Possible spoilers for Karen, and lots of coats of glitter

Here is Shelby topped with Big City Dazzle, not that you can really tell much about the latter: 

I can't remember at what point in the process I took this picture, but I was in experimenting mode, and after some FIVE coats of BCD, I also later pulled out one of the Color Theory pink glitters that I had never tried, and added a couple of coats of that, on top of the rest. There's so many coats of nail polish in this mani (ten, I think, counting base coat) that it's a wonder it hasn't just peeled off in sheets. So far so good, though, and as far as I can tell all the Color Theory added was some extra shinyness.


I'm really kidding about the spoiler business in the title, because Karen has had the box I sent her for our swap for several days now, and although she's been terrifically busy this week, I gather, still, I assume she's had time to open it by now, and it's "safe" for me to post my picture of what I sent her for my half of our swap:

(I didn't crop this because I thought you might be interested to see what I've been taking my pictures on lately. It's the lid of a plastic box. Hey, it works!)

So this is (L-R across top row & then the bottom):

• Funky Monkey
• OK 1 More Margarita
• Morning, Moneypenny (in its box - this entry has pictures of my bottles and magnets unboxed, if you are curious about the contents)
• Fantasy Makers black mini (which was just a bonus thing; I suspect Karen may already have one but I found it and thought it was cute, so I threw it in)
• Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
• Hot Mess
• Is that Silva? (in box)

She picked out the Orchid colors, from the pictures I took. She sent me five names, thinking that would be more than enough in case they were out of something, but then my HEB store decided to start its BOGO sale early and I was able to get four of the five for half-price, and they didn't have the fifth one. I mentioned hunting for something for her, a few entries back, and that was the elusive fifth polish, but I went to all of the other stores near me and didn't find it. It was "It's Definitely You Not Me" - which is a very packed-looking glitter that you can see in one of the pictures here. But meanwhile she realized I had mentioned finding the Skyfall magnetics, and I ended up buying those for her instead of worrying about more Orchids. We figured out what I ended up spending over and above the cost of the four Gumdrops she had already bought me, and she is sending me something equivalent. I trust her to come up with something cool. (She offered to send money; I offered to let her send money if coming up with the "something cool" was a problem, but she said it wasn't, and I figured I'd really rather have the surprise!) (Karen and I have known each other for more than 10 years now, I guess, and although we rarely meet in person since we live in distant states from one another, we have shopped together - and made quilts together - over the years, and I figure she knows me well enough to come up with something I'll like.)