Sunday Social!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleylately or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

 This week is questions in 3's

1.  Top 3 favortite kinds of food?
Pasta of any kind! Mac & cheese, spaghetti with tomato sauce, I love it all!
Bagels (I am a carb addict) and Mozzarella sticks or anything with cheese!

This was what I made for dinner last night!  Bacon chicken ranch Macaroni & cheese! 

It was really good!

2.  First 3 things you do in the morning?
Tinkle (of course!), take a shower & brush my teeth!


3.  Last 3 things you do at night?
Wash my face, brush my teeth and kiss my boyfriend goodnight!


4.  3 TV shows you NEVER miss?
 Sons of Anarchy, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire

image via

5.  3 places you want to visit?
Only 3?!?!  Honestly there are SO many places I hope to visit in my life:
Japan - My boyfriends parent's live in Yokosuka
Philippines - My boyfriend has a ton of family there
Italy - a good friend of mine lives in Trieste
(Alaska and Hawaii are on my list too!)

image via

6.  3 people you can always count on?
I can definitely count on my boyfriend, that's why I love him so much.
But the only person I can count on 100% of the time is myself.
I've learned not to depend on others.
Make sure you can take care of yourself and you will never be let down!

Have a great Sunday :)

Sunday Social!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

 This week is questions about my blog.

1.  What is the name of your blog?  How long have you been blogging?

The name of my blog is Bad Luck Barbie, it was my AOL screen name since I was like 14 and for many years afterwards.  I just always kept using it as my username for almost everything.

I've only been blogging since September so I am still fairly new!

2.  Why do you blog?

I blog because I hope that my designs will inspire creativity in others!

3.  What is the first blog you ever followed?

The first blog I ever followed was The Nailasaurus.

I was googling "gradient nail tutorials" and her blog came up.

 I loved how great her nails were and she takes really excellent detailed photos.

4.  What is your favorite post you wrote in 2012?

My favorite post would have to be the Sunday Social when we wrote about what we're thankful for

5.  What are your blogging goals for 2013?

My blogging goals for 2013 would definitely be to stop slacking!

It's been challenging to keep up with my blog, reading blogs that I follow, school, having a broken phone and not being able to upload photos, and on top of it all.. I've been having to drive my boyfriend to and from work because his license is suspended because of some B.S. insurance thing back in Ohio.

I promise to be more active!

6.  Name your top 3 favorite blogs.

Cassi @ The Granny Treatment

I'm a little biased because Cassi is my BFF, but I really love her blog because she's a great writer. I have no clue about fashion and she keeps me up to date.

Lara @ Rocketraptor

She is so funny, really cute and always has awesome posts!

Bel @ Quoi de 9 chez Bel

She travels a lot and posts really amazing pictures from around the world.

Mega Update!

Dearest readers, I have not forgotten about you!

I was very busy this week with school, crafts (you will see these soon!)  and I even had some visitors from back home.

Here is a mega-update for the week, you can click on the photos to enlarge to see the details:

I finally had a chance to finish this acrylic set in school.  I am very pleased with the way it came out!

There are many different types of inlays in this set: marble, glitter, heart & star confetti, polka dots.

Here is a UV Gel set I did with glitter inlay and encapsulated hearts.

 2 of my lovely friends, Debbie & Ayana, drove down from New York to visit!

 

We went to the beach.

 Stayed long enough to see a nice sunset.

 

Visited some stores and found the world's cutest pomeranian puppy.  I named him Charlie.

And of course I did their nails!  Here is my first try at a 3D acrylic cupcake on Ayana.

 

 And a hand painted french manicure with Hello Kitty & 3D acrylic bow for Debbie :)

What have you all been up to this week?

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Sunday Social!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

 Holiday Questions!

1.  What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Simple, just eating good food and spending time with the family!

2.  Favorite holiday movie?
Home Alone is a classic, and my absolute favorite is Elf!!

3.  Favorite decoration, or Pinterest decoration you wish you could have?
Both of these are from Pinterest :)
A gorgeous Christmas mantle and a seaside porch with a lovely tree!

                                                                     Source: chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

                                                                                            Source: coastalliving.com via Lauren on Pinterest

4.  Favorite holiday song?
Definitely "Last Christmas" by Wham! I love George Michaels & 80s music!

5.  Favorite holiday dessert?
Italian cookies!!
ESPECIALLY Pignolis ("pine nut" in Italian) and Rainbow cookies :)
Pignolis are simple, chewy cookies made with almond paste & crunchy pine nuts on top.

image via
Rainbow Cookies have 3 thin layers of colored almond-flavored cake with apricot preserves in between,
all covered by a layer of semisweet chocolate!

image via
6.  What is on your wish list this year?
I really hate when people give me gifts, so I never have a real wish list.
But I guess if someone were to ask what I wanted, I would like a Diamond Candle.
I just heard about them today & apparently they are quite popular!
 They're fairly cheap, about $25 (sometimes you can find coupons online)
Each soy candle has a ring hidden in the wax, so as you burn the candle, it reveals your treasure!
The rings are worth between $10 and $5000 dollars (wow).
Even the cheap $10 rings are beautiful!
I think they would also make a lovely holiday gift if you're not sure what to get for someone :)

What are some of your holiday traditions & wishes??

Sunday Social!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

 This week is just a general question of what we're thankful for, and to post some photos.
 (The photos are small, but if you click it, they will enlarge)


1. First and foremost, I'm extremely thankful that my entire family in NY was safe during Hurricane Sandy.  
I have a fairly large family, my mom is one of 8 and my dad one of 3 - and all are married with at least 2 children!
Most of them lost power, some for more than a week, and only 1 house had major flooding.
I know that many people were not as fortunate, and for that I'm grateful.

2. I am thankful for my younger sister.
Many siblings don't have close relationships, so I am glad that her and I have always been close.
We both had to grow up rather quickly, and a lot of the time I felt more like her parent than her sister.
We may fight sometimes - what family doesn't?
We may not see each other every day like we used to..
But we both know at the end of the day, we would do anything for each other!

This was when we met Lady Gaga last year!

3. I am also thankful for my boyfriend.  
It's easy to take someone for granted, especially when you see them every day.
We've been together for almost a year, and even though he drives me completely insane sometimes,
 he is genuinely a really good person.
He's very supportive of all of my decisions, such as dying my hair 3 different colors or going to nail tech school.
He is trusting and never jealous.
He tells me he loves me all day, every day.
And he would do just about anything for me if I asked.

4. YOU!!
I am so thankful for all of my friends, readers & followers.
Without your kind words, ideas and support, I would not be motivated!
Thank you so much!

What are you thankful for? :)

Happy Veteran's Day!

Here's some hand-painted, patriotic goodness to celebrate Veteran's Day!

My grandfather was a Korean war vet,

My boyfriend was in the Marines and his father served for 30 years (it was also the USMC's 237th birthday yesterday!) 

And my cousin who is practically like my sister, is in Army boot camp as we speak.

THANK YOU to the brave men and women who serve our country, especially those who've made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom!

  

Sunday Social!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

This week is about Thanksgiving!

1.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

One year we made up a biscuit song because my sister just kept talking about biscuits, and every year after that we've sang it!

This year, I won't see my family because of moving to Florida, but the memories are just like it was yesterday.

2.   What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Definitely my Grandma's stuffing, I could literally eat it all day every day.. it's absolute perfection.

She also makes this thing called corn bake, corn muffin mix, creamed corn and a few other things mixed together to make almost like a casserole (this recipe is similar to the one she uses)

3.  What is a Thanksgiving tradition you and your family have?

On my dad's side of the family, grandpa used to always say grace, and when he passed away we've always said grace in his memory every year on Thanksgiving.

On my mom's side, when I was 13 or 14 my grandma told me and my sister when we were younger about "Thanksgiving sandwiches" - a layer of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo, salt & pepper on white bread.

We thought it sounded disgusting, until we tried it and were addicted - and ate them every year!

Now whenever I have one, it always brings back that fond memory of her.

4.  Show us a favorite Thanksgiving picture from years past.

Well.  I noticed we never actually take pictures on Thanksgiving because we are all usually stuffed & bloated pretty early in the day - and sleeping shortly thereafter haha.

The one photo I was able to find is from last year, it's me and my sister's plates.

Biscuits, corn bake, turkey, ham, baked mac & cheese, stuffed mushrooms, cranberry sauce, fried cauliflower... and that was just our first plates!!

5.  What are you most looking forward to about this Thanksgiving?

This year will be very different from every other year, since I will not be seeing my family at all.

I will spend Thanksgiving with my boyfriend, my mom's best friend Rosie & her son - the only other people I know down here in Fort Myers!

We were invited to go to Rosie's friend's house over on beautiful Sanibel Island.  There are kayaks at the house, so hopefully me and my boyfriend can go kayaking and explore a little bit :)

Sunday Social!

Oh my gosh I've been so busy getting things ready to start school, that I nearly forgot about Sunday Social!  I usually type it out a week in advance, but my brain is fried right now!

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

1.  What is currently on your wish list?
Um.. a solitaire heart cut diamond on a white gold band? hehe

2. Share a new iPhone or Droid app you discovered that we all need:
 I don't download many apps but I recently downloaded DecoPic.
It's a kawaii picture editor, so there are tons of cute little kawaii stickers and stamps you can add to your pictures! 

3.  What is a new Fall TV show that you have added to your DVR?
I don't have DVR because it's freakin expensive! 
I would have to say I am pretty excited for Food Network's new season of The Next Iron Chef.
  
4.   Share your social media links for us to follow you on.  Which is your favorite and why?
I don't use Twitter because some loser took over my account and started posting vulgar things.
I would definitely have to say Instagram and Pinterest are my favorite.
You can find so many cute & creative things on there!
-Pinterest
-Instagram: @BadLuckBarbie
-Facebook

5.  What is a TV show, movie or song that you could listen to over and over and never get tired of?
-TV show I would have to say Food Network's Chopped, or Diners Drive-in's and Dives. 
-Movie.. there are so many but definitely Nightmare Before Christmas, Rocky Horror Picture Show & Anchorman are some of my faves.
-Songs is a hard pick for me, I will literally have the same CD in my car for at least a year.. but my most recent music obsession would have to be Pantera or Lamb of God (I'm sure you weren't expecting that one!)

No Fashion Friday This Week :( Food Friday instead?

Due to Hurricane Sandy, Cassi @ The Granny Treatment - the other half of Fashion Fridays - still has no electricity.

Since she was not able to post this week, so I'm going to skip Fashion Friday this week!

Maybe this week will be Food Friday since I did a lot of cooking recently haha.

My boyfriend is half Filipino, and one of his favorite Filipino dishes is sinigang.

I found a few recipes online and tweaked them to the way his mom makes it!

It's a sour soup with pork and veggies.

I used taro, string beans, chinese eggplant, and water spinach and served it with sweet rice.

Since there was so much rice left over, I decided to use that to make desert called ginataang mais.

Very simple recipe, I just estimated the amounts.

I used coconut milk, sweet rice and sweet corn.

If you are a fan of rice pudding, you might like this since the texture is very similar :)

Think Outside the Blog: Thursday Blog Hop

Just came across something very neat via Sab @ The Eclectic Grab Bag, it's a blog hop (I think it's similar to a link up) for all of us misfits out there :)

What is Think Outside the Blog? 

It's a blog hop for the misfits. The punks. The tattooed mamas. The colorful ones. The people who don't fit in. The ones among us who aren't cookie cutter. We may not always be PG-13. But we have a voice and a lot to say.

The Hosts

The Eclectic Grab Bag

Cupcake Rehab

Raised by Culture

3twentysix

From the Kitchen of Mama Harris

On Your Heels

Visit any of the host's pages to find out how to link up your blog!

Hope to meet some new misfits!

Back to School!

Very excited to announce that I have enrolled in nail tech school today!!
I'm really looking forward to improving and advancing my technique, and being able to start a new career in only 10 weeks :)
I start on Monday!

 Here is a nail timeline that I was actually chosen to participate in on Instagram.
I figured I would post it here as well, to show my progress :)
 #1- May 2011, my first real attempt at nail art on my natural nails. 
#2- About 6 or 7 months ago. My natural nails are really weak and

broke so I got acrylics put back on, but decided to give another shot at doing my own nail art. 

#3- One of my biggest challenges still, gradient nails. 

#4- About 3 months ago I learned how to do acrylic layovers & tips.  This is a recent mani that I'm proud of.

Sunday Social

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride or acompletewasteofmakeup and join in on the fun! :)

This week is all about Halloween!  YAY!

1.  What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

I think I was 7 years old.  I can vividly remember my mom's friend making me a Cleopatra costume out of felt and sequins and I think it had some sort of headpiece.

I don't think anyone really knew what I was supposed to be which is understandable because honestly... how many 7 year olds even know who Cleopatra is?  But I thought it was totally awesome!

2.  If you could go back and dress up as anything what would it be?

Two or three years ago I bought a bunch of stuff to make a Jem costume because I absolutely loved that show as a kid, and I have pink hair so that was a no brainer!  

I never got around to sewing it, but I really wish I did!

3.   Favorite costume as an adult?

 Definitely would have to be my dead Marie Antoinette costume from 2 years ago!!

She was executed by guillotine so of course I tried to make it look like my head was cut off :)

 

 Me, my sister on the left, and another Marie Antoinette we met at a bar!

4.  Favorite Halloween candy?

I always hated candy corn as a kid but now it's grown on me and I find it to be oddly addictive.

5.  Favorite Halloween memory?

I don't really have just 1 favorite memory.  

Halloween is my favorite holiday and I've partied almost every year with my sister & our friends. 

6.  What's your favorite scary movie?

I would have to say The Blair Witch Project because it was the first movie where the audience wasn't sure if it was real or not, but all of the trailers suggested it was real footage.  

It was filmed from a first person point of view, which made it seem even more authentic.

We were pretty young when it came out so of course it genuinely scared the crap out of us ...until we found out it was fake!

Versatile Blogger Award

I was given the Versatile Blogger Award by the lovely Lara over at Rocketraptor.blogspot.fi

She has an awesome & interesting blog, you should give it a read!  

Thank you so much Lara!

Here are the rules:

-If you are nominated, you've been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

  -Thank the person who gave you this award. 

  -Include a link to their blog. 

  -Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly.

-Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award with a link to their blog. 

  -Finally, tell the 7 things about yourself.

 

I'm still a noob in the blogosphere and many of my recently discovered blogger friends have already received the award, so my list is kind of short!
I would like to give the Versatile Blogger award to the following blogs:

shortgirllongisland

The Granny Treatment

The Nailasaurus 

Siren Makeup

Every Day is Your Runway

Flawless Fashionista Styles

* I hope to see you each pay it forward and give the award to other bloggers! *

7 Things About Me:

1.  I just started getting heavily into nail art about 6 months ago & started this blog 5 weeks ago.

2.  I worked as a tattoo artist for about 1 year, but I like body piercing better & have been doing it for almost 10 years.

3.  I didn't learn how to ride a regular bicycle until I was 14.

4.  I met my boyfriend on World of Warcraft (for real! :X)

5. The first movie I ever saw in the theaters was The Little Mermaid.

6.  When I was in high school I really wanted to be a Spanish teacher, but I saw a few of my older friends struggling to find teaching jobs.

7.  I reallllyyyy want a Scottish Fold!  I had a cat for the first 20 years of my life.. but as I've gotten older, for some reason I have become terribly allergic to them!! :(

Keep in Touch!

I decided to make a FB page for my nail art.

Bad Luck Barbie Facebook Page

Click the link above and "Like" the page to stay connected through FB :)

The Face Behind the Nails!

I know it's not nail related but I dyed my hair the other night and I love it so much, I thought I'd share it with you!

For those of you who don't know me, I've had bright pink hair for 8 or 9 years.

I've never ever changed it!  Always the same cut & color.

I'm a creature of habit and I usually am scared of major changes, so this was a big deal for me!

 

My boyfriend & I went out to dinner and our waiter said I look like a fabulous unicorn.

I looooove unicorns, so that made me very happy! :)

What do you think?

Sunday Social

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride and join in on the fun! :)

1.  What do you value most in life?
Definitely my family, and my close friends who basically are family as well.
Even though I live far away from NY now, if any of them needed me I'd help them out in any way I could.

2.  What do you think is the greatest invention in your lifetime and why?
 I believe it's the greatest and the worst - the internet.
Although it was invented before I was born, it only got extremely popular in the 90s.
It's great because you can find literally ANYTHING if you search hard enough.
It's easier to keep in touch with old friends and relatives.
You can have your own business, website, blog, etc.
It's easier to learn & do research.
However, it's also very detrimental to society.
I feel like the internet has desensitized people, especially the younger generations.
Some teenagers are just so disconnected from the real world.  They don't know how to empathize with real human emotions, hence the increase in cyberbullying.
 They're glued to their laptop or smartphone and say & do things without even thinking of the real life repercussions.

3.  What do you think is the secret to a good life?
Balance.  Everything in moderation.
It's okay to be cranky once in a while.  Or to eat chocolate or play videogames or go on  Facebook..
Whatever your vice is, but don't let it take over your whole life.
Even out the good and the bad.

4.  What would you most like to be remembered for when you're gone?
 Always being honest and trying to be there for my friends & family when they need me the most.

5.  What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the fact that I've never had anything handed to me.
My mom didn't have much money when I was growing up, and I moved out when I was 19.
I managed to make a good life for myself and be successful at anything I put my mind to.
Everything I've done, I have accomplished on my own without anyone's help.

6.  If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you?
 I think Kat Dennings or Emma Stone.
They're both funny, sarcastic and kinda badass but still approachable & I can relate to that!

Sunday Social

Sunday Social is a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better.

You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride and join in on the fun! :)

1.  Favorite childhood book?

I had so many, but the very first book I can vividly remember being my favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

image via

2. Favorite book lately?

My favorite recent books would have to be the first 3 books from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin;  A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings & A Storm of Swords.  I literally could not put my Kindle down while reading these.  These are the books that the popular HBO tv, Game of Thrones, show is based off of.

image via

3. Book you wish you could live in?

I guess I'm a big kid at heart.. it would be ANY Dr. Seuss book.  

I absolutely love his bright, colorful illustrations & I love the fact that each story has a great life lesson to be learned.

4. If you could be any character from a book, who would it be and why?

 I would want to be Brandy Alexander, a character from Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters

 Brandy Alexander, or Queen Supreme as she refers to herself, is a fabulous and completely insane tranny.
Her character is a crazy bitch, but something about her is just so fierce and inspiring.
She does whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

You'd probably have to read the book to understand her completely.

5. Favorite book turned movie?

Definitely Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.  

I hate to say it, but I may have liked the movie better than the book.

Brad Pitt & Ed Norton may have had something to do with that.

image via

6. Favorite magazines? 

Not to sound like a snob but I don't really read magazines ever.
They're too full of advertisements and other mindless b.s.