The Time Has Come...

I have been contemplating writing this post for a while now, and I can't put it off any longer. I have been blogging for a long time, since 2009. It's seriously been seven and a half years. That sounds kinda insane haha. And I've loved it. I do love it. I wouldn't have done it so long if I didn't. However, the time has come to move on.

I will be retiring, for lack of a better word, very soon. I plan to be finished by the end of this month. 2016 has been kind of a wonky year, but blog-wise I've enjoyed great success and I'm happy to be ending things on a high note. By success I mean having loyal readers and friends that regularly read my blog and look at my photos, and brands wanting to work with me and have me review their amazing products. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people care about what I think about a topic I love so much.

I have several reasons to be bowing out at this time. I will list a few, because I believe I owe you that, but some of the reasons I need to keep to myself. My time is factor one, as I spend an absurd amount of hours on this "hobby" of mine. All my daytime hours on the weekends are spent swatching and photographing. Then I work on my blog seven nights a week, even though I don't publish every day. I've never been fast at it, it takes a lot of precise work, and therefore energy. So much of my free time is spent on my blog, and as I have a full time day job, a lot of other things get pushed to the side in favor of nail polish. I'm not complaining really, it's been my choices that have gotten me to this point. I just can't continue to do it.

I wish I could just scale back, to limit my posts, to lighten the load. But another factor influencing my decision to stop completely is that I have carpal tunnel in both of my wrists. It's been a problem most of my adult life. I was a dental assistant for a while (before I ever even thought about blogging), on track to become a dental hygienist actually, and I ended up making the decision to switch career paths because my weak wrists couldn't handle the hours of intense, dexterous work. It hasn't been as bad in years past, but the past two it has become increasingly difficult to manage. The numbness and pain is not quite constant, but it starts within minutes after I start swatching and sticks around. The positions I have to hold my hands in to polish my nails and to take photos of them have become more and more taxing. I know there are surgical procedures for this malady, but at this time in my life that is not a feasible option for me.

I have seen some of my good friends, some of my nail idols, some extremely talented individuals leave the blogging world. And I'm sure there will be others to come down the road. They survived and I will too. Though I can't express my sadness enough. Maybe that sounds a little extreme, but it's true. I LOVE nail polish. I LOVE blogging. And I will never stop loving it, but I simply can't sustain the work this takes any longer.

Thank you, dear reader, for everything, your support and your kindness throughout the years! I've been so fortunate to meet so many amazing people, some of the best friends of my life, through blogging! To receive and review so many fabulous nail polishes has been a dream come true, so to all the brands I've been privileged to work with - I'm in awe of your incredible work! And if you have gotten this far thank you again, for reading this long dramatic post, haha, you're the most, to say the least.

Love always,

❤ Kellie

P.S. I still have a few more collections and posts to share with you, so you're not rid of me quite yet!

Ch-ch-changes

Hi friends :) A few people have asked me why the change in my blog name. Honestly, I've been thinking of taking out the "Also Known As..." bit for a while now, but the decision became easier when a copyright issue came to my attention this last month. To be safe and agreeable, I decided to make my blog name the same as my website address, KellieGonzo. It's not a terribly big deal but I wanted to mention it in case you were curious. If you didn't know, now ya do ;)

Also, I've had a tough few weeks, as you may have noticed from my sporadic posts. Unfortunately, my dumb head and my sad heart are to blame. I'm doing better now and thanks for your well wishes. Part of the reason (I won't bore you with the rest) is my kitty Sawyer has gone missing and it's been long enough that I'm thinking he won't be back. It's easy to forget sometimes to really enjoy the time you have with people you love, or pets you love in this case. It hit me a lot harder than I expected and I guess I was reminded that I have a heart after all. I'll be back and better than ever soon. Hug your kitty (or dog, or significant other, etc.) extra tight tonight for me.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

I wanted to write a quick post today to bring to your attention a new video made by Illamasqua to mark the anniversary of Sophie Lancaster's passing, 4 years ago today.

This film explains the background of the charity, and the work that they do. To date, Illamasqua have raised thousands of pounds for the charity and they are more determined than ever to ensure that Sophie's legacy lives on.

Click here to watch the film: http://www.illamasqua.com/about/sophie/

Birthday Girl

Salutations luvers! I just wanted to pop in and say hello before my day is over. I turned 25 years old today and was absolutely pummeled with love from every direction via people I know in real life and folks that I have met from blogging. Thank you so much to everyone who tweeted me, wrote on my Facebook, or commented on my blog today wishing me a happy birthday!! Even if you didn't, thanks for reading this right now and coming back to see my swatches and read my drivel once in a while. It means so much to me. I'll be back with more nail polish soon. *squishes you all in a big mushy hug*

Keep smiling and I will too ☺

soapbox

please read this: I've Got Your Counterpoint Right Here, Maire Claire

i don't want to link to the original article/site, but that link explains the issue and gives a brilliant response to it.

i want to shout and stamp my foot about this. ignorance is ugly. it hurts my head and my heart. blog responsibly kids, that's all i'm going to say.

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

The Daily Nail: NO H8.

The Daily Nail: NO H8.: "In 2008, a Proposition was passed in California that put a ban on same-sex marriages. Today, that ban was overturned by US District Court Ju..."

celebrate!! and show it on your nails, like my girl TDN :)

i'm yours

just discovered this artist. she is everything that i can call magic. talent beyond words.

"if fiona apple, john paul george ringo, jason mraz, and karen o had a love child--its would be christina perri, and she would sing."

check out her other stuff if you get a chance :)

bb couture hands of hope

it is hard for me to care (i.e. listen to people jabber) about trivial things like award show speeches, who's who on reality tv shows like "jersey shore", who's gotten what new plastic surgery done, and even things i love like nail polish when we see such devastating events such as the monumental heartache and pain going on in countries like Haiti right now. i would love to drop everything and run down and help but sadly mine as well as many others' lives cannot work that way. it's times like this when we all need to do our part. pitch in every little way that YOU can. in ways that matter to YOU.

so how can we help? BB Couture and OverallBeauty.com has made it easy, and you can gain something you would probably have gotten anyway, more nail polish (haha) along with the satisfaction of lending a hand to the victims of the earthquake disaster in Haiti. 25% of the proceeds from the new collection from BB Couture "Hands of Hope" will go directly to the Salvation Army's Haiti Relief Efforts, as they assist the survivors and help them to rebuild their future.

The Hands of Hope Collection is a soothing array of pastel crèmes:

~Bassin’s Blue – experience subtle turquoise pools linked by spectacular waterfalls

~Cape Haitian – mornings bring a mysterious pale violet haze over the mountains

~Paradise – savor the natural beauty of Haiti along the endless sandy beige beaches

~Kyona Beach – gaze up at the cloudless baby blue sky while sunning on the beach

~Labadie Beach – delight in the delicate pink hues of the setting sun

~Tortuga Island - explore the exotic lush green island foliage

(Each complete set ordered will include a free bottle of Top Rock top coat)

the complete set retails for $54.00 at OverallBeauty.com
click here for more info and swatches

lots of love

just dropping a little line to all you wonderful folks out there in the world who come by my little corner of the web and read/look at my blog :) thank you so very much for all your support and love this year! happy holidays and cheer to you and yours. be safe, merry, and keep warm!