Tie-Dye Nails. Cause sure, this is a good use of our time.

Nail trends are coming and going faster than girls take their dresses off at prom these days. From gels to airbrush to Lindsay Lohan's micro-profanities, nails are the latest canvas for personal expression.

So, on Friday night, after a few cocktails and a diminished common sense, my good friend and comrade, Renee, convinced me to scotch tape all my digits and dip them into polish-splattered water, creating what's apparently the newest DIY nail fad--tie-dye nails.

I'll tell you this much about our results. Each nail is certainly 'different.' And by different, I mean 'special.' And by 'special,' I mean a little 'funny.' But they photograph well.

And here they are...

Blast from the past: Lisa Frank

In recent weeks, I've been reminded of a collection of characters and colors I'd long forgotten--those of Lisa Frank. I've been struck by memories of the colorful rainbows, unicorns, bears (like 'Hollywood Bear' above) and puppies that decorated every school supply I could get my hands on--the designs were vibrant and magical--they made the purchase of a binder exciting, the use of a notepad exhilirating. In the '80s, of course, the brand didn't include recently added characters like 'Glamour Girl'--the purple haired bobble head that looks like a hooker, likes 'getting manicures' and dislikes 'taking out the trash and camping.' But the fantastical cast of dancing bears and other magical friends were an integral part of my childhood, and one I'm glad to have remembered.