Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Musings - July 2019


This was a slow month, but it goes by quickly and with it the summer brushes up into fall - just a hop, skip, and jump from the end of the year.


And, the garden is in! I've got segregated the eds a bit - an herb bed (image), a strawberry patch (image), several tomatoes and a crazy amount of hot peppers. Three beds in total. I did not even try cucumbers or squash due to the late start. I officially bought plants July 1st and put it in July 2nd. By July 3rd it had tiny thumbsized hop-toads bopping around the plants. 


 In contrast, we put in Isy's garden over a month ago. She and I already did our first weeding and a garden adjustment session on July 4th. She's already eating strawberries from her garden, and we've planted her blackberries for next year. She also found raspberries on her new property and those are producing as well!  

 I did manage to do a tiny harvest from our wild blackberries and the strawberry patch (image). The tomatoes have been slow but we're harvesting herbs already - and one jalapeno.


 Books: I've officially finished out all the currently available Lainwich Witch books - a 21 book series from the improbably named Raven Snow. (These are the book equivalent to Schitts Creek - light, entertaining, and not like your life. Bless her for writing them. ) Kindle Unlimited is the bomb. Boom.

 Also on Kindle Unlimited I started a new series by Ashley Beasley. Excellent world building. Bramble and Blood. Birdsong and Bone.

 Next up, via the Kindle Unlimited, Olivia Swift did a series of cozy mysteries - 6 total - called Blooms, Stones & Bones. Easy reads. I made it through the first 2 one weekend. Enjoyable. Although I do wish the author - who is British and lives in France - wouldn't set them in the US. Her English is very English and sounds quite off in a number of places to an American reader. Her geography is also a little wonky.

 Create Your Own Luck by Susan Hyatt was my inspiring read of the month. I love Susan's podcast so this was fun to read. My beach read was from the Little Free Library, Priam's Lens by Jack L. Chalker (pictured top with the other beach read I didn't finish) which was not his best work. 

 Gratitude: Cold showers on hot days. Catalpa trees blooming still in July (such a slow summer!). Cardio drumming. Fireflies and night skies. Beach passes. Mohawks on puppies (image). The Henry Ford Museum - which rocks.

 Listening: Dave Ramsey. Don't Quit Your Day Job podcast. Rich Coach Club podcast. And all the cardio drumming songs which have invaded my head in an endless loop!

 Perfume: Most days were still Ofresia by Diptyque - until I killed it off mid-month. And I've been working in a little of the Willow and Water from the Library of Flowers - both creme and spray. I need something new - and at a friendly pricepoint - soon.

 Random: Guilt trips only work when you let the travel agent book them. Decline the trip.

 Recipes: I've made that chocolate chess pie at least once a week. And triple fruit cobbler 3x a month. But nothing new.

 Self-Care: I swear the last week of June, the switch just flipped and now it is full on SUMMER. Hot. Humid. This has meant some changes in skin care routine.

 Day - I started using the Boxwalla box from 5Yina - the Lucent Beauty Duo I got last month for days. And I love it. It's completely perfect for the hot sticky summer months. I'm adding Farizad's Veil from Earthwise Beauty to the oil as my first line of sun protection. Some people may not like a mix-in, I adore that I don't have to layer on another product or skip something I like so I don't over-layer products. 

 Night  - That has been a toss-up. It really depends on how much I've been sweating (did I work in the garden, did I go to the beach, did I do cardio drumming) that day. After a cleanse with either my Miscellar Water or a coconut cleansing balm + face wash....
- For sweaty days, I've been using the Siam Seas' Sai Clear Skin Serum  (all over) I got a few Box Walla boxes ago with the April box's FlowerSpice Soothe and Repair Daily Moisturizer around the eyes and on the neck. I love the whipped texture of the Flowerspice product and how it sinks in. (And Flowerspice's Midnight Beauty oil is now on my wish list!) The Siam Seas is a little gritty and as the amount in the bottle lowers, it's gottten harder to pump out - but it's light and does a nice job keeping the skin clear.
- For beach and regular days, I've been using the African Botanical's Cell Recovery Serum  all over plus Fleur d'Afrique Oil (same brand) around the eyes and at the neck.

 And we wait for someone to mistake my age -  by a lot.....

 Stress: Relationships are still hard. (And here's the thing with that - sometimes the problem is in your mirror with all those expectations. Beans, I hate that!)

 Things 12 said: Not 12, but 19. I asked her what she wanted for dinner - she said, "The blood of my enemies." I could NOT stop laughing because she's always the peacemaker.

 Watching: Binged with 19 on Umbrella Academy. And finished Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery. The new Charmed - killed of Season 1 -  less engaging than the original and the writing seems scattered. The Good Witch - all the seasons which are less "witch-y" than I'd expected. (And I've never seen the movies - so I'm a little out of sync.) Basically, it's Stars Hallow with coincidences. 

 Take- away - Time goes faster than you think. Make sure you are spendign yours in a way that you'll enjoy remembering. 


Original musings posts you may enjoy:


All photos by moi! And you can tell...

*Juice Beauty is a staple in my beauty cabinet. I stray, I try other things - but it's my favorite "foundation" (I used the CC Cream) and great skin care. If you like Juice Beauty too, here is a link. I do get a small commission (at no cost to you) when you use these links which helps support this blog.

- Skin Care by Juice Beauty
Follow my blog with Bloglovin  - A new way to follow!
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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Musings - April 2019

April kicks off a month of changes. Personal and professional. 

 Books: I actually finished a few this month! (12 peeps - count 'em!) The Moreau Factor by Jack L Chalker (who seems to have a thing for transformation as I recall from The Change Winds series) - a Little Free Library find. The Now Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund. Still valid but a few years old - I felt like I need to read it since Amber was awesome about speaking at a conference for me. I totally wanted to validate her generosity with her time and brilliance. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. And the Little Free Library had a 1973 "classic" sci-fi from Piers Anthony, Race Against Time. (It was kind of awful. It didn't age well but was easy to read.) Also, Connections in Death by JD Robb - which, like all Eve Dallas books ROCKS. Plus, I've kind of lapsed on that "getting my money's worth from Kindle Unlimited" - so... a binge happened -  Hexes and Exes by Raven Snow. (Think cozy mystery. Yes. Nice quick read.) And well, I really needed a break after a stressful month - so I ripped through the Kindle editions of all 4 of Shannon Mayer's Questing Witch series. Plus her The Venom Trilogy series. 

 Also.... I got a compliment on one of my books! (Yes, I occassionally write books. Check them out here.) 

 Gratitude: Nearby Chinese food. Kitten cuddles. New vaccuum. Perfume samples. Stretching boundaries of "I'm not good enough." New friend.

 Listening: So much Halsey + Dave Ramsey podcasts. Florence + The Machine in the car with 12 (it's her jam). Live Awake podcast for lunch-time quick meditation.

 Perfume: I've rocked Les Perfumes de Rosine Majalis every weekday for the majority of the month because it's time to finish it out and start fresh for spring.

But, I couldn't resist. Michelle Pfeiffer released 5 substainable, and eco-conscious scents under her new brand, Henry Rose.  Best part? She has a sampler pack!!! All 5, in generous sizes, for $20 plus shipping. (See image at top) And they send you a $20 coupon for your first full-sized purchase. Here's my take:
- Fog. OMG. Described as fresh - light + musk with a perfectly balanced freshness. It's more dense than I expected something described as "fresh" to be. Good sillage and this is a fantastic scent for me. Spring and summer scent.
- Torn. Described as warm, spicy and floral. Vetivier roots with vanilla bean. It opens almost chocolate and just gets more warm/spicy as the day goes. I put it on and thought - this is what Michelle Pfeiffer smells like on date night, I bet. Excellent sillage. (Note: I liked it more the first day I wore it than the second. Not sure why.) This is a November and January scent to me.
- Dark is Night. Described as sensual with woody patchouli with the richness of vanilla bean. I thought it heavy when I first put it on and reminiscent of some well-known late 1980's/early 1990's (unspecified) perfume when I first put it on. Extraordinary sillage. By the end of the day, I loved it. The next morning when it was still faint on my skin - I did wonder if I'd over-sprayed.
- Jake's House - Described as clean which it is with neroli top note and light musky finish. Very little sillage. Nice but there are others in the same scent family that are more "me". (Like my Water + Willow by Library of Flowers.)
- Last Light. Described as smooth - a fresh floral with smooth woody effect. Not on me. Very clean musk. No silllage and it made Lulu cat sniff my arm weirdly. And not for me!

 I'd also note that the scent library for Henry Rose seems to be very limited - vetiver wood, patchouli (which I usually hate but this smells less "dirt-like" than others), musk, vanilla bean across a number of them. Most florals are not clearly defined. (Neroli in Jake's House is the only one specified.) So although her product idea is transparency, these feel like too complex of scents for the few scent notes mentioned.

 Random: Jericho (19) and I went to a watercolor painting place. I suck. She's fantastic ! But it was fun.
(Mine)

(Hers)
Recipes: Nada. I made Easter breakfast (egg muffins, blueberry cornbread muffins, fruit pizza, etc.) And many other things this month but, no new recipes, sorry! (Pictured are remnants of Easter breakfast)
Self-care: This month is cleansing. April is good for that. And I ran out of my favorite make-up remover (100% Pure Blood Orange Cleansing Balm) and, as Murphy would have it, was out of stock online. Over to Soko Glam I went for an alternative I'd spotted on Instagram a few weeks before. Which came with the CUTEST little scooper! It feels less lux on the skin and a touch synthetic. But it washes out of the facecloth with my mascara better. It's good for now, but I like my usual 100% Pure better. 
The Daily Basics

- Day - Juice Beauty line for brightening emulsion, serum, eye cream, CC cream.The brightening emulsion has started to make my skin a littel angry some days. It fades quickly but it goes a hot red when I put it on. And it's not every day - so some other element is at play. A mystery.

- Night - Night is basically bargin skincare. Most of what I use I got on sale -  Predire Eye Care Anti-Aging Night Serum. (And reminder, I did not pay retail for it) which I am trying to run out  - and I've decided may be the best value ever since it seems never ending. I've been trying to run it out for 2 months now! All over moisturizer is H2O Infinity Renewing Youth Serum (which I got on mega-clearance of $28) and which seems to be running out quickly. Plus I'm still using Little Barn Apothecary oil .

 And YES - good skin care matters. It was my birthday this month and 3 people actually thought I was 12 years younger than I am! (Wear sunscreen)

 Things 12 Said:


 Me - Let's make blueberry muffins!
13: Hurrah!
12: Can we add chocolate chips?
Me: That's not how blueberrry muffins are made
12: Are you sure?

 And...

 Me: We are super-awesome and amazing women! (We'd gotten a lot done - pet medications for 4 cats and 1 dog; baked a cake, baked cobbler, and baked muffins; swept the house; and did the dishes.)
12: Yep, but mostly you because you baked cobbler.
She also found a "dragon skull" and was super excited. Until I sent it to the nature center and we discovered it was a hawk's pelvis. (But as you can see, she was fairly justified in that thought - I had her put it next to a dollar bill for size.)


Watching: Santa Clarita Diet. (That is freaking hilareous. And I've hooked Jericho as well.) Impostors, Season 2. I caught up on Empire, too. And we're back to Grimm. 

Take-away - Change is our only constant. You better learn how to roll with it.
Original musings posts you may enjoy:


All photos by moi! And you can tell...

*Juice Beauty is a staple in my beauty cabinet. I stray, I try other things - but it's my favorite "foundation" (I used the CC Cream) and great skin care. If you like Juice Beauty too, here is a link. I do get a small commission (at no cost to you) when you use these links which helps support this blog.

- Skin Care by Juice Beauty
Follow my blog with Bloglovin  - A new way to follow!
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Sunday, November 4, 2018

Musings - October 2018

Hello! This month included the most beautiful skies - whether over Michigan or Puerto Rico. I'm always in love with October blue.
Books: It was a decent month for reading, due in part to the business trip to Puerto Rico. Sit down! I avoided the airport bookstore!!! (Mostly because my bags were already super heavy on the way there with business stuff.) But since we took a few days extra vacation, the resort allowed me to "little free library" a book from their collection - which is dense reading and I'm still working on. (It's amusing that I borrowed a harder book than those I brought!) Check out the On The Shelf area of the blog for good quotes. Enjoy!

I did manage to finish 3 books a week (keeping up the streak) over the month:

- Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas  - this was a good self-improvement read. Perfect for a beach! (I took a picture with it off the beach from a cabana at Rio Mar in Puerto Rico)
- It's Not About You, It's About Bacon: Relationship Marketing in a Social Media World by Brian Basilico by Laura Shapiro - has held up to the test of time
- The Greensmith Girls: A Supernatural Witch Cozy Mystery by Raven Snow (Kindle Unlimited)  which is about the most perfect cosy mystery ever. 

With these three, I've clocked in 47 books for the year.

Gratitude: Tropical rainforests. Vacations. Apps that are fun to use. Bacardi Mixology training and certification. Being treated as though I matter by people I love. Corn mazes - and I still want to know why they aren't Maize Mazes. Purring kittens. Gorgeous full moons.

Listening: All the podcasts. Dave Ramsey podcasts. Chalene Johnson's podcast. Duct Tape Marketing podcast. Marketing Over Coffee podcast. Christy Wright's Business Boutique podcast. Susan Hyatt's Rich Coaches podcast. NPR's Money Planet podcast.

Perfume: Two things -  Diptyque's Ofresia. It's  reminiscent of a garden.  I do like French perfume. And a simple Caroline Herrera body cream called Good Girl which I got as a free gift from Ulta. I find hot places with multiple showers a day (Puerto Rico tourist adventures) not good for perfume but a bit of scent with lotion works well.

Recipes: The Freezer Cobbler was made about 3 times this month at the kidlets' request. It is our go-to quick dessert.

 I also dreamed up a casserole. (It might be a Midwestern thing.) I'm not sure it qualifies as a "recipe". I basically lined a glass pan with overlapping rows of Mrs. T's Pierogies and then added chopped peppers and onions.Then covered it in Garlic Cream of Mushroom soup (a la Green Bean Casserole) and baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. In the last 5 minutes, I covered the top in bacon. This is not a healthy recipe nor vegetarian. But, it's warm and filling for the fall months and super easy.


Self-Care: Last month I mentioned my slight soap obsession (hello, Villainess Soaps). Well, I opened up the full sizes last month with Pearl Diver. This month it was Krakatoa. (I have a tropical theme happening - the book I borrowed is about Hawaii.) The scent is GORGEOUS. And the soap lasts a surprisingly long time - like a MONTH per bar!

And this month I continued to try face oils on a schedule. (I tend to just try whatever I feel like that day.) Specific oils for evening and morning. Every day. It's a continuation of last month with just a few additions and a switch out.  For the month. I grouped them in the photo but the Facial Mist goes with both:
- Day -I'm sampling Juice Beauty's Stem Cellular  Anti-Wrinkle Booster Serum around the eyes. The rest of the face was like last month:  Physician's Formula oil + TonyMoly Green Tea Lotion (both grocery store bargains) until the Green Tea ran out mid-month. Then I switched out to H2O+ Beauty's Infinity Youth Serum with the oil and Juice beauty product. (I got the H2O+ on clearance with a coupon for $21 - which I don't mind spending to try something new!) It's all okay. None of it is a miracle in a bottle, so far, just nice to use. 
- Night - Little Barn Apothecary oil + a bargain bought Lumene Vitamin C night cream over a layer of Predire Eye Care Ant-Aging Night Serum. (And NO, I did not pay retail for it! I picked it up for about 1/10th that price on a Vegas business trip last fall.)


Things 12 said: Make more cobbler.


Watching: Bull. Blackish. Fresh Off the Boat. American Housewife. Orange is the New Black. (Best quote from Kate Mulgrew, formerly of Star Trek - "We are living in the future.")

Random: Dog is re-trained. It took a few days at the vet and a food switch! Boom! He also got a great new haircut.

 Fun fact: Neck wrinkles on women used to be called Venus lines. 

Take-away - Life is largely what you allow. If you don't like something, you need to change it. (Small changes count.)



Original musings posts you may enjoy:


All photos by moi! And you can tell...
Juice Beauty is a staple in my beauty cabinet. I stray, I try other things - but it's my favorite "foundation" (I used the CC Cream) and great skin care. If you like Juice Beaty too, here is a link. I do get a small commission (at no cost to you) when you use these links which helps support this blog.

- Skin Care by Juice Beauty
Follow my blog with Bloglovin  - A new way to follow!
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Musings - January 2018


It was a snowy start to the new year and a fresh start to a new couple this month! (More below.) Our house has been in mad preparation for The Guy's eldest's daughter's impending wedding. It happened January 5th and was a lovely day.  She wore the necklace in this photo as her something borrowed, old, and blue. It was La Gram Russe's. One of the few things she brought to this country.

Books: Had a bit of travel (Long Beach, CA for business) - which meant that an airport bookstore, my downfall, happened! And that is how I found The Roanoke Girls which was a fantastic air travel read, even if I did figure out the shape of the plot on page 35. It's well-written enough that I kept reading.  On The Birth of Venus, I can only say, that apparently smart girls don't get happy endings. Not my sort of book and it will be going to the Little Free Library later this week. On the other hand, a Little Free Library find was The Speckled People and it was wonderful! For anyone who grew up in any sort of immigrant community where the past was a living force that dictated the shape of your childhood - this book IS you. That feeling of not quite being anything is beautifully explored.


Gratitude: People who pitch in. (Elin who helped with making more than her share of endless yarn roses.) Cars that start on a cold, cold winter day. Waitresses who try to accommodate your rushed order and schedule. Yoga socks. Clean counters. The bright light of a full winter moon on a field of snow when you take the dog out at 2am - it make it less eerie. (Bad photo. He hates sitting still. He's currently rocking a new Mohawk.)



Listening: Sting, If on a Winter's Night. Side Hustle podcast. And that old fashioned thing called the radio. 

Perfumes: I've been rocking just one. Magazine Street from Strange Invisible Perfumes. Somehow, it fits this weather.  Or maybe it just makes me think about warmer places! I keep expecting the bottle to run out and yet it hasn't yet.
Recipe of the month: So delicious! I love an Instagram account called "Wicked Healthy" I saw a version of this salsa and had to try it! 

Asparagus salsa

- Chop 1 bunch of asparagus fine and saute in 1 tbsp of olive oil until crisp/tender (under 7 minutes)
- Dice 1/2 a red onion
- Cut fine 2-3 jalapenos (to taste)
- Dice 1 good sized red or orange pepper
- Chop fine 1 bunch of rinsed cilantro
- Salt + pepper
 Mix! Serve! (That's it!)


I served it over baked sweet potatoes and rice. Delicious! And easy. I did the rest of the chopping as the asparagus cooked. If you eat chicken, it would be grand with that as well.



One note of caution, it keeps well for several days in the fridge but the red onion becomes more intense.

Self-Care: Somehow, the winter seems to give me license to play. I tend to try new things (eye shadows, creams, etc.) more during this time of year. My skin has been treated several new creams, including Juice Beauty's Nutrient Moisturizer. Which my skin just drinks in at night, especially around the eyes. I've also been using a few rosewater-based sprays  to freshen make-up, quick morning zap tot the skin, etc. Overall, both pictured here (Garnier and Mario Badescu) are fine and I like both. I will say that apparently part of the price difference is in the quality of the spray effect - Garnier's is kind of like a tiny squirt gun in the application rather than a mist. I also have been masking about once a week as part of a "me time" ritual. Still love the brightening effect of the pumpkin mask from October. But I also, because I love a mix-in mask, tried Balm Balm Hibiscus Face Mask which is rice powder and hibiscus. Since I am allergic to Rose of Sharon, the hibiscus is a little dicey for me, and I've discovered leaving it on for longer than 15 minutes to dry results in some irritation. Thankfully that fades in a few hours, leaving me with luminous skin - and that initial irritation can be avoided entirely if I only leave it on for 10 minutes. So far,  I've just been mixing it up with a bit of the Rosewater from Caswell-Massey from last month. I'm going to try honey and see what happens. And the best for last! The Green Ceremony Cleanser by Odacite is a luxurious indulgence (which I thankfully got on sale! But it would be worth the regular price tag.) I love a dry cleanser. You may ask why - well, they are easier to travel with (no need to check your bag or only travel with small amounts or air pressure spillage) and I feel like they stay fresher for use because you just mix up what you need. This stuff is amazing. When you add water, it becomes a silky, pillow-y, foam that just sweeps across your face to cleanse your skin. I've never experienced anything like it before. I look forward  to washing my face on the days I use it!

Stress: The reason for December's take-away - the holidays and the maternal aunt who can't be anything other than passive aggressively rude and the family who makes a 1000 excuses for her behavior towards me. And that, my friends, is the real story of why I didn't spend Christmas at my aunt's - not my schedule. And I despise the polite lie told 'for me' to save face for that aunt, more actually than the behavior. Now, lines have been drawn. Sides have been chosen. What they don't realize is that I never expected them to choose me because they never ever have. And so I'm absolutely fine with the new status quo of not being part of that family. Part of being a grown up is moving away from the toxic and towards the healthy. I have other (healthier) family who actually value me and treat me well.


Watching: Criminal Minds. The Librarians. (Smart is sexy.) Blindspot. Travelers. Nashville. Caught up while off over  the holidays and doing zillions yarn roses for #NotTheDaughter's wedding bouquet. (And her bridesmaids, and the table wreaths, hairpins, etc.)

Random: 1. Customer service matters. I had a recent experience where I ordered  5+ stick eyeshadows from a natural line. Beautiful colors, as you can see in the photo (at the top). I love the ingredients and flow of the product from prior use. But several of the tops didn't cap and one didn't screw back down after being rolled up. I reached out to customer service 2x before receiving a misspelled and passively aggressively worded response which also included "we are aware of the problem and doing everything in our power to resolve it" without a resolution offered for my (the customer's) issue! The exchange did not improve. I actually told the representative not to send the replacement tops* I'd throw out the product because I was so disgusted with how bad the customer service was. (Something non-incensed, frugal me would never do.) And I didn't because my frugal heart wouldn't let me. The promised replacement tops never appeared as the rep seems to have taken me at my word. However, now I receive their marketing e-mails 2x a week! #Fail by Vapour Beauty. Despite my love of your all-natural, made in the USA product, there are alternatives. I'll find one. I like to experiment.


*It's not the tops. I've exchanged them among the tubes.The problem is not resolved with a new top. The flaw is in the tube design. Hope they figure it out.



2. Also, didn't #NotTheDaughter look like a snow queen! (Yes, she is old enough to get married. I'd have liked her to wait a year or two for more life experience, but as discussed in December we have this amazing gift called free will, and it was her choice.) Her theme was Snow Day - and it was! A snowy cold day brightened up by the warmth of Isy and Issac's happiness (also by the cocoa bar, but that's another story.) So many people love them. I hope they saw that during the bustle and stress of the wedding preparation and take that with them into their new life together.

 In closing, I always end these monthly updates with a take-away. Sometimes they read like I'm sending a message to someone - and I do often have something in mind when I write them. But, what they really are is usually the thing I'm trying to remind myself to do more of or be better at. This month is no different.

Take-away - Remind yourself as often as needed that how other people act is not your issue but how you react to other people's choices is YOUR choice. (Try to remember you are a grown up.)

 Wishing you the best as we all embark on this new year.
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Saturday, October 31, 2015

October 2015 Books


What happened the last few months? Oh, life. Work. Moving stuff into one house. I've had more yard sales than I care to think about as I've been downsizing from the move. And I've learned: 1) downsizing is a pain and 2) yard sales are great for "interruptible" reading - back issues of Southern Living, blog posts, etc. -  and not so good for reading books, and 3) I really miss vacation (Mexico or NOLA, both were good).

But....

READ MORE………...
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