Mommy bids 2013 farewell

Happy New Year! 2014 has arrived. We ushered it in with champagne and sparkling cider with our sweet babies (one of my babies is up to my shoulders though!).

I did a best of last year so I thought I'd do the same here. First up is my New Year's mani:

I saw this look on Instagram by The Nail Polish Challenge. So simple but not something I had thought of. She calls it grungy french. I call it awesome. Both are adequate descriptions.

I created my look with Revlon Royal and the tips are done in Zoya Ziv.

Onto the 2013 year in review! First up in my New Year's post from last year I made this prediction:

"I think the big thing this coming year is going to be playing with finishes. We're seeing more collections releasing the bumpy textures (Liquid Sand by OPI and Pixie Dust by Zoya - one has to wonder if China Glaze is planning to climb aboard). I wonder how this trend will translate into drugstore brands...This is by no means a new trend (look up Pebble Beach by Cherimoya) but it's finally catching."

Nailed it! We saw Chine Glaze come on board with the concrete look *shudders* and Julie G AND Sally Hansen with their sugar lines. Julep surprised us with sea salt textures too.

Now for Mommy's best of for 2013:

It was a great year. I got to do a few reviews, but decided I didn't want my blog to become a review based blog. I became gradient obsessed and that remains a focal point for me. Things got scarce and simple towards the end of the year as I took a job. I ran a couple of 5k's, got to do some traveling, enjoyed friends and family, and rocked fun nail trends.

Onto my prediction for 2014. This year I'm thinking we'll be seeing a lot of neutral and classic shades being revamped and re imagined. I think textures is going to carry into this year with nail art boasting lots of combinations of contrasting textures. I'm seeing several lines already toying with satin and silk finishes and emphasizing more high gloss creme finishes so I'm expecting to see that hit a high. Duochromes are going to make a big splash this year as indies push the envelope. Maybe duochromes with glitters? Sky's the limit!

My top 12: Mommy Does A Year in Review

So I've been seeing the top 12 posts (or top insert number here post) so I thought I'd join in on the fun with my favorite post from each month and a summary of the month.

January: Dot crazy! I had just gotten my dotting tools and brushes and it was non-stop polka dots that month. My favorite post has my hubby's favorite polish (consequently it was a manicure for our date night). I also did my daughter's nails with dots! Also WOW I had long nails there for awhile. Sheesh!

February: We moved! So there's not much in the month. I definitely remember this month being the transition from a lot of drugstore brand to a high interest in indies. My favorite, however, was a twist on using dots to create a ruffled tip look. Still sporting the mile long nails:

March: This was a BIG month! I hit my first 100 followers, started getting serious about nail art which led to the beginning of Hubby's Picks. I had a very hard time choosing but in the end the Monarch Wings is my favorite. The gradient, the lines, the vibrancy *sigh* so pretty!

April: I'm learning better cropping at this point and the NEED to buy whole collections has FINALLY let go. Lots of different exploration in art types and challenges from Hubby marked this month. I settled on a manicure that was an accidental discovery in what has become a regular nail pose of mine to feature:

May: This month marks my break from Julep - I had been a huge supporter but after they backed out on some promises and fenced around my inquiries I was done. I still use their product but I'm just not as gung-ho and I haven't gotten a box since then. My favorite manicure from this month exhibits a look I had come up with that a reader coined "Peek-a-boo Glitter":

June: The beginning of the My Little Pony series!! This was such a fun series so, of course, I HAD to pick a manicure from that:

July: WHOAH this was a good month for nails! My nail art, photo taking abilities, and cuticle care are all getting way better. My Little Pony series continues and my first every guest post on someone else's blog (Trailerhood Chic - it was a serious fangirl moment for me!). Additionally my bestie gave me Cult Nails Clairvoyant *dies*. In the end I have to say my highlight manicure was my daughter and I holding hands showing off our manicures together <3:

August: Summer challenge (my first ever challenge I participated in and I only did due to it only be two times a week instead of everyday - felt way more manageable). I won my first giveaway (Floam to boot - awesome loot!). Also summer FINALLY arrived wreaking havoc on my nail art. That being said getting my bacon and eggs manicure to look right was a real treat:

September: My first tutorial! This was also the month when readers started requesting more mainstream and less indie. It's been interesting finding the right balance as I want to support small businesses but I also want to supply readers with material they will enjoy. Hmmmm. Luckily the summer challenge made this month's pick obvious: my favorite manicure ever! Rock it like it's 1999:

October: Won another giveaway this month and I got to try nail strips for the first time which was SUPER fun. There's a decided decline in manicures as I had more and more design work come in (you'll notice the change in my watermark as I work to solidify my identity). Still I think this look featuring Glam Polish (such a great friend and I'm so thankful to have gotten to know her through this process) is definitely my favorite:

November: My birthday month! So this entire year, each month by the 18th, I've been sending a birthday package to the girl of the month. Well I'm Ms. November! By the time of this post I've gotten 10 of the 12 (one gal turned into a super flake - conveniently she was Ms. January o.0) and one package was mailed to my old address and never resurfaced. Still 10 out of 12 isn't bad and they spoiled me <3. So my birthday manicure:

December: As this year draws to a close I look back on all I have learned. I hope new and experienced bloggers look over this post to see my journey and realize that I didn't start with picture perfect manicures (and sometimes I still don't achieve them). I don't do this to receive free product or try to get people to follow me. As a blogger my attention is on my blog and I treasure the people I have come to know as a result of being a blogger. I love the interaction and my awesome nails. I have to give a little love to the holidays and this holly manicure was just so much fun and shockingly easy to do:

That's my year in review. Mostly nail art (my true love) with some highlights on special polishes that truly made my year magical. Another post will be going up tonight at midnight with my New Year's manicure and a resolution post so stay tuned as we head into 2013. It's going to be a good year!