Happy New Year!

Hello Lovelies!  I am so sorry that I haven't posted in so long, but I decided to kick back and enjoy the holidays with my family and try not to stress too much.  Even though I love blogging it does add a wee bit of stress to my life, so I set it on the back burner for a bit.  However, I thought it would be fun to make my first post of the New Year with a look back at 2015, and then give you my expectations for 2016.  But before we get into it, here is a look at the nails I wore for NYE (if you follow my Instagram you've already seen these)...

Top 10 Most Viewed Nail Art Designs of 2015

I enjoy looking back at older nail art designs, to see what I was doing and how well I was (or wasn't doing it).  This year I decided to look back at the top 10 most viewed nail art designs on this blog, to see what you all like looking at the most.  I was surprised by the statistics and the designs that made the list.  This list includes only nail art designs and not swatch, review, or other miscellaneous posts.

#10 - Sweet Cupcake Nail Art 

First up, is a design I created in February for my daughter's birthday party...

#9 - Dream Catcher Nail Art Design 

These ones really surprised me because they were probably one of my least favorite nail art designs of 2015.  However, I do love a good gradient, so these aren't too bad, I suppose.  I created these for a weekly nail art challenge posted by the Nail Polish Queen's Google+ Community (no longer in service).  

#8 - Liquid Eyeliner Nail Art

This is another nail art design that surprised me that it made the cut.  It is one of those designs that I wished had worked better, but I'm glad that I tried.  Conceptually, I love them, but because of the medium and execution they didn't turn out the way I had hoped.

#7 - Wave Scaled Gradient

I was very happy to see this one make the list because it is one of my favorites, it's a gradient, it's blue, and it's glittery.  Three of my favorite things, all rolled into one design.

#6 - Polar Express Inspired Nails Recreated

I was pleasantly surprised to see these make the cut, because they were one of the more recently posted creations on the list.  I love the Christmas movie Polar Express, so I've created a rendition of this design the last two years in a row.  This is also one of my all time favorite gradient combinations too.

#5 - Calligraphy "Love" Nail Art

This is probably one of the simplest nail art designs to make the list, but I was very happy to see it make the cut.  This is the first, nail art design I did using a calligraphy pen, which opened up a whole new world of nail art design for me.

#4 - Reverse French Tip

I created these nails on a whim, using blue and silver one of my favorite color combinations.

#3 - Watermarble Practice

Okay, it's no surprise that a watermarble design made the list, however, the fact that it is my watermarble design is surprising.  I don't often do watermarble, I struggle with it horribly.  So, when I do have a watermarble break through like this I like to share it.

#2 - Longing for Spring

This nail art design was a big accomplish for me because it was one of the first stamping designs that I created that came out relatively okay.  Plus, it is one of the first times I attempted reverse stamping, which I hope to do much more of in 2016.

And now for the most viewed Polish Plebe post of 2015, drum roll please...

#1 - Smoosh Attack!

This was a huge surprise for me for many reasons.  This was probably one of the easiest techniques I've ever done, though it was a bit messy (nothing that newly discovered liquid latex can't help with).  The colors are not something that I usually wear, and I should have just skipped the free hand mermaid scales.  But you all seemed to really enjoy seeing this design so here it is again...

2016 New Year Nail Resolutions

Since, my nail obsession began as a New Year's Eve resolution (in 2014) it only seems right that I continue the tradition with more New Year Nail Resolutions.  In addition to the assumed, do more nail art, and buy more nail polish, I have a few specific resolutions related to my nail addiction.

Get Organized

This for me is a never ending project that I start and fail to finish again and again.  I recently destashed and gave away many polishes that I just don't use, in an attempt to make them fit on the shelving that I have.  Sad to say, I still have many polishes that are just hanging out because I didn't get rid of enough.  So my plans for getting organized are as follows...

• Get more shelving
• Start using swatch sticks (something I once started doing but stopped for some reason) with printed labels (I tried just writing the names on them and they smudged off, now I don't know whats, what)
• Take inventory of polishes using either an excel spreadsheet or app
• Find a better way to organize/store vinyls and stamping plates
• Destash topcoats, basecoats, and nail treatments I don't like or use (for some reason I have a lot of these)

Accumulate More Stamping Supplies

One of my big accomplishments in 2015 was finally being able to properly stamp.  This was due largely to acquiring a stamper and polishes that worked very well.  This year I would like to purchase more plates, stamping polishes, and maybe even a clear jelly stamper for layered stamping.  I really enjoy stamping and love the elaborate designs you can create with reverse stamping and layer stamping.  I just don't own many image plates so I'm currently limited with what I can create.

Improve Video Skills

At the very end of the past year, I decided to try and make a few Instagram videos, which I discovered are extremely hard to make.  However, I feel that video tutorials are far more helpful than picture tutorials so I would really like to improve my video taking and editing skills.  I'm hoping that by the end of 2016 I'll be able to bring you full You Tube video tutorials so that you can better understand the nail art that I am creating.

With any luck I'll be able to accomplish these nail related goals and many others in the New Year.

Expectations for Polish Plebe's Blog in 2016

As many of you know from following this blog, I have been having a hard time keeping up with regular posts.  This has been due to the holiday season as well as the expected arrival of baby #2 in the beginning of April.  My pregnancy has made it difficult for me to create nail art on a regular basis, and creating blog posts on top of that has just been cumbersome.  However, I really like creating and sharing nail art with all of you, so I'm not ready to give it all up, yet.

My goal for 2016, is to provide one blog post a week which may be a tutorial, a swatch/review, or other nail related post.  I am hoping to keep the regularly scheduled post on Friday, so that you have some entertainment for the weekend.  Extra posts (on the occasions I'm feeling rambunctious) will occur earlier in the week.  I will be participating in the Instagram Weekly Nail Art Challenge as much as possible to help guarantee a weekly post.  Here is this month's challenge listing, my NYE mani pictured at the beginning of the post was to fulfill the first prompt...

Though I won't be posting on this blog as frequently I plan on using my Instagram and Facebook accounts to keep you up to date, and to post random nail art designs as well as an occasional video tutorial.  For those of you who don't care for Instagram or Facebook, you can also follow me on Pinterest or Nailpolis, though I don't post to these accounts as frequently. 

The big question is what will happen during the end of March through April when the new baby arrives and my life will be temporarily upside down.  I am hoping to get some help from fellow bloggers to help me out, and have some guest posts during that time, as it will be extremely difficult for me to do nail art and postings.  So, if you are a blogger, would like to try your hand at blogging, or know of a blogger who might be interested in doing a guest post please have them contact me via email: createdbycbond@gmail.com, so that we can discuss the details.

I am so proud of the progress I made this past year and I'm really looking forward to what 2016 will bring both personally and within the nail art realm.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, wish you nothing but the best in 2016.

Your Fellow Plebe,