Musette’s Musings on Events, Perfume Reviews and more

I. Want. This. Frog

I. Want. This. Frog

I would say ” I Got Nothin’ ” but the truth is, I got LOTS on my mind.  First up:  LA Scentsation!!!   Patty and I have been working like fiends (FIENDS, I say!!! FIENDS!) on the upcoming LA Scentsation.  It started out good – in that ‘oh, this is going to be so much fun’ kinda way – but in the past couple of days it has been blowin’ UP! to become an incredible Event.  Those of you who thought the Chicocoa Scentsation was a 10?  This one is going to be a gerund-droppin’ 11!!   We just got an In-freakin’Credible addition to the itinerary.  So fabulous it’s making my gums ache, just thinking about it.  Stay tuned!!!  Anyhoo, I’ve been so busy setting stuff up, etc, that I haven’t had time to properly review a perfume. But that’s okay because I still have a ton of musings to share!fleur de liane

Here’s one:  why do some scents not quite make the cut?  To wit:  L’Artisan Fleur de Liane body cream.  I got mine at Surrender to Chance, on a whim, because I love body creams and I’ve yet to find an ugly L’Artisan fragrance – even the ones not to my taste are beautifully done.  I was going to give it to my sister but that time came and went so I decided to crack it open for myself.  I was stunned at how quietly fresh and green this cream is, with a calm floral heart.  It’s one of those scents that might be a bit strident and aquatic in perfume form (‘might’ – I haven’t sampled the perfume)..but in the cream it’s stunning.  It has this haunting post-app sillage; the next day I was running back to sniff the shirt I’d worn…that was just a bit weird, y’know?  But this scent got damned all to hell with faint praise – the reviews are stunningly..meh.  Are there any Liane Lovers out there?  Who hates its guuuuutz?  What are your head-scratchers, the good, the bad, the gut-wrenchingly uggly that you can’t believe is still flourishing?   Me?  I’m still trying to figure out how Angel hit it so big!

 

Stuff that is Jazzin’ Me, Non-Perfume Style:

 

Oooh!  I won a jar of Little Diablo salsa on their FB page (one of those Six Degrees things (friends of friends, blahblah).  I was laughing, all snobbish and everything, thinking “this is from MICHIGAN.  How good can it be? (never mind that I, and my entire family, make slammo salsa in ILLINOIS.  ‘that’s different’. )  anyway, I was prepared to be all ‘oh.  okay.  that’s nice’ in that condescending way that makes people want to slap you silly.  Instead…I was blown completely away!  It’s waaay better than mine.  It’s even better than my Tio Juan’s!  And that’s saying something!  I won the medium, which has a nice, flavorful bite to it.   I’m not writing about it because I won it – and they are not going to be sending me any more unless I buy it.  I’m just writing about it because it’s really, really GOOD!  Do you all have a favorite?  I’m always on the lookout, especially in the winter, when my homemade stash is down to the last jar….. like now.  I won’t be making the next batch until August.

Have you ever overdosed on a favorite fragrance?  My recent OD was Epic.  See…here’s what happened.  It was a blizzard (like the one we’re apparently having as I type this post – will Winter never end?), I was freezing.  So I took a hot shower with Epic body gel, slathered myself head to heels in Epic body cream…then I apparently had a seizure because…I sprayed not one, not two…but FOUR very healthy spritzes of the edp onto my ample self.  FOUR!  Even the rocks on Saturn leapt back in dismay!    Epic is one of the most gorgeous fragrances EVAH! but…FOUR spritzes?  On top of the ancillaries?  Uh, no.  I’m going to need a few days to get over that one.  Have you ever done that?  With what scent?  Were you able to wear it again?  How long did it take?  When is it going to stop snowing?  Are we there yet?

Speaking of Not Winter:  Garden Design.  Winter is a great time to review last year’s garden and see what mistakes were made (mine:  Broccoli in the sunny part of the garden.  Yikes! though the bees liked the bolted, flowering plants, well into Autumn).  I have spent quite a bit of time revamping plant placement, etc, while the wind and snow rages outside.  I threw in the garden photo just to remind us all that Spring is coming.  Right? riiiight… 6.23.12veg  btw  – that’s the broccoli, right up there in the Absolute Sunniest Spot in the entire garden.  Way to go, Master Gardener!

Green.Green.Green.  And vinegar.  Back in my healthy days I used to drink a glass of Barleygreen every morning and I felt great!  It fell by the wayside, I got unhealthy and overweight and bad things started happening to my body.  Recently I decided to get back into health, with meditation for my nerves, yoga for my joints and muscles and a better diet for overall rejuvenation.  Patty’s been drinking this stuff Vitamineral Greenand swears by it.  I am trying it, too.  Just one day, so far.  Will check back in with reports.  No affiliation and I’m buying it, just like she is.  I hate reinventing the wheel and there’s nobody who can beat Miss Patty when it comes to research so: she likes it, it’s working for her, that’s good enough for me.   We both throw in a slug of Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.  Good for whut ailsya!

Knitting.  Yah.  Another Patty Thing.  But you know what?  It really is very, very soothing.  Once I figured out how to cast on (I don’t ‘do’ diagrams).   I doubt I’ll be making any socks or elf slippers anytime soon (I’m at the scarf stage) but I’m having a great time learning and it seems to be lowering my BP.  Plus…c’mon!  Built-in weaponry!  What’s not to love?

 

So…….that’s my total ramble.  I’ll be back next week with a review and maybe a giveaway!    Oh, heck.  You guys were so sweet to put up with  my Crazy – I’ll do a giveaway this very post!    Drop a line telling me what’s on your mind… gardens? weird perfume queries? vinegar?    I’ll have Carmine put on his gardening gloves and hit random.org.  Winner will receive some fun carded samples!

 

SPEAKING OF WINNERS:  I am SUCH a doofus.  On the Leather Note Post I completely screwed up the winner’s name (must not multitask).  There is no Ann Marie.  It’s LYNNE MARIE!!!!    My apologies!  Please contact us (PosseAT PerfumePosseDOTcom) with details, etc….Lawd, I am such a scatterbrain.  My apologies, again, LYNNE MARIE!

  • victor says:

    I love L’artisan’s Fleur de Liane EDT. It is my signature scent among Verte Violet and PG’s Drama Nuii. I can wear it in super hot Indonesia or cool Canada. It is light and floral best suited when visiting friends in Japan. I missed the cream as when it came out you have to buy 3 jars all at once! No way! But now I regretted not getting them.
    Anyway, it performed beautifully for me when I had a rough time in Vietnam under the rain, wind and huge traffic jams on their national holidays! I went hiking in the rainforest and lived in a mountain village for the night without shower facilities or anything modern. I remember, I just sprayed on Fleur de Liane EDT and changed into my white kimono and the single light bulb in the house spotlighted on me and all the moths possibly thought I was the moon and plastered on me in no time!

  • Ninara Poll says:

    Ooooh, I’ve got a great overdose story! A couple of days before this past Christmas, after washing my hair, I went a little crazy with spritzing Demeter Patchouli into my hair (I was sampling a defrizzing oil that had a hint of the old patch in in and wanted to amp it up a tiny bit, and very badly misjudged both the amount and longevity of Demeter Patch)… then a few hours later I came down with the very, very bad strain of flu that was going around Tennessee. I wasn’t able to stand up to shower, much less wash my hair, until about a week later. In that time, Demeter Patch quadrupled the size of its smell and morphed into a weird “dirty unwashed old man + Old Spice + tiny hint of baby oil” sort of scent that still makes me gag when I remember it. Needless to say, I have not broken out DemPatch since. *shiver*

    NP

  • Steve Tsotras says:

    When I was first getting into fragrances, I got a dab vial of Puro by Nejma. I had very little experience with dab vials before, but never split them or anything. This was no the case this time, as quite a bit of it was spilt across my arm. The smell was all the bad to be honest, but WOW did my allergies go into hyper drive. I almost couldn’t sleep that night it was so bad, despite washing it off and taking allergy pills. I couldn’t wear anything the next two days, and feared for the worst, that I had suddenly developed an allergy. Luckily, that did not occur.

  • TaffyJ says:

    LOL, Musette!

  • susan says:

    On my mind lately is what South by Southwest shows I’m going to get into!! 🙂

  • dremybluz says:

    No perfume overdoses here, but I will toast you with a hefty dose of vinegar. Guess you could call me a vinegar-a-holic. I remember as a kid watching Bonanza, I always had my bottle of vinegar and a glass jigger handy. As soon as the cowboys were swigging away at the booze bottle, I was matching everyone of their swigs with my jigger of vinegar, I have never met a bottle of vinegar I didn’t like. The weather here in Dallas is a beautiful sunny 74 degrees. I have the doors and windows open enjoying the wafting breezes.of cool sunny air. I am dying to get out in the yard and play with Mother Nature, but looks like that isn’t going to happening anytime soon. I have been nursing a multi-fractured arm since last June ( 2 surgeries) and the orthopod says I won’t be a free man until this coming October. Am looking forward to playing perfume hunter in NYC in JUly.

  • carole macleod says:

    Fleur de Liane – love it! i was drifiting through a store which had L’Artisans on a low table. Idly sprayes some on. Was ok with it at first-but then it just got better and better! I have a whole bottle. I have the Jatamansi body oil, and after my bath I use the oil, and the Fde L. a wonderful combination.
    I do not know why it received so little attention, and what little attention it received was negative.

  • mridula says:

    have you ever tried mixing your salsa into plain yogurt? It’s yum!

  • nozknoz says:

    I knew as soon as I glimpsed that pensive frog sculpture that this was a Musette post! It’s like Rodin’s The Thinker reinterpreted for Musette’s garden. You really should get it.

    I’ve always wondered what the Diptyque Vinaigre is like. I think it’s only for external use, though.

    I have a sample of Fleur de Liane, since I want to smell everything by Duchaufour. Unfortunately, the aquatic note really takes over. Don’t you hate when that happens?

  • maggiecat says:

    Loved your post, and may have to try some of that BarleyGreen and cider vinegar myself, as I’m home on Spring Break with my second bout of bronchitis within 3 weeks. Sigh. But your post made me smile, and spring seems to be coming to Dallas, and I’m blessed – so I won’t complain. Much. 🙂

  • Merlin says:

    4 sprays, pah! I can do 4 in my sleep. Seriously, I have perfume chomping skin. The only time I tried Epic was when passing through the airport in Cairo on my way to Greece last year. I tried a few other things as well… Si Lolita, Lys Soleia and a few other things. Anyway, I couldn’t get a good feel of Epic (I think now I was baited by the cinnamon note), though I liked it the best. There was a few hours wait during which I must have applied more than 4 spritzes. Still wasn’t sure! More recently I found a solution – I apply petroleum jelly under the frag…

  • Amer says:

    My gardening project is going steady. I have narrowed down the plant species to the 6 or seven (mostly herbs) that can survive on my balcony with minimal care and I am now ready to terraform it into a self-sustained garden. The process of elimination was hard to some (sorry stevia and mint, better luck next time… somewhere else).

    Good luck with your broccoli!

    ps: Sorry but I didn’t quite get what you two are doing with vinegar…

  • odonata9 says:

    Love your rambles! I am so sad I’ll miss out on the Scentsation – I thought of driving up from San Diego, but that 8 am start time would mean waking up at an ungodly hour, then driving another 2-3 hours after all that fun sounded, well, not so fun. I did a lot of research into veggie gardening this year as we moved into a rental house with a raised bed in the backyard. And we live in SoCal, so we can probably grow anything. But then I started realizing what would have to be done to even get started – get rid of all the weeds, figure out how to keep the gophers out (our yard is full of holes and hills from those cute little buggers), get the soil for on top. And then plant and weed and till and hoe. At the best of times, my back is just wonky and now I am 4 months preggo (with twins!) so I just don’t see myself out there weeding and all that. So I’ll just try and be good and go to the farmer’s market to get the good local stuff and frankly, just eat more veggies! I have some of that Bragg’s cider too. Guess I should take a slug myself now and then. I know my bro does for either his cholesterol or blood pressure.

  • Maureen says:

    What a funny post…so much more fun to read you at lunchtime than the news!!! I received a large sample of a fragrance called Stephanie from Michael Storer in CA, I think. It was so nice of them to send it to me. I was so excited to receive it, because it was one of my first niche fragrance samples, and I liberally sprayed it up and down my arms. OMG! Keep in mind I was used to Chanel and very light fragrances. It was a very thick and way too strong gardenia scent that has pretty much scared me off of gardenia. I even tried it one more time with just one spritz…something in it made me queasy. I sent it off to a very nice swapmania participant named Lisa, who had sent me some lovely samples. I e-mailed her that I was sending it, and she said she was always up for a new gardenia, so I hope she liked it…maybe being a more experienced perfumista, she could handle it, but me, I was SCARED of it!

    I am so ready for Spring, too! I want to try lily of the valley samples to pick a new fragrance for my birthday, May 4th. Yeah!

  • Liz K says:

    I would love to trade your snow for our 85F heat and drought. Since I still have a tomato vine from the fall that didn’t even freeze back, I guess I am already gardening but due to our lack of (and expense of) water I only have a few scraggly leeks in yet. I am also hindered by my severe oak pollen allergies. I look like I have been rolling around in poison ivy and dare not go outside for long periods for the next several weeks.
    Since I am so allergic to everything and don’t dare even go to the gym (ooh, look at the girl with the rash oozing all over the equipment), I am catching up on my reading. Decided I have plenty of time to revisit The Far Pavilions and other longish novels.
    Spritzed myself with Terre d’Hermes the other day and thought I had missed. I was wrong and felt like I was sitting right next to Beth’s Mr. 20 spritzes all day.

  • dinazad says:

    I actually know somebody who smells bewitching in Angel. Honestly. Which is more than can be said of some scents which smell uniformly awful on everybody (Giorgio, White Linen, yes, I’m looking at you!) On the other hand, there are these gorgeous fragrances nobody seems to know or love: YSL Nu died an unnoticed death, and my beloved Chopard Madness is reduced to hanging on by its toenails in some seedy discount perfume shoppe….
    My OD was Guépard by Guépard: I spent a day walking around in a bell jar of spicy oriental! (Why on earth doesn’t everybody love Guépard and offer bribes to get a bottle?). Which was quite useful – I had plenty of space in the bus that day.
    It’s snowing here, so balcony gardening ist still only a dream. But I don’t worry about that, since all my worrying is concentrated on the cupboard all my dishes and glasses are in. I’ts a nice, semi-antique, massive piece of furniture. With a broken lock, so I can’t get at anything. It’s also extremely well made – no way to get into it without ruining it. So I sit and look at it and devise various not-working ways of opening it while keeping both cupboard and dishes intact…. It keeps me busy while knitting….

  • Catherine says:

    I quite like the froggie. Where did you find him?

  • Milena says:

    The picture of the frog scared me and it was the only thing I did not like in this post. Didn’t expect it here 🙂

    In my opinion pretty much any perfume can feel over spayed if applied on the neckline, so I avoid that area and usually spray the wrists or elbow crooks. Once I used much too much of CdG Daphne – however it is still one of my favorite scents.

    I used to knit and sew and I miss this time. One day I may start again.

  • jillks says:

    I am enjoying spring break at the college where i teach, and i have been very bad in terms of wanting all the latest spring summer makeup shades. I am older and still can’t find a scent i love. It seems i love it in the store but not at home. I am thinking of ordering more samples. Any ideas? For makeuo, too? I have been knitting for new puppies and new babies, enjoying the ruffly yarn.

  • Janet H says:

    I am having gardening guilt. In central California I should have revamped my garden months ago. I have bags of tulips that haven’t made it into the ground. 🙁
    Love Epic! The shower gel and lotion sound amazing.

  • eldarwen22 says:

    The last favorite perfume OD was Lyric. I was so excited with finally getting a full bottle I sprayed it 4 times. I haven’t be able to wear it since.

  • Farouche says:

    DH handles the gardening in our house, but I am an avid, if not experienced, knitter. I got stuck the other evening on how to do a “wrap and turn” and went right to YouTube for a demonstration. I must have watched it half a dozen times, but once I got it, I was golden. Like Amy V I highly recommend using the Internet for knitting info. Thanks, Amy, for the website recommendations!

  • Connie says:

    Mmmm. Though it pains me I’m ceding gardening this year to Dad, since I’m leaving for college. And I think I may have finally Od’ed on L’Air de Rien. The more I wear it the more I get the sneaking suspicion that it smells like an ex-friend’s feet…

  • Beth says:

    Loved the post! You cracked me up with the Epic. It reminded me of a post I read on the guys board on Basenotes a while back. This guy was telling how he applied his perfume, a couple spritzes here, a couple there. I read it through, and then had to read it back several times, adding up. It was about 15 spritzes. So I asked a question on the thread… really? 15? And his response was “but of course! usually between 10 and 20, depending on the fragrance.” Now little me was doing one, and a skimpy one at that. I was still under the ‘I should only be able to smell this if I bury my nose in my wrist” stage. Didn’t want to offend anyone, you know. Can you imagine being next to Mr. 10-20 spritzes? At least it got me to up my game to 2-3 😉

    I will have to consider my gardens this year! Mostly they are neglected, but you are inspiring me! I am eagerly awaiting spring too. I’m so done with winter!

    • Musette says:

      OMG! Beth! 10-20? You know…it’s guys like that who made me hate Polo! LOL! The cashier at the grocery store does a whole lotta spritzing. When I asked her how many sprays (don’t ask me the scent – something at Watmart (NOT JUDGING. I was at Walmart, she buys her stuff at Walmart, so…it’s something at Walmart)…..anyway, she said “I dunno. I just stand in front of the sprayer until my chest is wet”. Alrighty, then!

      xoxoA

      • Beth says:

        Oh wow, haha, that totally cracked me up! I think that’s a great indicator … when I’m dripping, it’s time to stop!

  • Michelle says:

    heehee…Thanks for the great post! I can’t figure out why it is so hard to stick to a health/diet/exercise regime. I mean, at the most basic level, it makes you FEEL better. & on top of that, even besides the body shape thing, eating well makes your skin, hair and nails look good. I was doing great until my earbuds broke, causing a 3 week gym hiatus, and my partner foolishly handed an open box of cheezy crackers to me while we were watching a movie in bed. Those things should be illegal, they’re probably more addicting than crack.

    • Musette says:

      I KNOW! It’s like deep breathing – not Crazy Deep – just a more thoughtful inhalation/exhalation. Feels soooo good. But I always forget! I ate very healthy this am and have had no blood sugar spikes – and I feel great! So why on earth would I eat a donut in the am? That’s just madness! LOL! xoxoxoA

  • FeralJasmine says:

    Right now I’m planting my early garden beds, lettuce and arugula and stuff like that. Not knitting much, since that seems to be a midwinter thing with me these days. Oh, and looking for some Just Plain Pretty perfumes for spring. I have thought of trying the Carnal Flower body butter, to see if it’s less potent than the Edp.

    • Musette says:

      Oooh, nothing wrong with Just Plain Pretty! I was in N-M yesterday and was so delighted with the plethora of Spring dresses. DRESSES! With skirts and everything! Pastels, flowers, circle skirts, Flirty swing skirts…oh, so lovely! Those call for a pretty perfume. xoxoA

      and, to answer your CF query: yes. Way less potent and less concentrated in one area. Ditto the hair mist, though I like to smell myself (whoa!) and since my hair is not ‘swingy’ that won’t work.

  • Mrs. Honey says:

    I OD’d on Chamade. I was trying to dab but used too much.

    Regarding Angel, it took me multiple times of trying it to “get” it. Angel can be very sweet on some people, but is not overly sweet on me. There are a lot of fruit-chullis out there, so obviously they sell, but none of them are Angel.

    I also just started knitting again. I had taught myself to knit years ago but could not remember how. One of the local knitting shops offers beginner classes. I am also working on a scarf.

    • Musette says:

      Your knitting experiences mirror mine. Your Angel experiences? Not. So. Much. :-p

      poor Chamade! Perhaps you will fall in love again? xoxoxoA

  • Amy V says:

    Knitting! One of my other crazy obsessions. 😀
    If you get stuck with anything, there are a ton of how-to videos on youtube, which I find really helpful. And the Ravelry website, which is the mothership of knitting websites – an excellent database of All The Patterns, and forums which eat a slightly embarrassing amount of my time.

    • Musette says:

      Patty suggested Youtube as well, especially since looking at diagrams makes my head spin. Thanks for the Raverly site info…or maybe not???? 😉 xxoxoxoA

  • Ann says:

    Great post as always, lady! I remember liking the Liane, but that was so long ago in my fall down the rabbit hole that heaven help me if I can put my hands on my sample of it. The body cream sounds nice.
    And whoa Nelly on the Epic! What WUZ you thinkin’ with four (count ’em, four) spritzes? But give it a little vacation and I’m sure you’ll be back to love in no time. It might be good even to wait until next fall, to give your senses time to develop a clean slate. But could you make it that long?
    Do tell more, please, about this vinegar business. I’m a huge tea fan, as you know, but certainly not averse to drinking something else to my health — but ix-nay on any alcohol 😉

    • Musette says:

      I’ll send you some links to the health benefits of vinegar – anybody else on here, feel free to chime in. Patty throws it in the smoothie. I tend to just drink it neat (out of a shot glass, goes down easier that way).

      I’m going to back back into Epic, starting with the shower gel and cream. I just overdid it. It’s still gorgeous and I still adore it – just …wow! That wuz a LOT of Epic! LOL! xoxoxo

  • Dina C. says:

    I missed out on Fleur de Liane when it came out. But if it’s a green floral then I really need to get a smidge of that goodness and try it. I like creams and lotions, too. Sounds lovely. I’m a fan of L’Artisans generally. I laughed about your ODing on Epic. Too funny. 🙂 I haven’t tried the green juice drinks, nor the vinegar tonics. I’m more of a green tea will hopefully keep me healthy person. I don’t knit or crochet, but I can sew if need be. Planning a garden sounds like fun. We need to re-landscape our backyard someday. I might start doodling how I want that to look. I’d like to be entered in the drawing. Thanks Musette!

  • Madvito says:

    Oh so funny! I have a sister who is a master gardener & she got that complete gene pool! I’m not even successful with house plants! LA Scentsation sounds fabulous but not in the cards for me this time (there is always a next time – which might even be a 12 if you continue to outdo yourself. My sis & I are headed to NOLA to hit the Saks & Sephora perfume counters!

    • Musette says:

      Imo, houseplants are way harder. I can grow the living daylights out of nearly anything…OUTSIDE. Keeping a houseplant alive is a much harder proposition.

      We’ll see you at the NEXT Event!! Wherever that is!

      xoxoA

  • KirstenMarie says:

    You do make me laugh – and I can SOOO relate! I love your writing style…it’s not that I “read” you….I LISTEN to you. It’s like talking with friends. 🙂

  • Das says:

    My most recent accidental OD was on Dzing! It’s one of my 5-star perfumes (unusual b/c I’m more of a JC Ellena type). I do always worry a little that I’ll do something silly-stupid to accidentally fall out of love with one of my 5-stars, so I try to be super careful. A powerhouse like Dzing! requires just the right amount or else it’s a burning-rubber-gag-stinging-eyes choke-fest. I saw it happen to someone in the perfume store once. She was always a little nutz, but what was she thinking when she sprayed 3-4 full-sized pumps of Dzing! all over herself??? I die! She die! and then she wondered why it smelled so good on me and not on her.
    My OD wasn’t nearly as dramatic, just a full spray under my neck (which was the silly-stupid. Dzing! can only be worn on wrists or elbow crooks), but I was hurtin’ that day. That was about a week ago and I still feel nauseated thinking about it. I know the feeling can’t last forever and we’re not broken up for good, but ugh. Lesson learned.

    • Musette says:

      OMG! what a GREAT story! Yeah, Epic is like that, Jub25, too. Gorgeous beyond gorgeousity! But apply with discretion! You will be back in love shortly, as will I with Epic. Heck, I’m still in love – just a bit rumbly in the tummy, thinking of the OD. xoxoA

  • TaffyJ says:

    Thanks for the laughs, Musette! I can smell your Epic all the way over here ~cough~. 🙂

    I’ve had a bottle of Bragg’s for as long as I’ve had Memoir Woman. Both have stayed pristine and unopened; one due to nutty hoarding behavior and the other due to fear of the unknown. EEEEE

  • Rina says:

    BWAHAHAHA! The “rocks of Saturn” made me snort my Brekle’s Brown! Thanks for the late night laugh!

  • Tama says:

    Cider vinegar rules! I’m sure I finally got sick this winter because I fell off my regimen.
    Fun rant!

    • Rina says:

      I thought that was Cider House..

    • Musette says:

      Get back on that regimen!!!!! I can’t tell you how good I’m feeling. I now split it (or actually, I guess I double it) because studies suggest (I love that phrase – it sounds so authoritative! 😀 ) – anyhoo, studies suggest that a couple Ts of AC vinegar at night helps stabilize wonky blood sugar. Mine is like a seismic chart so I figured WTH? Dunno if it’s psychosomatic (doubtful, since I don’t remember the next morning that I took it the night before)…but I’m feeling way less dizzyfied in the am!

      xoxoA

  • FearsMice says:

    Gardening’s on my mind, too! I received an actual, old-fashioned paper gardening catalog a few days ago, and I’ve been virtually plotting ever since. I’m going to re-do the flower beds in the front yard and I’m trying to work out complementary colors/textures/heights/forms/scents — not an easy task for someone without an artistic cell in her whole body… I guess the truth is that I just love grubbing around in the dirt!

    • Musette says:

      Me, too! I signed up for Mother Earth News’s garden planner. Once I got the hang of it (like I said, I don’t ‘do’ diagrams) it was pretty easy to work with and has given me countless hours of enjoyment! xoxoA

      and I suspect you have a ton of artistic sense – and remember: they’re FLOWERS! All flowers look good – and if they are in the wrong place you can always dig them up and move them – I have some of the most patient plants in Christendom. I’ve moved my echinaecea at least 4 times. Very patient. And my buddleia? Cranky as hell, that I moved them – again – but they hung in there.

  • rosarita says:

    You crack me up, Ms A! I still haven’t tried Epic but the name alone sounds, well, Epic! And where did this snow burst come from?? Even I’m beyond done at this point. Enjoy your knitting and virtual gardening. Remember the seed catalogues that used to come in the mail every winter with those full color pictures of tomatoes – do those still exist, or is all that stuff done online now?

    • eldarwen22 says:

      Try Epic, it’s great in winter!

      • Musette says:

        What Eldarwen Said. It is gorgeous!!!!! xoxoA

        and yes, I remember the seed catalogues. I still get a few. Garden Porn, bay-bee. It’s like the old Sears Wish Book, remember that? My brother and I would pore over that thing. xoxoxoA

  • Hello, Musette!

    Well, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I like a lot of L’Artisans… actually, I own a lot of L’Artisans…. but Fleur de Liane is one I just can’t stand, really. I haven’t smelled the cream, but on me the perfume is suffocating… kind of like Hermès Un Jardin après le Mousson…. something with the melon.

    I’d be curious to smell the cream, though. A bit over a year ago, I gave my sister a bottle of L’Eau de Jatamansi… and she went through the whole 8 oz bottle in a year… and now it’s discontinued. Anyway, I found the bath milk somewhere, so I gave her that for Christmas. It smelled kinda similar but not exactly. So maybe what I don’t like in the perfume will be less in the Fleur de Liane cream. Fleur de Liane is being discontinued, too, it seems.

    I love vinegar, by the way, so would like to try Patty’s cure. I remember long ago reading some eastern European fairy tale with an evil old hag who was so evil, the story said, her house smelled like vinegar. Mmmmmmmmmm, was all I could think, I could live there.

    • Musette says:

      Hi, myy little Angelface! I miss you SO much! I ‘do’ know that about you and L’Artisan. In fact, when I first met you at BNY it was over the L’Artisan counter – you were trying to figure out if you needed another FB of Dzongkha! I was at BNY for a hot second yesterday and Andy has 3 bottles of Fleur de Liane – I was sniffed-out but he gave me a nice sample of it so I’m going to wear it today (I have the cream on already) to see if I like it. The weirdest thing about the cream is the calone – it turns into Eau de Frog…..but that’s what I like about it!

      The vinegar was my contribution to the whole thing. Awhile back NPR interviewed some 1000-yr old woman who is mentally and physically spry as a kitten. She attributed her physical nimbleness to constant movement and her mental nimbleness to drinking pickle juice every day. I hate pickles but I figured it was the vinegar that was doing the trick – further research suggests I am right. I figure it can’t hurt. I’d like to live a healthy life in body AND mind!

      xoxoA

  • Ginny Morey says:

    This was a hilarious post and a fun ride! A nice little break from work (which is where I still am right now). Mostly what’s on my mind is getting out of here and the Absolue Pour le Soir sample I just ordered from ebay. (I tested it at Printemps in Paris but didn’t buy — so many things to sniff! — and wanted to revisit.) Gardens? Not so much.

  • Cat Schultz says:

    Hahaha!! You crack me up! I can relate on all points. Thanks for making me lol!