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January 8th, 2010
Sorry to state the obvious, but it is freakin’ cold out! It’s so nips that we’ve thrown our normally stylish winter-wear to the wayside in favor of moisture-wicking long underwear. We even got one of those hats with faux-fur ear flaps a la Elmer Fudd to keep our faces from falling off, and the scarf we’ve been wearing is roughly one-foot wide by six-feet long—it’s pretty much a blanket. By the time we’re ready to waddle out the door we’re bundled up to our eyeballs, closely resembling one of those crazies who climb Mt. Everest. There is a plus side though: For the next three months we get to loosen up about the leg-shaving thing, and don’t pretend like you don’t know what we’re talking about! We’ve got knee socks on under jeans, plus boots—why bother shaving away what in reality is another layer of warmth? And it’s not like anyone could cop a feel through all those clothes anyway. |
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Minneapolis Picks: |
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| 1 | All About Us We are proud to say we made it through the holidays unscathed. Four family gatherings, three trips to MOA, two weddings and a New Year’s Eve extravaganza makes us thankful to be back to normalcy even if it means no major holiday vacay again until April. We’re even more excited to once again be buying gifts for ourselves sans the guilty feelings, starting at one of the metro’s preeminent names in fashion: LD - Len Druskin, a high-end haven that touts swank styles geared toward the downtown working woman. New brands include Nicole Miller for feminine tops, and Studio M for chic cocktail dresses. Ever in pursuit of an efficient and effortless wardrobe, we pined over the denim-cut dress pants and embellished cardigans—two items that easily cross over from the board room to the bar scene. A sizeable selection of statement jewelry, sophisticated designer handbags, and uniquely printed scarves round out the mix, making this upscale boutique a mini-vacation destination all by itself! LD - Len Druskin |
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| 2 | Epicurian Delight We hate to admit it, but we’re a bit relieved that the New Year is here. Of course we love the gathering of family and friends, the endless holiday bashes and sinful nibbles, but playing gracious hostess and supreme chef for all can make us a bit dizzy. Which is why our post-holiday restaurant of choice is aptly named The Kitchen. This brasserie-inspired eatery provides all the satisfaction of homemade comfort food, paired with the joy of knowing someone else is cooking and cleaning. The menu is gourmet without being pretentious—we drooled over the crab cakes, sweet potato fries with blue cheese, and the butternut squash soup. For dinner we noshed on roasted chicken with cauliflower gratin, and cheerfully sampled the salmon with Brussels sprouts and red wine pancetta vinaigrette. With a friendly wait staff to answer our every question, call or whim, we felt like pampered celebrities, instead of exhausted entertainers. In fact we’re so completely satisfied with our kitchen-out experience, that we’ve found our future host for next year’s holiday cheer. The Kitchen |
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| 3 | Hair, Art, and Shopping, Oh My! We’ve always had a soft spot for the slash. That little slanted line covers a lot of territory in our lives. As a Mom/Entrepreneur/Retail Detective, we revel in finding others who are sporting a proud slash in their own business plan. Color Wheel’s salon/art gallery/gift shop has confirmed that, like women everywhere, owner Tammy Ortegon is able to multi-task with ease and style. A recent visit provided us with the triple-threat of chic cut/brow wax/local-artist-supporting shopping. After some much-needed repair for hair and brows, we were relaxed and ready to gather up some hand-painted Westy Copeland patches to liven up our beloved jeans jacket. We loved the cards from the “Local Inspiration” series that features real neighborhood characters. And those B.T. McElrath chocolates are locally made, so they must be low in calories, right? On a Minneapolis corner that’s suddenly chic, (neighbors include Cafe Ena and Kings Restaurant), Color Wheel is the ultimate stop for a multi-tasking afternoon of shopping/snacking/sipping! Color Wheel Salon & Gallery |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Smitten With Mittens Speaking of frigid temps, we darn near froze our fingers off the other day when we mistakenly thought we could go out sans mitties. Big mistake—huge—and one we won’t make again because we are never again leaving home without our Smittens. Made from upcycled wool sweaters, each pair is totally unique and embellished with bead work or cool vintage buttons, making for warm, snuggly goodness that’s both eye-catching and easy on the earth. |
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| 2 | Style To-Go This year we are vowing to bring our lunch to work every single day—it will help us save our pennies for cute new shoes, and keep our butts from getting bigger due to poor food choices. Unfortunately our Tupperware-knockoffs have seen better days, so we had to find an alternative, and the snack boxes from Little Happy Shop are perfection! Like little bento boxes, the adorable illustrations, bright colors and playful sayings will brighten even the dreariest workday. |
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| 3 | Eye Spy Beauty There are things about ourselves we’d like to change, i.e. the impending bat-wings that are our upper arms and our tendency to hit the sauce a little too hard while out and about. But we’ve always been blessed with luscious lashes, so when a pal suggested neuLash to us we haughtily guffawed. Boy, were we surprised! We got thicker, stronger lashes that would knock the socks off of anyone we bat them at. They’re our new secret weapon. Try some! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Pretty As a Picture Surprise your significant O this V-Day with some alluring photos at A Boudoir Experience. Local photography guru Cadence Cornelius will artfully capture you in an intimate and beautiful manner during a 30-minute photo shoot. It includes champagne, hair, makeup and 25 fully edited images on DVD—perfect for spicing up the day of love! What: A Boudoir Experience with Cadence Cornelius Photographs |
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| 2 | Paris, Minus the Jetlag We won’t be jetting off to Paris anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t don a sassy beret and get a little French culture right in our own backyard. This is the final weekend to take in the splendor, beauty, and artistry of The Louvre exhibit at MIA that includes superb works by some of the world’s most famous artists. What: The Louvre and the Masterpiece |
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| 3 | Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Grab your besties and get thee to the Ultimate Pajama Party, a swank slumber party featuring pampering spa services by JUUT, shopping, delish food and cocktails, and dancing to live music. A portion of the proceeds benefit worthwhile services supported by the Junior League of Minneapolis, so suit up in your fave PJs and do a little good! What: The Ultimate Pajama Party |
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We’re feeling kind of needy–we blame it on coming down from our 30-day cookie high–and want to make more friends. Please sign up everyone you know at www.MinneapolisPicks.com! |
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