero! *hugs self and grins moronically*

Anyway! again...  Here they are, a fantastic diagonal french with a floral theme. And they're just gorgeous, if I do say so myself. And I do.

I'm dreaming of a Christmas under 80°

It's probably different for you northern folks, but way down south we really are just starting to contemplate fall. Our Halloween costumes and yours are very different - kids in Maine can dress up as Eskimos. Down here, that'd result in a trip to the emergency room for heatstroke.

Now that I can start an Autumn mindset, it's hard to come up with much... as it's not actually cool enough yet. Maybe once the average temperature is below 75° I'll be able to start thinking snowflakes and skiing, but I just can't do it while sweating.

Christmas ideas? Snow and Santa? You must be kidding. But presents? That I can think about! :D