If I'm not super social or responsive...

First 50 done!

First 50 done! Now <100 more days of this and I'll be done. 😂😂😂

It was actually really fun once I got started and got over my nerves. I miss my polishes and I love them. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍 They are so beautiful and bring me joy.

So all of these were in one of my "red" drawers. As you can (most likely) see, they are not all what is usually considered to be red. So when I do the big sort with my friend, we are sorting them by the color that the swatch ring says. That makes a lot more sense to me for ease of finding what I'm looking for.

My helper in all things: Scar.

My helper in all things:  Scar. Even when he's not thrilled with what I'm doing. 😂😂😂

Shaun ordered...

Shaun ordered 5000 swatch sticks for me and I printed 4500-ish labels last night... Meaning that I can start swatching my nail polish collection.

I am thinking I'll do 3 coats of polish on each stick + topcoat. It's the way I'd normally wear it.

I don't know why, but it feels like a big deal and I'm nervous to get started. It's definitely a large undertaking, but I have until the end of the year to do it before a friend comes to help me re-organize the whole collection by color. (We both enjoy that kind of task. 😂) I think I have time, so that's not the reason for the feelings.

I guess I'm just being weird. Nothing new there. 😜

Interesting to no one but myself, but I'm sharing anyway:

Interesting to no one but myself, but I'm sharing anyway:

I have completed the data-gathering phase of building my nail polish database.  I have swatches, color descriptions, collection names, release dates, etc., for the 4000+ nail polishes I have.  Any information I'm missing at this point is because it's not easily or readily found on the internet.  Next comes deciding how I'm going to configure all of this into my database.  I already have several test tables made and I like how that is going, so that's a good start.  But I've put that on hold for the moment because...

I've been focusing my efforts on gathering the data for my website.  It's basically going to be a blog-style site that hosts my photos and posts dating back to 2005.  Much of it will be familiar content because I'm pulling posts from Facebook to fill it in, but after it's up and running it will also contain exclusive content.  I have probably another solid month of work to get that to a maintenance phase, which I am very excited about.  After MySpace dumped so much of my content without warning back in the day I trust no social media to last.  I want ownership of my photos and stories and to know that they are safe.

My website will probably be of interest to no one but me, but I write primarily because it makes me happy.  If anyone is inspired to help animals or feels less alone in their struggles with depression or whatever, then that is a side effect I am happy to have.  Also, to be completely honest I fear the possibility of getting Alzheimer's and don't want to forget my life.  I find it very comforting to have a chronicle of the things I've done and the way I felt at the time.

Anyway, both of these projects are things that I have either been working at slowly but surely over the years or have wanted to do.  I feel like I'm finally at a place in life where I can put energy and focus into my personal projects and I am grateful for that.  It is such a relief to not have it hanging over my head, neglected and begging for attention.

The only major downside at this moment is that I spend so much time sitting in front of a computer.  I work on a computer and then get off work and get back on one.  Hyperfocus can be super productive, but it's not the best for my physical health.  But I feel like once I'm to a maintenance phase on both projects I will be able to shift more focus onto myself.  I've been eating healthy for the most part, but not exercising or moving around like I should.  I'm definitely going to work on that.  Not only do I miss skating, but I feel that I am decently healthy and want to hang onto that for as long as I can.  So, as they say:  Use it or lose it.

I hope you all are having a good weekend.  If you need me I'll be here on this laptop.  😆

I'm not in love with these and...

I'm not in love with these and the stones weren't a great idea (Shaun told me so), but they're not bad. This is a pretty purple polish with an orange flash, so I wanted to use gel stamping polish and chrome powder to see if I could make it look like the orange was cracking through. It didn't turn out the way my brain expected, but that's ok. It was fun to do them and  I'm gonna keep them on until I'm tired of them. 😂

Research polish;

Research plate;

Stamping technique

Shaun's nails I did yesterday.

Shaun's nails I did yesterday. He won't let me use cuticle oil (he doesn't like the feel of lotions or oils), so ignore the dry cuticles. 🙄 But his favorite colors are red and black. I found out yesterday that I could use gel stamping polish and then use chrome powder over it to make it pop. He really likes these. The patterns are all different because we were just trying stuff out.

Research polishes

When I was doing Shaun's nail this weekend...

When I was doing Shaun's nail this weekend it triggered a memory in me of my MaMaw doing mine when I was a kid.  I noticed I was touching Shaun's fingers the same way she touched mine... but he wasn't complaining "You're mashing my veins!  Stop mashing my veins!" like I was.  😅

I distinctly remember being so uncomfortable with any pressure where my fingers bend and I guess because I could see veins under my skin there I thought they were being mashed.  I really don't know what that was about except that I still don't like pressure applied there.  I'm weird about being touched on my hands and around my nails, anyway.  I guess "on my hands" is a weird and unnecessary qualifier because I'm not a touch-me person in general.

But anyway, I had that memory come flooding back and I could hear in my head how my MaMaw would get in a huff and say "I am doing no such thing!" while painting my nails.  😆😆😆  And it just made me feel happy to remember that.  ❤️

These are the nails I tested on Shaun...

These are the nails I tested on Shaun - chrome powders over magnetics.  They look really neat!

Write recipes here

I tested out using gel polish to make stones for jewelry.

I tested out using gel polish to make stones for jewelry.  I'd say it worked.  :D  The stone on the left is just the holographic chrome powder Lust by JReine over black.  I definitely need to make sure my sticky coat goes down smooth.  You can see some brush strokes in that one.  It was the first one I made so the second one came out smoother.  The stone on the right was made using the same method as my dandelion nails, except thatw I didn't put the dandelions on it because it was just an experiment.  It turned out so well that I kind of wish I had, but I'll know better next time.  Now that I know this works I'll probably make some jewelry using these methods.  I'm excited to once again have more to paint than just my nails.  I am slowly but surely working towards re-opening my Etsy and I'm really excited about that.  I definitely need a creative outlet in my life.

Video