The Post of Absolutely No Redeeming Value.
It's Monday, cut me some slack. I'm only halfway through the caffeine and sugar boost it takes to fully wake me.
Had a good weekend, for the most part. On Friday night, I hung out with Chris and Sarah, and we watched Sin City and Constantine and had many Smirnoffs and this random guy named Tim kept finding excuses to touch my hair. Uh. Yeah. Definitely left before that one got awkward. I mean, Sarah assures me that he's skeeze-free and just a friendly drunk, but... y'know. Saturday was spent with the family, driving to Lancaster County, PA, where we ate at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in the heart of Amish country, which seats about 2,000 people. It was a glorified cafeteria full of every American-heartland food you could think to want. Good BBQ ribs, 'cause sometimes you just want something messy and tasty. We ended back at my Aunt's place, where the wine was free flowin', and there was a nice fire going, and we stayed up far past our bedtimes. As it turned out, I crashed on her sofa, and woke up with one mighty stiff back. Fnergh.
Yesterday was nice and relaxing. After my return from Lancaster County, I took a nap until nearly 2pm. I've been so social and busy lately that I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep, so it felt good to pass out under a heated blanket and not have to worry about when I was gonna wake up. When I got up, I did all the usual Sunday things-- laundry, hot shower, lunch while I caught up on this and that. I did a little bit of beadwork-- limited by the couple of types of beads I'd bought for Dixie's necklace, but pretty and layerable nonetheless. I really can't wait to get myself to Beadazzled-- I'm planning to get lots of tiger tail and seed beads for slinky bangle bracelets. I was thinking I might try to get some silver bells and see if I can't make some of my own bellydance jewelry, too. I hung out with Jon a little in the evening, as he's off to tour culinary schools all of next week, and Dixie and I watched The DaVinci Code. Alright, I haven't read the book. I don't tend to read hype books until well after the hype dies down. That said... that's it? Really? Okay. I can see why this would be mind-blowing for the average pseudo-Christian American, but maybe 'cause I've studied Grail mythology and the transition from Goddess-centric spirituality into Christianity, it was kind of like... well, duh. I dunno. Interesting enough movie. I may read the book if I get bored. And Audrey Tatou? So cute.
Dixie and I also went on a errands run, and I picked up local honey for my altar, which is now showcased in a beautiful glass decanter, and a fresh bouquet of stargazers, as well. I'm currently running two altars-- one is a working altar, the other a general well-being altar. It has beautuful handpainted orchid candles that Dixie bought for me, tealights sprinkled with cellophane stars, delicate and long-stemmed candle holders, a small carved pot of resin balm, miniature hand-blown glass perfume bottles, and my chalcedony rosette. A nice little focal point to bring beauty and joy into my life. I also picked up a citrus and cilantro candle at Pier One that has a positively addictive smell-- herby and bright, like springtime and sun. I put it on a hammered iron candle plate and surrounded it in tiny riverstones. All in all, I can say the energy in that room is remarkably improved from the state it was in a month ago.
I've owned this bottle for over a year now. It's half empty, as I've decanted out of it for friends many times. I don't tend to be a floral wearer-- I think years of smelling harsh chemical flowers over perfumer's alcohol have almost trained my brain to think florals = migraine, but BPAL has managed a few floral notes that I not only like, but that I crave from time to time. Rose Red is one of them. I have smelled many of the lab's rose blends-- they employ many rose notes in their oils. For instance, I can generally tell the difference between tea rose, white rose, black rose, attar of rose, Bulgar rose-- each has a different "feel." None smell synthetic-- you know, that preservative-laden, watered-down bath & body "rose" scent. But none smell quite so close to the real thing as Rose Red. Rose Red is fresh-cut, cold petals, green thorns. Bright and undiluted and almost sharp. Perhaps it is the purity of the rose that makes it so wintry-- there is no spice, no amber, no musk to make it warm or sultry. But it is beautiful in its purity, in its simplicity. Though I don't reach for it often, I love Rose Red.
As a note for those of you who are curious about BPAL,
naamah_darling has a great beginner's guide here.
Also, a rave for Wylde Ivy. I bought about half of my friends' Yule gifts from WI this year-- the range is pretty impressive, the packaging is professional, and the service was prompt. Because my first order was strictly gifts, I didn't get a chance to try many things for myself, but I did make a small order of things to try, and with fantastic results.
Tuscan Garden is one of the most delicious bath and body scents I have ever smelled. The description says jasmine, violet, and olive blossom, which sounds like it would be overwhelmingly floral. Not at all! There is a gorgeous balance of olive blossom and some sweet, soft fruit-- nectarine or peach, maybe. The jasmine plays a minor role, sweetening the blend and balancing the notes so that nothing takes over the scent. It's all blended so perfectly-- it's ripe, juicy, fresh. I ordered a lotion sample in this after smelling the one I bought for Dixie, and the lotion itself (All Olive Lotion) is non-greasy and lightweight. Plus the sampler is the perfect size to toss into my purse.
Daydreamer is listed as berries, musk, and clean florals. I had a thought that this might smell a lot like Philosophy's Falling In Love, which is the only non-etailer lotion I've been known to buy, 'cause the scent is light and happy and prettily feminine. I bought Ashley the soap for Yule, and I got the feeling that they were very close. I couldn't be sure, though, because it can be kind of hard to sniff soap alone-- so much of the scent doesn't come out until you lather. So I got a sample of the Olive Lotion to smell, and sure enough, this is a straight-on Philosophy dupe. The berries are very light, tempered by white musk and creamy white florals. Cheaper than Philosophy, more moisturizing, and available in a range of products. Mmm.
Black Tea Jasmine is to die for. I absolutely love jasmine tea-- few things mellow me out quicker than a hot steaming mug. It was this month's scent of the month, so I bought a sugar scrub. Before I actually used this, I was worried that it wouldn't have much scent. I didn't smell much of anything, sniffing it dry. But in the shower... oh, man. This really is the scent of jasmine tea. Not heady and floral, but grounded in rich, earthy tea notes. I am very, very pleased.
Rosemary Mint was another one that I originally ordered as a gift. I rarely wear mint, as I have negative scent associations with it as a scent that comes hand in hand with head colds, and so whenever I get something minty, it has to be soft, tampered by another note. The rosemary is perfect. Not to mention, this isn't a menthol-y mint-- not spearmint, not wintergreen, not candy-cane peppermint. This is fresh-out-of-the-garden and into a mojito mint. Refreshing, grounded in herbs. I picked up a bar for morning showers, and this will be a frequently-gifted bar.
Had a good weekend, for the most part. On Friday night, I hung out with Chris and Sarah, and we watched Sin City and Constantine and had many Smirnoffs and this random guy named Tim kept finding excuses to touch my hair. Uh. Yeah. Definitely left before that one got awkward. I mean, Sarah assures me that he's skeeze-free and just a friendly drunk, but... y'know. Saturday was spent with the family, driving to Lancaster County, PA, where we ate at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in the heart of Amish country, which seats about 2,000 people. It was a glorified cafeteria full of every American-heartland food you could think to want. Good BBQ ribs, 'cause sometimes you just want something messy and tasty. We ended back at my Aunt's place, where the wine was free flowin', and there was a nice fire going, and we stayed up far past our bedtimes. As it turned out, I crashed on her sofa, and woke up with one mighty stiff back. Fnergh.
Yesterday was nice and relaxing. After my return from Lancaster County, I took a nap until nearly 2pm. I've been so social and busy lately that I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep, so it felt good to pass out under a heated blanket and not have to worry about when I was gonna wake up. When I got up, I did all the usual Sunday things-- laundry, hot shower, lunch while I caught up on this and that. I did a little bit of beadwork-- limited by the couple of types of beads I'd bought for Dixie's necklace, but pretty and layerable nonetheless. I really can't wait to get myself to Beadazzled-- I'm planning to get lots of tiger tail and seed beads for slinky bangle bracelets. I was thinking I might try to get some silver bells and see if I can't make some of my own bellydance jewelry, too. I hung out with Jon a little in the evening, as he's off to tour culinary schools all of next week, and Dixie and I watched The DaVinci Code. Alright, I haven't read the book. I don't tend to read hype books until well after the hype dies down. That said... that's it? Really? Okay. I can see why this would be mind-blowing for the average pseudo-Christian American, but maybe 'cause I've studied Grail mythology and the transition from Goddess-centric spirituality into Christianity, it was kind of like... well, duh. I dunno. Interesting enough movie. I may read the book if I get bored. And Audrey Tatou? So cute.
Dixie and I also went on a errands run, and I picked up local honey for my altar, which is now showcased in a beautiful glass decanter, and a fresh bouquet of stargazers, as well. I'm currently running two altars-- one is a working altar, the other a general well-being altar. It has beautuful handpainted orchid candles that Dixie bought for me, tealights sprinkled with cellophane stars, delicate and long-stemmed candle holders, a small carved pot of resin balm, miniature hand-blown glass perfume bottles, and my chalcedony rosette. A nice little focal point to bring beauty and joy into my life. I also picked up a citrus and cilantro candle at Pier One that has a positively addictive smell-- herby and bright, like springtime and sun. I put it on a hammered iron candle plate and surrounded it in tiny riverstones. All in all, I can say the energy in that room is remarkably improved from the state it was in a month ago.
BPAL of the day: Rose Red: The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut.
I've owned this bottle for over a year now. It's half empty, as I've decanted out of it for friends many times. I don't tend to be a floral wearer-- I think years of smelling harsh chemical flowers over perfumer's alcohol have almost trained my brain to think florals = migraine, but BPAL has managed a few floral notes that I not only like, but that I crave from time to time. Rose Red is one of them. I have smelled many of the lab's rose blends-- they employ many rose notes in their oils. For instance, I can generally tell the difference between tea rose, white rose, black rose, attar of rose, Bulgar rose-- each has a different "feel." None smell synthetic-- you know, that preservative-laden, watered-down bath & body "rose" scent. But none smell quite so close to the real thing as Rose Red. Rose Red is fresh-cut, cold petals, green thorns. Bright and undiluted and almost sharp. Perhaps it is the purity of the rose that makes it so wintry-- there is no spice, no amber, no musk to make it warm or sultry. But it is beautiful in its purity, in its simplicity. Though I don't reach for it often, I love Rose Red.
As a note for those of you who are curious about BPAL,
naamah_darling has a great beginner's guide here. Also, a rave for Wylde Ivy. I bought about half of my friends' Yule gifts from WI this year-- the range is pretty impressive, the packaging is professional, and the service was prompt. Because my first order was strictly gifts, I didn't get a chance to try many things for myself, but I did make a small order of things to try, and with fantastic results.
Tuscan Garden is one of the most delicious bath and body scents I have ever smelled. The description says jasmine, violet, and olive blossom, which sounds like it would be overwhelmingly floral. Not at all! There is a gorgeous balance of olive blossom and some sweet, soft fruit-- nectarine or peach, maybe. The jasmine plays a minor role, sweetening the blend and balancing the notes so that nothing takes over the scent. It's all blended so perfectly-- it's ripe, juicy, fresh. I ordered a lotion sample in this after smelling the one I bought for Dixie, and the lotion itself (All Olive Lotion) is non-greasy and lightweight. Plus the sampler is the perfect size to toss into my purse.
Daydreamer is listed as berries, musk, and clean florals. I had a thought that this might smell a lot like Philosophy's Falling In Love, which is the only non-etailer lotion I've been known to buy, 'cause the scent is light and happy and prettily feminine. I bought Ashley the soap for Yule, and I got the feeling that they were very close. I couldn't be sure, though, because it can be kind of hard to sniff soap alone-- so much of the scent doesn't come out until you lather. So I got a sample of the Olive Lotion to smell, and sure enough, this is a straight-on Philosophy dupe. The berries are very light, tempered by white musk and creamy white florals. Cheaper than Philosophy, more moisturizing, and available in a range of products. Mmm.
Black Tea Jasmine is to die for. I absolutely love jasmine tea-- few things mellow me out quicker than a hot steaming mug. It was this month's scent of the month, so I bought a sugar scrub. Before I actually used this, I was worried that it wouldn't have much scent. I didn't smell much of anything, sniffing it dry. But in the shower... oh, man. This really is the scent of jasmine tea. Not heady and floral, but grounded in rich, earthy tea notes. I am very, very pleased.
Rosemary Mint was another one that I originally ordered as a gift. I rarely wear mint, as I have negative scent associations with it as a scent that comes hand in hand with head colds, and so whenever I get something minty, it has to be soft, tampered by another note. The rosemary is perfect. Not to mention, this isn't a menthol-y mint-- not spearmint, not wintergreen, not candy-cane peppermint. This is fresh-out-of-the-garden and into a mojito mint. Refreshing, grounded in herbs. I picked up a bar for morning showers, and this will be a frequently-gifted bar.