New Job and Spring Inspiration

As some of you may know, I recently got employed at Pier 1 Imports. I'm really excited about it! It is my first job in sales, but so far I am really loving it. The company seems awesome, and they really support their employees. Anybody who isn't Assosciate or Assistant Manager works part time hours, however, I can still apply for benefits and after 6 months I can pay into a 401(k), which the company matches! 

So far the hardest part has been trying not to spend all my earned money on items in the store. I already found an awesome shag rug that would match our love seat way better than the black one we currently have, and I've already set aside my first Christmas gift for someone. 

The other benefit of working at Pier 1 is that there are colors and patterns galore to be inspired by for nail art use. Our current ad is focusing on rolling out spring colors, and when you walk in, the main focus is grey and yellow 

Our scent of the month is Honeysuckle, at 20% off! (Never stop hustling)

Individually, I'm not a big fan of yellow, and grey is just okay. But together, they are gorgeous. I decided to do a Saran Wrap manicure using this color palette. 

What's a Saran Wrap manicure, you ask?  Simply put, you paint a base color on your nail. I started with the grey...

China Glaze in Pellican Grey

After your base coat dries COMPLETELY, paint another color on top of it. 

Sinful Colors in Unicorn

Then, while the second color is sill wet, take a piece of Saran Wrap, crumple it up a bit, and gently roll it across your nail. The Saran Wrap will pick up some of the top color, allowing the base color to peek through and creating a cool marble effect. 

Like so

You'll want to work one nail at a time so the second color doesn't dry before you saran it. 

I added a coat of China Glaze's "Fairy Dust" for some sparkle and topped it off with Zoya's top coat and quick dry drops. The top coat gently blends the colors together so there aren't any harsh lines like in the above photo. 

Ta-da!

Dry cuticles are still a problem. 

I'm pretty happy with the result. If I did it again, I'd use the yellow as the bottom color so that the grey wouldn't give it a greenish tinge. But I'll definitely be doing this design again with other colors. 

The rest of the March is pretty hectic; I was planning on doing St. Patrick's Day nails, a Color of the Month Manicure, and Birthday nails, but I may only get to 2 out of 3. We will see!

Distressed Nails, Unemployment, and Inspiration

Hey everybody! This past week has been strange, terrible, and wonderful all at once. 

The strange: On Wednesday, I went into work only to be sent home around noon...

The terrible: ...due to the fact that we have hour restrictions at my job (900 for the year), and I need my remaining 180 to work an ocean trawl survey this upcoming week. Obviously that means I am currently an unemployed homeowner who needs to find a job for income. But it also means that...

The wonderful: ...it allows me to focus more on my nail hobby, and this weekend I had my two first official "clients"!

Some of you may be familiar with the fact that this past summer, my husband and I bought a house together. We have some spare rooms and, as we have no children, I turned one into a "salon" of sorts; just someplace I could store my nail polish and paint my nails without continuing to ruin our coffee table 😣

I painted the room, and those chevrons, myself... Ladies. 

Brand spankin' new salon table (thanks, Mom!)

My humble collection, so far. 

Orange closet door to match the chair, because, attention to detail. 

Coffee table damages (sorry, honey)

My friends have been asking me to paint their nails for them for some time now, and I figured now would be the best time to start. I had so much fun doing it! I should have taken pictures of their manis to post, but, maybe next time. 

In the whirlwind weekend, I did find time to paint my own nails as well. I found a great tutorial from Chalkboard Nails for a Distressed Mani (check out her IG and blog if you get a chance; great stuff! chalkboardnails.com). 

I think it is important to recognize where we draw our inspiration from. I'm trying to learn to come up with my own designs and ideas using natural inspiration around me, but as of now I am inspired by the work of other nail artists I find on Instagram. 

Chalkboard Nails explains it better in her tutorial, but basically this look was achieved by layering swipes of different colored polishes for a distressed/watercolor look. I think her color scheme was a little better, but I don't think mine is too shabby! 

Colors used L to R: OPI in Alpine Snow, Do My Back, Please?, Can't Find My Czechbook, You're Such a Budda-Pest! and Sinful Colors in Black on Black. 

Wish me luck on the job hunt, and come see me if you'd like your nails done!