Rachel R. Smith's Blog, page 11
March 14, 2016
Remember the Pansies? And a Goodreads Giveaway!
Remember back in January when I found a cluster of pansies blooming in my garden? I am happy to say that they have officially survived the winter!
Not only did they survive, they brought reinforcements!
One of these things is not like the others…Also, for those of you who use Goodreads: a giveaway just started today for a chance to win a paperback copy of Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror. Click through the widget below to go to Goodreads and enter! The giveaway is running today through March 22. And if you don’t win this time, don’t get discouraged! There will be at least two more giveaways in the weeks leading up to the release of book 3.Good luck!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Reflection
by Rachel R. Smith
Giveaway ends March 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
March 13, 2016
Nail Polish Sunday #8
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already that time again–Nail Polish Sunday! Since I’ve been focusing on new colors a lot lately, this week I decided to go with a bit of nail art–caviar beads (aka microbeads).
This trend has been around for awhile, but it never quite became as popular as some of the other looks. Based on my experience, there are probably a few reasons for that…
Caveats for Caviar Nails:
If you buy the beads in a kit or bottles specifically marketed as nail art supplies, they tend to be a bit expensive for the amount you get. That was a turn off for me for awhile–until I found out you can get the same microbeads at the craft supply store in greater quantity for less cost!
While the actual application of the beads is super easy, this manicure is high maintenance. I’ve gotten them to last–at most–about two days before the beads shed like mad.
However, it’s still a really unique look, so if you want something to wear for a special occasion, caviar nails are a good option.
Since the beads tend to shed easily, I prefer to apply only to one nail as an accent rather than to all ten. Most of the time, people tend to paint their index fingernail as the accent, but I would recommend not doing that for this type of manicure. If you’re like me and you use your index fingernail like a Swiss army knife, you’ll just end up knocking the beads off even faster than normal. So, I chose to make my accent nail the ring finger on each hand.
The first step is to apply the base coat and nail color as normal. I’ve chosen Orly Charged Up, which is a deep purple creme.
When you’re ready for top coat, that’s when you want to add the microbeads. I use a slightly thicker than normal layer of top coat. Before you get into the beads, be sure you put something underneath first to catch them! Pour the beads over top of the nail as quickly as possible after application of the top coat. They should stick immediately. Gently tap them down to secure them in place (you won’t need to press hard at all) and then you’re done. Don’t bother topping the beads with top coat–it distracts from the texture and only makes them peel off in one big layer.
Here’s the final appearance:
In two weeks, the easiest French manicure you’ll ever do, courtesy of Femme Fatal Love Potion!
March 10, 2016
*pssst!* Free Ebook Promo is Today!
Hey, bookworms! As I mentioned in Monday’s post, Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror (Records of the Ohanzee Book 1) will be available for free on Amazon until midnight today (3/10). Get your copy before it turns back into a pumpkin midnight PST to take advantage of the special promo!
Here’s the direct link to the book on Amazon.
March 7, 2016
Peace Offering…
The release date for Book 3 is rapidly approaching. Ok. I know May is still a couple months away, and that feels like a long time to wait when you’re looking forward a book release (been there, done that, eagerly anticipating a few releases myself at the moment!). But, on the author side of book releases, that time will fly by in a whirlwind of writing, editing, revising, proofreading, and formatting.
So there are a couple big posts I’ve been looking forward to writing that are going to have to wait a little while longer. Don’t worry, the surprise coming on March 17th is definitely still on! I just won’t be able to be quite as active here as usual–but I’ll still be sure to post at least once or twice a week to keep everyone up to date on progress.
In the meantime, I have a few peace offerings:
First, a little sneak peek at book 3: Titles for Chapters 4-8
Second, this Thursday, March 10, the ebook edition of Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror will be available as a free download through Amazon. I’ll make a reminder post on Thursday with a direct link too!
Third, for Sumo’s many fans, a picture of him looking particularly cute.
Now back to writing!
March 3, 2016
My Blog’s First Fan Art!
Recently, I was presented with the very first work of fan art from a fan of this blog. The focus here is supposed to be the Records of the Ohanzee series, so you may be asking “Which character is the subject?” Well, as it turns out, the subject isn’t a character from the series at all.
My furry companion has, apparently, stolen the show yet again. Sumo has a developed devoted following within my mom’s first grade class, and his unofficial fan club now has 25 five-, six-, and seven-year-olds as its members. Sumo sends barks and licks as his sincerest thanks, dear fans!
So without further ado, I present the artwork you’ve all been waiting for:
I can see the resemblance, can’t you?
We’re very interested in the birdie turf war taking place on the bird feeder outside the window today. It seems the woodpeckers are winning…
March 1, 2016
Hint, hint…A Saint Patrick’s Day Surprise…
Happy March 1! We have successfully navigated our way through the doldrums of February and it’s time to greet “in like a lion, out like a lamb” March. That means that the “greenest” day of the year, St. Patrick’s Day, is also rapidly approaching. And in honor of the holiday, I plan to share something green with all of you.
Curious? Here’s a hint:
No Thorns here…You’ll find out the answer on March 17th!
February 28, 2016
Nail Polish Sunday #7
It’s that time yet again, Nail Polish Sunday! As promised last time, today I’m finally going to share about the polishes I ordered from Live, Love, Polish. I found out about Live, Love, Polish in a sidebar ad while randomly browsing the tiny place that is the internet. Though I don’t usually click on ads, the polishes in the photographs brought out my inner raccoon in a way that I was completely helpless to suppress. Seriously, fellow nail polish lovers, just look at these polishes and try to resist.
I didn’t know anything about the site initially, so I hunted around to find some reviews. A quick Google search didn’t turn up a ton of them, but the ones I did come across were very good. So let me throw my metaphorical hat into the ring. Live, Love, Polish is great! Unfortunately, one of the colors I originally picked was out of stock, but customer service contacted me promptly with the news.They were very responsive in updating my order to substitute another color, and did give me the choice to refund the cost of the sold out bottle if I didn’t want to substitute. (Since I had to cull my initial “want list” down from 10 bottles to a reasonable 3, I had no trouble picking a substitute!) I was 100% satisfied with how the transaction was handled.
Then we get to shipping. Most of the time when I order polish over the internet, the bottles come bubble wrapped inside a box, or in a padded envelope. I’ve only ever had one issue with a broken bottle with that type of packaging. so it’s not a terrible way to go. However, Live, Love, Polish goes above and beyond with their packaging. See the picture below:
Cute, right? Easy to tell where that box came from. And it even got a bit manhandled along the way. Were my polishes ok? Wait until you see the inside:
How could they not be?! Each polish was snugly, and individually, packed between the foam. They also came in gorgeous boxes, but by the time I stopped to think about taking pictures, I had already shredded them in my excitement to get to the actual bottles. ^_^;
Here are the three polishes I bought:
Blessing, Eclipse, NeutrinoToday, I did my manicure with Fun Lacquer Blessing. It’s a beautiful blue/green/purple multichrome.
I admit, I was a little bit skeptical as to whether or not it would be as pretty in person as it was in the bottle and the photographs. I’ve excitedly bought many multichrome polishes in the past only to be disappointed. That was not the case with Blessing. It is the best multichrome polish I have ever owned/worn. Covers completely in 2 coats, and the color change is even more apparent on the nail than in the bottle.
Love, love, love! Has anyone else ordered from Live, Love, Polish? Any color recommendations to share?
February 22, 2016
I’m Amphibious too! Or, Why It’s Important to Cover Your Bases When Editing…
This is somewhat old news, but it’s new news to me–and funny enough to be worth sharing. Last summer, the East Oregonian printed an article about Pat Venditte, a pitcher for the Oakland A’s. The title read as thus:
Image credit: Snopes.comThis, of course, inevitably led to a flurry of “froggy” responses like this one:
and, even one from the newspaper itself. Lesson learned. Editing is a painful, tedious process, but it can save you from toad-ally embarrassing mistakes! (But saving you from lame puns? Not so much. ^_-)
PS-Fun fact: I made an indirect reference to this in my previous post, but, apparently I’m “amphibious” too! It’s a handy talent, but, heaven help me, I constantly confuse which direction is left and which is right. The advice,”Just remember ‘right’ is your dominant hand,” doesn’t work for me. It’s an unending source of amusement for Hubby. >_<
February 18, 2016
Change of Venue
Today I’ve decided to relocate from my usual writing perch on the couch and have set up camp on the dining room table. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s winter and there aren’t too many places I can escape to for a change of scenery. Sometimes you need a change of perspective to freshen things up!
I wonder if the screen is clear enough to read the text? Hmm…Music to write by today: Norn9 game music soundtrack (the game itself is great too, if you’re into visual novels!)
Drinking: Paromi Coconut Almond black tea
My writing notebook also conveniently doubles as a mouse pad. XD And, yes, it is supposed to be on the left-hand side of the computer.
Sumo, on the other hand, is not a big fan of the change. He greatly prefers snuggling up on the couch to laying on the floor with the chair legs. At least he has his trusty Blue Dog to keep him company.
Sorry, buddy. I won’t make a habit of it!
February 14, 2016
Nail Polish Sunday #6
It’s that time again, Nail Polish Sunday! If you read my last nail polish post, you may remember I had planned on showing the polishes that I got from Live, Love, Polish this week. However, I came across a new color yesterday and loved it so much that it totally derailed those plans. I’ll come back to those next time!
On to this week: The color that captured my attention is Solar Flare from the Formula X Liquid Crystals collection. I’m not sure of all the places where Formula X is sold, but I got my bottle from Sephora.
Why is it that photographs so rarely do nail polish colors any justice? This is an amazing shade of watermelon red with shimmering flecks within. One of those rare colors that is not at all similar to any others I own. Looking at it makes me crave Friendly’s Watermelon Sherbet, which is actually kind of terrible since all the local Friendly’s have closed.
But I still have pretty nail polish to keep me company, so it’s alright. ^_-
