Over the past couple of months, I've done a lot of thinking, and I've come to several realizations. Basically what they come down to, is that I will no longer be doing Wednesday posts on this blog.
I love blogging. I love nail art. But nails are just a hobby for me. They're something fun that I do when I need a creative break, and something that brightens my day when I'm at work. I don't do this professionally, and I probably never will.
What I do do professionally, I would like to change. And over the past six months it has become increasingly clear that if I'm every going to get out of my current job, it's going to be by going into business for myself. After five years in retail, no professional experience, and graduate work that is completely useless where I currently life, most potential employers just toss my resume aside as soon as it crosses their desk.
In order to work for myself (i.e. writing and designing full time), I need to be able to dedicate more of my time and energy to that. This means cutting back on several things, but the biggest one is time spent online in a non-professional/promotional/research capacity, since I could easily spend all day playing Threads of Mystery on Facebook or watching videos of kittens caught in hamster balls on YouTube.
This includes nail blogging. Trying to come up with 2-3 really cool nail art ideas and the time to execute them every week is a challenge, and when my nails are wet, I can't knit. I love doing it, but I don't want to have to force myself to do it every week, particularly when I have other things that need done.
In the past two years, I've accomplished a lot of things: I bought my first new car. I got a promotion. I moved out of my parent's house, and for the first time, some paid me for my writing and my patterns.
Over the next two years, I want to do bigger and better things. It is my goal to publish a novel (or two or three) and at least one knitting book. To that end, it is time that I turned my focus in that direction.
I will still be around on Mondays and Fridays, but my posts will probably be much shorter than they were over the summer. I won't be doing swatches, because, really, I don't like looking at post after post of swatches. I started this blog for nail art and bargins, and that is what I'm going to keep here. I may, in the future, have to go down to one post a week. We'll see. But for
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Monday, December 3, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Holy Demolition, Batman! (Part 2)
[In case you missed it, Part 1 can be found here, along with what all of the bru-haha is about and what exactly Liebster is and how it works.]
Today's 11 Facts:
1. I love anything steampunk.
2. I'm a certified art conservation tech, but can't get a job in the field because of all the budget cutbacks. :(
3. I shot archery (recurve only--compound is cheating!) until I got out of high school, but now I don't have a bow or a place to shoot.
4. I can cuss you out in French, Italian, and Japanese. Just don't ask me where the bathroom is, because I couldn't tell you.
5. I plan on fleeing the country as soon as I have more than $20 in my bank account on a regular basis.
6. I'm a Mac only kind of girl. I can kill a PC at ten paces. The cheaper they are, the faster they fall.
7. I collect typewriters, flamingos, international flags, and dust bunnies. The last one is not intentional.
8. My favorite show is Charmed. I like to watch it when I write, and usually have one of the season box sets by my computer (right now it's season 4)
9. My primary skills are knitting, spinning, crocheting, dying, sewing, and embroidering. This probably explains why I'm supporting myself with retail.
10. I was a child of the 80s, and went straight from a crib to a waterbed. I can't have it in my apartment, though. I miss it.
11. "A Little Princess" was probably the single most influential book on me as a child.
Delight in Nails didn't post any of her own questions, so I'll just answer some of the ones she was given--well, except for the dupes from yesterday's post.
6. Are you a fan of Indie polishes and why?
I can't say that I've tried any of them, so I have no real opinion on the matter. Most of the indies I've seen have been chunky glitter polishes, which I'm not a fan of.
7. What sport do you enjoy watching in the Olympics?
Gymnastics, especially the men's. Did anyone else notice how gorgeous those guys were this year?
9. What other hobbies do you have?
Well, I just listed most of them. But I also really like biking, though I no longer have a safe place to do it or a place to store my bike, so it's in storage.
10. Do you have any strange fears?
Tons. Like zombies and parasites, for example. Also: going blind and mental illness.
11. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A house cat, because I am inherently lazy and love to play with yarn. =^n.n^=
Whew!
And now for my 11 questions for the people I'm tagging:
1. Why do you blog about your chosen subject matter?
2. What got you started on that subject?
3. What is your favorite part about what you do?
4. What historical event are you sorry you missed/weren't alive to see?
5. Where would you most like to visit?
6. It's the zombie Apocalypse. Where do you go for shelter?
7. Digital or analog? Why?
8. What other hobbies do you have?
9. Early bird or night owl? Any reason why?
10. What piece of advice would you give your twelve-year-old self? (limited to 1 sentence)
11. What book/movie/tv show had the greatest impact on you as a child?
Thanks again to Delight in Nails and Nails for the Sake of Sanity for nominating me!
The following are my favorite blogs with under 200 followers. I actually only know of 1 nail blog that fits the criteria, so there's a mix here (hence the oddball questions!).
1. GelaNails
2. RidiculousKnits
3. Typewriter Heaven
4. Life in a Typewriter Shop
5. I Dream Lo-Tech
6. Five Cats from Crazy
Arg. All of those blogs I follow, and you know what? 95% either don't show how many followers they have, have over 200, or don't update regularly.
So that is my list, short as it is. I think that makes it a little more special, don't you?
Today's 11 Facts:
1. I love anything steampunk.
2. I'm a certified art conservation tech, but can't get a job in the field because of all the budget cutbacks. :(
3. I shot archery (recurve only--compound is cheating!) until I got out of high school, but now I don't have a bow or a place to shoot.
4. I can cuss you out in French, Italian, and Japanese. Just don't ask me where the bathroom is, because I couldn't tell you.
5. I plan on fleeing the country as soon as I have more than $20 in my bank account on a regular basis.
6. I'm a Mac only kind of girl. I can kill a PC at ten paces. The cheaper they are, the faster they fall.
7. I collect typewriters, flamingos, international flags, and dust bunnies. The last one is not intentional.
8. My favorite show is Charmed. I like to watch it when I write, and usually have one of the season box sets by my computer (right now it's season 4)
9. My primary skills are knitting, spinning, crocheting, dying, sewing, and embroidering. This probably explains why I'm supporting myself with retail.
10. I was a child of the 80s, and went straight from a crib to a waterbed. I can't have it in my apartment, though. I miss it.
11. "A Little Princess" was probably the single most influential book on me as a child.
Delight in Nails didn't post any of her own questions, so I'll just answer some of the ones she was given--well, except for the dupes from yesterday's post.
6. Are you a fan of Indie polishes and why?
I can't say that I've tried any of them, so I have no real opinion on the matter. Most of the indies I've seen have been chunky glitter polishes, which I'm not a fan of.
7. What sport do you enjoy watching in the Olympics?
Gymnastics, especially the men's. Did anyone else notice how gorgeous those guys were this year?
9. What other hobbies do you have?
Well, I just listed most of them. But I also really like biking, though I no longer have a safe place to do it or a place to store my bike, so it's in storage.
10. Do you have any strange fears?
Tons. Like zombies and parasites, for example. Also: going blind and mental illness.
11. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A house cat, because I am inherently lazy and love to play with yarn. =^n.n^=
Whew!
And now for my 11 questions for the people I'm tagging:
1. Why do you blog about your chosen subject matter?
2. What got you started on that subject?
3. What is your favorite part about what you do?
4. What historical event are you sorry you missed/weren't alive to see?
5. Where would you most like to visit?
6. It's the zombie Apocalypse. Where do you go for shelter?
7. Digital or analog? Why?
8. What other hobbies do you have?
9. Early bird or night owl? Any reason why?
10. What piece of advice would you give your twelve-year-old self? (limited to 1 sentence)
11. What book/movie/tv show had the greatest impact on you as a child?
Thanks again to Delight in Nails and Nails for the Sake of Sanity for nominating me!
The following are my favorite blogs with under 200 followers. I actually only know of 1 nail blog that fits the criteria, so there's a mix here (hence the oddball questions!).
1. GelaNails
2. RidiculousKnits
3. Typewriter Heaven
4. Life in a Typewriter Shop
5. I Dream Lo-Tech
6. Five Cats from Crazy
Arg. All of those blogs I follow, and you know what? 95% either don't show how many followers they have, have over 200, or don't update regularly.
So that is my list, short as it is. I think that makes it a little more special, don't you?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Holy Demolition, Batman! (Part 1)
[Heehee. I found that quote here, in case you're wondering. I thought it was fitting, considering it's comic book theme week for the Geek Challenge.]
So yesterday I was nominated not once, but twice for the Liebster award, which is given to nail bloggers with less than 200 followers. Many thanks to Delight in Nails and Nails for the Sake of Sanity for the props!
So here are the award rules:
Fun Facts:
1. Sophia isn't my real name. It's an internet handle I came up with in college when I got sick of the anime-themed one I'd been using since middle school. "Sophia Rowan" is two aspects that I want to embody: Sophia means wisdom, while Rowan is a tree that symbolizes protection.
2. My pen name, Sophia Beaumont, came about in a similar fashion--but Beaumont is a nod to Montreal, since it means "Beautiful mountain."
3. In case you haven't guessed, my favorite city is Montreal.
4. I live with my roommate and best friend of nine years.
5. I have a kitty, but he doesn't live with me right now. My parents are taking care of him until we can afford the pet fee for our apartment.
6. We'll probably end up moving before that happens.
7. I love cars, especially classic Chevy's from the 50s and 60s.
8. My dream car is a 1960 Chevy Impala, with a dark blue/black exterior and powder blue interior. Convertible.
9. I love anything with fur and four legs.
10. Spiders occasionally make me scream.
11. I'm addicted to sour candy. And chocolate.
Questions:
1. How did you get into nail art?
I hadn't really painted my nails in years, but then my roommate showed me some incredible Mario-themed art manicures, and I had to try them for myself. It's been downhill from there.
2. What is your favorite manicure of yours so far? (please include photo)
Probably my sea creature manicure. It turned out way better than I expected!
3. If you could have any polish, what would it be?
OPI Black Spotted.
4. Favorite polish brand?
At the moment? China Glaze or Essie.
5. Ultimate dream job?
Writer/knit designer/blogger/social media guru.
6. Favorite animal and why?
Cats, because they are adorable, and also flamingos because they are so goofy. I love anything that makes me laugh.
7. What is your favorite quote?
Fe=iron. Male=man. Therefore, I am Iron Man.
8. What is one thing that you are really particular or picky about?
Lots of things, but the main one that comes to mind is organization at work. It seems like no one puts anything away properly, and then I get all anal organizing hangers and fixtures instead of doing the stuff I'm supposed to.
9. Where do you get inspiration for your nails?
Other blogs, comics, deviantart, pinterest, television, patterns I see on clothing, particular color combinations I see together...
10. What place (country, city, etc) would you most like to visit and why?
I adore Canada, Ireland, and the UK and would love to go back. I've always wanted to go to France, but so far I've mostly just seen the airport. I also want to see Germany and Japan.
11. Why do you do nail blogging? In other words, what do you get out of it or hope to get out of it? In real life I'm kind of antisocial. I talk way more with my keyboard than I with my mouth! Blogging is a creative outlet that lets me get instant responses (unlike with the fiction I write), lets me meet new people, share ideas, and at the same time spread the word about stuff I'm working on--like the Geek Nail Challenge, or my short story that was just published in July. (Yes that was a shameless plug. :D )
Since I subscribe to over a hundred blogs of various types, I'll post my tag list tomorrow once I've had a chance to figure out who has less than 200 followers with the best content. Hint: There are going to be a lot of typewriters!
So yesterday I was nominated not once, but twice for the Liebster award, which is given to nail bloggers with less than 200 followers. Many thanks to Delight in Nails and Nails for the Sake of Sanity for the props!
So here are the award rules:
- Post 11 facts about yourself
- Answer the questions the tagger has asked you and then create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate
- Choose 11 people with less than 200 followers to give this award to and link to them
- Go to their pages and tell them (Remember no tag backs!)
Fun Facts:
1. Sophia isn't my real name. It's an internet handle I came up with in college when I got sick of the anime-themed one I'd been using since middle school. "Sophia Rowan" is two aspects that I want to embody: Sophia means wisdom, while Rowan is a tree that symbolizes protection.
2. My pen name, Sophia Beaumont, came about in a similar fashion--but Beaumont is a nod to Montreal, since it means "Beautiful mountain."
3. In case you haven't guessed, my favorite city is Montreal.
4. I live with my roommate and best friend of nine years.
5. I have a kitty, but he doesn't live with me right now. My parents are taking care of him until we can afford the pet fee for our apartment.
6. We'll probably end up moving before that happens.
7. I love cars, especially classic Chevy's from the 50s and 60s.
8. My dream car is a 1960 Chevy Impala, with a dark blue/black exterior and powder blue interior. Convertible.
9. I love anything with fur and four legs.
10. Spiders occasionally make me scream.
11. I'm addicted to sour candy. And chocolate.
Questions:
1. How did you get into nail art?
I hadn't really painted my nails in years, but then my roommate showed me some incredible Mario-themed art manicures, and I had to try them for myself. It's been downhill from there.
2. What is your favorite manicure of yours so far? (please include photo)
Probably my sea creature manicure. It turned out way better than I expected!
3. If you could have any polish, what would it be?
OPI Black Spotted.
4. Favorite polish brand?
At the moment? China Glaze or Essie.
5. Ultimate dream job?
Writer/knit designer/blogger/social media guru.
6. Favorite animal and why?
Cats, because they are adorable, and also flamingos because they are so goofy. I love anything that makes me laugh.
7. What is your favorite quote?
Fe=iron. Male=man. Therefore, I am Iron Man.
8. What is one thing that you are really particular or picky about?
Lots of things, but the main one that comes to mind is organization at work. It seems like no one puts anything away properly, and then I get all anal organizing hangers and fixtures instead of doing the stuff I'm supposed to.
9. Where do you get inspiration for your nails?
Other blogs, comics, deviantart, pinterest, television, patterns I see on clothing, particular color combinations I see together...
10. What place (country, city, etc) would you most like to visit and why?
I adore Canada, Ireland, and the UK and would love to go back. I've always wanted to go to France, but so far I've mostly just seen the airport. I also want to see Germany and Japan.
11. Why do you do nail blogging? In other words, what do you get out of it or hope to get out of it? In real life I'm kind of antisocial. I talk way more with my keyboard than I with my mouth! Blogging is a creative outlet that lets me get instant responses (unlike with the fiction I write), lets me meet new people, share ideas, and at the same time spread the word about stuff I'm working on--like the Geek Nail Challenge, or my short story that was just published in July. (Yes that was a shameless plug. :D )
Since I subscribe to over a hundred blogs of various types, I'll post my tag list tomorrow once I've had a chance to figure out who has less than 200 followers with the best content. Hint: There are going to be a lot of typewriters!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Inspiration Shots
I'm starting to think that I might have to break down and get a Pintrest account to keep track of all of the awesome manicures I keep seeing. Here are a couple that really got me this week:
I love the starfish manicure and accompanying tutorial from Chalkboard Nails. That is so great for summer, and I can't wait to try it out for myself. I also adore her typography manicure. I've only been wanting one for, oh, ever. She used a special solution, however, and a commenter on my last post left a link to a tutorial that uses basic rubbing alcohol instead, so you can bet I'll be trying that one out soon!
Thanks to a link on...I don't remember where, I've started following a French nail blogger, and I just love her one stroke hibiscus. More motivation to work on my French!
Those are the ones that stand out to me this week. I love seeing all of the creative things that people do with nail polish. I have got to improve my skills to catch up with all of you wonderful people!
I love the starfish manicure and accompanying tutorial from Chalkboard Nails. That is so great for summer, and I can't wait to try it out for myself. I also adore her typography manicure. I've only been wanting one for, oh, ever. She used a special solution, however, and a commenter on my last post left a link to a tutorial that uses basic rubbing alcohol instead, so you can bet I'll be trying that one out soon!
Thanks to a link on...I don't remember where, I've started following a French nail blogger, and I just love her one stroke hibiscus. More motivation to work on my French!
Those are the ones that stand out to me this week. I love seeing all of the creative things that people do with nail polish. I have got to improve my skills to catch up with all of you wonderful people!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Inspriation Shots
I'm still so new to this world of fashion blogging, I feel like there are about a million years worth of posts that I need to get caught up on. I think I've added over a dozen blogs to my RSS reader in the past two days, and I keep searching for more.
I think the one that finally tipped me over the edge and got me blogging about nail art myself was Let Them Have Polish's China Glaze florescent watermarble. I don't even like neons in any form, be it clothing, polish, I'm not even that crazy about highlighters most of the time. But the pink and yellow in that one just made me squee and I HAD to try it.
Looking at the different blogs, there are so many things I want to try. I have a textile-themed manicure planned for some point in the future (after that water marble and a couple of comic/manga themed ones I want to do), and Nails in Nippon's tweed pattern would be perfect for that. I love the elegance of Copy That, Copy Cat's gloss-on-black manicure. I'm just stunned by some of her freehand designs, too!
Lastly, I'm saving the Morning Java swatch from Polish Insomniac. I love the color and when I finally figure out the steampunk manicure that I want to do (but have yet to design) I think that color is going to be involved. Its just perfect!
I think the one that finally tipped me over the edge and got me blogging about nail art myself was Let Them Have Polish's China Glaze florescent watermarble. I don't even like neons in any form, be it clothing, polish, I'm not even that crazy about highlighters most of the time. But the pink and yellow in that one just made me squee and I HAD to try it.
Looking at the different blogs, there are so many things I want to try. I have a textile-themed manicure planned for some point in the future (after that water marble and a couple of comic/manga themed ones I want to do), and Nails in Nippon's tweed pattern would be perfect for that. I love the elegance of Copy That, Copy Cat's gloss-on-black manicure. I'm just stunned by some of her freehand designs, too!
Lastly, I'm saving the Morning Java swatch from Polish Insomniac. I love the color and when I finally figure out the steampunk manicure that I want to do (but have yet to design) I think that color is going to be involved. Its just perfect!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Welcome to G.O.A.S.T.
Bonjour, and welcome to Girl on a Shoestring, a blog about fashion, manicures, and surviving on half a shoestring budget.
A few things about me:
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you come back soon!
A few things about me:
- I’m not a professional. I’m just a retail minion with a manicure addiction who can no longer afford to have them done professionally (Thanks, Sallie Mae). Most of what I do is trial and error, with help from a few online tutorials and other nail blogs.
- I’m still pretty new to the world of art manicures, so this blog is as much about me learning and sharing my successes and failures as it is about sharing pretty pictures and fabulous finds.
- On this blog, I’ll be showing some the great cheap stuff that I come across, both online and in brick and mortar stores. I love finding hidden treasures in unexpected places, like Target, Marshalls, and the local thrift shop, but I also spend too much time on websites like Etsy, Amazon, and Blogger. Every Friday I’ll be sharing my Find of the Week.
- I don't use fake nails.
- When I’m not painting my nails or window shopping, I’m reading, writing, knitting, spinning, sewing, and generally making stuff. If you want to know more about that, then you can find my personal blog here.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you come back soon!
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