How to Paint your Nails and Live your Life

People often compliment me on my nails. I rarely leave them bare and they are usually painted an awesomely bright and funky hue. I absolutely believe that you can tell the level of confidence a woman has by the way she takes care of her nails. My theory can definitely be objected, but I find this to be true. Whether a woman religiously visits a nail salon, paints her nails herself, or cringes at the thought of drawing any unnecessary attention to her appendeges, many (especially men) take notice in a lady's nailcare. What's my M.O. on nailcare? Like my life, I love balance, order, and tradition. I paint my own nails with every color of the rainbow (occassionally treating myself to a manicure) and I admittedly have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with comparing nailcare to life.

It amazes me how God teaches us lessons through everyday activities that if we're not careful we will overlook. Ladies, take the time today to see what the Lord is trying to show you, he is everything and is in everything!

HOW TO PAINT YOUR NAILS AND LIVE YOUR LIFE:

1) One Coat at a Time

• As the saying goes, take life one day at a time. The same thing applies to polishing your nails. I'm frequently asked "how do you get them to look like that, my polish always bubbles up or gets chunky (see #3)?" My answer to that is polish one coat at a time and allow the prior coat to dry before adding the next coat. In life and obviously in painting our nails, we rush through the process. We desire the end result and never take the time to enjoy the process. Which consequently, gives us a bumpy, unattractive life (nail).

2) Don't Be Afraid to Start Over

• Simply: DON'T BE AFRAID TO START OVER. As seen in Tip #1, we're constantly rushing. So stuck on the end result and finishing that we fear failing and having to start over. With nailcare, it's not so much the end result that's important than it is the quality and appearance of the end result. I am not afraid to start over if I mess up on a nail. When I start the task of painting my nails, my desired result is perfection. Honestly, I have become such a pro at painting my own nails, that I have learned shortcuts instead of starting over. This knowledge came with me facing my fear of having to "START ALL OVER". Like life, when we face the fear we soon realize that that seemingly large mountain is actually an anthill.

3) If it's Chunky, Thin it Out

• As nail polish gets older it begins to dry up (this is painfully true for human life, unfortunately). Or if you expose the polish to too much air, it will inevitably become chunky. Nothing causes me more anguish than to see young ladies forcing chunky nail polish onto their beautiful hands. A quick tip that obviously these young ladies are unaware of is adding a little polish remover to their nail polish and give it a shake. Presto! Just like new. The same goes with our lives, when life gets chunky (busy, messy, rocky, crazy), thin it out (prioritize, reorganize, declutter)!

4) Go Bright!

• Wear your heart on your....nails! If you're normally a bubbly individual, wear a polish that compliments your personality. If you were asked what color you would say you are....what would you say? Me, I am Flamingo Pink. If you look through my nail polish collection you would see about 12 different variations of pink. (No, they are not the same color). When I feel super rockstar, I wear Black Cherry or Electric Blue. Whether Spring or Winter, don't be afraid to brighten up someone else's day with your polish choice.

5) Why Pay Someone When You Can Do it Yourself?

• Do you really need an explanation for this tip? Alright! Become a DIY chick. It saves you money and at the same time, makes you an expert in another area of life. It's cool to take your daughter out to the salon on special occassions, but just think how much it would mean to the both of you if every saturday you two had a spa night? Doing-It-Yourself gives women an edge and definitely makes you an asset and not a liability. DISCLAIMER: NOTHING IS WRONG WITH GOING TO A SALON, IF YOU CAN'T BARE TO RID YOURSELF OF YOUR WEEKLY SPA TREATMENTS, LEARN TO SEW.

A long post, I know. It's been a while and I missed you guys.