Maggie May Monday ~ March 15, 2010

Maggie gets a Full Set-

For any of you unfamiliar with nail salons, the term "Full Set" refers to putting brand new acrylic tips on all 10 fingernails, which are fastened with super glue-type adhesive and then more or less overlayed with a mixture of some liquid chemical and powdered acrylic, carefully and skillfully constructing each nail...well, if you haven 't ever had them applied, just suffice it to know that it is a process that takes a while, costs a little bit of money, requires biweekly maintenance, but results in lovely nails. 

Almost all of the nail salons I have been to are owned and operated by Vietnamese families who Americanize their names so their customers can pronounce them. The licenses on the wall show their real names and they usually  contain extraneous y's, n's and h's. Most can't speak my language at all well, but usually you can communicate using the language of nails. I get what's called an American manicure on the acrylics, similar to a French manicure only using off-white instead of white, which they paint on, free hand, I might add. It is a natural look that I prefer. As I said they Americanize their names and I have had nail technicians named David, Laura, Charlie and Kelly. My current technicians are a husband and wife team named Dan and Bea. They speak almost perfect English, which is why I have been going to them for over a year, and they do a very nice job on my nails.

Anyway, I started out this blog to tell you about Maggie's Full Set. As most of you know, we adopted a shelter cat/kitten in January. She is a doll but has damaged curtains, leather couches, etc., with her claws and it was getting out of hand. I don't like the idea of declawing a cat and I hated her ruining things and me having to yell at her. So, I found these things called Soft Paws on-line. They are little soft rubber tips that you fill with Crazy Glue and stick over her claws. And they work great, so far. 

Although it took some doing to put them on her with me holding her like a baby, wrapped in a towel and Ed filling the tips and placing them on one by one. He is much better at placing them on and I am the wrapper and holder. We only did her front claws so it wouldn't be such a long ordeal. But those back claws can do some damage so the towel was a necessity. Then, after the tips are all on, I have to hold her for 5 minutes while the glue cures.

She wasn't really very happy about it, but we were thrilled!

She has been adjusting to her new nails over the past couple of weeks and as the claws grow, they do fall off one at a time making it necessary for each one to be replaced. She tries to chew them off immediately, but the glue seems to hold pretty well, as long as we get them on correctly. She has managed to get only one or two off so far and we replaced them right away. 

Her first full set was the clear tips, following with my preference for the "natural look".However, they come in all colors, even green and red for Christmas.

I just purchased a package of blue tips and a lovely hot pink. Last night we replaced one of her clear ones with a pink one and it looks fabulous! Before you know it, she will have a full set of hot pink.

Maggie's nail techs, Ed and Sue, are not as accomplished as Dan and Bea, although they do speak perfect English. Nonetheless, we have found it a little difficult to communicate with Maggie during these sessions of replacing the nails. But we are hopeful that, like I became accustomed to having to endure the sometimes slightly painful process of maintaining my acrylics, she will also become accustomed to her regimen. After all, what we gals go through just to be beautiful, in the end, is all worth it! And, I know the couch will be much better off!

Have a great day!
Love ,
Suz.