Manicure Monday: Leopard

I went away this weekend for my 11 year anniversary with the boyfriend! We went to the Finger Lakes in New York because we LOVE wineries... more to come about the trip at another time.  I  brought along some nail polish to the hotel so I could do my nails because I didn't have time the Wednesday before we left (my nails were naked for a day! eek... the kids in my class told me I "look different" without my nails done).  Even though I didn't have everything with me, I still wanted to do some nail art because we were away and I just didn't want boring nails.  This is what I came up with:

 

Leopard nails are pretty easy and I love the cool wintery color combo.  You may recognize some polishes I used last Manicure Monday, along with a few new ones. 

• OPI Skull and Glossbones (grey)
• Color Club Platinum Record (glitter) 
• Urban Decay Perversion (black)
• Sally Hansen 220 Celeb City (silver)

Okay, so you're wondering how to do the leopard nails yourself.  

 

1. Make dots and place them randomly on your nail.  I used a larger dotting tool, but you can use the actual nail polish brush or even a tooth pick.
2. Add "c's" and "parentheses" around the dots.  They don't have to be perfect because leopard spots aren't perfect either! I used a smaller dotting tool for these so the black part did not cover up the spots made in step 1. 
3. Add small dots to fill in spaces in between the leopard spots.  I used the same smaller dotting tool that was used in step 2.   

And there you have it!  I actually did leopard nails for my first nail art project and was pleasantly surprised at how easy they are.  Hope they never go out of style, because they are definitely go-to nails when I can't think of anything else.

Have you done leopard nails?... I want to see!

I'm a Business Woman Now...

I just uploaded my first worksheet to Teachers pay Teachers!! I thought it would be appropriate to upload a worksheet about money as I am hoping that I will earn money from the site.  Just kidding, I just made that connection right now. 

If you are trying to teach your students about coin money, download my free worksheet.  It's a simple worksheet that I used as part of a homework packet when my kindergarteners starting learning about coins.   The site requires that the first uploaded document is free, so I didn't want to just give away something fancy ;)

Manicure Monday: Chevron and Turquoise

I am done with classes... I have my Masters and certification... and I have been seriously neglecting this blog!  I think its because I haven't been procrastinating on anything... because, again, I AM ALL DONE!! YAY!

Which leads me to this post's topic!  Since I have had more time on my hands, I decided to work on my hands... ha ha ha!  I have stopped going to the salon (partly to save money... mostly because Tammy, my nail lady, left me) and I have discovered a hidden talent/ fun hobby!  Now, wish me luck on keeping up with Manicure Monday!

For my first Manicure Monday, I have chevron and turquoise... and of course, some sparkle!  I have been wanting to do chevron nails for forever, but I was too nervous to ask Tammy because if the lines weren't perfect I'd have a 3-4 week long panic attack.  When I started doing my own nails, I attempted chevron with scotch tape and the zig zag scissors, but it was HORRIBLE!  Then I found these awesome stickers on Etsy from Make it Stick (I bought some bow stickers from them too).  For the chevron ones, you peel the decals off and they are stuck to a clear sheet so all three rows can all be applied at once.    When I got them positioned in the right spot I used an Exacto knife to peel part of them off the clear backing.  I did this because I did not cut the strips before hand so they hung over onto my finger and could not fully stick to the sides. I think the clear backing would be able to be removed without the help of the Exacto knife if the decals were pre-cut and were fully stuck on the nail.  Then I used the Exacto knife to cut the excess off the sides and the top of my nail.  Any little pieces left hanging over the top were easy to file away.  I used one of my rounded dotting tools to press the decals down without ruining the nail polish.

chevron decals I used, bow decals I mentioned, and the polishes I used

I used OPI's Skull and Glossbones under the white chevron decals, Color Club's Blue-Ming (from the blossoming collection I scored at TJMaxx for $9) for 3 nails, and Color Club's Platinum Record for the sparkly nail (I put a coat of silver under this).  I always top with Seche Vite because it makes it super shiny and while it dries it has a sort of slippery texture that keeps me from messing up my nails.  I usually top my manicures with one or two coats of UV cured clear gel polish the next day, but that's for another post. 

Are there any manicures you've really been wanting to try?

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...

Hey friends... my absence has made you love me more... right?! Aww... shucks, I love you too! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my mini audience ; )  I have so much to tell you about! So here's a list of the things I will be writing about so soon!

1. Fruits of the month
2. DIY Christmas gifts
3. Nail art
4. The end of student teaching
5. Student gifts
6. My new job
7. Teacher gifts
8. Lesson plans/ worksheets
9. New year's eve menu/ food
10. My new camera

Here's a little photo preview!

I have been a busy lady... but don't worry, I am coming back!  What do you want to hear about first!?