November Hauls

Yes, several hauls ... 'cause, you know, I need more polish.  NEED it =)

 

I never used to go to Ulta ... then I got a coupon from someone else, then I got their card, now I get coupons freaking all the time & they whisper at me to spend them ... and if I don't have a coupon from the mail & need a polish fix, 95% of the time there's one to be printed from their website LOL.

 

China Glaze was buy 2 get 1 I believe for this trip:

 

Left to right:  Jolly Holly & Little Drummer Boy - both from the 'Tis the Season to be Naught & Nice holiday collection.  & then Swing Baby, from the Vintage Vixen collection.

 

Then I went to Target & just couldn't resist the glitter in this Elf 3-pack:

 

 

Left to right:  Twinkle, Golden Goddess & Cranberry.

 

Yesterday I made another stop at Ulta:

 

 

Left to right:  Emerald City, Ruby Ribbon & Perplex - which Revlon is touting as a Paradoxal dupe.  I don't have it to compare, but this color is gorgeous enough that I want a backup bottle =)  It's on my nails as I type & it's making me very happy.

 

...and then today I stopped at a different Ulta.  I've mentioned they've started carrying Barielle - these were the first that tempted me to buy them:

 

 

Top - from the Barielle Holiday Hustle collection, Jess' Champagne Toast, Elle's Spell.  Bottom - from Essie's Winter collection, Smokin' Hot & Going Incognito, and from their Fall collection Sew Psyched.

 

I should be good for a while now ... probably.  Maybe.  We'll see =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

 

NOTD: Finger Paints Just Plum Fun + bm03

From the Finger Paints Winter Dreams holiday collection, this is Just Plum Fun - accent stamping done with China Glaze Admire & Bundle Monster plate bm03:

 

It reminded me a lot of last year's OPI Visions of Sugarplum, but VoS has more sparkle to it which brings out a bit more brightness in the plum purple.

 

Been busy, but still trying to find time to smell the flowers & all that jazz =)  Here's yesterday's sunset out of my window, rather picturesque:

 

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

2010 Books 49 - 61

I'm pretty much seriously doubting I'll make my goal of 100 books for the year - I'd have to read like a book a day for the rest of the year, and I don't think that's going to be happening, with holiday shopping & cooking & everything else!  But here's what I've been reading lately:

 

#49

Courting Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 5

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

This book follows Lucius - the eldest living upyr, and the last who remembers the very beginning of their race.

 

#50

Twice Bitten

Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires Book 3

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

Not my favorite book of the series - too much setting up of things.  Which I suppose is a good thing, if I want this to be a long-running series, but I think there could have been some more actual action going on.

 

#51

Kissing Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 6

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

#52

Breaking Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 7

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

#53

Saving Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 8

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

These were the first 3 books of the series that really almost stood alone as a trilogy - following the same characters throughout the books rather than just being set in the same world as the rest of the series.

 

#54

Dark and Stormy Knights

Anthology

Urvan Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This anthology featured short stories by:  Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, P.N. Elrod, Deidre Knight, Vicki Pettersson, Lilith Saintcrow, and Carrie Vaughn.

 

I liked this anthology because the stories were a little longer- if you get over 10 authors, sometimes the stories almost seem too short to even bother with.

 

#55

Immortal Sea

Virginia Kantra

Children of the Sea Book 4

Paranormal Romance

 

Until this book, the series has mostly been focusing on the selkie, but this book gets more into the finfolk - who are more powerful in that they can take on the form of any creature in the sea, rather than just seals.  They don't have any skins to be stolen either, making them less vulnerable than their kin.

 

#56

Path of the Sun

Violette Malan

Dhulyn & Parno Book 4

Fantasy

 

Not exactly a cliffhanger ending, but I will say that there were more loose ends left hanging that I'd prefer LOL - at least considering there is no release date for the 5th book yet!

 

#57

The Demon's Daughter

Emma Holly

Tales of the Demon World Book 1

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

Wasn't quite sure whether to classify this as Historical Paranormal or Steam-Punk ... somewhat of a fine line I suppose, and kind of open to interpretation.

 

#58

The Truth of Valor

Tanya Huff

Confederation  Book 5

Sci-Fi

 

I used to read a lot more sci-fi than I do now, but there are still a few series that I can't pass up when a new book comes out & this is one of them.  I actually kind of thought that book 4 might be the last one, because things seemed to be neatly wrapped up - but of course things are never that simple for Torin.

 

#59

First Blood

Anthology

Paranormal Romance

 

This anthology featured short stories by:  Susan Sizemore Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green, and Meljean Brook.

 

I originally picked up this anthology for the Guardians short story (Meljean Brook) & it took me just forever to get through the rest of the stories.  Of the other 3 authors, I think only one of them would I care to read again.

 

#60

Side Jobs

Jim Butcher

Dresden Files - Anthology

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This anthology is a collection of all the Dresden Files short stories, plus a brand-new novella that takes place after the last book, Changes.  I had my hopes that it would take the edge off of the cliffhanger that book ended with, since Ghost Stories isn't due out until spring 2011 - but no such luck.  Although it starts mere hours after the end of Changes, the entire story is narrated by Murphy, and no further clues to Harry's fate were given.

 

#61

Intrigues

Mercedes Lackey

Valdemar - Collegium Chronicles Book 2

Fantasy

 

I have been reading the Valdemar series since I was about 12 LOL.  It's always a world that I enjoy, even if things are a little more black & white - simple - than in other series that I love for their complexity.

So, now I'm caught up for the moment posting books =)  A pile out from the library, as usual, but I've just been having trouble fitting reading time in - so many other things I am equally behind with that clamor for what little free time I have.  What do you have a bookmark in at the moment?

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Orange & Brown Thanksgiving Water Marble + Tutorial

This is what happens when I allow myself to lay down "just for a minute" at 9 in the evening ... I wake up in the middle of the night & have to actually put on PJs & etc, then I'm awake & can't go right back to sleep LOL.  So I decided to finish editing pics & get them up for you guys =)

 

This was my first marble using Zoya.  Base color is Sienna, marbling done with Sienna & Kalista.  & yes that's a snowflake falling right on my nail in the last shot - I started early & got home before the worst of the storm hit, but I'm sure the regular commute home was a nightmare for a lot of people today.  When I showed him, Mark at work said this looked like turkey feathers LOL, which wasn't my intention but I guess it kind of does:

 

Here is the tutorial - along with a few tips on picking colors to marble with & why this particular design ended up without the yellow that I was originally going to include:

 

 

I hope you all have a safe & happy Thanksgiving Day!  It is very cold here, but plans are on track to bring a card table & extra chairs to grandma's house to accommodate the 15 people that will be there for dinner =)  How many people will be at your table?

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette