These are a few of my favorite things

If Oprah can have a favorite things annual episode, so can I!!  :)
You saw my self chosen turkeys yesterday, now here are a few of my favorite from the year...the creme de la creme...the bees knees....the gold standard.....the cat's meow....oh heck, they are just some of my favorites that I have done!

Number 5...
- The Black and White Cookie...
When I was growing up, Black and White cookies were the special treat that we got from the bakery on a Saturday morning....and here they are on my nails!  This was the early adventures in using scotch tape for clean lines.  nom nom nom.....

Number 4...

- The Galaxy Collection.

I am obsessed with galaxy manicures...it could be the scifi geek in me.  Or just the fact that I love the way these little guys turn out.  This may be my favorite nail design trend.

Number 3...

- The Diagonal Dotticures

 I love dots on nails.  Without fail, they cheer me up and perk up a manicure almost as much as glitter.  And my 4th of July Birthday tape manicure and Blue Reversi Dot manicure are two of my absolute favorites....and shhhh, so easy to do!!

Number 2...

- An Apple for Teacher.

I had a few back to school manicures this fall and this one was my gamble that had the best payoff.  I thought I would give free hand apples a go.  Designs like this can always be a gamble for me because they could go either way on my short nails.  They could be really cute or all disproportionate.  Thankfully, these came out really cute in my mind's eye!  I love the crisp fall look of this manicure.

Number 1....DRUMROLL......

- A Day At The Beach

One Saturday last spring I went shelling on the west coast in Florida and had a beautiful day.  Perfect sky, just warm enough, lots of shells, great company and food.

It was such a nice day that I ran home and painted my nails...

I love the pixie dust sand...and fairy dust always makes everything that much cuter.

I hope everyone had a great year and enjoyed their own adventures in nail polish.  I enjoyed this first year and am looking forward to see where 2014 takes me.

Enjoy!!!

2013 turkey round-up!!

There are only 3 days left to the year.  I am continuing in the spirits of all the countdown madness here at Polish Palette.  I don't know what it is about the end of the year that inspires so many countdowns, from top Google searches to top downloaded songs on iTunes, to top Halloween costumes...that I can't help but get in on this action!  But I am going to start with the Top 5 Turkeys of 2013.  These are the top 5 FAILS of my nail skills this year as chosen by me.

Number 5...
-The Preppy No-No

These two color were from spring Julep Maven Box.  I love them both.  I loved the preppiness of them together.  So I decided to pull the stamper out and add some argyle stamp action to the green.

Why this didn't work for me?  

1.  The stamp is not straight on either nail.

2. Somehow I managed to get Frankie dog hair in my topcoat....I mean...REALLY???

Number 4...

- To Boldly Go...

I created this manicure for the latest Star Trek Premiere movie date night.  I have mixed reactions to this manicure.  I LOVE the two galaxy nails!  It was my first ever attempt at them and I'd like to think I rocked them right into outer space.  The Star Trek insignias?  Not as much...it is that fattie on my middle finger that drives me nuts.  But I didn't want to go back to fix it because we were heading out to the movie in less than an hour from when I finished it.

Number 3...

- Gold blobs...

This summer I decided to try and improve my glitter gradient skills.  I had gotten the tip drip glitter look from the ends of my nails down.  So I wanted to take it to the next level and try a reverse gradients from the base of my nails...FAIL.  Gold blobs.  All I see are gold blobs. UGH!!!

Number 2...

- Irritating sponge...

I wish I could explain it....and I have been sitting here for a spot of time trying to put a point on it....but I HATE this manicure.  I don't know why.  I can't put a finger on it.  [ha ha...finger on it!]  I don't know if the colors didn't blend the way I would have liked.  Or trying to add the glitter in on some fingers but not all...or what, but I just don't like this one.  In my head, these colors were going to sponge blend so well together....nope!!

Number 1...drumroll please....

- SHARKNADO!!!!!

I threw a Sharknado viewing party at my house and 30 minutes before people came over, I decided to whip this bad boy up.  I am not going to lie, this little guy is the biggest turkey of them all, but I love this silly creation at the same time.  The comical open mouthed sharks...the bad edges...the waves, I think those were supposed to be waves on my index finger....It is gloriously bad!  And I love it.

So concludes the Top 5 Turkeys of 2013.  Stay tuned tomorrow for the Solid Gold All Stars of 2013 as chosen by....ME!  :)

As we say goodbye to 2013....

As 2013 comes to a close, it naturally becomes that time of year to reflect and renew. And here at Polish Palettet I am no different.   My journal of adventures in nail polish have been interesting, fun, and a great learning experience since I started in March 2013. In looking back, I have had some manis that I have enjoyed and some that have been some real turkeys. But all of them I have enjoyed the process of creating.  I love the process of creating and the outcome is the cherry on my hot fudge sundae.   

The past two months have served as a low point for me creatively, and I have not been posting much because of it. In October, I tragically lost one of my closest friends. She has always been one of my greatest supporters in my nail polish endeavors and in life overall.  It has been hard for me to sit down and write about manicures or really writing about anything at all....I'd like to get back to things and the fresh start of a new year, with all it's undiscovered potential, it a natural time to get back to it.  It's time to bring back the Mani Cam on Work It Wednesdays, and my Julep swatching, and overall fun freehand designs.  Time for new skills challenges, my google+ community challenges, and maybe a video or two.  I have a lot of great things to look forward to this year and my blog is going to come along for the ride.  In 2.5 months my wedding will be here, I started a new job recently which is offering some great challenges, and I feel grad school looming on the horizon this year as well.  

Below are some of the things I have worked on in the past two months.  Most are pics from the car while sitting at traffic lights. 

Thanks everyone!! So long 2013....looking forward to 2014!

❤️ The Polish Palette