Diary of a Manicurist

A fun, silly tribute to the memories I have of someone I'll never get to keep. And I'm totally okay with that. Good Luck Week I met you on my good luck week. You sat there bored in a crowd. Had no idea where you'd take me. Red wine limo ride, the night was wild. Grabbed our bags and we ran from the pack. I was lost in that space in your smile. Haunting the Drake, shakin the Palms. Fuzzy slippers, hotel rooms, airports and pools. I was a hard rockin mess but you made me calm. Tears in my eyes, taxi rides, Thanksgiving sodas. You're always so quiet and cool then you flash me that space in your smile. Hey you. The smile's in your eyes. Chicago, how you light me up. When you say "oh you're gonna." The smell of midwest rain and California skin. Intoxicating, breath-taking Peaceful in the thunderstorm haze, I cherish that cute little space in your smile. My good luck week went on for years. Now you sit there with your cigarette out

I have tons of hand-written journals. Today I was reading through one of them. I stumbled upon one of the most poetic things I've written, though at the time I'm quite sure it wasn't my intention to be artistic. I remember exactly how I felt. I wonder if anyone else has ever felt this way. "Once I had his undivided attention, I became extremely self-conscious. I realized there was nothing I could say or do to impress him or make him like me more than he does, and yet I was getting sucked into the spiraling vortex of his beauty and energy. I felt as though I were dying slowly and yet needing his very presence beside me every second just to stay breathing. When he's near me, I need him like air and I want to be with him every second, every breath forever. Yet knowing I can't be with him is the heaviest suffocating choking pain." Wow. I guess I should put my old journals away and go exercise or something.

This afternoon while grilling veggies on the balcony, I turned on the TV to find Grease 2 playing. Most won't agree with me but I liked the second Grease movie better than the first. The first Grease by far had the best music, I'll give ya that. The music in Grease 2 was indeed a little wimpy, but for me it wasn't about the music. To this day I still don't like motorcycles, and for me Grease 2 wasn't about the bikes either. It was about a man who was smart enough, determined enough and creative enough to do whatever it took to win a special girl's heart. In 1982, the romantic 12 year old that I was completely fell for actor Maxwell Caulfield's tough, smart and dreamy character Michael. Michael was everything a man is supposed to be. So, there I sat on my sofa with my grilled veggies, butterflies in my stomach, feeling like I was 12 again, wishing God would make my life into a Grease 3. So, what would MY "cool rider" be like? He would definately pla

Since April I've been feverishly practicing a new trendy nail service called Minx Nails. I'm proud to say that I'm one of only a handful of nail technicians in the Las Vegas area providing the service! Minx has positioned themself in the industry as couture for nails. Minx nails are the green alternative to nail polish, made of a flexible film that is not a liquid and does not use any hazardous chemicals during application. Minx requires no drying time, doesn't smudge or chip and there are no fumes! Removing Minx is easy and will not damage your nails when removed properly ! Minx is sold to professionals only and is applied to either natural or artificial nails with the use of a heat source, much like the shrink wrap advertising you see on cars. Minx toenails are my specialty and should last at least 4 weeks or longer! Minx fingernails are best left for special occasions as they only last a couple days for the average 9-to-5 working mom. Some ladies can manage to sq

Hello loyal readers! I'm excited to tell you that I've made a special guest appearance at: http://www.hauteshots.net/blog/ ! Stacie did a fun little photo shoot of me last week and asked me to be a guest blogger on her website. In this blog I wrote a little about my career and explain the new Minx Nails trend. Also, feel free to stop by my salon's humble Myspace page and add us as a friend: www.myspace.com/dhairtobedifferent

After 17 years of doing nails, I've run across some ridiculously easy home remedies for dry cuticles, heels and skin in general. 1) olive oil 2) lip balm/chap stick One of the most important things I learned from my years of working with Aveda is why some moisturizers work and some don't: molecule size. Any moisturizing product made with a synthetic ingredient like mineral oil or petroleum is nearly the most useless thing you can buy unless you're looking to prevent chaffing or wind burn. Plant oils/plant-based ingredients are the answer. The reason why is that plant oils have a much smaller molecular structure than mineral/petroleum oils. The smaller the molecule, the deeper it can absorb into the skin. Some plant oils, like jojoba, are so similar to our skin's natural oil that they can help dryed out skin repair itself. Mineral oils just sit on the surface of the skin and can sometimes end up drying it out even more. So that's why no matter how much you reapp