"mantrap"

Recently I've been doing some teaching at a couple of schools down in Watts. Each week as I leave one, I see on the corner "MANTRAP NAILS". I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw it - brilliant name. And what I imagined must be inside was a very 70s chic interior plastered with mirrors and laminate with lots of up-do'ed women getting very gawdy nails done.

Today was my second to last class at that school....and as a treat and for a laugh, I decided to venture into Mantrap Nails myself. I was under-whelmed by the empty-ness and bleak interior, I must admit. But for all of my under-whelmedness...I have to say it was partially overcome with an amusing and very nice fellow who did my nails as well as getting told from both he and a customer that I looked like a 50s model :) Hehe...it's amazing what a complement can do!

Since I was at Mantrap I decided that I had to diverge from my strict rule of only painting my nails red. I mostly let my nail-man pick the color and design. I was thinking even a more striking design...on all of my fingers...like many of my students do...but what came to be was this. A very hot metallic pink with a tasteful stripping on my ring-fingers. It's quite nice. But I think it would be a brilliant project to overhaul the Mantrap Nail Salon into what could be its full glory!