Hi Goddesses
Wow it's been a long time since I rambled, hasn't it? This is a very different ramble, a ramble of excitement and thrills and OMG I'm in love with nail polish again!!!!
First of all, let's talk nail art and nail challenges. This week saw the end of 2 great nail art challenges from Crumpet's Nail Tarts - GOT Polish and the Tri Polish Challenge. From this week they get replaced by the awesome 52 Week Pick n Mix Challenge.
Each week there are 2 prompts - a pattern and a colour. You can do 1 prompt, both, or amalgamate them in the same mani. Use old polishes (GOT style), untrieds, or whatever's lying around. We're all very excited to start. If you want in, just click HERE to join the Tarts.
The 2nd thing is that I am also gearing up for 13 Days of Halloween, which started yesterday with the amazing Halloween Collection from Different Dimension.
I am not normally a Halloween girl, I hate the commercialisation of it, and yet there's nothing I love more than cats, witches and spookiness. So I am hoping my series returns us to the heart of what Halloween means to me, and misses out all the cutesy nonsense that, for me, just demeans it. It's supposed to be scary!!!
We've been busy in Crumpet's Nail Tarts - we also have a brand new 31 Day Challenge starting in January. It's a great mix of themes, and again, if you want to take part, just come and join us to get access to the Inlinkz, prompts and the Pinterest board.
In general, polish is GOOOOOD right now. I am having so much fun. Is there a phrase that says "a rest is as good as a cure"? I think in my case that is so true. I feel rejuvenated, re-energised, overflowing with ideas and just GO GO GO, oh and I'm so glad that bloody vault is empty! So much more manageable!
So, sit back and enjoy your October, there is -
* 13 Days of Halloween
* Digit-al Dozen does Florals
* Mod Lacquer
* Girly Bits nail art
* and much MUCH more
Hi Goddesses
How are you? I thought I'd drop in for a chat, as it's been a couple of weeks since I've been back in the blogging saddle.
Touch wood, but so far, everything's going g-REAT! I've loved what I've blogged, I've had fun doing my nails, and it hasn't felt like a chore ONCE. There have been a few days when I haven't blogged, or when I have decided sleep or watching The Hunger Games (again) with Beth is more important, and do you know what - it's been fine :)
The best thing is that the rest has really re-charged my head! I have so many nail ideas in my brain that I bet it smells of polish lol. Also, as I've been falling asleep, it's colours and patterns that I've seen, on loop, and that's not happened in a very very long time.
Upshot? If you feel you're burning out, take a break. Honestly, it works wonders. Also, and this is funny, for the month I was off, I didn't lose a single Facebook follower, yet now I'm back they seem to be leaving by the dozen haha. But - and this is gooooood news - it's not bothering me. Hurrah!
I've also been purchasing - whoops! - and have had a pretty epic spend on stamping plates. As well as the latest MoYous, I finally bought -
the Pueen whole plate designs
Cici & Sisi
Lily Anna
and Messy Mansion
I'll probably do a separate post on these.
All in all, very excited for these brands and the playtimes that lie ahead.
Polishwise, I am currently owning a lot of Powder Perfect, as every review of them seems amazing, and I also bought some Loaded Lacquer - I blame her sensational bottle shots. I also - finally - have a ton of Glam Polish on the way :)
All in all, I think this is the most energised and excited I've felt about blogging in the longest time - probably a year or so. My mind is tumbling with colours and ideas - and it's all coming readily. Compare this to 4 months ago when having an idea was like trying to give birth to a watermelon.
I hope you enjoy the stuff I have coming up. I'm delighted so many of you are loving SIMPLES and joining in. Now my only problem is how to empty the vault. I have about 34 folders in there, and some folders contain multiple swatches. Oy oy oy - double posting may be the ONLY way to go.
Hi Goddesses
How are you all? I hope you're all well and groovy and having fun, and have lots of exciting plans for the weekend. Me, I feel GREAT ... and that's why we're here :)
This time last week I sat down to write quite an emotional blog post. I was so tired of being tired, having no mojo - I was seriously worried I would never get back to blogging again. And yet here, a week of posts later, we are.
So what changed? Well, I've always believed the universe moves in mysterious ways, and it was so weird, I got home Friday night, and just felt full of energy, for the first time in ages. I am sure the 3 day weekend had something to do with it, and even though I didn't get to spend of much of it as I wanted to in the nail room, it saw me wanting to paint my nails and write posts.
I also believe "the darkest hour is always before dawn", and I think that outpouring of fear, and possibly grief, was just that moment. It's not the first time it's happened to me, that just at the moment everything seems blackest, sunshine has inexplicably appeared.
So here I am. I am still happy tonight, albeit a teeny bit "can't be arsed" lol, but in a MUCH better place. Such a good place in fact, that I am half-thinking I might be able to do DD week next week after all ... but maybe not. Unfortunately, most of my Saturday is going to be lost to a speed awareness course - oops - so time might be against me, but it feels good to be inspired again.
I've also learnt that this is MY blog. I think I have been extremely guilty in the past of chasing numbers and trying to post what I think people want to see / read. Well, no more. In future, I am going to channel those "can't be arsed" feelings, and not do things just because I hope it will get me more views or followers. If I post it, it's going to be because I genuinely love it, feel passionate about it and can't WAIT to share it.
And the things I've been putting off are coming out to play too. I had pretty much decided on a new way of blogging 3 months ago, and thought I'd "just wait til the vault was empty" to start it. Well no. I'm going to start it now (-ish), and if need be, we'll have to have Vault Friday to get rid of that stuff.
So for all of you - including me - who have been YEARNING for the return of the Confessions of a Polishaholic ... be excited ... it's closer than you think :)
And finally finally, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart for all the support and love and patience you have shown me over the last few weeks. It has meant SO much, and has been in a massive factor in why I really wanted to continue blogging. So thank you, and let's have fun, ok?
Hi Goddesses
How are you all doing? It's weird barely talking to you anymore, so I thought I would send a little missive from my cocoon.
Things are weird here in CrumpetLand. More than anything else I am exhausted. Numbingly exhausted. Not in a depression way though, which is interesting, more in a ugh ... do I HAVE to? kind of way.
I miss the nail world. I miss painting my nails (only done them once in the last fortnight). I miss nail ART. And I miss you all, and talking to you, RAMBLING to you, and feeling that back and forth which is so special in the nail community.
At work, during the day, and at sleepytime, my thoughts drift, as they always have, to nails. Patterns and colours still go through my head, and I still think "oooh, that would make a great mani" when I see someone wearing a pretty blouse.
At lunchtime, I check Facebook, and usually at this point, I think, ooooh I think I'll actually paint my nails tonight, or, "do you know what, I could do a small blog post, just a paragraph and a few photos, I can fit that in, 10 minute job" .... and then I get home.
And I get home and suddenly I'm .... it's like the weight of the day suddenly descends on me, crashes into me, crushes me, and the only way to survive it is ... I'm not sure, but there are definitely feelings of hibernation in there. I can't be bothered to cook, so dinner is getting quicker and less nutritious. I can't be bothered to read all my Newsfeed anymore, or reply to all my messages and emails ... and I even think ... maybe I should do some washing, or tidy the lounge up. (Lol, anyone who knows me will know how drastically wrong me having those thoughts is!)
Not once, once I'm home, can I be arsed to paint my nails, or edit some photos. I almost painted them the other night, but couldn't bear the thought of thinking of a stamping pattern to do over them. How ridiculous is that?
So what now? Pfffff, buggered if I know, but it's really annoying me and saddening me. I wanted to take a break, and I am THRILLED I read the Divergent trilogy in a week, but now I feel I am drifting further to sea than finding my way back to shore.
I don't want to quit blogging. I love it, I genuinely do - the thrill of the polish, the art, the talent - but am I ... gulp ... burnt out? Did I go at an insane pace for so long, that only 2 years rest can reset my switch?
And why do I feel less joy? I suddenly feel quite pedestrian, surrounded by a million bloggers insanely more talented, frantically trying to hold up a blog where the Guest posts get more views than my own lol. Have I peaked? Worse, did I miss it?
So I sit here, in a funk. It's not depression, but there are definitely some synapses not connecting. How much sleep is reasonable? Yes my flu was evil, long-lasting and has all but slain me, but should I be needing as much sleep as I do, or is it an excuse to retreat?
This weekend is a 3 day weekend in the UK. Usually that would mean a LOT of time in the nail room - maybe 20 manis, or 10 posts written, or some average of the 2. What will happen this weekend? I don't know, but I am really worried that it's not my nails calling to me ... and if they did, could I even hear them anymore?
Hi Goddesses
I'm really missing you all so I thought I would check in with an update and some random thoughts. My enforced break is teaching me things which are quite interesting ...
So, first of all, how am I? Well, still pooped, but ok. Not having the pressure of squeezing a blog post in every night has definitely helped and allowed me to READ !!! Yes, read! (Divergent, if you're wondering). Beth used to love that we'd read together for 30 minutes each night, and blogging slowly ate into that, so she's happy to have her bookworm momma back!
Have I painted my nails? Only once. I feel a bit unfaithful painting them when I should be on a break, and I have too much choice. Whomp. I still have some beauties to review (Literary Lacquer so pretty, ditto Too Fancy Lacquer), but I have more than 1 of them to swatch (coming back to that later).
Then I have lots of awesomeness that has arrived recently - OPI tints, lots of neons and summer brights, Sation, Morgan Taylor, all of it SO sexy, but again, I feel like I'd be cheating if I painted my nails lol - what an idiot. And I've also still been buying stuff, so I'm clearly not planning to disappear forever.
So what is this hiatus teaching me? Well, a few things. Let's start with the irony. You start with a blog and a dream, and for me, one of the definitions of success was that others would ask me to review their polishes. I'm not going to lie, who doesn't love free product, but I'm very honoured every time a brand looks at my blog and decides I am worthy of representing them.
However, over the course of a year, that has grown into a monster. It's gone from a few polishes a month to entire collections, and then my recent meltdown, when I had over 40 review bottles in my basket. I'm in groups with some of the super swatchers - Cosmetic Sanctuary, Pointless Cafe - and I think I assumed I was a failure if I couldn't keep up. If they could, why couldn't I? I just needed to man up and power through. Yep, turns up I can't manage that, and instead you end up a victim of your own success.
So whilst you're slugging through these reviews (the painting is easy, it's the rest of it that's a slog), you realise the thought of putting together a post with 6 polishes in it is creating a feeling in your stomach akin to being asked to eat liver. It's the scale of it that weighs you down. Excluding the painting and editing, it takes me over an hour to write a post for 6 polishes, and upload all the photos I use (and I know I use a SHITLOAD).
And whilst this is going on, I decided to start Missy's Neverending Pile Challenge, a fab idea, focussed on using your untrieds. I had a Saturday where I ticked off 4 prompts and a GOT Polish prompt too. I edited the photos and wrote the posts, and do you know what I learnt? How quick that all seemed in comparison. Editing and writing 4 separate posts seemed far more fun than writing about 4 polishes in the same collection. Is it because I get bored, and so I liked having 4 different things to write about? I don't know. But it gave me thought.
So that's where I am right now. I have no doubt I will be back, but I do think the focus of the blog will be different. I think reviews will be shorter and snappier, and there will be more of those editorial pieces I love doing (like the ones I do in December), and I think I might use You Tube more too.
My dilemma is that I don't want to totally stop doing reviews. I review regularly for some brands who are very dear to my heart, and in fact, friends, and I would never want to stop supporting them. So that might mean that my reviews might have to break collections into smaller chunks, or do it a polish at a time featuring nail art.
My blog has always been wordy, and photo heavy - maybe the key to my sanity is finding a snappier, chattier way 80% of the time, whilst still allowing for some of those longer pieces at the weekend.
I know I'm not going to make it through 4 days without blogging, so I'm going to take it easy and post some bits and pieces.
Have a fantastic Easter - lots of love xx
Hi Goddesses
And welcome to another Sunday whatever :) I have still been flu-ridden this week. I am just so SICK of feeling sick! This cough may be the most annoying thing ever and all I want to do is curl up and cry.
I can't even play with my polishes to cheer myself up. Some of you will know the story of my "everlasting". This is a vertical split I get on my dominant hand on the index nail. It splits, I trim it, it grows out - yay - it splits .... etc
For some reason it has recently split worse than ever, and in the middle of the night this week, it decided to split itself as far as it could. Bad news - man it hurt ripping that off. Good news, hopefully now that it's at its "root", it can heal.
(the yellow isn't pus; I think it's cury sauce!)
Talking of healing, last week I invested in some Trind. People who use it swear by it, and in a fit of optimism, I nubbed my nails so that they could grow back healthy. Every single nail I had had a split or a jag or just *something* - so, drastic was the name of the game!
And then watched all the polish pour in through the letterbox! Man! I am sooooooo excited by all my recent post, but it's so cruel not being able to use any of it cos your nails are too short.
So what exactly did arrive? Well, in the review pile we have -
12 Darling Divas
4 Painted Sabotages
4 Cadillacquers (and I bought another couple)
14 Lilypads!!!!!!!!!
and 7 baby Polish Bars
And if that wasn't exciting enough, I've also bought -
OPI Brazil
OPI Brazil mini textures
OPI Gwen Stefani
China Glaze City Flourish 2014
last year's China Glaze textures
lots of Morgan Taylor
LOADSA Delush!
Lots of Indigo Bananas!!
So, I now have on my desk what I call my BOX OF HAPPY. This box contains all the polishes currently making me smile, and this is what most of the next few month's manis are going to be made of :)
I alo bought loads and loads of new nail art brushes. Finding a thin enough brush has become a bit of a Holy Grail, so here are some of the ones I bought, including 20/0 and 30/0 - oh! -
I'll update you as I get through them!
Project Emptying The Vault continues to go well. I think I have about 35 more posts in there lol - that's 7 weeks worth of material lol.
I can't wait for hopefully next week to feel better, sit at my nail desk on Saturday and say - right, what are we going to talk about this week? It's going to make for a much more organic blog, and I'm really excited.
In the meantime, Beth got in on some swatching action. She likes BLOOD RED BLOOD RED polishes at the moment lol, so this stunner from Indigo Bananas thrilled her. I "forgot" (or not) to mention that it glowed in the dark, and her reaction was priceless when she found out. Lol.
So, is there a plan for this week? Yesssss, more vault emptying.... but once it's done, it's bloody done!!! And then the fun can begin :)
