May Favorites

It's pretty much all food this month because that's what I've been buying and because I'm always extra hungry this time of year. I think it's the change in seasons, the growing heat that increases my appetite. For instance, I just had dinner two hours ago and I'm ready to eat something a little more as soon as I post this.

1) Burt's Bees Lipstick in 511 Magenta Rush - Burt's Bees makes great lip products. They're inexpensive (you know, compared with the other lip products I wear from Tarte, Bite Beauty, and Fresh) and on the more natural side, too. The Tinted Lip Balms are great for when you only want a hint of color, the Lip Shimmers for when you want just a tad more than a hint, and the Lip Crayons for when you want full color. (I haven't tried the Glosses or Shines.) The Lipsticks are new, designed to provide both color and moisturizing--which they most certainly do. The feel is similar to Revlon's Lip Butters that were really popular a few years ago. Soft and smooth, and they don't fade away awkwardly like some lipsticks tend to (they fade more naturally). Magenta Rush is a sort of hot pink color, just the kind I love, bright like a red lipstick but not as dark.

2) Floral & Herbal Ice Cubes - I used to make these with mint and then I just stopped. Use whatever you have around: mint leaves, rose petals, lavender, other flowers, maybe some herbs. Add water or iced tea or lemonade or whatever you like. Then you can put together pretty drinks, whether you're having tea or simply water. Great for just you or for get-togethers.

3) Happ & Stahns 1883 Fleurs de Giverny - The Happ & Stahns Rose Alba (the green one) is one of my favorite perfumes ever, nice and floral. This one has more of a dreamy quality to it--and is also very nice (though the green's still my favorite) and looks wonderful next to my two green bottles. (I do want to eventually get the pink one, too.)

4) Jamaica (Hibiscus) - Usually I think of hibiscus as being the flower and jamaica as being the drink (pronounce the "j" like an "h"--this is Spanish, you know). So I'll just call it jamaica here. Jamaica has kind of an odd taste, bitterly tangy somehow and extremely distinctive. We used to make it unsweetened at home and I didn't particularly like it but I liked drinking it just because it tasted the way it did. There have been times since then that I've really been craving it and the sad thing is, you can't buy it everywhere. Don't buy it already made with sugar and artificial ingredients and carbonation; buy the dried flowers and brew it yourself, even if you add sugar. It's the most delightful, deep purple, greatest tasting drink ever. Refreshing, summery, unique, and addicting. If it tastes odd at first, just have it with lots of sugar and then start decreasing the amount of sweetener until you get used to it; it's worth adjusting to.

5) Hunan Black Tea - Remember how I've been looking for a good quality, loose, preferably bulk tea for sale around where I live? Well, I've seen this one--but I didn't know what Hunan meant, so I never bought it. Then I figured that it's black tea so it was at least worth trying a little. Turns out Hunan is just a region of China where this tea is grown (despite loving tea, I don't know much about it: variety depends on where a tea is grown, among other factors). This tea is rich and fragrant and almost sweet, very nice. It's organic (making it acceptable) but I don't think it said it was fair trade or anything like that (I'll have to look at the label again when I go buy more--they do sell it in bulk, which is why I have to wait until I'm back at the store to see the label). At 90 cents per ounce, it's pretty inexpensive, which is nice. So I've found my new morning tea. Whenever I want tea bags (like for when I travel--which isn't too often), I'll get Equal Exchange's Black Tea.

6) Diced Dried Papaya - At the same store where I got the tea, I sometimes buy these. This store is a local health food store (I can't remember if it has another location in the state or not), so they have quite a lot of bulk items--which is fantastic. These aren't bulk, exactly, but they are packed by the store. I first had them when I was in sixth grade and I just loved them: they are covered in sugar, after all. The fact that they're diced is also, I think, what makes them more appealing. A great snacking item and a replacement for all those fruit gummies that are more like candy than fruit.

7) Dalmatia Plum Spread - I complain about how I can't have strawberry jelly or other sweet things in the morning (unless I've eaten something else first, like an egg), otherwise I feel sick. I happened to get this plum spread because I thought it looked cool. And now I love it. It's unsweetened; it's made with just plums and lemon juice. So it is a bit tart and can take a little getting used to (but tastes divine and elegant with butter). What's so great about it, to me, is that I can eat it in the morning with no problem. And that made me think that I need to take better care of myself. If I know I shouldn't be having sweet things in the morning, I should just leave the strawberry jelly to daytime only--and only have unsweetened jellies if I want something like that. This spread is imported from Croatia, so I probably shouldn't make it a staple (though I do want to buy it sometimes because I really like it). But I need to be looking for other products like this--my local farmer's market is about to start, too, so maybe I'll see what they have there this year.

8) Blue Milk - A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I wanted to find a recipe for Star Wars Blue Milk that doesn't involve food coloring (the one with blue curacao does sound interesting, but I don't want to have to buy a whole bottle of hard alcohol to make a drink that I may or may not like). I finally caved/compromised by buying natural food coloring. And, you know what? The color is just right and I was very much amused, which was entirely the point. So, um, now I can make blue milk along with everyone else during the Star Wars days and when I'm going to watch the movies. 

April Favorites

1) Lollia Imagine Perfume (Flowering Willow & Lotus) - Lollia is probably my favorite perfume brand. Tocca's really nice, but Lollia just seems more me sometimes. I'd been planning to get this perfume back in December or January, only to find (when I finally went to get it) that the company stopped making it. So I stalked the ebay listings for a few months and finally came across this one that was marked lower than the rest because a third of it has been used. You see, I just felt like I needed it for my collection--especially since I had been planning to get it. It has a creamier smell than the other Lollia scents that I have, though still very much floral.

2) Horned Melon - Actually, this isn't a favorite at all--I just wanted to post about it somewhere, so this is the place. I wanted it because it reminded me of the fruits in Star Wars: Rebels and then I realized that it's exactly what Rey is eating at Maz's castle in Episode VII (except that hers is filled with some other fruits or something). So, um, that's what had me excited. Inside, well, it was basically like an extra seedy cucumber of the variety that you can usually only grow yourself or buy at a farmer's market. Just seeds, really. So I have to admit that I didn't eat much of it; I shared it with some chickens instead. But it's still cool-looking, isn't it?

3)  Udder Delight Pink Lip Balm - This is the same little store in Cave Creek (which is right above Phoenix/Scottsdale) that makes the arnica salve I sometimes use. They also make soaps and lotions, including a bug repellant one that's great for summer. While most of their other products have goat's milk (hence the name), this lip balm doesn't. Instead, it's made with rice bran oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil, lanolin, and butter cream flavor. Not sure what that last ingredient is exactly, but it does make the lip balm taste nice. Very smooth and almost sweet; at first I thought I was just tasting the cocoa butter. The pink coloring is less than subtle: it's like a hint of tint rather than an actual tint. Still, that's good for days spent outdoors, when it's moisturizing you need more than color.

4) Gardening - Since I pretty much ignored the garden in winter (I kept getting sick in fall, so I never planted what I'd wanted to put in for the winter garden), I'm trying to make up for it by caring for the warm weather garden more. And right now that there has been some nice weather (and some hot weather and some cold weather--it's just been so weird), I'm trying to be outdoors a little more before summer sets in. Oregano's growing nicely, and spinach, and zucchinis growing their vines. I'm learning how to properly prune tomatoes. Carrots are my favorite to watch grow: there's something so fascinating about their green, carrot-smelling tops with the bright orange roots hidden beneath the dirt. Pretty much, gardening is good for the soul, even if you're (like me) still learning.

5) White Bermuda Shorts - I had just been saying that I needed some white capris or something like that, and then I saw these at My Sister's Closet (which is a string of stores in Scottsdale/Phoenix with the best used clothing). They looked pretty new, and I think they might be an Anthropologie brand (which is my current favorite place to buy shorts and pants, when I have the money for it [which is okay because I don't need to buy new ones often]). They're sort of a tight fit but the material is very soft and flexible, making them almost like wearing leggings. I'll get a lot of use out of these.

6) Get Smart - I've been slowly moving through these episodes again. In case you've never heard of the show, it's a fantastic product of the 60's about a secret government organization of spies and it really has nothing to do with spies, just jokes.

7) Vergani Gianduiotto Chocolates - I'm not going to do a review of these because they fall under the candy category more than anything else and candy is kind of boring and often pointless to try and review, for me at least. But I had to mention them because I am enjoying them. They're just little piece of hazelnut chocolate, nothing more and nothing less.

8) Spring Blooms - I was down in Phoenix this past week and the saguaros were in bloom, a special treat since the flowers are gone as soon as they come. A few days before, I also caught these two at the Desert Botanical Garden over there. Just beautiful.

9) Cave Creek Candles in Chocolate & Rose - Right behind the previously-mentioned goat's milk product store in Cave Creek is this candle store that I had somehow never been into. They make their own candles and infuse them with a variety of good quality scents. Nice and fresh and real. I got two small candles, one in chocolate (because I had to) and one in rose (because I thought it was the best scene in the store). And they smell rather nice together, too, like chocolate-covered Turkish Delight.

March Favorites

1) Tea Set Necklace - Sometimes craft stores have interesting jewelry, at low prices, too, since they have a lot of sales. This tea set was intended for a bracelet, but I strung it up on a gold necklace chain instead.

2) World Market Bamboo French Press - I'd been thinking of getting a French press: I like to drink coffee sometimes but not every day, maybe about once a week. So using this instead of having to get out the coffee machine from its hiding place in a cabinet is much simpler. And coffee machines get dirty easier, don't they? You rinse them out and run a cleansing brew through, but they just don't feel new anymore after a while. The French press is simple to keep clean and to use and of course I love that there are no filters to throw away. Because you can see the coffee brewing, it's easy to brew it a little darker or a little lighter depending on your tastes--and it makes it more like brewing tea. I finally got this French press because I liked the bamboo on it: woodsy materials always win me over.

3) Abeo Brittany Sandals in Tan/Brown - Another thing I'd been planning to get was a pair of sandals for summer, some that actually provide foot support. I don't want to have to buy comfort shoes when I'm older because my feet, knees, and back hurt--I want to start buying them now so that my feet, knees, and back don't get so abused. The problem I run into, though, is that many of the comfort shoe brands make wide shoes and I have thin feet. The salesperson at The Walking Company was a great help, though, and pointed me out to brands that would fit me better. So I got this pair from Abeo. They're in that basic style that Birkenstock makes--but Birkenstocks are very wide and Abeo shoes are narrower. So they fit great. And they're in this nice light tan color (almost with a hint of rose) that fades away when I'm wearing them, so I can wear them with shorts or dresses and any color outfit.

4) Equal Exchange Earl Grey - I'm still enjoying Equal Exchange tea (I don't know where else to look for good quality, organic, fair trade, loose, preferably bulk tea). Though I don't get Earl Grey as often anymore (Darjeeling is my favorite, though regrettably none of the stores I go to carry Equal Exchange's Darjeeling), this one is pretty good: you can still taste the flavor of the tea alongside the bergamot. I almost want to call Equal Exchange's tea malty in flavor: it's rich and flavorful and rounded and smooth and deep.

5) Straight Hair - I mentioned in my OOTD post that I've been liking my hair straight again instead of just curly. I think it's finally gotten to that nice and long length where straightness looks good; before maybe it was at too in-between of a stage. Or maybe the cut was a little different. Only thing is, with the weather warming up, I'll be letting my hair air dry with curl cream soon--so I'll have to say goodbye to the straight hair for another season.

6) Bella Grace Magazine - I happened on this one at JoAnn's Fabric. Now, I've never been into all the little signs and quotes about "today is a happy day" and "be all you can be" and "I see rainbows everywhere I look." (I don't mean to be rude: if you like signs and quotes, that's cool. I just don't like them.) But I do believe in positivity. And I like pretty things. This magazine is exactly the kind of positivity I try and seek, the kind that acknowledges imperfection and is about living your whole life and not just pretending that everything is good or should be perfect. It has articles by different people saying something about some part of their lives, or something they've discovered. And there is beautiful, nature-inspired, feminine yet earthy photography to accompany the text. One woman talks about the beauty of worn quilts: they're worn because they have been well-loved and used. Because of its philosophy, this magazine is beautiful--and its images and its writing are likewise beautiful because of what they are expressing.

7) Blending Perfumes - Most of my perfumes are floral-based, often just a single flower. And many of them are from Anthropologie or similar stores. They're perfumes that cost less than the department store brands (Dior, etc.) but also don't last as long. Two hours later and I can't smell a lot of them anymore. So I started experimenting with layering on more--also because I seem to have collected more perfume than I can wear. I've combined Vanilla (which is something I never wore, I just liked the smell of it) and Rose, Rose and Honeysuckle, Rose and Violet, and so forth. The perfume still doesn't seem to last any longer than when I use just one, but it's fun to blend them and it creates some new scents without going out and buying more.

8) Kylo Ren Figure - Kylo is unmasked! And reunited with his beloved grandfather. Now I just need to get Rey.

9) Witch Hazel as After-Shave - Not a new product, just a new use for it: I've been using this witch hazel toner for years now (it's the best thing for your face, it's natural, it's inexpensive given how long it lasts and compared to other products, and it smells nice--they make other scents, too, and a plain one that's alcohol-based for men). Anyway, on recommendation I've also stared using it after shaving, and I think it does help with keeping your skin from getting irritated. The bottle actually doesn't say anything about using it specifically for your face, anyway; it just says it's for your skin. Side note: I think the packaging design has changed since I last bought any.

10) Star Wars Rebels - This show started out good but it's has some great moments. The Season 2 finale last night was deep and dark and amazing. Definitely more than just something to tide you over in between movies; it's great on its own, too.

March Favorites

Sorry I've been so absent: I was on a sort of Spring Break exploration all across Northern and Central Arizona, playing tourist for the benefit of visitors from out of state. I thought I would still be able to post, but we were so busy (having such fun) that I couldn't. So here are my belated March Favorites.

1) Arizona Books - Maybe it has something to do with the fact that visitors were coming in, but I've really been delving into Arizona lately. I love this state--and now I want to start reading more about it. So I've been going through the books I already owned and buying more (at almost every museum or state park store we went to during this past week, as if I didn't already have so many books). Some of the ones I was most excited to get include Vanished Arizona by Martha Summerhayes, Julie McDonald's two newer books, and a book on the Petrified Forest.

2) Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner - I've mentioned before how I can only use liquid eyeliner on my eyelid (and how eyeshadow instantly creases if I don't use primer); since I try and use mostly Tarte products, I had settled for their (mostly mediocre) liquid eyeliner. But then they came out with this new one, which is basically a felt tip. It's much less watery, meaning that it's much easier to get a thick line if that's what you want or even to do a cat eye. It still creases on my weird eyelids by the end of the day if I'm not wearing eyeshadow, but when I am, it's great and much better than their other liner.

3) Ellie Goulding's Halcyon Days (Deluxe Edition) - Last month I said I was getting interested in Ellie Goulding's music, so I bought this album and it was almost all I listened to all through March. "My Blood," "Only You," "Figure 8," "Joy," "Hanging On," "Explosions," "Dead in the Water," and "Hearts Without Chains" are some of my favorites.

4) Momentary Escape Perfume in Nowhere to Be (from Anthropologie) - Actually, it was Dream at Dusk that I really liked, but by the time I was ready to buy it it was gone. So I had to at least get this one. I has a marshmallowiness to it that reminds me of Lollia's Wish, just maybe not quite as perfected and elegant and magical. Still very nice, though.

5) Magnet (Hematite) and Polished Stone Rings - Since I've been going around to some of the tourist shops, I picked up these four rings and then found them a pretty good deal. They're a dollar or two each and they're stone; I like real materials. I have the hematite, a green one, a pink one, and a black and white one.

6) Green Cameo - Okay, so we all know I like green. And especially after I got my green glasses, I've been wearing even more green. So when I saw a couple of pink cameos for sale, I had to get one. I don't know what the material is, but the cameo is supposed to be old while the setting is new. It only came with a pin back, so I chose the one that had space where I could add in a loop for a necklace. I do wish the setting were smaller, but I really like the cameo itself. It's green.

7) Montana Ulla Shoes in Bronze - I wanted some sandals for summer that would have some more support for my feet but wouldn't look like they belong to a, um, rather older lady: I don't want to wait until my feet and knees hurt to look for better shoes. But it's hard because I have narrow feet and most of the "comfort shoes" are wide. These shoes are pretty basic and neutral in their style, have some support, seem durable, and are comfortable. The only thing is that when I first wore them, I was walking around all day and they were irritating the outer side of my feet and maybe also my smallest toes. I'm hoping I just need to break them in more because otherwise they seem like they'll be great (I do think that's going to be the case).

8) Tarte Eyeshadow Palette - This is the palette that came with the Christmas set and I've been loving it. It's the closest Tarte has brought me to the Naked Palette: it has a lot of neutral colors and shades of brown and grey, with just a couple on the purple and blue sides. You can make a soft, barely makeup look or a more standout look--and have fun mixing and matching the shades.

9) Living Stones (Lithops) - I used to have some of these, though mine were more colorful. They're so weird, so naturally I adored them but I haven't been able to find anymore until the last time when I was at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Now I'm super excited to have them again.

10) Honest Kids Berry Lemonade - Completely random item, but given all that time spent playing tourist (I'll go over some of our stops later), we often had a big cooler of drinks with us. I discovered these lemonades, which are in packs like Capri-Sun (which is the nostalgia factor) but have berry lemonade that is sweetened only with fruit juice, which means I enjoy it. I don't know exactly what berries it tastes like; it's just a good, basic berry lemonade without tons of sugar or artificial ingredients.

December Favorites

I've had a lovely New Year's Eve. It snowed all morning and also into the early afternoon, so I spent the morning playing in the snow, building snowmen and the like. Then the evening was filled with eating peanut butter cookies and brownie pudding and drinking coffee and champagne and watching Downton Abbey and having many grand laughs. It's been very nice--now let me get on with my slightly late favorites list. Thanks to the presents and such that are on this list.

1) Sting Letter Opener - I happened to go to a certain Barnes & Noble around Phoenix that's closing--so many things that are never on sale were at half off. I'd been thinking I needed a nice letter opener, so even though I wouldn't really have considered this one otherwise, I figured it would do. It does make me feel fancy to use a letter opener, and Tolkien memorabilia is good, no?

2) Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Coral - This is my first full-sized Sugar lip balm, and it's really perfect because I was in need of a lip color with a hint of orange instead of just pink and red. It's only a hint and like most of the Fresh colors, it's more of a tint than a full on color splash.

3) Leather Notebook - At the said Barnes & Noble, I also picked up this notebook. All the intricate flowers won me over, me with my weakness for notebooks. And the notebooks are never on sale.

4) Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Sucre - This is also my first full-sized Bite Beauty product. I haven't had a chance to use it much, but it's a nice and pretty pink color and it has pretty good staying power. Bite products really are great (they're also made of food grade ingredients, so no worries about toxic makeup), even if I'm not too fond of the boring gray case.

5) The Art of Disney Postcards Set - I couldn't resist these, even though I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to bear sending any of them out as postcards. They have illustrations of Disney characters, stills from movies, that sort of thing. Some of them are traditional, and some are rarer. All are wonderful to look at.

6) Aveda Shower Gel - If you ever buy anything at Aveda, you'll know that if you let them sign you up for their birthday list, you get a free product during the month of your birthday. In the past, I had chosen the perfume spray, which I wasn't overly fond of. This year I tried the shower gel, which is in fact quite a big bottle for a free product; I was impressed. Like the other items you can choose from, you get to pick out your favorite scent and they mix it into the product for you. Besides the size, I'm also impressed with this product of itself; I'll probably want to buy more of it. It's silky smooth to the touch, like a very soft shampoo. That makes it pleasant to use, and what's more, I find that it makes for a nice shaving gel. I'd really recommend it.

7) A Novel Journal in Jane Eyre - When I find myself at Costco, I do like to take a look at the book and movie section: you never know what you might find, especially during the holiday time. This journal is an interesting concept: the lines on the pages are the text of Jane Eyre in tiny print. There were a few other novels also available, though of course Jane was my pick. It's a novelty--yet one you can use.

8) Tarte Tres Chic Park Avenue Princess Contour Palette - I have my one blush from Tarte, but I didn't have a bronzer. This little golden palette has two golden shades and one pale pink.

9) Vintage Copy of Jane Eyre - My latest copy of this book was found at an antique store, but it came from a school library around the area I live in. So it's kind of like a local bit of history.

10) Tarte Bon Voyage Collector's Set and Travel Bag - I had my eye on this year's holiday set from Tarte. It came in such a pretty travel bag, and the eyeshadow palette is a varied collection of usable, neutral shades. The two full-sized lip colors and the travel sized maracuja oil are also nice to have.

11) Wooden Pigeon - My two cast iron pigeons have gained a friend, who sits with them on top of my bookcase. He's in more traditional colors, blue and black. He is pretty.

12) Tarte Kiss and Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set - This year's lip set from Tarte has six lip tints (you know, the crayon kind) and two glosses, all mini. A couple of them are bright, and the rest are lighter, and I do believe I like all of them--except for the matte orangey shade, which I've already given away. The caps are very lovely.

13) The Lord of the Rings Leatherette Book Set - These really are travel-sized. I have a weakness for small things; I think they're cute. I just like to gaze upon these--and also to know that they're so easy to slip into a purse or suitcase when you want something to read on the go.

14) Seventh Muse Perfume Oil in Rose - A couple of years ago, I got the Violet version of this perfume oil. Now that I claim rose as my favorite scent, I'm happy to add this bottle to my perfume collection. As modern as mixed fragrances are, I do enjoy single, floral scents very much, as well--sometimes more.

15) Dinosaurs: The Grand Tour - This book is somewhat like an encyclopedia of different dinosaurs, going by which era they lived in. It's full of information and makes it easy to look up a particular dinosaur. There are also some fun (and adorable) pictures. It's quite a new book, too, published just this fall, so there's some pretty current information in here. I've been enjoying flipping through it.

16) Tignanello Classic Leather Purse - I had never heard of this brand and I still haven't looked it up: whatever the brand, this purse seemed exactly what I was looking for (I wasn't looking for a new purse, but I thought I would get a brown one if I saw the right one). It's exactly the right size for my height: not so big as to overpower me, but big enough that I can put things in it. The straps aren't over the shoulder, yet they're long enough that I can put them on one shoulder even when I'm wearing a thick jacket. The design is plain enough that nothing distracts me from the rich brown of the leather. I'm not overly fond of the lining, but when everything else is just right, I can hardly complain about that.

17) Disney Golden Age Comics - Here's another book I'll have to spend some time with. It has the comics versions of classic Disney films and accompanying stories. So besides all the images, there are also some scenes that the movies don't show.

18) Vintage Cameo - I'm not quite sure about the age on this cameo, but either way it is delicate and lovely in its crafting. It has three full-sized figures. Perfect addition to my collection.

19) Vintage Ink Wells - These are pretty things, grand and dainty all at once. The solid white bases have intricate golden tops with the last remnants of green and red paint.

20) Green Pearl Necklace - I was having trouble getting a decent picture of this pearl strand. They're not really an olive green; it's something neutral like that, but livelier. I like the combination of the classiness of pearls with the joyfulness of green.

21) Green Macaroon Case - I have one of these in light pink; I've been wanting the green one also, but the store I got it at has been out. Now I am content. 

22) Tocca Travel Fragrance Spray in Florence - Since Florence is my favorite Tocca scent and it was among the perfumes to come out in this enchanting travel spray bottle, well, here it is in my hands. The box it comes in is also beautiful; it opens like a little green book.

23) Snow - And in case you didn't believe me, here is the first (and smaller) snowman I built this morning. The snow does look rather light, but I assure you it came down steadily for hours and there were a few inches to its depth. That's the most I've seen in this area, and all I was expecting for today was rain. It really was quite exciting to wake up to. A lovely white New Year's Eve. Now I must finally get to bed: it's nearly three o'clock.