Week 3 - February 2021

You did not miss a week - I did! Spent some much needed "me" time working out things and de-fragging from the busy-i-ness wheel. Recommend!

Random: 

People make time for what matters.  People who cancel on you, again and again are telling you that you don't matter. Stop making time for them. (Note to self.)

Hello! I was on a podcast! Click to listen.

Books: There was a weekend binge. It made me feel MUCH better!

• Linsey Hall's Shadow Guild: Hades & Persephone series (3 books). Nice beach read. Nothing to write home about those.
• Linsey Hall's Shadow Guild: Wolf Queen 1st book (Darkest Moon). Laugh out loud on several parts of how this heroine things. 
• Lia Davis's Witching After 40 series 1st book (A Ghoulish Midlife) and a matching holiday novella, Cookies for Satan. This was actually better than the cover lead me to believe. Que Dolly Parton - don't judge me by my cover because I'm a real good book.

I'm slowly making my way through a book on fairytales. It's less groundbreaking than I thought and I don't like the way some of my favorites are being retold.

Gratitude: Pizza. Sweet kittens. Etsy vendors - because man they make personal style pretty easy! (Check out my new scent hanger for my car!) People who listen to you and don't project. Becoming okay with changes. Updating calendars. Dogs who don't mind sad days and snuggle. 

Listening: The Chicks. Apple has a playlist. (Although, Natalie Maines - it's not that uncommon for your husband's girlfriend's husband to tell you about the affair. That's how I found out. And why I got divorced.) What Would Dolly Do playlist, also on Apple. Not a podcast to be found. (Not even the one I was on - but I listened to it the week before.)

Watching: Dexter. I know it's weird but I find it very easy to follow and not requiring much brain power on my part (probably because I read the books.) and I've not even been watching much of it. Really just music, books and resting.

Wearing - Scent & Skin  

Scent

Imaginary Authors

- Telegrama  - Scent notes: Talc, Lavender Absolute, Black Pepper, Teak, Amyris, Vanilla Powder, Fresh Linens. The scent line up - heavy on the talc and the vanilla with a strong side of lavender- hasn't changed. But somehow I'm starting to like it more? Baffled that there is still anything left in the sample. I've worn it a couple of weekends now. 

Sucreabeille

- R.E.S.P.E.C.T - Scent notes: your mother’s expensive cold cream that she dutifully applied every night and now you do, too, mixed with fragrant, sumptuous black cherries. The longer I own this one, the more I like it. It's rich and incense laden - the fruit almost smells like smoke. The vanilla is hidden info a sweet richness.  Sillage seems to increase with age. This aged so beautifully into an amazing scent and I could wear it every day. I'm out. I miss it. I will be buying it again.

- Frozen Moon - Scent Notes: crisp winter evening air, frost, sweet sugar plums swirl with delicious marshmallow. Don't ask me explain, but this seems like a February scent. This is such a sweet scent. I continue to get a lot of sweetness off it crossed with fruit. It lasts well into the day and it drifts around me in a tiny cloud. Done with the little bottle. I've bought it a couple of times but I don't think I will  again. It's really too sweet to be me.

Skin

Still fighting off the maskne. I'm now doing a mask every 2-3 days. All the masks in my cabinet (tell you about them next time). And I added in the new eye cream, which is a lovely, softening bit of moisture and is a gorgeous green blue due to the tansy in it.

 - Day time - Standard in-shower wash of tea tree cleanser  - plus a buffing scrub (Essentially NOLA's Exfoliating Grains) - Naturallogic Elemental Advanced Hydration Red Wine Essence to restore moisture and fight off lines (go to the decollate too!), Fine Cosmetics Daytime Radiance Eye Serum tapped in around the eye with 3rd finger, then Votary day oil and Votary cream. And I'm now topping that off with the new eye cream, Aqua Aura by Earth Harbor Botanicals.

- Night time - 1st cleanse with 100% Pure's Blood Orange Cleansing Balm following with a 2nd cleanse with my DHC Washing Powder (for a little extra exfoliation) or the Natura Detox Wash. And I'm continuing to spot treating the rest. Earthwise Beauty's Yasumi Face Balm on the cheeks.  Blüh Alchemy's Multi-C serum on the forehead and around the eyes. Topped by the Live Botanical Sanctuary Barrier Balm around the eyes, on the forehead and neck. Frownies on the forehead because forehead wrinkles are aging. And another layer of Aqua Aura eye cream tapped around the eyes before bed.

Things 14 said:

I was telling her about what my physical therapist has me doing. (Also that his job is basically to boss people around having them do painful things.) 

"Sounds like a job a cat would like." And this is now how we determine if she will like a job or not.

Take-away - Look, you are the only one who can take care of you. And sometimes you need to do that first.

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Week 1 - February 2021

February blew in with cold and snow. I know people who love this month. For me - much like November (outside of Thanksgiving) - it's a month I could skip. The last few years it's cold and snowy. Heavy snow and bitter cold. It's a good time for a vacation. Maybe next year.

 Random: 

- All vitamins should come in gummy form. That way it's like a treat!

- Take a day off, you need it.

Books: Quick reads over the weekend is still my speed. And I've started rocking mermaid gloves while reading. Because February came in cold.

- Making Midlife Madness by Heloise Hull which is better than I expect. Because I know the Greek gods well, the way she unveils information keeps catching me off guard in a good way.

- Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron which was fantastically fun. I loved this series. Apparently it's part fo a larger "world" - but I never read those, so it feels fresh for me.

Gratitude: Laundry machines. Breakfasts out. Fancy soaps from friends. Snow that shovels easily and comes down on Saturday (so you have time to deal with it).Calendars. Getting things off the To-Do list. Scented candles. Food boxes filled with healthy food. Mermaid gloves.

Listening: Don't keep your day job podcast, which I find super inspiring. Grind and be grateful podcast. (She rarely talks about gratitude, I've noticed. Not sure this will stay on the playlist.)

Watching: Vikings. (I'm on Season 4.) I'm slowly losing interest in the series. There are now so many characters to pay attention to.  American Housewife. (Current season). Dexter. (Season 2). It's a very non-stressful watch for me, maybe because I've read the books and watched it before.

Wearing - Scent & Skin  

Scent

Imaginary Authors

- Telegrama  - Scent notes: Talc, Lavender Absolute, Black Pepper, Teak, Amyris, Vanilla Powder, Fresh Linens. Heavy on the talc and the vanilla with a strong side of lavender - this goes right to old lady; the teak and black pepper never show up for me. 

Sucreabeille

- R.E.S.P.E.C.T - Scent notes: your mother’s expensive cold cream that she dutifully applied every night and now you do, too, mixed with fragrant, sumptuous black cherries. This has aged well. It's rich and incense laden - the fruit almost smells like smoke. The vanilla is hidden info a sweet richness. The older this sample gets, the better I like it. Sillage also increases with age. This has mellowed into an amazing scent and I could wear it every day

- Frozen Moon - Scent Notes: crisp winter evening air, frost, sweet sugar plums swirl with delicious marshmallow. Don't ask me explain, but this seems like a February scent.This is such a sweet scent. I continue to get a lot of sweetness off it crossed with fruit. It lasts well into the day.

Skin

Still fighting off the maskne. Keeping up the system from last week.

 - Day time - Standard in-shower wash of tea tree cleanser  - plus a buffing scrub (Essentially NOLA's Exfoliating Grains) - Naturallogic Elemental Advanced Hydration Red Wine Essence to restore moisture and fight off lines, Fine Cosmetics Daytime Radiance Eye Serum tapped in around the eye with 3rd finger, then Votary day oil and Votary cream. 

- Night time - 1st cleanse with 100% Pure's Blood Orange Cleansing Balm following with a 2nd cleanse with my DHC Washing Powder for a little extra exfoliation. And I'm continuing to spot treating the rest. Earthwise Beauty's Yasumi Face Balm on the cheeks.  Blüh Alchemy's Multi-C serum on the forehead and around the eyes. Topped by the Live Botanical Sanctuary Barrier Balm around the eyes, on the forehead and neck. Frownie on the forehead because forehead wrinkles are aging. 

Ordered some new eye cream. Needing a bit more moisture due to the February dryness.

Take-away - Someone asked me, what are you doing to take care of you? It's a really good question to think about. What are YOU doing to take care of you? Because you have to put your own oxygen mask on first so you can help others.

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Week 4 - January 2021

Random: 

I miss the sea. 

People who do not take responsibility annoy me:

- We would love to see you. Come visit us. (Hell. Come visit ME! I don't have time to drive down there. Do you have time to come up here?)

- Figure out what I owe you. (Hell. Why don't you look up what it costs and offer your half? I'll let you know if it isn't enough)

- Let me know when you want to be on my show. (Hell. It's your show. Why don't you tell me when you have time slots. I don't know your schedule.) 

- I don't have your current address. (Hell. I sent you a link to the house I bought. What did you think that was? Also, every item I've sent you in the last 5 years had the same mailing address on it.)

- I did not know you were on Instagram. You never get suggested to me. (Hell, you read my newsletter. There is a link to Insta at the bottom of it.)

Trying to figure out if I'm being an unreasonable bitch or if I just know WAY too many women who don't accept personal responsibility for anything and want to put in the least effort possible while acting as if they are sooooo busy.

Books : Perhaps that is my issue. Perhaps I didn't read enough this week and it put me in "a bad humor."

Gratitude : Mermaid gloves. Painting. Cute cats. Lip balm.

Listening: Way too many people with judgements and ridicule about choices that are not theirs. And I'm done being nice about it because I'm not the person in your head. I'm flesh and blood and free will. 

Watching: Vikings. (The dog likes it too.) I did not finish it and don't remember it well - so I started over on Season One. It's more enjoyable than I remembered. I like the women's roles.

Wearing - Scent & Skin 

Sucreabeille

- We Are Stardust - Scent notes: Daisy crowns and sandalwood, a bouquet of peace lilies, vanilla cream fresh from Max’s dairy farm, and a drop of patchouli. We are stardust. Remember. And someone said I smelled good.  Sucre came up with both a patchouli and daisy that I don't mind. On me, it's a delicious cream and lily with a sandalwood base.

- R.E.S.P.E.C.T - Scent notes: your mother’s expensive cold cream that she dutifully applied every night and now you do, too, mixed with fragrant, sumptuous black cherries. This has aged well. It's rich and incense laden - the fruit almost smells like smoke. The vanilla is hidden info a sweet richness. The older this sample gets the better I like it. Sillage also increases with age.

- Frozen Moon - Scent Notes: crisp winter evening air, frost, sweet sugar plums swirl with delicious marshmallow. This is such a sweet scent. I continue to get a lot of sweetness off it crossed with fruit. It lasts a good well into the day.

Skin

Change is good. This week adjustments were made to re-set the skin which has been unappealingly spotted of late due to the wearing of masks. (Mascne.)

 - Day time - Standard in-shower wash of tea tree cleanser  - plus a buffing scrub - followed by a third finger (gentlest finger) tapping into the skin of 100% Pure's Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream (until I ran out), Naturallogic Elemental Advanced Hydration Red Wine Essence to restore moisture and fight off lines, then Votary day oil and Votary cream. 

The new eye treatment is Fine Cosmetics Daytime Radiance Eye Serum. A little less nourishing (read creamy) than I like, but seems to help the undereye. And eye make up is less smeary as a result. (If I gave everything more time to set that would help but I'm always in a hurry.)

- Night time - 1st cleanse with 100% Pure's Blood Orange Cleansing Balm following with a 2nd cleanse with my DHC Washing Powder for a little extra exfoliation. And I've spot treating the rest. Earthwise Beauty's Yasumi Face Balm on the cheeks.  Blüh Alchemy's Multi-C serum on the forehead and around the eyes. Topped by the Live Botanical Sanctuary Barrier Balm around the eyes, on the forehead and neck. Frownie on the forehead because forehead wrinkles are aging. 

Take-away - To all things there is a time. And patience is one of them. Watch out for what happens when it ends.

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