DIY - How to Identify Your Nail Polish!

Hey everyone!  Sorry I was a little late on the nail challenge post today, I had school all day.  But I also did a little project afterwards that I wanted to share with ya'll.  

A while back, I got this little "kit" with like soap, perfume, bubble bath and other little things like that in it.  I've used all the stuff and have ended up with the cute little carrier it came in (above).  The other day, I was packing up my nail polish to take to my friend's house and I was like "hey!  I can use my little case for my nail polish!" and so now that's what I use it for :)  Anyway, I noticed yesterday that if I want a certain color I have to pull out bottle after bottle looking for the color I wanted.  It's a little time consuming so I decided to fix that today!  I made a little tutorial for it, which is below.

First, take a piece of cardstock, (paper will work as well, but the final product will not be as great) and write down all the names of your nail polish.  If you have 10 colors, there should be 10 names.  I have 28.

Next, take each color and paint a little swatch of it under the name that matches.  For example, I have a bottle of nail polish that's the color red and it's named "siren".  So up at the top, fourth from the left, I wrote "siren" and underneath it I painted a little bit of red.  Do this with every color (except clear)

After the swatches of paint are dry, go through with a hole punch and punch a hold in each swatch.  DO NOT THROW AWAY THE LITTLE CIRCLES THAT COME OUT!  THESE ARE WHAT YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH!  

I noticed three things while I was doing this...

1.  I have a lot of pink and blue nail polish.

2.  The closer I got to the end, the bigger my paint swatches were.

3.  It is very tedious trying to keep up with a bunch of little circles falling out of a hole punch.

As I punched holes, I took each one and just placed it on top of the bottle of nail polish it matched.  For another example, when I punched a hole in the red (aka siren, second from the left in the picture above) I picked up the little circle and just placed it on top of the lid.

To attach the little circles to the lids, I used a bottle of glue because I couldn't find any tape or gluesticks.  A glue stick would probably be easier, however since I have not tried it I do not know how well it sticks.  Anyway, place a small dot of glue on the lid of your bottle (it doesn't have to be perfectly in the center!) then put the circle on top and press it down.

I also realized just now that I have used my bottle of red polish in almost every picture as an example.  That's weird 'cause I didn't even plan it that way!  :)

Just a couple exceptions, I did not put a colored circle on these two bottles (shown above and below) because they both had a raised symbol on top.  Since they are the only ones I have like that, and they are both different, I know what they are without the color swatch.  I also did not put one on clear because, 1.  you can't see clear on paper, and 2.  my clear has a blue lid, and is the only one I have like that so I also automatically know what it is.

The other bottle with a raised symbol.

Just something else to point out real quick.  I had a few bottles where the sticker with the name and everything was on top of the lid.  I just put the swatch over to the side (as shown above) so that the name was still visible.  That's just what I preferred though, you can do whatever.

Yay!  I can now find all my colors without literally pulling out every bottle, because somehow, when I do that, the one I want is like the very last one I pull out!  :)  Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed this DIY.  Check back tomorrow for the next day of the nail challenge!

... and the results are in!!!

Hey guys!!! Here are some of the creations I entered in the Tennessee Valley Fair this year.  I work on these projects all year round and take 'em down to the fairgrounds every September!!!  They stay on display for about two weeks them I pick them up and bring them home to enjoy!  So here they are!

Painting, "Tree of Life" - First Place:  I did this in a school art class over the course of three-four weeks.  Everyone did something similar to this and all the variations were super cool!

Painting, "Seasons" - Best of Show:  I did this at home over the course of 2-3 weeks.  It is supposed to be kind of "abstract-y" with the four seasons depicted in different sections of the canvas: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall/Autumn.  

Skirt - Best of Show:  I made this at home for Easter.  I think I actually made it over the course of about 2 days because I was so excited to finish my first clothing project on my own ;)

Dress - Best of Show:  This Dress I made at 4-H Sewing Camp this summer.  The Extension Agents put it at the top of the display so it wouldn't get stolen so it is kind of hard to see ;)  I will post a better picture after I get it back.

Photography, Building - Second:  This is the top of a Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic.  I went to Prague back in October (2013) and took this picture while I was there.  I accidentally cut off the top of the tower... I'm actually not sure how that happened ;)

Photography, People - First (the blue ribbon!):  I went outside the day before the drop-off deadline and randomly took this picture.  It actually did pretty good!!!

Baking, White Chocolate/Butterscotch Cookies - Best of Show:  Ok, so the Fair Staff had to change the tag on these cookies I entered.  For some reason they put them in the "lower calorie cookies" category which didn't make sense... These cookies contain 2 sticks of butter, 3 cups of sugar, and a ton of other un-named high calorie ingrediants... I don't think any further explanation to my confusion is necessary ;)

Decorative Bottle - Third:  I made this at a 4-H project group night during the previous "4-H year".  I added the (fake!) flowers to match my room and put it on my dresser.  You can do lots of fun stuff with these and use them for practically anything!!!

Painting, "untitled" - First:  My mom went on a mission trip to Ethiopia back in July.  While she was there, she took a LOT of pictures.  One of them was of an Ethiopian sunset.  I painted the sunset for her birthday in August and "borrowed" it back to enter in the fair ;)

Vest - Second:  Back in the Spring, I was visiting my cousin and we were playing around with some fabric.  We ended up designing and sewing a vest entirely on our own!!!  Sadly, her sewing machine messed up right at the end and we were unable to finish the vests together before I had to go home... but... I brought the piece(s) back with me and finished it to enter!!!  Yay!!!

Cross-stitch - First:  I also started this cross-stitch with my cousin (we do a lot of crafts together ;D) back in the Spring.  I meant to finish it over the Summer but I was so busy with swim team and 4-H camps that I didn't pick it back up until around the middle of August.  The one time this Summer I was able to work on it, I couldn't find the pattern!  ;(  Oh well, it's finished now ;)

Salsa - Didn't place:  This summer I also attended a 4-H canning class.  It was super fun and we learned all the basics of making/canning salsa.  It tastes really good too!!!

Quilt - First:  I made my first quilt this summer at a 4-H summer quilting camp.  I'm telling you, 4-H has camps for EVERYTHING!!!   Seriously!!! ;)  It was super fun learning how to piece the quilt top... the worst part was probably waiting to pick it up from the store where the lady put the design in it!  (I strongly dislike waiting ;D)

Table Top Demonstration: How to Sew a Pillow - Best of Show:  Every year, 4-Her's in the 4-8 grades put together some kind of demonstration on how to do something or informing people of something.  I presented mine at Local level where it then went on to County and won, Regional and won second, then back to County to win again!  (You can't advance to state until high school)  Now, It's on display at the fair... I wonder how many people have touched my pillow in the past 5 days???

Painted Gourd - Second:  I entered my painted gourd over in the adult entry building.  I have pictures of the 4 "sides" (it's round so I don't think it really has sides ;D) at this page (scroll down some).  Here you can pretty much see the bird on one side and part of the tree.  You really have to see the flowers up close to tell what they are.

Hope ya'll enjoyed this post!!!  The fair only comes once a year and I make the most of it when it does come!  Also, you are pretty much getting paid to display your stuff so that is a bonus ;)  More coming soon!!!