You Polish Decals on Nubbins!

 You Polish extended an offer to bloggers to review You Polish nail decals in exchange for the decals themselves! I had to wait a bit until I was able to polish my nails again and unfortunately all I have left is some really short nubbins. I will be reviewing the decals over the next couple of posts and providing my honest review.

I wanted to use the stars first because anything with stars are my favorite!

________________________________________________________

Here is the decal sheet before I used it

__________________________________________________________

 I had to lighten up the next image to show the coolest part about the star decals.

 It is almost like getting two for the price of one because you can separate this decal, to have one small solid star and one slightly solid hollow star!

  This photo is NOT color accurate. The black decals are BLACK!

_____________________________________________________________

 Here is a more color accurate picture and the decal separated to show the two stars. The only thing I can say about these stars is that it was a bit of a pain to separate them but they did separate with a clean line and didn't rip. Just be careful when separating them.

_________________________________________________________

 I painted my nails with Nabi Purple and then placed the decals on

You Polish has tons of high quality decals in various shapes and colors. To date, these would have to be the best quality for shape decals that I have used. I can't wait to show you the rest!

You can visit You polish on Facebook

or the website where you can run now and place an order!

http://www.youpolish.com/

Don't Quit

     I found this poem today over on doitandhow.com A blog that teaches you how to do various things in random categories. Among the tutorials was this poem. It seemed really fitting for right now.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will

     When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill

 When the funds are low and the debts are high

     And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit

     Rest if you must, but just don’t quit

Life is Crazy with its twist and turns

     As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about

     When he might have won, had he stuck it out

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow

     You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out

     The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are

     It may be near when it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit

     It’s when things seem worst, that you must not quit.

~A poem by Clinton Howell

High Expectations

I don't know if anyone is reading my blog anymore, but maybe....

I'm having a hard time...with life.

I'm not suicidal or anything, trust me if I made it out alive with what I have been through in the past 7 years I can overcome this too...but it's hard...it's different.

I think that the hardest thing is that I set my expectations for myself too high. I think I tell myself every morning that I am going to get up and tackle the world; then I am let down when I don't.

I have been dealing with depression for the past 7 years and right now it's really kicking my butt.

My anxiety is not as severe as it was and because of that I think "OK Candace! Make up for lost time" and then WHAM reality hits, and I realize though I am doing better then I was I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me. 2 years ago I was housebound and had been pretty much since 2007. Leaving my property created anxiety so bad that I would be scratching myself to release some of the adrenaline going through me. It was embarrassing, I sheltered myself from the world. I didn't want to give my sickness to anyone.

Moving out to Alberta was a good decision. I have come a LONG way since moving out here but there are some disadvantages.

1. My Family is almost 4000 km's away
2. Everything I have been familiar to my entire life is 4000 km's away

We would be foolish to move back to a city where the economy is horrible. Where there is no opportunity for room to grow. We live in a booming city that has so much potential and out here we can provide for ourselves.

 My husband had his third interview where they drove 5 hours to meet him for lunch. For what? To be Operations Manager for FedEx for Basically all of northern Alberta and British Columbia. So fingers crossed he gets the position.

Back home the jobs are so limited, you'd have to compete with 400 other people to work for McDonalds. (Nothing wrong with that I'm just stating an example) Out here there are more jobs then people.

So the dilemma, Stay out here where we can provide a better life for ourselves and be away from family and familiarity or move home and struggle to pay our bills.

It's obvious what the smarter decision is. And also I am the only one that feels this way.  My Husband will not move back. He loves it out here.

I feel so useless. I am trying to pursue my dreams but it's hard when my husband works long ours at his current job. I need someone for support. to be my rock, to help me grow.

My dreams are pretty big for someone that has spent the past 7 years sick. I am also feeling the pressure to get my butt in gear because I am 30. I push myself too hard, set to many expectations and then I feel like this.

I really hope sunny days are ahead...

©Kandistar Photos

.

So Delicate! Successful nail stamping decals!

I had gel nails on for almost a month and tried to take them off by myself....BIG MISTAKE!

My nails are in HORRIBLE condition now and just painting them you could see the bad shape they were in.

I decided to create my own nail stamping decals wit the hopes that it would cover up the disaster and it did on these 3 nails. What I used is in the photo itself, I am doing this so if you like what I did and you wanted to re create it, you could easy pin all the information you need on Pinterest!

 Don't forget to enter my giveaway, only two days left!
Click here to enter!

Thank you...Giveaway!

I am so grateful for all my followers and for the support in my little corner of the blogging world.  For those that saw my last post, I am trying to get in touch with The Ellen Show I did my nails and more recently I made a You Tube video. If you haven't watched it yet, it would be awesome if you did and shared it any way you can, I would love to think my story is special enough to go viral. I apologize for the fast pace of the video but I think the point is still made :) You can read more of my story in the link below.

~~~~> PLEASE HELP ME CONTACT THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW! <~~~~~

I decided to thank all my followers for sticking with me during a blogging drought but I am back and I am having a giveaway!

Have you seen how awesome water slide nail decals are? they are so easy to use and there are countless tutorials on how to apply them if you are unfamiliar. 

I make them!

I am offering two 8.5x5.5 pages of decals open INTERNATIONALLY to one lucky follower.

What images will be on them you ask?

Well the winner can choose whatever images they wish, you can use your own photos of loved ones, your fur babies, anything you wish! 

      ~One page will be clear. Printers don't print white ink so anything white will be transparent, these are best on a light colored base, you can cut it any shape you want, once top coat is applied, the edges are almost invisible!

  ~The second page will be on white paper so these images would be framed or square images because you will see the edge of the decal where you cut. 

 This giveaway will be open until May 10th and I will contact the winner via e-mail. I will be verifying all entries! I'm giving you plenty of chances to enter, some of them by helping by sharing my video!

Raffle-copter is below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PLEASE HELP ME CONTACT THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW!

I have sent several emails (limited to 1500 characters) to Ellen and I recently spent a hefty amount to send my letter via UPS to her show. I figured that she would get it when she gets it but now I am in a bit more of a time crunch...a really big time crunch. I did my nails and printed water slide nail decals to hopefully get her attention.

The reason why this has become urgent...Two days after someone named "King" from her show signed for the letter I found out that one of the people I had been writing about is going to be on her show this week! 

I will share my letter with you if things work out here is some excerpts of the letter just so you can get an idea.

 I have had so many emotions while writing it and I have grown as a person.  Every waking moment this has been in my mind, and I have thought many times; if nothing comes out of this, how am I going to feel? Ellen has helped so many people provided them with experiences that they never thought possible. I watch her show every day as soon as it becomes available on the CTV Canada website. She can help ordinary people like myself achieve what seems impossible. I have no idea how else to go about doing this...   

 I am trying to make my dream come true.  With every ounce of my being I need to have the chance to meet the cast of Glee and watch the production of an episode.  I need this experience to heal my soul and meet the people that helped me. To watch the production of something so powerful that changed my life. I know there are probably so many other people out there that feel as I do but this is my ONLY focus and has been for almost a year. This is the only dream I have.  I have been told thousands of times and ways never to give up.  I need help to share my story and to help me with getting my story to the producers of Glee as I am lost on how to do so on my own. 

As you know from reading my blog I have been dealing with a severe anxiety disorder for several years and it has been so bad that I was housebound and every simple little thing in life became a struggle. From there I developed a severe depression because I was seeing all my dreams becoming more impossible to reach. I had been fighting for so long with doctors, and treatment centers, medication that caused me to gain weight that I felt I just didn't want to fight anymore. When I was at my worst I came across the TV show Glee and sat and watched the first two seasons. Being numb at that point from the medications, I was caught off guard that my heart felt like it was going to explode and I got that feeling where it felt like time had stopped. Anyone that has suffered from anxiety knows that a panic attack can feel like a heart attack and at the time I thought that was what was happening. Time passes by and I was trying to figure out why this show had such a big impact to me emotionally and finally just over a year ago I realized why. 

   I love to sing and music really touches me on a deep level. I always thought that life should have songs to go along with all of its moments. I have always wanted to be involved with music but I wanted  to be involved with helping people. and until I watched glee I never put the two together. Glee is a fictional TV show but the messages they put out help so many people with topics that people feel like they are having to deal with alone.  I realized that I wanted to help people with music.

I started doing research and knew that I had to be well enough to make anything happen. This has made me come huge leaps and bounds and I can honestly say that this saved my life. 

I have the determination to do anything. It will take a lot of dedication and support but I will do it. There is not enough support out there and I want to be able to give this gift to other people. I want to develop a music program, to be implemented in schools, hospitals and treatment centers, to help people that are struggling with addiction, mental health, and to help youth get though the difficult teenage years.  I believe this can help with self-image, respect for self and others, addictions, mental health, and acceptance.  

I believe a bigger impact can be made by someone that has been through difficulties, someone that really knows what they are going through and someone that can give hope based on personal experience.  I have been where it seemed there was no hope, no one that understood.   I know how frustrating it is to get effective treatment.  I have the passion and dedication to do this and I will.  I think that with the right approach, there can be a change, maybe at first it will be small but I believe it will grow. I want to create a program across Canada and someday, expand this to the United States using music as therapy.  Music touches everyone’s soul.  I really believe music in all different forms can help so many people.  I believe that if an effective way is found to help deal with their inner issues then maybe there would be a decrease in bullying substance abuse and abusive behavior I’m not saying that this will help everyone but if I can help one person then my life has had a purpose.  Music can be expressed through art, singing, meditation, playing an instrument, acting and the list can go on. Music touches everyone in some way in every situation throughout life.  It can open one’s eyes, give hope, help heal and countless other reasons. Despite the percentages of the population suffering from mental health illness, society is still uneducated and people are left hopeless and without proper and effective treatment.  There is ignorance from those who just don’t understand or perhaps have personal issues of their own.  

From personal experiences and talking to others, seeing others around me, I really do believe that addiction and substance abuse, bullying, abuse towards others and so many other negative actions, result from problems that are left untreated, not treated properly or ignored.  People live and react to life based on what they have learned. Yet the proper focus in my opinion isn't given to find the core of the problem. Can you imagine how society could change if the effort was given to make that difference? 

I will continue with my plans without meeting anyone or having my own dream come true. I would have a void of my dream left un-fulfilled, unfinished and feel like my goal hadn't been met, my work not fully done. I wouldn't be able to use myself as a full example to others.  I know that I can reach out to more people having my dreams fulfilled. I hope that I can get my story and plans out with  the hopes that someone that can make this happen would come forward and help with this huge plan.  I want to show others that have lost hope that life can turn around, that dreams can come true for anyone. I want to be an example of this. 

Without Glee I would have never found my purpose, my strength and a renewed sense of hope. I just want to meet the people that have changed my life and thank them. I want to see in action the making of what changed my life. To experience the energy and passion the whole Glee crew put forth, without a doubt changing a life with each episode they create.  I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.   The cast has done a powerful job with their acting and I know that they all are amazing people off screen as well It is because of my Husband and Glee I have come such a long way in recovery and why I cannot give up on this dream.

It is good to dream. People who have followed their dreams and have been “dreamers” have done some great things and made an impact to society in some way. If dreams didn't come true or if dreams were not pursued where would we be? We wouldn't have hope or motivation or a purpose.  It is the ones that don’t give up on their dreams that go on to do great things. In my heart I know this is what I need to experience to not only feed my soul but to use all this to help others. If my dreams can come true with everything I have been through then I know my story WILL help others.

Today I am both sober from Drugs and Alcohol for just over 7 years. I believe because of the lifestyle I was living and problems left untreated I am as a result picking up the pieces of me that shattered 7 years ago and dealing with the consequences today.  I have been living with a severe anxiety disorder that has completely debilitated my quality of life and it is something that has forced me to build my life from the ground up. I am learning who I am all over again. Through it all I decided not to let my past define who I am. I hope to help people that have been through what I have and to encourage people no matter how bad things can get, your life can change for the better.  

With the blessing of Lea Michele and those closest to him, I would like to dedicate all my work honor of Cory Monteith. I wouldn't feel right doing so unless I have their blessing. If they decline I still in my heart will be doing this in his honor. 

Please share this so it gets Ellen's attention and if you would like the full letter let me know and I will be happy to share it with you via email. Thanks everyone.

Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser VoxBox Review

 I signed up to become an Influenster which is simply really awesome.  

When you sign up, you fill out surveys covering various topics and when you become eligible, you might just see a box of goodies in the mail for review. Sometimes they may be testers but these products in this box were all full size...and free.  No shipping fees, nothing. I believe the USA has more eligibility for product review but Us up here in Canada are just starting out with Influenster so I imagine my mailbox will be getting surprises more frequently soon! I have linked the website, just click on the name!

This secret mystery box contained the Garnier Fructus Damage Eraser line that I believe hasn't been released in stores.  My hair is in bad shape I am not going to lie. Winter is rough and the cold is damaging. I used this product once....yes once and I noticed a HUGE difference.  I have already encouraged several friends to try out my bottle and I will be converting to this brand as soon as it becomes available where I live.  I normally really wouldn't care what hair products I used, just whatever was on sale but trying this stuff once has sold me on this brand and that alone speaks for itself! 

Sally Hansen (Insta-Dri) Wirlwind White

This is the 2nd time writing this post, the first one I tried uploading from my phone and it still says it is publishing and it won't let me click on the post or anything. I restarted my phone, closed the app refreshed the page and I checked on my Computer...nothing.

Anyways this might be a shorter post then the original but hopefully it is better...who will ever know...things like this DRIVE ME CRAZY!

I've decided to go through my polishes to inventory them for a few reasons:

1. To know what polishes I own

2. To sell polishes I don't care for

3. To make life easier for future reference. (how they apply, how they stamp etc.)

Sally Hansen (Insta-Dri) Whirlwind White is an amazing polish for stamping as most nail stampers will know.  You have to be quick though, the name speaks for itself...it dries fast.

The polish is very opaque and would be the perfect white base if it wasn't an absolute pain to get off of my cuticles. I tried everything and though the nail looked awesome, the frame was a HOT MESS! If anyone has tips for this polish, I would LOVE to know. 

I am keeping this polish because it is the BEST stamping white thus far.

~ This is my polish and I made the decision to review it

 (disclaimer)

It's been Awhile...

I over achieve, I am a perfectionist, and I missed my blog! My New Years resolution is to work on those attributes. I did not say I would stop doing these things, it is just a day to day process.  

I have been away from the blogging world, been spending little time on Facebook groups , just trying to get my life in order. I am not there yet but I am getting there. 

I will not make promises to post every day, to do my nails or draw something every day. I just want to do my best to give my blog some more love. 

I have some pretty big things I have been working on, the completion date is not known yet but it will be in the form of a blog post and I will need help. I will be sharing a very personal part of my life and I am trying to contact the Ellen Degeneres show, so when the time comes, I will appreciate and be forever grateful for your help. Check back in!

Cheers to you with my coffee!

Sally Hansen

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Nail Polish I own! 

*PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY (unless stated otherwise)