5 Color Control

I’ve gotten full gung-ho back into Magic the Gathering lately. Lots of deck testing, FNMs, release events, and a handful of tournaments. So I did more MtG nails, of course.

I based these off the circles on the back of a card, and I actually did them in WUBRG order this time!

My hand has flashback

So, have I mentioned how much I love Magic the Gathering?

After doing my last MtG nails, I had a lot of people on both Facebook and reddit suggest that I should have done just the symbols. Also got a lot of comments about how it wasn’t in WUBRG order. So I took both suggestions to heart and did another version of my nails that are just symbols and in WUBRG order (starting at the plains in the middle). And then added glitter because I’m not a person that is content with simplicity, and glitter is awesome.

Magic the Gathering might just be the most amazing game ever. It has completely replaced Munchkin and Catan as our weekly game night top pick, and I find it difficult not to spend every penny of my paycheck on boosters and cards. Money well spent, though.

Cross into the Blue

EDIT (July 19th): This is a way moodier post than what I intended. I don’t want it to sound like I am unhappy about my brother joining the Air Force. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t be happier. Just the thought of him being about 1,400 miles away with limited forms of communication is tough. He will always be my little baby brother, but I have to accept that he is a man now… and I couldn’t be prouder of the little bugger.

 

It’s been way too long since a post. Between final semester of college, graduating, getting a job, moving, getting a dog… I’ve been busy. I haven’t forgotten about this blog nor am I intending to neglect. Being swamped plus lack of inspiration isn’t good for creativity.

So, this post isn’t featuring super nerdy nails, but instead something that’s super important to me.

My little brother leaves for US Air Force basic training in a few days. I can’t really think about much else, so I had no choice but to do Air Force nails. I guess a lot of people in the Air Force are kind of nerdy, so maybe that makes my nails nerdy in a way.

Probably not, but I figured that it was a good way to let people know that I haven’t stopped blogging and I hopefully will be posting new stuff soon.

I’d tap that

Ahh, Magic the Gathering. Such fun. Such strategy. Such a frustrating yet complex game. Also potentially expensive if you aren’t careful. Confessing that I play MTG gets me more strange looks than nearly every other one of my nerdy hobbies, but I can’t say I care. I have had a lot of fun over the years with MTG, even though the only people I could play with were 3-4 years younger than me. The only time I ever got in trouble for staying out past curfew was for playing MTG until 2:00 AM with my friend’s younger brothers and cousins (yes, I was a really lame teenager). Totally worth it.

For those who might not exactly know what this is, I recreated the basic land cards that are necessary to play the game. The bottom frame features the land’s symbol, and the top frame has some sort of picture that corresponds with it (and often follows the theme of the deck). From left to right, it’s Island, Forest, Plains, Swamp, and the thumb is Mountains. I tried to base the top frames after the ones on the cards I own, but that was incredibly tricky. Hopefully you can tell what they are!

I wish I played more. I kind of slowed down once my husband started consistently smashing my artifact/time spiral-ish deck with his overpowered sliver deck. I’m a bit of a sore loser…

Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie were awesome games. Considering the platform and when it was developed, it had pretty decent graphics. The sounds and music were so quirky and perfect, the levels all unique and varied, and the writing… oh the writing. So much sarcasm and so many double entendres.

This is the first time I’ve ever done faces. I’m usually terrified of them because I don’t have the steadiest hand or much artistic talent. I think it went pretty good for a first try!

Curse! Chicken on Your Head

I seem to have an odd love for games that make me question my friendships. Munchkin is one of those games. Alliances and enemies are decided quickly, then broken, then reforged. Insane card combinations and moves have us consulting our smartphones so we can get a rule check. No two games have been the same or ever will be the same. It’s honestly one of the best card games ever.

I chose to do some of my favorite cards that weren’t impossible for me to draw on a nail, and what I felt truly represented Munchkin. I chose to do the Duck of Doom(because it’s oddly quirky) , the Horny Helmet (because of the awesome name), the Net Troll (because he’s hilarious), and the Boots of Butt-Kicking (again, awesome name). On my thumb I just went with the classic Door card.

Munchkin has been a wonderful addition to my usually Settlers of Catan-filled gaming nights. It’s definitely a different dynamic and requires you to be a lot meaner in order to win. It mixes things up in an good way, and I suggest everyone try it out.

Also, I have to thank fellow nerdy nail art enthusiast Nikki at lacquerdaisical for introducing me to the game, and being my only ally. Without her, I would never have experienced all the joys and sorrows of Munchkin.

Knights of Good

The Guild is a pretty awesome show. The lead character (Codex) is a socially awkward, video game obsessed ginger going through all sorts of shenanigans. I felt I could really relate to this character, being that I am also a socially awkward, video game obsessed ginger (with slightly less shenanigans). After rewatching the 5th season, I figured that doing nails based on the outfits of the Knights of Good would be awesome. Well, minus Bladezz because I only have 5 fingers on a hand, and his outfit wasn’t as cool as the rest.

It was also tough, especially since I had none of the necessary colors needed (despite a massive nail polish collection) so everything had to be mixed. I also bumped my wet fingernails on everything within a 5-foot radius, causing loads of heartbreak and anger. I just hope that I did the design justice.

Nuclear Launch Detected

I have an odd love-hate relationship with Starcraft 2. On one hand, I find it to be the most entertaining thing to watch. Yet despite my love for Starcraft 2 as a spectator sport, I can’t handle playing.

Sure, I’ve tried. I watched the Day[9] dailies, studied techniques and guides, and practiced a lot. But I honestly suck. I hate to admit it, but the highest I got in 1v1 was silver. I lose games because I freak out and think my 70 marines can’t handle a couple void rays, or I convince myself that my 5 marauders can take on a swarm of 30 zerglings. Forever a n00b.

But enough about my inadequacies in SC2.

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These were probably the toughest nails I’ve ever done. The minerals and vespene gas were easy. I got the Terran logo pretty quickly, but I must have redone the Zerg and Protoss logo about 10 times each. The Zerg one was especially tough because of the crazy shape of the logo. Also I kept making the Protoss logo look like a bat symbol. Well, it doesn’t matter too much. Everyone knows that Terran is the only race that really matters.

Minerals and vespene background: Alpine Snow from OPI

Protoss logo: Mellow Yellow from Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme Wear

Zerg logo: Play Date from Essie

Terran logo: Sun Sational from Ulta

Minerals and protoss detailing: Coastal Surf from Revlon Colorstay

Mineral detailing: Indigo Night from Revlon Colorstay

Vespene gas: Mixture of Green With Envy from Sally Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme Wear and Starboard from China Glaze

Logo backgrounds: Liquid Leather from China Glaze

Come on, fhqwhgads

Homestar Runner is one of those silly things that I’ve loved but never understood why. It’s just… goofy. But so awesome, particular the Strong Bad Emails. I still check once in a while to see if there are new ones, but there never are. So instead, I do nails.

 

 

My cuticles are atrocious but I had to post this. I haven’t been able to recreate Strong Bad or Homestar quite the same since then. Maybe I was just in a magical mood, having gotten pumped up from listening from Trogdor all day. True story.

You never forget your first… handheld console

Me and my Game Boy have been through a lot together. Days on the playground trading Pokemon. Nights spent curled up under my sheets, propping a flashlight between my chin and shoulder so my parents wouldn’t know that I was staying up past my bedtime. Afternoons wasted away, laying in the grass trying to beat that frustrating last level of Wario Land 2. I never did beat it.

 

Maybe it’s just the child that still resides deep within my soul, but I still maintain that the Game Boy (and Game Boy Color) was the best handheld console ever. I’ve gotten other ones since then, but none bring the same magic and joy that my clear-cased GB and hot pink GBC brought me.

Enough nostalgia though.

Most of the colors in this mani were mixed by me, with the exception of a couple:

Gray: Sea Spray from China Glaze

Buttons: Firm Fig from Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

Special thanks to Nikki from lacquerdaisical for helping me with my pesky cuticles. She’s another wonderful source if you love nerdy nail art!