Black Friday/Cyber Monday Indie/HandmadeSales 2012

Here are some of the sales I have found for you to enjoy this year. If you know of any others, please share with me in the comments and I will add them to the list! This list is of companies I have shopped with or friends have shopped with and love. The way they are listed in no way represents a ranking system, it is just which sale info I had first.

Why am I promoting Indie/Handmade sales only? Because I love handmade!  I like knowing that my money is going to someone who loves what they do, someone who is trying to live their dream. Buying handmade means that your money is going to help someone put food on their table, braces on their kiddos teeth, make a car payment to get their kids to football practice, or even put gifts under their tree. With buying handmade you get a much more personal experience, you can ask questions and get your answers quickly, and in some cases you can get something custom made for you.

I am also going to include a few shops at the bottom that may not be having any sales, but have amazing products that I love and deserve to be spotlighted here too!

To get to the shops just click on the shop name and it will take you right to them. 

 Happy shopping folks!

Hit Polish-  
Starting Wednesday November 21st 7pm est until Wednesday 28th 7pm est the sale will be rolling :) I will be deactivating coupon codes for this sale, I hope you ladies that have the coupon codes understand. Coupon codes are set to expire Dec 15th anyways because Jan 1st we will roll out our customer appreciation program.

Evil Shades Cosmetics- 
Friday through Monday 
30% off full Sizes
25% off Gift sets
20% off Migi's and new mini size eyeshadows and Blush 
no code needed

 Chinovi- 

Photo courtesy of Chinovi's fan page.

 Tick:Tock Cosmetics-

Photo courtesy of TTC's fan page

Geek Chic Cosmetics-
For our Black Friday sale (11/23), EVERYTHING will be on sale! :) 30% off all full sizes and samples, free shipping on all orders over $35 bucks, plus doorbusters with orders while supplies last.  It’s by far and away our biggest sale of the year, so if you’re looking to try us for the first time, the sale is the best time to do it.
We will also be releasing a brand new set for the sale. (Sneak peeks coming very, very soon!)

Moi MineralCosmetics-

Photo courtsey of Moi's fan page

Dreaming Tree Soapworks-
Black Friday sale starts 11/18 with the Winter Magic Collection release and runs til cyber Monday. Still hashing out the details but this sale is trumped only by the anniversary sale.

Sea Lore-
Starting 11/22 through 11/26 save 15% off all orders with code YAYTURKEY

BFTE(Beauty From The Earth)-
 The Closeout Sale has started! We will be adding new items all week. They are now 10% OFF (discount at checkout) and will go to-
20% off on the 15th
30% off on the 18th
50% off on BLACK FRIDAY (Final)
Some colors will sale out before they reach 50% OFF.
Some colors are gone forever but some of the matte colors are just being reformulated (like very vanilla, sweet nibblets, grassy and some others)

Dorian + Dahl Apothecary- 
All bottles will be $9.75 (this will be our last sale of the year) and every purchase will get two free samples! Spread the word and check out DorianandDahl.blogspot.com for scent listings to make your wish list. I'll be posting descriptions of our new Blends throughout next week! 

Meow Cosmetics- 

Photo courtesy of Meowcosmetics.com

My Pretty Zombie-
Big ass Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale starts Friday at 12 am pacific  
Use code "pretty33" to get 33% off your entire order!

Maya Cosmetics-
From 10am EST November 24th through 11:59pm EST November 26th (Small Business Saturday through Cyber Monday), we're offering 20% off all products on our site with coupon code HOLIDAY2012 (regular shipping rates apply).
Plus, two new shimmer polishes at a discounted introductory price and two VERY limited edition holiday glitters (swatches soon!)

BKD Signature-
Visit BKD Signature on Facebook to see the amazing sales posted for Black Friday all month long in November!
A whopping 45% off Chiyogami pendants. Pendant prices will already reflect discount.
An amazing 30% off earrings Nov 11th - 17th. Prices will already reflect discount.
A hefty 25% off rings Nov 18th - 24th. Prices will already reflect discount.
Free gift if your purchase totals more than $50 before shipping

Llarowe- 
Black Friday Specials will start at 8:00am MST on Friday, November 23rd.  Check this blog for announcements of current specials during the day.  These will be "flash specials" with 5-15 minute windows and occur all day Friday.  The current special will be posted here when it is live.  The specials will include free worldwide shipping, special polish pricing, coupon codes, etc.  Be quick!

Whooz Polish-
 *** THANKSGIVING DAY SALE! USE COUPON CODE HappyTurkeyDay TO GET 25% OFF! ***

The Jewelry Dream- 
40% off sale for black friday coupon code friday40  
cyber monday is 50% coupon code cyber50

Pirate Polish- 
Today you can use the coupon code "BLACKFRIDAY15" to take 15% off your online order!

Pahlish-
Core colors are all marked down to $6 each until Monday!

Sassy Lacquer-
Free shipping, discounts, and free polishes throughout the day.
Click here to watch for the promos.


Digital Soaps-
Get FREE domestic shipping on all orders from now through Friday with code BLACKSOAP 

Crabby Candle Company-
Unlimited 2 oz tarts for $1 and $7.50 warmers (limit one per person)

Distinctly Pink-  
50% off all RTS (Ready To Ship) page items from
12:00 am EST Nov 23rd until 3:00 am EST Nov 23rd
40% off all RTS (Ready To Ship) page items from
3:00am EST until 6:00am EST Nov 23rd
30% off entire website from 6:00 am EST until 11:59 Nov 23rd
Watch the Facebook Fan Page for details!!!
 
Mauk Designs-
Why wait for Black Friday save 10% NOW!!! - Apply coupon code: DISCOUNT10 during the checkout to receive 10% off the purchase price of all items at maukDesigns on Etsy.

Mouse Pants-  Adorable felted friends, handspun luxury art yarns, and the heartfelt whimsies.
25% off sale starting Thursday by 10 am

Ninja Polish-

Photo courtesy of Ninja Polish's fan page

 Polish TBH- No details yet only that there will be a sale!

Everybeauty Boutique- 
11/23 Black Friday: Buy One, Get One until 1pm EST time. After 1pm, Five Dollar Friday is in full effect. Get a full size bottle for just $5!
11/24 Small Business Saturday: 30% off all full size polishes
11/26 Cyber Monday: 2 Full size bottles for $10  

Missy's Tempting Tarts-
Buy 1 get 1 free on full sized and bite sized tarts. Starting Thanksgiving and ending Friday night.

Dollipop Cosmetics- 

Photo courtesy of Dollipop's fan page

Chequered Lily Apothecary- 
Friday November 23rd:
*25% off everything
*Free shipping on any order of $25 or more (pre-tax, pre-shipping cost total. I will refund shipping charges via paypal)

Saturday November 24th:
*Special Listing of 5 Full Sized Eye shadows for $20.00
*$5.00 glitter blends
Sunday November 25th:
*Custom Stackers $12.00 each (stack of 3)
*Double bonus samples on every order
Monday November 26th:
*20% off everything
*Free full size eye shadow for every $25 spent (not including tax & shipping)
*In addition to these deals, use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY2012 for an additional 10% off your order. Code will be live from midnight PST Nov. 23rd-11:59 PM PST on Nov 26th.*

Scaredy Cat Cosmetics-
Starting at 12:01 Friday morning and running it through 11:59 Monday. The full sized sifters will be $3.50 each, and Black Friday only I'll be giving away five free trial vials for $15 spent.

Different Dimension (Nail Polish)- 
I will be having a mystery sales event this Friday starting at 12:01am - Monday at 11:59pm (est) - including, but limited to free shipping codes & other random coupon codes! Please keep an eye on the store as they may or may not be announced on here.
I will also have random coupon codes on my instagram & twitter accts (@missibarry) throughout the 4 days.

Candii Blossom Cosmetics-
Starts at midnight on Thanksgiving night and ends 8am est Friday! Everything in the shop will be 50% off! Makeup, polishes and lipglosses! I'm going to be updating the shop on what i don't have a lot in stock

LynB Designs- Nail Polish and More
Use the code GIVETHANKS to get 40% off your entire order. That's 40% off of everything in my store. 

Monster Lacquer-
Black Friday sale starts now! Monster Christmas collection only $34 (reg. $38) White Noise, Jaded, and Rebel are only $5! Plus, get a free mini with the purchase of $30 or more! This sale is good through Nov. 23rd, 11:59pm. 
*There will also be different promotions and different $5 polishes every day this weekend through Cyber Monday, so check back! 

Liquid Glam Lacquer- 

Photo courtesy of Liquid Glam's fan page.

 Black Cat Lacquer-

Photo courtesy of Black Cat's fan page.

Keep an eye on their fan page for more details.

 Luxe Chimere-

Photo courtesy of Luxe Chimere fan page.

 Polish Addict-
We will be having a Flash Sale 5 for $25 on full size bottles and 5 for $10 mini size bottles from 12P.M. CST till 2P.M. CST On Black Friday. 
November 23rd starting at 12A.M. CST till Saturday November 24th 12A.M CST all full and mini size polishes 50% off!!!! 
We will be offering free gift wrapping for the holidays with a note included just leave a "Note To Seller Msg"on what exactly you would like written on it!!! 

Starry Earth-
ALL POLISHES will be $6 from 12am Friday Morning (aka the night of Thanksgiving) until the following midnight!

Pirate Polish-
Oh, hey, so I hear this "Black Friday" thing is a big deal. In that case, why not take 15% off everything in the Pirate Polish Etsy store? Just enter "BLACKFRIDAY15" as a coupon code at checkout, and you'll be set.

Chirality Nail Polish-
Chirality will be releasing a brand new line of 9 Glitter Polishes tonight at midnight. To also celebrate, ALL Chirality Polishes will be on sale for $5 each, starting on Black Friday and going through Cyber Monday! The sale will be held through my Big Cartel store. The discount code will be posted at midnight (eastern time) to indicate the sale has started. Click here to get to their fan page to watch for the discount code.

Different Dimensions-
I am starting the sale a few hours early for Black Friday (even though 12AM3AMEST specifies 12am it is active NOW) - here are all the codes for Friday, it's pretty self-explanatory - each time specified is the actual coupon code and will only be active during those specified times.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday's codes/sale! ♥
12AM3AMEST - 40% OFF
3AM3PMEST - 30% OFF
3PM6PMEST - surprise discount!
6PM10PMEST - 40% OFF
10PM8AMEST - 30% OFF
If something is not listed please do not email me, some things were taken down for the sale and will be put live again once it is over.

Jindie Nails-
I have decided to do a discount code that can be used for 12 hours only. I will activate the code at 6pm central US timezone, so first come, first serve. Not sure how much of what colors are left but I can't hold any. If you have any special requests, please put it in the note to seller comment section so it prints with your invoice. I'm gonna deactivate the code at 6am, which will be right around the time I return home from the insanity :)! Thank you in advance :)! Happy shopping! Code= BLACKFRIDAY25 FOR 25% OFF!  

Elixir Lacquers-
The Holiday Trio will be released at midnight tonight! Individual bottles will also be listed. All other Elixirs will be on sale for Black Friday, starting at midnight EST!! And don't forget - there's a new secret shade now too!!! I'm so excited!!!! :)

ManGlaze-

Photo courtesy of ManGlaze's fan page.

* Get the ManGravy™! Right now we've got 26.66% off most of the stuff on our facebook & web stores. If you'd rather shop us Amazon, the code BUTTGRVY kicks in later tonite for the same deal.*

SoFlaJo-
Free shipping discount code is in effect till midnight Monday

365 Days Of Color-
From now until Monday spend 25, get a free balm or cuticle oil of your choice.
Spend 50, and get a balm/oil along with a free full size polish.
Just leave a note at checkout and let me know what balm/oil/polish you want!!!
Also, check out the toxic love and Hocus Pocus collections. Everything is on sale!!!
* I've added more hissy mystery bags to the site, these are free shipping items and the Black Friday sale applies to them!

Femme Fatale Lacquer-

Photo courtesy of Femme Fatale's fan page.

 
Kawaii Nail Lacquer-
I am closing my etsy shop for a few hours while I change the prices for Black Friday, as well as add more stock. Everything I have stocked will be all I have so get your hands on some polishes while you can!!

Above The Curve Nail Polish-
$5 Full sized polishes! 

Nails By Laura- 
Deals will be posted on her fan page throught the shopping weekend. Check here to find the deals and other promotions. 

U-Neek Polish-
All polishes are 50% off!

Pretty and Polished-
Looking forward to Small Business Saturday? We are! Watch for our 25% off code! Plus the first 20 orders will get a free *unreleased* full size polish! Starts at Midnight (12 midnight EST) tonight!
Click here to watch for the code.

Freak Show Polish- 
Use the code FSPBLACKFRIDAY for 30% off the entire store through 11:59PM EST on 11/23/12

Nostalgic Lacquer-
Cyber Monday Sale! Click here to watch for details.
 

Candii Polished-
Our black Friday flash sale starts at midnight n ends at 8am est!! Everything is 50% off in the shop!! Limited supplies of polished n eyeshadows. Stock is updated on each so its first come first serve! 

Soapy Sue's Soap Shoppe-
Thanksgiving/Black Friday Sale start at Midnight and ends Saturday at 11:59 pm Enjoy 40% off all soap! Look for our other specials offers as well :-) 

Epically Epic- 
I'm jumping on the Black Friday sale bandwagon! Use the coupon code BANDWAGON for 10% your order today only!

Lac Attack-
To celebrate and give back, I am hosting a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale - get 20% off your orders using code "giveback2012" on the Goodsie store. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from this sale will be donated to charity (to be determined).

Rainbow Polish-
Fri/Sat/Sun take 20% off your purchase. If you ordered in the last 24 hours then you will be refunded:) 
Discount code - TAKE20
 
Lush Lacquer-
Receive 10% off of every purchase and if you buy more than $40.00 worth of polish(not including shipping)...you will receive a FREE full size bottle of your color choice!!!! (Just write your color choice in the notes to seller section) 
Use code BLACKFRIDAY to receive this discount!
  

Silver Wings Designs-
I spy something in my Etsy shop for $6!!!!! Andddd if you purchase a keychain just use the coupon code - keychain to receive 15% off your keychain order.

OohLaLacquer-
$5 Full sized bottles!

Pop Culture Cosmetics- 
$5 full sized polishes until Friday 8pm EST

F4 Polish-

Photo courtesy of F4's fan page.

 Silly Lily Polish-
Coupon code to save 20% on everything - HOLIDAY20 - this sale will run until midnight 11/26/2012 - Cyber Monday!

Not Too Polished-
Friday is Buy 2 Get One Free, Saturday Free Shipping on orders over $20, Sunday 33% off entire shop, plus a free mini exclusive polish, and Monday it's Buy a Full size, get a mini! Also free gift wrapping all weekend :)

KB Shimmer-
I have created a nail polish called “Black to Business”. This polish is loaded with tiny black, blue, purple and white glitters. These small glitters pop when worn over your favorite color, or when layered alone in three coats, create a dramatic look for your nails. Starting Friday 11/23 at 12:00 am enjoy this polish free with your purchase of $50 or more (before shipping) byextering the code BLACK2BUSINESS at checkout.  The polish will not show in your cart, but will be included with your order. This offer is not valid on past purchases and can not be combined with other discounts. Code must be entered for polish to be included.

In addition, starting 11/22 at midnight EST to 11:59 PM EST 11/26, use code SHIPMEFREE to enjoy free shipping on orders of $100 or more. If used on 11/22, this code will also ensure that you receive the special polish. This offer is not valid on past purchases and can not be combined with other discounts. Code must be entered for polish to be included and free shipping to be taken off of order. 

Kelara Lacquers-
Save 25% on the entire store!

I Love Nail Polish- 

Code for 40% off is ILNPFRIDAY40 good for Black Friday.

 

   

***Noteworthy shops to also consider buying from***

Whimsy Beading 

Haus Of Gloi  

Darling Girl Cosmetics- Possible Cyber Monday sale!

Bec's Baubles

Fyrinnae

**I will probably add to this list too as I find out if some of my favorites are having sales or not!***  

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Candied Violets for Yasmeen

Today I have a gorgeous polish combo to share with you. I will admit it took me 21 hours (Thank you Lynn for keeping track for me LOL I love you!) to decide what my undie color would be. I already knew what was going on top, but had a really hard time finding the perfect shade for under. Now I will tell you something, that color decision could have changed at any given minute depending on my mood. I think most folks who are polish addicts can attest to this happening to them as well. So here is what I ended up with. Starting with the top first, just to be different today.
Candied Violets is a glitter polish made by Hit Polish. The mini size (5ml) are $4, but keep your eyes open for sales. Rachel is always doing something special for her customers!

Photo courtesy of Hit Polish

I can think of tons of color combos for this one!
This is the description given on their listing: A clear base with super fine orchid holographic glitter, fine matte white hex, small matte aqua hex, small white hex glitter, medium baby blue hex, medium matte lavender hex, large pastel green hex and large bubblegum squares. 
My description: A purple lovers paradise!

Photo courtesy of Hit Polish

 I can't tell you enough how much I love the polishes from Hit Polish! They are so easy to apply they seriously go on like a dream. You can barely feel any texture from the glitters on your nails. I've never used a topcoat with any of my Hit Polish, and I've never had an issue with raised or snagging glitters.

I paired Candied Violets up with Yasmeen from Zoya.

 I got Yasmeen in one of my nail pal packages and am in love with the color. It is a gorgeous purple with lots of red shimmer and a bit of gold shimmer to it. I'm not always the best with descriptions so here is the official description from Zoya: Dark blue-toned purple base with very strong red-toned medium purple shimmer and hints of gold duochrome. The ultimate complex purple for maximum drama. 
  
Here are my results with them paired up.

  
Here is a super out of focus picture to try to show all the sparkle.

I have to admit I have had this on for a few days now and am a little sad to take it off. I truly love this combo.

You can find Hit Polish on facebook by clicking here. On Etsy by clicking here.
You can find Zoya on facebook by clicking here and their website by clicking here.

Have you tried Hit Polish yet? If so what is your favorite polish/polishes? If not, what polish/polishes would you like to own?

Have you tried Zoya yet? If so what shade(s) is your favorite? If not what shade(s) would you like to own?

*Some products purchased by me, others were a gift. All opinions are my own.*

Peace, Love, and Cupcakes!

Silly Last Minute Thanksgiving Dinner Tragedy

So Sunday my family had our Thanksgiving dinner and Dad's birthday. It was pretty much a last minute plan thrown together due to some family having to work on Thanksgiving and others who live hours away from the rest of us being in town. Normally Thanksgiving is something I love to plan for, shop for and cook for. Usually it is my mom and I who do the majority of the cooking and then the cleaning afterwards too. This year not only was it last minute, but I am just not in the mood for festivities. I have so much stuff going on that the Grinch seems to have taken possession of my body and spirit. Not to mention my anxiety issues with crowds and being crammed in a tiny place. 

Sunday morning came, my alarm goes off, and.....I turned it off. So an hour and a half later I wake up and run to the kitchen to throw the turkey in the oven. Half way there it hits me, I feel like a truck of manure has run over me. My chest hurts I'm all rattly and wheezy, I have that oh crap I'm sick cough going on. Now mind you I have been doing this for over 2 months now, I just can't shake this whatever it is that keeps clinging on to me. So I get the turkey going, praying it gets done in time. My phone rings, it is the neighbor wanting to do their laundry. I explain that I have to be out of the door in just a few hours, and what happens? Yep you guessed it, there they are at my door baskets in hand. I honestly don't mind under normal conditions, but today of all days, Ugggggggggggh!!! I smile and give the polite "You know where everything is" and try to go about doing what needs to be done. NOPE, he wants to chit chat. OK fine, I chit chat, smile and nod, finally he leaves. Oh did I mention that I am still in my PJ's commando????? Yep sure was, and boy did that feel awkward hahaha! I get back to the task at hand only to minutes later here my phone ringing, it's mom wanting to shoot the breeze. Finally hang up with her only to have another knock at the door, neighbor again with more baskets, and yes I am still commando. Repeat this same scenario a few more times and add in random text messages, kids and cats. Oh and in between all of this I STILL HAVE TO DO MY NAILS!!!!!!!! 

I finally decide on what I think will be the perfect easy as pie mani. OPI's Suzi Loves Cowboys topped with Silly Lily's Candy Corn. I had swatched it the night before on a nail wheel and it looked amazing! I grab the OPI bottle and get to painting only to realize I am using the wrong color. Take that off and start again, one coat, two coats, dry dry dry would ya. Nope this girl has no quick dry drops or sprays, but after this I will be buying some. Finally it is dry enough to put the glitter on. I start putting it on and it just isn't going on as easy as it did the night before (insert pouty lip here), with every swipe the glitter is just coming off WHY WONT YOU STAY PUT?????? I keep fighting and finally get it on and let it dry enough to put my Seche Vite on only to look up and see I now have 15 minutes to get to my moms with the food that is still in the oven. Carefully I pull the turkey out of the oven and sit it on the stove, throw the pot holders on the counter. Ummm they are stuck to my fingers, OMG my nails are all messed up on my right hand. I have no time to fix it, so we pack everything in the van and take off. Hannah is in charge of watching the pies that refuse to set up in the whole 15 minutes they had before we ran out the door. She yells "Mommy the lemon pie is all to one side!" my response you ask? Tell her "I don't care what you do, just don't let it get all over!". As we are driving I see one of my elderly neighbors walking back from the little neighborhood store a mile up the street. I can't let him walk all the way back, so I tell the girls we are taking him home after I get Granny's cigarettes.  By time I come out of the store it is raining, cold and windy. I rush back to where he was walking and he is gone, so I have to drive almost home to turn around. Get to moms and start to get out, where the hell is Hannah? I'm starting to panic thinking maybe she got out at the store and I hadn't realized it, nope she had decided to get in the way back where the pies were. 

As usual we didn't start dinner on time, probably an hour or so later than what was planned. I did my best to keep at the outside borders of the crowd in moms place, you know so that I could escape if needed. Let's see in total there were 22 of us crammed into an apartment sized living room and kitchen, that isn't even all of us, some didn't or couldn't show up. We ate, celebrated Dad's birthday (a day late), talked, laughed, and I only had to escape a handful of times. 

What about my nails? Well I am not going to give a full review of the polish itself because I don't think it would be fair to. I had to do such a rush job and messed some up because they were still wet. I did love the combo though, so I will try it again soon. I will show you a picture I was able to snap before the tragic circumstances happened. 

Oops I guess I rushed cleanup too :o( OPI Suzi Loves Cowboys topped with Silly Lily's Candy Corn.

So there you have it, a crazy Sunday family dinner and my nail tragedy. This is where you can find Silly Lily Polish on Etsy, click here. I will do a full non crazy family dinner involved review soon, I promise! They have an awesome Christmas polish that I want BAD, so you may see that soon too!!!

Do you have any funny nail tragedies to share? What are your favorite quick dry products?

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Welcome to my thoughts. Buckle up!

A friend sent me this a long time ago, not sure where it was originally from.

I have been seeing alot of friends doing the daily what I am thankful for posts on Facebook. I think it is a great idea to express the things you are grateful for, and I normally do that every November too. This year I just haven't gotten into to doing it and started feeling guilty. I know it may sound silly to some that I feel guilty for not making those daily status posts. It isn't that I have nothing to be thankful for, I do, I have endless things to be thankful for.

I will be honest with everyone that reads this post. I am and have for several months been fighting with depression and anxiety issues. Some days are good days, some are bad, and then there are some that I have to force myself out of my bed, and then there are a few when I can't even do that. There are days that I get up and think today is going to be a great day to only a few hours later find myself back in that dark hole again. It is scary, it makes you feel like a failure as a mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and person in general. It makes you hate the person that you are right then, the person who can't find the energy to even brush their hair. You feel weak, angry, lonely, isolated, and hopeless. Your mind races from thing to thing, then it gets stuck on one thing for what feels like days. You start to question every decision you make no matter how big or small the decision is. You wonder if you have offended, hurt, or angered someone with something you may have said, but you're not even sure if you've said something wrong. Right now as I am writing this I am questioning if I should be airing my dirty laundry like this. I'm tired of feeling like I am alone, like I am the only one who cares.

I know that I shouldn't let stuff get to me like it does, but I do. I am human, I have feelings, fears, and needs just like everyone else. Everyone needs to feel like they matter to someone, everyone needs to feel like they are safe and protected, everyone needs to feel like if they fall they will be helped back up.

I personally am a fixer, a caretaker, I feel like I need to fix everything and take care of everyone. I have been told more than once that I need to stop and worry about taking care of me. How do you do that? How do you stop doing the one thing that comes natural to you, the one thing you are good at? When I can't fix something that I know someone needs help with, it eats at me. Once again I feel guilty because there had to be something I could have done to make things easier for that person and I didn't do it or I could have done more. 

I find that I can't focus on things for any length of time. For example, I have been trying to write this post for over 2 hours and have gotten up to do a load of laundry, check that the door is locked, wander through the apartment aimlessly. My mind has wandered off to my sister who is sick, the last minute Thanksgiving dinner this weekend, a family friend fighting leukemia, the fact that it is now 3:24 in the morning and I have to be up in less than 3 hours to get kids off to school. My mind just wont stop, it keeps going even when I do sleep my typical 3-4 hours a night.

I have a fear of going to the doctor to ask for help. I'm afraid that if I go I'm going to be told my problems are too big for them to handle and that I have to find yet another doctor to see. I'm afraid the doctor will tell me I can't be fixed and this is how I'm going to be, miserable for the rest of my life. I am afraid that I will be told that I am indeed crazy. I'm afraid that I will be given yet another medicine that I will have a bad side effects to and have worse thoughts than I do now. (Wellbutrin and I are not friends) I am afraid that I am going to hear "There are people worse off than you are.", I have heard that so many times, and seen it plastered all over websites, facebook. I know that there are people who have worse problems than I do, but that doesn't make my problems any less important. That doesn't make me feel any better, as a matter of fact it makes me feel worse to hear/see/read it because then I feel like I am annoying someone by talking to them. Just because you may be able to handle a situation like a superhero doesn't mean I am less of a person because I can't! It isn't that I don't want to be better, hell I would love to not feel this way. 

People may read this and laugh at my ramblings, people may think I'm crazy, and some may decide to never read this blog again. So why am I putting all of this out there? Too many people hide there depression/anxiety issues like I have in fear of what others will say or how they will be treated. I am doing it because I can't be the only one that feels this way, I can't be alone in how I feel. I did it because I am tired of putting on that fake happy face all the time just for the benefit of others. I did it because I needed to not only be honest with you, but also with myself. If this post helps even one person realize they are not alone, then it was all worth it to me.

So now I have 9 days to make up for. What am I thankful for?
1. I am thankful for my daughters who may be growing up too fast, but give me reason to force myself out of bed. Who don't complain about wearing thrift store clothes, and are just as happy with dollar store stuff as they are if they had expensive things.
2. I am thankful for my parents who gave me life, love and a strong appreciation for the little things in life.
3. I am thankful for having the things that the girls and I NEED, a home, food, clothes, heat and love.
4. I am thankful for a few friends who have called, sent texts, messaged me, sent a little note when they saw I needed a pick me up or just to check on me when they know something is up with me. 
5. I am thankful for Rowan who may drive me batty at times, but she is a light in the darkness that keeps me on my toes.
6. I am thankful for the ability to cook, the ability to make something wonderful out of a little bit of nothing.
7. I am thankful for my Brousin (not a typo!) and his wife who have helped me so much in so many ways, in more ways than they even know. 
8. I am thankful for my Sparkle family who have supported me, encouraged me, advised me, and helped me help others. You ladies have no idea how amazing you really are!
9. I am thankful that I had the guts to make this blog post. I am thankful that I can use this blog as a way to help others.

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Seahorses, Skin Food and Eyes...OH MY!

As promised yesterday I have a post using one of the polishes from one of my awesome Nail Pen Pals. Of course there are a few other things to share with it, I'll be bringing you more posts about some of the other products/companies I used for this mani, so stay tuned for those.
I used Skin Food's Nail Vita BL505 Green Apple as my main color. This polish goes on like a dream!

Skin Food Nail Vita BL505 3 coats no top coat

 I used 3 coats in the picture. I have to tell you that it is a sheer polish, but can be built up with more coats. I am not a fan of sheer polishes or having a visible nail line normally, but I didn't mind at all with this polish. I have read some reviews that call it a jelly polish, but it isn't as thick as most jelly polishes that I have used. I would consider it a sheer creme, but it definitely could be used like a jelly. I have to admit I was mesmerized by how shiny it was even with no top coat. I definitely recommend grabbing a bottle if you can, I love it that much!

Here are my nails topped with Hit Polish Seahorse and a nail decal from RLR Creations. I Will be raving more about those two companies in several posts in the future. I just love the glitter combo paired with the polish, then add an awesome pair of eyeballs, cuteness overload!

There is no topcoat on over the glitter either, you don't need it with this polish. Everything lays flat and 98% smooth!

I intentionally put the decal upside down because I think it looks cute with crows feet LOL.

Sorry for the cuticles and dry skin, I can't seem to find anything that will help. It also doesn't help that I have picked up a habit of picking at the skin around my nails when I'm anxious. I do have something I plan on trying very soon, which is a cuticle creme made by Evil Shades Cosmetics. It comes in several different scents and 3 different sizes, so look for a review on that soon too!

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings . I am going to give you links below to all of the companies fan pages and shops that I mentioned above, check them out, you may find something that you can't live without!

Skin Food fan page

Skin Food website

You can also find Skin Food products on Ebay

Hit Polish fan page

Hit Polish Etsy Shop

They are closed while they gear up for a huge 4 day Black Friday sale!

RLR Creations fan page

RLR Creations Etsy Shop

RLR Creations Ebay Store

Evil Shades Cosmetics fan page

Evil Shades website

If you look around you will find some limited edition polishes and a lippie (Robot Love) that is great for layering or use it alone, plus it is cupcake scented!!!!!!! I love all of Evil Shades products and recommend them to anyone, heck even my kids use her products. I trust her products that much!

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Nail Polish Pals

So it has been a little bit, ok a long bit since I have had time or energy to even think about blogging. Even though I love to share all sorts of stuff with you all, life got crazy, I've been sick, mom had a fall, one of my sisters was in the hospital, so I had to put the blog on the back burner for awhile. Even though I couldn't make posts, I was always thinking Oooooooh this would be a great post for the blog, snapping pictures as much as possible. So here I am ready to put my blogger pants back on and come out swinging.

I have so much to share with you all, but I will start with something I think is super fun! I am part of a nail polish pen pal group on Facebook, where polish lovers from all over the world come together and share their love of polish. Each month we can sign up to be paired with a pen pal, the main point is to get to know and become friends with other polish addicts with the added treat of sending each other awesome packages. Last month was my first month to participate and I admit I was a little nervous, luckily I was paired up with 2 amazing ladies that made it so much fun for me. 

My first pal Cheryl lives in Singapore. We messaged back and forth with each other getting to know each other and learning some of our likes and dislikes. Then I stalked her page a little and found that she is as cute as a bug and likes adventure. She has been to some beautiful places and done some amazing things like snorkeling and diving. I could spend hours looking at all the pictures she took under water, they make me so relaxed feeling. She also does some gorgeous nail art too. I got her package within a week of her shipping it. I about died on the spot when I opened it, so many pretty things!!!!

My package from Cheryl!

Look at all those polishes! I had never tried any of those brands before and of course swatched them all immediately. I wont show you a pic of that though since I have a mani to share tomorrow that uses one of the polishes. I did learn something interesting, gum is illegal in Singapore, so no that isn't a pack of grape bubble gum. The only way to describe it is that it has the texture of gum, but it dissolves as you chew it. Thank you Cheryl for an amazing package!

My second pal Polyanna is from Belgium! We also messaged back and forth with each other learning our likes and dislikes. I also tried a new candy thanks to her, white chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I had asked her if there was any candy or food goodies she may want and that was what she asked for. I never would have thought that they would be so good. I shoved as many as I could in her package and HAD to eat the ones that wouldn't fit LOL! She uses a "fake" facebook profile for privacy issues, but I was able to check her out on a few other beauty related social media sites. I can understand people not wanting to use their "real" profiles for things like this, especially if they have kids. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stalk her as well as I did Cheryl. I can tell you that she and I share a sisterhood concerning chocolate! Polyanna's package took a bit longer to arrive, probably due to hurricane Sandy. I don't think I could have taken the excitement of 2 awesome packages in 1 week anyway.

My package from Polyanna!

Look at all those goodies, amazing right?! Look at how cute those H&M mini polishes are, and the dual ended Essence! She even sent me some hand creams and a lip balm, I LOVE LIP BALM!!!! As much as I love the polish, my favorite thing hands down is the chocolate bar and I haven't even eaten any of it yet. The wrapper is so cute I can't bring myself to tear into it....yet. Thank you Polyanna for all of my goodies!

I hope these ladies enjoyed the packages I sent to them as much as I enjoyed mine. I can tell you that I will be looking into getting some more Skin Food polishes in the future. Check out the blog tomorrow for a mani I created using one of the polishes from one of the pictures above. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I look forward to sharing tons of stuff with you all again. 

Have you tried any of the brands from the pictures? What are your thoughts on them? 

Peace, Love, and Cupcakes!