put music on while i was cleaning my room and accidentally turned moving the laundry into a whole dance break. two songs in i was warm and breathing harder and remembered i do in fact have a body below the salon table. my back felt less stiff once i stopped doing the same tiny movements with my hands, and i could stretch my arms all the way out without knocking over somebody's polish. roommate opened the door right when i was being deeply unserious so that's on her. shower afterwards felt GOOD, especially rinsing the little bits of nail dust out of my hair. now the clean clothes are still in a basket but at least they're attending from a better location.

a regular looked at her finished nails and said she felt pretty again, then got quiet like she'd said more than she meant to. i wanted to ask what happened but didn't, just let her keep looking at her hands. made me proud of the work and a little protective of her, which is funny because she's old enough to tell me what to do. after she left i stayed in that soft mood until the next client was late with no message and then i was immediately back to being annoyed. both things fit in the same afternoon apparently. i took a picture of that first set before cleaning up, not even for posting yet. i just liked remembering her face when she saw it.

been looking at the photos of a set i loved in person and wondering why it looks flat on camera. first thought was change the design, then i moved the practice hand closer to the window and suddenly the colour looked right. i spend all that time getting the surface smooth and then photograph it under lighting that makes it look like a different person's work. meanwhile the slightly crooked angle gets more attention online because you can see the shine. i'm interested in that and also irritated by it. i want people to notice the detail without me turning every finished appointment into a film shoot. saved three photos to compare tomorrow, except i already know which one the algorithm would probably like.