I came to a bit of a conflict with this week's theme. Being a 'merkin, of course Veterans Day is nothing new to me. It's a day of remembrance for all those who served in the armed forces, marked on November 11 since 1947, when WWII veteran Raymond Weeks led the first national commemoration of all those who served our country under President Dwight D Eisenhower. Prior to 1947, November 11 had been reflected as Armistice Day, having been proclaimed in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson. Armistice Day was, at that time, a day of remembrance of those who died in WWI, celebrated on the anniversary of the end of the first World War, marked by the signing of the Armistice Treaty between the Allied nations and Germany on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. While Armistice Day is still celebrated in many parts of the world, both it and Veterans Day are also celebrated at the same time as Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day, in Commonwealth countries. The day has been officially known as Veterans Day in the US since 1954. Confused yet? Don't be. November 11 has come to be known world-round as a day of remembrance for all veterans, both living and dead, who served their countries in times of conflict.
Remembrance Day is traditionally associated with the red poppy flower, which covered the graves of fallen soldiers on the fields of the second battle of Ypres, in the Flanders region of Belgium. The poem, In Flanders Fields was written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in honor of his fallen friend and the other soldiers who died on that battleground. Since its first publication in 1915.
So, what's a trans-Atlantic replant to do on 11/11? Well I had to incorporate both, didn't I?
I began with my typical base coat routine of Seche Vite Rebuild, followed by OPI Ridge Filler. Then I applied two coats of OPI DS Lapis to create the beautiful shimmering blue background for my nail art, and I thought it was an appropriate tribute to the 50 stars in the US national flag. I then used a silver striping paint to add some flares from the corner of each nail, and added a poppy over top, using Rimmel Double Decker Red and a black rhinestone in the center. I added leaves using Rimmel Block Your Green. Because Lapis is a beautiful textured polish on its own, I used no topcoat on this mani.
Although Veterans/Armistice/Remembrance Day has now passed, I still want to take a moment to thank every veteran, regardless of nationality, for serving your respective countries. It takes a person of true merit to be willing to lay your own life down in order to protect the people and country you hold most dear.
Much love,
Ali
PS: Be sure to check out the other Llama Nails Veterans Day manicures below.