nails

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It’s The Little Things: Gel Nails

This “littlest things” post is a bit different. In that I am not necessarily advocating or recommending something. Because there are pros and cons to the thing I am discussing.

First, my family and I are traveling to Maui today. And I plan on blogging while I am there, but it might take me a day or two longer to respond to comments. I will still be reading them, though, so please feel free to respond. That makes my day.

Before we go on a vacation, I always go and get a manicure and pedicure. The last few times I have traveled, I have indulged in a gel manicure. This trip to Maui was no exception.

Gel manicures typically last for two weeks. This is pretty fantastic. I never get regular manicures because the minute I get home, it seems I ruin my nails with doing dishes or other household chores.

It is either quit doing the chores. Mmmmmmm. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

Or quit wasting money on manicures.

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Well, I have now had five gel manicures and I can say that they have lasted through all of the abuse I have thrown at them. Or thrown with them, as it were. Not a chip. Not a snag. Nothing.

But let’s ponder that.

How is that possible?

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Because the stuff is like concrete. It costs an extra $20 in addition to the regular manicure price at the salon I go to. And to get it off, you need to get it professionally done at a nail salon. Which costs $5. Plus tip. Plus you know you will not want to leave the nail salon with your now-naked nails. So, it is a vicious cycle.

There are also some health concerns to consider when getting a gel manicure, as addressed in this article.. When I get a gel manicure, my nails will burn like they are on fire for two seconds each time they go under the light.

I always end up picking the nail polish off at midnight exactly two weeks after my manicure. And it hurts. And it isn’t smart. And my nails are thrashed. And I mean thrashed for two months after that.

So, why do I keep getting them?

Because for two weeks, I will have perfect nails.

And that feels so good.

Until it doesn’t.

Have you tried gel nails? What did you think? Are your nails healthy or brittle afterwards? What are your thoughts on this process? Has anyone tried the new gel nail polishes at home? Is the process easy and does it last? Thank you. I really am curious. I would like to see what other people’s experiences have been.

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Ten Cents

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The other day, my husband accidentally dropped a packet of nails on the ground. I am sure my eyes turned gold from the amount of money I saw scattered on the floor in the shape of those pointy metal pieces. You see, whenever I see a nail on the ground, I immediately think, “Ten Cents!”

This all stems back to my adolescence and my brilliant grandmother who gave me a reason to explore.

I really had a lovely childhood. Our only neighbors were my grandmother on one side and my aunt and uncle on the other. My sister and I were allowed to go wherever our heart’s would take us, as long as we stuck to the paths around the properties. Between the families, we had 500 acres to explore. This left us with lots of time for our imaginations to invent many different adventures.

The problem is, I am not very adventurous. I would immediately climb a tree and read all day long. My father had kindly nailed a piece of wood into the curve of the branches of my favorite tree to make a rustic bench. So, I would sit there in my tree and waste the day away. Not much has changed since then.

Sometimes, I would take a fruit roll up into that tree and tear it into pieces no larger than an ant. I would ration those pieces all day, and suck on them bit by bit.

One rare day, I ventured from my perch in the tree. I went to visit my grandmother.

I arrived dusty and twitchy with boredom. My grandmother quickly set me up with a task. She told me that she really needed my help. She nonchalantly commented, “There are too many nails on this property. Why don’t you look around and see how many nails you can find? I will pay you ten cents for every nail that you bring me.”

I remember being thrilled with this quest being given to me. Not only would I be helping my grandmother out, but I I would be earning money in the process. Really easy money.

I set off exploring with the pail she had given me. I quickly found many rusty nails. I wandered the property and found a feather. Hmmm… This could be interesting. I searched for more nails and found some pinecones. I wonder what I could do with these? Lovely multicolored rocks just hinting of gems inside were quickly scooped up. Soon I saw rabbits scurrying by me. A crow watched me overhead, cawing loudly. I never knew there were so many lizards making a home here.

I stayed outside looking for nails for two hours. I think my final haul was 21 nails. They were all rusty and I was so excited to hand them over to my grandma. She paid me with her loose change and I was giddy with delight. I went home with my pail full of treasures.

This would become a trip that would weave itself into a frequent pattern for my grandmother and me. As time went by, the nails were still always plentiful. And there were always undiscovered treasures to be had. But I did notice as I grew older that the once rusty nails I would find would sometimes be shiny and new. I would quickly add them to my pile, with naught a thought of where they came from.

As an adult, looking back, I have some thoughts on the rusty and new nails. Were they placed there by my grandmother so I would have a reason to explore? Did she toss the nails I had found from my explorations back onto her property as I made my way back home? I do not know the answer to that. My grandmother has recently passed away and so I will never know.

However, I do know I earned much more than loose change on my hunt for those nails. I earned such a rich childhood filled with so many sights and sounds I surely would have missed from my perch in the tree. My grandmother brought me back down to the ground. She taught me there is so much you can discover when you think you are searching for something else. Sometimes the treasure you are seeking is not the treasure you end up finding. Sometimes it is much much more. Sometimes it is a grand adventure hidden in the form of a rusty nail.