Iso

How's iso going for you?

As someone who has worked at home for a few years, to begin with, it was pretty much business as usual - but it is rapidly becoming a bit like Ground Hog Day. Is it Monday; is it Friday? Who would know. And does it even matter?

However, there has been some unexpected tolls  - namely my nails.  Pre-iso, I had them done every 2-3 weeks for that 'polished professional' look, but look at them now! Chipped, peeling, uneven - and nude!!

Today :(

Early in iso   

That, my friends, is not only the result of scraping off your own shellac but also:

• Excessive hand washing
• Cleaning windows - inside and out
• Gardening - mowing, weeding, whipper-snippering
• Ironing (an activity I've not partaken in for literally years - I'd forgotten how perversely satisfying it is to have ironed tea towels in the drawer - although when I noticed I was ironing a running T-shirt, I knew it was time to unplug...)
• Cleaning out and rearranging cupboards
• Bathroom scrubbing (I even RainX-ed the shower screen)
• Hand-washing dishes - including many that could legitimately go in the dishwasher
• Peeling, chopping, cooking
• Laundry of all and every description
• Vacuuming and mopping (these are perpetual now the girls are home)
• Wiping down everything, using my nail to scrape off every little mark

I suspect I'm not alone.

Cleaning aside, we've also played UNO, Cat Bingo and Cluedo and I've completed a 1000 piece jigsaw.

My outings have pretty much been for a run, a walk or a coffee - but, when the girls and I decided a trip to the supermarket was required, I seized the occasion. I had been concerned that I might forget how to put makeup on and walk in heels - so 'dressed' for the occasion.

I'm pretty sure the guy at the Aldi checkout appreciated the effort; he said 'Have a nice day' and normally all he says is 'Would you like a catalogue?'

Hundreds and Thousands

Mandy, my business partner, gave me the 'caviar pearl' nail kit from my birthday last month. As you know, I am fond of a novel nail, so it was a good choice. Here are some previous pics from previous nail posts:

Not prepared to tackle the application myself, I took it along to the lovely Maria, my perfectionist manicurist. Oh my god - I just don't have the patients; not to do them but to sit there while someone else - even someone as fun and engaging as Maria - does them. It took about an hour. She pressed every little edge, every little pearl of caviar to get this look and it did look amazing - if somewhat like I'd had my nails replaces with chocolate confectionery. 

They were a welcome talking point at a client function and a 50th birthday party were I met a whole lot of new friends (ie I didn't know many people before we got there) - but they were lumpy, thick and rough. Most odd as I poked my finger in my ear to itch, weird on the bed sheets at night and then I had to wash my hair!!! Thank god I don't have a period and a need to insert a tampon - that would truly have been the end. You have been warned. Novelty over, they lasted five days before I was back at Maria's for a removal and a gorgeous navy blue shellac. 

But, FOMO satisfied, boxed ticked, been there, done that!

Happy New Year!

For many today (or yesterday depending on when I get this out!) will have been your first day back in the office. Another reason I'm loving working at home - although best I start focusing more of the kind of work that pays, as opposed to trying to get this house sorted!

It's been a busy break - Christmas day, roast pork and the excitement of Santa, turkey dinner on Boxing Day because my brother couldn't make it for the actual day and then Geoff's birthday on the 27th. We headed home from South Australia on the 30th for a night of rest before heading up to Ruffy to a friend's farm for New Year - and what a party! We kicked on until 2am - including Sass - which was loads of fun until about 5.30am the next morning when the sun hit the tent we'd pitched in their garden. Within about 30 minutes, it must have been 40 degrees. Geoff had bailed at about 30 degrees but at six, I dragged my sleeping bag and pillow out of the tent and into the shade of a hedge for a little more shut-eye. Sass appeared shortly there after and I suggested she check on her sister and her friend Charlotte, who were both in 'onsies' (those silly in all one sleeping outfits usually reserved for the under two's as anyone older is in grave danger of a huge wedgie), in sleeping bags, under a 'mink' (ie 100% polyester and very heavy and hot) blanket in a tent reaching sauna-esque temperatures - just to see that hadn't expired and perhaps, at least drag the blanket off them.

Back in town, the 'gathering of gear' for the year away at boarding school for Eleanor began. Like many women I know, I quite enjoy a shop, but after two days of buying hiking gear, underwear, a sleeping bag liner (that's what we needed on NYE to absorb the sweat!!), toiletries, linen, trail shoes, water bottles, a compass, blah blah blah.... even I had had enough! Now I need to sew name tags on about 8,000 items and she'll be ready to go. She and my adopted daughter Frankie have sewn on quite a few but Frankie's gone back to Sydney and Eleanor is doing Surf Life Saving Cadets down the coast, so it'll be up to me. My gorgeous friend Penny B has offered to help - bless!

And interjected into this period of 'relaxation' was Elle's 14th and Sass's 7th birthdays. Geoff bought Sass a laptop - yes - that's right, a full fledged, Windows 7 laptop. She was straight onto eBay - ahhhhh!!

And we've also had time to have a go at dipping the girls' nails in vodka and then pressing newsprint onto them - it really does work! It'd be better with foreign language print - but we only had The Age. You need to press quite hard and then add a clear top coat. Check them out.

Elle's 

Frankie's

Perfect

As you know, I do like a good mani. Remember those weird silver foils I had put on? And the time I was sprung by the Managing Director - now a CEO no less - painting my toe nails at my desk??

Well check out my nails this week!

My hands look like I'm 110, but the nails are perfectly shaped and shellaced!

I swore off Shellac last year but am now an utter devotee. I had my nails Shellaced twice at one of those nail places that appear to offer such good value - but had to grow out the damage both times. I think because I have stumbled across a beautician who's attention to detail is second to none, I now have my nails done every 3 to 4 weeks. I'm not gentle on them - I scrub the barbecue without gloves - but still, they look great. I had them done on Tuesday morning before lunch with my friend Sally. By 2pm, she too had an appointment with the amazing Maria. Let me know if you need awesome nails and I'd be happy to pass on her number.

BTW, you may have noticed I don't do the paid promo - but some products and services just deserve to be shared!