I SUPER hate being disorganized.

I SUPER hate being disorganized. It messes with my brain in a bad way. So recently I did some research to find a good app to help me get my nail stamping plates in order. I found one called "Color My Life" that's meant for paper crafters, but it's working out surprisingly well for my purposes.

The app lets you tag your items so that you can find them easily. Some stamping plates have themes (like holidays), but others have random images or patterns so there was no easy way for me to organize those and later be able to find what I was looking for. The app also lets you add a location of where the items are stored for easy retrieval. Yesss. My brain is happy. 😁

I put a solid 7 days of effort into cleaning, organizing, tagging, and cataloging my nail stamping plates (I'm closing in on having 600 😬). Now I can search my plates in a variety of different ways and see where they are stored. I'm SO pumped about this because I haven't done nail art in so long. Part of it was because of college and then moving, but another big part of it was because I was overwhelmed every time I looked through my plate binders, which was the only way I had to see my plates or get ideas. 

Now if I'm feeling a dog mani I can just type "dog" in the app and see all of my plates with dog-related images. I can decide what works best for my idea and immediately know which binder it's stored in. I 👏 am 👏 so 👏 EX 👏 CI 👏 TED. 😂😂😂 Y'all really don't even know how stupid giddy I am right now. 😂

Since the app lets you have different categories of items I'm seriously considering adding my water-slide decals, nail wraps, stickers, and foils to the mix. I don't yet know if I'm going to do all of that, but I did add a few of my decals in and I think it makes sense. Anyway, we'll see. For now this is a great start. 😁

I did my nails twice recently.

I did my nails twice recently.  One time, I had high hopes but hated the way it turned out.  The second time (pictured) I was just going to wear a polish but Shaun told me I should stamp purple on it, so this is the result.  I actually really like how it came out.  Sometimes less is more, I suppose.

I know nobody asked, but...

I know nobody asked, but I have seen a lot of my friends who wear gels / acrylics post about being unhappy with their nails since salons are closed.  I have tips (the advice kind), if anyone is interested in growing out / taking care of their natural nails.

1)  Take prenatal vitamins for growth.  I don't care that I haven't been pregnant in 20 years, I've been taking prenatals for as long as I can remember.  I have tried biotin / hair & nail / whatever supplements and vitamins over the years, and none of them give me the growth I get with prenatals, so that is what I take.

2)  If you have brittle / peeling nails, then there are two ways to attack that:  From the inside and from the outside.

2a)  From the inside:  Take coconut oil pills.  I don't know the science behind it, I just know that I have A LOT LESS peeling when I take it.

2b)  From the outside:  Cuticle oil / balm.  Any kind is better than nothing, but the best I've ever used has been from Bliss Kiss.  I can have a peeling nail and put that oil on, and it's almost like it seals it back together.  Just get in the habit of moisturizing your nails / cuticles a few times a day and that will help a lot.

2c)  If you file your nails, it's ok to take off length with a coarse file, but use something far less course afterwards for finishing to help prevent peeling.

Obviously, since I am not a doctor you should do your own research regarding what vitamins / supplements are ok for you to take, but this is what has worked for me.  I go through periods of being really on top of my nail care, and then times where I don't bother.  I can tell a huge difference when I'm doing all of the things I've listed above.

If anyone has anything to add or ask I'm up for chatting!  Be well, friends!  ❤