Lazy Days of Summer Challenge-Summer Days

When I think of summer days in upstate NY, I think of two things, Lake George and the Saratoga Race Track.  I have already done quite a few things with Lake George so I figured I would give Saratoga a whirl.  Sadly, this week, my ring finger broke very low and was not repairable so I was limited with nail art on this item.  I decided to do a simple copy of the logo.

I have not been to the track in quite a while but the residents in my nursing home go every year and love it!!!  Here is what the logo looks like in advertisements.

 

 

Here are the challenge items......

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Summer Challenge-Recreate Your Favorite mani

This was very difficult. I loved so many of them. However, the one challenge item I loved the most was bees. Mostly because it was so different from anything in any of the three challenges that I did. I was amazed at the stuff people came up with. The one I really liked the best was the one done by Alexis here.  Of course, hers looks way better than mine but I had to give it a try.  Here is my version.  It still came out cute.  How can it not bee???

This challenge was a lot of fun to participate in and I am grateful I did it because it helped to improve my skills a lot.  Thanks to Theodora and Kaki for creating it and creating some amazing stuff too!!!!!!

Lazy Days of Summer Challenge-Favorite Fruit

Oh, there are so many favorite fruits for me.  Especially in the summer.  Love watermelon, nectarines and peaches but my favorite are cherries.  We had two trees in our front yard growing up and my dad would pick them and we made jam every year.  I eat them by the bagful in the summer.  I was inspired by Robin Moses' cherry design on you tube.  I was really drawn to the black background because it made the cherries stand out so well.  The only thing that fell short here was that the brush that I used for the stems was too thick so it doesn't look very natural.  I do love the colors though.

Here are the challenge items......

 

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Summer Challenge-Ocean/Sea

OK, here is the last of the ocean/sea/beach mani's until next summer.  I am running out of ideas for these.  I decided to keep it simple here.  I used another one of my Enchanted Polish's called Marge's Blue Beehive.  Another amazing polish.  Lots of Holo-y goodness.  Then I added in some waves. It reminds me how the sun makes the ocean sparkle.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Lazy days Of Summer -Thirst Quencher

My all time favorite thing to drink in the summer, especially when it's hot.  Smoothies!!!  I love eating fruits in the summer, especially berries and cherries.  Yum!!  I love this recipe from Muffin Tin Mania for almond, blueberry smoothies.  Check out the photo below.

This was a breeze.  Perfect match for my yummy thirst quencher???  Smitten Polish's Huckleberry Pie.  I thought of smoothies the first time I saw it on her Etsy Store. 

Here are the challenge items......

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Lazy Days Of Summer-Into The Garden

Can I tell you how much I am in love with the Enchanted holo polishes?  Today's mani features Gummy Worm as the base.  So incredibly beautiful.  I took my pics in the sun and it still did not do it justice.  I used Konad m73 to stamp with insta-dri Blue Streak.  Added some pink flowers at the end for a pop of color.

It is just amazing in the sparkle of the sun.  I almost didn't get it because people said it wasn't as holo-ey as the others but I love that green color so I threw it in last minute.  Thankfully!!!

Here are the challenge items......

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Summer Challenge-Swimsuits

I have already done several swimsuit related posts during my summer challenges.  I decided to go out of the box with something different.  I can't draw faces or hands so I have to always come up with ways around it. I used Enchanted Polish's Awesomeness for the base.  And, can I tell you????  It is AWESOME!!!!  Need a back up bottle.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Summer Challenge-Whales

I am such a big fan of designs that go across all of the nails in some fashion.  I just think it looks cool.  Here was another opportunity to do one.  Love whales.  They are just so amazing to watch.  I also really like to use the cartoonish version of things because they are easiest to recreate.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Lazy Days Of Summer-Dotting Tool

So, I did this mani in the beginning of the summer.  That is why my nails look so much longer.  I wanted a white base coat and I was just playing around with dots.  I really liked the color combo so I decided to take pictures and edit them.  They have been sitting in a file ever since.  Do you think I could come up with the names of the polishes I used for this???? Nope!!  Have the faintest idea, I do not (that's for you Katee).  Yoda-ese.

It's funny because I always wanted long nails and when mine broke at the beginning of summer, I was sad but looking at them here, I prefer them short now. 

Here are the challenge items......

 

 

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Summer Challenge-Favorite Beach Memory

There are many great beach memories for me.  It's hard to come up with my favorite.  Most of them center around Lake George where I spent many summers growing up.  One thing I love to watch people do in Lake George is parasail.  I always get a big kick out of the people getting dunked in the water.  I did it once on Lake George and a few times in the Caribbean but I hated getting dunked.  I always threatened the boat driver before we started.  Here is my take on parasailing in the good old lake "G".

 

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

 

 

 

Summer Challenge-Seashells

I bought a bunch of different color shells this year for my nails and everytime I went to do something with them for this challenge, I kept wanting a really dark base color.  I am trying to force myself to use lighter colors since I always tend to gravitate towards dark and once the fall comes, I will be using them all the time.  I decided to go with a lighter color base, Finger Paints Don't Make A Scene.  It reminds me of shells on the beach.  I still would rather rock a hot pink shell over a black base but it is good to expand beyond your comfort zone every now and then.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Lazy Days Of Summer-Pool Party

Doing three summer challenges, there were lots of variations on beach, ocean and pool themes.  I have already done pools and wanted something different.  I went with a different kind of pool party.  My favorite kind.

You even get to see my right hand that never gets shown really in pictures.

I will not bore you with colors, I am sure nobody will be dying to recreate this.  If you are curious about any, just ask.

Here are the challenge items......

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/


Summer Challenge-Tropical Drinks

I pictured myself somewhere tropical doing my favorite thing.  Either watching the sunrise or sunset, in a chair (preferably an Adirondack style) with a drink at my side.  In this case it is a tropical drink in a coconut shell.  Of course, in this dream there would be palm trees.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

 

 

 

Summer Challenge-Favorite Summer Memory

This one is easy.  Every summer in Lake George Village they had something called Moonglow in Battlefield Park across from the lake.  Basically some hot air balloons would blow up while tethered to the ground in a row and would light their burners off to music.  It always amazed me.  Loved it.  Today, I have a cousin who is a hot air balloon pilot.  He owns one balloon called The Phoenix and has another (yet to be named) balloon on the way.  I decided to recreate moonglow using his balloons.

Here is a close up of my rendition alongside a picture of his balloon at night.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...



Summer Challenge-Beach

This is the toughest for me.  In the three challenges I signed up for this summer, four themes are beach related.  I am running low on ideas.  I decided to keep this very simple.  I had seen a tutorial on Tin Roof Nails that I liked a lot.  Simple but beautiful. I used Finger Paints Don't Make A Scene, Zoya Tallulah and Color Club Blue-Ming.

Of course, I added a heart in the sand.  This gradient was gorgeous and totally reminded me of the beaches in the caribbean.  Looked at my nails all day, wishing I was there.

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Lazy Days of Summer-Inspired By Favorite Towel

Easy!!  This one was a breeze.  My favorite towel is neon.  Enter China Glaze.  Perfection follows.

This is a base of some kind of white.  No idea which.  Then I free handed stripes in Sun Worshipper, Pink Plumeria and Love's A Beach.



 

Here are the challenge items......

The rest of the challengers....

Alyson
http://beadsnailsfood.blogspot.com/
Amanda
http://mandyspolish.blogspot.com/
Hannah
http://polished-prisms.blogspot.com
Katee
http://www.agirlandherpolish.com
Charlotte-Louise
http://charlottes-nails.blogspot.co.uk/
Jessica
http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com
Karine
http://karinea0a.blogspot.com
Jen
http://thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com
Jessica
http://jessicasnailtales.blogspot.com/
Ashley
http://onenailtoanother.blogspot.ca
Pryanka
http://nailsparks.blogspot.com/
Anna
http://www.polishedcousins.com
Maribeth
http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Victoria
http://www.manicurator.com/

Hello Kitty Special Request

This was a special request from my cousin Beth's daughter Ruby.  She wanted Hello Kitty nails.  Not something I would normally do but I got multiple compliments today, even from the clerk at Dunkin Donut's.

I used a million year old bottle of Pure Ice Flirt Alert for the base of the index and pinky.  Then on the Pinky went OPI's Nothin' Mousy 'Bout It.  All the white is a random old bottle of Kiss with no label.  Most importantly.....the spots on the thumb and the middle finger base are my new Jade holo polish.  Photo does not do it justice.  Amazing!!! Can't wait to try the rest.



Summer Challenge-Ice Cream

My first thought was to recreate my favorite which is the peanut butter buster parfait from the local ice cream shop but couldn't translate it to anything.  I settled on a twist of chocolate and vanilla in a cone and then added sprinkles at the last minute.  Yummy!!!!

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

F4 Polish-Strawberry Shortcake

Here is another F4 Polish called Strawberry Shortcake with some nail art.  It's funny because when I did a search for photos of Strawberry Shortcake this sexy version appeared that apparently is the new Strawberry Shortcake.  The new.....upgraded version.  I like the old school one I had as a kid so that was what I used as my template.

I really love this polish.  Again, as with all my previous posts on F4, the glitters go on smooth.  No need to fish them out of the bottle.

The polish is a pink base that covers the nail perfectly in two coats.  It has small dark pink glitters that have a good amount of sparkle in the sun and some medium white hex glitters also.



You can find this and other polishes on F4's Etsy site here.

Summer Fun Challenge-Fun in the Sun

This was a freebie.  Basically something bright with crazy pattern.  I love to brush up on my water marble skills.  So here is one with China Glaze neons...Love them all!!! And....I topped it with Northern Lights Top Coat for some extra sparkle.

I will be sad when summer is over and the stores start selling boring fall colors.  I hope you enjoyed this challenge.  I still have two others that are ongoing....so keep watching.

Summer Challenge-Favorite Summer Color

This was very difficult.  One single color????  I decided on a combo.  I really loved this mix.  Super summery and so pretty together.  This is Essie marshmallow and OPI Pirouette My Whistle.  Two of each coats alternating.  It gave it so much depth and texture.  I am in love.....

This first picture was taken outside in the shade and the next was with the sun peaking out of the clouds.

 

Here is a peek at the rest of the challenge items...

Summer Fun Challenge-Summer Stylin'

I am not someone who has style so I am out of my element here but one thing I like about summer is that the clothing we wear generally looks better with necklaces.  I feel I wear them more often in the summer.  So I decided to showcase some different necklaces that I love.  Some fancy and some casual, but all of them....summery.

Next year, I want to do a nail art challenge during the awards shows.  I think it would be cool to design some nail art for your favorite, actress or actor.  Maybe replicate the dress they wore or do some nail design that is inspired by the color of one. Think anyone would be up for it???