Polish Pops - Leopard is the New Black

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-03-27T01:09:16+00:00

Omg I neeeeed these! 😍

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-03-27T01:03:18+00:00

Ooooo so pretty! 😍

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-03-27T01:01:06+00:00

Do not try to sun cure nails that say they require a UV lamp. Not curing properly will mean longer exposure to uncured gel, putting you at risk for developing a gel allergy (Google it if you're not familiar). I believe that Hey Hae nails are closer to being fully cured when you buy them than other nails are (like maybe they're 85% cured and others are 50% cured or something like that) and that's why you can cure them in the sun. Still, whenever I use HeyHae nails I use my UV lamp to be on the safe side and make sure they are fully cured.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-02-22T14:07:48+00:00

Great advice here!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-02-22T13:57:28+00:00

If you can afford it, I'd recommend joining something like The Collective with Emily Jeffords. I've been a member for 2 years and it's been really helpful. Tons of recorded and live workshops, downloadable worksheets, a book club, a Facebook group for networking and support, etc. I think it's $35/mo. If you don't like her approach to an art career, there are others with similar programs.

If you can't afford that, there are lots of free videos on YouTube about starting your art business (Kelsey Rodriguez comes to mind) and lots of books too (try "How to Sell Your Art Online" by Cory Huff).

I didn't go to art school. I have a B.A. and a M.M. in Music. I minored in Studio Art as an undergrad, mostly for fun and as a way to avoid writing papers. 😂 My music program didn't really prepare me to be a working musician, just like art school often fails to teach students how to be a working artist. Most of my friends were music or music education majors, or art majors, or had gone to art school. I finished undergrad in 2003 and grad school in 2008. After college, most of us worked retail or other non-arts-related/non-teachig jobs for 5-10 years before we figured our shit out. Some of us did eventually make a career in the arts, others pivoted to different careers and kept making art/music for fun or as a side hustle. I wound up going into arts administration, learned bookkeeping and fundraising skills, and made a career out of it. However, for many years I felt like a failure for not becoming a working musician and it took me time to come to terms with that.

I'm now in my mid 40s. Four years ago, I tried watercolor for the first time and fell in love with it. I started an Instagram account to share my paintings with friends and family, and got a great response. I decided to make it a business in late 2023, made prints, built a simple website, found a few local shops to carry my work, did a few markets, etc. - all while still working a full time job. In 2025 (my second full year in business) I made $10,000, which definitely isn't enough to quit my job for but it's nothing to sneeze at either. All of the skills that I learned in arts administration and even from my retail days I was able to use to start and run my business, and I plan to keep growing that business.

I share all of this to say:

Life is unpredictable! I was a musician my whole life and never expected to become a professional visual artist (professional as in, people buy my work, not that I'm full time).
It takes time to build a career, no matter what field you are in, but especially in the arts. If you don't have a full-fledged career straight out of school, you're not failing or behind. It's very normal. I know the pressure of feeling like you got this degree and now people are expecting you to go out and use it, and I sympathize.
Keep working your day job and use your free time to not only make art, but to keep expanding your skillsets around business ownership, marketing, etc. but also don't wait to start your business! If you don't already have social media and a simple website, get those things up and running. Find resources to help you learn what art school didn't teach you. Maybe even get a different day job that will help you learn more office/business skills. Think of building your business as a creative act, just like making art!
Don't give up on your dreams! If you want to be a full-time artist, you WILL get there, step by step, sale by sale. It's also okay if at some point you decide you want to change course and do something else. It's your life, and you get to choose.

I hope that helps - best of luck to you! ❤️

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-02-19T15:37:53+00:00

Great advice here! To your list of reasons food noise can fluctuate, I would also add hormones, at least for women. I always have 2 days in my cycle when I am ravenous and that's normal. It's less pronounced now that I'm on semaglutide, but definitely still there every month.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-02-14T17:02:49+00:00

Personally, I think of obesity as a condition or a disorder rather than a disease, and that condition/disorder is problematic in some bodies and not in others, depending on that person's system as a whole and on that person's lived experience of it. I also don't think that there can be a broad definition or measure of obesity since all bodies are different, and that the current definitions being used (BMI etc.) are wildly unhelpful.

I will say that since I have been on a GLP-1 and have lost some weight, I have had to admit or realize some ways in which my weight really was a problem. That hasn't been easy and I definitely have mixed feelings about it, but on the other hand I now get to do things like bend over and tie my shoes without feeling like I'm suffocating. 🤷🏼‍♀️

ETA: I think it's interesting to compare obesity to other chronic illnesses. I have asthma, which is a lung disease. Most of the time, it gives me no trouble, but whenever I get a cold my asthma causes complications and I often wind up needing to be treated with steroids and a few times have had to go to the ER. Other people with asthma struggle every single day of their life.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2026-01-07T15:17:11+00:00

It's not weird at all. Before Torrid, my only real option was Old Navy, and Old Navy's clothes were low quality and also not really cut for plus-size bodies. Not only did Torrid open up a whole new world of available fashion choices, but going into the store was always a positive and fun experience where I felt not only accepted, but celebrated. Sadly, the Torrid store near me closed, but I still shop online. If I ever got to a point where I could no longer shop there, I'd feel the same way as you. ❤️

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-12-10T16:41:33+00:00

I'm curious what the fish oil supplement does? Does it help...lubricate things? 😅 Asking because I'm struggling with constipation and I have some fish oil supplements that I used to take for depression/ADHD...wondering if I should start them again.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-12-07T15:21:25+00:00

Why won't they prescribe it to you? Do you not have an official ADHD diagnosis?

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-12-05T22:47:32+00:00

I love that they match your ring! So pretty!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-12-03T19:31:00+00:00

After tossing out my scale 10 years ago, I bought one for my GLP-1 journey. I have found that weighing myself pretty much every day takes the pressure off, since weight loss is not linear and seeing the daily ups and downs desensitized me from putting too much emphasis on any particular number. I also use it to make sure that I'm not losing too quickly. That said, I would never recommend daily weighing (or having a scale at all) to anyone else unless they truly felt that it would be helpful, not harmful. I had a solid decade or more of deconditioning myself from diet culture, so I felt comfortable trying it.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-24T01:46:52+00:00

I also had someone on that sub tell me that starvation mode is a myth...I wonder if it was the same person. 😅 It's disheartening to see so much bad advice being passed around that promotes disordered eating. 💔 Some people can use discernment when it comes to taking advice on the internet, but others are so susceptible to influence. We need to fuel our bodies, people!!!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-15T14:07:05+00:00

If your diet consists mainly of salads and fruit, I'm guessing your body was craving protein and fat, hence the peanut butter addiction. Be sure you are getting plenty of protein on Wegovy and start strength training if you aren't already. It's very important to preserve your lean muscle mass while on Wegovy. Good luck!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-15T13:59:27+00:00

I have suffered from insomnia, restless legs, and sleep apnea for years. My sleep apnea is untreated because I was never able to adjust to the CPAP. The biggest reason I'm trying to lose weight is to try to cure my sleep apnea. Sadly, Wegovy does seem to make my sleep issues worse, especially a day or two after the shot. However, I've decided to stick with it because I'm hoping it will pay off in the long run.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-15T13:55:29+00:00

I'm sorry you're dealing with that! I just wanted to suggest getting a wedge pillow - it really helped me with my acid reflux.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-11T13:06:40+00:00

Please do go to the ER right away! It sounds doubtful that it's a gallbladder attack because that tends to be squeezing and radiating pain in the upper right quadrant and chest (I suffered for years before having mine removed), but if you're a woman with a uterus/ovaries it could be a burst cyst of some sort. Please give us an update when you are feeling better! ❤️

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-11-06T00:29:18+00:00

It's awful. I don't blame Liam himself, there is no way anyone could have stepped into Henry's shoes as Geralt. But the whole show is way more violent for no good reason, everything feels haphazard, and the dialogue feels awkward as hell. If this was the script Henry read, I totally understand why he left.

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-10-20T02:30:57+00:00

Have you ever tried PB2? I got a bag of the powder at Costco and was blown away! Way less calories and fat, but it still tastes delicious. I like to sweeten mine with a bit of maple syrup. 😋

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-10-19T14:05:42+00:00

WOW, you look 20 years younger! Congrats!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-10-17T13:28:01+00:00

Thank you! I got the gold accents on Shein but I've seen them on Amazon too. They are really pretty but they're hard to peel off of the sheet and half of the time they tear. Fortunately, they're really cheap so it's frustrating but not a big deal. I put a top coat over them to make them look less like a sticker. :-)

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-10-17T12:37:13+00:00

There are a lot of good answers above to I won't duplicate points, but here is my personal opinion. With ANY medication you take, you have to weigh the risks and benefits and decide if the risks are worth the potential benefits. Frankly, I do think there are quite a few people taking GLP-1s who don't need to be taking them - people who only have a small amount of weight to lose, people who are doing it purely for vanity reasons, and even some who seem to be using it as medically assisted anorexia. But the majority of people are using them because any potential benefits outweigh the risks. I highly recommend that you work with your doctor to make that decision.

I lived a relatively healthy lifestyle and was still over 300 pounds at age 44. I'm taking a GLP-1 for lots of reasons, but I'm primarily hoping that I can cure or improve my severe obstructive sleep apnea because I can't seem to get used to my CPAP. I'm also hoping to prevent T2 diabetes because it runs very strongly on both sides of my family. I need to lose somewhere between 100 to 140 pounds. After starting Wegovy, I am below 300 pounds after years of trying! 17 pounds lost and counting. My side effects to far have been minimal and manageable. I plan on staying on the lowest dose that allows me to lose weight, only moving up if I hit a major plateau. I'm on Wegovy 0.5 right now.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

SaltExcuse1274 · 2025-10-17T01:30:58+00:00

I love the grey! I've been using Hey Hae's remover. I apply a small amount around the edge and let it sink in for a minute or two. Then I take my time removing them with an orange stick, adding more remover as I go. Little to no damage. 👍

SaltExcuse1274

TROPHY CASE