Ya'll I've been struggling... you may remember that I've had a few bad nail breaks (this spring and last summer), and finally saw dermatology in June. Well, long story short, she doesn't know what it is, either, and wants to pass me on to yet another specialist. I'm waiting to hear back from specialist 1, after which I'll go to my primary and ask for his feedback. I'd rather not add specialist 4 to the calendar (nor my financial burdens) this year if I can help it, and I kind of think specialist 1's area is where the ticket is at. Anyway, I won't bore you with more details than I already have here (sorry - I just know ya'll know how much joy nails bring, and it's been a big SUCK not only not getting to enjoy painting mine, but being, well, ashamed of them).

1. First up, last week I celebrated the rule out of one thing by eagerly trying LA Colors Color Mania Fandom. I had picked this up right about the time I saw the derm, as a celebration of prayerfully discovering what these nail issues are all about and righting what wrongs there are to heal. So, to celebrate the first rule out achievement, I put this lovely lady on. I think this was just 2 coats? I used an Ella + Milla base coat and an Olive & June QDTC (both brands are free of multiple harsh ingredients, and I picked those up several months ago when that nail broke off again). I took the polish off Sunday. It's the pinky purple my heart has been craving every summer! It's got a very subtle shimmer that makes it pull off almost as a creme but with that extra special spark.
2. Bonus kitteh beans. (Isn't he just the precious little cupcake?!)
3. Last night, I put on LA Colors Color Mania Lyrical, which I picked up at WM last week for a boost (along with 2 others 🤫). I thought I had something similar in my collection, and I found on my swatch sticks I do... well, did. My ChG Turned Up Turquoise looks pretty close to this on the swatch stick, but sadly by bottle has turned a definite chlorine pool blue. Well, I guess at least it means I didn't waste the $2.24 on this! 😁 This is 3 coats, and she stuns.
4. In the outdoor lighting she just glows!
5. And LOOK - she's a match to our fencer. 😂

On the 2nd mani, I figured I'd throw caution to the wind and use my forever base/top coat duo: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure base and Seche Vite QDTC. We'll see what happens. Maybe that'll solve all these nail problems (please, Lord, please!!!)

If you made it through all of this, God bless you. And even if you didn't, God bless you anyway because you're a nail fanatic too and you are awesome. 🥰

Have a beautiful day, NBers!

Blessings,
C

I say recent because the last one you may have even seen before. Each of these I’ve worn about a week, including the current (LA Colors Super Bloom), hence the tip wear. Love this color!

Second was the Father’s Day mani of last week I’d hoped to stamp on but never got a chance to before seeing my dad.

Then OPI Hue is the Artist with maniology plate stamping.

Tonight the polish comes off (or in the morning) to prepare for the derm appointment next week.

Have a great weekend!

Not that hot IRL. Maybe if I had a top coat on but I skipped that to avoid ingredients. My lifted nail MIGHT be showing signs of life (maybe I’m imagining it- if I’m not, the growth would be extremely small but growth nonetheless).

I was getting sad looking at my ugly naked nails (I had Julep Take a Breather on all but the lifted one for 2 weeks… offered some protection and hopefully did them some good.

My primary thinks its nutritional related and doesn’t feel its fungal (yay!), but did say it wouldn’t hurt to see a derm when I asked so I’ll see if I can get into one when I’m already in that town for other appointments.

Have a great week, all!

Blessings,
C

Good morning, e-reader friends!

I purchased a Kindle Paperwhite 12th gen to my dilemma of my newer Kindle Fire keeping me awake at night when I was reading it despite maxing out all the low light settings. I love it. ADORE IT!

I've ordered a number of cases to try on it so far, and have narrowed it down to two presently with similar features: they both have the magnetic back and sleep/wake capabilities when the cover is opened and closed, the strap for holding it (extremely helpful for walking & reading like I often do), and they both have the stand (which I probably won't use). More or less, what I can't decide on is the material. They also both have the "insert" area for the Kindle inside the binding, pointing toward the crease, which I feel is more secure (I have been known to trip and nearly take diggers when walking and reading 😆), plus is way easier for me to get the Kindle in and out if I need to clean it or whatever. One just has a flap to hold it in, while the other has the flap that secures with velcro... more below.

1. Case 1 is a fun floral, and turns out is the exact same case my mom has for her Kindle she purchased 2-ish years ago. That wasn't intentional - it just had great reviews and was the cheapest color option in the lineup from that particular maker when I ordered it and I thought I could live with it. The covering seems fairly durable, and given I've seen mom's case after two years of use now and it appears to still look pretty good despite her lack of concern for caring for it and keeping it clean is worth keeping in mind for me... since no device lasts forever, I DO want the case I choose for it to last the lifespan of the device. This is the case with the added security of velcro on the strap that holds the Kindle in the device, which I think is a nice win.
2. Case 2 is a "pleather" Book-look style like the picture shown, and it is soooooooooooooo pretty. I love the idea of it looking like a real book, because it contains books inside, after all! But my concern is over the material and how long it will last and stay looking nice. Ladies, you probably get what I mean if you've ever purchased a faux leather handbag... use them long enough and despite truly careful care, most of them start to "flake" and reveal the materials beneath the surface of the overlay. It gets ugly. And it is no longer presentable nor does it make me happy at that point any longer. This is the one with just a "pleather" strap that folds over the Kindle where it inserts into the case, though in this case my device fits much more snugly than in the floral one, and to be honest it'll take a bit of effort to get it in and out, so maybe that's a mute point.

I paid the same price for each of them, so that's not a factor.

For those of you that have owned and used "pleather" e-reader cases/covers, please share your experiences with me!!!

Which one is going to last longest and be the best value and look the nicest still if/when it's time to lay this device to rest and get a new one sometime that I pray is a loonnnnggg time in the future?