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The Nail Epic

So, as some may or may not know, I am working on trying to master caring for my own nails after my economic situation has required me to cancel my standing nail appointment with the "Amazing Alison". I have realized just how hard a job it is! My nails were in dreadful shape after having fake nails for so many years. I have battled brittle nails, peeling nails, polishing issues....you name it, and I suffer with it.

The first was the peeling of the nail layers right after the fake nails were first removed. I attempted to "strengthen" them with nail strengthening products such as OPI's Nail Envy. I found out that strength was not what I was needing because that led to my nails being so "strong", they would break with the slightest pressure since the Nail Envy did nothing to help with the nail's flexibility to give without breaking. I then ordered Nail Aid which I STILL use as a basecoat (this product is still my number one!).

The polish issues, more specifically BUBBLING, are still present. I haven't figured out how to polish my nails to the mirror finish like I always got when I visited the Amazing Alison, so I call her. She informed me that my nails need to be clean and the brush cannot be too dry nor too coated when applying the polish. Also, she said that the polish needs to be set up between coats and that natural nails take longer to dry. She said that they will NOT be completely dry for 24 hours. I now polish my nails first thing in the morning, and find that, for me, splitting up my coats gives me better end results. I have split it up between two days (I wish I could do it all in one day, but I just can't without seeing bubbles). The first day I do the first two coats, the second day the last two to three depending on what color I've chosen.
So there you have it! My progress so far. I have a VERY long way to go in mastering this, but I've also learned that after fake nails, the only thing that fixes your nails is time (and in the case of polish....lots and lots of practice). There is no miracle product to fix the problem, but there are some pretty good tips and products to help mask it. Good luck to everyone out there and if you have any tips to pass along....PLEASE do!

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Past 7 Days....

Inking Pink Blog Hop

Hi Hoppers! Danielle, a.k.a. FitterTwit here.... so glad you made it!!! If you're mid-hop, you should be arriving here from Chelsea's blog . Was that a great project or what!?! If you're just joining us and need to start the hop from the beginning, you're gonna want to head over to our lovely Hop Hostess Patricia's blog to start the fun here on our VERY IMPORTANT Inking Pink Blog Hop! Here's to Breast Cancer Awareness!!! My project for this hop is a reminder card..."Remember your checkups!" What a wonderful way to say "I love you" to a dear friend or family member. Now you may not be able to see it in the pic above, but I altered The Greeting Farm's Ebony so that her tee shirt reads, "Say YES to Mammograms!" So, today I wanted to share HOW I added the words to her tee. First I printed the words as small as I could and still be able to read the message using my laser printer onto the paper that I would be using to color in my im...

So Lame

So over at Paper Vineyard, the challenge was to create a birthday project and it COULDN'T be a card.  I've personally been creating WAY too many cards lately so I was happy to try my hand at something new..... only I didn't. :(  Instead, I was busy preparing for last week's Cricut Swarm.  Now, while I missed creating a project specifically for our Birthday Non-Card challenge, I figured the cupcake box that I made would fit the bill PERFECTLY for a birthday-themed project.  The box also has an insert for a cupcake to fit inside.  I made it with my Cricut (cuz of the whole Cricut Swarm bit) and while I ADORE this box, I sort of had a little melt down making it and I decided that this is the last Provo Craft product I will ever buy.... let me share why (read through to find out the cartridge I used for this project)! Most of you know that I DESPISE Provo Craft.  I hate that the Cricut is a one-of-kind product that I loved....

Gorgous Leaves Bundle Revisited

Yestday's Freebie Friday on a Monday projects were so fun and this set is SO BEAUTIFUL in it's simplicity!  It reminds me of a long-retired stamp set from Stampin Up!.  I was inspired to re-create the projects that I made with it once upon a time.  So here we go.... SIMPLE projects when you need a quick "hello" or an even quicker heartfelt sympathy card: I was DEFINITELY on a Bumblebee and Cajun Craze kick yesterday!  I can't stop/won't stop!  LOL!  To be fair... I had extra leaves die cut and didn't want anything to go to waste!  A quick speckle backdrop in Bumblebee then a quick "hello" greeting from the Biggest Wish in Cajun Craze with the Cajun Craze leaf popped up on a Basic White cardbase.  PERFECTION! Okay, as with yesterday's projects, the sentiment is from the recently retired SAB Delicate Dahlia's set, but you could use ANY sympathy sentiment you have in your stash.  Unlike in the past when I had to mask off the center rectangle...