Look What The Cat Dragged In.

So I've been out of the game for a while...

Time to give y'all the lowdown.

In April I started back at The Electric Circus here in Edinburgh as Karaoke Manager. I was a waitress here waaaay back when I moved to Edinburgh and loved working the late nights, the partying, the people, and most importantly, the work itself. Now fast forward three years and I have an amazing team and kept VERY busy. It's a huge jump upwards in responsibility compared to any job I've ever done before but I'm thriving on it, working in a venue so unique to the point that no two days are the same is EXCITING.

I also made the decision to drop out of university. I've been unhappy for a very long time due to not enjoying the course (not to say that other's haven't) and decided that it was time to break myself away from it. I still hope to go on to study Journalism at a later date, whenever that may be, but for now it, and that particular course, is not right for me. And the second I decided that was that, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Now I finally feel that I can start looking forwards.

I suppose that's the main reason this slipped, it's hard to keep yourself motivated to do even what you love doing most when you're unhappy and in a rut. But now I'm settled, I'm happy, and it's time to get this back on track.

I was lucky enough, even with my keeping quiet and taking a bit of time out, to still be offered to take part in Scotcampus's Today I'm Wearing segment for a week recently. (Thank you Aileen for giving me a much needed kick up the arse and reigniting everything that I'd let burn out.)

What next? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

You've been warned.

D x

Getting My Claws into CutieCool Nails.

I am a nail-biter.
It's one of the most embarrassing habits to admit to, after years of the excuses of 'like, yeah, my nails just don't grow how weird is that?' to 'they're just brittle and break into these blatantly nibbled stubs.'
Stopping biting my nails has been my new year's resolution every year since I was about 9. Every method you can think of to stop yerself chomping away I have tried it and probably tried it again. Stop n Grow? Chewed through it. Covering every finger with plasters? Took them off because I looked MENTAL. Even trying to find something to distract myself with didn't work as I'd bite them when I wasn't even realising I was.

It's frustrating seeing Instagram littered with pals showing off their amazing new nails they've just had done or seeing incredible nail art and having to go 'well I can't do that.' Even worse, after slamming my hand in a door I have a heave worthy half nail meaning I ALWAYS wear nail polish to disguise that I have hands like Gollum.

When I went to the Miss Dixiebelle relaunch I was gifted the goodie bag to end all goodie bags with exclusive vouchers to treat and pamper myself with, one of which was for the CutieCool Nails bar in Miss Dixiebelle itself.

Zara's work is unreal, it only takes one look through her instagram to see some before/after shots, half moon manicures that no vintage loving girl could resist and the one that grabbed my interest the most - remedial nail treatments. Photo's on her website www.cutiecoolnails.com has a whole section dedicated to nail biters and treatments she offers and to my surprise there were a helluva lot worse than me; it was time for kitty to get her claws.

So here are my hands of shame. Absolutely hingin'. The plan of action was to use 'Backscratchers powder glaze acrylic extensions.' Now unlike some nail extension methods this doesn't require any roughening/dehydrating of the nail plate, they simply apply and build up from the natural nail. This means that even once they are removed the nail underneath should still be in good condition, and most importantly for us nail-biters GROWING without being nibbled at!

90 minutes later and VOILA. They didn't even seem like MY HANDS. And for those who think that that seems like a long time, there is no more fabulous feeling than sitting getting your nails done amongst the glamour of the Miss Dixiebelle vintage beauty parlour with old time swing playing in the background. I had the extensions filed into a classic almond shape and opted out of getting shellac on them, just so I could paint them different colours, use nails decals etc after really having proper nails for the first time ever!

 I settled for a nice pale polish to have them finished off with and I am delighted. I can't stop tapping my nails against everything and casually putting my hand up near my face at any given opportunity so that someone may notice my beeeeaautiful nail transformation. I can't wait to go back in a couple of weeks to have them reshaped and the gap where my nails have grown filled in, and this time I'm thinking some emerald green shellac as well.

THANK YOU ZARA!
www.cutiecoolnails.com
@cutiecoolnails

Dayna x