Hello World!

Welcome to my little slice of cyberspace.  If you're not familiar with me, my name is Mandy.  I'm a 27-year-old born and raised in Milwaukee, WI.  I've been married to my Jersey boy at heart, Blake for almost 6 and a half years.  Together, we have a 4-year-old handsome handful named Cristian.

I've tried this blogging thing several times before, but nothing has ever stuck.  Yet, each time I stop I get the itch to blog again.  I've never really had any real motivation or direction before.  I really had to look into what makes me tick.  Thus, Polished Pieces was born.

Here is what you'll be reading from me:

Lacquer Lovin'

The polished part.  If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with nail polish.  My nails are almost always painted and it's a joke in my house that I single-handedly keep the USPS in business.  I've met some wonderful ladies who I am blessed to call my friends because of nail polish communities on Facebook who even helped name this blog!

You will be seeing dupe posts to help Lacquer Clones with their awesome project that will change the nail polish world!  You will be seeing my successes and fails with nail art.  You will see my love for holographic polishes and glitter, along with my favorite manicures.

and...

Gift of AWE-tism

The pieces part.  The symbol for Autism, if you're not aware, is the puzzle piece.  My son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS on July 11, 2011.  My world has been turned upside down and I mean that in the most positive and loving way.  I'm not an expert, but I am learning each and every day.  Just like my nail polish girls and I stick together, and my loved ones supporting me on my weight loss journey, a good support system is key for any family dealing with the gift of Autism.

You will read about Cristian's good days and bad, as well as my parenting successes and fails.  You will read about what I've learned and what I am learning as a Special Needs parent.  You will read about what resources have helped us and what resources are available because this road can be a very lonely one if you don't have the right tools.

There will be a few miscellaneous posts about family, love, friends and my journey to find healthy curves, but the bulk will be about my puzzled and polished life.  Why?  This is my world right now.  It's all I know and I'm excited to have you along for the ride!

Until the next mani, stay puzzled and polished!
<3m