I started this humble blog nearly 3-years-ago. Motivated by a love of nail art, a love for Lupe Fiasco and boredom, it has become a nice little online diary...
In an effort to reflect, I was looking back on my old posts and I noticed that I have really come far in my art. I have gone from it just being a hobby that I wasn't very good at to being a sought after licensed manicurist...
I took a break in December but I just started back up doing regular nail appointments this week. Check my work from this past Monday:
She had to go home and put on her rings before she posted a pic on her instagram. Shout out to Mai. She was my very first non-friend or family client!
I have come really far since I started this blog. My art has really improved... But I have so far to go... I'm trying to be like Spif...
Anyway, as always... I will try to post more often but we all know I make that promise often and never actually do it... We'll see though. I've done a lot of nails lately so we'll see... Not that it matters. It's only me reading this.. Lol...
That's right folks... Yesterday, Lupe Fiasco had his album release party in NYC where he presented his first ever Outstanding Fan Awards, tweeting the winners out as the party was happening. I was honored to receive the Front Row Award. Check it:
How cool is that?! I don't do it for the accolades... I do it for the ratchets. Just kidding!
After receiving this in the mail a few weeks ago, I never expected to get more recognition from Lu:
Yes... that is a platinum record. What an awesome dude... I'm forever grateful...
You can see the full list of winners over at my blogging home away from home, The LupEND Blog (which just so happened to win best fan site. We cleaned up yesterday!)...
I stumbled upon this really awesome blog called Mixtapes & Cupcakes. You should go check it out too!
Of course I couldn't just give the post such an awesome title without talking about those two awesome things that I adore-- cupcakes & mixtapes...
Cupcakes...
Every week my very good friend Raina and I get together for dinner. We call it E&I Thursdays (or Fridays depending on what day we go). Usually we get together in Oakland to eat. This week we got together in San Francisco. We had some underwhelming Mexican food for dinner. Then we had some really good cupcakes from a cupcake shop I'd never heard of...
The name of the cupcake shop is Cako.
I bought 4 cupcakes; one for me and one for each of my sisters and my mom. They all said their cupcakes were good. My mom had red velvet, my big little sister had strawberry cheesecake and my little little sister had back to basics (which is just a plain cupcake with frosting and sprinkles.). I had Pink Lemonade and it was really good!
It had this lemon cam filling in the middle and lemon icing. I very much enjoyed it...
It wasn't nearly as good as the cupcake I had 2 weeks ago. But it hit the spot... I will definitely be visiting Cako again the next time I'm in downtown SF (which may vey well be later on today) but I definitely will NOT be buying cupcakes for anyone else. $14 for four cupcakes is just a bit too steep for me...
Mixtapes...
Ok, so this isn't really a mixtape. It's an album but it leaked and now it's all over the internet for free and any free album is a mixtape as far as I'm concerned... The "mixtape" in question is the much anticipated Drake album, Take Care.
I must say, this is definitely NOT what I was expecting from a rap album. I'm not a huge Drake fan so I wasn't expecting it to be all that great but this sounds like some Luther Vandross type ish. He's hella singing on it. I actually went to sleep to it last night. It sounds like something you'd hear on the soundscapes channel... It's really bad... Lol... I mean, I like the beats and melodies because I'm a girl and they are really soft and soothing (this will definitely be my going to sleep album now), but as far as rap is concerned, it's just bad. Almost every song is about loving a chick. I don't want to hear that ish... I will definitely NOT be buying this. Not that I had planned on it. Like I said before, I'm not the biggest Drake fan, though everyone has a chance for redemption in my eyes. If this would've turned out to be halfway decent, I would've definitely bought it. Oh well... He used to be able to rap when his very first mixtape came out. I don't know what happened. He's hella soft and crooning as opposed to rapping now. Ugh...
Lupe>>>>>>>>>>>>>Drake
My favorite Drake song...
When I first heard this I was so excited! Not only did he use a Little Brother beat, he proclaimed Phonte to be his favorite rapper. I love Phonte! He's my 2nd favorite rapper!
My favorite Lupe Fiasco album is his sophomore album, The Cool.
On this album, there is a song entitled Free Chilly. I love this song for more reasons than I care to mention... This design was inspired by that song and the hope that the man who inspired the song will one day be free...
This is what I used:
NYC-Frech White Essie-Forever Yummy Essie-Mesmerized Naturistics-Jammin' Java
If we could break down those walls and set you free we would Cause we out here And we miss you...
One year ago today, a group of fellow Lupe Fiasco fans rallied outside of Atlantic Records headquarters to demand the release of Lupe Fiasco's, then shelved, 3rd album...
Though I wasn't physically in attendance, my heart was with the masses.
Lupe showed up to support those who were supporting him.
His 3rd album, LASERS, was released in March and he's been going strong ever since with an amazing response to the album. It has been his most successful album commercially yet...
Here's to you, Lu and all of the Fiasco Friday protesters who stood by, rallied around and supported Lupe Fiasco a year ago today...
I was hella tired at work today. Seriously... Dumb ass tired... But the reason I was so tired was TOTALLY worth it. What's the reason you ask?
Yep... Lupe Fiasco. He ended his Generation Laser tour in Oakland California and I had the privilege of being in attendance...
I saw a post on another blog where a girl had painted the anarchy "a" on her nails. I've done that before but not with the neon red shade A Rose Among Thorns that she used from China Glaze so I went to Sally's and picked it up and did this design on my nails.
In her design, she put crackle over the nails that didn't have the "a" on it. I really don't like the crackle effect so I did a dripping effect instead.
Like I said, I only got the neon red color idea from her, the rest of the design, I had already done before or changed around so that it didnt look like hers.
It was a big hit at the show and so was Lu... I had a great time, as always. I can't wit until show #25...
Today is Polka Dots day but it is also show #24 day... That's right... I'm going to my 24th Lupe Fiasco show and will be recreating an awesome nail design that I saw on a fellow Lupe Lovers blog. Since I didnt feel like painting my nails twice in one day, I pulled a design from the archives that I did on my sister's nails a while ago...
Bows and Polka dots
This is what I used:
Sally Hansen-The Real Teal Claire's-Black Hole Claire's-Yellow Brick Road
If you know me, then you know I love Lupe Fiasco. No, seriously. Love.
I own multiple copies of all of his albums, I have some album art of his tattooed on my arm and I've been to 23 of his shows with no sign of stopping in the future... So, as you can see, it goes without saying--I love Lupe Fiasco. I actually love music in general so he is just the cherry on top of the cupcake that is music as far as I'm concerned.
Cupcake Nails!
There are several things I take VERY seriously. This blog is dedicated to 3 of them:
A) Food 2) My nails D) Lupe Fiasco
My original plan was to title this blog Food & Lacquer but some chick took it and, by the looks of it she a) has never been back to her blog since stealing my name; 2) has no clue that the name is a play off of Lupe's first albumFood & Liquor; and d) has no plans on posting anything food or lacquer related anytime soon...
It's all good though...
Much like the belief that all of us die-hard Lupe fans have that Food & Liquor 2 will be bigger and better than Food & Liquor, I believe that Food & Lacquer Too will be bigger and better than its predecessor. Hell, it already is... We've actually posted something!
