So the back-to-school slump has ended. Just when I found some projects to keep me busy in my down time, wouldn't you know? The phone started ringing and now I'm too busy to work on my projects. Figures.

This is the beginning of my favorite time of year. Next week our county fair opens (I'll be entering cupcakes this year) which — now that school starts in the middle of summer — is my official "beginning of fall."

By the time the fair ends, the high schools will be knee deep in football season, complete with homecoming games and dances that, of course, need corresponding mascot nail art. Then the local craft fair circuit gets underway, and before you know it, everything is draped in fake spider web!

Woohoo! Halloween! My absolute favorite time of year — and nail art season! Not to mention time for Beautytech's annual Strut Your Stuff Online nail competition and NAILS’  annual Cover Tech Contest. And this year I even have a killer idea for an entry!

Of course, I'm not going to tell anyone about it. First, I have to see if I can gather together the materials to build the ultimate coolest-ever set of nails. Then, I will have to find a model to do them on. Then, I will have to find time to get them done. Then I will have to find a photographer who can not only take a decent photo of nails, but can also comprehend exactly what I'm going for with my fabulous idea.

Then, if we get this to come together by the entry deadline, we can all sit around and wait until January to see who won.

Oooooh, I hope we get to vote for our favorite design again!

And just when Halloween ends and contest deadlines are met, it'll be time to start sweating over the season's last big competition at the Sacramento show in November. Oh wait, I've already started sweating over that one.

Then it'll be time for all the big winter holidays — and more holiday nail art! Not to mention all those homemade cookies and fudge.

The good news is that it's shaping up to be a good year for business and it looks like I'll be able to keep my bills paid for another year. The bad news is that I still have all those other projects laying around not getting done. And they were good projects that I was planning on using to supplement my income with a few retail dollars — you know how Hannah is always trying to convince us to retail. Oh well. Maybe next back-to-school season I can get around to finishing them, right now I have nails to do!