The Sweet Smell of... Failure

Here's a DIY idea that I am unlikely to repeat: making my own body spray.  Actually, I probably will try to make it again, but I'll remember the lessons I've learned from this batch.

My ingredients were simple: some denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol from my local CVS) and the remaining bit of my half-ounce "Blue Nile" body oil... I'd say about a quarter- to a third- ounce was still left.  My container was a clean 2-ounce spray bottle which used to be a rose-scented body mist.  (The bottle was from Hot Topic and had an Amy Brown fairy on it, which was cute -- but boy, that body spray was nast-ay!)  You could try this on your own with any clean spray bottle, if you don't mind getting the kind of result that I did!

The "process" -- and I use the term loosely -- was simple: pour the Blue Nile into the empty 2-ounce bottle, then fill the rest of the way with alcohol and shake well.  I was pretty amazed at how nicely the two combined.  If any of you used to make "potions" as a kid, or used way too much of your mother's perfume & tried adding water to conceal the evidence of your pilfering -- well, you'll know how easy it is to make the mixture cloudy, gross, and generally unappealing.  I have learned a lot about perfumery since then, but nevertheless it excites me to see how beautifully the alcohol and oil can blend.

While the bottle was aesthetically pleasing, in no small part due to the pretty coloring of the Blue Nile perfume oil, the smell was... ehhhhh.  I would spray it on in the morning, but it would take some time for the alcohol to dissipate and the Blue Nile to become the predominant scent.  Someone hugged me an hour after I spritzed myself and declared, "You smell like booze!"  Well, that pretty much ended my perfume-making hobby before it began. :)

I would up diluting my leftover Blue Nile body mist with some water (and yeah, it became the awesome cloudy mix we all know and love) and used as linen water to scent my hand-washables during the rinse phase.  It worked quite well, and I was glad to find an alternate use for it.

Now I have two-thirds of a bottle of rubbing alcohol that I need to think up uses for.  Any ideas?

Febreze For People

The downside to having an awesome Body & Soul party was that I seem to have contracted some form of plague from one of our party guests.  I guess that the fun of that wonderful cooking and being psychic came with a price!

Anyway, this morning I'm off to our local clinic to get myself tested.  I've got a VIP houseguest in a few days, and I don't want to pass along the plague!

Sometimes, when you get sick and you're taking antibiotics OR you're reluctant to hop into the shower first thing in the morning because you worry about going outside with a wet head, you may want to hold off showering until later in the day.  Or, maybe you have some emergency errands that needs to be done PFQ.  Perhaps you've just finished a yoga class, but forgot about that important meeting which starts in (uh oh!) just 15 minutes!  Mayhaps you've woken up to no power or hot water (holy crap-oly!!)... Whatever the situation, there may just come a day where you're in need of some alternative solutions.  Don't worry, I'm way ahead of you.  It is in this spirit that I bring you my recipe for "Febreze for People."


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of your favorite lotion, preferably clean-smelling! Think citrus and/or minty!
2 tablespoons of denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer works fine)
3/8 cup of water
OPTIONAL: 1-2 drops of citrusy, tea tree, or mint essential oil

Mix everything together, except for the water.  Pour into an 8-oz(ish) spray bottle, top off with the water, and shake well.  Whenever you don't have time for a shower or bath, use this solution as a quick refresher.  Just spray it onto your body, wipe with any soft cloth, and rub in the excess.

Depending on the lotion, you can use it on your face (don't get in eyes) as an emergency makeup remover.  Don't use in your hair or it'll get way greasy -- if your hair feels icky, just use a bit of baby powder to freshen it before your important event.

Our Elegant Spa Party

Some friends and I have recently begun to host a monthly get-together where we all use our talents for the enjoyment of our guests (and their friends).  Between us, we have an asthetician who does waxing and other spa treatments, a hair stylist who does awesome cutting, a professional masseuse who's always very in demand, and a professional psychic (that's me!).  Since the spa and hair specialists are next door neighbors, we use their apartments and just keep the door open between the two of them.

I haven't made a lot of money at this gig, but it sure has been fun!  Since two of the ladies are hosting (and have to get everything ready), I've been given the honorary chef's hat.  Last month, I made stuffed mushrooms and a veggie sushi platter (which, unfortunately, I got nooooo good pictures of!), along with some luscious fruit skewers of strawberry, papaya, and kiwi.  But this month I really wanted to do something elegant.

My savory dish was mini-quiche in two flavors: Lorraine and Florentine.  They were very easy to do, and lent a very "elegant teatime" vibe to my vintage goodies tray.  (I used a Bisquick recipe, though substituted Jiffy mix; worked great!)  For the fruit portion of the spread, I decided to make parfaits with a fruit dip which was once said to "drive everyone mad with lust!"  I ordered plastic wine cups from Oriental Trading Company and they made wonderful little parfait glasses.

We also had some simple cheese and crackers -- some nice pepper jack and yummy Babybels paired with the most scrumptious rosemary crackers I've ever tasted.  Carr's rosemary crackers are amazing; if you haven't had 'em yet -- definitely pick some up the next time you get a cracker craving!  Another party guest brought some pineapple platters featuring a stunning array of fresh tasty crudites with two kinds of hummus.  My favorite is the garlic lover's, YUM! :)

All in all, it was a really fun afternoon!  If you live in the Boston area and want to be invited, feel free to let me know.  Our website is at http://www.DawnSoul.com and we always have room for another friend. :)