Random Jots and Tittles

Psst!!! For you Eau de Merveilles Parfum lovers, Imagination Perfumery has the 1 oz refill size back in stock for 99.99. Hurry, I may have got the last one. (Hangs head and looks guilty) Sorry, I went and looked again, and it now says sold out, I DID get the last one, but only because I’ve been bird-dogging that forever. But they do have the .25 refill for $55.99. If you’re wanting the deal of the century on that 1 oz, just keep checking back every day, they tend to get small amounts in, and they disappear fast. And if you’re any fan of Eau de Merveilles, the parfum is just a whole other level — richer, smoother, deeper.

Is it me, or does Coco smell a little bit like Youth Dew Amber Nude early on? I spritzed some in Saks and was driving to Petsmart after and kept smelling YDAN, until I figured out that it must be the Coco. They smell completely different in the drydown, but right in the first hour, they seemed similarish. So odd.

Speaking of Coco, I have to rat myself out. I thought I would try one of those great deals on eBay for Coco 3.4 oz EDP for $29.99 (stop laughing, I should know better, and I don’t know what came over me that allowed me to push the Buy it Now button). Got it, the bottom had a label that peeled off, the Coco label on the front was slightly crooked, plastic cap instead of glass, and it smelled a little like Coco, but my EDT was way stronger than this. Sent it back for a refund. She said they sent me a money order, which is weird since I paid with PayPal, but money all spends the same. The seller had 99.6% positive feedback, so I’m not worried. What shows up today under that item? User is no longer registered. Damnit, they are NARU!!!! Then I look more, and this seller has only been registered since the end of September of this year and somehow amassed 1400 feedbacks. Well, I”m sure they’ll open up shop under another name soon. So… Don’t Buy Chanel Perfumes on the Cheap on Ebay.

Sparkly mascara — Giorgio Armani has one. I tried it on in the store, and with their crappy lighting, couldn’t see sparkle one. Off to the truck, drove into light, and, voila! super-sparkling trashy eyelashes — love ’em!!!! Now I need to call back down and have him send me some. I knew that would happen. You only see the sparkles after you leave the store if you don’t buy it. Also, the sparkly hairspray from Frederic Fekkai is awesome, too.

You know who has a great candle store on the internet? Candledelirium, that’s who. They have free shipping and gift wrapping for orders over $75. I sent in my order this afternoon and had a UPS tracking number within 10 minutes. Now, I have more candles than any sane person should have, but I could not resist the Voluspa Makassar Ebony and Peach candle or the Archipelago Havana candle (bergamot, tobacco leaf and Ylang Ylang) or the True Wheat candle, which sounds super-freaky –“organic garden notes with green tomato leaf, Bibb lettuce and Bradford cucumber, then layers them with grain and grass for an earthy clean blend” — but, hell, I never have been able to lay off the green tomato leaf and grain. I’m hoping for En Passant with tomato leaf tucked behind its ear instead of a sprig of lilac. Anyway, these guys have a great collection of candles. If they would just add Skeem candles to their list, I could shop here for everything candley.

Was I sleeping in class the day that everyone was told Annayake Miyako was a limited edition that was about gone before I bought it? It’s just a stunning incense scent, and I refuse to be addicted to it. It goes on with some freaky note that makes my nose wrinkle up, but in about 15 minutes, the drydown is this warm, enveloping incense smell that almost makes me cry. Hey, you, Miyako, go stand in the corner with the Gobin-Daudes.

Can we talk about Pilates? I finally broke down in my old age, because of the creaky joints and what feels like just a loss of strength, and signed up for private lessons with the most awesome Pilates instructor ever, Chris. I’ve tried these on my own over the years and got nowhere, just bored, didn’t keep it up, but there is a lot to be said by someone personally motivating you — in other words, making you do it. I’ve now switched over to the reformer classes, and I am just loving it, which is saying a lot for me. I got by forever with doing nothing. I grew up on a farm and had muscles layered on muscles, and they saved me a ton of pounds over 40 years because muscles burn so many more calories, so I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and dieted after babies and just didn’t worry about it too much, even if I had an extra 20 pounds, It wore well with that much muscle, and I was always just strong as an ox. Well, something about getting past 40 and then 45 really destroyed that safety net muscly calorie burner. Now I need to rebuild my muscle so I can go back to having ice cream every now and then. Ben & Jerry miss me and think I’m cheating on them. Pilates really does work, I can feel my old natural strength coming back with just a few classes.

Speaking of that, best diet book I’ve read is You on a Diet. I’ve got a ton of these books, especially since I hit 40, and this one is written by doctors, the ones that wrote You, the Owner’s Manual (also excellent), and they explain your body’s reaction to food and appetite and what triggers it in a way that isn’t dumbed down, but is completely understandable. Their explanation for why walking 30 minutes a day is vital really made a believer out of me, and I’ve been on my treadmill faithfully every day for a couple of weeks now (just one more week to make it a habit). Besides, I’m slowly working my way through the Battlestar Galactica series — one episode a day on my video iPod while on the treadmill (I’m flying my geeky freak flag proudly now). So when the Holidays are over, and you are looking at that extra 10 pounds, remember that book. I’m getting a headstart on y’all. 🙂 I’m aiming to get back my much more youthful figger. Never aim too low.