December 2020 - Week 2

Someone I know travels to see new things. I like doing that, too. But, you only see what you l-o-o-k at and there are small beauties all around us, every day. Be still and look.

Something to remember as we move into this new season.

Books: Reading as a form of de-stress is priceless. Seriously. Books and the worlds in people's heads are a gift.

- Umbertouched (Kindle) by Livia Blackburne is the 2nd (Rosemarked) was the first. It's called a Young Adult novel but there is no forever at the end. Just a sunset on a short life. That said, I liked the series.

- Midlife Ghost Hunter by Shannon Mayer (Kindle Unlimited.) I adore this series. Seriously. Could this please be my life?

- After the Rain by Alexandra Elle (actual book). Some chapters I enjoyed. Some made me think. Some didn't resonate. But, if you have been going through an emotional storm - this may be a book to help. (Full disclosure, I thought about Little Free Library'ing it because a few flipped to chapters did not resonate. Then I started at the front. And there is too much good to give up but I might be buying a few people copies!)

Cooking: Making up that Hungryroot! I'm telling you, this may be the best thing I've done in a bit. Food and recipes delivered to my door. Now there is a learning curve as they figure out what you like but I've yet to have a full delivery where I did not like anything. We're down to one or two items a delivery - then I just mark that and they don't send again! (And the next one, thanks to a few edits, looks perfect!)

Gratitude: Sunrise over the river. Cute dogs (even when stinky). Cuddle cats. Creating order. Breakfasts with friends. Downtown shopping at cute stores. Small, shiny things; because everything you touch should be beautiful. New dog friends, who trust you when other humans made them scared.

House: I like to call unpacking "unfurling". Because you are releasing your belongings into the space. Still have about 10 boxes. I'm down to figuring out new homes for things that went somewhere ELSE in the prior house. (Not all houses are configured the same. Space changes.)

Good news - No major repairs! Although the city did put in the start of a new water pipe. So happy I painted that wall last week.....  

Listening: Apple has a whole holiday channel with different kids of holiday music - country, jazz, classics, etc. This may be heaven. Also a couple of the usual suspect podcasts - Redefining Wealth and Don't Keep Your Day Job. (Not that I don't like my day job but she has good guests.)

Watching: Gossip Girl. (It's going off Netflix. Gotta get it while it is there.) As I was watching, Chuck Bass said his mother's birthday as Bart Bass's safe combination. And I realize...she's 3 years older than me. OMG. I was old even when the show was new! I'm also over the headbands but on to slouchy purses and scarves.

Wearing

Perfume

People. I went exclusive to one brand for the week. Mostly to one scent, too!

Sucreabeille

- Troll Food - Scent notes: melted chocolate, toasted marshmallow, sweet honey graham cracker.  I get the honey and marshmallow in the scent layers but still find traces of cinnamon and caramel (the latter may actually be graham cracker). Continues to smell like I'm delicious food that would go well with a latte. It lasts pretty well, most of a business day, on my skin. I did kill the tiny sample bottle, so we are off to new pastures!

- 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. I needed the reminder. We are stardust. And I still don't understand how Sucre came up with a patchouli that I don't mind and how I don't get daisy (cat pee) off this!

Skin

I think my skin is starting to show my age. I am less than pleased. Changes will happen.

 - Day time - Standard in-shower wash of tea tree cleanser followed by a third finger (gentlest finger) tapping into the skin of 100% Pure's Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream, then the Votary serum and topped with the Votary day oil (yes a switch). And I've added the Votary cream some days because my skin is starting to be dry for the winter. Moved the shot of Monastery Aloe Hyaluronic Moisture Boost on the forehead and neck to days when I have Zooms!

- 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. Liking the Naturallogic Elemental Advanced Hydration Red Wine Essence (last month's Boxwalla) as the first layer to restore moisture and fight off lines. The follow up moisture set has remained Votary night oil and cream (via the Boxwalla). Plus the Grown Alchemist eye cream.

(Boxwalla has a every other month beauty box that is the BOMB. Highly recommend.)

Random: I can a-l-w-a-y-s tell when a man's wife does not work. It's in the respect with which he treats my time. If she works, and has a professional job, he treats my time like his own. If she does not, he treats my time as if it is less important than his - late for meetings, canceling on appointments, arbitrarily changing agreed delivery. (And yes, I had that experience this week. I probably won't be doing business with that company again.)

This weekend I shopped downtown at local stores. I did my holiday shopping, which will ship late. And I'm okay with that. I spent my budget, not more, and I feel like I helped the beautiful downtown community. (Pictured, a gorgeous candle - of which I bought more than a few for gifts  - and, above, a light pull to add pretty into one of my spaces.)

Take-away - Remember the starfish story. You can't save them all, but you can make a difference - even if for just one. Who are you making a difference for?

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

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June Musings - 2020

As we close out June, I want to check in with you. Have you forgotten about self-care in all the hubub? Things feel so busy and rushed that it's easy to stop taking care of you. To stop asking for what you want - because there just  isn't time. But there is time. And it's up to you to go after what you want plus, when you are 100%, you can give back so much more to the people you love! (Put on your own oxygen mask first!)

For me, that starts with food I want to eat, fresh flowers (this gorgeous farmer's market bouquet cost $5. I am WORTH $5 and so much more! - heck, I'm worth the tiny $8 bouquet at the local florist - so I got that too for my work desk!) And setting boundaries. So this month, I did that - I hope you had a good month too!

Now, let's get to it, shall we? Here's the rundown of the month, by topic.


Reading (Books):
I read. I didn't read. I didn't finish the same book for 2 months. I  listened to books. I Kindle Unlimited binged. It's a mixed bag and I probably need throw in a few more business books!
- Book 3 (Shadows and Surrender)  of The Jezebel Files by Deborah Wilde, which remains one of the best thing I've read in some time.  (Kindle Unlimited)
- Heart of the Thief, Soul of the Storm, and Crown of the Queen by Katrina Martinez (Kindle Unlimited) the first of which really needed a better editor; the second was just less than enthralling; the third of which felt like it was written by a different author.
- Dark Secrets by Linsey Hall (book 3 in her Shadow Guild series) - again the Kindle unlimited is the BOMB.
- The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Carrie Seim (Audible). Lemony Snickett spawned a genre, apparently. Well done for all of that.
- Beyond Strange Lands by Simon Taylor (Audible). And if not for the Australian accents, I would not have bailed. (I had a long drive.)

(And we are at 66 books for the year.)

Cooking: Went to a family thing and made the Frozen Fruit Cobbler and tortellini skewer appetizers. It wasn't a big cooking month overall.

Then I went to the farmer's market on Sunday.  Kung pow chicken with yellow peppers, snow pea pods and lily buds (sauce was jarred). Frittata with asparagus, red pepper, lily buds and a touch of bacon. Tortellini with sauted king mushrooms, garlic, tiny tomatoes, a touch of bacon and fresh oregano from my garden. Chicken with lime and tomato served with fresh peas and mint from my garden. (I also bought bagels and muffins and gorgeous soap. Everyone should go to a farmer's market!)

Another weekend brought fresh zucchini, and the return of Ben's Zucchini Bread.

Gardening: And we have tiny strawberries! And tomatoes! (The broccoli all went to seed.) And I've begun harvesting the Thai basil in small quantities. (Watermelon, blue berries, Thai basil, a touch of good balsamic vinegar and a dusting of feta cheese. Scrumptious!)

Gratitude: Pool time. Chirpy cats. Gardens. Dawn beachside Pilates.  Good vets. Evening painting. Badminton family tournaments. Farmer's market. Perfume. Catalpa trees. Garage sales.

Listening: Lots of meditation. Seriously. Night meditations to sleep. Morning meditations to have a stress-free day. I'm not good at doing them on my own, but guided meditations are good. Audible currently (covid) has a number of them for free and I downloaded all of them.

Watching: Finished out Ozark. My favorite part is that Marty was from South Bend. (And, man! He was one super manipulative dude. It's like he spent the better part of season 3 getting back at Wendy for the affair.) And (spoiler) I did not see Darlene and Wyatt coming. Whoa. Next, City of Troy (Netflix). My first disconnect was in how Cassandra was portrayed. She was NOT some vision-beset girl. She was the beloved of Apollo, gifted with sight of the future - and then struck down with the curse of unbelief when she rejected his love. That is a whole different level of Cassandra than what City of Troy was rocking. I'm a little shocked I watched the whole thing. It was so.... not like it lives in my head.

Also, so much Gordon Ramsay. It's the new family show. We are watching his original British show on YouTube.

Wearing (Perfume and Skincare): 

Perfume

Imaginary Authors
- Memoirs of a Trespasser  - Scent notes: Madagascar Vanilla, Giaiacwood, Myrrh, Benzoin Resin, Ambrette Seeds, Oak Barrels. I get a lot of Vanilla and Ambrette seed with a touch of oak barrels. It almost smells like vanilla root beer. It lasts lightly on my skin a few hours and then drift off. (Nice but I would not buy)
- Every Storm a Serenade. Notes: Danish Spruce, Eucalyptus, Vetiver, Calone, Ambergris, Baltic Sea Mist. I think it's the vetiver but I loved this! (I had a rough weekend mid-month and decide this was my theme-perfume.)  It's airy and really is reminiscent of the sea. I had no specific open or base notes - it smelled complete, the entire time I wore it, whole. Again, the sillage is less than awesome. (I would buy this one.)

Sucreabeille
- We Ride at Dawn. Scent notes: Hot black tea with honey and coffee absolute to rise early, cardamom vanilla for comfort, bitter almonds for the lost, a shot of whiskey for strength. I felt like I needed the sentiment for my dawn beach Pilates. (Yeah, that ended with me limping.) I got bitter almond with a whisper of whiskey on this right off the bat. About 5 hours in the cardamon settled in with the whiskey and almond for the ride. 5-6 hours sillage, easy. (And this one is finished. I would likely not buy it - it was nice to smell but not "wearable" - which is a different thing entirely.
- Toxic Masculinity Ruins the Party Again - Scent notes: A delightfully feminine blend of lavender, vanilla, honey nectar, and a light floral aldehyde.  I've now decided this is a weird mix of powder/honey. It's sweet, but dry smelling and goes more powder the longer it is on. Nice sillage.
- GlitterTrash - Scent Notes: Watermelon Blow-Pops, baby powder, fistfuls of sticky white cake, last night's champagne and coconut cream. Right off, I always get baby powder, coconut cream and the sticky white cake - also it is very possible there is glitter in this as my skin shimmers a bit. Sillage is light, about 3 hours. (I want more watermelon!)
- Rictus - Scent notes: Funeral wreath of white lilies and black orchids sprinkled with a dusting of graveyard dirt.A somber wake feast of dark chocolate drenched raspberries and a shot of dark rum. I found this - with a tiny bit left - at the bottom of my work bag the week I was dealing with a particularly difficult person at work. I decided it was an omen. I get strong upfront rum and chocolate with a settle down to a lillied chocolate in about 6-8 hours. This scent basically lingers until I wash it off.

Skincare

With the covid-19 masks, I feel like there is a renewed need for good forehead and eye crinkle care - because those are not the things I want people to remember about me.

- Day time - Started the month out with my standard a shower wash of tea tree cleanser and swipe of Rosewater Witch Hazel (Dr. Theyer's, obviously), followed by a third finger (gentlest finger) tapping into the skin of 100% Pure's Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream. After that - all bets are off. Since we've hit summer, I've been mixing Earthwise Farizad's Veil mix-in sun protector with the Sweet Briar Hydrating Nectar by Heart of Gold (August Boxwalla find). But the 2nd week of June I started using the Sweet Briar as a base on my face and then mixing in the Veil to Earthwise Magical Babassu Face Oil. This oil is amazing, it lays on the skin for about 90 seconds and then just melts in. I don't feel oily - just super moisturized and non-crinkly. 

- Night time - I'm just a box girl. I'm second cleansing with Boxwalla's June cleanser, Nini Organics' Detox Foam Cleanser - which is a little greener  + baking soda smelling but does the powder to foam thing my Green Ceremony Cleanser by Odacite does! (I've temporarily suspended using the Green Ceremony Cleaner to enjoy this new one.) BTW- the Nini cleanser does not have baking soda in it - it just smells a bit like that to me. (Reminder - 1st cleanse is always 100% Pure's Blood Orange Cleansing Balm - which is my second favorite and much more affordable than my actual favorite. It also melts off stubborn eye make-up.) After this combo - my skin is perfectly clean and so balanced it almost doesn't feel like I need a night cream. But I'm over 40 - so night cream happens. As the heat has been rising, I've lightened up. I've been switching off between Sweet Briar Hydrating Nectar + 100% Pure Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants PM Eye Treatment OR (from the April 2020 Boxwalla beauty box) a quick sandwich of Monastery's XX Rose Glycolic Gel/100% Pure Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants PM Eye Treatment/Aloe Hyaluronic Moisture Boost. 

And again - the Boxwalla Beauty box is absolutely the best way to sample high quality, "green" skin care. It has great options. It's affordable. And the products are amazing - I would have never found most of these brands without the box!

Also , the June box came with ridiculously expensive hand cream. Which I took to work to use as I sanitize many times a day there and deserve to have nice things at the office. When paired with my Afternoon Mist (SpaRituals) nail polish - I think this is a winning combo!

*And we win! I had random person at the grocery store tell me I have flawless skin.

Let's have a minute for straight talk on good skincare and time. I buy good products. (I also eat decent food and stay out of the sun.) And I spend 3-5 minutes morning and night caring for my face and neck. I'm worth 6-10 minutes a day. Aren't you?

Indulgence - Also I purchased a few soaps from my favorite local soap maker. (Picture left of the one I opened this month. ) Plus I found a new one who makes the cutest gift bags at the farmer's market! (Mine did not photograph well but here's a link to her Etsy.)

Things 13 Said: 
(Eating almonds) Don't these have cyanide in them?
Me: No. But you are correct that cyanide smells like bitter almonds.
Her: What food has cyanide?
Me: Apple seeds and cherry pits in minute quantities. That's why we don't eat them. 
(This has me reconsidering my perfumes with a bitter almond scent....)

In other news, her new BFF's name is Buck. (Horse camp.)

Random: Founder's Mas Agave is the perfect summertime beer. Hands down. (Note to self - buy as much as you can when it comes out in early May.)

And...the dog tore his ACL (technically CCL, because - canine.) Expensive surgery to fix! And hey - did you know they do post-surgery physical therapy on dogs? Yep, it's a thing - and I'm learning how to do it! (Next career???)

Take-away: If you don't value yourself, it will be hard to accept that others value you. Learn to value you - and you'll be surprised what else you find along the way.

Original musings posts you may enjoy:

- May Musings - 2020
- April Musings - 2020
- March Musings - 2020
- February Musings- 2020
- January Musings - 2020
- Musings - December 2019
- Musings - November 2019
- Musings - October 2019
- Musings - September 2019
- Musings - August 2019
- Musings - July 2019
- Musings - June 2019
- Musings - May 2019
- Musings - April 2019
- Musings - March 2019
- Musings - February 2019
- Musings - January 2019
- Musings - December 2018
- Musings - November 2018
- Musings - October 2018
- Musings - September 2018
- Musings - August 2018
- Musings - July 2018
- Musings - June 2018

- Musings - May 2018
- Musings - April 2018
- Musings - March 2018
- Musings - February 2018
- Musings - January 2018

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!

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:

- Musings - June 2019
- Musings - May 2019
- Musings - April 2019
- Musings - March 2019
- Musings - February 2019
- Musings - January 2019
- Musings - December 2018
- Musings - November 2018
- Musings - October 2018
- Musings - September 2018
- Musings - August 2018
- Musings - July 2018
- Musings - June 2018

- Musings - May 2018
- Musings - April 2018
- Musings - March 2018
- Musings - February 2018
- Musings - January 2018

- Musings - December 2017

- Musings - November 2017

- Musings - October 2017

- Musings - August 2017
- Musings - June 2017
- Where Did March Go?

- Musings - February 2017
- Musings - January 2017

- Message in a Bottle (2016)

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!

Musings - September 2018

Good-bye September! You were a pretty good month.

Books: It was a good month for reading, due in part to a business trip to Nashville. (Which also means an airport bookstore. We know this is my Kryptonite. I used moderation. Only 3 new books. Amazing!) It is also the month my Quotle app died, so I'll start including any quotes I like in On The Shelf area of the blog. Enjoy!

I did manage to finish handful of books over the month:
- The Mermaid by Christina Henry - this was a good read. Nice for a beach!
- What She Ate by Laura Shapiro - this was a lovely series of short stories. Recommend! (And already passed to a friend to share.)
- The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett which was a bit boring for a grown up. I read it to check if 11 might like - I suspect she would not. 

Gratitude: Machines, specifically dish and wash. (Seriously.) Love notes left on doors. Guy and what appears to be his never-ending patience. Kittens, purr-monsters who like to cuddle at night. (And fight with each other). Breakfast with friends.

Listening: Dave Ramsey podcasts. All the podcasts. Chalene Johnson's podcast. And I've finally trained Pandora to only play things I love - Halsey, Carly, Sting, etc. To keep this from being a rut, I've created a new Pandora channel with only music with the word BLUE in it - song title, band name, etc. Results are ...interesting.

Perfume: Sing a small sad song. Finally managed to finish off that rather large bottle Paper Flowers from Love + Toast. Happy dance as I opened something new - Diptyque's Ofresia. It's supposed to reminiscent of a garden, so it's a nice transition into fall (for me) because I miss the dwindling flowers in fall. And apparently, based on this and Les Perfumes de Rosine Majalis, I like French perfume.

Recipes: Nothing adventurously new this month for creation. I made a bit of this, a bit of that and a few cakes. It was kind of like a Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade kind of month:
- Due to being bored, I finally created a cake the boy (13) would eat! 1 box King Arthur's gluten free yellow cake (plus a touch of vanilla), into which I threw about 1.5 cups of frozen blueberries before baking as directed. I didn't have frosting - that was the turning point for the boy, who does not like frosting (too sweet, he says, like that is really a thing). I used the juice of 1 lemon and 2 cups of confectioners sugar to create a lemon glaze. The kidlets said it was like a cake donut. Delicious!
- Due to a birthday, I made what I like to call a "boxes and cans" cake. Box of Betty Crocker pound cake, can of raspberry pastry filling (cut the cake and put in layers), can of vanilla frosting, and a box of fresh raspberries on top. It's 11's favorite, and she requested it for her special occasion.
- Due to the garden being crazy abundant, I made zucchini patties. Which were surprisingly delicious! Equal parts zucchini and King Arthur's gluten free flour - about 2 cups of each in this case.(Grate the zucchini and let it sit on paper towels for 5 minutes with salt to get moisture out.) A bit of salt, pepper, grated onion, a pinch of baking powder and  double pinch of baking soda. I used 3 eggs to keep make it mix. Fry in a bit of oil (olive) flipping often. I served them with spicy ketchup and with curried Indian sauce. Both delicious!


Self-Care: Last month I mentioned my slight soap obsession (hello, Villainess Soaps). Well, I opened up the full sizes - starting with Pearl Diver (pictured). It was a lovely, creamy lather and I loved the bits of Irish Moss + Kelp. While the generous sample packet they sent made me feel pretty happy in my purchase, now I feel very much justified in the extravagant soap purchase!

And this month I decided 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. For the month. I grouped them in the photo above:
- Physician's Formula oil + TonyMoly Green Tea Lotion (both grocery store bargains)
- Little Barn Apothecary oil + a bargain bought Lumene Vitamin C night cream

I think my skin looks better - eye crinkles a bit less, the couple of dark spots on my forehead and darker skin around the mouth lighter.  But no one raved about seeing a big difference. (No one who knows me. I did have a dermatologist that I just met in a social setting be shocked at my age.) So as I keep trying things, that will be the "yard stick" - if people who know me notice the skin in a positive way. (Yes, I'm still a serial sharer.)

Apparently September is National Self Care month - so don't forget to take care of you. And if you need a kick- start your self-care, click here to check out my ebook on doing just that.


Things 11 said:
Me - You can't count on being cute to get what you want. Someday you won't be cute.
11 - But that day is NOT today.

One Sunday, she also make an Kitten Inn. Please note, it has a 5 star rating - probably due to the grooming salon. 

This month is her birthday. Henceforth, she will be known as 12!

Watching: Agent Carter. Yep, I do themes. I rolled on from last month's Agent X to Agent Carter. Then onto the next season of The Blacklist. And now on to The 100, at 11's request. 

Random: I need to get the dog re-trained. He has taken to pottying on the floor, specific location.  At first in protest of kittens. Then they got ginormous (both 7 lbs now!) and stopped being in that space. But now, he seems to think that is okay. It is so not....

I was almost famous in Nashville. I stayed where Reba McEntire lunched a few months ago and where - apparently - Drake was staying.  I danced at Blake Sheldon's bar - and just missed seeing him leave his car (rest of my group noticed him, I spaced.) 

As we head into the holidays, I'm going to take some time to talk with someone because "family" time like that can be stressful for those of us with less than loving families of origin. (As I've written, I do that to help keep my perspective.) This month, I've had a few family run-ins that mean the next few months will be trying. 

Take-away - Never forget to count your blessings. Remembering them will keep you from falling into the trap of thinking your life has "lack".

Original musings posts you may enjoy:

- Musings - August 2018
- Musings - July 2018
- Musings - June 2018

- Musings - May 2018
- Musings - April 2018
- Musings - March 2018
- Musings - February 2018
- Musings - January 2018

- Musings - December 2017

- Musings - November 2017

- Musings - October 2017

- Musings - August 2017
- Musings - June 2017
- Where Did March Go?

- Musings - February 2017
- Musings - January 2017

- Message in a Bottle (2016)

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

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