There Won't Be Snow In Africa This Christmastime

Favorite cheesy Christmas song, right here. I dare you not to sing along! It's hard to believe how young Sting, Bono and Paul McCartney look here.

Damn, George Michael was hot in his younger years!

Sister Mary Berit

Yup, I was a nun for Halloween. It's kind of sad that my request at Party City for a non-slutty costume that wasn't too expensive yielded this...Oh well, at least I was super warm and comfy!

Quite the trio, aren't we (goth girl, nun and baby)? :)

Tardy for the Party

Oh man...I am a bad, bad blogger. I even made myself a little editorial calendar of posts and then promptly forgot to do them.

Anyways, a very happy belated birthday to these ladies! Photo cakes are so fun...nothing like slicing into the guest of honor's face!

Ugh, Allergies!

My allergies have been sooo bad for the last couple of weeks. I expect this during the summer (I'm allergic to pretty much every type of grass out there), but in the fall? I thought my yearly sufferings were done. :( Maybe I'm allergic to the thought of winter coming...

Where I Want To Go: New Orleans

Talk about history! From the recent tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to its status as an early American trading post, New Orleans has seen it all. And maybe it's from reading too many V.C. Andrews books as a pre-teen, but it seems to be a dark and mysterious city with voodoo and jazz lurking around every corner. I love Frommer's three day trip suggested itinerary: perfect for a long weekend when the Minnesota weather gets bad: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

By the way, I always feel bad that these Where I Want To Go posts aren't filled with things I want to do when I get to that place. But mostly, these are places I know I want to visit--it's kind of hard to get more specific until I have a plan to actually go!

Photo courtesy of Lonely Planet

Home Comforts

Has anyone read Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelsohn? I've owned it for a while, but I did a lot of cleaning today (and still feel like I didn't get even half of it done), so I was thinking about it. I think everyone should have copy in their home. It is a wonderful reference book, although I have to admit it gets a little overwhelming at times. Sometimes when I look at her list of what you should be doing daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally, I start wondering if it is possible to have a full-time job and keep a clean house! Plus, who really cleans their fridge once a week, as she insists it it necessary to do?

There are quite a few chapters on laundry, so if you ever wondered how to launder a particular item or how to get a stain out, this is a book you should be reading. She also gives a lot of personal background and housekeeping history to keep it from getting too dry. Read it and clean!

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Pampering for the People Who Need It Most

I got this in my inbox the other day. What a great way for someone undergoing cancer treatment to feel a little bit better! Way to go Juut...I'll definitely be making another appointment there soon! If you know a cancer patient who needs to just feel good, make sure they go to the St. Paul or Wayzata Juuts on October 25 for some pampering. According to the e-mail, all gratuities received that day at those locations will be donated to Sanctuary for Cancer Survivors.