Nail Polish Upgrade

I'm a Chanel Le Vernis fan - big time.  But now I'm thinking...
Perhaps I should expand my repertoire to a bottle of nail polish on the higher end...extremely high end.
Say, $250,000?

Yes, Azature makes a nail polish that is infused with diamonds!

I wonder if your nails need to be insured after a manicure that includes this polish.
And how painful would it be to have to remove the polish and throw the cotton ball in the trash?!!!

Titanic Edit Courtesy of Neil deGrasse Tyson

So...a super long time ago, I told you that I had a favorite astrophysicist by the name of Neil deGrasse Tyson. This remains true.

He was the subject of a Titanic-related article today...apparently he was analyzing the star patterns that were used in the movie, noted that they were completely incorrect, and sent an email to James Cameron to let him know that it was wrong. Cameron's response? Find me the correct star patterns for that time and I'll put them in.

They corrected it for the 3-D release...
Now I wonder who will notice it...

HAHA!
Love it.

Babble.com

Okay, I know that it's a webpage for a new generation of parents, but there's so much fun stuff (and by "fun," you know I mean "food") on her blog, I HAD to mention it!

It's time to BABBLE, fellow monkeys!

Sweet 16 Project - Pink Overload

My niece is turning 16, and her parents are throwing her a party. The specifications? PINK.

We're working on the centerpieces, candy bar, and photo booth props, and this is what we've come up with so far...

Still needs some polishing, but I don't think this should be too painful.

Queen of Hearts Jam Tarts

This is from one of my favorite cookbooks as a child (The Mother Goose Cookie-Candy Book, which is now out-of-print).

Queen of Hearts Jam Tarts

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar, to coat cookies (optional)
Jam (use your favorite!)

In a large bowl, cream the butter with a hand mixer. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating well between additions. Add vanilla extract and lemon juice.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture and mix well.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Form a small amount (I usually do a heaping tablespoon) of dough into a ball, and roll it in the sugar (if using). Place the dough on a greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart (to allow for the dough to spread. Slightly flatten each cookie and make a small indentation in the center of each ball. In the indentation, add a small amount of jam (do not overfill, as jam will bubble and overflow during the baking process).

Bake for 15 minutes until cookies are set and the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden brown. Remove from tray and cool on a cooling rack. Allow the cookie to cool completely.

Enjoy!