La La La La La La La La La La Laaaaaa.

Try getting THAT out of your head!! *muahahahahahaha* Ok, anybody who's ANYBODY knows who the Smurfs are, and how...Smurfy they are. :-D I remember many a Saturday morning growing up waking up and watching the Smurfs on tv, since I grew up in the boonies, we didn't have cable, *GASP* (yes, that's for REAL. My parents STILL don't have cable) so Saturday mornings were the only time that cartoons were on TV, so we definitely made the most of them, most likely eating S'mores cereal, maybe Count Chocula, or perhaps my dad's amazingtastical fried eggs. (I am 29, and I STILL can't make fried eggs as well as he can.) Ahhh, the memories....

Can I also mention that two of my friends (and readers) got married today!! Congratulations Len & Sarah! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!!

And now, on to the nails! I did Papa Smurf on my thumb, Painter Smurf on my index finger, Smurfette on my middle finger, Vanity on my ring finger, and Brainy Smurf on my pinky. :)

I used Zoya Yummy as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the hats and eyes, Eyeko Saucy Polish for Naughty Nails for the tongues (when you see 'em, the stem and spots of the mushroom, and Papa Smurf's hat. For Smurfette's hair, I used American Apparel Manila, which I also used for the center of the flower on Vanity Smurf's hat. For the top of the mushroom, I used butter LONDON Minger, which I also used for the paint splatter on Painter Smurf's hat. For his paintbrush, I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with a mixture of Color Club Best Dressed List and American Apparel Manila. For Vanity's flower, I used Color Club Ms. Socialite, then I used a combination (not mixed, just whatever I picked up on my brush) of Pure Ice Wild Thing, L.A. Girl Army Green, and Zoya Shawn, and as always, I used American Apparel Hassid to outline everything.

I have to say, I think this manicure is pretty smurfy. the only nail I'm not loving on my left hand is Smurfette, she was the first one I drew before changing my technique, and she looks a tad wonky. Ah well.

Sorry, no Gargamel this time, perhaps when the Smurfs movie comes out next summer. :-D

Radiator

Yeah, so the name is lame, I know, I really couldn't think of anything clever for this one, and since everything radiates from the black line out, 'Radiator' it is. I wanted to do an abstract design today, and I've had this one on my mind for a few days now, so I thought that I'd finally do it! I love the dots, they remind me of halftone dots, which, being a designer, of course I love.

I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the black line and then applied with a dotting tool for the black dots. For the gold lines, I used China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Only 7 days left!! WOOOT! (because I'll have accomplished it, not because the blog will be over- I LOVE it too much to quit!!)

Radiator

Yeah, so the name is lame, I know, I really couldn't think of anything clever for this one, and since everything radiates from the black line out, 'Radiator' it is. I wanted to do an abstract design today, and I've had this one on my mind for a few days now, so I thought that I'd finally do it! I love the dots, they remind me of halftone dots, which, being a designer, of course I love.


I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the black line and then applied with a dotting tool for the black dots. For the gold lines, I used China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Only 7 days left!! WOOOT!

Made With Real Cheez

Hot & Spicy, White Cheddar, Original, Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, Scrabble®... you name 'em, I'll eat 'em. (except the reduced fat ones *hork*) Cheez-Its have been a staple in my diet since my days as a software designer, where all us crazy kids, Boz, Jordan, Joe, and David would munch all day long. One time Boz and I figured it out, and between us, we had eaten over 10,000 Cheez-Its in a matter of a few months. We also collected the box backs as trophies when they said 'GET YOUR OWN BOX', and we wallpapered the wall of one of the cubicles with them. I can only find a picture that has part of the wall covered to show you, but it'll have to do. I dedicate this manicure to my pals from the SZ, I miss you!!!!! Boz- I think we need to go for another 10,000...long distance?

I used butter LONDON Minger as a base for the Cheez-It nails, and Eyeko Saucy Polish for Naughty Nails for the red nails. For the shading on the Cheez-It nails, I used OPI Ginger Bells, with Essie Bone Chilling White sponged on lightly for the salt. For the hole in the center of the Cheez-Its, I used American Apparel Hassid and for the ridges on the free edge of the nail, I used a mixture of OPI Ginger Bells and Barielle Unravelled Rust. For the Cheez-It logo, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud, with American Apparel Hassid for the shadow, and American Apparel Manila for the gradient behind the red band that contains the logo. I also used American Apparel Manila for the 'GET YOUR OWN BOX." slogan, with American Apparel Hassid for the shadow. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

The partial Cheez-It wall...

Found this picture when I was looking for a Cheez-It wall pic. I was helping a photography student friend out, he was photographing an icy/snow queen type thingy, and yes, that's tin foil I glued to my face. :-P

Photo credit: Andrew Johnson

Lauren Luke Cosmetics Sale on Hautelook!

Makeup from the YouTube guru Lauren Luke (Panacea81) is on sale at Hautelook! Her palettes are half off their original price!! :) Very pretty colors, too!!

Check out Lauren Luke Sale at Hautelook!

I Rose to the Occasion

I rarely do 'girly' designs, but every time I watch episodes of 'The New Adventures of Old Christine', I always see one of the pillows on her couch and think to myself that it'd make a great nail design. It is an oversized graphic rose print in turquoise, with brown vines and leaves on a cream background. I adore the color combination, and I totally dig graphic prints, and I really want that pillow. :-P Today's nail art is my interpretation of the fabric print of the pillow, I even DVRed the show so I could pause it when the pillow came on screen so I could use it as reference. Yes, I'm a huge nerd, this I know. Anyway, to the nails!

I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with China Glaze Flyin' High for the roses, and MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious for the vines and leaves. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Another new TV obsession? How I Met Your Mother. (Can you tell I've been watching Lifetime lately?) Neil Patrick Harris is a comedic genius, and I swear I laugh out loud more at that show than probably any other sitcom I've seen. It's so stupid, but ridiculously funny.

By Lamplight

Today's nail art is special to me because it is inspired by my late grandfather. He was awesome in every way a person could be awesome. He was funny, and crafty, he could fix anything, or make anything you could put in front of him. He didn't retire until he was in his late 70s, and get this, he was a Construction Worker. In his seventies. Seriously. He was a man who never showed pain, and to me (and I'm sure the rest of my family) he was invincible. Six years ago he passed away after discovering he had lung cancer, and I was devastated. I still cry every time I talk about or think about him, it just goes to show that life is short, and we need to appreciate the time we have with people we love. I remember every Christmas he would allow all of us kids to go into his stained glass workshop, and he would help us make Christmas ornaments from shapes cut out of his scrap glass. Before he passed away, he asked if I wanted to have his stained glass tools and everything, and of course, I did. I've taken classes and practiced, and I hope that ONE day, I'll have an ounce of his talent at it. Today's nail art was inspired by one of his hobbies, stained glass, and is actually the design from a lamp that he made that I inherited.

I used Sally Hansen Moonstone as a base, with a mixture of butter LONDON Minger and CND Electric Orange picked up on the brush to create the stained glass marbled/swirled effect. For the flower centers, I used Barielle Unravelled Rust, and for the leaves, I used L.A. Girl Army Green, and Pure Ice Wild Thing. For the soldered lines, I used American Apparel Hassid. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.