Polish Review - Blue Me Away!

Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear nail color in Blue Me Away! #04

Blue Me Away! is a rich and vibrant creme color, and an active member of the extreme wear family. Rocking this bright blue always gets me in a good mood. I think among my blueish polishes, this one is definitely my favorite. It even has it's own nickname, which I can't say is true about any other color in my arsenal. This, my friends, is my Tron blue.

...and now for the scoring part. I think any review needs some sort of score, and scores should be fun, so here goes... The Finger Scale!

On a scale of one (I'll let you guess which one) to ten (ALL IN!) fingers, I give Blue Me Away!:

Cost: 10 fingers - I picked this color up on sale, buy one get one 50% off, original price $2.99. Can't beat that deal! Okay, I guess you could, but you don't really need to.

Coverage: 9 fingers - It went on and covered well in one coat, though two looked much more uniform. The paint tends to separate in the bottle, but blends back together easily and glides on smoothly.

Wear: 10 fingers - Blue Me Away! definitely lives up to the long wearing promise of this line of polishes.

Clean-up: 6 fingers - I use acetone polish remover, and it took 4 total cotton pads to clean up. My finger tips were a bit more blueish than I would like, but that all came off in the shower.

Color: 10 fingers - I got exactly what I expected. A brilliant blue that matches the bottle color.

Final Score: 9 fingers!

Always a draft, never a post

I can't tell you all how many drafts I have started and saved for a later that has yet to come. "Free time" was starting to seem like a mythical concept.

The next chapter of my life begins on Tuesday. I believe this chapter, unlike the one coming to a close, will have time for things other than work and sleep. Maybe even time for things I've started and not finished, things I've let fall behind, and people I haven't done a good job keeping up with.

Here's to new opportunities, and to hope for the future!

How To Breakfast

Soft Boiled Egg Toasty Sammich

Ingredients:

1 egg

2 slices of toast

salt

pepper

hot sauce

I left out the peeling of the egg step, hopefully people realize you don't want to eat egg shells.

Autoharp Funtimes

I've learned a lot about my autoharp over the last couple days. Mostly just by reading about them online, but also by spending time getting to know my way around the instrument.

We had a check-up at Lightning Joe's today, where I was given the good news that not only is it in good playing condition, it actually needs no work (other than tuning) before it can be played! I was a little worried because some of the tuning pins have a bit of rust on them, and the strings look old and like they've not been played in ages. I should be able to get by with it how it is now, and I know what maintenance to expect soon. Another plus -- a full set of strings doesn't cost anything near what I expected -- so in case that's my first related expense, it shouldn't stop me from playing.

Autoharp, meet Lighting Joe's shop.

Lightning Joe seemed to imply that tuning one of these things is quite a challenge, in an effort to get me to not ask him to tune it. I don't care! Part of learning a new instrument includes readying it for play, so I had better start practicing. My autoharp has 36 strings and 15 chords. It took me about two hours to successfully tune it, and I still feel like the tuning could use some work in a few places. I'll tune it more before I play it tomorrow.

Now I have to find some beginner instruction... I have no idea if that will be simple or difficult.

Brave Newbies

My friend Phil is a pretty interesting fellow. He's got this brave new project going on over at TheBraveNew.com and I'm going to do my darndest to participate even more this month.

February's challenge is to learn a new skill, and Phil has chosen to learn to play the accordion. I expect to hear some awesome accordion covers next month.

I've been going through a bit of my own personal challenge to reduce my possessions, and yet somehow, I still have an autoharp. That's right, autoharp. So for the month of February, I will try to learn something new about playing the autoharp every day, and hopefully end the month with a budding new skill!

Glorious autoharp funtimes ahead

I'm also taking a crack at a second new skill -- puppy training. Some friends have a few more little pups on their hands right now than expected, and they are just hitting the unruly age of puppyhood where they need the most guidance. What better time to make my first attempt at puppy training? It'll be good for both of us. :)

Pictures of pup-in-training to come later!

Be Happy

When I wake in the morning I am happy.

I have survived to witness another day.

When I dress I am happy.

The clothes in my closet all fit well and are comfortable.

While I prepare a morning meal I am happy.

I have food and drink to fill my belly.

When I leave to go to work I am happy.

I am eager to get there and see my friends, so I arrive early.

While I am working I am happy.

I choose to do work that is rewarding, fulfilling, and aligns with my values.

When my work is done I am happy.

I completed each task thoroughly and to the best of my ability the first time.

When I return home I am happy.

I have a roof to sleep under and walls to keep me warm and safe.

While I cook dinner I am happy.

I treasure the learning experience of turning ingredients into cuisine.

While I unwind at the end of the day I am happy.

I have entertainment and conversation to inspire my mind.

When I spend time with my partner I am happy.

I am loved, trusted, and respected as I love, trust, and respect him.

When I go to sleep at night I am happy.

I have a warm bed and fluffy pillows to hold my sleepy head.

When I dream I am happy.

My dreams are vivid and full of my own mind.

When I wake in the morning I am happy.



Why are you happy? Take time to count your blessings.