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"