I Miss My Grammy.

Day 110

Hey all, Grammys tonight!!! In honor, thought I'd do Grammy-themed nails. :-D



I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte as a base for all nails with OPI for Sephora What's a Tire Jack? Matte for the musical notes. For the grammy, I used a mix of Zoya Angelina and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme for the base, China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection for the metal part of the grammy, with Zoya Angelina and China Glaze White on White to shade and highlight the metal.Two coats of Seche Vite top coat to top everything off.

Who do you want to win tonight?

New Revelations About John Edwards and..Plastic Surgery?

New details are emerging about former politician John Edwards. In addition to cheating on his cancer-stricken wife, a new book alleges that he used donor money to fund hiding his lies about the child he spawned with former mistress Rielle Hunter. Of note, I was actually asked by the National Enquirer to look at photos of her baby right after the story broke, whom they suspected could be Edwards'. I declined the invitation at the time. Looks like they were right on target with that one!


An insider recently remarked to Gawker:

In his book, Young writes that Edwards switched from Diet Coke to "caseloads" of Sprite and Sunkist after shelling out for plastic surgery and "new teeth" that were susceptible to stains.
Edwards' other drink of choice was cheap white wine -- over ice -- which his minions would keep at the ready in a cooler in Edwards' car.
"He's so nouveau riche," the snitch said. "He's totally a guy with no taste who suddenly came into a lot of money."



I never liked John Edwards. He always reeked of opportunist to me. I wonder what plastic surgery he had?

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Pre-Fame...Pre-Johngy

This is another in a recurring series about me (before I was Johngy) meeting people (before they became famous).

The last time I wrote about meeting someone pre-fame, it was my Mt. Carmel schoolmate Erik Pappas. Today, I am once again going to my MC roots, by highlighting Tony Furjanic, my former teammate on the Track and Cross Country teams.
Furjanic was one year ahead of me at MC. He was also definitely the star athlete during that era. Furjanic was named Sun-Times Prep Athlete of the Year in 1982. Furjanic went on to have a stellar career at Notre Dame. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 8th round in the 1986 draft. Furjanic played two years with the Bills and one with the Miami Dolphins, appearing in 28 games.
Back during our time at MC, Furjanic and I were teammates for a season. Furjanic was a shot-putter and I was a long-distance runner. I did spend some time in the weight room with Furjanic (hey someone had to teach him how to lift!).
Seriously, Furjanic gave me quite a few pointers and was always a great guy. He never let his success change him. He even showed me a bit of the technique used in shot-putting (not that I ever competed, but it was fun anyway).
I have lost touch with Tony, although I know he still lives in the Chicago area. I hope to catch up this summer and when I do, I will have an update here.

The 1981 MC Track team (I'm on the right side) in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Winter 1981.

The 1981 varsity MC Track team (Furjanic is in front row in jacket) in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Winter 1981.

SHOCKING PINK

These are acrylic nails in shocking pink and black onyx with 3d acrylic hearts. I used nail polish to paint the swirls.

These nails have clay dots and conversation hearts.

The Results Are In...

I was seriously surprised with the amount of entries I got- so many of you did the limit of 5!! I absolutely loved seeing everyone's interpretations of the designs from this site, and plan on updating this post with some of the entries when I'm not in a rush like I am today... :-/ (check back tomorrow probably!!)

Ok, on to the winners, which were picked by a random number generator from all the submissions!

Prize #1 goes to: Krista, this was the design that she submitted:



Prize #2 goes to Susan Holak, this is the design that she submitted:



Prize #3 goes to Bonnie Yang, this is her submission:



So, a big fat thank you to all of you that entered the contest- your designs were charming, fun, and well-executed!! I'm so glad to have such awesome readers!!!

And to those that entered, but didn't win, not to worry- I'll come up with another giveaway soon! :)

-Melissa


All the entries- alphabetically (CLICK TO ENLARGE):

It's in My Jeans...

Day 109

Ok, so in theory, these nails are fun and cool and shit, in practice, and let me tell you I PRACTICED, they didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. The process was to paint the nail the dark blue and when it was almost dry, press a piece of jean material onto the paint to leave an indentation that I would later paint with a lighter blue... like jeans? Not so much. lol every time I pressed the jean into the paint, it smeared, and I'd have to repaint the nail and start the process over. ARGH! :-P Anyway, I wasn't about to give up... and finally managed to get all 10 nails done, and mind you, they're not perfect, but I tried...thats what counts, right?!



I used Charlotte Russe nail polish in Rocker as a base, with the jeans pressed into it, and Essie Sag Harbor brushed with dry brush against the grooves from the jean. For the copper rivets, I used Urban Vibe nail polish in Charged from Wet Seal, for the seams, I used China Glaze Liquid Leather, and Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest
for the stitching. For the Levi's tag, I used China Glaze Salsa with China Glaze White on White for the lettering.

Hope you like? :-P

New Illustrations!

Let me know your thoughts!

CORNY 3

Here are more photos of this painting in progress.

My husband told me to add more yellows in the corner. After this stage he said “I see you added more yellow in that corner, looks more like corn now.”
Well, guess what – I did NOT add yellow! After more of the painting was completed it simply affected the way the rest of the painting looked.
I think this is one of the hardest things to realize – that everything you do affects the rest of the painting and you just have to BE PATIENT to see how it all works out!

Eight

I found these great wooden candlestick holders. There are 8 of them all together. Here is the first one I have completed. I am hoping to finish some more this weekend. I will finish them off by using a gloss archival finishing spray. They will be similar but will not be exact, that way you could use just one, or have similar ones for a set. These may go to Artfest with me.

Brian Mitchell:Hall of Famer?

When Brian Mitchell retired from football after the 2003 season, he was the all-time leader in all-purpose yards. (He has since been passed by Jerry Rice, the Hall of Fame receiver.) The question is, will Mitchell have a shot at the Hall?
Mitchell gained 23,316 total yards in his career. The problem is that approximately 19,000 of those yards came from punt and kick returns (of which he is the career leader in each). He only gained a little over 4,000 yards on offense.
He also holds 19 NFL records and is tied for one more. Does this merit a Hall of Fame induction?
I am a Hall elitist, but I say Mitchell deserves enshrinement. I have my doubts that he will get the honor however, especially considering that other deserving players (like Ray Guy, the best punter ever) have been excluded.
When I met Mitchell at the Ultimate Collectibles Show, I talked to him about his career and the Hall of Fame. Mitchell was modest, but said his numbers will speak for themselves and it is up to the judges to decide. I told him I would give him the nod.
I understand he was a specialist, but football needs to recognize that special teams are part of the game and should get the same attention as offense and defense. Kicker Jan Stenerud is really the only pure special teams player to be in Canton.
I don't know if Mitchell will ever get the call, but he is a Hall of Famer to Johngy's Beat.

Brian Mitchell and me in Oaks, PA-October 2009.

From all my heart !

Yes with this manicure i am giving away a piece of my heart to my beloved reader :)
Wow, i guess this is the most "Hearty" manicure i ever had.
I realized that i missed stamping a lot, recently i was all about hand painting,m that have not done much of the Konad.
I am eying really hard all those new image plates available at OC Nails - they are delightful, i should definitely get it.

The Decade's Top 10 Plastic Surgery Stories

Plastic Surgery News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, has released their Top 10 Plastic Surgery Stories of the Decade. Here they are:
1. Face Transplantation Becomes a Reality
2. Silicone Implants Return
3. Plastic Surgery and Reality TV
4. Botox Launches Minimally Invasive Trend
5. The Next Generation of Soft Tissue Fillers Arrive
6. High Profile Deaths Raise Patient Safety Awareness
7. Plastic Surgery Goes to Washington
8. Post-Bariatric Boom
9. Increase in Office-Based Surgery
10. Medical Tourism

In general I would agree with all of these. The field of plastic surgery has changed immensely in the past 10 years. I look forward to seeing how plastic surgery will be different in 2020!

By the way, I would add #11: Dr. Youn's popular Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery blog debuts. ;)

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Cover: Dogbreath Fanzine #22

Here's a quick one - the cover for the latest Strontium Dogs fanzine, 'Dogbreath':


This was a pure painting job in Photoshop, using a bit of reference to get the pose correct. I was going for a Frazetta/ Starblazer feel - sort of late 70's/ 80's vibe. Ace.

Apologies for the use of the word 'vibe' but I feel it's suited here.

Dogbreath is run by my good friends at Futurequake, Bolt-01 and others, who'll be selling this issue and plenty of other interesting reads at the up-coming Hi-Ex comic convention this March.

Note: I shall be a guest at said 'Con - very much looking forward to it!

Back to business, here's the plain version:


Hope you like, I feel I made some real headway in the direction I want to push myself with this piece.

Steampunk Jewelry Twitter Giveaway

Steampunk Jewelry Twitter Giveaway


I'm almost at 40000 followers on Twitter .
This is a giveaway to celebrate this Upcoming Milestone .

How to enter :

1 . Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/SteampunkRings + leave a comment here with your Twitter link .

Get more Entries :

2 Entries . Tweet about the Giveaway :
@SteampunkRings : Steampunk Jewelry Twitter Giveaway : http://tinyurl.com/Etsygiveaway #Etsy

Max : 1 tweet per day .

2 Entries per tweet . Tweet about Me : Send a tweet with the Mention : @Steampunkrings + a link your favorite piece of jewelry in my Etsy Shop : www.CatherinetteRings.Etsy.com

Max : 1 tweet per day .

The Prize :
100$ shopping spree

On the 14th of February i will announce the winner here !

The winner is

@SeventhDice

Congratulation !!!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade CatherinetteRings.etsy.com

PERFECTLY PINK

This is my "perfectly pink" client. She loooooves pink so these nails are perfect for her. I custom mixed a glitter just for her. I named the glitter mix "cindie". Super cute nails for a super cute client!

These nails are acrylic in shocking pink and nebula. This client was a little shocked by the shocking pink but I think this might just be the start of her future pink nails.

Crimi-Nails.

Day 108

Something tells me I need to lay off the NCIS marathons... and CSI... and Criminal Minds... and... well you get the idea. I'm a crime show junkie. Today's nails are my simplest yet I think, but they're definitely one of my favorites. :-P



I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff as a base, with a mix of Zoya Dakota, Zoya Angelina, and China Glaze Salsa to get a blood color.

All I did to get this look is dab my fingertip in the red paints, blot on paper til I saw clear prints, then press my fingertip on the white nail. :-P Easy crime scene. :-D

Costa Mesa Vans Store Grand Opening With Vans Athletes

On Saturday, February 6th we are opening a new store in Costa Mesa, CA. Come out and get autographs from Vans pros- Christian Hosoi, Omar Hassan and Jeff Grosso. We will also have the What If? Skate Bus complete with half pipe for you to skate and tons of giveaways and prizes from Vans and Rockstar.

Divas on Display

One cool part of conventions is when the celebrity guests mingle with each other. This usually presents photo opportunities featuring rare combinations of celebs. I actually stumbled into one such occasion at the Ultimate Collectibles Show in Oaks (PA).

I had basically finished all of my work and was meandering towards the exit. The aisle in front of me was unusually clogged. I thought a big new celeb had arrived.
As I worked my way through the mob, I saw seven wrestling divas (past and present) assembled for a group photo. As I explained earlier, this was a rare chance to get a group photo of so many divas from the WWE, WCW and TNA. The ladies gladly posed as fan after fan captured the moment. Everyone wanted to get a picture of this Diva All-Star team.

Stacy Carter, Traci Brooks, Christy Hemme, Jackie Gayda-Haas, ODB, Georgie Frankenstein and SoCal Val in Oaks, PA-October 2010.

Below the Waves Their Voice is Song, Above the Waves It Sounds So Wrong!

Day 107

No more nerd nails!! (at least for a while) I'm sure some of you are relieved!! :-P I guess this post COULD be considered nerdy, if not only the title, since it's a Harry Potter reference to the merpeople. Anyway... Ever since I bought Hard Candy Break Up, I've totally thought it looked like fish scales, so naturally, last night, when I decided to do a mermaid theme, I HAD to use it, and I have to say, even though there's only a bit here and there, it looks like the light is reflecting off of the scales!



I used:

Thumb:

Sally Hansen Envy Frost (got at Dollar Tree- can't find a link to purchase any online!!) :( as a base, with Hard Candy Break Up over it, http://www.artofbeauty.com/scrpt/scr.dll/Item?Item=1869&brand=2&d=Zoya_Nail_Polish_|_Suvi applied with Konad Plate m57 for the scale lines, Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 for the belly, and Zoya Dea for the belly button. Zoya Envy was used for the waist. :)

Index:

Sally Hansen Funky Frost (another Dollar Tree purchase- and no online link to be found) as a base, Hard Candy Break Up over it, then with Sinful Colors What's Your Name sponged on the tips and a bit on the sides. For the scales, I used China Glaze DV8 applied with Konad Plate m57. Next, I used Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 for the belly, Zoya Dea for the belly button, and China Glaze Metallic Muse for the waist, which was also outlined with China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Middle:

Zoya Juno as a base with Zoya Savita matte sponged on the tip and sides, and Hard Candy Break Up on top of that. For the scales, I applied Zoya Pippa with Konad Plate m57. Next, I used Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 for the belly, Zoya Dea for the belly button, and OPI Parlez Vous OPI? for the waist, outlined in China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Ring:

MAC Phosphor as a base, with Urban Outfitters Orange 2 sponged on the tip and sides, and Hard Candy Break Up over that. For the scales, I mixed China Glaze Salsa and Urban Outfitters Orange 2 on Konad Plate m57. Next, I used Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 for the belly, Zoya Dea for the belly button, and Urban Outfitters Orange 2 outlined in China Glaze Salsa for the waist.

Pinky:

Zoya Jo as a base, with American Apparel Mount Royal sponged on the tip and sides, and Hard Candy Break Up over that. Next, I used Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 for the belly, Zoya Dea for the belly button, for the scales, I used China Glaze Millennium applied with Konad Plate m57, then used American Apparel Mount Royal for the waist, with China Glaze Liquid Leather for the lines.

Everything was topped off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat. :)

sssshhhhhh

friday 29.01.10

Sometimes there is this roar of a thousand voices that

thunders in your ears, and sometimes it just seems

that there is.

Can you imagine an international day of silence?

I'd be happy to keep quiet for a day

and  kick in a dozen pendants

 like this one if

someone wants to organize it.
Let me know, meantime...

pendant hand made original

on recycled timber with

46cm antique bronze chain and matching clasp

KC/DC Skate Night TONIGHT!

Anthony Acosta Mag Minute!

Literati Glitterati

This is a new series on celebrity authors.

Rick Telander played football at Northwestern and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1971. Although he was cut during training camp, that experience would again come to life years later when Telander wrote Like A Rose.
Shortly after being cut, he wrote a piece for the Peoria Journal-Star about the experience. Then he wrote to Sports Illustrated and pitched the story, calling himself "a writer". He was a writer afterall and he would make a nice career from his writing abilities
Telander's first book was Heaven is a Playground, which recounted Telander's time on the city playgrounds of New York. Telander has written many other books, of which Like a Rose is my favorite.
Thirty years after his experience with the Chiefs, Telander found his old notebook, which he kept while in training camp. Telander reproduced those notes and interspersed his thoughts today. This produces an interesting look at Telander and life, then and now.
Telander pondered why he kept a notebook during camp. That wasn't common practice among NFL hopefuls. Perhaps that was the genesis of being a real writer.
Telander compares football to ballet in its' beauty. He also compares it to life. However, when Telander compares himself from then to now and himself then to his son now, he is at his introspective best.
Telander looks up his old coach and reflects on their relationship. Again, he juxtaposes that with his relationship with his own kids, especially his football-playing son.
Telander is obviously bright and articulate, but he still has that passion when discussing football. The difference is that the passion is coupled with knowledge and experience and balanced by the passion for his family.
This book is filled with humor, insight and passion. It's a book full of reflection and love. It's also a book about football. That mixture producers a fantastic read!

Mike Sensibaugh and Rick Telander in KC Chiefs training camp-Summer 1971.

New nails and ring

This is what i came up yesterday . I really love love love the colors and the design, especially how it is on the ring, however it looks for me, like i need longer nails to really pull it off.
I ll keep the ring and do this design again, on longer nails

On my Bamboo tablet

As I mentioned in my previous post I have been working on my new Wacom tablet, "Bamboo". So far, I have learned how I can write text on photos and import and export them to blogger. My tablet came with Adobe Photoshop elements, which I am also trying to learn. I am thinking that I must be able to create the same writing with my tablet and pen inside of Photoshop, instead of working inside Windows journal. It's all very confusing for me,,, but I am learning it. If you have any thoughts on this I would love to hear them.

I bought the book "Teach Yourself Visually Adobe Photoshop Elements". I love these books, since I am a visual learner and learn by doing. There are many Teach Yourself Visually books out there. If you are a visual (and slow learner) like me you might give them a try.

On my learning list,,,, to be able to create my signature.