Monday, June 26, 2017

Ah, summer classes.

Ah, summer classes. Test the first half of class, then class the last half of class. Sounds thrilling.

Anxiety to the max.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

The weather is NICE right now.


Rambling. You were warned.

Rambling.  You were warned.

I did Shaun's nails last night. I told him some days ago I might want to try some things on him and he didn't let me forget.  LOL  None of them are the same - I just mostly practiced doing a gradient with a sponge.  They are all in black, red, and silver.  Some of them look great; others are just "Meh."  I'm still wearing my sexy nails, but I might change them later today.  I guess we'll see.  I have another Calculus test tomorrow (yes, already!), so there is that.

Mid-terms are coming up in about a week.  😳  Even though it's my last semester at GSCC I'm glad it's flying by.  I'm tired.  I feel so spoiled that I'm even trying to think this way, but I think me and Shaun need a few days away before I start JSU.  I've been all work, too (pick one: [exhausted / overwhelmed / grumpy / sickly / stressed / depressed]) to play - for like, two years.  🙁  I am not good at moderation, so when I go - I go HARD.  School has been the focus, so everyone / everything else has not.  😞

It sucks when you can see someone every day and still miss them.  This is no way to live, but if changing your life was easy, everyone would do it.  I'm just grateful for Shaun's support and patience; I could not do this without him.  Shadow has been great, too.  He never asks for anything, he stays out of trouble, and he helps around the house and yard, as well as with the animals.  Since he lives here it is easier to find moments to connect with him, but he's a teenager now with his own life coming into focus, so it's not like he's bothered by me being busy.

I don't know.  I think I am just feeling reflective today.  I wish I could explain to you all how much going to school has changed my life.  I know - I'm not done and I don't have that money job yet, but it has changed my mentality A LOT, which is no little deal.  For the first time ever I feel like I have some say (or at least more choices) in how my life will go.  I have a vision of how I'd like things to be.  I have something to work towards and the means to get there.  My mind is pretty constantly blown by this.

Before I was just doing the best I could with the hand I was dealt, (which is a valuable skill to have), but to suddenly begin having opportunities appear?!  It feels weird, and amazing, and I kind of don't know what to do with myself at times.  I don't know.  Maybe I keep my head down because I'm working so hard, but when I do finally look up at the horizon and see what's waiting I get excited.  Sometimes I am bummed because of how far I have left to go, but I'm always closer than the last time I looked, so that is something.  LOL

I'm having the feels today.  The last two years have been emotional and trying for many reasons - some good things, some really bad, but the important part is the steady progress towards a brighter future.  I am tired from this journey, but hopefully a change of scenery (JSU) will refresh me.  Hopefully, being able to work if and when I can / want to over the next couple of years will allow me to rest and and replenish myself.  I feel like I've given too much of myself to those who don't properly value me over the last few years, but it was out of necessity.  I am thankful that those days are coming to a close.

Anyway.  This is too much.  This is me attempting to process and it has worn me out.  I think I need a Sunday afternoon nap.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Last night was one of those nights...

Last night was one of those nights where even though my mani was hanging on I was ready for something different.  And I wanted something kind of moody, which is why my ring finger is wearing her lingerie.  😉  Her fishnets are ripped and she doesn't even care!  😳

"Sheer black" is a thing that was popular for a while.  It might be over now, but I still see it on nail art pages on Instagram, so whatever.  😜  At first I hated the way it looked, but I guess it grew on me.  I'm sure that someone sells a sheer black by now, but I mixed my own.  That's probably my first and last foray into frankening my own polish.  It's wasn't hard or anything, but it's nothing I care to do.  I just added drops of black polish to a bottle of clear until it looked about how I wanted it to.

Anyway, nothing new here - no fancy nail art techniques or anything.  I am wearing two of my most favorite colors; Kinbaku by Femme Fatale and Cyber Punk by Vapid, so in this case the polish IS the art.  There is really nothing else needed to make your claws pop when you have such pretty polishes to wear.  I am not sure if these will last the weekend - I'm almost certain that I will want to play in polish again, but Shaun has offered to let me paint him up, so I just might.  😁


Monday, June 19, 2017

So these are the nails I did over the weekend...

So these are the nails I did over the weekend and despite them not coming out just how I envisioned I am quite pleased with them.  The plan was to have them start with purple and end with blue, but my nails weren't long enough for that many colors in the gradient.  I think if I'd used a striping brush to put the colors on the sponge I could have made it happen... but, I used the brushes from the bottles, so the lines of polish were thicker.

I feel so excited that I can do gradients now.  The colors of this one actually reminded me of one that I did FIVE YEARS AGO.  I went back and looked at it and OH MY GOSH.  I can't believe y'all were liking my nail posts back then.  🤣🤣🤣  (But thank you for doing it.  I needed the encouragement, clearly.)

The link to that post is below, if you need a laugh.  I would say that I'm embarrassed of that photo, except that I'm not.  You gotta start somewhere and that was taken just maybe a year after I discovered nail art, so I was a total newb at many of the techniques.  So if you have room to improve, worry not.  Keep practicing and you'll get there.  Isn't it amazing how much we can change over time?

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=384523961599793&set=a.223076894411168


183 / 200 on that Calculus test. I made an A! 😀😀😀

183 / 200 on that Calculus test. I made an A! 😀😀😀