Indulgent Intermission with Marta of Chit Chat Nails

Hello there! Hammie checking in. You see, Carmela was getting run down by all the little errands and things on the to-do list before the trip that she had me take over writing some of the posts. Now, as strange as it might seem to you, hamsters are pretty busy themselves! Between exercising with my wheel to keep fit and hobnobbing at the Hampstons to keep the folks happy, I don't usually have a lot of down time, myself. But I was determined to help (a hamster does not go back on his word!) and I was a hamster with a plan. Okay, so it wasn't originally *my* plan but it worked!

The ever-so-gracious-with-the-hamster-treats Marta from Chit Chat Nails suggested culling together some guest posts to take the load off some. My, what a genius idea! I'm honestly surprised Carmela didn't think to do it sooner, but knowing her penchant for taking on a lot all at once, she probably realized too late that it was all just too much to do with the time frame she had. Luckily, we've had a few amazingly talented and kind-hearted ladies come to our rescue!

As she provided us with our eureka moment, it seemed only appropriate that Marta gets to fire the opening salvo. What more can I say that hasn't already been said about this Nail Artist Extraordinaire? I gravitate towards her design aesthetic that always has that touch of elegance, no matter how simple or intricate the design is. Now that, my friends, is a feat in itself as elegance is something I believe to be an innate quality that can neither be learned nor acquired. Apart from that is a sense of whimsy, that coupled with elegance, brings forth wonderful color and design combinations that speak volumes of Marta's lovely personality. Oh, and have I mentioned she's very generous with treats?

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Hello Lovely Ladies:
I am so glad to be here while Carmela is away on a much needed vacation.  I hope she is resting up and having a wonderful time!!!  In the meantime, I am super honored to be here!

I'm Marta and I run a little Canadian blog, ChitChat Nails.  I'm so happy Hammie was willing to step down and allow me to put together this Guest Post ;).

I think very highly of Carmela; she is intelligent and I really enjoy her kind spirit and spunk for life!  A while back I did a polkadot accent-nail manicure and Carmela mentioned that she is on a big "polkadot kick".  Armed with this 'knowledge' I have come up with what I hope is a fun and sophisticated polka dot design.  I hoped to channel Carmela's personality, the way I perceive it.  I'll let you be the judge. ;)   Onto the manicure:

I started by painting my nails with one coat of OPI Planks a Lot followed by two coats of OPI The Colour to Watch (I applied the cream first because I know that The Colour to Watch is VERY sheer).

I then used a BornPrettyStore dupe plate, m79, and Sally Hansen Whirlwind White.  The accent nail is two coats of China Glaze Marry a Millionaire.

I liked how this turned out, but I felt the itch to pull out my matte topcoat, and so I did ;) using the Joe Fresh brand:

Here are all of the shades that I used to achieve this look:

I hope you enjoyed this look.  Shortly after I turned 30, I started to question my manicures for "age appropriateness" and the polkadot look is something that I keep going back and fourth on: is it cute and age appropriate, or is it too cute and too young for me?  What do you think? Do you have a polkadot guideline that you think should be followed?

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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Now, isn't this just sublime? Elegance with that sparkly accent nail and subdued purple. Whimsy with the white polka dots. If Carmela were here, she'd be squealing about how she absolutely adores the polka dot look. Thanks to Marta, I'm starting to understand why. And if that doesn't give you the itch to check out her blog, Chit Chat Nails, I honestly wonder if there's something wrong with you. No, really, get yourself checked; it might be something serious.