Feedback request:

Feedback request:

I am working hard to get set up to make and sell high-quality press-on nails.  I have been doing a lot of research on tip brands, sizing, application kits, etc.

I am going to post 3 photos with captions.  Please let me know if anything is unclear or that you don't like about them.

Thank you in advance!

Press-On Kit - front

This is what I would send out ordered nails on. They would be attached in the white areas with double-sided tape.

Should this card be labeled with left and right? Is there anything else I should add? Is it too busy? Should I add or remove anything?

Press-On Kit - back

Is this easy to understand? For those who already wear press-on nails, does this sound accurate?

Sizing Kit

This would be sent to a potential buyer ahead of ordering a set of nails. I would write in the shape they requested in the first bubble, then attach 14 nail sizes to the card for them to try out and find their size if they don't already know it. They can fill in the bubbles on the card to see if they match any standard sizes, or need custom sizing.

Is this easy to understand? Should I add or remove anything? I know it's plain, but I'm open to ideas if it needs anything.

I've been doing my pre-work...

I've been doing my pre-work for the Web Development bootcamp and I've already learned a lot. I'm excited to get started next month. I think I do much better with structure than I do without because I'm just flailing about, trying my best and not getting far. That's probably why I love lists so much. They give me a small amount of structure and purpose. So it will be nice to have something concrete and productive to do again soon. Having this pre-work and deadlines is also pretty nice.

My brain is all over the place and it's not super fun. I'm still sure I want to make press-on nails to sell. I have considered off and on doing the nail-tech thing, but the ANXIETY that comes with it is killer. Even when I do nails for friends and family FOR FREE, I'm always like "I could've done that better." The perfectionist in me will never see it as good enough, even when people assure me that they are happy. So at least if I make press-ons and they're already done, people can like them and buy them, or not. It seems like it would take a lot of the pressure off.

I have never in my life wanted to make nail polish and I still don't, but I'm getting pretty worked up over nail powder (the kind you buff into a sticky gel). I'm over here like "How big is a micron?" and going down the rabbit hole. I have a few powders with gorgeous effects, but I'd like to be able to mix something similar so I don't run through my prized favorite 4 by putting them on press-ons for someone else.

I did some mood nails the other day and they look pretty nice. But after doing some research ON THAT (I wasn't kidding when I said I was all over the place), I found that it's probably best to use that pigment in nail art instead of doing a full mani. The mood stuff isn't polish and needs to be sealed in. It would be better to encapsulate it somewhere than paint all the way to the edge and have it flake off. I'd be mortified if I sent out some nails and that happened.

My sweet Shaun has been nursing a butterfly with a torn wing since yesterday. He has been keeping it in the greenhouse and bringing it flowers and nectar. He went out earlier and it was gone into a bush and he was a bit upset until he found it. He knows the wings don't heal and that it will die eventually, but he's doing what he can to make sure it's comfortable, I guess. He knows we could leave it out and let it be part of the food chain, but for whatever reason, he seems kind of attached to this one. He looked her up and told me what her species was, but I can't remember what he said. He also told me she was a female.

I love how sweet his heart is. Anytime we've ever had a dying animal, he's wanted to be there - for them. I remember a time he held an injured gerbil for hours so that she wouldn't die alone. I don't really know where I was going with that; I guess I'm just expressing my appreciation for him and that he cares, even for the small creatures, too. ❤️

Anyway, I'm off to shower and get some sleep. I need to start working my schedule back towards "early" since the bootcamp/classes will be starting at 8 am and they're a bit of a drive from home.

I hope y'all are doing well. I'm kind of just... Scattered, but I'll pull myself together again. For a while, anyway. 😂😂😂 I never stay feeling like I'm on top of things for too long. Such is life, I suppose.

To do list for today:

To do list for today:

1.  Ramble in written form (it feels more solid than talking)

2.  Do my nails

3.  Water my plants

Taking care of #1 right now.  😆

So the Labubu market last night was pretty great.  We didn't make a lot of money, but we did recover our booth fee several times over, so we aren't complaining.  Also, the guy who runs it came by to meet us and thank us for coming, and he also checked that we made our money back.  If we hadn't, he was going to return our booth fee.  That wouldn't have been necessary to us regardless, but  we were appreciative that he checked.

Shaun walked around a bit to scope out what all was going on.  He said that there was a good bit of 3D printed merch, some larger items like tumblers and backpacks, and also some other smaller handmade things, but we were the only jewelry.  I think there were other stickers (we'd printed a few), but we were also the only temporary tattoos and nail decals.

We have some things left over, and we'll work on photographing it and putting it on Etsy this week.

Our setup was around the corner from the DJ area, which would have been a sensory nightmare for me if I hadn't had my Loop earplugs with me, which I almost always do now.  Yay for preparedness and learning to manage myself!

It actually ended up being quite fun being right near the DJ area.  Instead of a band, they had a karaoke setup... and I can't really explain why, but that made a huge difference to me.  No hate to anyone in bands, but it felt more wholesome? welcoming? endearing? (y'all help me with words; I'm not quite nailing it) having members of the community botch songs real bad while we all danced and cheered for them.  😆❤  I especially loved it when the kids would sing and get really into it.  It was so cute.

The market was held at the ABQ Food Park, and not all of the food trucks were open, but HOLY SHIT I got the best Torta of my life from one there that I can't even find the name of.  I got chicken in mine, and if you know me, I'm a picker (of food, skin, nails, stickers, edges, etc.) and I could barely find a thing to pick on my chicken.  It was SO GOOD.  And hot and fresh and flavorful.  I'm going to have to find the name of that place and go back.

The weather here in New Mexico is by default beautiful, but yesterday evening it was cloudy (so nice and cool) and then rainbows.  We had doubles, we had a big long one, we had one that looked like it repeated ROYGBIV a few times.  One thing to also know (I'm not sure if the whole state is like this, or just near the mountains), but it's BREEZY here.  And by that, I mean people's tents were flying away.  😆  Our displays were blowing over.  People were chasing after dropped things.  But that's just how it is.

We don't have a tent (yet), but if we had, it would've been more trouble than it was worth to put up.  Since it was afternoon/evening and cloudy, we weren't in direct sun and didn't need it.  Many people took theirs down once the breeze picked up.  We do plan to have one eventually, but we'll have to find a way to really secure it.  We also need to find a way to help keep our displays standing.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that it was a great time.  The vibes were immaculate, the people were so chill, the music was amazing, the food... omg, I haven't stopped thinking about that Torta.  😆  13/10 experience, I will definitely find reasons to go back, whether I'm selling Polish All the Things or just seeing what they've got going on.

Also, NM locals:  I need more friends here.  Please feel free to introduce me (IRL or virtually) to anyone you think I'd get along with.  ❤

I've got Labubu decals available in the shop.

I've got Labubu decals available in the shop.  These are super easy to apply.  Just cut them out, wet them, and slide them (face up!) onto your nail.  You can adjust the placement as long as they are wet.  Dab with something absorbent when you're satisfied with placement.  Cover with a topcoat to ensure adhesion, and you're good to go.

Custom images and sizes are available!

(I will definitely be doing more varieties of these, but I'm focused on Labubu for the Labubu event on Saturday.)

I've been so busy trying to get ready for the show next weekend...

I've been so busy trying to get ready for the show next weekend. We got a Silhouette cutter so I could make vinyls and decals. This ghost was my first print and I think he's cute! If y'all have suggestions for me, I'm open. I want nail art to be easy, accessible, and fun!

Vinyls are super easy to apply, as are waterslide decals. I also plan to make vinyls that you paint over and remove, leaving an image behind. I'm finally making the shop into everything I always wanted it to be. Slowly, but surely!

Pardon my grown-out concert nails. My next set will be Labubu for the show. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some press-ons created over the next few days!

Road trip snacks...

Road trip snacks (spicy for to stay awake), featuring concert nails. So shiny! 😍

I've been working on updating my Etsy...

I've been working on updating my Etsy (unfortunately not the photos or videos, yet) and that's pretty much all for today.

I did take a break and watch Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso live at Coachella on Hulu. They were great. I can't believe I get to see them live next Friday! I'm so excited!

I made -$71 today...

I made -$71 today (booth fee + a couple of purchases), but I met a lot of great people and had fun, so I'm not upset.

I think my stuff would sell better to a younger crowd, and that's ok. I was also tucked in the back, so I don't think we had the traffic that some of the other vendors might have.

But I still had a good time and no regrets. ❤️

Etsy wants new photos, added videos, etc.

Etsy wants new photos, added videos, etc. I will start on that next week. Getting ready for the show tomorrow, then I'll update whatever I bring back home next week before starting on new stuff.

I still need to update my Polish All the Things page. It's linked to Etsy, but currently only has my nail art on there. I have so much to do! 😬

It's been one of those...

It's been one of those "tried my best, but accomplished very little" type of days.

I spent too much time trying to integrate my Etsy shop with my Polish All the Things page, and in the end it didn't even work. Apparently, you could do that last year, but not anymore. I also had to get my Square account switched over to my current last name and bank.

I jumped in with both feet and signed up to do a craft show this weekend. Info on that will be on the page linked above ^ here shortly. I know very few people where I live now, but I'm still gonna put up the event. 😂

I also submitted the scholarship application for the program I'm trying to get into.

I watered a few plants. Made a plant Insta.

That's pretty much all I managed to do today.

Etsy says I need more photos and videos of my stuff. I agree. I have new jewelry displays, so maybe I can make things look fancy and get some new media up this weekend. We'll see.

Currently working on reopening Polish All the Things...

Currently working on reopening Polish All the Things on Etsy.  I need to get some fresher pics, as well as some videos to show the sparkle (not to mention I need to get creating!), but I gotta start somewhere.

I haven't done nail art in a very long time...

I haven't done nail art in a very long time, and I wouldn't really count this as art, either. I just put on my structure gel for strength as usual, then plopped down the water slide decals I made.

I made these for the work event I attended. I didn't really know what to expect, but I had a great time. I met so many of my coworkers and it was so crazy to finally see everyone in 3D. I interact with so many people on Slack, many of who I felt super connected to, and meeting in person just took that to the next level. I definitely came away from the event feeling energized about work and more secure in my work relationships. I also met a ton of cool people that I didn't know already.

I can't go without saying that it was amazing seeing my friends from GCU. It was hard being in Cincinnati for those 5 months away from my family, but we had a wonderful cohort and mentorship and we learned so much and grew together. It was such a great feeling seeing those familiar faces.

Anyway, I didn't want to let the week end without shouting out my wonderful work place for planning, executing, and treating us to this get-together. I love working remotely, being here with the family and the pets, but I do think I needed this. I'm looking forward to the next one already! 💙

I'm not gonna bore y'all with a photo overload, but...

I'm not gonna bore y'all with a photo overload, but I'm in Scottsdale, AZ for a work retreat. The hotel is super elegant and has a botanical garden that I'm definitely planning to visit tomorrow. It's beautiful here; but of course I'm biased because I love desert life.

This hotel is bougie af. There's a real bidet in my bathroom, it has valet parking, and people who will shuttle you anywhere here at the resort.

I drove here because I love being alone and I love driving and OBVIOUSLY I love looking at the saguaros. It always makes my day when they start appearing. We don't have them in New Mexico. They need a very specific environment to thrive.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days with travel and getting settled in. Today we had tons of enrichment meetings. I'm super proud that 2 of our cohort have made it to higher positions despite having only been with the company for two-ish years.

The best part has been meeting my coworkers face-to-face. I knew a few from going to GCU together, but I've interacted with so many more on other projects and through Slack. Seeing these people in 3D has been so crazy. It's like "OMG - I know you!" every time I turn around. There are so many amazing people here. Everyone is so smart and friendly and supportive. It's wonderful.

I'm in my room getting some rest. Last night was a late night of catching up with some GCU peers, having pizza, and getting lost (this place is literally huge. 😂) My room is also not in the main hotel, but at a Casita and valet shuttled me to it after I gave up on wandering in the dark. 😂 Paired with an early start this morning and being on the move all day, I'm exhausted. Time to rest up for tomorrow!

I did these this past Monday, so they're slightly grown out...

I did these this past Monday, so they're slightly grown out because I just photographed them today.

It's nothing fancy, but I haven't dressed my nails up in months, so it feels really nice to have some color on. I keep a hard gel overlay down and that's the most effort I've been putting into them. I'm also doing a new shape. I've never been a huge fan of square nails, but I realized at some point recently that I'd been filing my sidewalls down super short to get my claws and was losing strength in my nails because of it. So I've put a lot of effort over the last few months into growing my sidewalls back out, as well as making sure my c-curve is tight when I cure my gel. I've had a lot fewer issues with breakage because of those things.

I'm really hoping I'll have time to get back into nail art soon. It's a little hard with a toddler dog around. He wants to help with everything and when he starts zooming, he parkours all over the place. 😂 I never know what he's about to do.

Anyway. This is what I'm wearing until next weekend or so.

Polish:  'Ard as Nails - Carol Anne

Stamping Plate:  Maniology - Spiral Illusions (M401)

I'm stupid excited because...

I'm stupid excited because I just decided for sure that I'm going to migrate my polish database to the app I'm using to track my stamping plates. I guess I know what my winter project will be!

I'm working on my nail polish database today.

I'm working on my nail polish database today. I have a goal to get everything added by the end of July so I can be done researching info on polishes and being exposed to more I want to buy...

Anyway, no one is allowed to touch my polish. You want your nails done, I'll do it. But they're not toys and everyone knows not to touch them. Most are in pristine condition, and the ones that have boxes are still boxed. No touchy.

Except for Bear. Bear knows very little, I believe. 😂 So I was in the floor organizing a few polishes earlier and he comes over with his big feet and steps in my drawer and starts rummaging around.

Why am I like "What are you doing with your cheese lips? (I gave him a licky mat with cheese spread on it to distract him. It didn't last long.) Ooh, yes, you have excellent taste! (As he picks one up and drops it back in the drawer.) I like that one, too. (As he takes one away to probably chew on it. [We didn't let him.])"

I love this dog so dang much. He just melts me. I'm definitely the soft parent when it comes to him. When I had my pack I was the only adult in the house so I had to be the tough parent, but there is something about Bear. 😂 I let him walk off with my nail polish, so you know he's got me wrapped around his paw. He's just so sweet. He wants to help with everything I'm doing and it's so hard to not let him feel involved. Thank goodness for Shaun. He gently keeps Bear out of trouble when I have my too-soft moments.

It's been a while since I've posted a nail pic, but...

It's been a while since I've posted a nail pic, but here are my first spring nails.

Overlook my nail shape; I'm in the midst of making sure my sidewalls are even, so I haven't been shaping them as pointy as usual.

The base is a blue speckled gel polish by Born Pretty. I used the bunny/spring plate made by Pretty Fingers by Robin.

I'm not thrilled with my detail on the bunny. He looks chocolate rather than real, but it's fine. It goes with the season either way. 😂😂😂

I love me a secure man!

I love me a secure man!

Nail polish is for everyone. ❤️

Since I am particular about my nails...

Since I am particular about my nails I try to avoid using them as tools. It helps a lot to prevent damage and breakage if I don't use them that way.

I saw a smaller version of the Tab Buddy recommended on reddit, but it was made more for drink cans, not soup cans or cans of cat food. I bought another device from Amazon for lids with larger tabs, but it's clunky to use so I find that I just don't.

I emailed the team at Tab Buddy asking for a larger version for different types of cans and they actually made them! They emailed me once some were available for purchase, so I snagged 2.

These XL ones have been amazing. I didn't even realize that they were magnetic until Shaun stuck it to the fridge. That's great because it's always right within reach.

I think these are a wonderful idea. Even if I wasn't super picky about my nails there have definitely been times that my hands have been sore and uncooperative when my PSA flares up. I know this might seem like a dull thing to be excited about, but I don't care. I love things that make my life easier and our cats get wet food 2x daily as a treat (not to mention that I'm a fan of soup), so I am using this thing daily.

They have some super cute designs. I'm linking them below because they really earned my business by taking my suggestion seriously. ❤️

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TabBuddies

So this is what I'm doing to my nails for strength at the moment.

So this is what I'm doing to my nails for strength at the moment. It's not beautiful or interesting, but I do think it's a pretty neutral and looks nice with my skin tone. I could do nail art over it with gel or regular polish. I just haven't had time.

So this is just structure gel, which could possibly be considered an overlay. But it's not as thick as polygel and (in my opinion) much easier to apply. It takes a fraction of the time to create an apex in the correct position and get a nice glossy finish. With polygel I was using pop-its to get my apex and smooth finish, but there was always an issue of shaping/filing the free edge and creating a smooth transition at the cuticle. By the time I was done with that process I was no longer interested in doing any sort of nail art, which is the whole reason I ever want to do my nails.

This gel also removes faster and easier than polygel. You can buff the surface and soak off with acetone. To make it faster you can use an e-file to take down the bulk of the product. This is similar to removing polygel with an e-file, but takes a lot less time. My polygel overlays were always on the thick side.

Here's hoping this is a good solution for growing out the damage I did to my natural nails. It would also be nice if it worked as a reinforcement for them once they grow out. I don't like to grow my nails super long, but I really hate it when they break. Who doesn't, I guess. 😂

So far they feel nice. Not thick or heavy, but somehow strong. They aren't bending at all. Hopefully, my application was good and I won't get any lifting for a couple of weeks. We shall see!