As an outerwear and accessory stylist, my attempts to design my own patterns and designs have never really amounted to anything practical. I’ve tried creating our own set of patent leather tiger boots, which I neglected to include the words “the torture of the tortoise” at the end, and may or may not have spent more time coloring our silk scarves than actually finding a pattern that we actually wanted to use. Things have gotten so bad that I can no longer honestly say that I’ve ever had a feature-worthy, editorial-ready pattern or a shoe with any sort of wow factor (the trick is, you have to buy the shoes!), but at the same time, I’ve started to wonder why we dress up the animal friends that we love more than anything. I’m not talking about domesticated animals here — I’m talking about the wild ones that come with the call of nature. We put ’em in “Tortoise Shell” bags, and when we bring them home, we snap a photo and share it on Instagram.

So, while I don’t do that in real life, sometimes I may as well turn to my beloved tortoises for inspiration. There’s nothing I love more than squirming into a velour tracksuit and getting down to the ways in which I’ll keep myself comfy while I eat, which is why I think tortoise shell nails are the perfect way to do so.

See how I beautified all my tortoises, from Lindsey’s gorgeous panda meets rhinestone bauble design to Luna’s hippie floral salt and pepper designs.