Fake or Faux?

Twitter update:  378 followers

Around two years ago at this very same time of year I got my first set of fake fingernails.  I reasoned that, being an author, doing book signings, I needed to have nice nails.  So I kept up with it for two years, going every 3 to 4 weeks for a fill and a color change.  I tried the acrylic, and the gel; the regular nail polish and the air brushing; the fancy tips and the not so fancy tips.  At Christmas I even kicked it up a notch and did both red and green sparkly, one red, one green, one red, etc.  You get the picture.  My nails have always been a big part of R. K. Avery and I love the sparkles!

I was due for a fill last week and I didn't feel like going.  When I first started, it was a treat, getting pampered for the hour or so I was at the nail salon but the last six months or so, it has felt like a chore; a very expensive chore and the longer it went, the more I hated going.  So on Thursday evening, my daughter and I ripped off all my fake nails.  It was a great reunion, seeing my actual nails after two long years but they were in sad shape.  Very thin and rough, at first I didn't know if they were salvagable.  And the skin just under the nail was so sensitive, I actually thought I was going to be heading to the nail salon for a new set. 

But I got out the clippers and trimmed them down as far as I could, then I used the nail file and tried to smooth down the surface.  Of course this made them even thinner but at least they weren't as rough.  Then I applied a layer of clear polish which added back a little bit of shine because they were dull, dull, dull.  On top of that I applied a layer of purple polish, followed by another layer of purple polish.  Not finished yet.  Then I added a layer of sparkles.  It was actually clear polish with sparkles in it.  The sparkles kinda hide the other blemishes that I couldn't remove with the nail file.  So here is a picture of the finished product:

Now it has been a few days.  I have several hang nails which I never had with the fake nails.  The polish also seems to chip really easy.  Does anyone know a way around this?

For now, I guess you have to take the good with the bad.  At least I don't have to spend $25 - $40 every few weeks to get them done.

May life hand you a lot of sparkle moments!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

Isn't Nature Grand?

Do you ever get those emails from people showing the winners of the National Geographic Photo contest?  The photos are amazing and you wonder how in the world a photographer could capture the image at just the right moment.  Nine times out of ten, they leave me breathless and I want to save every single one of them to be used as a screen saver or wallpaper at some point.

I just got one of those emails from my good friend Kelly Cohen.  Kelly and I have been friends since 1998 when we worked together for about a month.  She was a temp called in to help out and the assignment she thought she was going to be doing turned out to be something different so we stood, side-by-side, making copies; 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for about 3 1/2 to 4 weeks.  You see the company I worked for was up for sale and we needed to make copies of all kinds of documents for the due diligence part of the sale process.  Who knew it would turn into a friendship that would last 15 years!

Kelly and I are the same age and always get together for my birthday (in May) and her birthday (in December).  It's funny how much we have in common, two people who were thrown together due to circumstances but now feel like they have known each other forever.

Anyway, here is a picture that was in the email Kelly sent me.  Just look at the colors!   The photographer is GREG LICANDRO.

Here is another one: 



Make some lasting memories and enjoy your day!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

T G I M - NOT!

Twitter update:  357 followers

So if you have been reading my posts, you know that I am on a diet.  I try to do this every year from Labor Day to Thanksgiving and usually I can lose 20 - 25 pounds.  I remember the year I was pregnant with my daughter, my first non-diet year!  I was so excited to have Halloween and not have to say no to every piece of candy.  I had planned to eat and eat and eat.  Problem was, I was so nauseous from the morning sickness, I couldn't eat anything.  Dang Karma. 

Anyway, yesterday my husband and I went to Abuelos, our absolute favorite Mexican restaurant.  Of course what I would normally order is not considered diet fare in the very least so I scanned the menu for something enjoyable, yet something with less calories.  I decided on a side order of refried beans.  I like to dip my chips it them and they taste fantastic.  Here is a picture of my meal.  Looks absolutely tasty, doesn't it?

Then we have my husband, who is also on a diet to give me moral support and to try and lose a little weight along the way.  Here is a picture of his meal:

Does anyone else see a problem with this?  lol  I love you sweetie, even if you did cheat a little bit.

May you eat what makes you happy!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

Feeling Scatterbrained

Some days the alarm goes off and I'm ready to hit the ground running.  Then other days I hope I'm dreaming and it really isn't time to get up.  I wonder why that is?  I go to bed around the same time every night but sometimes I feel like if I could just get another hour of sleep I would feel so much better.  Does it have to do with the quality of sleep?  How much you tossed and turned?  How many dreams you had? 

Then once I climb out of bed, kicking and screaming, I drag myself into the shower telling myself once the hot water hits me, I will wake up.  Not so.  On those days when I have to crawl out of bed, nothing seems to help, not even my extra large cup of coffee from my favorite donut/coffee shop.

I hate days like that and I wish I knew what triggered them.  Is it the weather?  I know I always sleep better when it's raining and gloomy but it's not rainy and gloomy all the time but I swear, sometimes I think if I could curl up under my desk, I could take a nap no problem.  lol  Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George slept under his desk and his boss came in and heard his alarm clock ticking and thought it was a bomb.  Gosh, I miss Seinfeld, the show about nothing.

Some of my favorite comedy shows now are Mike & Molly, The Middle, Modern Family, New Girl and the Big Bang Theory.  I still love Grey's Anatomy but believe it or not, I prefer to watch it on DVD.  My daughter and I have Grey's Anatomy Marathon weekends where we will sit and watch 7 - 8 episodes in a row.  We haven't done that lately because it's hard to find that type of time but now that the weather is changing, maybe we will plan a day soon.

All time favorite drama would be NCIS.  This past Tuesday was Cote de Pablo's last show as she decided not to renew her contract.  I liked her character Ziva but at least they didn't kill her off, like they did Kate and the first Director, so she can come back.

This is an odd post.  Started out talking about being tired and ended up talking about NCIS and other TV shows.  Weird how the mind works.

Have a great weekend!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

Contract Signed!

Twitter update:  320 followers

The Indians lost 0 - 4 last night.  But we are still very proud of them and they gave us something to root for even after the regular season ended.  They have nothing to be ashamed of -- they did a fantastic job!  A guy I graduated high school with, Dan Polk, actually sung the National Anthem at the game.  Of course the network decided to show commercials during it so all of us watching at home didn't get to see it but I'm sure Dan did a wonderful job.  So proud to say I know you!

Now, some more exciting news.  I finally signed the contract for book #3, Reflection in the Mirror.  Yay!  This is a very exciting time and I can't wait to see what type of cover design Brighton Publishing creates.  The title alone leaves it so wide open for them to use their creative energies but add to it the story line and I have no idea what it will turn out to be.  No matter what, I know it will blow me away.  I will have a cover reveal as soon as I get the first proof. 

Here is a small blurb about the book in case you are not familiar with it:    Reflection in the Mirror is a fictional story of identical mirror twins Clarissa and Marissa Wagner, best friends and roommates since the first heartbeat they sometimes feel as if they share the same soul.  One warm winter afternoon in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of St. Louis, the unthinkable happens which once again proves the unique twin bond can never be broken.  You'll never look at your reflection in the mirror the same way again.

Go Browns!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

Go TRIBE!

Twitter update:  306 followers

It's a good time to be from northeast Ohio.  Our Cleveland Browns have a better record than the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Maybe I need to say that again just so it can sink in; our Cleveland Browns have a better record than the Pittsburgh Steelers!  They are 0 and 4 and we are 2 and 2.  Yeah Baby!

And tonight, the city of Cleveland will shine as our Indians take the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays.  This is a Wild Card game which brings us one step closer to the World Series.

The Indians were in the World Series once before.  It was 1995 and I was lucky enough to get 4 standing room only tickets on a mail in lottery.  My dad, my husband, my husbands friend and I went and stood the entire time right above the 1st base line.  They were playing against the Atlanta Braves and the Indians won.  Unfortunately they didn't win the sereis but it was still exciting, just the crowd and the feeling in the stadium was electric.  It was the first time the Indians had been to the World Series in 41 years and I can honestly say I was there and I got to share it with the two most important men in my life at the time; my dad and my husband.  I still have those tickets and keep thinking I want to get them framed but I haven't done it.

Now if we could get our Cavs on the right path everything would be perfect and Cleveland would be a winning sports city once again.

Go TRIBE!

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Did you know, October 1st is World Vegetarian Day?  It is a day set aside to encourage all of us to eat more fruits and vegetables.  We all know fruits and vegetables are good for our health but vegetarians have taken this love of fruit and vegetables even further by not eating meat of any kind.  Usually this conviction stems from a moral or ethical dilemma where they are opposed to killing animals for food.  I have known a few vegetarians in my life and some do it for the sake of the animal, and others do it for the sake of their own health, trying to lower their cholesterol or blood pressure.  Either way, you can't disagree that fruits and vegetables are good for you.

I do not claim to be a vegetarian but I can say I have not had red meat since 1993.  When I was pregnant with my daughter, just the site and smell of it made me sick.  I would actually gag walking through the grocery store.  So, I stopped eating it and have never gone back (I also stopped grocery shopping so my husband does it every week).  Now, if I eat something that may have hamburger as an ingredient (such as soup or chili), it tastes very metallic to me and I have a hard time swallowing it.  I also have a difficult time with pork; sausage and ribs mostly.  I do, however, enjoy my chicken and turkey.  I also like some seafood's.  Not the ones that taste fishy but shrimp and scallops are wonderful.

Then we have vegans who take everything to a whole new level, not eating any animal or any animal by-product.  This would include eggs, dairy products and cheese.  Although I can't begin to understand how difficult it must be for vegans to prepare a meal or even go out to a nice restaurant, their conviction and commitment to loving all of God's creatures is nothing short of amazing.

Anyway, this day is used to promote awareness of the issues and to encourage others to educate themselves on the benefits of becoming a vegetarian. Seeing as fruits and vegetables are very healthy for you, it's a good day to try a vegetarian diet. You might just be surprised at how good it tastes.

Cheers,  
R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1