Kitty Update

Hello all. This is going to be kind of lengthy, so if you want to just pass it by, it's OK.  This post is more for me - to document my Maize's illness; specifically, the last two days and today.  I've been on an emotional roller coaster with my kitty - I posted about her a couple weeks ago.  She was diagnosed diabetic, but unfortunately, that was a symptom of her ailment, and not the ailment itself.

ABC Challenge - "U" is for U.S.A. (Memorial Day inspired)

Hope you all had a great 3 day weekend here in the States!  Weather was not as bad as predicted, but it still has been a lot cooler - and cloudier - than you would want at this time of the year. 

I had a little, I don't know, brain blockage, and couldn't decide between a couple of manicures.  So, I texted a friend of mine, and made her make my decision for me.  Thanks Jessica - this one turned out good.

Makeover

I'm feeling the summer season that SHOULD be approaching, but has been a little shy to come out here in the Midwest. 

I'm doing a makeover of the blog - not a huge one, but there are some visual changes going on.  I'm not done yet - this is going to be a work in progress over the summer.  It gets a little time consuming!

Hope you are all enjoying a safe and dry Memorial Day!
.
L.

ABC Challenge - "T" is for Theoretical Collection

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Hello all!  I had another manicure in mind for "T", but I FINALLY got my hands on these polishes, and the plans went out the window.  I. LOVE! THESE.  I am not really a huge fan of the big chunky glitter (but Different Dimensions Echoes collection has me smitten).   So when I first saw these, I had to have.  It took a while, however.  As you all know, trying to buy indie polishes during a restock is like those bridal dress sales.  If these polish sales happened in real life and not a virtual one, there would be a lot of broken bones and bloodied noses, let me tell you!  And I would feel really bad for causing all that damage (KIDDING!! Well...maybe not as much as I should be).

ABC Challenge - "S" is for Sponging and Saran Wrap

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I am getting back to my old schedule - it's rough, but I'm only 5 days late this week! That is a BIG accomplishment for me.  So, last week I posted something I was not really crazy about, and more than a couple comments told me that it looked more like a fall color than something appropriate for this time of year...I couldn't agree more.  So, my contribution this week is definitely more season appropriate.

ABC Challenge - "R" is for Reach for the Sky!

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Quickie post - I am running so LATE for the challenge for R, but I wanted to get my post in, even if I am not happy with it.  Not really a fail, but I am on a neutral kick all of the sudden and the glitter I chose this week is not really working for me.

Different Dimensions - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this brand - put out a duo of polishes that was inspired by Toy Story, and this is one of them.  Formula is awesome, glitters go on easily, nothing AT ALL wrong with the polish...I'm just not feeling the yellow right now. 

Check out all the (better) submissions from the other ladies in the challenge...moving on to S!  But not until I finish my homework...ugh!

Liz

M.I.A.

Hello!  Yes, I am still around, but obviously not HERE.  This was my first week back to school, and it has been...interesting...trying to shuffle everything around in my life to get back in the habit. 

Now, after a vet visit, I found out my favorite kitty - shhh, don't tell the other two - is diabetic.  Not life threatening, and not a unique illness, but definitely a schedule changing one, and a dietary one too.  The diet part won't be too hard, but the medical part is going to be tough.  Insulin shots twice a day, every 12 hours.  When I'm out of the house 3 days a week on school days from 6am to 10pm...I'm not sure yet how I'm going to be able to cover that. 

Vet says we caught it pretty early; none of the other indicators they usually see are there, so that's a good sign.  Drastic change in her food may be enough to control her blood sugar, but they want me to start her on the lowest dosage of insulin along with the food to see what happens.  It's possible that she could go into remission...I never knew that could happen with feline diabetes.  **Crossing my fingers**

My baby girl - MAIZE

I am hoping I have everything under control next week, and can get back to posting SOMETHING weekly again.  Gonna try to get my "R" post up this weekend for my ABC Challenge, and then my "S" one right behind it. 

Hope you all are doing well, and for any mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day Sunday.

Bye for now.
L.

ABC Challenge - "Q" is for Queen of Speed

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Hello all!  I got very lucky this week.  I had this "Q" in my stash that was my fallback in case I didn't think of anything else better, so I didn't feel too pressured trying to figure out what to do.  And best of all, it is the perfect base for my themed manicure that fits right in this time of the year.

Before the photos, let me just tell you two things:  1) I live near Chicago, and 2) I am a rabid hockey fan.  So, regular season just ended on Saturday 4/27, and the best team in the NHL is...drumroll, please...the Chicago Blackhawks.  But the post-season is just beginning this week, and everything basically resets to zero.  It doesn't matter what they did anymore, it's what they do from here on out.  **UPDATE - And all they did was win game 1...in overtime.  YAY!**  So to show my appreciation for the best professional sports team in the city, I did a little Blackhawks inspired manicure.  Oh, and the team colors?  Red, black, and white.

Queen of Speed from Color Club is a VERY sheer red - it would have taken a lot of coats for full opacity.  I was not willing to wait that long, so I used a coat of Wisp underneath, with two coats of the Queen.  It made this polish a very bright red.  PERFECT.

Not sure why pointer finger looks so orange...
doesn't look that way in real life.

For my thumb, I did a base of Wisp, and sponged on the red, green, yellow and orange (these are the colors in the feathers in the logo).  Is it a little messy? Yes; my transfers weren't the best, and my lines...looks like I was a little drunk when I drew them.  Unfortunately, I was not. 

Colors used:
Black striper
Midnight in NY (black shimmer) - Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
Wisp (white) - Sinful Shine
Queen of Speed (red) - Color Club
Fresh (green) - Orly
Let's Meet (yellow) - Sinful
Drive Me Crazy (orange) - Pure Ice

And here is my inspiration:

I used Lisa's at LOZLOSA newspaper technique (yes, again), for the tomahawks and the Indian head logos.  My only issue:  they are backwards on the nail (obviously).  I think I know how to correct that, so with a little tweaking and playing with my software, I can get these images flipped before I print, so they transfer correctly.  **UPDATE - found a free online flipping tool, and have reversed images in less than 2 minutes.**

I had a little bit of trouble this time, because I was TOO DAMN IMPATIENT.   I wanted this manicure on my nails, RIGHT NOW, and they are messy.  I don't feel as bad as I should - work has been brutal on my hands this past week, and they are already looking pretty sad.  I'm going to have to redo them, but as long as the Blackhawks are in the playoffs, I'll be sporting some version of this.

So, here is my weekly shout out to Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner, the master of ceremonies to this little challenge.  Even though we are (quickly) coming to the end of the alphabet, there are still 9 weeks left...plenty of time to join.  And just because the alphabet will be ending, doesn't mean that the challenges will be over.  If you are interested in jumping in, it is a closed group.  You will need to click on the ABC Challenge tab on her web page, and shoot her an e-mail to request to join.  Simple as that.

Now, onward.
Liz