Books 14, 15, 16

Time for more books! Seems like I always end up posting about 3 at a time, which I swear I'm not doing on purpose, just when I need a "filler" post that's how many I've read in between.

#14
Death Masks
Dresden Files Book 5
Jim Butcher

I read this book in under 2 days. Part of it I think was having it available right after I finished the last one, just continuing on in the world, but another part is that I think, much though I've enjoyed James Patterson's books, he's not cracking my top authors list. Whereas Jim Butcher is definitely in my top 10 & maybe my top 5 (the top 5 is kind of shifty ... kinda depends on who I'm currently reading & who has a book coming out next that I'm most looking forward to at the moment).

#15
6th Target
Women's Murder Club Book 6
James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

This book dragged for me. It's like it was interesting while I was reading it, and I'd even go so far as to say hard to put down, but it didn't make me pick it back up again. It took me a whole week to get through, and I think I only managed that quick because I wanted to get to what I had ready for next.

#16
Blood Rites
Dresden Files Book 6
Jim Butcher

Ah, trust & family, 2 things that hopefully - but unfortunately not necessarily - go together. And poor Harry -the main character of the Dresden files - has his share of issues with both. One of the reasons that I really enjoy Jim Butcher is that he's been doing foreshadowing for some of the stuff that got revealed in this book since book 1. And that's just pretty cool to me, a skill that some authors have in much greater share than others.

I'm reading Book 7 right now, & I've got the rest of the Dresden files sitting on the floor next to my desk, out from the library (through book 10) & I hope to have them finished before #11 comes out in April.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

I'm Fab!

WOW! So I post my NOTD & then I check my comments & see I have received not one but two awards from my fellow bloggers =)

Both Brooke and Nixxy think I'm fab! Of course, with great power (or fab-ness) comes great responsibility, and here are the rules:

#1 - Put the logo on your blog or post.
#2 - Nominate at least 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.
#3 - Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
#4 - Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
#5 - Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Of course, I've got a veeerrry long list to your right, but 10 particularly excellent blogs ... I don't know if I could really pick a favorite, like honestly rank them 1-10, so they are listed alphabetically:

Contests & Such
e-polishblog
Getcha Nails Did
My Manicure
Nail Art Tuesday
Nail Juice
Nixxy's Nails
Polish Pixie
Scrangie
The Nailphile

Now off to notify my winners ... then I think it will be time for bed LOL. Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: China Glaze Cherish & 2 Gifts

So, my index finger had an accident ... I'm now dealing with 2 patched nails, but the crack on my index finger is quite a bite worse than the one on my pinky. It was a last minute & very sloppy patch, you can totally see the edge. But I'm hoping it will hold, and if it does I will do a better job when I take this one off.

The Konad turned out a little more subtle than anticipated, but I still really like this mani. China Glaze Cherish Konaded with China Glaze Awaken & plate m21:

Green Ocean was supposed to be the start of my green manis up to St. Patrick's Day, but it turned out to be pretty blue on the nail, so I guess this is really more of the start. It is paler on the nail than in the bottle, and even paler in the pics, but still recognizably green.

Next, my gifts: Mom went to the thrift store & this is what she got me:

Sinful Shirley's Silver ... I'm not sure if this is an old-style Sinful Colors bottle, or if plain Sinful is a different brand?:

MAC ??? No label on this lovely color I'm sad to say. Any ideas what it could be? I don't have any other MAC polish, but this looks like it will be a good intro:


PS - if you haven't noticed, the mini-hauls that my mom gets me are tagged under "a mother's love" =) Thanks for reading.

~Colette

1st TOTD

I decided I'm going with TOTD instead of POTD (Toes vs. Pedicure). I know the poll isn't over yet, but it's leaning pretty strongly towards "yes" & I don't have anything else to post about today so here we go. I can't say I'm exactly happy with how my feet look, but I guess they're not too bad. Just about everything looks horrible when you zoom in so close

I've got 2 disclaimers before the pics though:

#1 - Excuse my right foot, I got a little too intense & wounded myself scrubbing at the callus on the top of my foot (which is, might I add, the DUMBEST place I've ever heard of to get a callus. Seriously, WTF?). I'm a delicate flower & I don't even have to necessarily break the skin to get a scab.

#2 - Also excuse the piece of lint on my left toe that I obviously didn't catch before the taking picture & now after uploading & seeing it larger than life, I'm too lazy to take off my socks & take different pics without lint.

So, disclaimers aside, here's my current pedi; New York Color Fifth Avenue (those are Frisky's feet in the bottom shot ... not exactly in the way but certainly in my business =) as usual):

If you didn't know, by the way, it is really hard to get a good photo of feet! I initially was going to try & prop up my feet on my desk to get them under the "natural" lamp & try to get the bottle in there too - then I (brilliantly) realized my lamp is on a clippy-clamp & I could move it from my shelf to the edge of my desk & just prop my feet on my little footrest. Worked pretty well, although I think I'll have to find something to drape it with & make a more neutral background LOL.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Sinful Green Ocean Version 2

So I took off version 1 & started from scratch with a black base (using Maybelline Express Finish Onyx Rush) and I'm much happier with the results. This took 2 coats of the black, and then 3 coats of the Sinful Green Ocean, and the end result was pretty chunky, so I put 2 thick coats of Seche on to try & smooth it out and it's still not exactly level. But it certainly is BLING! =) Also, although there are hints of blue in the bottle, with the black background you get a lot more blue.

You can always tell how much I like a color when I put up an absurd amount of pictures, and there are quite a few here. The sun even showed for a moment while I was out so I got a pic. Enjoy:

I'm really happy with this, SO glad I didn't settle for my original attempt. Thanks for reading.

~Colette