Springtime Blues

Hey there!   My dearest husband and I recently got our tax return, and so I did some playing, of course - and picked up some ADORABLE converse.  I was over at my friend Mommy Does Her Nails' place, putting on my snazzy new kicks, and she (being the queen of greens and teals) had the perfect shade to match my nails to these Converse.   Don'tcha just LOVE them?  So perfect for spring.

This is Julep Amy, and the accent nail is done with Zoya "Christinna" (White), Sally Hansen "Sun Kissed" (Orange) and "Mellow Yellow", Loreal "Cockatoo's Mystery" (Grey) and Sinful Colors "Secret Admirer" (Black).

One more close up of the accent nail on my right hand:

How about it, folks?  Are you dreaming of blue skies and spring blossoms?  Skirts, linens, and less hail? (Yes, it was JUST hailing here a few minutes ago.)

Mapped Mani

I am SO excited to share this manicure with you!   As soon as I read up on newspaper manicures, I knew where I wanted to take it - I present to you, the Map Manicure.  This one is perfect if you're headed on vacation, dreaming of traveling the world, or just looking for something fantastic!

I did have a bit of trouble with application at first, so I'll finish this post off with my own step by step tutorial.

Here's the other hand, for your viewing pleasure ;)

My only regret is that everything is backwards...I wish it looked like this (I flipped it in photoshop)...

Are you ready for yours?   Here's the list of things you'll need:

• A small dish with alcohol (I used rum...yum!)
• Pieces of a map, cut to the approximate size of your nails
• Base nail polish color, nothing too dark
• Clean up tools
• Topcoat

Step 1:  Paint 2 coats of your base color, no topcoat (yet), let dry until no longer tacky.

Step 2:  Dip your first finger in the alcohol

Step 3:  Place the cut map over your nail, press until it is damp from the alcohol (add a drop if necessary), then wait a minute

Step 4:  Carefully peel off paper (some should stay with the image on your nail.  If not, you didn't get it damp enough or press hard enough) 

Step 5:  Gently rub the excess paper off - it should not appear white

Finish off with a coat or two of your favorite topcoat, and you're good to go!   A bit of work for sure, but worth the extra effort and easier overall than a water marble manicure.  

(Ta-daaa)