Top 8’s of 2018: fragrance

The end of 2018 is upon us and I am not sad to see it go. A few highlights of this personally dismal year have been the exceedingly good wax hauls I've enjoyed. Narrowing down scent preferences, veering a bit out of my comfort zone, sampling and embracing types I might have previously run from,...

A Year in Books: 2018 Reading Challenge finale

Thanks to all of the new bookish followers I've acquired this year, and to those here previously for staying with me as I incorporate more book topics into this blog. Here's my reading journey for 2018, stats and cover photos compiled from Goodreads. TOTALS: read 10,526 pages across 30 books AVERAGE LENGTH 350 pages  SHORTEST BOOK: 128 pages Fantastic Beasts and Where...

That Smell Good Shop: custom order

Back in October, when I made my first wax order after a hiatus on hauling, I chose That Smell Good Shop. One reason for giving this brand a go is because the vendor offers custom wax options every other month. Creating customized fragrance is one of my favorite waxie pastimes. The blend brainstorming and scent...

Book Reviews: Bird Box, The Hour I First Believed, The Sun Also Rises

Fiction--classics -Americans abroad -Hemingway is a real drag -the Lost generation -Pamplona, Spain -Um, perhaps I'm missing something The Sun Also Rises | Ernest Hemingway (read a Hemingway, Steinbeck or John D. MacDonald novel) ★★☆☆☆ "Published in 1926 to explosive acclaim, "The Sun Also Rises" stands as perhaps the most impressive first novel ever written...

Wall calendar: Sister Golden Shop

As the year grows old, it's become time to anticipate the new one ahead. That cyclical feeling of a new year's approach offers a fresh perspective, a chance to cast aside last year's gains and losses and start anew. That is always the hope anyway, when I purchase a yearly calendar. More than a method...

The Bathing Garden- Winter Collection

Oh what fun it is to open a package of festive melts and join in the Christmas spirit. And no one celebrates holiday grandeur like Shannon at the Bathing Garden. Recently offering an accelerated seasonal shipping time of 2 weeks, I couldn't resist the allure of a winter order with a few never-before-tried scents. Her lavishly decorated...

November Superlatives

Phew! Made it through Thanksgiving. I feel relief for not only enduring the emotionally guarded family holiday portion but also guarding against the oversized food portions for someone on a low-carb diet. I ate a lot of cauliflower, nuts and cheese (so much cheese) and indulged in a glass (or two) of red wine and...