St. Patrick's Day Cheetah Print

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I woke up today and realized that I desperately needed to paint my nails, and I didn't realize it was St. Patty's day until I had already started the sparkles coat (and any girl who has ever tried to remove sparkly nail polish knows that I could not simply restart). So I figured it'd look pretty cool to do some green cheetah print. I did them almost exactly like I did my other cheetah print nails, just of course with different colors. And I'm totally digging the sparkles...

Chemistry-Valentine Nails

As much as I love these nails, I did not do them by choice. Well, I did, but I mostly did them because I'm getting extra credit in my chemistry class (shout out to Mr. Hanson). And, well, I'd be lying if I said I loved them. But hey, anything for extra credit. The thumb is a love potion, the index is an atom with a heart in the middle, the middle and pinky are Sweethearts that say U Ar CuTe and I Lv U (all using elemental symbols... I thought that was clever), and the ringfinger is a bond (that doesn't exist--it just looks like a heart).
On another note...
My views on Valentine's Day:

Shout out to all my single-people homedogs. It's just a great day to complain and eat chocolate without getting crap for it!! Enjoy it while you can.

My views on science:

I made my sister float. I win, you lose.

So, suck on that.

Apologies

Hey, readers! I'm super super sorry for the lack of posts these past couple months. I keep saying that I'm going to step it up, and then I don't. My life seems to be enjoying punching me in the face. And the stomach. And the knees. And everywhere you could possibly punch. So, I am going to stop making promises for more designs. I will post something if I'm up for it, which seems to be NEVER EVER nowadays. But I'll try--I can at least promise that.

Rubik's Cube Nails

So, I originally saw this design on Pinterest (the website for all things creative), and I fell in love. Not because I love Rubric's Cubes; I actually really suck at them, just like everyone else in the world except Will Smith. But I just love the design, especially on nails! I did it the absolutely most hard way though. I first painted a black base coat them cut tape into very small strips and put them onto my dry nails in a # formation. The hardest and most time consuming part was cutting the tape into such small pieces, and I hate using tape because polish sticks to it and gets all messy. If I had to do it again, I'd start with a white base coat, color in nine somewhat-sloppy squares, then add in the black lines after to cover up the mess. Even though it took forever, I still think the results turned out great!

Here's a link to a YouTube video with the "easy" way to do these.

The Hobbit / Lord of the Rings Nails

Who's excited to see the Hobbit? It premiered last night here in a America, and I was sad that I couldn't make it. I am so excited to get the chance to see it! For anyone who hasn't seen the movies (first of all, you should), these nails represent the ring that the movies are focused on. When the ring gets hot, the Elvish words (Elf language) show up on it. I am not sure what it says; I just looked it up on Google and copied it. To do them, I just got my tiny paintbrush out, dipped it in some OPI brown, and painted them. Bing bang boom, simple as that! Have fun at the movie, I heard it was good :)

Fall/Thanksgiving Nails

Who's excited for Thanksgiving?! I know I am... Especially to gain some weight (long story)!! Anyways, these nails started out as just plain ol' French tips in the copper color, but then I decided to play off that and fade it half way down my nail. Then I of course had to add a design! So, with it being fall, I added some colorful leaves. I don't know about you, but my neighborhood is absolutely gorgeous right now with all the trees dying. Fall is truly beautiful! And it's a great time to look at your life and see what you are thankful for... I am SO thankful for my family, whom I have grown closer with these past couple months. I don't have to worry about bullies anymore because my not-so-little little brother will protect me at school! That's a great feeling. Family is the greatest; keep 'em close! Have a fabulous Thanksgiving, everyone, and don't forget to smile tomorrow, because we all have something to smile about! :)

Seize Hope Nails

HAPPY EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH!! This November has been a real treat for me. At my high school, with the help of my friends and classmates, I successfully started epilepsy awareness! All around the halls are little facts about the disorder, and every morning they say something about it on the announcements. On the 16th, we will have a purple-out day, and a couple days ago, I was worried about who would participate. Everyone who I go to school with is 'too cool.' Right? I guess not! All week, every day someone new will message or text me and ask what epilepsy is, what it's like, and when they need to wear purple. Friends, acquaintances, strangers, and even ex-friends are offering their support and understanding. It brings tears to my eyes!! I don't know that I've ever felt SO loved in my whole life. Thank you everyone.

What better way to spread awareness than posting embarrassing pictures of yourself on the internet? That's me, getting my first 48 hour EEG. The first one is me just being awesome, and the second one is the name of the test (Ambulatory Electroencephalography Monitoring Unit, or AEEG). That one is kind of an inside joke that only the people in my second period chemistry class (shout out to Mr. Hanson) would understand... Long story short, I am a whole lot funnier than I think I am. Anyways, an EEG is a test that monitors your brain waves and muscle movements and determines what kind of seizures you're having, when you're having them, and, if you're lucky, why you're having them. I've had three of them--none of them lasting longer than an hour. But with all of the problems I've been having lately, my doctor(s) thought it'd be necessary to hook me up for a longer amount of time. I have 24 leads (wires) on my head and one on my chest, all connected to a little box in a highly fashionable black bag. To top off the look, I am wrapped in a gauze hat. I cannot go to school or do chores. And people bring me free food. JACKPOT. The one thing that really sucks about this is I have to do whatever it takes to have a seizure--AKA go against everything I've taught myself to do over the years. Throw all of it out the window. So I'm not sleeping (and when I do, it's only for a couple of hours) and I'm stressing myself out with homework. But it's all for good reason! The more seizures, the better the results, the better the treatment. I have faith in this test and in my Jesus, and that is all that matters. I have the Lord on my side... Who am I to complain?

One question that I get A LOT is "Are you scared?"

And my answer is always the same, without a thought.

No.

James 1:2-3

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

How can I be with a verse like that?

Minnie Mouse Nails

Happy Halloween, everyone! I went as Mini Mouse this year (and YES, I went trick-or-treating, and I'm almost 17...), and I hung out with my friend Kelli who was a cat! It was a pretty fun night just walking around getting free candy. And it wasn't too cold, even though it was raining :) To do these nails, I just did a base red (pink would be cute, too) then used a bobby pin to dot the white on. After that, I used a toothpick to draw little black bows, then finished it off with a sparkly top coat! They look good with just regular top coat, as well. Not including dry time, these probably took me twenty minutes, tops. They are so quick and easy to do!

This is me in my costume, nails included :) I had a red jacket as well, it was just too warm inside to wear it.

PS: I'm sorry for the lack of nail designs these past couple months. I am having a ton of problems keeping my epilepsy under control, and I don't have very steady hands anymore. I will keep you all posted with how that is all going (through nail designs, of course!) and I could definitely use some thoughts and prayers :) Thanks guys!

Homecoming Nails

So, my school's Homecoming was this weekend! Aaand it was great. I went with the best people ever, and I seriously could not have asked for a better first-high-school-dance experience (yup, I'm a Junior and that was my first dance). I somehow managed to get a date, after several attempts, as did all of my friends, and that is one thing that made it so awesome! And we went as friends, so it wasn't awkward :) Anyways, nails. I designed these based on my dress, and they kinda sorta match. I will post a picture below, along with a little blurb about my wonderful (FRIEND) date of mine!

So... That's me and my date, for those of you who don't know me! And for those of you who have not read my blog before, I am epileptic, meaning I have chronic seizures (you can read my full story on that here and here). Something very special about this kid, Tanner, is that he also has seizures! In this picture, I am recovering from a pretty bad seizure in which I bit my tongue and I felt like I was hit by bus for a few days. I am so thankful that I was able to go with someone like me, though, because it meant that I didn't need to feel bad when I needed to sit down outside every couple minutes because he was asking to do the same thing, too. Throughout the night, we stuck by each others sides, and that is the greatest feeling in the world. To know that I am not alone, and to know that I am not ruining someone's night by asking them to sit out with me. Neither of us can say that we really understand what the other is going through, just because our seizures are so different, but we at least both know what it feels like to lose control. Literally. I say that his seizures are worse than mine (and he'd fight me on that one...), but he is the strongest person I know. It takes so much for me to face the day sometimes, and he always wakes up with a smile on his face, ready to tackle whatever it is inside him that is taking him away from reality. I am so honored that I got to go with him to Homecoming. We kept an eye out for each other, and I know I will continue to do so. Tanner, I am so happy we are friends, and I will be praying for you!
(Oh, yeah, that sign we're holding says, 'Our doctors say we have chronic seizures .... We say we have chronic awesomeness :)' )

Rose Nails

These nails kind of remind me of wallpaper you'd find at you grandma's house. And I love it. I'm girl and I love flowers and pink, okay? It may look complicated to do, but really, it's simple. All you do is paint the bottom coat (preferably something light, like pink or blue), and then add those little white dots with a bobby pin. Next, you use a bobby pin to add red dots (in varying sizes), and then use a toothpick to make little pink lines inside those red dots. The lines don't have to be in any particular pattern--just make them curve here and there. Then you take a light green and make the leaves with a toothpick. If you want to add more dimension, you can go over the leaves with a darker shade, like I did. Add a topcoat, and voila, you're done! Enjoy.

Sunset Nails

These nails happened by accident. I wanted to do a mountain range (with a sunset in the background), and instead of starting the fade of pink from the base of my nails, I started it at the tip. If that makes any sense at all. But anyways, after I realized my mistake, I just decided to fade the pink to orange then to yellow. Then I just whipped out my handy-dandy toothpick and painted those palm trees and birds. To do the fading I used a make up sponge that I cut into a small triangle. I would dab it in some nail polish then sponge it onto my nail. Pretty simple. I am overall happy with my accidental results!

Checkered Nails

Believe it or not, these nails are super easy. The only hard part is finding out the right places to put the big dots (the ones that have pink on them), but that isn't difficult at all! First, you do the big dots without the pink. I start at the base of my nails with two dots and then I go up from there. The trick to finding the right placement is to always have straight lines diagonally and horizontally.  After that, I connect the dots with smaller dots and then add the pink on top. It's so easy because all it is is a bunch of dots! Good luck trying it :)

Batman Nails

Nananananana BATMAN!! As some of you may know (if you live in America), the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises is tomorrow night! I must say, I was very excited to do these nails because superhero nails seem to be a real hit. I apologize if you were excited to see some Spiderman nails (the movie came out a couple weeks ago)--I spur the moment ended up going to the premiere and didn't have time to do a design. But maybe I'll do them later! Anyways, I'm pretty proud of these nails, and I hope you enjoy them and the movie! (Oh, and if you can't tell, the thing on my fore finger is actually a person. It's Bane, the main villain in the movie).

Woven Nails

I tried this design a couple months ago on my toes (whenever I'm not sure if I can do a design, I test it on my feet), and it went pretty good. So when I start to them on my fingers I'm like PSHHH. I can do this. Wrong! It was really hard! I started with a red base coat (color compliments by Daniel and Alyssa--thanks, the color was gorgeous) then I broke out my white and did some stripes. Easy? Yeah. Now the hard part--figuring out where to put those darn lines. My downfall here was not making the stripes far enough part so I didn't really have enough room to make the little lines. My suggestion is if you want to make these nails, look it up on YouTube...

Fourth of July Nails

Happy 4th of July! I obviously had to do a nail design that fit the holiday, so here they are! The thumb is the flag (and if you didn't know that...), the index is just some jewels, the middle is a failed attempt at stars, the fore finger is a heart made out of dots (which I think was pretty creative the way I did it), and the pinky is a failed attempt at a firework. Overall, I am not very proud of these nails. But I love the idea! Have fun watching fireworks and eating food :)

Crescent Manicure

Again, this is my first design in a while. And it's sort of plain. But that's okay! This manicure is so in in the nail polish world... The crescents have taken the place of the French and the one finger that is different from the rest (usually on the fore or ring finger) is also very stylish. That's it! Have a good day :)

British/One Direction Nails

Sorry for not blogging in forever! The truth is, I've been pretty busy (because I got a job and I was studying for school), and the one time I did my nails this past month, I left my camera at a friends house. So. Here we are! I finally got around to doing my nails again. I chose to do One Direction nails because I am a teenage girl and I like them. For anyone who doesn't know, they are a British boy band who got famous from the X-Factor in 2010. They are actually talented singers and that's why I like them. Oh, and they're all extremely attractive (except Louis Tomlinson, who looks like my dad). There is Harry Styles (sounds like a fake name, right?), Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan. Niall is not British --he is actually Irish. I was planning on doing an Irish flag on one of my nails for him, but I spaced out and forgot to make one of my nails white (if you want to do these nails with the Irish flag, it's just three vertical lines: green, white, then orange). I promise I'll do my nails more often! Have a great summer :)

The Avengers Nails

       I'm going to the premiere of The Avengers tomorrow! So of course I had to do a nail design on it. For anyone who does not know, The Avengers is a comic about all these superheroes that get together to fight. I looked it up to see all of the superheroes in it (thinking there'd only be 5 or 6), and there was about 1,000,000 people on it. So I picked the main ones that I saw in the commercials. Starting on the thumb, I did Hulk (which I am particularly proud of--it involved shading and mixing colors), then Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man, and Thor. Thor is kinda lame because it's hard to make a hammer look cool on nails.
       In other news, tomorrow is my best friend's 16th birthday! She is easily one of the best friends I've ever had ever. We've been friends since 8th grade, but this year (10th grade) we really became close. Whenever her dad is gone for business, she stays at my house, and she's one of the only people I could have over to my house for two weeks and not get sick of. It's so nice to have a friend that doesn't start any drama, always makes me laugh for the stupidest reasons, and says she'll pray for me when I'm having a crappy day. We're gonna have a fabulous time at the premiere tomorrow for her birthday! Love you, Alyssa <3

Simple Sparkle Nails

My nails broke, so I am limited to doing short nail designs for a little bit! But that's a good opportunity for me to show designs that my friends and family can do who don't have strong nails. This one is VERY do-able. A boy could probably do it. All it is is a pearl colored base coat with a sparkly color (mine is from OPI) painted two-thirds of the way down the nail. To make it look a little faded, I did a thin coat down to the two-thirds mark then did a few more layers, each one getting closer and closer to the tip. It's definitely not as intricate as I usually do, but I'm digging it! It'll be nice to have short, simple nails for a little bit :) Try this one out; it's really easy!

Space Nails

This picture doesn't do this design much justice. The glare doesn't let the true colors shine through! In real life, they're even moore gorgeous, just take my word for it ;) I've seen a couple of these designs online and my mom has been bothering me to do them, and I finally got the perfect colors to do it! I started with a black base color then used a make up foam thing to smudge some white nail polish on in a swirling fashion, just so that the other colors that weren't quite as dark as the black would show through. Next, I used a new color by Orly that looks like a space color (there's really no other way to describe it), metallic brown, pink, blue, and olive. Then I used my bobby pins and some silver to make a couple stars here and there. To finish it off I did a sparkly top coat called Northern Lights (could it be any more perfect?) and there was perfection!