Thursday, February 27, 2014

Mr. Rogers Said...


As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has- or ever will have- something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.
 
― Fred Rogers
 
 
 
When you admire someone's uniqueness, tell them! It's a powerful thing.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Turquoise Gemstone Manicure

I posted a photo of my first ever foil manicure on the Silly Bee's Chickadees Facebook page and got such a great response, that I thought I'd share the super easy tutorial with you! I love the turquoise stone, it's just so earthy and natural with beautiful flecks and veins. The gemstone comes in several colors and variations.  Some has veins with minerals that look like gold.  That variety is the inspiration for this mani.  Enjoy!

 

You'll need Silly Bee's Chickadees Always Azure, Gold holo foil, foil glue and a clear top coat.

First, I started with two coats of Always Azure, which is full of gold and copper glitter and compliments the gold foil nicely.  Make sure you let the polish dry completely before you move on.

1. Take your foil glue and wipe off most of the glue from the brush. We don't want giant splotches of foil on the nail-- it should look jagged like the cracks in a rock.

2. Dab the glue onto the nail like you are stippling. Don't brush it across. You may not even see the glue at this point and that's ok. Foil just needs the tiniest bit of glue to stick.

3. Allow the glue a minute or two to dry. The glue should be clear by this time. Then, press the foil, shiny side up, onto the nail.

4. Gently lift the foil.  If bits of foil stay behind, that's ok. The texture of the polish makes the foil look crackle-y and natural.

5. If the foil doesn't look perfect, that's perfect!  (hee hee) Turquoise stones aren't perfect and that's what makes them beautiful. Do one or two more spots and you're done!

6. Add a clear top coat to seal the foil. If you don't, it will rub off.  That's it!

Doesn't it look like a turquoise stone?  I love it.  Thanks for following along!


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Do you Google Doodle?

Happy New Year! I have been way too mysto on the blog lately. I've been so busy making polish that I haven't thought of much else! Anyway, I miss it, so I'm on a resolution to get back to bloggin'!

Are you like me?  Do you love the special Google Doodles that pop up every now and then?  I was intrigued by the one today, so I thought I'd share what I discovered. Today's Doodle is in honor of Zora Neale Hurston an important figure in America's Harlem Renaissance, described by Toni Morrison as, "One of the greatest writers of our time".  During her lifetime, she published "four novels, two books of folklore, an autobiography, numerous short stories, and several essays, articles and plays" (1)


Zora Neale Hurston

American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance.
Born: January 7, 1891, Notasulga, AL
Died: January 28, 1960, Fort Pierce, FL
Awards: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Musical
Plays: Mule Bone
Education: Columbia University, Barnard College, Howard University, Morgan State University (2)

To learn more about Ms. Hurston, visit her official website: Zora Neale Hurston. There is a particularly good timeline of her life on the site as well. Check it out!

I think I'll be adding her masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God, to my reading list this year!



Sources:
(1) zoranealehurston.com  (2) Wikipedia