Weeks 2-4: Getting Used to a Busy Routine!

Week Two

This week turned out to be a much better week for me. It was really busy and tiresome, but I enjoyed it. I have one important announcement to make. I did not ruin any brushes this week! Hooray! I said that I would learn from the “terrible awful” that occurred in week one, and I did just that. This week, my instructor gave me a practice sheet so that I can get the hang of making acrylic balls (I call them beads) with the right consistency. That sheet was very helpful.

I watched my instructor demonstrate how to do the traditional pink and white nail and also the reverse pink and white. She told us that both are big sellers in nail salons. I tried my hand at both. Of course, I have to learn to do a better job with the white acrylic powder. It’s not perfect, but once I receive my kit, I will practice until I get it right.

The smell of the monomer still bothers me. Some of the students told me that I should consider buying the odorless monomer. They made sure I understood that the when using the odorless monomer, it takes a little longer to dry and it has somewhat of a sticky residue. My instructor suggested that if I do decide to use the odorless monomer, to spray the nail with alcohol to help it dry faster.

Week Three

I have to be honest, by the time week three rolled around, I was so tired. Working out before daylight, going to work and then going to school have really started to drain me. I do not get home each day until after 10:00 PM. Some days, I really wish I could sleep in a bit, or get home really early and just go to bed, but I do not have that luxury right now. I am not complaining at all because I am doing something that I love. Although it is a lot for me right now, I know all of this hard work will pay off in the end. Some days I feel like I need toothpicks to keep my eyes open in class. As exciting as it was to learn about gel nails this week, my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. I can’t wait to get my kit so that I can practice gel nails. I think I am really going to like doing them. I watched one of the more seasoned students do an almond-shaped acrylic set – one stroke art design. She did an awesome job. One day soon I will be able to do that same type of work. I’m looking forward to it.

Let me tell you what excited me the most for this week. My books (nail manual, workbook, and exam book) finally arrived. Hooray! This can only mean that it will not be long before my kit arrives. From now on, whenever the UPS or FedEx delivery guy comes in the school, I will be watching to see if he has my kit. I want to ask him the same question that Celie asked Mister in the movie, The Color Purple, “Anything come for me?”

Week Four

Week four was the official first week of class for new students. We covered a couple of chapters in record time, in my opinion. I wanted my instructor to slow down and “pump her brakes.” After my head stop spinning, so to speak, from speeding through the chapters at the speed of light, I finally got myself together. The last thing a tired brain/mind needs is to have to absorb tons of information in a short period of time.

Apparently I haven’t been writing a whole lot before this week. My hand, arm, and neck were hurting so badly after two days of taking notes and doing classwork and homework. As the week progressed, things slowed down considerably.

The highlight of my week was receiving my nail kit. Christmas had finally come in August for me! You do know what that means for me, right? I can practice and practice like there is no tomorrow. I’ve watched and learned so much over the past four weeks, and now I have plenty of my own product to do what I’ve seen the more seasoned students do. I promise to post plenty of pictures of my work going forward.  Let the fun begin!