Happy New Year's Eve & Have Some Wicked FUN!

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I just thought I'd show you my New Year's Eve mani...

 

...and a cool Piggy Polish I found the other day called Wicked FUN.

Enjoy the rest of 2008, Dear Reader, and until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Duochrome Delights from Nubar, Part V

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I've swatched the last of the Nubar duochromes I have for you, just in tim to get in on their 20% off sale if you "need" any of them.  All are three coats over a base.

I'll start with the sheerer colors, which are also great layered over black.

This is Love Rainbow

 

 

and Tropical Treat.

 

The last two opaque shades I have are Stardust

and Dreamer's Island.

 

I'll have more for you later, some New Year's Eve fun, but wanted to show these last colors to you while Nubar's sale is still going on.  That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Love and nail pokish to you!

 

Nicole Black to the Future

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

This day has largely been about my mom, and being Irish, there's a celebratory element to mourning that I've participated in today.  At my mom's wake, everyone was telling all their funny stories about her, and there was lots of laughter.  My mom was *all about* a good sale (you could pick any item in my parents' home and she could tell you the original price and what she paid) as well as doing whatever the hell she wanted to do, regardless of what anyone thought.  So today I went over to Ulta for their clearance sale (Mom would be so proud!) and got some good sale things as well as a few things not on sale that were too cool to pass up (she'd forgive me...), then came home and played with one just because I felt like it.  This is one of the "too cool to pass up" items, Nicole by OPI's Black to the Future.  It took four coats to get it totally opaque, but it was worth it!

 

 

So that's the happier part of my day today - clearance shopping and doing what I felt like doing just because I felt like it.  Good stuff!

That's all for today, Dear Reader!  Love and nail polish to you!

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Good morning, Dear Reader.

Today I have SpaRitual's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

 

 

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Love and nail polish to you!

On to Happier Things: Borghese Celestiale Silver F

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This morning I decided to use and show you a very happy color from Borghese's Roman Holiday Collection, which is just beginning to show up in stores here in Chicago.  I saw the display, a fresh untouched one, for the first time the day before yesterday.

The reason this is a happy color for me is that the collection was rolled out months ago on the West Coast, and my dear friend Love8Brain, with whom I share I love of Borghese amongst other things, sent me the entire collection for my birthday in September.  Although my mom would be thrilled that she has two colors all to herelf, she wouldn't be wild about one of them being a blue (I can just hear the, "Oh, Siobhan....), and I decided I needed something other than SSN that was cheerful for today.  So I went to my cabinet of Special Polishes That Make Me Happy, and Love8Brain's gift of Celestiale Silver F fit the bill both for happy and for a good New Year's color.  Here it is!

 

 

Isn't it pretty and sparkly?  Since this collection is just beginning to show up in the Midwest, I thought I'd show this one to you in case you're confronted with the decision of whether you need it or not.  I say you do!

I also started a new week long poll last night regarding my nail length, which you'll find in the upper right hand corner.  I'm considering taking a little bit of length off of my nails, and thought I'd see what you thought if that idea.  It's a simple Yes/No poll, so please cast a vote if you have an opinion.  As of right now, it looks like I'll be busy filing my nails next weekend.

That's all for noe, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

New Poll

Last one for the day, Dear Reader, I promise!

I just began a week-long poll asking you whether I should remove some length from my nails.  In pictures, they look really long to me, although I like them.  It's a simple yes/no poll at the top right hand corner of the page, so if you have an opinion I'd really appreciate it if you'd give it.  Thank you!

Essie Starry Starry Night

Good evening, Dear Reader.

This won't be my most upbeat post ever, so feel free to skip straight to the pictures.

I made a big nick in my polish while chopping an apple earlier today, and decided to redo my mani.  I chose a color you've seen before, and will likely see again - Essie's Starry Starry Night.  I chose it because it's what I wore to my mom's funeral, and Tuesday will mark the six month anniversary of her death.  She's been on my mind this week because she was such a big celebrator, and my dad and I aren't, so the only thing that made this Christmas different than any other Thursday was that my dad got Happy Birthday calls from his remaining brothers and sister.  When my mom was alive, every minute of Christmas Eve through Christmas was a giant production - it could drive me nuts, but I'd give anything to have her drive me nuts just one more time.  The week of her death is one big blur in my head, but I do remember that I wore SpaRitual Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds to her wake (her name was Lucille) and Starry Starry Night to her funeral.

I miss my mom a lot, no less than the day she died.  I will always remember her last words, too.  She suffered from dementia and had had two bad strokes, so she did not speak for the last several months of her life with one exception.  On my last visit, five weeks and one day before she died, I left with my usual words: "You're a great mom, and I love you."  Rather than blankly stare out the window as she had for this entire visit and my last two, she turned her head, looked me in the eye, and said, "You're a great daughter, and I love you."  Those were the only words she spoke for about five months, and then she promptly went back to staring blankly out the window.  That's the story of my mom's last words - the last of many from a great storyteller who never had a private thought before her ability to speak was taken from her.

So Starry Starry Night and Lucy in the Sky will always be colors for my mom to me.  She got some  good colors, and here's SSN.

 

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  If you can, tell your mom that you love her.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you.

Chanel Feu de Russie

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I resigned myself to the dark colors of winter the only way I could - with a Chanel LE.  I broke into my bottle of Chanel's Feu de Russie, and although it's wintery, it's beautiful.  If I have another three months of colors like this in front of me, I'll be alright!

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  I hope you enjoy the last day of your little Christmas break, and until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

I Can't Take Winter!

Good morning, Dear Reader!  I hope you're having a good holiday weekend.

I got home yesterday (and it was nice to come home to your comments), and found the new Sally Hansen Insta-Dri colors at a local Walgreen's.  One of the colors I picked was Uptempo Plum, and that was my mani yesterday.

 

Uptempo Plum is a great color, but after I finished with it, I realized I'm already weary of dark colors.  Since I started with them around July, that's not too surprising.  My remedy for that, and my exhaustion with snow, wind, and freezing rain, was to do a really Springy mani today.  Yes, I know I have many cold months before Spring, but I get to have any season I want on my hands!  I started with Nubar's Lemon Sorbet, a perfect pale yellow, then added a vine and leaf pattern, then a butterfly and flower pattern, both from Konad plate M16.

 

That's what I have for you this morning, Dear Reader.  Until later, love and nail polish to you!

Duochrome Delights from Nubar, Part IV

Good morning, Dear Reader!

If everything's going as planned, I'm waiting at Amtrak again, this time to go back home.  It seemed like a good day to show you the rest of the Nubar duochromes I have swatched (with three more colors at home unswatched, which I hope to have for you tomorrow).  I thought some of you might have some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, and since Nubar's having a 20% off $50 sale right now, it's a good time to load up.  I've had comments from two readers telling me they had problems with the coupon code working, but I have verified with Nubar that it's valid.  If you run into troubles, give Nubar a call and make sure you get your 20% off.

I'll start with a classic, Iris Dust, which is a pinky bronze with a greenish gold flash.

Next up is Pink Flame, a red pink with a silver pink flash.

I'll end with the real kicker, Moon Shadow, a rich berry purple with a brown/green flash.

Aren't they lovely?  Moon Shadow in particular is one I don't think gets enough love, but it gets plenty of love here!

Here's the coupon for 20% off a $50 order at Nubar, and a link to Nubar's site.  Again, if you have any troubles with the coupon, be sure to call and make sure you get your discount.

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until later, love and nail polish to you!

It's Christmas!

Good morning, Dear Reader, and Merry Christmas!


Today I thought I'd show you my Christmas mani, which I did in the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday. It's a special one I set aside for today, and it comes coutesy of Kyosuke, who sent me two fabulous polishes for Christmas. It is Chanel's Red Dream, a perfect sparkly deep red, just right for a celebratory mani!










Isn't she fabulous? Many, many thanks to Kyosuke, without whom I wouldn't have this wonderful pretty!


I hope all who are celebrating Christmas today have a happy and peaceful holiday. Until tomorrow, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!

Merry Christmas Eve

Good morning, Dear Reader!

If all is well in my world, I'm waiting in line at Amtrak right now to get to my dad's for Christmas.  It's my first momless Christmas, but is a big deal anyhow because tomorrow is my dad's 83rd birthday.  I guess longevity is the payoff for a lifetime of being ripped off on birthday gifts.  To make up for it, we always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve night and my dad's birthday on Christmas, so tonight is the Christmas dinner with me, my dad, and my sister.

What I have for you today is a Christmas mani I did earlier in the week.  My mom was a big Christmas decorating type - wreaths all over, candles, a nativity scene, all of that (including a menorah from one of her trips to Israel, despite the fact that we're not Jewish!).  My dad and I are not decorating types at all, with zero Christmas decorations in our homes.  However, I wanted to pay homage to my mom this Christmas season with a Christmas wreath mani.  I started with SpaRitual Impression for a red base, and to that I added a curved leaf pattern in Konad green, and voila! I was sporting ten little Chritmas wreaths in honor of Mom.  

 

 

That's all for today, Dear Reader!  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Eve, and until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Good morning, Dear Reader!  Your insomniac of an author is up in the middle of the night, so I thought I'd post a Christmas mani I did easrlier in the month.

I wanted something Christmassy, so I started with Essie's St Martin Mint.

 

 

Sure, it's green, but it doesn't quite scream "Christmas!!!" does it?  Time to break out the Konad!  I added red flowers using SpaRitual Impression with the Konad, which to me look like Poinsettias.

 

 

Now that screams Christmas to me - mission accomplished!

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until later, love and nail polish to you!

Chanel Django

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have one of the Chanel polishes I promised you'd see this week.  It's one I haven't seen online before, so I chose it over the others I could have used.  It is Chanel's Django for Spring (Spring!  The windchill here is 20 below...).

It's a slightly peachy nude with a subtle shimmer.  Here she is!

 

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until later, love and nail polish to you!

Happy Hannukah!

Good evening, Dear Reader!

Hannukah has just begun, and I thought I'd celebrate by showing you the best dang Hannukah mani any Irish Catholic girl could muster up.

 

 

Happy Hannukah to all who are celebrating!  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you, Dear Reader!

Duochrome Delights from Nubar, Part III

Good morning, Dear Reader!  Today I have more Nubar duochromes for you, this time the golden ones.  I figured I should post all I have before Nubar's 20% off sale is over.

I'll start with the semi-sheer Gold Feather, a reddish gold with a strong gold flash.

 

 

Next up is Gold Leaf, an opaque bronzey gold with a true gold flash.

 

Finally, I have Sun Gold, and orangey gold with a true gold flash.  This one is the color of my sister's hair!

 

That's all for now, Dear Reader, but I have many more to come!  If you must have any of these, but sure to use the coupon code below to save 20% on your order.  Until later, love and nail polish to you!