Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 5

 

Happy Halloween!!

I can't believe this journey is over already! Its been so much fun sharing these pink manis with you all, and 'meeting' so any great girls along the way! Thank you so much for stopping by and showing and sharing your love :) Its been an awesome experience.

Before we get started with the pink mani, my Halloween one above is 2 coats of Zoya Pippa, 2 coats of Sinful colors Clementine, 1 coat of W&W Black Creme with Northern Lights on top, and 2 coats of Ninja Polish's Sticks 'N Stones. The candy corn was done with a dotting tool. I got a ton of compliments on it this week, wish I had done it sooner!

For the pink I went with 2 coats of Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade polish in Pink Power, and one coat of Above The Curves' Dippity Do Da. Dippity Do Da is GORGEOUS but an absolute beeyatch to photograph because its soooooo glittery! I love it!

 I hope you'll forgive me for the short post, but I have a ton more editing to do! I have a review coming up from JindieNails, and a really exciting giveaway in the works right MEOW.

So stick around :)

TL;DR
- Its Wednesday....can it PLEASE be Friday tomorrow?!
- That's all :)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 4

HAYGURLSHAAAAY!

So I haven't been feeling too hot lately (NOPE! I'm not...don't even go there...) so this weeks blog post is going to be short and sweet. I'm sorry :(

My Go Pink Wednesday mani is Essie's 'Your Hut Or Mine' from the 2011 Resort Collection that I snagged for $3.00 from TJ Maxx last month. I love it! Its kind of a dusty pink that sits right on the border of coral and salmon, with a light silvery, gold shimmer with a blue-lavender shift. That is quite a description isn't it? Its true though. For a 'simple pink polish', its got a lot going on...

I'm also toying with changing my photo borders to streamline my editing time, and making the photos larger so that you can actually enlarge them instead of just clicking and opening the same sized photo. That doesn't do anyone any good. =)

Anyway, thats it! Nothing special but still a totally gorgeous pink. <3

TL;DR
- Pink!
- Shiny!
- New bigger photos!
- New racks coming soon!

 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 3

Someone asked me WHY I was so excited to be participating in this Go Pink Wednesday thing since I wasn't actually donating anything or 'helping anyone'. At first I was a big taken aback, then offended, then sympathetic because I felt bad that the person was so money oriented. I am certain that at some point most of us have donated to Breast Cancer research either through point of sale round ups, or purchasing something pink, runs/walks, events, or through straight up donations. While I definitely haven't donated anywhere near the amount of cash it would take to fund something major, I DO believe that every little bit helps. That said, this blog-a-thon is about awareness, not donations (though if your awareness turns into donations--FAB!). I have had a fabulous time surfing the web for interesting things to share with you guys, and have received so much positive feedback about these posts that I think I have hit my goal right on the head. Admit it, you're thinking about your boobs right...NOW. Success!

This weeks mani was fun! I managed to knock out an untried, and complete Week 3's GPW assignment. WHEEEE! I used 2 coats of Elixir Lacquers - With a K, over 2 coats of Essie - Chastity. The photos don't pull the color quite right (its close with the flash photos) which is kind of a bummer because this combo is FLUORESCENT pink. Like, if you took Barbie pink and mixed it with more Barbie pink, added a shake or two of glitter and lit it on FIRE you might come close to this color. And since I was shooting for 'awareness' there is no way on this earth you could not be aware of my nails if we were standing in the same room. They. Are. THAT. Pink. LOL

See what I mean? Pink. I love it though! I can't wait to try 'With a K' over other, darker colors. The micro glitter in it is just gorgeous. Hope you enjoyed!

OH! There are 2 things you should know about:

1. We have extended our 10% OFF coupon from Jilltastic Nail Design's awesome review of our polish rack! Use Jill10 at our Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FoxClaws
2. There is a huge multi-blogger giveaway going on over at Kyoti's Nails that ends in 2 days! Click here to enter and see all of the fabulous Halloween inspired prizes!

TL;DR
- It's freaking PINK man...
- I put Ghoulish Glow over the top of this just for kicks. 
- FACT: Ghoulish Glow turns a 28 year old into a 12 year old in bed at night. GLOW NAILS!
- Yup, I even rolled over and recharged it before I fell asleep. Future hubs thinks I've got issues.
- Glow. In. The. Dark.

Kyoti's Nails Multi-Blogger Halloween Giveaway!

When Kyoti (creative genius behind Lucky 13 Lacquers!) asked me to participate in her Trick or Treat Giveaway I was floored and flattered! I mean who doesn't love giveaways!? HERROOO!! Anyway, here are just SOME of the goodies!! 16 Winners in all! Check out Kyoti's Trick Or Treat Giveaway post for photos and details of ALL of the prizes!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


For those of you who don't love giveaways, you make me a sad panda...but I will love you, and hug you, and call you George....or something like that. Enjoy!

TL:DR
- It was not too long, lazies. Just read it.
- Giveaways...SQUEEE!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 2

I'm sorry this is late today (better late than never though, right?), its been a busy couple of days. Blegh. BUT I have fun news! Jillian over at Jilltastic Nail Design did an AWESOME review of our 'Kitten' sized nail polish rack! You can check it out here. AND if you're in the market for polish rack, you can get 10% OFF your rack purchase from our ETSY store with the code 'Jill10'!  Christmas is only this many days away. (75 from today!)

Anyway, thank you so much for all of the positive feedback on my last GPW post! I hope you ladies took the time to feel em' up, or schedule that dreaded mammogram, or pre-order THIS bad boy from First Warning Systems.

It looks comfy, and if it did actually sparkle or light up like that, then sign me up. It would be like having 'Twilight Vampire' boobies. YES PLEASE! (Team Jacob)

This week I went with something a little more subtle: Pretty & Polished Cheer Camp! Woot!

Now first off let me just say that as a former band/guard geek it HURTS to like something called Cheer Camp, but alas, I do. I like it a lot. Its so cute! A pale pink jelly with frosty purple and pink glitters, and some teeny little fuchsia speckles. Its cute. I layered 2 thin coats over Essie's Guchi Muchi Puchi.

P.s. Please pardon the state of my cuticles. The weather is getting cold and dry and I'm going through lotion like a Bath & Body Works fiend but they're still dry.

TL;DR
- Haven't forgotten about your giveaway
- When I was very little I wanted to be a football player when I grew up. Then I went to a game and decided to be a veterinarian instead. I didn't do that either.
- Fun Fact: I taught color guard for 3 years after high school. Some of my kids went onto perform with In Motion - Independent World. Guard is one of my most cherished accomplishments.
- Breast Cancer Awareness...Seriously...give yourself a squeeze. It could save your life.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 1

Greetings Ladies and Gents!

Can you freaking believe that its already OCTOBER?!?! OH MY GAWD this year has flown by!

If you're a lady (or you read the title off the post), you probably already know what October is. Aside from the month where you eat more Halloween candy than you give out (or maybe thats just me...) its Feel the TaTas month, AKA National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink. Everywhere.

As a proud owner of a shapely set of all-natural breasticles I was excited to jump (hehe) on board when Andrea from Finger Painting Fingers approached me about participating in this Go Pink Wednesday blogathon where myself and a whole lot of other amazing ladies will show our support by showcasing a pink polish every Wednesday in October. I agreed not only because I love pink, but because I wanted to better educate myself (and maybe some of ya'll) on early detection methods like a Self Breast Exam. (Exam information follows photos. If you're squeemish or uncomfortable reading about breasts, you should probably just stop at the last photo.)

The pink I chose to begin with is more of a fuchsia but I received it as an extra little gift in a swap and I was over the moon about it! Behold: All That Razz-Berry from OPI's Chicago collection from 2005 (yes, its a black label). While the color is gorgeous enough on its own, I really wanted to punch it up a bit and added 1 coat of Party Hardy by Icing. Oh...my god. The sparkle..its blinding! Together they are just the prettiest sparkliest berry pink I have ever seen! The photos with the flash are the most true to color, though photos don't do Party Hardy justice at all. It's simply gorgeous!

p.s. Don't mind the random matte dots, those were from a failed dot challenge that I decided to paint over.

OPI- All That Razz-Berry w/ Flash -- Most true to color

OPI- All That Razz-Berry w/o Flash

OPI- All That Razz-Berry & Icing - Party Hardy w/o Flash

OPI- All That Razz-Berry & Icing - Party Hardy w/ Flash - True to color

OPI- All That Razz-Berry & Icing - Party Hardy

OPI- All That Razz-Berry & Icing - Party Hardy CLOSE UP!

So I mentioned earlier that I wanted to specifically raise awareness of early detection and the importance of the *DUN DUN DUN* Self Breast Exam. You can download a free self-exam shower card here.

We've all felt breasts. Get to know yours and don't be shy about it. It's important to know what they look and feel like so that you're able to notice if anything changes with them over time. Keep in mind though that changes to the look and feel of your breasts does happen and does not always immediately signify something terrible, but if you're concerned its always best to check with a doctor.

TMI moment here but in high school I developed a cyst in one of mine about the size of a pea. I was concerned but figured I was too young for any kind of real trouble. Then it started hurting and I panicked. Certain that I had cancer I tearfully told my mom about my lump and she took me to the doctors right away. They gave me some kind of pill to take and the cyst went away on its own, but I probably wouldn't have noticed had I not been taught about the importance of KNOWING my breasts. Had that thing gotten any bigger, or burst, or whatever *shudder* ack. It would have been much more dramatic than just taking a pill or two.

Anyway, the American Cancer Society suggests a Breast Self Exam (BSE) monthly to every couple of months, though Susan G. Komen For the Cure states that a BSE alone is not a sufficient screening tool. Regardless, its a good way to familiarize yourself with your body so that you can effectively relay changes to your doctor should you find something suspicious.

So...lets get on with it. Let's feel the bosom! From the American Cancer Society:

Lie down on your back and place your right arm behind your head. The exam is done while lying down, not standing up. This is because when lying down the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it much easier to feel all the breast tissue.

Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue.

Use 3 different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast, but you should tell your doctor if you feel anything else out of the ordinary. If you're not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot. 

Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone (sternum or breastbone). Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone (clavicle).

There is some evidence to suggest that the up-and-down pattern (sometimes called the vertical pattern) is the most effective pattern for covering the entire breast without missing any breast tissue. 

Repeat the exam on your left breast, putting your left arm behind your head and using the finger pads of your right hand to do the exam. 

While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes of size, shape, contour, or dimpling, or redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. (The pressing down on the hips position contracts the chest wall muscles and enhances any breast changes.)

Examine each underarm while sitting up or standing and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Raising your arm straight up tightens the tissue in this area and makes it harder to examine.

 And thats it! You're done! That wasn't so bad was it? Now theres no excuse! Go feel those tata and make sure they're in tip top shape! I hope you enjoyed part 1 of Go Pink Wednesdays! I hope you'll participate too and share your awareness inspired mani's on my facebook page! I'll feature some of them on the blog next week. :)

TL:DR
- Boobies RAWK!
- Feel yours regularly!
- It's also Domestic Violence Awareness month. Brownie points if your incorporate purple!
- I still owe you guys a 200 follower giveaway. It's coming! I SWEARZ IT!