The School of Jank and Shenanigans

Well this is awkward. I have been in nail school for two weeks and I am just getting around to posting an update. But I have a good reason. Kinda.

I have been trying to figure how to write about it in a tactful manner. 

Tact is not one of my strong suits. It often eludes me and I am left with political incorrectness and silent judgmental stares. 

But anyway.... After two weeks of ruminating I decided to just lay it all out there. Please note: This is just my personal experience. I would hate to deter someone because my school errs on the side jankyness. I am sure there are schools that are organized, professional and overall awesome. 

But I don't go to one of those schools.

I go to University of Jank and Shenanigans. 

And boy howdy does the jankyness abound!

In an effort not to bore you to death I will just bullet point the some of the jank. 

• Tomorrow I begin my third week and I do not have my kit or books. 
• My first two tests cannot be graded because the instructor cannot locate the answer key.
• The supplies that are there old. Like really old. Example: The CND Retention+ monomer expired in 2003.
• There is no proper pedicure chair. Which means I have to am hunched over the feet of retired Floridians to perform pedis while practically sitting on the floor.

These are just some of the immediate issues that come to mind. I think that all of the problems boil down to a lack of organization and the inability to effectively delegate responsibility. Neither of which are my problem so I have no sympathy. Quit your fuddy-duddy and handle your business.

 I don't want to paint a picture that is totally bad. After all, I DO get to sit around and do nails twenty hours a week! Which is flipping awesome! 

My first day I did four manicures and set of gel overlays. I have spoken with people that did not even touch gel in nail school. Granted, it was my own gel and the school does not fully train in gels but still... The fact that I got to do them on hands other than the ones attached to my arms counts for something. Right? 

My second week was a lot like my first week. Manis, pedis and gel polishes. I must point out that I have not actually learned anything yet. Honestly, I did not expect to learn a ton. Not throwing shade just stating a fact. I have devoured any nail education I could get my hands on for the past two years including texts and papers written by leaders in the nail industry. I actually purchased a used copy of the textbook off of Amazon six months before I ever enrolled in school. Yes. I am a nail geek. 

Tomorrow is the beginning of the third week. I am hoping that my kit will be in this week. If not the director and I will have to have a sit down regarding tuition and fees. I am not paying six hundred dollars for a kit and books that I supplied. Nope. Not gonna do it. 

Either way... I only have ten weeks to go before I can submit my papers to the state and become a Certified Nail Technician. Woop! Woop!Yeah... I know it is only a twelve week coarse but I can still celebrate. 

Hopefully my next update will be more positive. 

Hopefully I will wake up a size six and excited about doing Turbo Fire. 

Seeing as how neither of things are likely I will leave you with a few of the manicures that I did in school. I didn't take pictures of everything that I did because mauve looks the same on all seventy five year old's hands. 

pink and green rock star gel overlays

Shellac w/ silver holo glitter

traditional polish 

Jamila 

Pretty Much Says It All

And Then Things Came To A Crashing Halt

.... For a week. 

This morning I jumped out of bed all bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to start school. I even took some "first day of nail school" pics. Imagine the heaping bowl of sad I had when I arrive only to be told that the director had some family emergencies this weeks and class was delayed until next week. 

Booooo! 

The teacher was very gracious and apologized for failing to call me earlier this week.  She assured me that everything will fall into place and next week is definitely a go. She thought she told about the delay when I called her to make sure they received my deposit.

Sooo.... you forgot that you forgot to tell me class was pushed back?

Yeah... I am with you. I wouldn't be being 100% honest if this incident didn't get my spidey sense tingling. I was a bit taken aback by the failure to communicate. Don't get me wrong. I am far from perfect and make plenty of mistakes but I try very hard to handle my business. Failing to inform a paying student/customer that the ONE class /item that they have already made a sizable deposit on is going to be a week late falls squarely into the dropping the ball category. And that is a pretty big ball to drop seeing as how it was the only flippin ball in play. 

You had one job. 

I don't know. Maybe I am being too hard on her. She is the only full time teacher and a new rotation of cosmetology students began this week. Either way it is not a good way to start things off. 

Now I will leave you with "You had one job" memes because (1) they are hilarious and (2) this pretty much sums up how I was feeling. 

 

So yeah... No awesome school updated until next week. Talk about blowing the wind out my sails. It's ok though. I have waited this long one more week will not make a difference.

Jamila

I Am on My Way!!!!

What's got two sparkly thumbs and starts nail school in less than twelve hours?

Me that's what! Whoop Whoop!

This has totally been me for the past week or so!

I am sooooo super duper excited. This has been a long time coming. I have wanted to go to nail technician school for almost fifteen years now. As with many dreams and goals, life happened and nail school was put on the back burner. The waaaay back burner.

About three years ago I made up my mind that I was going to get my nail technician certification come rain or shine.

Hell or high water.

Vampires or zombies.

Well... Maybe not zombies. Zombies shut things down real quick.

Either way I was determined! Nail school was going to happen! I was embarking on a new fabulous career wrapped in color.

As soon as I came up with $3000. Yep. That's right. There is only one nail school where I live and it costs a stinking fortune for it to be a tweleve week class.

But I would not be broken! I would not be moved! I was not going let something as pesky as money get in the way of my derams. But the full time, five day a week job would get in the way. Turns out that over priced nail school is a lot easier to pay for when you have a pay check coming in. But thankfully life changed as life often does and I am finally able to start school.

I have no idea what to expect. To be honest I am a little apprehensive about getting too excited. I have waited so long for this that I do not want reality to ruin it. I am sure it will be great though. At the very least I will have my certification so I can train with specific brands and product line.

Needless to say I things will be all school, all the time, around these parts for the next little while. Which is better than what it has been. A whole lot of nothing most of the time. But you know whatever. It's all good.

 

This is going to be awesome!

Jamila

CND Brisa Lite Repairs

Remember that terribly broken nail from this post?

I figured you didn't so here it is again.



Pour out a little acetone for fallen homies.

 Welp... Since I showed you sadness personified I figured it's only right to show you that happiness lies at that end of a gel brush.

Most of us take care of sad and broken nails with resin and silk but I add a little extra. I don't know if my technique is lacking or what but silk and resin just doesn't not work for me. The nail usually still breaks with twenty four hours or the repair does not make through more than two or three polish changes. Since I tend to change polish every twenty four to forty eight hours silk and resin just isn't a viable option.

I recently began using Creative Nail Design Brisa Lite Sculpting Gel for repairs. It provides strength comparable to an acrylic overlay with none of the lingering fumes*.I still use silk and resin as a foundation. I apply the the Brisa Lite Sculpting gel as an overlay.  The repair usually lasts a full week before I see any lifting around the edges. Take note though... The only reason I experience any lifting is because I use acetone to remove my polish. Brisa Lite is a soak off gel so repeated /prolonged exposure to acetone will break it down.
 

So there you have it. That is how I repair do my nail repairs. Nice, smooth, and more resilient than silk and resin. Eventually I will get around to doing a proper post about CND Brisa Lite Sculpting Gel. It is a pretty awesome product. If I must say so myself.


Jamila

 

*I personally do not mind the fumes. Nothing like the smell of liquid monomer and acrylic powder in the morning!

Jamila Does Nails Naked

What better way to get to know a new nail blogger than to meet her naked nails in all of their ridged, misfiled, and snagged glory?

 

 

Huh? What was that?

A beautiful, creative, perfectly polished work of art would have sufficed? You're probably right but where is the fun in that?

I guess I should at least tell you why I am bursting onto the scene in my birthday suit. Because I am a nail doer, that's why! Well at least I am trying to become a nail doer. Right now I am an avid obsessor that has a few friends gracious enough to let me do their nails. Lord willing, I will begin nailt technician training very soon. But that is a post for another day.

I guess should tell you right from the jump that if you are looking for exquisitely polished, flawless nails and manis then you have dropped in on the wrong blog. This here is a  blog steeped in nail reality served with a side of life. I am wife, mom, and full time nurse so I have become the master of the "slap-n-go" method. Slap on some paint and go conquer the world!

The road to great nails can be tough. Not all of us were blessed with strong and smooth talons that with withstand soda cans and dishwashing. I have been a lover of all things nails for years and I still have struggles. My right index nail is the bane of my entire exixstance. Well maybe not my entire existance but definitely 37% of it. But don't worry.... I won't make a habit of flashing my naughty nail bits too often. But every now and again it's good to know what's going on behind the polished curtain. Know what I mean?

This blog will chronicle my growth as a nail artist. I specialize in natural nails but I know my way around a sculpting form and brush as well.  My ultimate goal is to be able to create a beautiful set of nails that that my clients will be proud to say "Jamila does my nails"!

I do nails on Flickr too!

Nail and Polish, a set on Flickr.