Pictures!!!!

Hello! 3 days until my bday! This is my Konadicure for tomorrow, Maybelline Girly Pink with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Rapidly Rosy on top using plate m60. I didn't clean up before I snapped the pictures because I wanted to post before I go to bed. I like this mani, it's cute but it's not my favorite, I'm wearing that for my bday!

Happy Birthday to Me?

Hello!!!!!!!!!!! Found the charger!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll take pics soon. For my birthday I'm going to save up all that birthday dough and buy Chanel Jade. Don't forget to enter my contest, scroll down to find it! My birthday's coming up, WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

80th Post!!!!!!

Hey you all! Still missing the battery, Lucy you're right, next time I'll just tape it to me, then it won't go anywhere!!!! Huh, showering with it would be difficult *ponders*. Okay, today we had a game *go team!* and I feel like I'm glowing right now. I think I did my personal best (even on the lib, look them up if you are clueless as to what I am saying). My toe touch looked like this (except my arms were in a 'T'): (source, About.com)

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am the worst blogger ever and you all should hate me.....

Lost the camera battery AGAIN! SO, until my b-day (two weeks!) when I will get a new camera, no pictures. I think. Unless I find it or my memory card. Don't forget to enter the giveaway, ends October 10th!

CONTEST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hah, finally. You all knew I'd get around to it eventually, right?

What you could win:

*2 China Glaze polishes of your choice.

or

*1 set of fake nails (20) painted with the lovely, rare, Dorothy Who!

How to enter:

*If entering for the China Glaze (I will pick TWO winners, one of each!) post your name, email, and top three CG wishlist polishes. Cannot be HTF or I won't be able to get it for you!

*If entering for Dorothy Who just post 'Dorothy Who' along with name and email.

Rules:

*1) You must be my follower. If not just click 'Follow'!

*2)You may only enter once UNLESS you post this giveaway on your blog with a link. If you do that just post again along with a link to your post.

*3)You must live within the US, I'm sorry my international beauties, my bank account doesn't agree with your polish obession!

*4) To post, just comment!!!!

Isn't it Purrrrdyy?

Hello! This is mani that is so cute! I freehanded the entire thing.

PS, go here for an AWESOME giveaway!

Please Don't Divorce Us!

I am straight but, my aunt is not. My family is accepting of everyone, people in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, and sexual orientations. Please visit here. Thank you

Poetry on a Nail Blog?

Hello, one of my other interests is poetry. If you dislike poetry stop here, otherwise, here is my poem study essay and inspired by poem for The Willow and The Ginkgo. The first poem is the actual poem but everything from there is my own work. The Willow and the Ginkgo is my favorite poem.

The Willow and the Ginkgo

by Eve Merriam

Date of publication and publisher unknown

The willow is like an etching,
Fine-lined against the sky.
Then ginkgo is like a crude sketch,
Hardly worthy to be signed.
The willow’s music is like a soprano,
Delicate and thin.
The ginkgo’s tune is like a chorus
With everyone joining in.

The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf,
The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
The willow’s branches are like silken thread;
The ginkgo’s like stubby rough wool.

The willow is like a nymph with streaming hair;
Wherever it grows, there is green and gold and fair.
The willow dips to the water,
Protected and precious, like the king’s favorite daughter.

The ginkgo forces its way through gray concrete;
Like a city child, it grows up in the street.
Thrust against the metal sky,
Somehow it survives and even thrives.
My eyes feast upon the willow,
But my heart goes to the ginkgo.

______________

This poem means so much to me; it’s shown me beauty in the ugly as well as the fundamental differences that make us who we are. It does not parade the Willow’s beauty in a way that makes the Willow seem ‘above’ the Ginkgo, no, it puts them both at the same platform. The Willow has beauty, but, the Ginkgo has durability as well as personality. This poem makes for a fantastic read that will open your eyes to the Ginkgo’s journey of self doubt and discovery.

In the poem, the Willow is only a pretty picture; the Ginkgo’s differences lead it to be a more important character in the poem. From the start it is clear, the Willow is only there to compare, it is the Ginkgo who is the main subject. Eve Merriam is excellent at evoking emotion from the reader; you feel the Ginkgo’s upbringing, maybe as an abused child lost in the foster care system while the Willow is “the king’s favorite daughter”. Throughout the entire piece a deep sense of empathy for the Ginkgo’s struggle is released.

I find this poem not to be about two plants, but, instead, two people. The Willow is the pure all-American blond, delicate and fair while the Ginkgo is a shadow, a mere nothing compared to the stunning Willow. I have been the Ginkgo, my best friend from when I was little always overshadowed me in beauty, from her I learned to be tough and MAKE people take notice otherwise I’d end up overlooked, forgotten. It was during that time period that I began reading and writing poetry, she had her beauty and I had my poetry. I watched her become nothing more than a pretty face, unable to carry out a conversation on any subject that didn’t exude ‘superficial’ to passer-bys. This was, and still is, a struggle for me but; the main thing I’ve taken away from that experience was the knowledge that true friends will never try to outshine you, there can be more than one star, and therefore, silly competition between supposed friends is pointless and potentially harmful to all involved. I’ve also learned that being the Ginkgo isn’t so bad; it teaches you to be a survivor, to adapt. It’s taken a while to get there, but now I’m okay with my role as the Ginkgo; one day I may even learn to love it. I’ve struggled to get where I am today but, now, I’m happy.

The last two lines of the poem always hit me; I can even recite them from memory,

“My eyes feast upon the willow,
But my heart goes to the ginkgo.”

To me this is good and bad, those two simple lines direct our sympathy towards the ‘correct’ vessel, but, also make it seem ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ to be the Ginkgo, as if that isn’t a part of ourselves that we should be comfortable with. I don’t believe that there is any reason to pity the Ginkgo providing that the Ginkgo is fine being just that, a Ginkgo. As long as the Ginkgo does not try to outshine the Willow’s beauty I believe that in most cases the two can co-exist.

For these reasons, these debates, I find the poem The Willow and the Ginkgo fascinating. Though I am dissatisfied by the ending I still find that this is a poem that I reflect on each time I read it. I’ve read many poems but this is the only one I have written down on the journal that follows me, documenting any inspiration I find; for it’s originality and it’s relation to my life I have found this to be my favorite poem. Due to this poem I am able to say; I am Allya, and, I am the Ginkgo.

_

I am the Ginkgo

By Allya

An interpretation of The Willow and the Ginkgo, by Eve Merriam

I do my best, I survive; I twist and bend, craning to reach the far-off light.

I am not a drawing made of thin etches; I am a charcoal sketch, drawn before your eyes by an artist off the street, a blur of grey smears, undefined lines.

I am bold, never shy.

If you expect grace from me you will be disappointed.

I have flaws and am not god-like in my perfection, because, I am not perfect.

I am not the elegant cashmere sweater; I am function over design, performance over attractiveness.

My voice is rich and hearty, gospel; not the soft pure soloist.

I am not shiny designer stilettos, carefully stored, never worn for fear of damage; no, I am the sneakers roughly tossed into a bin during the few hours not worn.

I am not hidden, protected from my mistakes, instead, I take them and learn; redefine right from wrong.

I am deeply rooted; it would take more than a caressing breeze to shake me.

I don’t live happily-ever after; I write my own ending and author my own story.

I see the willow for its beauty but; I am not the willow, nor do I wish to be.

I am the Ginkgo, nothing more, nothing less.

MFB cont.

Life is complictated, I really don't feel like writing right now. Sorry. If you know me in real life now would be a great time to email. Check out http://sharynramblings.blogspot.com. A giveaway is in the works, promise.

Orly Enchanted Forest

Quicky post today- not in the mood to write.

China Glaze Agent Lavender

Hello! Today I'm wearing CG Agent Lavender. Purple is one of my FAVORITE colors and this dainty beauty will make my top twenty (when I get around to it!).

The amazing Kathleen at http://www.ocnailart.com/ offered a coupon code to my readers! Just put in 'paintedtips' to recive 20% off!!!!!

Surprise picture, what is the last photo of? And I threw in a picture of the NY Diamond Exchange from my August trip to the Big Apple.

More Matte?

Today I sported (note past tense) Matte Burgandy from Diamond Cosmetics. It held up remarkably well, pictures you see were taken after a day of wear and cheer practice. Pictures with and without flash.

Haul!~Diamond Cosmetics Smoke~

I recived (yes! I feel like a real blogger now) some Diamond Cosmetic matte polishes to test before their launch (I feel special!). This was my first time using DC as well as using a matte polish. I must say, these are less matte, more satin-like (or at least Smoke is). I recived Matte Smoke, Matte Burgandy, Matte Mulberry, and Matte Black. Right now I'm wearing Smoke, a stunning mid-tone grey creme. Another thing about these mattes, they have NO shimmer. None. But, I love cremes just as much so I'm safe. At first the color looks glossy, until it dries at least. In some of the pictures just my thumb illustrates this.

MFB cont.

Today I was browsing my follower list to read some blogs I haven't seen before. I chanced upon http://coloured-in.blogspot.com/ and highly recommend it, it has nail polish (of course), shopping, and a bit of make-up. I'd check it out if I were you! Together I believe we can raise her follower count from 16 to 20!

A while ago I swatched a Charlotte Russe polish (unnamed). It's a mid-tone blue with a bit of green and scattered glitter holo. Unfortunatally, this polish was gritty. Soooooo gritty.

First Day Back Nails! Haul!

Hello! Tommorrow is my first day so today I painted my nails in preperation. I used CC Magic Attraction for nails flashy enough to gather attention. Purrrrdy holo-ness. MA is a silver glitter/holo that is out-of-this-world sparkley. Becuase of its grit factor, I finished my bottle of Seche and went to Sally's to buy more (twice the price but no shipping wait) and found that they are running a promo, buy Seche Vite and get Seche Clear as well! I also picked up Orly Enchanted Forset (I've been lemming is something fierce). My toes today are all CC, Orange Revenge, Power Play, Yell-Oh!, and Screamin' Fucshia with Northern Lights on top (more as a top-coat than a glitter, by this point I had already finished my Seche).

Watermelon Rind

Today I have on CG Watermelon Rind along with my brand new fimo flowers that I got from ebay for $4. Kaitlyn and I had so much fun (and we made waffles). Last night I (also) had tomato with mozzarella, olive oil, lavender, and thyme. Yum!

Deviled Eggs and Blue Tips

Going over to Tiffiany from http://lesdeuxchiens.blogspot.com/ house, not to visit her, to see her sister. They own as much polish as I do so it'll be a fun trip (plus Kaitlyn is one of the coolest people in the world and my first friend of middle school). Today I craved deviled eggs, don't ask why, I have NO idea. They were easy to make and fantastic however I added a whole lot of mustard (that's how I like them, a bunch of dijon) and they were a bit lumpy, not bad for my first try though! This funky french was done on my godmother and is Zoya Pippa and Zoya Yummy.

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

I've been in NY since Wednesday, sorry for up and leaving with no explaination. I don't any pictures for now (camera's all packed away) but I am anouncing a giveaway! Yup. But, I don't have any prizes. Please comment on this post with a China Glaze or Orly shade that you are DYING to try, I'll come back with a contest once I have enough ideas!