Como Conservatory Winter 2013 Flower

I know, it's been a while again ... but I'm not going to apologize this time because everyone always says I don't need to =)  I thought I'd just quickly post up some of the pictures from when we went to the conservatory about 2-3 weeks ago ... as always a wonderful break from snow & wind chills & dreary winter days:

 

The conservatory also has this video up on YouTube which has some nice shots:

Do you have someplace near you where you can escape this chilly season?

Thanks for reading,

~Colette

April in Minne"snow"ta

This morning:

Do I really need to say anything?  Well, probably not but I'm going to; I mean, come on!  All the rest of the snow had melted, lakes have iced out, we were nearly up to 70 several days ... and then this crap.  Good news is it's already gone though =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Quick Update

I had an awesome time at Kiki's New Year's party - unfortunately since then I'm fighting off a cold.  So between those 2 things I am still finishing several things I thought I'd already have done by now ... but I wanted to take a minute & let you guys know what's coming up on the blog:

• 2 hauls from a week or so ago, Ulta & Sallys.
• Final 2010 Books.  I didn't meet my goal (100) but I'm OK with it.  Maybe this year ... although I've yet to open a book in 2011 LOL.
• Claire's Glam TOTD - really pretty turquoise glitter.
• New Year's Resolutions (once I figure them out LOL).
• Updating the polish spreadsheet ... especially whether you can find pics of the polish on the blog.  Then keeping it updated this time!
• Whatever I change my nails to from the fireworks - I'm thinking a marble but not sure yet =)
• Top 20 manis from the past year - looking forward to reviewing the year, but I haven't even started yet!

Will all of this get done today?  I don't know.  Probably not ... since I just got up & it's already almost 4 XD.  But we'll see.  One resolution I do know I'm making is to be more organized, so I've been working on that, I got a new jewelry box for Christmas so I'm finding a place to put that & filling it up ... my room is so crammed it's like every square inch of space is already filled, but I'm finding ways to work with it.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Christmas Shoes!

No, not the song ... God, that has to be one of the weirdest, saddest, most depressing songs ever!  Or would be if it didn't make me LMAO every time I heard it.  Anyway, I'm talking about a couple of Christmas presents from me to me.  First, I had a blue pair of Sketchers that were just in such sad shape, actually had a hole in the side LOL, so I replaced them with this black & white pair:

 

 

I love me some Sketchers =)  I like how these have just a little bit of bling silver on them too.  Then, I just happened to see these Elle mules on sale, I'd seen them before & even tried them on, but didn't want to pay full price - but at better than 50% off, I could no longer resist:

 

Yeah, those heels are 5 1/2 inches =)  But they're so comfy!  The platform at the front is like an inch and a half so it's really only like 4 inches.  With being dumped on snow AGAIN (7 additional inches since last night) I won't be wearing these actually outside for a while, but I can wear my Uggs & bring them with to work =)

 

Hope you guys are all having a great holiday!  & thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Cookie Day Part 2

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year, right up there with Christmas day itself =)  Baking, frosting, exchanging & making up trays, we did 13 tins & trays for family & friends this year:

 

 

And here are the cookies!  Lime Coolers (made by mom):

 

Sugar cookies with sprinkles:

Apricot nectar cookies (me):

Sesame seed logs (my aunt):

Gingerbread people (made by mom but decorated by me):

Marzipan balls with frosting (grandma):

Haystacks (grandma):

Nut butter balls I think ... I don't eat them since I'm allergic LOL (grandma):

Sesame cookies (grandma):

I don't know what these are called a lady at my mom's work didn't want to take home the leftovers so she gave them to my mom:

Rosettes (my aunt):

Fruity foldovers in lemon curd & blackberry (me)

Two kinds of toffee (also from mom's work):

And of course the frosted sugar cookies:

Here are some of my favorite decorated sugar cookies:

 

 

Want to do your own cookie marbling?  I did a tutorial:

 

 

We're in the final countdown, I can't believe it's less than a week until Christmas!  I am actually done with shopping & wrapped everything tonight - are you done, or still running around?

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Cookie Day Part 1

Part 1 is making dozens & dozens of sugar cookies today with grandma =)  Part 2 will be Saturday when we get together to frost the sugar cookies & exchange whatever other cookies we all make.  I'm making fruity foldovers & apricot nectar cookies - yum!  I'm already in the spirit because yesterday was the annual dessert fest at work - basically a potluck with only sweet things =)  I made a batch of chocolate cake balls with red & green candy melt coating:

 

 

It's always such fun to see people who've never had a cake ball taste one for the first time LOL.  Almost everyone will take a bite, then look at it like, "Wow, there's CAKE inside!"  I had several people ask for the recipe as well, so I directed them to Bakerella's site.  Have you started your holiday baking yet?

 

If I have time when I get home I've got plans to do another Christmas tutorial =)  Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Snow ... Again =(

We are off to the snowiest start of winter since 1991 - which most who live in MN will recall was the Halloween blizzard.  I can vividly recall trick-or-treating through almost 3 feet of snow.  This weekend's storm takes the record for the most snow in a single day in December ... 17 inches in my neck of the woods.  Some of these were taken last night (the darker ones obviously LOL) some this morning.  It was really windy so there was a lot of duning & weird swirly things:

This is the alley after the plow went by ... still pretty shitty.  You can't tell, but that's a little  downward hill behind my car, lots of nice packed-in snow leveling it off =(

Snow piled high as my car after I got done shovelling it free - barely LOL, I should be able to get it out but I wasn't trying to do any extra.  And this is only one of the piles!

& the coolest swirly bit:

Yeah.  We could be done with snow now as far as I'm concerned, really.  Running out of places to put it!  But seems like usually when we get a lot of snow, it's just setting up for even MORE snow the rest of the winter.  To top it all off it's also super-cold now, so even if I were included to play in it, it's really too cold for that - the high today is 7, with wind chill at about -20.  I was out shovelling for a couple hours so I think I am inside for the day now.  I'll try to actually get a few things taken care of instead of just napping with a warm blanked =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette