The Nail Polish Blogger Connection Linkup

Good morning! The members of the facebook group I am in, The Nail Polish Blogger Connection, are participating in a linkup to share information about themselves and their blog and to learn about each other as well. I thought it sounded fun, so I'm throwing myself in the mix. Each blogger will be adding themself to the linkup at the end of this post, so keep checking back to meet more of them!

Kawaii Kitty Nails

I decided to answer some general questions from the facebook group to introduce myself to anyone here who has never visited my blog:

What is the focus of your blog? (Nail art, stamping, swatching, blended, etc.)

Mostly nail art, but I do occasional swatching and reviews as well. I really love doing freehand nail art, but find little time these days. I do a lot of stamping, too with another group I joined on facebook.

Floral Nail Art

What made you start blogging?
I started by posting pictures of my nails on instagram and pinterest, but pinterest seemed pointless without being able to provide a link, or something to provide more information about my mani. I found loads of nail art from the now vanished Chloe's Nails, and thought I could jump in and make a blog too. I never expected anyone to actually read it besides my mom and maybe a few other family members and friends, but other people from all over the internet made the occasional comment, so I decided I had to step it up and really jump into the whole blogging thing. Now here I am!

This was one of my first manis!

What keeps you blogging?
I guess just the desire to share what I do. The thought that I should stop blogging crosses my mind very frequently...sadly. But every time I take a break (usually for less than 2 weeks), I wind up feeling that need to make something pretty on my nails and before I know it, I'm cropping photos and writing another post! I also feel like I'm a part of the nail polish community and I can't just leave. Countless others have, but I guess feeling like I cannot part ways just means it is not my time yet.

Bees & Flowers mani

What other blogs were/are inspirational to you?

My favorites from the beginning were Nailside, The Nailasaurus, Dressed Up Digits, and Let Them Have Polish. Sadly, only two of those blogs are still up and running (thanks for sticking around, Laurie & Sammy!), and many more have cropped up that I absolutely love. The Crumpet, for example, and Pshiit and Nail Polish Wars, are good ones that I discovered a little later. I wish I could channel a combination of the writing power of The Crumpet and the beautiful nail art and photography of Pshiit - if I could my blog would be Ah-maz-ing! It is a great thing to aspire to, anyway. :)

A mani I did inspired by Nailside

What advice would you give to someone just starting a nail blog?
There is a very big sea of nail blogs these days. It can feel very overwhelming, and hopeless. I am not in it for the fame, and certainly not for the fortune. While it is nice to get a new follower here and there, and fantastic to build up a good rapport with other bloggers, sometimes there is greater satisfaction in admiring your handiwork, and not worrying about what others think about it. I have to remind myself of that a lot, so I think it is an important thing to think about when you start a blog. I have never been in this for any reason other than my own enjoyment. On the flipside, if your aim is the fame and fortune, you will need to do a lot of research to find yourself in the ranks of the greatest nail bloggers. It is a hard place to get to, but I have seen a lot of people do it in a relatively short amount of time. Don't ever give up no matter which direction you choose to go.

Stained glass nails

What is your polish Holy Grail? (deliberately left vague...)
I feel as though in the past I would have picked something else here, but I think my new favorite is definitely OPI Nail Envy. It has really helped me to keep my nails nice and long, and I experience a lot less breaks than I used to. I luurrve it.

Dotting mani

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what one item would you take with you?
Hmmm...well as much as I would like to put something nailpolish related here, I think I would take some form of entertainment. And if this is an ideal world, and it is because I'm making it up, that form of entertainment would be my husband. He is hilarious, and a great storyteller. Plus, cuddles. :P

One of my hubby's favorites

What else would you like to share about your blog?

Hmmm...my poor blog has been so neglected lately, I'm not sure what to share here. I always wanted my blog to have some special THING, but it really never happened for me. I have thought about linking nail art and gaming more exclusively, but sometimes I just want pretty, or artsy, or vampy, or glitter. Haha, but I guess if you are into video games, I have done a lot of video game themed nail art. I would like to do more in the future, but find myself pressed for time. And nail art based on video games tends to be time consuming. ;)

To end, can you share a link or two to a couple of posts that you're especially proud of?

How about some video game nails, plus pretty, artsy, and glitter!

Child of Light Nail Art
Minecraft Nails (above)
Tomb Raider Nails!!!
Xbox Controller Nails
Skyrim Nail Art
Betsey Johnson Floral Nail Art
Oil Painting Nail Art
Stamping + Glitter

Check out the other bloggers in the Nail Polish Blogger Connection here:

An InLinkz Link-up