Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters Nail Polish I own! 

*PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY (unless stated otherwise)

DAY 1 DOTS

I have decided to participate (or at least make the effort) in 

#crumpetsnailtarts #33DC (Crumpets Nail Tarts 33 Day Challenge).

Day one is dots. I didn't want to stamp but at the same time I wanted to keep it simple. What I had envisioned was different from the result but I didn't want to waste the beautiful base polish, 

OPI Alcatraz Rocks! Which was a gift given to me :)

I really messed up on my thumb and tried to cover it up but as you can see in the picture I didn't do a very good job.  I did the dots with nail art pens and on the thumb I used a sticker from ones that my Grandma sent. The silver is Color Club Worth the Risque.

Check out other Day One DOT Participants by clicking on the links below!

Lilac-ing Discipline

I did my nails while taking a break from editing the 4 weddings I have photographed in the past couple of weeks.  If I dont keep something on my nails at all times they will rip. They are not strong at all and I have never successfully grown them out. I have spent so much money on products to make my nails grow and I gave up.  Somethings are not meant to be and I am not meant to have long nails. 

I was going to use dark purple and black but summer is almost over and the darker colors will be coming out so I went with a more lighter version of what I had pictured.  My Husband and my friend loved them. My husband was coming up with all different
color combinations and  my friend was telling me that I have to leave them like this for a long time (that will not happen) soon as they chip off they go :)
I hope you like them, I have listed what I used in the picture of the nails. I think it is easier this way for reference.

Pink and Purple with Silver Stars

I havent been around in awhile, trying to get things in my life organized.  I haven't been feeling very creative either. I had the urge to do my nails today and when I was doing them, my husband told me that these were one of his favorites.  My hands are in rough shape right now so I'm a little embarrassed. I hope you can see past that :)

Getting Personal

So for those who know me or have learned about me through my archives, will know that for the past 6 years I have been struggling with a severe anxiety disorder that has really affected the way I live. I have to be with my husband or at least one of only a few people that are my "safe" people and even then I usually still need my Husband with me.  I am unable to work as I go through times where I can't even leave the house without having a total meltdown.

 I am on so much expensive medication that I was put on while in the hospital.  I hate medication and have intentions of getting off of them.  Because of that medication I have developed more and more physical and mental health issues.

I moved to Alberta in February 2012 and where we were living I did not have much access to get the help I needed however in March 2013 we moved to Edmonton where there are many more resources to help me get my life back.

I still have a long road ahead of me but I have had some progress and regained my hope when at times I just wanted to give up.  That in itself is a breakthrough.

I am having to put some projects on hold so I can give my focus to therapy and getting better.  I still will blog as much as I can but the specific projects will have to be postponed. That is why I haven't been around much, I hope you do understand.

This is my Husband and Myself he is my AMAZING support.

Don't forget to follow me VIA Bloglovin' Google Reader dissapears this coming Monday!

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Introducing Kandistar Polish!

Presenting the Kandistar Polish A Star is Born Collection!

I wanted to give you guys a special offer for my launch collection of my Indie Polishes! I am extending this to my blog followers and some Facebook Groups I am involved with or manage, before I launch to everyone. 

These will be limited edition polishes. I am doing things a little different in the beginning to see if people even like my polishes.  If they are selling and people like my creations enough to buy them I will be opening a shop online.  I just don't want to jump in without testing the waters.  To keep the costs low I will be making them as they are ordered instead of having an overstock of them. Also that means your polish will be fresh and made just for you!  

Large 15ML will be 7.50+shipping

Small 5ML ones will be 4.50+shipping

Those prices are exclusive to you guys! 

If you are interested in purchasing these limited edition polishes, please email me 

photographybykandistar (at) hotmail (dot) ca

(remove the brackets and insert proper symbols please)

I have been using the Alias “Kandistar” for several years for all of my creative pursuits. So when I decided to launch an indie polish line  I wanted it to be Kandistar Polish.

For my debut polishes I wanted to incorporate the word “star” into all the names so these polishes would be clearly recognizable as my launch polishes. I decided on creating 6 polishes with names I felt portrayed the polish.  My polishes are the “Big 3-Free” and they are all made by hand from scratch using a glamour base, cosmetic grade and top quality pigments and solvent resistant glitter.  Those that are observant will notice I created my debut line in my favorite color. When asked “What is your favorite color?” My reply is always “Rainbow!” 

This polish is the mail polish in my debut collection. I named it to represent the birth of my indie polishes. I wanted something bright bold with an impact, to simulate in my mind what the birth of a star actually looks like.

Blue duo-chrome shimmer base, with teal hex, holo silver slices, and neon blue micro hexes. For this polish I pictured an amazing evening sky covered in stars, the silver slices representing the stars as they fall across the night sky.  As I made this polish I pictured myself lying in a field looking up and thinking how big the universe really is trying to count the millions of stars that are above.

A cherry red base with medium white hexes, black slices and small gold holo hex

My inspiration for this polish was the colors of  a movie premiere, the red for the carpet all the Movie Stars walk down, the black slices for long film strips and the medium white Hexes for the picture within the film strip (think black and white old silent films).  The gold holo hexes top the polish off as they are the “stars” themselves.

A light orange base with micro neon yellow hex, medium silver holo hex and a dash of small teal hex

This polish was inspired by not only the first star we see when we look up in the night sky but the beautiful orange glow the sky lights up at twilight just before the sun sets. The micro neon yellow hexes represent the sun, the orange base represents the orange glow of the sky, the medium holo hex represents the bright stars in the night sky and I added the dash of small teal hex to represent the transition from day to night

This polish is a pale green with small aqua hexes, medium silver holo hexes and small holo gold hexes was inspired by what superstars are lavished with after their huge rise to success.  Money, diamonds and gold is what I imagine every superstar dreams of.

My inspiration for this polish was to make it look magical. I thought of a certain Disney movie that featured the beautiful song “When you wish upon a star”  I believe for your wish to come true you have to wish on the biggest, brightest star that you can see.  The shimmer yellow base, medium silver holo hexes and the silver holo slices I created to look like my vision of a wish being granted

Motivation Monday-May 20 2013

I am taking it day by day to get everything up and running again and what better way to start things off then with some motivation.  I know right now, Motivation is exactly what I need.  It went from Winter to Summer all within a week and a half in Edmonton Alberta. 

We moved from Ontario to Alberta last year and the climate is much different. Geographically speaking, we are much farther north on the map then what I am used to and instead of 4 seasons, here in Alberta we have Winter and Construction.  Winter this year lasted 7 months and came very quick so now the snow is gone there is 5 months to fix everything and get it ready for winter again.  It gets cold and we have winter but our summers are HOT.  As a fair amount of Satellite channels available up here are American channels, we are informed at temperatures in the states and in the summer we very often can have warmer days then even the hottest southern states.  Also no matter how long you live in Canada you never ever get used to the cold .

If you are a Canadian reader, today is Victoria Day.  It is a Statutory Holiday otherwise known as May "2-4" (2-4=case of beer) This is the first long weekend to kick off the summer. It is to celebrate the Birthday Of the late Queen Victoria but I have never seen any celebrations in her honor....ever. I read that they are in the works of possibly changing the name to "First Nations" Day to celebrate the Aboriginal Population. Anyways point being, many of my Canadian readers are quite possibly very hung over so this Motivation is for all my international friends :)

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We picked up my roommate at the Airport yesterday and as we were waiting for her at the Arrivals Gate, I discovered a natural remedy to uplift your spirits if you are having a bad day. 

No matter how depressed, cranky, tired, or irritated you are, I guarantee you, that people watching at the airport "arrivals: gate will make you smile, and give you that warm fuzzy feeling.  

For the most part people are seeing their friends or loved ones they may have not seen for a while, and seeing the looks on a persons face when they see whom they are searching for among the crowd is priceless.  Yesterday was a very high anxiety day for me and this seemed to help a bit.  

After deciding to share that with you I knew right away I wanted to share a song with you that I feel fits in this post perfectly.  It is a song I love listening to when I feel positive and I love that she is Canadian

♬Celine Dion- You and I♬

I ❤ this Quote and I wanted to share it. Think it, absorb it, remember it!!

If my post didn't make you smile at least once then I have provided you with Plan B...

P.S The benefits to reading this far and commenting on today's post will get you 10 extra entries into my giveaway I will be announcing this week!  I ask you;

 Did my post make you smile today?  Which part made you smile?

*I can't remember links for the pictures. if you know please let me know and I will fix this :)

No Internet

I am slowly going crazy 1 2 3 4 5 6 switch
Crazy going slowly am I 6 5 4 3 2 1 switch

I had planned my big launch tomorrow but I have no internet and I can't do this from my phone  :*(

PLANNING for next week to go on as scheduled. You will want to stick around!

Sorry everyone.  Comment if you forgive me so I can feel a little better because I am super stressed right now. Thanks xoxo

Apology's and Updates

Life has a funny way of twisting and turning throwing challenges at you and that is why I have had to delay my big blog  transformation and indie polish launch. For the past week I have been getting so much accomplished! I have sent my launch polishes out for review and when the reviewers recieve them I will be sharing with you their reviews and launching at the same time! Stick with me I know my blog has been quiet lately but I have been working hard to make it awesome!

I will leave you with a quick swatch I did today of a polish I bought 2 months ago and haven't had the time to use Hope you like it!

NICOLE BY OPI
Selena Gomez Collection
SPRING BREAK
Amazing pink creme polish that is opaque in 2 coats and applies like a dream! I need to get the other polishes in this collection!

I will be back on track April 8th!

After our unexpected move, we are finally getting settled in. I will be getting this blog under way again next Monday April 8th. Big stuff happening, make sure you come on by!

Thanks for your understanding!

I will leave you with a picture, I got my nose pierced and wanted to share it with you all!  I don't normally like pictures of myself but I don't mind this one :)

Just Another Update!

We are moving to Edmonton a week early so that means that I will be back on track sooner!!  It has been crazy here trying to get everything done in 1 week!  

As you know Google Reader is closing so if you want to be here for my Giveaway you have to start following me via Blog Lovin'  It is the top right giant button!

Also I recently joined Twitter as I need to get my name known as I have some exciting, life changing plans, so if you have Twitter please follow me @kandistar223 !

I want to know; what song was stuck in your head today?

Moving to Civilization!

Well my intentions of my launch have been put on hold for a few weeks but with good reason.

We found out on Friday that we are moving to Edmonton, 5 hours south of where we are now and much more populated.  It is the closest "city" to us and it is pretty exciting as there is so much more to do there and more places to buy polish!

Oh and I cannot forget a little mall called the West Edmonton Mall...have you heard of it? Only a few blocks from where we will be living!

We move in 2 weeks so we don't have very much time to pack and tie up loose ends up here in Grande Prairie (aka the northern most populated place in Canada, meaning there is no city larger then this to the north of us in Canada)

I have to bubble wrap all my nail polish and that in itself will be a huge task but I don't want very many casualties, hopefully not any (crosses fingers)

Remember I will be having two giveaways at launch time one for followers before the giveaway and ones that are probably just coming here for the giveaway so share with your friends as there might be an added bonus for people that share my blog with their friends  ;)

Whatever Wednesday March 6th 2013

Well I am in the works of finalizing my polishes and it is keeping me super busy, so I will return next Monday with Motivation Monday when I am done with my polish creating.  Thanks for understanding :)

I don't know if anyone is reading this but I will be having a giveaway by the end of next week.  

One prize will be for all my followers before my giveaway starts and the other will be for everyone including my new followers, so spread the word if you wish :)

Test it Tuesday- March 5th 2013

 Wit the very soon launch of my first Indie polishes, I have been crazy busy so my Test it Tuesday post is still being posted on Tuesday, but a little late.  I am hoping to have time to schedule posts if I am busy that way you have something to read while having your much needed morning coffee.  Also I can give you a hint of what you would be seeing the next day!

Today I have a polish called Golden Boy  that was sent to me by; 

Ashley from Forever Polished on bigcartel  The review is below

Motivation Monday March 4 2013

I decided to start the week of with Motivation Monday because everyone seems to have a hate on against Mondays and dreads its arrival.  Instead, look at Monday as a fresh start to the new week a new beginning and if your week is a bad one, don't worry!  You can start fresh next Monday!  

I will be sharing with you anything I have found or learned throughout the week and posting it on Monday (next week my post will be much earlier in the day)  I hope to give you some positive vibes to make your week awesome!

Today I will  share with you, some pictures I have found and loved.  I tried my best to trace back to the original source, if I am wrong please correct me :)

 Source 

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Transition Announcements!

 The transitions for my Blog makeover are well underway as well as the launch of...... drum roll please

my Indie Polish...Kandistar Polish!  

Here are the new features of the blog that will be debuting next Monday February 25th 5:00MST.  I will be doing additional posts but these new features will become a regular on my blog and as they each debut I will be creating tabs to pages for each day with links to the archived posts.  I have been MIA getting ready for all the big changes and a little secret, keep checking back because a giveaway is in the near future!

Kandistar Polish

Launch Coming March 2013!!!

The Ultimate Stamping Challenge-BM01

Right now I am working on a plan.  I intend to have a special theme every day of the week. I want it to be awesome and I have most of the ideas set in stone I just need to finalize things.  I will be doing a launch post with a list showing the topic of the day.  I will be incorporating past ideas into this new venture to insure that each of my ideas will be featured once a week. I will have other posts as well thrown in the mix but I will be consistent with the themed days. 

╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮

 I will be having a giveaway when I reach 250 followers. I am about to launch my own indie polish.  

When I reach 250 I will be doing a draw in which the winner gets to create a polish that I will make and send them.  That polish will be named whatever the winner wishes and the formula and name will be carried on when I start selling polishes. It will also be one of my launch polishes!

 I have received amazing feedback on the polishes I have created so far, I hope that is a sign you all will love my creations!!!

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Onto my NOTD and a sneak peek into a new feature that will be on my blog. I will warn you though, we just moved into a new place...again and my camera is on the top shelf of the closet and being 5ft2in I cannot reach it so unfortunately these are cell phone pictures.  

I posted this on the Facebook Group -Adventures in Stamping and thought I would share a new feature to my blog on what better MY BLOG! (Caffeine..it makes things so much more exciting)

"So I have set myself a challenge. I seem to be lacking in creativity so I have made a commitment I have to stick to, and I will have to think outside of the box. I intend to go in order of all my stamping plates that I have organized in my binder and use every single image on every single plate from the front of the book to the back.  If I land on a Christmas image in March well then I just have to find a way to make it work!. I can incorporate other plates designs elements etc, and still participate in challenges but I will do this and I will be blogging about it. The good the bad and the ugly. I am excited to start!"

How I achieved this look (Supplies listed below)

• Base Coat OPI Nail Envy
• 2 coats of City Color Masquerade (Thanks Amanda for this beautiful purple Polish!)
• 2 coats of Klean Color Chunky Holo Purple
• Stamped Both images from BM01 (2 images in one! images used are circled below) 
• Stamped with Essie No Place like Chrome
• Added silver stars on the thumbs
• Applied Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat (better then SV IMHO)

Supplies Used

Oh so pretty and my opinion of how to save $14.00

We just got back from Ontario where we were home visiting for 10 Days.  Needless to say I am way behind on the Crumpet's 30 day Challenge, but the main thing is, at least I attempted it.  I retrieved more of my belongings from back home so crafty stuff will be making an appearance on my blog.  Again this blog titled "Life as Kandistar" is everything in my life at the moment.

We moved out to Alberta last February and this was our first trip back.  It was hard to have to say goodbye again.  Especially to My Grandma.  She is like a second mother to me and the night before we left to come back home (Saturday night) I cuddled up with her in her bed and I cried and cried and cried.  We talked about some hard stuff such as her getting older and how I am afraid that each time I will come back to visit could be the last time I see her.  She said that I have my life to worry about and I do have to admit, she is as healthy as a horse and she will be 77 in March.  I wish I had more air miles banked so I could return home every 3 months or so. I make my own hours regarding work so it is feasible other then the financial aspect. I'm having a rough time adjusting here and it is almost as if for me to live out here without going crazy I need to see grandma more often. 

So if any of you have air miles you are not using, a private jet or  an awesome airline discount lets talk ;)

 Grandma and I 

My January 23rd Nails. Picture of polishes used below :) 

How to Save $14.00

As soon as I saw that Essie had come out with nail strips I began the hunt.  I finally found them back home in Ontario and bought this one ans another at the steep price of $14.00 before taxes.  I love their polishes so I figured that I would love these too.

These nail strips are horrible!  They are one of the worst nail strips I have used and within 20 minutes they were lifting.  NOT COOL. I am not impressed Essie.....

Golden Peacock

  My Roommate Kitty volunteered her nails as I need to play catch up for The Crumpet's Nail Tarts 31 day Challenge.  She loves gold so I did this on her to match her new shoes.  Sorry I don't have pictures of her shoes but they are pretty...and really tall....I would break my neck if I tried to walk in them.

I envisioned a design and it came out nothing like I envisioned.  I kept changing my mind but when she wasn't wanting to sit anymore we ended with this final design.  

Pinkie and Middle- Color Club Gingerbread

Ring, Index and Thumb Essie Mirror Metallic's Good as Gold

And I left the room for a few minutes and my Husband put the rest of my stuff away so I couldn't remember everything.  The flu is in our house so I have fair reason for not putting forth the effort to find what I used ;) Links below to all of the other challengers Golden Nails

OK you HAVE to watch this.  I was almost peeing my pants watching it and I hardly react to television/movies.  People think I am weird but I have always been this way, so if something gets a reaction out of me then it must be good.  It is a Game that Ellen Degeneres played with her audience members and if you don't have time for the full video, just watch the last minute.  It is HILARIOUS!!!

Silver nails... silver nails.........

So the first thing that came to mind for my Blog title was the Christmas Carol "Silver Bells" Seems I still have Christmas on the mind.  But I cleverly changed the words ;) and now we have a new polish related song....yes...I know....don't quit my day job.

I'm two days behind as I knew I would be with the Crumpet's Nail Tarts 31 day Challenge, but I will complete it on "Kandistar Time"

I promise everything I put on my nails is silver, except it photographed different.  

Sinful Colors Hot Wired as a Base

Taped using Nail tape from Pamela in my Birthday Month Group.

Topped with Color Club Harp On It  from Charis in my Birthday Month Group

(More details on the Birthday Month group below)

Make sure to go to the bottom of this post and check out all of the other awesome silver nails!!!

So I saw Birthday Month Groups on an assortment of other blogs and I decided I wanted to create a group on Facebook in which there are groups of 12, one for each month.  Each month you are responsible for mailing a polish related gift valued at 20.00 not including shipping to each of the 11 other participants.  When it is your Birthday month you receive 11 packages in return!  My Birthday was in December and pictured below is all the gifts I received!!!!  You will notice 2 extra and that is because we couldn't gather enough people to fill up the second group so we have two birthdays in January and Two in September.  If you join the next group that is filling up and your birthday month is already taken you can pick a different month or wait until the next group after that is starting to fill.  We also ask for your wish lists, polishes and anything nail related you have been drooling over forever and the others in your group try their best to fulfil your wishes, chatting privately in another temporary group to correspond, make sure no one is buying doubles and to try to get as much on their wish list as they can.  Come join us!! Click on the picture below!

Black and White Challenge - Put a ring on it?

* BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES IT IS -18 DEGREES CELCIUS WHERE I LIVE AND MY HANDS COULDN'T TAKE THE PAIN OF SCRUBBING THE GLITTER OFF TODAY PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED...SORRY!*

I am a day behind, but better late then never.  Crumpets Nail Tarts, a super awesome group on Facebook is having a 31 day Challenge. I am excited for this Challenge and even though I will be farther behind when I go home to visit for 10 days (I'm not bringing polish, just nail strips) I plan to complete this challenge anyways no matter how far behind I get!

 Day 1 was "Black and White Nails"  I used two items I have been wanting to use, but with Christmas and moving I just had to wait until the first opportunity...today was that day!

I will be including pictures of the products I used so if you want to create my look at anytime you have picture reference to what you will need :) 

I bought OPI Nail envy in a pack with the RapiDry top coat because as you can see my nails will not grow and I heard that this is the best of the best....we will see!  Orly Liquid Vinyl is my go to Black polish and probably the most used polish.  If I am doing my nails or swatching indie polishes for review and pictures for their products to use on Etsy, I always use Liquid Vinyl.  My only good stamping white is My Konad Special White and I am sad to say that for my last few fingers  had to tip the bottle upside down to try to get a few drops....I need another white ASAP.  

Base Orly Liquid Vinyl

Stamped with Konad Special White

On my index and ring finger Kandistar Punk Pixie

And a sticker on the thumbs to cover up my smudge

Kandistar Polish...you haven't heard of it?  That is because it is a sneak peek of one of my creations!  My Husband always tells me that The three colors I gravitate to for clothes, decor, cell phone cases, jewelry, pretty much everything is Black white and sometimes pink.  Thus Punk Pixie was created.  I have a small obsession with Tinkerbell and that influenced the name.  

*Please don't take this next part offensively or personally, it is just my opinion, which everyone is entitled to right?

The reason that I did more then one accent finger is because the "normal" accent finger, the ring finger, has me singing this song in my head.  In my honest opinion  the message portrayed from that accent finger is "Hey Look!!  No ring!!  Look at my hand!!!"    With me being a photographer, most of my brides have the accent finger done but that is so the groom knows which finger to put the ring on.

So because this song has come to mind I also wanted to share a spoof version that was done which is pretty funny.  I saw this a while back and bravo to those woman who are 9 months preggos and wearing heels!

Happy New Year 2013!

Happy New Years Everyone!!  It is a new year, a fresh start a forgiving time for all the resolutions that were broken last year!

My new years resolution?  NO procrastinating!!!!  

I have so many creative ideas swirling around in my head and I need to do something with them.  For all my new followers, this is not only a nail blog. It never has been.  For those who have read through my archives, you will see it is a variety of everything I am interested in!  There is a multitude of other amazing things in life that I love to do and when I post something I will give you as much info as I can!  I am going to set a goal to blog every other day and if I can't I will at least leave a quick message to keep you updated.  I am going to have tutorials, fun and plenty of colorful/ beautiful goodness to drool over as well as giveaways aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnddd I am in the works of creating my own indie polishes, which I have got several compliments on.  

And I quote " Wow this polish is beautiful, it is like Floam but on Steroids!"  

So make sure you follow me and check back because at 200 followers I will be having an awesome giveaway!!! 

Color Club Gift of Sparkle
Stamped using Konad Special White
Plate "D" with a kit from the "As seen on TV store"