Wow! It's been a very long time since I have blogged. Since over the last few years, I have only really blogged when travelling (and not even always then - I went to Vietnam this year, but Facebook has kind of taken over the travel journal job), I'm thinking the direction might change once again.  I still make glass beads, but sporadically - its been months since the last time I torched. But I have a new endeavour recently - I have become an Independent Jamberry Consultant.

This is rather an odd choice for me on several levels.  I'm not a huge party plan fan - the products are often great, but generally expensive, and having to go to parties to buy can be inconvenient sometimes. But more importantly, I don't do nail stuff.  At all.

I have been a lifelong nail biter, due to weak nails that tear if you look at them sideways. I tried acrylics a handful of times for special occasions and hated the cost, and how badly damaged my nails were afterwards.  A couple of years ago, I tried some Jamberry nail wraps that an American friend was selling. I loved that I could have pretty nails for the first time, and that they actually looked ok on my uber short nails (polish always seemed to just draw attention to it, and I struggled with neat application as the nails were so tiny). I got her to send me a few, and I wore them back to back for several months.  I then fell in love with them even more, as my nails actually started to grow.  I didn't bite them with the jams on, and if they tore (which didn't happen anywhere near as often) the wraps held them together long enough for me to deal with it properly with a nail file or clippers, instead of biting.  After that, I had to wait over a year for Jamberry to make the move to launch in Australia. Once that happened, the decision to become a consultant and get my fix at a reduced price was an easy one! :)

I could have just settled for the discount as a hobbyist - unlike some direct sales companies, the sales levels required to stay active aren't large. But I have heard of some amazing #BecauseofJamberry stories, and decided to give it a serious go as a part time business. I'm off to a great start, and part of a fantastic team who are really supportive.  I love that the products aren't expensive, and that you can go straight to your consultants website to purchase - you don't have to attend a party every time! And, I now run facebook parties too, so no cleaning and you can wear your pj's if you wish!

So, you may see some nail hints and tips or Jamberry samples on this blog sometimes (but there will still be glass too!).

To start the ball rolling, here is a video I made with some great hints and tips on applying your Jamberry Nail Wraps.  You can check out all the fantastic designs on my webpage.

Cocktail Party!

A few weeks ago I had a great night in with girlfriends having a cocktail party. For some reason, one of my friends had a huge array of spirits left over form various events, so combined with a few mixers and bits and pieces we brought, we could almost make any coktails we fancied... 

We started out the evening photographing and 'reviewing' each drink we made, but that didn't last all that long... :) but here are a few thoughts and a couple of pics of our concoctions.

We started the evening with an old favourite, a Cosmopolitan. Everyone liked that one, and it was described as 'refreshing' and 'zesty'. It was nice to start with something not too sweet.

Next up, I tried my hand at cocktail invention. Much to my (and probably everyone else's ) surprise, it ended up being one of the favourites of the night. We named it Suz's Surprise, and it contained Gin, Vanilla Galliano, Rasberry Cordial, Pomegranate Juise and Lemonade (and the secret ingredient was a cocktail shaker half filled with peas, but that's another story......). Suz's Surprise was described as 'smooth', 'fresh', 'sweet', 'tangy', an 'island drink' (definitely need a little umbrella! ) and 'easy to drink'.

 

Next up was Jen's spin on the Blue Illusion. It was a beautiful teal colour, and thoughts included 'Phwoar!' (It was gorgeous), 'visually stunning', 'packs a punch'.

Next we tried a French Martini, with less success. It wasn't universally liked (a few went down the sink!). Made with Chambord, Vodka and Pineapple Juice, it was quite sweet, wi a slight metallic aftertaste that I didn't find pleasant. And there was a 'distinct lack of garnish!'.

The last drink to be recorded was a good old Midori Splice. I'm not a fan of creamy cocktails, so I stuck to my favourite Midori and Pineapple Juice, while the others joined me in the tropics with Midori, Cream, Vodka, Pineapple Juice, and Coconut Essence (since the was no Malibu). 

I think later in the night (earlier in the morning...) they moved onto Margherita's, but I was heading home then. A fun night had by all, not too worse for wear the next morning and Cocktails are so pretty, aren't they? :)