Chevron Nails

Hi, today I have Chevron nails using a technique I saw on YouTube.  I can barely draw a straight line but with this little trick you can have this look or anything else.

First you get some scotch tape.  In the space between where you cut and the tape meets the roll there is a space in that space you use your nail polish to paint that area.


  I painted it white.  Once the first coat dries then you add a second coat and wait for that to dry.
Ok,  once that dries you can cut the tape past the painted part of the tape.  I went to Michaels and bought three designed shears.  Cut the polished tape with the shears.



I cut the first piece.

Tape on the finger and trim the ends to make sure it is even with the nail.

Cut a piece of another color.  I had Yellow.

So, I lined it up next to the first piece of tape but you can leave space in between if you want.


The Yellow did not stick so I had to change to a teal piece. I placed the teal where the yellow was.

Then I cut another piece.


Then I taped the last piece onto the nail.  It was not flush with the end of the nail.  So since it was not flush I gently filed it down and there is the design.



  You can use any colors you can put them on vertically,  diagonally,   use your imagination.  This is what I came up with. 







Pretty neat and easy.  Top with a top coat.  This was totally my first trial so I am sure the next one will come out better but I am pleased even with this design.
So, is this something you will try?  If you like this tutorial let me know and I can do more of these.

Ciao for now,
Patty

Oh, Konad Plate M66, I Am Not Scared Of You Anymore

Ah, plate M66.  I remember it was in my first order from Konad I of course ordered plate 57, the one with the leopard print the black stamping polish and then after much studying of the polish I decided on M66 because it had so may designs.  OMG.  When I tried to use it I just had failure after failure.  I was ready to throw it in the trash but then I was sitting in my therapist office and she was telling me something and I saw her cup and I said plate 66.  She now knew I wasn’t listening and she said Patty what is going on.  I told her I was sorry it is just that I got this idea for the a manicure from her cup.  She said ok.  She said she had read the blog and asked if I minded that she read it very often, I said sure at least I know someone is reading it.  But I know she gets info from here to use in our sessions.  That’s ok.  Helps me.  So, first I want to show you the base color.  I think it is called cotton and is from American Apparel.  When I bought it, I got it for a dollar and they took off the label. 

I think it is so pretty.  Sometimes I wear it alone just because it is so pretty and then the next day I stamp something on it an make a total mess of it.  I just had to delete a stamping I did because I did not notice that the leaves had smeared.  So,  I be redoing that one but not with this polish.  American Apparel polishes are so smooth I just really like them.  Everytime I am in the area, I make an excuse to stop there.  And today I was reading The Polish Aholic's blog and Urban Outfitters have this new polish out that changes color in the sun.  I love those.  I have like five Del Sol’s and I always wear them on a day that there is no sun.  I am going to do a gradient soon with two of those that ought to be interesting.
So, here is my therapist’s cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, this is what her cup looks like and it was on my nails for a short period of time,  but the main thing is that I used plate 66 and let my fear go.  So you might see me use it more now because it does have some cute designs.  I did put a gold butterfly in the image but I am noticing it is not showing up so much on camera because it has lost one generation sometimes two.  One thing I know about pictures is that they lose generations, I used to have a dear friend who was artist/photographer and she told me every time you re use and image for something it loses a generation.  That is why if you are going to buy a print from an artist as you should look at the number in the back and find out how many prints were made the lower the number the better the clarity and value.   I know things.  She once was going to sell some prints and my number is 8.  She produced 250 and said I am giving you #1.  I told her I couldn’t take that it was the print she would make the most money on and that 8 was enough.  She finally agreed.  Lost it in the divorce, I know where it is and it really upsets me when I think about it.  That is all I better say about that.  I don’t want to stir any pots. It is what it is. 

Ciao for now,

Patty

OPI Teasy Does It Day 1

Hi.  Today, I have an older OPI that I really like for winter.  It is like a coffee color when you get look at it closely it looks like you can see finely ground coffee in it.  I am pretty sure it is from the Hollywood collection that came out in the late 1990’s.  I like it so much I forgot I ordered it and have two of them.  My sister and daughter really benefit from my lax polish inventory skills.  I was really good at first but then it just got crazy and I lost track.  I told them maybe I should have a blog sale.  My sister said well before you sell anything let me see what you want to sell I will buy them for you.  I looked at her and rolled my eyes.  Like I would sell nail polish to my sister.  If I ever go to Ulta with her daughters the littlest goes and get a polish and says, “Aunt Patty can I have this one.”  I am always of course.  She is just so cute .  She is a little Patty.  Her older sisters just shake their heads.  So, I did freak out that I did have double of this polish then noticed I had several doubles of many polishes.  So, my sister and daughter will really benefit from it.  My daughter won’t like this one but my sister will and really this is a pretty color.  It has a little glitter and easy application and the color would go with everything except red.  So, this one is a no brainer for fall.   If you have already hang on to it and try it again.  If you don’t the new alternative would be Vampsterdam or the one from the German collection called something Oktoberfest.  Or if you are like me and like to collect older OPI’s check eBay or Amazon.  I am sure you can still find it.
So, that is my polish of the day.  I think I am going to start just showing a swatch of every nail polish I have,  I can go all year and have a different polish.  I forgot to say I was going to do that.
Ciao,
Patty

 

 

 

 

 

Kimber’s Challenge Day 15 Tribal Print.

Ok when I saw this I was OH! NO!  I am not good at free hand nail art so what’s a girl to do.  Pray and keep your hand as steady as I could.  This for me has been the hardest challenge to date thank goodness the next one is glitter.  I’ve got a ton of glitter polishes some heavily sought after  but I am not sure which one I am going to use or how I am going to do it but expect something really blingy.  Here is my tribal print.  I used OPI Thanks a Windmillion, Magnifico Mexico and OPI Dulce de  Leche.













Check out the other tribal vixens:
Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner Kat at Hooked On Polish Diana at Nails By Diana Aly at Wonderland Beauty Meredith at Perfectly Polished Nicole at The Color Republic Kate at The Painted Pony Nails Cee at Absolutely Cee Nail Narcotics Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed Shelby at Shelby's Swatches Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful Mixed Mama Joanna at Sweet Polish of Mine Patty Greenberg Liz and Lisa at Lozlosa Mari at Nailista Greta at How Was Your Day? Miss L at Beauty by Miss L Gini at Sassy Paints Chameleon Stampede Pam at Nail-E-Glance Me, Myself and Polish   Ciao bellas, Patty

OPI Elvis Vegas Collection

I love Vegas and when I think about Vegas I think about the Mafia, the Rat Pack, smoke and Elvis.  He surely was the King.  Now he was before my time but my mother loved him.  Anything Elvis would cause excitement.  But then came the jumpsuits and I started thinking this morning I wonder who designed those.  Then it hit me OH! NO!  Bob Mackie, but I was wrong It was some guy named Billy Belew.  Elvis is so loved by so many it is just amazing.  Even though he was a substance abuser he doesn’t have that stigma that the alleged King of Pop Michael Jackson does.  To me they are just so different and I can say I love Elvis for that he still seems like just a boy from Tennessee who got caught up in a bad merry-go-round.  So this is OPI’s Salute to Elvis. 
OPI must have been a young company at the time all the polish in this collection except Royal Flush Blush are black label.  They have the narrow brushes and the formula is different.  Longer drying time and less pigmented.

The first polish is It’s now or never a lavender-purple polish.  It is a jelly and takes a LONG time to dry.  It still has it’s appeal.






The next one is Royal Flush Blush it is a frosted peach that I think is still in circulation because it is not a black label.  It turns out I have two bottles of it.  That means I actually bought this polish because I liked it.  After seeing the pictures it doesn’t look so bad.








The next one is called Love Me Tender.  Now, this one I really kind of like it is a cream and it only has a little shimmer of gold.  I would wear it alone today.







This one is called a Little Less Conversation.  All I am going to say is that it is yellow.








The fourth one is Burning Love.








Well, that is it.  What do you think of the collection is there any color you would wear today?
Ciao Bellas,
Patty

Pretty and Polished Diner Daze

I bought this on Etsy.  It appears that they still have a store there.   I really like the jelly red with the black glitter.  I am a sucker for the color combination of black ,white and red.  I used Magnifico Mexico as panties and then layered two coats of the polish.  I think it looks fun and I can’t wait to really wear it.  There are so many times I do a manicure only to photograph it and take it right off.  Sometimes that kills me.  What I try to do is do the one I want to wear the next day last but this one did not make the cut during this session and it came right off.  Oh, well I’ll probably wear it sometime next week.












So what do you think of this polish.  I like the way it shines and the easy application.  What are some of your must haves in a nail polish?

Ciao bellas,
Patty

Kabbalah Bracelet by Lynnderella

I swore I would not buy any Lynnderellas until the price came down but I could not pass this one up for the price.  So, I bought it for 23.00 on eBay.  It is really pretty with it’s multi colored glitter and then with it’s red bar glitter I used OPI’s Magifico Mexico underneath it is a really light red.











This is really pretty especially if you are going to dress up like a sexy devil for Halloween.  But is it worth 23.00?
Ciao,
Patty

National Depression Month

You have probably read on someone's blog the symptoms of depression. Now, what? In June of 2010 I had a complete breakdown and was hospitalized for about 20 days. It came on slow but when it came it came like a ton of bricks. It started with sleeping, then not bathing and no eating for about four days. When I did wake up I woke up devoid of any feeling other than fear. All I could do was cry. I called the hotline and told them I was going to kill myself and they were asking me questions in that time the paramedics showed up and took me to the hospital. To make matters worse I was not in Houston, I was in my hometown. The first days I spend either sitting in the hall or walking back and forth crying I had no idea what was wrong and what was worse was neither did those doctors. I blacked out for two days. I did not eat while I was there, I would just eat the fruit they gave m e because the food was so terrible. I had no clothes for a hospital stay and was wearing the clothes they gave me.  I made friends and that eased some of my fear but apparently I got aggressive with one of the staff and they shot me up with Thorazine. I have no idea what happened and they decided that I needed to be released to see my own doctor in Houston. When my doctor saw me he too was perplexed. We went six months of trying all types of meds, none worked. Finally in December, I took a bottle of Xanax and pleaded with my husband just to hold me so I could go away. Well of course he didn't. Back to the hospital. I don't know which was worse. I had no insurance so my stays were at the state hospital. The only thing was that I was paired up with people who I got along well with. I came out 5 days later on the condition I see my doctor the next day. When I saw my doctor he said I think there is a medication that can help you he said it has a lot of dietary restrictions but I think it is what you need. I remember getting the medication on Friday and looking at them and just praying they worked. I had a reaction that most people don't have. I woke up a feeling different . I could laugh, I could concentrate, and all I wanted was a shower and Chick Fil A. I used to have to be forced to shower and eat. My husband literally sat in the bathroom to ensure I showered besides I was terrified of the shower. The medication made me loopy but by Monday I went to see my doctor and he thought it was hilarious the way I was acting and was so happy, To this day I go see him and his secretary tells me I am one of his favorite patients due to the challenge I am. As the days went by I was fine and the dizziness went away so I was now being responsive in therapy but something started happening. I would get these horrible memories and I could not do anything to make them go away, so I started cutting myself and it started to relieve the pain of the memories. The fear also started to come back. My doctor told me I had a placebo effect, I wanted the meds to work so bad that they did. He said as far as the fear went, it was totally understandable I was scared that I would fall back into that hole  but he promised as days went by it would change. We addressed the cutting and I told him what it did for me. My MD and therapist talked and came to the conclusion that I was also suffering from PTSD. My therapist started a type of therapy called EMDR and it has cut down the incidents of cutting. It has been about four months that I stopped cutting on a regular basis. My arm looks terrible. I would show pictures but I don't want to just put them out there for the world to see that is very private to me. But I have been stable for about six months. There are things that make me sad like anyone else but I am able to function almost like any one else. That is my story. If you feel that you have depression what do you do. There are three things you do to recover. The first thing. Ok, this is where a lot of people get lost. Depending on your insurance you either make an appointment with your family doctor if you need a referral to a psychiatrist. Your family doctor is not authorized to treat mental illness you might need to go to him to get a referral and he might give you something but this is temporary. Would you see a dentist for a heart attack? It is the same thing a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is trained to treat people with mental illnesses. A psychologist can make a diagnosis but in most states they cannot prescribe medication. The second thing is to see counselor this is the person that will listen to your problems and actually do therapy. I mentioned EMDR earlier, it is a therapy used for people with PTSD where it transfers a particularly disturbing memory to a part of the brain where it will lie dormant. You know the event happened but the intense feelings surrounding the memory are less severe. One thing that is important is that you have to ensure that your doctor talks to your therapist. It is hard to do but if you bug them enough they will or at least share notes and when both of them are on the same page it makes recovery easier for everyone. I have been seeing my therapist for eight years and my doctor for seven. In the beginning you might doctor jump but when you find a counselor and doctor you like stick with them. These other doctors did not know me and therefore could not really help me. Then also you have to go to DBSA(Depression bipolar support alliance) meetings. They are nothing like AA or NA it is not a 12 step program because I guarantee you if it was I would have resisted and not gone only because I do not believe in the 12 step model for recovery but that is just me. It works great for some people but I really haven't seen a lot of success with that model. This is just a group of people getting together talking about how their illness has affected their lives and how they overcame it or maybe something is going on and they need support. The meetings are free of charge and in most cities throughout the US. Texas has the largest membership and most meetings. I love going to meetings now. I have made friends. It is great. If you do these things your chances of recovery are grand. It is simple you take your medication the way you are supposed to. Keep doctor appointments, see your counselor, and attend meetings. I know I will be on medication for the rest of my life. I accepted that I have an illness that will never go away but I have the power to control it. There aren't a lot of illness you can say that about, maybe diabetes. I just see people who don't follow though because they don't follow the three things. I know it is hard because in depression there is a lot of denial but when you realize denial is not a river in Egypt and get some help your life won't get better. I guess that is all I have to say I could go on but then you might not buy my book, I am writing a memoir and as I am writing I now see depression as a major theme in the book. So, if you have questions, you can email me or call any hotline and they will fill you with information. Don't live life unhappy, angry, or withdrawn you don't have to. Since green is the color for depression here is my green manicure I did on Monday when I went to my DBSA meeting.           I used a-England's Dragon and St. George for this manicure and then stamped using my DRK-B plate for the stamping.

Ciao for now bellas,
Patty