What a day.

I found out today that one of my ex-boyfriends has Stage 4 melanoma. It's in his brain. It's weird to think of the mortality of those you were once close to. In more recent years, he and I had reconnected and had some really nice talks. He is married with two small children.

It just makes you think. You never know what could happen. Or when it will happen.

I know there is nothing I can do. There's nothing I can say or share that will make it any better for his mother, his father, his brother, his sister, his wife, his children. All I can do is pray. Miracles happen every day. Every day.

I am living proof.

Is this week over yet?

Took my Jeep Monday to the dealership to be "diagnosed." Turns out something in the swing gate needs replaced. Part ordered, set appt to go back Wednesday.

On Wednesday, they tear the swing gate apart only to find out they have the wrong part. That is a common mistake I know, having worked at a dealership before. If the parts person just mistakenly types one number wrong, something different comes. I reschedule until Monday because Thursday and Friday, we are covered in snow.

So. Monday? Yeah, it's supposed to snow then, too. SUCK.

But anyway, here's some polish to make me feel better!

Wet n Wild Craze - Buffy the Violet Slayer

It goes without saying that this is my all-time favorite nail polish. Well, just based on the name alone :) But regardless of the name, it really is a pretty shimmery grape-esque purple.

I used a base coat of China Glaze's Strong Adhesion, three coats of the polish and a top coat of ORLY Sec'n Dry. The formula was a little thin, but with three coats looked pretty good. It wasn't goopy or streaky, which is always a plus :)

I was told by a friend that this particular set of Wet n Wild polishes (the Craze line with TV show names) was a limited edition from last year - so I'm lucky to have been able to find this one!


And in other news, Lucas did win that contest I'd posted about before :) So the winner picked dinner tonight ... spaghetti :)

**DISCLAIMER**  I was not paid for this review by anyone. I purchased this bottle at a CVS store for $1.99. I am not a professional nail tech, nor do I want to be. I'm just someone who enjoys polishing my own nails :)

This week is just....

blech. I'll get back to you at the end. Maybe it'll finish up better? With the exception of finding the nail polishes, I just haven't been able to gear myself up.

Anyway...

Could you guys vote for lucas in this contest? the winner receives some awesome prizes - including $100 gift certificate and a DVD slide show. This is the studio where we had our awesome family session (one photo is my profile pic).

First you have to 'like' Exposures Studio on FB:
http://www.facebook.com/ExposuresStudioPhotography

Then vote for him here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150389289735711&set=a.10150389283220711.614088.233578915710&ref=notif&notif_t=photo_reply#!/photo.php?fbid=10150389289320711&set=a.10150389283220711.614088.233578915710

...so I found more polish :)

I had to take my Jeep to the dealership for some repair work, so I went all over Bloomington trying to track down some Wet n Wild polish. At my very last CVS store to check - I FOUND THEM! Well I found the original incarnation of them - from the Craze line.

These aren't the Fast Dry polishes - but it'll do!!! I nearly fell over when I saw them on the rack next to the Fast Dry display. I told the cashier I had been looking everywhere for these polishes, to which he replied in a very smooth voice, "That's because we're the best."

From what I can tell, the color of the polishes is slightly different with this line than the Fast Dry.  Like the Buffy one - this one looks more purple, and the Fast Dry version looks more blue. Speaking of which, my wonderful friend Tammy found a bottle of the Fast Dry Buffy polish and bought it for me!! She's going to send it to me :) I am beyond ecstatic. There was only one other color I was really wanting, but heck, I've been lucky to get what I got.

And it's another one with polish :)

Cause I'm too lazy to do any kind of real update - or should I say nothing significant is going on right now. I could tell you all about my dental issues, but who wants to read about that?

Anyway, yesterday I got claustrophobic in the house with the boys, so I got dressed and I just left. I didn't know where I was going to go, so I started heading north. I didn't want to go out to eat or to a movie because I don't do those things by myself often. I ended up just going to CVS to browse around. Good thing I did! I found the coolest nail polishes in the most unlikely brand - Wet n Wild, which used to be one of the "cheapest" brands on the market. But they have apparently surfaced with awesome color names!

Yes, I consciously purchased a pink nail polish. That is so unlike me!! However, these polishes were purchased strictly on the basis of their names...

And these are just the tip of the iceberg. I believe there are 19 different colors! Each sporting a different TV show-inspired name - INCLUDING BUFFY THE VIOLET SLAYER! I am in desperate need of that color. I will pay double or triple the $1.99 price tag for that baby!

Polish Ptuesday

Ha! I'm funny. I know. Y'all can quit laughing now.

I received three bottles of Zoya polish in the mail yesterday! The colors I chose from my account are called Jancyn, Pinta and Lana. most of Zoya's polishes have the names of girls. I keep pushing for "Destany," so we'll see how they turns out.

This will be my first polish swatch/review :) I'm kind of nervous about it 'cause what if I say the wrong thing? Ok, here goes nothing...

Zoya - Jancyn

For base coat, I used China Glaze's Strong Adhesion Base Coat. Then three coats of Jancyn. Then one coat of Orly's Sec'n Dry quick dry top coat.

For the color, it's a bold shade of tangerine that looks neon, but really isn't. It's bright and cheerful, and actually kind of makes me feel happier just by looking at it. I'm a big fan of orange polishes (orange is my favorite color for polish!), so this one is among the favorites.

My only issue is how thick the polish looks with three coats. I only wish it took two coats to get a nice even finish with no streaks or shadow. I might try this polish at a later date again, just to compare and contrast applications.

I would take pictures in natural light, but it's dreary and snowy outside, so the light isn't all that great haha

**DISCLAIMER**  I was not paid for this review by anyone. I received this bottle of polish as part of Zoya's Facebook promotion for 3 free bottles of nail polish. I am not a professional nail tech, nor do I want to be. I'm just someone who enjoys polishing my own nails :)

Let the editing begin!

While I wait for my free nail polishes from Zoya, I am going to start to edit my 2010 NaNoWriMo entry. I need to get it ready to submit to CreateSpace for my proof copy. So I have pulled out my earphones and My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge album. I can't write without Gerard Way's voice pumping into my ears. Serious.

That's my boys. The one front and center is on my 'list.' At this point in time, he's actually at the top.

Not that I'll be entering...

But apparently Amazon.com has a Breakthrough Novel award every year. Who knew? They have a general fiction and a young adult fiction category. I guess the winners are really happy hahah
Here's some info: Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award

As I some of you may know, I participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) every year. Or, well, for at least the past two years. I have 'won' both years - having completed a 50,000+ word manuscript between November 1-30. My first year I wrote about a certain character, and the second year (this past November), I wrote about her again. I do kind of have a trilogy planned. We'll see if I can even muster up enough creativity for the third one hahah

I am not going to pretend my novels are so goooooood and that everyone should read them. I really, honestly think they both suck and the people who have said they were good were just being nice. I don't think I'll ever believe it if someone tells me they like it. I will wholeheartedly believe when someone tells me they dislike it.

That doesn't stop me from coming up with plots and characters. I have a head full of ideas!
Bad ideas.
But ideas!

here i am.

for now. i'm hoping to get this moved to my domain shortly. but for now, this'll do.

this blog will be equal parts hilarity from my son, nail polish and book reviews. such a strange combination!