Summer Fun: Beach

I love layering polishes. It's such an easy way to create an effect, or expand your pallette.

I really had no idea what to do for this theme. At first I though I'd do nail art. But I didn't know what image/pattern to do, and I only have one brown, and it's not the right brown for a beach.

So I went a little further and thought, "Ocean." I love the ocean, and I love blue polish. A water marble, perhaps?

My forays into watermarble have not really been what I would call successful, however. They turn out okay...but not great. More practice is needed.

I did one marbled accent for this manicure, and layering for the rest. For the marble, I put down a base of Brash "Green Machine" (1 coat) and for the marble I used Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party," Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Blue By," Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure "Calypso Blue," and China Glaze "Dorothy Who?"

On my thumb and pinky, I used a base of "Blue By;" for the ring finger I put down 1 coat of "Green Machine", and on my middle finger I used a single coat of Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup "Aquamarine Chrome" (for those wondering, I added a few drops of nail polish remover to that one, which solved the thick/dry issue completely. It is now the fabulous one-coat polish I remember from high school once more).

On top of each of those, I did one coat of "Calypso Blue."

I love the way the layers came out. Each base brings out something different in the shimmer of Calypso, which is one of my favorite polishes. I LOVE blue nail polish--it is second only to my love of foils.


I know I've been kind of blah this week on the nail art front, but bear with me because I do have something special planned for Fav. Summer memory on Tuesday.

Speaking of which, what is your favorite white nail polish? I need something that's going to be opaque; I'm thinking I might have to resort to acrylic paint, if I have any left from my art school days. Is there such a thing as a good, opaque white?

Summer Fun, and I'm published!!

Today's manicure coincides with a very special event: the release of my first published work!


Artwork by A.K. Alexander (a.k.a the other half of the shoestring).

Birds of a Feather

Cursed to turn into a flamingo since the age of three, Eric hasn’t had the best luck with relationships. But that changes when he meets Dan. At least, he thinks it has until Dan is offered a job in another state, and asks Eric to come along. Can Dan handle the truth about Eric?

Then, there's the new guy in town: Colin. Eric can tell right from the start that Colin's got a full moon secret of his own. The question is, when it comes to a weremoose and a wereflamingo, can there ever really be common ground?

Help me make the shoestring reach a little further; purchase a short story! It's only $2.49 (Less than a bottle of China Glaze!) and can be read on your iPad, computer, or ereader of choice.


Summer Color: Flamingo Pink!
For this manicure, I stared with a base of Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party" on my ring finger and thumb, to make the water marble pop. The background on the other nails is Brash "Green Machine."

Close up shot of the ring finger. Yes, that is a moose shadow. Curious? Read the story!

For the water Marble, I used my Color Zone neon pink and purple; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear "Fuchsia Power" and "Sun Kissed; Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Lightening", and "Green Machine" just to tie it all together. (This is the tutorial I used for the water marble)

The flamingo is painted with "Fuchsia Power". The lettering and moose are done with my Claire's nail pen.