half&half.

ever since i was a little girl i dreamed of getting acrylic nails.

my sister and i would buy the press-on's in junior high

and spend hours trimming, filing and making them look perfect

before carefully placing them on each finger. 

{please note: this is not me. i was brown, my front teeth were much larger

and my tips were always white with pink flowers and sparkles. i kept it classy.}

surprisingly enough, 

i never got my nails done for a high school dance.

i couldn't justify the price. 

i kept the dream alive though.

one day,

 i was going to have shiny, white tipped nails. 

one day....

the first time i got acryclic nails

was for jewboo's wedding.

my little girl dream had finally come true. 

they were perfectly squared with slightly rounded ends, 

placed straight on my finger and not slanted like the lady originally wanted.

i thought they were beautiful.

{this is the only photographic evidence i have of them. 

please don't judge me too harshly for what my face and hand are doing in this picture. 

it was 2009. i was 19 and i just wanted to be cool.}

then, i tried to take out my contacts.

i'm surprised my retina isn't scarred.

i felt my outfit choices were limited because my nails were too fancy.

so my white van knock-offs from target and jeans weren't going to cut it.

they felt like a strange extension to my natural nail

and i thought they were going to rip off every time

 i opened a car door, zipped up my pants or tied my shoes.

i grew paranoid that everyone i came in contact with 

would take one look at my hands and think, 

"ohmygosh, does she really think she can pull those off?"

or 

"biotch alert!!!!"

they lasted less than a week before i plied them off.

it was one of the most painful things i've ever done.

apparently i needed to soak my nails longer in the 100% acetone.

how dumb of me for stopping the soak prematurely. 

i should have realized when your skin burns

and feels like it's going to fall off,  that means it's working.

duuuh.

i promised myself i would never 

go through that horrible experience 

ever again.

>>>fast forward two years>>>

kay and i are going to get our nails done tonight

for her wedding tomorrow*.

so if you have a spare moment,

could you please pray for my eyeballs?

they already hate me. 

*aaaaaahh!!! my baby is getting married tomorrow!!!!!!