TMI Tag from LynBDesigns

Jenna over at LynBDesigns decided to do a TMI question thingie and I decided I’d do it too! So if you do one on your blog, make sure to tag me so I know!

QUESTIONS!

1: What are you wearing? – I’ve got a beat up white shirt on over a navy blue cami and one of my favorite pairs of blue jeans. Oh, and my pink fuzzy slippers!

2: Ever been in love? – Yes. More times than I can count. I have always worn my heart on my sleeve. And right now I’m in love, and very happily married to, my best friend, Mr. Witch.

3: Ever had a terrible breakup? – Yes. And every one of them seemed to be worse than the others.

4: How tall are you? – 5’10”

5: How much do you weigh? – More than I should.

6: Any tattoos? – Nope. I’ve thought about it, but have never got the courage up to do it.

7: Any piercings? I’ve got three holes in both ears.

8: OTP? –Amy and Rory, Allie and Noah, Simba and Nala, Castle and Beckett

9: Favourite show? – Castle, Doctor Who, Frasier, Golden Girls, Nashville, Greys Anatomy.

10: Favourite bands? – The Beatles. I also love The Monkees, The Doors, The Kinks, Blondie, Smash Mouth, Blink182, Lit… TONS.

11: Something you miss? – My grandpa.

12: Favourite song?- Yesterday, The Beatles.

13: How old are you? - 32

14: Zodiac sign? - Cancer

15: Quality you look for in a partner? – Sense of Humor close to my own (or the ability to get my sense of humor), a big heart, the ability to listen.

16: Favourite Quote? – Let what happens, happen.

17: Favourite actor? – I have a ton, so I really don’t think I could list just one.

18: Favourite color? – Pink, navy blue, black and silver.

19: Loud music or soft? – Depends on the music. I love to listen to Korn blaring out the speakers and I love to listen to James Taylor softly playing.

20: Where do you go when you're sad? – I usually go outside and calm myself and center.

21: How long does it take you to shower? –Usually about 15 minutes.

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? – Like… Five minutes maybe? lol

23: Ever been in a physical fight? – My sister and I used to have knock-down drag-out fights constantly lol.

24: Turn on?- A keen intellect and a killer sense of humor.

25: Turn off? – Spitting, scratching privates, just general douchebagginess.

26: The reason I joined YouTube/ started blogging? – I missed journaling like I did in high school and I wanted to share my love of polish with everyone else!

27: Fears? – Losing my family.

28: Last thing that made you cry? – Tummy ache this morning.

29: Last time you said you loved someone? – This morning, to my boy.

30: Meaning behind your YouTube/Blog Name? – The Good Witch of the Midwest comes from a variety of sources. Of course, the Midwest stems from the fact that I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life. I’ve called Kansas and Missouri my home, and my heart will always belong here. The Good Witch part? Well, that partly comes from my love of all things Wizard of Oz, of course, and partly due to the fact that I have “dabbled” in Wicca since I was in high school.

31: Last book you read? – Hrm… Nikola Tesla: Imagination and The Man That Invented the 20th Century by Sean Patrick.

32: The book you're currently reading?- Dies the Fire by SM Sterling

33: Last show you watched? – Spongebob Squarepants unfortunately lol

34: Last person you talked to? – My niece Lauren.

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? – She’s my sister and one of my best friends.

36: Favourite food? – I adore chicken and potatoes any way you cook them.

37: Place you want to visit?- England, Ireland and Germany.

38: Last place you were? – In my dining room listening to my heater lol Ever since it broke earlier this winter, I’ve been hyper vigilant with it.

39: Do you have a crush?- I have a lot of movie star crushes lol

40: Last time you kissed someone? – My hubby.  

41: Last time you were insulted? – My nephew told me my house was messy LOL

42: Favourite flavour of sweet? – Chocolate.

43: What instruments do you play?? – The nose harp.

44: Favourite piece of jewellery?- My mothers ring and my wedding band.

45: Last sport you played? – Yahtzee?

46: Last song you sang? – Yesterday I was singing some Beatles songs to my nephew.

47: Favourite chat up line? -I don't have one...

48: Have you ever used it?-Since I don't have one, it's safe to say I've never used it. <~ Have a point there.

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?- I hang out with my family every day and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

50: Who should answer these questions next?- Whoever wants to do this.

Polish Review: DazzleGlaze

So! It’s been awhile since my last review and I have some EXCITING news!

I got a new camera! WOOT! This sucker is… AMAZING!

I set up a light box!

And I’m re-implementing the Indie designer Q & A!

PLUS I have more awesome, awesome things in store!!!!

Today for the re-christening of my Q & A series, I have some gorgeous little gems from DazzleGlaze!

Get to know the designer, Candace:

The Good Witch: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?

Candace: My favorite sources for inspiration are other forms of art. I enjoy music, fashion, and classical artworks and I love to take the color palettes and impressions I get from things and make them into something new.

The Good Witch: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?

Candace: My creativity stems mostly from my personality! I'm a creative person in a lot of ways, particularly when it comes to music as I've been singing since I was very young. I've always loved people's reactions to my performances and I'm motivated in much the same way to create new colors and textures in my nail polishes. When people love something you put a lot of creative energy into, it feels amazing.

The Good Witch: What do you love about making polish?

Candace: I love having the power to create almost anything I can dream up when it comes to nail polish. Even when it takes me several times to get the formula correct in order to capture what I'm envisioning, I still love the trial and error. Sometimes this even results in a happy surprise where I get something different than what I was imagining, but still looks unique and pretty.

The Good Witch: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?

Candace: I never even stop to think that someone might be copying me. I remember seeing one of my favorite indie makers say that she felt like she needed to immediately post her new ideas on Instagram so that she had some record of when she originally thought of it in case she was accused of copying. I don't think it should have to come to that and everyone needs to realize that all of us indie makers will have supplies that overlap, so sometimes polishes might be very similar. It doesn't mean anyone copied someone else; it's very possible that person never even saw the similar polish in the first place due to how big the market is now.

The Good Witch: What made you start making polish?

Candace: I started making polish shortly after I started my crystallized accessories business. I had a love for indie polishes already and I thought I might try my hand at it as something glamorous and pretty to add to my existing shop. I was hooked after one session! I think I made 10 colors that first time, and a few of those even made it into my initial collection.

The Good Witch: What are some of the new polish trends going around that you like and what are some that you cannot stand?

Candace: I love textured polish! I think it looks so unique and cool. I also like thermal polish a lot and am planning to add a few to my line soon. There isn't really anything that comes to mind that I don't like because I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to new polish trends!

The Good Witch: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?

Candace: As I just mentioned, I do have thermals in the works. I'm also planning a new line of more solid/shimmer polish for those who don't dig the glitter heavyweights. It takes me weeks to release new colors, as I'm adamant that they have to pass my 3-day wear test to make sure they don't chip unnecessarily or leave me with staining issues. But my goal is to have 10 more polishes added in the next month or so.

The Good Witch: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?

Candace: I use NailTek's Step One and ORLY Bonder as my base coatings. For top coat, I like Glitter Food by Nail Pattern Boldness to smooth out glitter and for a nice gloss on the top of it all, I use Glossy Glam by Rica.

Now! Onto the review!

First up, I have Lulu the Cabaret Girl. Lulu is listed as a light pink, leaning toward purple scattered holo jelly polish.

This was one of my first bottle shots with my camera, so you have to excuse it LOL. I’m still learning the settings and what-not!

This is Lulu in three coats. It would have been opaque in two, but I always go for three coats with a more sheer polish.

It really is a stunner, even in low light!

When you pop a flash on it though, it explodes!

Next up is Kiss the Mermaid. Listed as a shimmery jelly turquoise base with teal metallic dot glitters, Kiss the Mermaid is definitely multifaceted.

See! They’re getting better!!! I love the different sizes of glitters and the slightly textured jelly base.

And the fact that it’s teal doesn’t hurt either.

To me, it almost looks like sand and sea glass.

Last, but not least, my favorite out of the three Candace sent me… One Night Only. Listed as a show-stopping polish in a light blue sheer base. It features blue metallic and white holographic glitters aplenty! And man, was she right…

Isn’t it gorgeous??! This shot alone would sell me on this polish, that’s for sure.

The index and ring finger have two coats of One Night Only and the middle and pinky are one coat over a Bellatrix blue polish that I love.

So. Absolutely. Stunning.

Dry time is minimal, as long as you don’t glop on the polish, but that’s true with any polish.

Smell is almost nil, the offensive smell that most indie polishes have is pretty much non-existent in these polishes, which I REALLY love.

The thirstier glitters, like One Night Only and Kiss the Mermaid work really well with Nail Pattern Boldness’ Glitter Food or Gelous to smooth them out.

You can purchase these and other beauties at her Etsy shop, and make sure you check out her other beautiful items like phone cases, photo frames and tons of other cute items. Her polishes are in the Mid-Priced range at $8 for full size and $4 for mini. Also, go show her some love on her Facebook page!

Save-A-Buck Saturday: DIY Light Box Tutorial

I’ve been balking at making a light box because I was afraid it was A: Going to cost an arm and a leg and B: Too hard to figure out.

And I wondered if I’d even really need it. My swatch pictures are ok, and I got a brand new camera so I was like ehhhhhh maybe not.

Then today I got a wild hair and decided heck… Why not do it?

And you can make one super, super cheap as well out of things most of you probably have in your house.

Here’s what you’ll need: A box, any size will work. I used a relatively small box. You’ll also need waxed paper, an exacto knife, a piece of felt, a ruler, sharpie, tape, a piece of white printer paper and a pair of scissors.

Step One: Cut the top flaps off your box.

Step Two: Measure one inch from the side and top of your box.

Step Three: Mark out a square… Or as close as you can get to a square if you’re ruler impaired like I am.

Step Four: Very carefully cut out the short sides and top of the box. Do not cut yourself!

So now you have this nifty box with windows and a sunroof.

Step Five: Measure and cut your felt to fit the back of the box.

Add tape to the back.

And place it in the back and smooth it out.

Step Six: Rip off a sheet of wax paper and measure it to fit the top and sides of your light box.

Step Seven: Tape the wax paper to the sides and top of the light box, securing it.

Step Eight: Measure the printer paper to fit the bottom of your light box.

Using a couple pieces of tape like the felt, fit it in the bottom of your light box and voila! You’re done!!!

Set up a lamp or some other kind of light source over your light box and you have instant swatching perfection!

Without light box.

With light box. HUGE difference!

If you make your own light box, make sure to send me a link to the pictures you take using it!

Stash Setup

Well well well… I really dunno if I wanna share this post lol. I know I don’t have as much polish as some people, but I have a LOT. Some of my family members are going to look at this and just shake their heads. But I love my polish. And my polish loves me. Or this is what I tell myself LOL.

Here’s a look at my stash and how I keep it. I plan on setting up a workstation upstairs in my room sometime this spring where I can spread things out and stop working on polish down here at my computer. So right now, this is temporary.

First up I have a three drawer unit upstairs.

Drawer One: I have plastic bins and crates I separate the polishes in. I’ve got my Sinful Colors and Revlons in one… My Zoyas in the second one… Orly in the third and China Glaze in the far right one.

Here’s a better look at it. I have a rack that would work for my China Glaze’s and Orly’s that I picked up for like NOTHING at a second hand store here in Indy. Once I get my setup in my room finished, I’ll probably find some way to utilize it so they’re out of there.

Drawer Two has my spare set of falsies that I’ve done, nail art paints, glitters and shards and what not. Then there’s Juleps and Deborah Lippmann’s in one, Spoileds in another and then some higher end misc polishes including my coveted Coach minis in another to the right.

There’s a better look at those. And BTW… If anyone wants these Julep polishes, let me know. Cause I’m thinking about getting rid of all of them save for Jane.

In the last drawer I have an assortment of polishes. L to R I have Sally Hansen; some misc polishes including some Essence polishes that I adore; some frankens that I’ve made and love; some other misc polishes I want to say they’re LA Colors or the like. I know there’s a couple Hard Candy polishes in there. The last one is OPI.

I found these pretties when I was going through stuff. Just a few of my many sets of falsies I’ve done.

Downstairs I have even more polishes lol. The ones here are my most coveted polishes.

We have a spare Rainbow Honey (only one I own and it’s too pretty to put up), my California Mango Cuticle Oil and one of my favorite perfumes from LynBDesigns. Plus there’s part of my Enchanted Beatles collection.

Another one of my Enchanteds; the beginnings of my Models Own collection and my four lonely butterLONDONs.

Then we have my British section… My Models Own and my Barry M’s that I got thanks to my dear step-mum.

Now we venture into my nail “cart” which is really just another set of drawers that’s smaller than the ones upstairs. These are the only ones my mom would let me bring down here lol.

Drawer One: Here I have a menagerie of things… LOTS of topcoats, some basecoats and fakies. Vaseline for when I do my water marbling. Even got some fake lashes in there too. In the little tub I have spare emery boards, buffers, lotions and toe separators.

Drawer two has some acrylic paints I use for nail art along with some brushes that I use for the same thing. The little pink tub has some nail art decals, gems and other doodads. I’m going to have to start putting indies in this drawer, as you can see my third drawer is almost full.

This is my indie drawer (choir of angels inserted here!)

First row is all my LynBDesigns polishes. Second row are my Kawaii’s, fourth and part of fifth row are all my Literary Lacquers, sixth row are my A Girl Obsessed polishes and my Cosmos Lacquer polishes, then it goes Hits Polish, The Lady Varnishes polishes, and just a whole bunch of different ones. The ones you can’t see behind all the full size bottles are my collection of minis. They take up the back part of my drawer. So yeah, like I said, I’m going to have to take over the second drawer now. There’s not enough room left lol.

So there’s my stash and how I keep it. Once I start re-doing my storage, I’ll post it again!

Tutorial Tuesday: Pokeball Nails

I had a request for Pokeball Nails… I haven’t seen a pokeball in uhm… Close to 15 years? lol It’s been awhile. But I quickly figured out what I needed to do, and now I can show you!

Supplies you’ll need: Black, Red and White.

Step One: Paint your nail white. Let it dry completely. Pretty easy so far.

Step Two: Make a line of red polish about halfway down the nail and fill in, like this:

Let this dry.

Step Three: Draw a line separating the white and the red in black using a dotting tool, brush or toothpick.

Step Four: Add a dot of black in the middle of your band. Let dry.

Step Five: Using a dotting tool, add a dot of white in the middle of the black dot. Cover in topcoat and voila! Insta pokeballs!