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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 4,216 views
Is Anybody Out There?
 

I don't know what to say here

I've been putting off writing about this, but it is another thing that is weighing on me and I need to just write it out.   My dad's first wife has advanced cancer- Colon cancer, I believe, though I may be wrong. She might not last the year. I keep hoping that she won't die on Thanksgiving. Or in November at all. Deaths seem to be piling up around November. And... this is awful... but I keep thinking that it's like having a messenger preparing for a trip to see a bunch of people I love and can't communicate with anymore... could you just find Christy and tell her... and Robbie... and Paul... and... most of all, my grandmother. After you die, could you just please find these people for me? Run some errands out and about? Could you tell them that I am happy, finally?   It's awful. And I know it's hurting my brother and sister, and I hurt for them, but I keep obsessing over the fact that she could be seeing all these people I love before the year is out. All these people who hoped that I'd be happy. All these people who loved me.   I don't want her to die, but I'm trying hard to get to acceptance.   I hope she knows her kids love her. I'm going to tell her I love her. I'm not going to ask her to run dead messages around for me. A part of me just wishes I could.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Betty Baker's BPAL Blog
 

In the beginning there was BPAL, and it was good.

I was happy being poor. I lived on the ragged edge of "squeaking by", clipping coupons and buying budget coffee. Along came BPAL, and everything changed. I applied for a third job. I created a budget. I haunt the BPAL website in my spare time, and now I'm wasting away on the forums.   There are imps on the way, oh yes. They'll invade my house and settle on my pulse points. They'll drive me to distraction with conflicting emotions, and in November I will place a second order.   I'm doomed.
bettybaker

bettybaker

2
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Too long

There's something up with my inner ear. I've had an earache all weekend, and my balance is messed up.   It's been too long since I wrote in here. So here I am.   Knitting has come to a standstill, as I sort of began feeling hopeless with it. It also got pushed way down on my list of priorities.   I am going to be baking cookies to include for my switchee. Possibly fudge.   So, my husband and I had a long conversation about weight and stress. We need to bite the bullet and just stop. And I can do that if he tells me that's what we're doing. But if he wavers at all, I'll hit a craving and justify it like woah. So, no more snacks. Instead, we will have real meals. And salads. With Newman's Own dressing.   I pointed out that when we need time to ourselves, away from the housemate, we always go out to eat. We could easily go walk around Hastings and pick up a game or a few books for what we spend on eating out. We need to reward ourselves in other ways. For me, that's easy- BPAL, Villainess, and other e-tailers that I've grown fond of.   Noumenon wrote something in (If I recall correctly) a wanted post recently, and it really sort of hit home for me. She said something to the effect of: I've been here a short while now, and I spent the summer nailing what I wanted in the GC. Now I want to seek out some limited editions.   I haven't done that. Even though I tend to enjoy the GC scents more, I am obsessed with LE's. OMGWTFBBQWhatifInevereverseeitagain!!! This could be my One Chance!   I still want Pumpkin Queen and Sol Invictus, but I think I need to focus on the catalog for the time being. There's no reason for me not to have bottles of Alice, Sudha Segara, Dorian, Arkham (!), Port-au-Prince, O, and others. Even though I've loved Arkham since Kmasden was nice enough to send me a decant in February, I believe, I didn't order a bottle when it was brought back. I love Alice! I sing her praises constantly! But no bottle.   So I'm going to lay off the LE's, and I'm going to treat myself, when I can, to GC bottles. First up: Arkham.   I am going to try and participate in NaNoWriMo. I'm worried I'm stretching myself too thin, with school and swaps and knitting and the holidays and everything going on. But I am already writing down the dares I'm pondering adding to my story. It should be entertaining.   Take care, loves. I'm out of steam.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Do you have a flag?
 

Nuts! I'm dumpy.

I made the awful mistake of returning to MySpace after an absence of several months. The MySpace group for my little group of college friends apparently had people flocking to it in droves while I was away, and now it's full of people I knew 15 years ago in college.   Clicked on the picture of a girl who didn't like me because she thought I caused her boyfriend to break up with her. She's gorgeous now. Clicked on the picture of a guy I dated on and off for a few years but lost touch with. He's a damn fine-looking man. Clicked on the picture of a guy who was full of himself and was a dick to me. Still looks like he's a dick. Clicked on the picture of a guy I dated for a couple of years. He's been hitting the gym. He never looked that good when he was with me.   And what do you see if you click on my photo? A dumpy-looking middle-aged woman with a stupid hairstyle who has gained 25 pounds since college and looks like a mess. Niiiiice.   I was feeling pretty embarrassed about the whole thing and ranting about it in an exaggerated fashion to my husband -- he pointed out that it is impossible for everyone I knew in college to be better-looking now than they were then. I know that. It's not everyone. Just everyone I dated. And the girls who were catty to me because I went out with the lovely sensitive goth boys that they were all swooning over. I would not be at all surprised if some of them looked at my photos and thought, "HA! She got fat and ugly. Good."   I usually don't think I look that bad. I think for whatever reason people often tend to be close to people who are more or less at the same level of attractiveness, and in my current circle of RL friends I don't feel out of my league with any of them. But when I was in college, I paid a lot more attention to my appearance. (These days I'm lucky if I'm wearing two shoes from the same pair half the time.) If there was such a thing as a beautiful people goth/skater clique at my university, I was probably in it. Those people wouldn't give me the time of day right now. They don't let you back into the beautiful goth people club if you gain 25 pounds and move to the suburbs.   In a couple of days this probably won't bother me any more, but right now I'm unhappy that I thought I was comfortable with my appearance and where I am in my life right now... and apparently I'm not. Apparently I am embarrassed by it. This revelation is unsettling to me.
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

3
circe_blue's Blog
 

Feeling Accomplished (for once!)

Ah, Sundays. I always have a love/hate relationship with Sundays. On the one hand they always signal the end of the weekend but on the other I love Sundays because usually I just lie around in my pajama pants reading the newspaper, drinking tea and eating things that are bad for me.   Today, I (kind of) did just that *and* I managed to get some much needed work done. The boy spent the weekend at my place so today we had most of the afternoon together before he drove down back to his place. We finally went to Rita's. All you East Coast-ers know what I'm talkin' about. For everyone else, they sell delicious icees, ice cream, cream-ice and "gelatis". They're only open during the warmer seasons and we were lucky enough to catch them for the very first time today. It also happened to be their last day open until March 1st. The boy got a banana gelati, while I got a cookies and cream gelati. Their gelatis were...interesting....but very good. A Rita's gelati consists of a layer of frozen custard on the bottom of the cup, a layer of flavored ice in the middle, and a topping of more frozen custard on top. Mmmm.   Well, after we went to Rita's we got lunch which allowed the gelatis to melt and mix in the cups in the car. I went to a Halloween party store where we discussed our costumes. He still has no idea what he wants to be, but he's seeming very excited to go as Vincent from Pulp Fiction 'cause I hinted that it would be cool to go as Mia and Vincent. Also a plus, a Mia outfit would be super easy to put together. All I really have to buy is a wig. I already have a white dress shirt, black pants and if I do this costume, I will place some powdered sugar on my nose and have a little droplet of blood coming out of my nose My other costume option would be a devil/schoolgirl thing, or Asami from Takeshi Miike's Audition. May be a little obscure for some people at the party who've never seen it, but man will it be freaky for those who have! ("kiri kiri kiriiii....")   We also watched Dead Like Me on DVD today. It was a great show, I'm sorry I never got a chance to catch it on cable before it was canceled. George's character need to stop with the whining for, like, *one* episode, please.   After he left, I got quite a bit of my take-home midterm exam done. I only have a couple questions left and I should definitely be done by Thursday (due date) *knock on wood*. And can I just say how much I haaaaaaate take-homes? They're always a million times harder than in class exams (because you supposedly have more time to research/prepare it) and it always stresses me out more. I have two separate study groups I'm going to on Tuesday for two different classes...oh man I hope I can get some pre-studying in beforehand. -------------------- Yule Update! Tentative To Buy List: Lick It Again - peppermint + sugar (supposedly more than last year! yay!) Brides of Dracula - almost based on name alone. I'm hoping this one at least smells pleasant on me even though I know florals generally aren't my thing. Sugar Skull '06- mmmm, sugar And imps of: Arkham Miskatonic University Night Gaunt Black Lily Shadow Witch Orchid Zombi
circe_blue

circe_blue

0
Lucretia's Blog
 

more grad school rambling

As much as the prosepect of applying to schools excites me, it also scares the crap out of me   I'm only applying to local schools, although I may apply to some fancy ass school like Harvard and Yale, because I chances of my getting in are slim to none anyway. I hate being on my own. My family is here. My boyfriend is here. Is it so wrong to not want to move?   Rearranging the list somewhat, as UMD doesn't have any faculty in American studies who share my interests. My interests being, the policy and history surrounding childcare, and role of mothers through time. I mean obviously, my interests range like crazy. I'm also fascinated by the student movement in the US in the 1930's and plenty of other topics, which is exactly why I like interdisciplinary subjects like American studies. I'm so worried about placement after graduating through. I googled some alumni from GWU's program, and something like only 1 in 5 actually came up at all, and only in 7 as professors. eep. Granted that could mean a lot of things, but still. I would hate to do all that and not have a job to show for it!   The list (again)   -GWU - American studies, public policy -UMD-College Park - Women's Studies, Government (political economics), maybe history -Georgetown - Government, history   and for fun, let's say Harvard and Yale for American civilization.   Oh, and just to share. This is what I have to work with. GPA: 3.91 Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa GRE: 630v, 730q, 6 analytical
Lucretia

Lucretia

2
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Noses, rationalizations and songs

I have been reading through the blog and forum comments about how people react to the new update scents. I really enjoy that, it's fun to read. Seriously, we're all so attuned to scents and body chemistry and blends of aromas, it's pretty amazing. Compared to the rest of the world, it's astonishing. A lot of you have really sophisticated noses. I would guess that many of you are the type of person who sniffs their food. I could get a latte with flavoring in it, but not know what the flavor is, and I'm not always able to discern the flavor by only the taste. But if I smell it, I can almost always get the flavor category.   Many of us tend to get on ourselves about our BPAL addiction, and I'm certainly on that bandwagon. I showed a small amount of restraint this last update, although when you read what I did, you may not think so, but one person's restraint is another person's abandon, right? I got into a decant circle (eviltemptressd's!) so I can try out 6 or 7 of the Yule scents before I order. The new 13 sounded intriguing, so I did get a bottle. And as much as I wanted to buy bottles of Love Lies Bleeding, Mania and Horreur Sympathique, I ordered them in an imp package, because I've always wanted to try out Nosferatu, Miskatonic U and La Petite Mort. This will be fun, so much to sample!   I think BPAL is wonderful because it challenges us to use the wiring that's there in our brains to distinguish certain smells. This is something that the human brain can do (obviously, because even my brain can do it!), but it's not frequently needed for survival in the modern world. So rather than letting it sit and molder, we use it for our pleasure. So there's a very Gil Grissom-like rationalization for buying the shit out of BPAL. And as Ani DiFranco said, fuck guilt!   I haven't written a lot in the blog lately because I was rather -- oh, what should I say? -- spent. Last week was one of those weeks when everyone was interested in confessing things to me, wanting me to be their therapist or plugging into my energy. Whatever you want to call it, people were there, almost like zombies. I did have a relatively beneficial and mutual conversation with the guy at the coffee house (Mr. "Wandering Gypsy") about how he writes lyrics to his songs. He said something very similar to interviews that I've read with other singer/songwriters, who say that it's just channeled to them. They can't explain it any other way. They sit and write endless crap and then, standing at the refrigerator, something amazing downloads in their brain and they run over, find a piece of paper and write the lyrics to an entire song. I read an interview with Greg Brown, who said he had an entire album come to him as he was driving home in the dark; it was like he had the radio on, listening to new music, but he didn't -- it was in his head.   The psychology folks say that's just the left brain letting go and the right brain taking over, but my friend (and a lot of other songwriters) don't think it's that simple and/or simply biological. I read a book where a number of neurologists and researchers said that when one riddle of the brain is solved, it also leads them to discover that there's 10 more things that they don't understand. I don't think we'll ever figure it out, and why should we? Maybe the mystery isn't ours to understand.   And I'll get off that kick and close by saying that I tried my imp of Has No Hanna last Wednesday night when I thought a little boost would help. And if what happened afterwards was any indication, I can't explain it, nor do I want to, but it worked...
valentina

valentina

2
This Old Snark
 

Season's Eatings

Ah, Fall! What an evocative name for the season. Snarky thinks of dying trees and the inevitability of gravity, time, entropy, age. Such a beautiful time of the year. The French probably have a perfect word to describe this rather gothic appreciation of the last gasp of life.   Also the Cantonese. Snarky has been learning some rather ribald Chinese sayings from her parents used to describe the universal truths of life. Darned if she can remember any of them right now, though.   The Snarks are Big Fans of this time of year. This month they will be celebrating their sixth (!) anniversary, in fact. They got married in an autumnal blaze of glory. Fall of ought-ought turned out to be one of the best years for color in recent history for the Western North Carolina mountains.   And what else besides the crisp charge in the air heralds the arrival of this most beloved time of year? Why, produce, of course! Honeycrisp apples at the Beaverton Farmer's Market   Brussel Tree! Sometimes the Snarks forget that these don't actually grow in little mesh plastic bags.   The Snarks are surrounded by artichoke farms (well, OK, just the one outside of Tillamook) but this was the first time since moving Out West that they partook. Cha cha cha!   Out with the pesto pizza, in with the roasted portabella pizza!   Perfect fall days start with a trip to Kruger's Farm Market on Sauvie Island.   The Snarks are preparing for an anniversary weekend in a treehouse, in which they will be working dilligently to build up their winter coats. The Mister is already researching recipes for their time in the woods. (A sure sign that the Snarks were meant for eachother if there ever was one.) There will be roasted root vegetables and cobblers and at some point a Butterfinger pie (sixth anniversary = gifts of candy or iron, and Snarky hasn't been near a welding torch in almost a decade). The nose might be directly linked up to the deepest parts of memory in the brain, but Snarky's heart is hard-wired to her stomach.
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

6
Whiskers and Whispers
 

Yay for y00ltide!

Again, my paypal falls victim to the fragrant black hole that is Beth's ingenuity. Here's a little analysis of the scents offered today, what I got, what I want, what I might want in small doses etc:   I bought:   13 (revisited) cocoa and vanilla beans, Mysore sandalwood, star fruit, orange rind, red amber, fig leaf, mimosa, rooibos tea, bourbon geranium, rose otto, nutmeg, and lavender. I hoped that I would avoid 13 if it was the same white choc orange scent (which I love, but I don't need more for now) but then Beth unleashes something that tops it. I love cocoa, vanilla, sandalwood, amber (red amber's a new one-I need to try H&E's version too), rose, nutmeg and bourbon geranium...and I'd love to see what Beth's starfruit and rooibos notes are like. And how all these notes mesh together in this scent!   SOL INVICTUS -- A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom. Oh yes! I want to smell like a pagan sun-god on December 25 (that's where the date for Xmas originates, after all). I'm also hoping this would be what I hoped Et Lux Fuit was on me. It shares some components but hopefully the tropical florals and the saffron and frankincense will make it richer, warmer and lovelier than ELF was on me. I'm also reminded of Ra, which I love. This looks ideal for anyone who may get SAD in winter, I don't suffer from it too badly but the long nights-and the cold-sometimes give me winter blues, this is the perfect cure.   YULE -- It is Yule, and the Holly King has slain the Oak: blood red holly berry, mistletoe, wild thyme, verbena, cinquefoil, hemp, winter rose, evergreen, frankincense, juniper, and myrrh. I'm collecting the pagan sabbat oils (well, the ones that are easy to acquire as bottles!) and this sounds gorgeous, wonderful, evocative...I wonder if it will be the scent opposite of Litha? (They do share some notes...) Not sure what holly berry, cinquefoil and mistletoe smell like but the other ingredients are pretty awesome. This sounds like an amazing mix of evergreen forest scents, resins, herbs and rose. This looks even better than Yuletide, which smelt like a Yankee Candle on me.   LILIUM INTER SPINAS --Hibiscus syriacus, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, apple blossom, and green fig. I have no idea what the hibiscus note is like but I'm curious...LotV can go soapy, apple blossom is so-so, green fig can be sharp, but this could go either way-the poem is beautiful as well...so I got an imp.   HORREUR SYMPATHIQUE -- blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane. Holy shit, this sounds magnificent! Look at all these wonderful notes-blood musk, honey, wine, champagne, tonka, carnation, resins, sugar...this looks like one of those amazing complex and fantastic BPALs, reminiscent of the Masque or Sed Non Satiata...I just had to get an imp. Should have got a bottle.   LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING -- The velvet flower. A lush, thick, luxuriant bloom, bold and red. Ditto Devil's Claw, but the name is gorgeous. I used to call those plants 'monkey tails' when I was little. The real name is much more evocative. But what will it smell like-blood? Something fuzzy, perhaps? Imp.   THE TEMPTATION -- attar of rose, calla lily, palmarosa, peach blossom, wisteria, rice flower, and black musk. This sounds like a fascinating floral-I'm intrigued by the rice flower. Not sure about wisteria (can go off on me) but the other ingredients are promising-love rose, peach and black musk. Imp.   MANIA -- Screeching white musk collides with a howl of red musk, with sharp white grapefruit and pale strawberry leaf. Musks! I adore red and white musks. I've never smelt strawberry leaf, would be interesting to see if it smells like greenish strawberries...but the musks! I'd love to see how the grapefruit comes into it as well. Imp.   HALÔA -- Wine grapes, myrrh, frankincense and olive leaf, and the warm scent of offertory cakes. CAKE!!! The description reminds me of All Souls with wine, or Cockaigne with resins, which sounds so delightful. mmm. But the olive leaf worries me-does it smell like olives? I think it did in Alecto, but I love Tzadikim Nistarim, which has olive but doesn't smell of it. I've bought a bottle because...CAKE!!   Will get eventually:   BLACK LILY -- Breathtaking darkness, a vision of grace in shadow. I've tried the prototype and I'm torn, because it veers from stunningly beautiful to metallic and weird on my skin. It's a 'locket scent', for me. I might try an imp of this to see if it's changed.   DEVIL'S CLAW -- A yellow-bright and smoky brown-black scent, horned, pronged and strange. I have no idea what this will smell like. Brown and yellow? Smoky? I have no clue, will wait for reveiws. Maybe imp.   SLOBBERING PINE -- Dewy, wet, whiplike and sticky. Hmm, the name's great and a little bit gross, but if it smells like pine resin...I love the smell of pine sap. It's messy, sticky stuff but it smells gooooood, not Xmassy or disinfectant-y at all.   THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS -- A funereal bouquet laid on cemetery grass: longiflorum lilies, white rose, chrysanthemum, and carnation. This reminds me of Santa Muerte and Sepulchre, which I quite like. Very flowery and traditional, maybe a bit mournful, but it could be beautiful. Maybe an imp.   And now for y00ltide goodness!!!   BLACK ICE -- Lovely, dangerous, slick, and bitterly cold: chilly white sleet-like notes with a hint of vetiver, a breath of smoky asphalt, and winter wind Asphalt? I don't really like the idea of smelling of asphalt...and vetiver can be scary at times. The icy and windy notes sound so interesting though...Beth is amazing at conjuring up weather scents, despite me not getting on with storm ozones or seaspray, they are still so evocative. Decant.   THE DARKLING THRUSH -- Snow, darkness, and icy air illuminated by the thrush’s song: warm amber, soft orris, and melancholy violet. This sounds beautiful. Snowy and wintery airy notes? Yum. Amber? Oh yeah. I quite like orris and violet too. Decant for now, but it sounds promising.   HERR DROSSELMEYER 2006 -- Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen. Tried it last year, think it's ok but don't need more. Too manly and smoky-in a nice way, but not on my skin.   JACOB'S LADDER 2006 --The meeting of Heaven and Earth: golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka. I adore this scent, maybe I'll get more? I already have two 05 bottles, but I might want to see if this has changed.   JÓLASVEINAR -- Their scent is a mishmash of snow, dirt, Icelandic moss, marsh felwort, and the smushed petals of buttercups and moorland spotted orchids, with the barest hint of the scent of pilfered Christmas pastries. I like snow, dirt and moss, have no idea what marsh felwort, moorland spotted orchids or buttercups (well, vaguely) smell like but previews say this smells like a real Xmas tree, with soil. But it's the Christmas pastries that grab me. To me, that means MINCE PIES!!! If this has even a slight mince pies scent to it, I'll need more, but for now, it's a decant.   KNECHT RUPRECHT -- The snow-covered foliage of the Black Forest and the fruit and woods of apple and almond trees. I wonder if this will smell like Black Forest+snowy notes? Or maybe BF sans musk, but with snow in it's place? If so, this sounds really interesting with apples and almonds...decant.   KRAMPUS -- Sinister red musk, black leather, dusty rags, and wooden switches. Oh, this sounds so fun! Like Spanked for 06! I'm not sure about the dusty rags though-but red musk and leather, like Loviatar! Decant, maybe bottle.   LICK IT AGAIN -- Every holiday season should be full of lewd suggestions and filthy double entendres, right? This is a new take on last year’s Lick It – a peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar. I adore Lick It, have 2 bottles, love it's minty coolness and it's vanilla-musk drydown. But if this is a new formulation with more sugar...I might need to get this too!   MIDNIGHT MASS 2006 -- see Jacob's Ladder 06.   THE SNOW MAIDEN -- Ylang ylang, osmanthus, spring berries, and daffodil cloaked in hoarfrost. Not sure what hoarfrost smells like (cold, obviously) but the floral/berry/daffodil notes look gorgeous. This scent sounds beautiful and ethereal, delicate and icy, and I need to add more to my 'snow' collection, but it's a decant for now.   SNOW-FLAKES -- The radiance and desolation of winter. A vague description huh? I have no idea if this snowy scent will be like the Skadi/Snow Moon/Bunny snow, Snow White snow, Cloister Graveyard/Ice Queen snow, or something completely different...I'm intrigued though, plus it's another one for my snow collection. Decant.   STARDUST 2006 -- This scent reflects the futurism, self-indulgence and excess of the Glitter 70’s: champagne, hyacinth, tuberose, ylang ylang and flashing white musk with jonquil, tobacco flower, white sandalwood and a pale poppy. See Jacob's Ladder 06.   THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT -- Embrace your villainy: balsam, myrrh, mandarin orange, bitter clove, artemesia, rosewood, nutmeg, dark musk, smoke and cypress. This sounds very interesting. I love myrrh, orange, clove, nutmeg and smoke, have no idea about artemisia, the other notes sound good, but this may be a little masculine. Decant.   This was a spectacular update of course-lots more ice and snow than expected, none of the old faves back (well, some of the 05 faves are there) but a very interesting direction for Beth to go in...I don't know if there'll be a Yule part 2, would be cool if that was the case though.
yeahbutnobut

yeahbutnobut

0
Sourball Ho!
 

13 update!

I've been feeling a bit down and out-of-sorts lately with the job situation, so this big update is a nice distraction. I waffled on 13 -- I bought a bottle of the 2005 original and while it was nice, I ended up swapping it away. I think it was the iris at the end that made it not as enjoyable. Anyway, the reformulation was tempting enough so it's been ordered.   I can't believe there are Yule bottles available! I tried Jacob's Ladder at a Meet-n-Sniff and didn't like it as much as I thought I would -- unfortunately I haven't found an amber blend I love yet. Stardust has a great description, but I tried it and it's not something I would ever wear regularly. I already have bottles of Lick It and Midnight Mass. Here are the new ones I'm interested in:   Haloa -- I'm all over any reference to wine, but the "cakey" note hasn't been working on me lately Jolasveinar -- snow and dirt sound intriguing and different, and with pastries in the background? Weird! Knecht Ruprecht -- more snow, this time with fruit trees, but if "Black Forest" means pine in any fashion it won't be good for me Krampus -- this one sounds like a lot of fun, but the black leather scents come out too processed and "city," if that makes any sense. I like the leather of Dead Man's Hand (and Quincey Morris, from the reviews). We'll see Snow-Flakes -- I'm anxiously awaiting the hopeful return of Snow White, so hopefully this isn't a substitute, but it sounds nice anyway Sol Invictus -- this sounds a lot like Litha (great!) and Et Lux Fuit (OK), so I'll check the reviews Yule -- I had a bottle of Yuletide which was good but not great. Too much Krafty Korner craft store smell. This one might be a bit more complex   Phoo, that's a lot. The new GCs I'm interested in are:   Mania -- the musk blends have really been nice lately. Smut totally changed my perspective Horreur Sympathique -- wow, so many great ingredients, I can't wait to start reading reviews of this one
dawndie

dawndie

2
Filling the Periodic Table
 

I'm going to be a homeowner!

I put in an offer on a townhouse yesterday.   Holy crap, this attaching an album to an entry thing is *cool*. Only it seems to only have 9 out of my 11 pictures, and it doesn't include the captions. See the full gallery for more details.   Anyway, check out the pictures. It's an end unit, so I only have a neighbor on one side, and there's no neighbors to the back, just a stand of trees and way back behind those is the fitness center. I ran out of charge on my camera before I got pictures of the bedrooms, but there's really nothing exciting about those.   It's hot a new heating/ac system (with a digital thermostat! so I'll be able to program it to heat when I'm nome and not when I'm not and stuff) and I'll have a full-on laundry room in the basement, where I can have a normal, not stacked washer and dryer. I'm excited.   And this is the development it's in: Chesterfield Village Townhomes
antimony

antimony

5
Do you have a flag?
 

This Yuletide update is trying to kill me.

Here's what I got imps of:   BLACK LILY -- This is beautiful, one of my favorite BPAL florals. I already have a bottle, but I need the imp for my "entire GC" imp collection. DEVIL'S CLAW -- I have no idea what to expect from this, smoky brown-black sounds good... not sure about the yellow-bright. LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING -- Really, really looking forward to this. Beth does "velvety" really well. SLOBBERING PINE -- I don't usually like pine scents, but this one sounds different. Also I like the word slobbering. THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS -- I haven't had much luck with the Funereal Oils, but I'm interested in this because of the cemetery grass and lilies. LILIUM INTER SPINAS -- I usually like fig, but green fig might be a little too strong for me. Not sure about this one. THE TEMPTATION -- Not sure about this one either -- might be too floral for me. MANIA -- I can't imagine what this might smell like. I think I might like it, though. A lot. HORREUR SYMPATHIQUE -- I expect I'm going to love this one.   Here's what I got bottles of:   BLACK ICE -- Sleet, vetiver, cold wind, and smoke? Yes please! THE DARKLING THRUSH -- Everything in this sounds good to me except maybe the violet. We'll see. HALÔA -- Frankincense sometimes makes the whole blend too sweet for me, but everything else in it sounds good, so I took a chance. KNECHT RUPRECHT -- This might be a little too woodsy for me but I like the poem so I'll give it a shot. KRAMPUS -- This one sounds the BEST. I always like red musk and leather. SNOW-FLAKES -- Not entirely sure what this is going to smell like, but I just have this good feeling about it. I love snow flakes. SOL INVICTUS -- This is the one that most worries me from my order. I think I haven't worn Et Lux Fuit even one time after testing it, and this one could be similar. I like amber, saffron, and heliotrope, but everything else in it could be iffy. THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT -- This one sounds pretty good. It might be a little too spicy for me, but I have to try anything with myrrh and dark musk.   These are the ones I hope to find decants of:   HERR DROSSELMEYER 2006 -- My husband has 4 bottles of last year's version, so we probably don't need any more. I wouldn't mind getting an imp to compare though. JACOB'S LADDER 2006 -- I've had a bottle of last year's version for almost 8 months and I've worn it exactly twice. I like it, but I never seem to reach for it. I'd like a new decant of it to see if it smells any different aged though. JÓLASVEINAR -- The dealbreaker in this one was the dirt and moss. They go bad on me more often than not, and dirt always overpowers every other note. I'd try a decant or sniffie, but I don't expect this to work. LICK IT AGAIN -- Didn't really like Lick It because I don't care for peppermint scents. I'd try it to make sure, but I have big doubts. MIDNIGHT MASS 2006 -- I had a bottle of last year's version, swapped it, had second thoughts and got another bottle, then swapped that one too. I think it's just too sweet an incense scent for me. I like darker incense like Al Azif better. THE SNOW MAIDEN -- This just sounded a little too young and innocent for me personally. I'd like to try it, but from the description I don't think I'll like it. STARDUST 2006 -- Still have a bottle of last year's version, and I never wear it. YULE -- Holly berry, mistletoe, thyme, verbena, evergreen, frankincense, and juniper are ALL usually no-nos for me. I highly doubt I would like this.   And I'm going to have to make another order and get a bottle of 13 because I completely forgot to order it.   I have sent a crapload of money to the Lab in the past three months. Seriously. Way too much. I've been saying for the past month or so that I need to do some serious reducing of my collection, but I barely did any. Now it has become a dire need. I have no more room for more BPAL bottles, yet more will be on their way soon.
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

0
circe_blue's Blog
 

hello again

wow, my last entry was quite a while ago.   Well, the thing is, nothing much has happened. I go to class, I come back, I study like a fiend, then I either have my bf sneak up to my apartment to spend the weekend with me or I sneak down to him to spend the weekend there. All this sneaking around is necessary because even though I am 23 my parents would still have a heart attack/brain aneurysm if they even suspect I spend the night with the guy I've been seeing for nearly two years It sucks, and I feel juvenile for doing it but their idea of us hanging out involves them too, as chaperones I guess. Oh yeah, and the last time I was home my mother tried to convince me that the boy is cheating on me. Her reasons varied, but the gist of it is that we don't seem to hang out a lot anymore (to her her knowledge heh heh), he's spending more time away from me (he's in f-in med school and he needs to be at the hospital and is on call a lot), and that he's in med school and I'm not so he's gonna cheat on me with a cute nurse ("trust me, I've seen it happen"). I admit I let all of this get to me (I was stressed out that weekend) and I left home to come back to campus early. Ugh, all I wanted to rest at home where the people who live above me aren't partying 24/7 so I can go to sleep. *sigh* I asked the people in the leasing office if they could at least ask the people who live above me to put carpet in (the lease states that we are all to place carpet down in "high traffic" areas) but they said they can't do anything (!) and told me to go deal with them myself. Ugh, then why have it in the lease at all of no one's gonna enforce it?! I'm getting very frustrated. Sure my place is close to campus, but i'm thinking I would've been better off renting in a more residential area. And now I'm supposed to be working on a super-hard take-home mid term but I'm procrastinating....back to work I guess.... At least I get to wake to to an update! (maybe)
circe_blue

circe_blue

0
Eoywin's Blog
 

Work Woes

I've about had it with work this week. It's been hard and stressful, and I'm getting all stressed out which is giving me a headache.   What's going on today it V-8 badness. V-8 is the new turbo that is going to make or break us, and right now everything is all fucked up.   Today alone I've dealt with inventory issues, quality issues, capacity issues (which is something purchasing should have done something with a long time ago) - all are things that could shut the line down, and shutting the line down is very, very, very bad.   With things as bad as they are with the V-8 program, I'm a little worried because both Todd and I work there. I'm beginning to wonder if it's time to look for a new job.   I really don't want to look for a new job, because I really do like my job. It's not that hard, but it's busy and hectic enough to keep me occupied during the day. And I hate looking for a new job... hate it with a passion.   The reasons to look for a new job is the temp. thing (I can't get my boss to stand still for 5 minutes to give him updates on parts, let alone have time to take about my tempness.), and of course, the badness with the V-8 program.   It's got to slow down and get more stable eventually, but it's hard right now.   I'm going to talk to Todd about it, and try and find some time to pin my boss down to talk to him about the temp. issue. If I was given a date when I'd be hired in (even if it was still a while off), I'd stay. I make decent money, so that's another reason to stay.   Things might get worse before they get better though. I have two co-workers who are also temps, and one has been seriously looking for another job for a couple of weeks now. I shudder to think what things would be like if we didn't replace her right away. She has over 70 vendors!   I'm just torn... and really tired
Eoywin

Eoywin

0
Lucretia's Blog
 

number 1

Alright, I'm actually going to use this for something~ keeping track of my grad school aps. In short, I'm applying to PhD programs this winter before I finally bite my tounge and settle for a practical career and an MPP.   So far the list is   UMD-women's studies UMD-american studies GWU-american studies possibly georgetown- government but I feel this topic area may be a little out my league with my current background (a BA in economics)
Lucretia

Lucretia

2
Gone Batty
 

IT lives!

I totally forgot about my blog here. On the one hand I feel like I'm not doing much worth writing about but on the other it's pretty much pure laziness. I've been going through a phase of apathy recently; from dancing, to knitting, to sewing, etc. Little bits of creativity surface now and then but for the most part I feel as though I'm out of touch. Part of the problem is all the sutff in my apartment is piled everywhere and I think it saps my energy. I know I'd feel better if I would get off my butt and clean and organize but I am hardly ever in the mood to do so. The ony time cleaning urges occur are at some inopportune time like midnight when I really need to get to bed so that I can get up for work and also I'm sure my neighbors would not appreciate me running the vaccum at that hour.   My husband and I are a deadly duo of disorganized packrats. I have lots of stuff (collections and crafty things) and he amasses tons of papers and gadgets (and the boxes and manuals and accessories that go along with said gadgets). Even though I can look around and see more of my stuff than his I somehow feel that I am not the problem (oh denial ) since I feel as though my stuff is in neat piles and his is just scattered around. He, however, does not feel the same. We keep talking about changing our habits but that's all it's been so far - just talk. We even bought a book on organzing and cleaning but I think it got buried How sad is that? We really need to find a solution soon though because winter is coming and having to spend more time indoors makes looking at it ten times worse.   Oy vey.
miss apple

miss apple

2
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

More photos

A few other photos -- not as intriguing as the photos from Will Call!   The first one is of Mugzy, staring down a squirrel; it's in the shadows, but he's standing next to a weeping mulberry tree that he loves to use as a back-scratcher.     And here's Ella Bean, wending her way through an path between the major garden area and a small garden pond, which has a lilac bush and day lillies planted around it. A brisk southern wind was blowing those Basset ears around!     I like to plant Mexican sunflowers every year because they're great butterfly magnets. I hope this little guy has headed south, because snow showers are forecast for tomorrow night. Yech!
valentina

valentina

0
Diplomatka
 

Strange Rumors

I just heard something strange from an Afghan guy I work with and a co-worker who speaks Dari corroborated that she had heard the same thing.   Apparently, the American forces are supplying the Taliban. The guy I talked to said with food, but my co-worker said munitions. Also, there are stories about Afghans fighting the Taliban who capture Taliban fighters, turn them over to ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) and then capture the same guys fighting for the Taliban weeks later at which point the Taliban tell their captors, "you guys are stupid--the Americans are supporting us too!"   This could all be bullshit. But why would the Americans be supporting the Taliban? Is it a tactic of spreading these rumors among Afghans so that they will not support Americans and NATO/ISAF troops? I wonder.
Confection

Confection

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

A Prairie Home Garden

Here's some distance shots and a couple little close-ups of the garden. I'll post more in the next day or two, including one of critter-life around the back yard. Everything was shot on Sunday morning, October 8, and for you gardeners, I'm in zone 5 (on the edge of 6) on the growing season map:  
valentina

valentina

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

I feel better...

Yeah, but I also feel kind of awful. I mean, here's the thing: My husband says we can put off getting rid of one of the cats until he gets his disability, which will probably not be until January or so. We're going to take his cat to get checked out at a vet's office to figure out what's wrong with her- even on sensitive stomach cat food, she vomits pretty much every day, poor thing. I also think there's something wrong with her eyesight. If there's something seriously wrong with her and it's outside of our budget, we'll have to look at options there. So I'm still going to have to get rid of one of our cats, just now one might be getting put down... not exactly sunshine and roses. But it is a respite. And maybe they'll sort it out over this winter. The biggest problem is that there's no alpha cat. My cat is more willing to fight, but she's a scaredy cat, and she knows when she's outmatched. His cat can kick my cat's ass, but won't fight for anything. So the dynamic between them is... well, not dynamic.   Any suggestions would be welcomed. At this point, I'm a hair's breadth from invesigating bunnies. (Not as pets. It's a Buffy quote.)   We tried getting them both hopped up on catnip this weekend to see if they'd be more willing to duke it out, but no such luck.   I'm contemplating bringing a third cat into the mix to shake things up. (My parents' cat, on loan. However, they have a male cat, so I'm not sure what impact, if any, he would have. He'd probably just avoid all the conflict and laze around in the sun.)
smallvoice

smallvoice

3
This Old Snark
 

Boat Binge

Unfortunately, the Snarks did not keep a food journal during their five days on the boat. Perhaps it is better that way, as Snarky will not be tempted to calculate the calories consumed (and therefore realize that she will need to climb the equivalent of three Mount Hoods in order to bring her Calories In/Calories Out equation back to equilibrium).   She can recall a few memorable standouts: foie gras souffle (served with fig preserves and a slice of candied citrus rind); deliciously spicy gazpacho that had more than a passing resemblance to a very good, chilled Bloody Mary; so many dishes that should have been served en flambe but weren't, but were still good nevertheless; schooling DarkityBro on the concept of a Baked Alaska (he was deeply shocked that he had not heard of such a thing in all his twenty seven years - this is surely the sign of a die-hard foodie); ordering the Chateaubriand and then annoying The Mister for the rest of the evening by slathering on a heavy, horribly fake French accent; and vienerschnitzel (Which, yes, was made out of veal. Snarky had a long conversation with DarkityBro about foie gras (a recently very hot topic in Chicago, where he lives) and veal. DB has come from a much more radical animal rights POV than the emotional topics of baby animals and force-fed ducks and geese, but organizations like PETA's overzealousness has caused him over the years to consider all sides of the many issues in this debate.)   Oh.. kay. Snarky didn't mean to veer off like that. She'll just wrap up this tangent by saying spending some time with her brother and recently reading Heat by Bill Buford has really caused Snarky to think about just where her food comes from... and how she goes about consuming it.   Having said all that, on to the food pics!   The Orchestrated Big Food Event was the Midnight Buffet. It is such a big deal that they open it up half an hour early just so people can shuffle past and take pictures. Snarky did not stay up to partake (she had, afterall, just stuffed herself on a four course dinner only a few hours before) but DarkityMa reportedly threw down, later swearing that she would never eat that much ever again.   Snarky apologizes for the poor quality of the Midnight Buffet pictures. She could have used a flash, but didn't want to blind the people on the other side of the table...   ... such courtesy was not extended to the ship's staff, however, during the Galley Tour. Oh no, Snarky didn't mind at all shoving a camera practically up this poor guy's nose as he tried to carve up a similar melon for the next Midnight Buffet.   DarkityBro, Snarky, and The Mister went to a little wine tasting seminar during the first Day at Sea. This was definitely more for fun (no spit buckets!) but was also educational. DarkityBro gave the Snarks all of his little pieces of cheese that were to accompany the selections. Bonus! (The Snarks still resolutely drink wine out of a box, but can now at least understand what the labels mean on those pretty pretty bottles... sort of.)   The Mister's last dessert. Some sort of (non-animal cruelty) souffle. The woman hiding in the background was the eldest of the group of three women that were seated at the DarkityFam's table for all of our dinners. It was a daughter treating her mother and grandmother to a cruise (the first night was the grandmother's birthday -- we all got cake!) Grandmother is from Peru and speaks little to no English (and reminds Snarky of her own maternal grandmother), mother speaks Peruvian, Spanish, and English (with a heavy accent), and the daughter speaks unaccented English and translated for her mother and grandmother when needed. They were excellent company.   Snarky's last dessert. Why do chefs insist on stacking food? This looked like a crime scene when Snarky was done with it.   After the cruise, the DarkityFam stopped off at a Buddhist/vegetarian restaurant and had plates and plates (and plates) of analogous foods (Peking "Duck", "seafood" stew, roasted "pork", etc.). And since all those eleventeen dishes didn't fill up their newly stretched stomachs (Snarky wonders if her own liver will be ripe for harvesting soon) they also went to the best boba tea place in Houston. At least, according to that one chick they asked. It was pretty good!   Snarky has more to post, but when the Snarks got back to Portland, they discovered another monster zucchini in the garden, so she need to go make about three loaves of chocolate zucchini bread right now.
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

2
Diplomatka
 

The Scream

Dear Crocs Fans,     I want to send a message out to all of those people who wear these hideous things: stop. Stop now. Crocs are ugly in a nefarious, soul-sucking way. No one looks good in them and no one gives a fuck how comfortable they are. I don't care if you are a nurse, waitress or lunch lady--invest in some Danskos and retain your dignity.   And to add insult to injury, they now have charms for them. I swear, when I get to Tennessee in four days and see these things schlepping around my local mall, I am not sure how I am going to restrain myself. People: I live in Afghanistan. I see starving children, dead kittens, amputees and sheep being beheaded on my way to work everyday. There is so much ugly in the world. Please take the time to make wise shoe choices so that when I come back to America I won't have to BEAT YOUR ASS.   Warmest,   Confection
Confection

Confection

2
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