Review: Revlon Velet Touch Lipstick (Discontinued)

I apologize for not posting much lately.  My doctor has put me on a bizarre new eating regimen, so I haven't really been able to actually, y'know, cook food. So I haven't tried any awesome new recipes lately.

And now for the good news.  Earlier this year (in January, to be exact), a moratorium on buying stuff was put into effect.  Absolutely nothing was supposed to come into this house that wasn't absolutely essential.  But, now that the moratorium has lifted, I've decided to put all of this extra money that comes with not eating awesome food to good use:  by buying a bunch of crap that I've been dying to have.

Lately, I have been on a vintage lipstick kick.  Something in my brain has just been pushing me to long for the scents, the feels, and the colors of my youth.  It is in this spirit that I present a review of a vintage product which I've recently acquired through the magic of eBay: Revlon Velvet Touch lipstick!

Now when I was a mere slip of a girl in perhaps 8th or 9th grade, this shit was all the rage.  The commercial was so elegant, grown-up, and sophisticated... the one that I was remembering seemed to harken back to old-fashioned Hollywood glamour.  Unfortunately, all I could find on YouTube was the Cindy Crawford version which came out later.  I like the original better, though admittedly this slice of 1990s nostalgia makes wearing Velvet Touch lipstick look like a party in a tube!



The lipstick names all had sexy, sensuous, velvety sounding names.  With a lifelong fetish for velvet and a love of vintagey glamour, how could a youth like me resist that seductively colorful eye-popping display at the local smalltown Hills department store?  At the time, I was going through a zany "orange makeup" phase (blame it on my love of Halloween!), though the shade that I settled on was called "Cherry Crush," -- a deep blue-toned crimson which was perfect for that bloodred look that I craved.  Oh, how I loved it.  I bought others, too, later... which included a metallic coral shade that just barely fit in with my orange repertoire.

The feel of this lipstick was unlike anything I had previously experienced.  It truly did have a soft, velvety, long-wearing consistency with a slightly powdery feel and a highly pigmented finish.  The smell of this formula was distinctive, too.  I can't describe it -- it's a subtle powdery/perfumey/chemical scent that stuck in my mind for two decades after Velvet Touch had come and gone.  The color and staying power had earned Cherry Crush a place in the "active" section of my teenage lipstick collection (which was an impressive 3-digit array of all sorts of delectable shades!).

Recently, I was siezed with a longing to possess more Velvet Touch so that my lips could relive the experience.  I checked eBay, and to my surprise, there were some 20-year old tubes available for sale!  However, they were fairly expensive (at about $20 each).  I was able to find a smaller version for $7.95.  It's somewhere between a sample and full size.

The color is called Plum Velour.  Online, it seemed to much deeper and darker than it was in person.  In actuality, it's more of a magenta color.  In fact, when I opened the tube, the first thing I noticed was that it was the same color as my hair!  (Here's one with my hair so that you can see what I mean.)  And that smell!  It was exactly the same as it was back in the day -- miraculously, the lipstick hadn't gone bad or anything!  I was ecstatic that even 20 years later, the product is still so wearable!  Although this is touted as a "creme," the color does have a very slight shimmery finish.  It isn't glossy or sparkly per se, just has a nice bit of shimmer to the color, so that it still looks 90% matte with a 10% shine factor that seems to add a little more texture and velvet-y-ness to the product.  It is a fairly long-wearing formula, though I didn't attempt "6 velvety hours" in it just yet!  All in all, I have to give this product a good strong "A" for its awesomeness.

Can anyone recommend a style of lipstick that has a similar consistency or texture so that we can have a "dupe" of these classic colors?  Have a favorite vintage lipstick that you'd like me to find and review?  Comment below and maybe we can help each other!

Review: LUSH Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb

Whoooo, this is a mouthful to say! Try doing it three times fast.

"Ickle Baby Bot" is a bath bomb which was designed with children in mind. Unlike many round bombs, this one has a cute robot shape.  The fragrance is a mixture of lavender, sandalwood, and chamomile which is meant to be soothing and wonderful for a nice relaxing soak.

The price of this bomb is about $4 in the USA, which makes it a bit more economical than some of the other LUSH products.  I love the scent and the cute blue robot theme! Don't let it's child-centric marketing devices cause you to miss out on a great product!

Review: ZonePerfect Greek Yogurt Bar

I received a nice little treat in my Influenster VoxBox: a raspberry Greek Yogurt bar from ZonePerfect.

Now, one thing you may or may not know is that I love me some bars!  My favorite is Balance Bar, but I've tried zillions of others... Luna, Clif, Power Crunch, Nutrisystem, Pure Protein, Lara, SoyJoy, PopCulture Probiotics... The list goes on, but let's stop there.  I'm only adding these so that you know I know a thing or two about bars!

I tend to use them as more of meal component than as a snack, but when I tried this one, it wasn't even close to meal time.  I decided to give it a whirl. ;)

What hit me first was the almost perfume-like raspberry aroma.  The yogurt coating seemed consistent with "yogurt coating" that is often seen in snack foods.  It was tasty enough,  it the inner raspberry crunches were really delectable.  There was a slightly vitaminy flavor and a hint of graininess in the crispness and sweetness of the ZonePerfect raspberry Greek yogurt bar, but hey -- if you want something purely decadent, go eat a candy bar and be quiet. ;). Most nutritional bars will have these characteristics, and to me it's not unpleasant at all... Just a fact of life. :)

My one gripe is that at 13g of sugar, this bar might be a little on the high side.  But if you have the wiggle room in your sugar allotment, go for it.  This bar can go all of the places that Greek yogurt can't go, like a crowded bus on a warm day. Or into your backpack until further notice.  Gotta love that!

Grade: B+

[NOTE: Reviewer was given a complimentary sample of this product but was otherwise not compensated in any way.]

Review: So Delicious Chocolate Ice Cream

Lately, it seems that all I'm doing is posting reviews about beauty products and food. I'm ok with that. :)

This summer, I have been living with a vegan that has made cooking a real challenge!  However, I've been rising to the occasion with fake meat recipes, fake egg recipes, and plenty of other fairly tasty inventions.  However, when I come across something that I don't have to pull together to enjoy, it makes me that much happier.

Enter "So Delicious" products... There's a vast array of ice creams, yogurts, and milks that would make your head spin!  I have tried their coconut milk-type-product and it was just okay, though a swig here and there isn't the same as *using* it somewhere.  But the ice cream has been a wonderful experience!  Lower in carbs and fat than traditional ice cream, it's a health-conscious dessert-o-phile's dream come true.  Only 150 cals for a 1/2 cup serving, and a scant 20 carbs (with just 12 from sugars)!  The consistency is very ice-cream-like, and the deep chocolate flavor is incredibly satisfying.  One drawback is that it doesn't scoop as smoothly as regular ice cream; but that's ok. Just let it melt for a few seconds.  

I love this stuff.  The one drawback is the price, at about $4 a pint!  However, since we are eating far leas takeout and processed foods these days, the cost difference isn't so bad. As my vegan says of a product that he enjoys, "It's humanizing."  When we can find things that make our lives easier & more normal, why not go for it every now and again? 

This week's Graze Box (7/25)

Had some tasty things this week, as well as some drama!

Natural Vanilla Seeds. These were tasty as heck, sunflower and pumpkin seeds with a sweet vanilla glaze. BUT there was a big nasty crack in the container bottom! I ate them anyway, and shared them with my vegan guy.  This is one of my favorite types of snacks because the pieces are tiny and it takes awhile to eat. At 172 calories and only 13g carbs with a nice 4.93g protein, this is one of the better nutritional "values" Graze has to offer. Grade: A+

Tomato Dipinetti. This pummet had a saucy tomato dip with rosemary bread dippers. I was mad at this one!! All the rosemary breads were broken but ONE! The tomato "relish" dip was savory and spicy, and the (sad, broken, pathetic) dippers were still tasty aside from their shameful appearance. 97 cals and 16g carbs make this well worth the drama. Grade: B+

Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl.  This snack boasts a whole serving of fruit. Nice, even though I'm not a massive fan of dried fruit. There were those tasty black currants with blueberry yogurt raisins, and raspberry-flavored cranberries. 157 calories makes this a nice snack, but not if you're watching your carbs! For 30g of carbs, you might be better off saving the carbs -- maybe grab an apple and a cheese stick instead! Grade: C+

Eleanor's Apple Crumble.  This is a better fruit snack choice for carb-watching Grazers, at a friendly 19.9g of carbs.  114 cals is just right, plus you get a nice hit of protein (2g) from the decadent honey-cinnamon almonds. The raisins are a little boring, but I liked the chewy apples so much that I just may investigate drying my own. This is a keeper! Grade: A

This week's Graze box! (7/17)

Hi all! Got some goodies from Graze this week...

First up: My Thai, soy crisps with sweet chili dipping sauce. Holy shit! These were delicious!! At 84 calories and a scant 18 carbs, this pummet hit all my favorite taste points of sweet, hot, salty, and savory. Most people know I am a big fan of sweet chili sauce, so this was divine! Grade: A+

Orange & Ginger Flapjack. I'm just not a flapjack fan, sorry. However, the piece I sampled was very orangey and gingery. So if I was more into flapjacks, this is the one I'd choose. I gave the rest of the pummet to the vegan guy next to me, and he said they were so good he'd wished he could buy them directly from Graze. Also 241 calories is as much as a Lean Cuisine meal, so have to take points off for that. Grade: B-

Summer Pudding. Black currants, cranberries, yogurt sunflower seeds, and spongey cookie bits make a delightful combo.  The spongey bits are rather superfluous IMHO, but damn those sour currants are deeeeeelicious!  137 calories isn't bad for a nice little snack, but I can't always justify 27 carbs no matter how delightfully sour those black currants are! Maybe good for a "sometimes" treat.  Grade: B

Salt & Vinegar Nut Selection.  Oh man, these were yummy. I could have used more vinegary flavor on the mix of almonds and peanuts.  I don't eat peanuts too often, but if I did, this is just how I'd do it.  We've got a scant 8 grams of carbs here, and even though the sodium is a bit high (269), there's also 8g protein in this yummy 200-calorie powerhouse.  Grade: B+

Review: KleanColor Iconic Brow Gel

I usually use my blog to sing the praises of the things I adore. However, today's entry will be different.

Why? Because KleanColor Iconic Brow Gel EFFING SUCKS!!!!!!

It looked pretty good on eBay when I purchased it.  I haven't needed to use a brow gel in many years, as in the past I've kept them adorably overplucked -- and trimmed, since my brows tend to grow long like bunny whiskers.

However, I've been getting my brows waxed lately, so the little silky whiskers are growing longer. Instead of trimming them, I wondered if I could do an eyebrow combover of sorts -- I have scars from eyebrow piercings that aren't too nice looking, so gel seemed like the way to go.

When my KleanColor gel arrived, I thought it looked pretty nice in the tube. And the mirror on the side was uber classy. But when I opened the tube, the handle crumbled into 90 different pieces. There's the clear part of the handle that's a cap for all the little grooming attachments inside. Cool, right? Yeah... If every part of it stayed together. (Note to self: get crazy glue to keep the uncapped handle from falling apart!)

When I opened it, the smell hit me. It was a little bit like postage stamp glue, school cafeteria, vinegar, and ass.  Yech.  If I was putting this stuff on my nose instead of my eyebrows, we'd have a problem!

The applicator wasn't bad. The gel, while stank, did work as advertised without too much stiffness or shine. However, good freaking luck using that "handy" mirror on the side. Thing is so wavy that your eyebrows are gonna look like a damn funhouse unless you grab your compact instead!

I'll give this a D. The stuff does work, but the packaging leaves lots to be desired. And the smell is seriously unpleasant!

I don't think I have ever left such a mean review anywhere, and I am sorry about that. But I just cannot recommend KleanColor Iconic Brow Gel! :((((

Review: LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

This product first came to my attention last year. I've always gotten these weirdly rough scrapes and "frayed" dry skin around my fingers. Not exactly on the cuticles themselves, but that area around them. (Some people consider that to be part of the cuticle as well, though.)

At $16 for a small 1.5-ounce container, this stuff is pricey.  I decided to give it a try, though, to reward myself for having an especially good month. :). Then I eagerly waited for it to arrive.

It truly is very similar in texture and color to actual butter -- thick, melts on contact, and very buttery yellow. It has a great lemony fragrance that lingers for awhile after it is applied to the skin.  This is very nice stuff!

I am sure there are probably products that do the same thing for a lower price, but I haven't found anything yet. (And I would welcome a comment or two!) I'll give it a final grade of B+. Pros: Smells pretty, works nice! Cons: Small container is fairly pricey, butter has a greasy afterfeel.

November 2012 Look Bag Review

In direct contrast to my "Fine and Illustrious Art of Using Shit Up" movement, I subscribed to The Look Bag a few months ago.  It's a fun subscription service which, for $12.95 a month, sends you a monthly bag of beauty samples.  Actually, they're not all samples; usually you get a couple of full-sized products, and a few sample-sized items as well.  I thought it'd be nice to have something to look forward to in the mail aside from bills, so in October, I subscribed.

My October Look Bag was cool.  (I should've reviewed that one!  It had a black crackle nail polish!)  In November, I got a vague email stating that because of Hurricane Sandy, the bags would be arriving late.  And then at the very end of December, I got another email suggesting that I tell my friends about how awesome The Look Bag was; I wrote back and said it'd be even more awesome if I got my November and December bags!  (A lot of folks around the internet seem to be rather pissed with the Look Bag's lack of customer service, but I can't fault someone for screwing up in the wake of a ruinous hurricane.)

Anyway... That's my little explanation for why the Look Bag review for November is happening in January.  (I'll do December's later.) Now, onto the review!

 This month's package came in a pretty pink bag (just like last month's), and contained the following:

1.  Sally Hansen La Cross round tweezers.  My first thought when I saw the tweezers was "WTF??"  I guess they're useful and all, but it seemed like a real waste of bag space, not to mention the fact that most beautyphiles already have as many tweezers as they probably need.  I'll put these in my "treasure trove" for now.

2.  Pixi by Petra Lip & Line in "Petal Pink."  I got one of these in October as well, so it was disappointing to see another one.  It was in a different color, though, and my last one was given to Dax 'cause she thought it was cool.  So I guess this one is for meeeee!  It's a lip liner and lipstick 2-in-1 that's the exact same shade, so no need to look for matching shades.  The concept is cool.  I haven't tried it yet, but am looking forward to seeing how it does.

3.  June Jacobs Spa Collection Green Tea & Cucumber Body Bar.  This looks like a creamy, smooth bar of soap that smells so amazing!  June Jacobs stuff is kind of fancy-schmancy.  I may be stingy on myself and gift this to someone I like, 'cause it's so awesome.

4.  "Lola" by Marc Jacobs sample.  Are Marc Jacobs and June Jacobs related?  I have no idea!  This sample came in a convenient little spray.  I've heard of "Lola" before, but never smelled it.  Tried a bit on my neck, and A Boy I Like said it was "very nice," which is high praise indeed!  Another comment: "It's there, but not in your face.  Smells very sweet and flowery."  That's probably some of the nicest things I've heard about my scent choices.  I am wearing my "Lola" sample today, and I am enjoying it.  Probably won't purchase more, since there are a lot of other scents on my stuff-to-get list once I've used up what I currently have.

5.  Pop Beauty "Eye Magnet Shade" shadow in "Tantalizing Teal."  Nice full-sized item!  I've got my Pop Beauty crackle nail polish from October, and I adore that.  The eyeshadow looks interesting, but I'm not a blue-based eyeshadow person.  So it'll go into my Treasure Trove and my nieces will probably love it. :)

6.  Korres Liquid Lipstick in "Raspberry."  It doesn't smell like a raspberry, and I think it looks more like a cherry.  The color is dense and lovely, with some sparkles to jazz things up a bit.  I think we have a winner!

7.  Scarlett & Greene "Young Skin" sampler pack.  I don't have young skin -- haven't in years. ;)  The pack features three sample products, including a cleanser, moisturizer, and spf creme.  I think this would be fun to try if you're part of their target audience, and the packaging is like a cute little booklet.  I'll put this in the Treasure Trove.

Finding My Way Home

Oh, Granny! How I'll miss your linen closet!

I know that it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Now that the excitement around here has died down, I can tell you all what's happened.  Basically, this spring I was in a 3-car accident that left me bruised from my knees to my chin.  Nothing's been (majorly) broken, but I do require some physical therapy and other treatments.  After several visits to several doctors, it's been decided that I've developed fibromyalgia and some neurological issues from the accident.  The past few months have required me to slow down and take it easy.

Right now, I live in a house with a couple of levels.  The stairs have evolved from a nuisance on the days where my knee or hip flares up, to a huge hardship.  So, I guess the motivation to move came in good time.

....and your kitchen! :'(

To tell you the truth, I've lost count of the houses and apartments that Mr. Manly and I have gone to see (alone and together)!  I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 or 8.  You may remember "Granny's" from my last batch of pictures; well, that was the one that had truly won my heart with its 1100 square feet (only half the space I'm used to now!), central A/C, luxurious walk-in closets (one was almost a room in itself!), and a glass-door shower with a seat.  Yes, it seemed to be just what I needed.  It was in a cluster of small, quiet, privately-managed buildings that were big enough to provide timely service and good maintenance, yet small enough to feel like a nice little community.  I was so excited to live there, and the moment I went to see it, I had begun pinning my hopes and dreams on Granny's.  Unfortunately, no vacancies were available -- each month, the manager encouraged me to call back next month to check, and faithfully, I did every single time.

A cool kitchen for cool people who don't cook (or eat?)

Apparently, their backs don't hurt while sitting on this cool toilet, either.  Check the back ledge!

This didn't stop me from looking at other apartments, though.  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to "Super Cool Urban Estates," of the stainless steel appliances and a granite countertop in what seemed to be the perfect haven for hip young professionals -- despite the total lack of closets (aside from one 2.5-foot deep alleged "walk-in"), it was modern and chic, with each unit bragging its own washer and dryer!  Yes, it was overpriced and small, had no closets for linens or coats, but it was close to all the good restaurants -- and did I mention the washer and dryer?  I put it on my "maybe" list. 

How lovely, the Walgreen's is in bloom!

I also found some real hope in "Sophisticated Auntie's Place" -- it actually had an elevator with each floor sharing washers and dryers.  Not bad!  Again, I found tasty central A/C at Auntie's, a wrought-iron decorated balcony with a breathtaking view of the local Walgreen's (conveniently located for late-night soda runs when I'm up and feeling productive), and pretty hardwood floors which I couldn't decide were a blessing or a curse.  This was a larger complex with many daunting buildings, yet the 2-bedroom 2-baths which I'd selected were in the tiniest "baby sister" building which was slightly apart from those others, enjoy the same privileges but also a bit more privacy and intimacy among the neighbors.  "Sign me up!" I exclaimed, only to find out that there was one unit left -- oh wait, nope, it was filled an hour ago!  DAMN!

Cars are forced to slow down so the People Farm can have access to more fresh victims.  Please don't make me live here, OK?

Then there was "The People Farm" which was down the road from and managed by the same company as Auntie's, yet not even close to the same in style or friendliness.  The place was HUGE.  I think there were half a dozen buildings, each with like 7 floors.  It was like a creepy, slightly rundown hotel for folks who had nowhere to go.  In the middle of the complex was a pool that seemed to be the size of a football field, with about a thousand people inside and around it on that summer Sunday that we'd come to inspect a unit.  It turned out that the unit I needed wasn't available there either, though there would be vacancies come fall.  I put it on my "last resort" slot, and prayed.

Granny's looked like a possibility... a bunch of times, in fact.  People kept deciding to move, then changing their minds.  Some folks applied for mortgages (just a formality, really!) and when shit fell through, guess who got left holding the bag?  "Trust me," the manager said.  I tried hard to do just that, but with so many disappointments -- and a mere 6 weeks to homelessness -- trust was a luxury that I just couldn't afford.

Half the old tenants' furniture around during the Shoebox walkthrough. 

After many hours scouring rental sites, Googling, calling realtors, and (gasp!) resorting to Craigslist while praying not to get too many genital pictures from fellow Craigslisters, eventually "Shoebox Sweet Shoebox" was found.  As luck would have it, this building is owned by an old "friend" -- the company who owned the apartment from just before I'd moved out to the country 7 years ago.  There are pros and cons, of course.  On the plus side, I like having a history with my landlord, also quite a bit of closet space, and the building is located in a quiet and low-traffic annex situated nicely between several bustling and busy city roads, so it's like having a hundred square yards of small-town living snuggled inside an urban area.  There are only 3 floors and my place is on the second; but there's an elevator and laundry facilities on each floor, so hopefully that won't be a problem.   Also, a little balcony for growing my bunnies some tasty herbs, and a 5x6 storage unit for all the crap we can't fit into the apartment.  The cons:  The place is MINISCULE.  I'm in the middle of doing my floor plan now, and so far I've calculated about 600 square feet; that's including the closets, but without the master bedroom.  My minimum was 1100 square feet, so crapola to that!  But, another pro is even more important: I am no longer homeless.  (And I've also packed NINE boxes for donation this week!)

Official moving day will the the 22nd of this month, but the lease begins on the 15th which provides a bit of time for moving some stuff in advance.  I'll probably be posting a bit more 'til then!

Hope that everyone else is doing well! :)

A Wealth of Possibilities

As many of you know, my lease ends this summer.  While I can probably get out of it a bit earlier -- as it is quite flexible -- my SO and I have decided to tough it out to the bitter end. ;)  This gives us about 3 months' worth of breathing room.  So far, we have toured 4 houses in the hopes of purchasing -- and then we realized that we don't quite measure up down-payment-wise.  After that, we began hunting for a new apartment.

Cool Minimalist Lobby is cooler and
more minimalist than your lobby.

We've seen two places so far, both of which have advantages and drawbacks.  "Apartment Number One" is an industrial brick-accented downtown loft in the heart of a city close to Boston.  It's hip, freshly converted from an old factory.  Everything about it says "The people who live here are way cooler than you."  Admittedly, it has some possibilities.  One of my favorite features is the washer and dryer hookup right in the apartment, which is like heaven on earth!  But the place is very vertical -- sucks for me on those high pain-score days -- and the 2 bedrooms are sort of small.  There wasn't a whole lot of storage space, even if the apartment itself was simply adorable.  The hardwood floors were stylish, but I'm sure our bunnies wouldn't be very happy hoppers with their little piggies clacking on the floor, and their furry little feet slipping around the smooth wooden surface!  These are big sacrifices indeed if one wishes to live in a Mecca of Coolness.

Hey, whipper-snapper. What's cookin' in Granny's kitchen?

"Apartment Number Two" is definitely NOT an M of C.  It is located in a complex in a more residential area near Boston.  (I guess they'd call it the Boston Metro Area?)  We saw heaps of boring ugly buildings, children playing outside, old people going for walks, and soccer moms with silver minivans.  This one also had a lot of floors to climb, but I realized that being on the top floor (despite lack of elevator) would be awesome since there'd be less traffic outside my door.  The master bedroom was bigger than I'd expected, bigger than what we have now actually, with a closet for each of us.  The second bedroom, conversely, was smaller, but with a nicely sized closet.  We may need to ditch the big bed in the other bedroom.  The place has central heat and air conditioning, which is a rare find!  My favorite parts of this apartment are the surprising amount of storage space (including a walk-in closet which is big enough to fit a couch!), a kitchen with a window, and two bathrooms!  One has a shower with a glass door and a seat (amazing!), and the other has a tub and assloads of drawers and storage space.

We'll be looking for more places over the next few months, so stay tuned!

Review: Kline Honey Bee Farm

Since spring came into bloom a few weeks ago, I had been having a pretty strong craving for something that I almost never have the opportunity to enjoy: raw honeycomb.  I love everything about it... the gem-like color and smooth consistency, the pretty hexagon shapes of the wax, the slow and sensual flow of the honey.  I also love that when I crave something sweet, a little bit of honey can scratch the itch long before the craving has me reaching for something less healthy.

The first time I ordered some honeycomb online was probably 2007 or so (from a company I don't even remember) and all I can really remember is how expensive the shipping costs were as most of them were sending them in heavy glass jars; so it was with trepidation that I checked the prices of eBay's honey farmers, and with annoyance that I noticed very little had changed -- the thought of having a bit of raw honeycomb seemed wonderful, but at $16 a pop plus another $8 for shipping seemed like just too much.

I decided to try Etsy; people sold honey-based beauty products and beeswax there, after all.  It was there that I discovered the Kline's Honey Bee Farm store on Etsy.  Kline's offerings were quite impressive -- honeycomb, pure standard honey of many types by the ounce or the gallon, even creamed honey and individual-serving-size honey sticks!  There were also blocks of pure beeswax and beeswax candles, honey soap and beeswax lotion.  It was clear to that these folks do honey, and they do it well, so after checking a few more places for price comparison and seeing that Kline's had them all beaten -- I placed my honeycomb order.


Less than a week later, I had a lovely package of honey in my mailbox!  It came through the mail just fine.  The honeycomb was in perfect condition.  Unlike some places where I've seen honey surrounding a tiny piece of honeycomb, this was a big generous slice of comb with all the little honey pockets perfectly intact.  It looked and smelled delightfully fresh, as if someone had gathered and packed it just for me. Beautiful!

My package even included a little sample of honey soap which smells a lot like Lush's "Honey, I Washed the Kids."  I was thrilled with every aspect of this purchase.  The honeycomb was a lovely and impressive addition to the dinner party I had.  I saved my beeswax, and there's enough to make a massage bar (or maybe two!).

Since I've been watching my carbs, I think my next purchase will be a batch of honey sticks.  They're portion-controlled and portable, so it seems like a great idea for the next time my sweet tooth hits me.  They even have honey in wacky flavors like root beer and pina colada!  I'll let you know how it goes!

P.S.  I borrowed this picture from Kline's store on Etsy.  Hope that's OK!

Review: Karma Naturals Cosmetics

I apologize for not posting more within the past several weeks -- believe me, you have not been far from my mind! :)

Unfortunately, the cell phone that I keep with me to document all of my awesome projects -- a Motorola Cliq that I had finally gotten used to using -- has died a sudden and untimely death.  Currently I'm back to using the first cellphone I ever had, a Samsung r225, from around 2002.  All of the phones since then I've donated or thrown away, but I always keep my durable old r225 for "just in case."  Although the technology is primitive, and there's a lot less to keep me occupied while I'm on the toilet, it's a durable and serviceable phone.  I am rather enjoying my bout with involuntary simplicity, at least as far as phone usage goes.

Because I don't have any cute pictures to share, I figured I'd just do a fast review on a company that I've recently done some business with.  I needed some new mineral foundation, so I bought a few samples from "Karma Naturals" through eBay.  Although I had ordered a "White Mousse" shade, they were out of that -- so I wound up getting colors called "Almond Latte" and "Vanilla Creme," which I mixed together and added a bit of baby powder to lighten.  (I have very pale skin, so it's not an uncommon thing for me to have to do.)  Despite the substitutions, I still liked the foundation.  It covered smoothly and evenly, and definitely made my skin look prettier in a natural way, rather than a corpse-y way -- which is good, since I've been needing to be a little more in the public eye lately.

Added benefits of doing business with Karma Naturals: The items shipped fast, and they even included a free vegan lip balm in pina colada, which I enjoyed even more than the foundation itself!  The foundation has stayed in the makeup kit in my purse, though the lovely moisturizing lip balm has a place by my bedside; I tend to use it in the morning and at night.

I was also given a coupon code to use at the website as well, which I definitely intend to do once I run out of stuff.  I am sooooo getting another lip balm -- with flavors like Devil's Food or Clover Honey, how can you resist? -- and the African Red Tea (rooibos) face cream sounds like something I'd like to give a whirl as well.  Their presentation is just the way I like things to be -- practical and effective, yet luxurious and fun, all at the same time. Karma Naturals makes all kinds of very interesting things, from organic lip balms and vegan makeup products, to soaps, fragrances, lotions, and other interesting body products.  Their website can be found at http://shop.karma-naturals.com, so check 'em out -- and hopefully they won't be too mad at me for borrowing photos from their website for this post! ;)

Lists to Get Your Ass In Gear

We all need some help remembering things from time to time.  One of the best tools that I've found to help me keep track of my shit is 37Signals' "TaDa List" website at http://www.tadalist.com.  It's an awesome, free tool that not only helps you make your pesky to-do list, but to make several at a time, and manage the tasks in a wonderfully easy way.

I've had my account for years, and one of my favorite features is that you can make your lists public or private.  The lists are password protected as well, and stored right on the website, so you can access them from anywhere in the world.  TaDaList also comes in a widget form for my MacBook (though to be honest, I'm not much of a widget user anymore), but hopefully they'll be making an Android-compatible app pretty soon so that I can use it on my phone too.  (I currently use "Task List" on my phone, which is also not bad, but not so especially cool that I feel compelled to write a review of it.)

I use the TaDaList for all kinds of things, not just to get things done on a basic to-do list.  It's a great way for me to store information and websites for future use, shopping lists, packing lists, and managing other tasks.

Review: A Period Piece on the "MyDays" App

I don't usually rave about apps, but this one is so well made and so useful that I really wanted to share it with every female Android phone user!

A few months ago, I acquired a new phone, in accordance with my T-Mobile contract.  Usually the thrill of a new phone is enough to keep me glowing for a few weeks.  I've had my Android phone for nearly four months now, and I am still finding thing that excite me all over again.  One of those exciting things is an application that I downloaded early on in my "cell phone honeymoon" days.  The application is called "MyDays," a female cycle calendar.  I'm not usually one for profligate downloading of freebies, but download it I did, and it was so useful that even the trial version has earned itself a coveted spot on my home screen.

MyDays is more than just a mere calendar; it can actually track and predict a woman's menstrual cycle and ovulation dates, as well as inform the user of her most fertile times.  The user can even notate and label days that correspond with specific conception (or contraception) practices, such as taking the pill, engaging in sex, or taking her basal metabolic temperature (BMT).  There are also functions that allow note-taking, which I've found invaluable for keeping track of my gynecological visits as well as any special circumstances, such as breakthrough bleeding or excessively bad PMS symptoms.  The one function that I haven't yet used is the "Chat & Talk" selection, which will enable you to get into touch with support, as well as chat with the other MyDays users to discuss whatever's on your mind. 

As a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS/PCOD) and metabolic syndrome, my lady business often comes late, which is not very ladylike at all.  I've often been mystified at how surprised medical personnel have been upon asking me about "what day in [my] cycle" I was currently experiencing.  Having had irregular periods for the last 22 years, I had never realized that most women can answer such a question right off the bat -- for me, the best answers I've ever been able to muster have been "bleeding" or "not bleeding;" answers which, somehow, don't tend to impress those in the medical profession.  I've always wondered... How do other women just seem to KNOW this stuff?  I'd always felt a little weird and out of sync with the rest of womankind; considering how erratic my cycle has been, I suppose I have been out of sync in more ways than one.  However, thanks to MyDays, I was able to go to my new gynecologist (on January 26th, according to my "notes!"), whip out the ol' cellie, and promptly inform Dr. Julio that my last period started on December 15th and ended on December 21st, yet I had experienced three instances of spotting in January.  Having these answers at my fingertips not only gave me more confidence upon answering medical questions, but also empowered me.  I felt as though I was really doing something good for myself by taking my reproductive health seriously.

This application gets a glowing A+ recommendation from me.  I would recommend the MyDays app to anyone who with an Android phone and a uterus!  It would probably also come in handy for my husband, so he knows when to stock up on chocolate and ibuprofen, but that's a whole 'nother blog entry.

January Decluttering Report

A Hap-hap-happy Groundhogs' Day to all, and a Blessed Candlemas as well!  Goodness, it's cold out there.  Let's hope that our little friend Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow today.  I usually love winter, but all of the odd weather that we've been having lately is getting a bit old -- I never know if I need to wear a heavy cape outside, or just my trusty black Dickies hoodie.  Mother Nature had better make up her mind, already. :)



In the spirit of getting my shit together vis-a-vis all of the clutter in my house, I have decided that it'd be a great idea to keep track of the stuff I've been doing to declutter by way of my donations and selling old shit on half.com & eBay.  Thus, I present to you my new feature: the monthly decluttering report!


JANUARY'S PROGRESS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
boxes donated: 4 (1 large, 2 medium, 1 smallish)
cause(s) helped: Big Brothers & Sisters of America
type of donation(s): clothes, kitchen wares, toys, books, health & beauty items

Items sold: 3 via Half.com
sold items: books (3)
profit*:  $15.15




NEXT PICKUP DATE:  TBA (probably last week of February, will be scheduling it this week)

YTD PROGRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boxes donated: 4 (1 large, 2 medium, 1 smallish)

causes helped: Big Brothers & Sisters of America

type of donation(s): clothes, kitchen wares, toys, books, health & beauty items

Items sold: 3 via Half.com

sold items: books (3)

profit*:  $15.15

*I suppose that, technically, this isn't my "profit" since I probably paid more than $15.15 for the items in question -- but since I wouldn't have made anything back if I didn't decide to relinquish these items, I'm'a count it as a profit.  So there. ;)

Also, big thanks to Flickr's qmnonic for his fantastic groundhog picture, which fit into today's entry so perfectly!  (Well-timed nature shots like this don't happen every day, lemme tell ya!)  This is actually Punxsutawney Phil's Canadian cousin, I think, but he's got that whole "peeking out of the hole to check on his shadow" thing mastered to a tee! :)

Creative Commons Attribution

Well, it's a new year.  With 2011 comes an important decision. ;)  Actually I just thought to add some licensing information to my stuff.  I'd suggest this for anyone who blogs or creates things, and not just online either.

(Image courtesy of Flickr's "jorgeandresem")

You can visit CreativeCommons.org for more information on the Creative Commons licensing information.  The Creative Commons website is an extremely valuable resource for any creative person who needs help figuring out which licensing best fits each project.  The site explains the difference between each license in a way that's detailed, yet easy to understand.  If you get stuck, try their awesome licensing wizard to help determine what kind of license you need, as well as  how to present it on your website.

This work by PrettyGoodShit.Com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Copyscape.com is also a great resource for people who want a quick-and-dirty "don't steal my shit" badge for their intellectual properties, to warn others against plagiarism.  Users can add an HTML notice to their content, as well as use Copyscape's service to scan the internet in order to find content which is being used without permission.


Remember to protect your content!  Also, if you need to reproduce someone else's work, be sure to ask permission or follow the direction of their licensing information.  A little respect for one another's original content will help our users get a lot more out of these resources.

Challah Back

Although carbs are awesome, I've never been big on just plain commercial grocery-store bread.  However, fresh yummy bread that's made from scratch is a wondrous thing.  I lack the patience to make it very often; once every few years is enough.  I hate having to wait all day for the darn thing to rise, then I worry about the cooking time in the oven... and then, of course is the thrill of cleaning up all the floury mess.  Yeah... just not my thing.

I have long suspected that I might just become awesome at baking bread if I'd just try it a little more often.  Rosh Hashanah seemed like the perfect time to make my all-time favorite type of bread: challah!  (Bagels [if they count] are a very close second, and croissants are third on the list.)  Challah is quite the endeavor, but the results are soooooo worth it!

Usually my way of cooking a new recipe is to scan it for things I want to change before actually attempting it.  This time, however, I Googled for a recipe that seemed to make the most sense to me, and -- miraculousy -- decided to follow it to the letter.  My pick was Maggie Glezer's honey-scented challah recipe, which looked and sounded absolutely decadent with its added smattering of honey to the dough.  The entire process, while arduous to me, was still such fun and yielded two little loaves of the most perfect challah one could ever desire.  And although it wasn't what I'd call easy, the recipe was straightforward enough that even a bread n00b like me wasn't able to screw it up!

Apparently, Maggie is somewhat notorious for her bread recipes 'round the internet, as I've seen several  other bakers reproducing the offerings from her book A Blessing of Bread: Recipes and Rituals, Memories and Mitzvahs as well.  Eli at The Fresh Loaf took some fantastic pictures of the fruits of his labor, and Sarah Kagan at Epicurious got some great tips from Maggie on how to ensure the best possible results.

I don't have permission to reprint the recipe here, but she has it over at Epicurious for those who are interested in trying it (and I highly recommend that you give it a whirl!).  I can, however, show you some of the pretty pictures that I took while Fuzzband and I worked on our challah.

We made our yeast slurry, then added the rest of our wet ingredients....

...mixed in the other dry ingredients...

...and turned it into a ball!

We covered the ball with some plastic grocery bags (a great way to reuse), and let it sit on the table for a couple of hours.  It doubled in size and started to smell awesome!

Then it was time to assemble my loaves.  I divided the dough ball into halves, and made 3 long skinny strands out of each half.  I braided them together...

... and set them up on my trusty old cookie sheet.  Then we covered them with our plastic bags, and left them on the table to proof.

And proof they did!  When we'd unwrapped them, they surprised us by being almost 3 times bigger than they were before!  Look how succulent and fat and yummy they are!  Fuzz brushed the outside with egg while I snapped an "action shot," then into the oven our challahs went!

Here's the stunning finished product, all shiny and gorgeous.  It smelled and tasted so amazing that we've decided to definitely make it again -- maybe next year, but perhaps even sooner.

Review: A Work of Cavi-Art

Last month, Fuzzband regaled me with some of his co-workers’ tales of woe about Valentine’s Day.

Apparently, some girlfriends and wives are harder to impress than others. I’ve always thought that I was definitely one of the more easily satisfied “V. D.”** gift recipients, but I suppose everyone thinks they’re easy to shop for than they actually are. As far as “V. D.” goes, my preferences are usually different than that of other people (OK, except my weakness for jewelry). I love roses because they make awesome potpourri and incense, but having them makes me feel totally guilty ’cause they’re so expensive. (Hell, I’d rather just get some really awesome incense, like from the Holy Rood Guild or something!) Fuzzband suggested that I start making lists for occasions wherein he’s run out of inspirado. Sure, it might not be as fun as a surprise, and a “Gimmie List” makes me feel like a total hog, but the benefits of saving time and money far outweigh my feeling like a selfish ass. And anyway, it was his idea, so that makes it OK. ;)
When quizzed by his co-workers about what he’d planned to buy me for “V. D.”, he replied with an item from my list. ”Vegan caviar,” he said, amid horrified expressions. I guess it’s not as cute and romantic as some stuff, but hey, it’s what I wanted. When you’ve been married for almost 9 years, you stop giving a shit about obscenely priced roses, and although candy is always appreciated, sickeningly sweet heart-shaped boxes just clutter up the house once the candy’s gone. (Jewelry’s okay, though.)
When the big day arrived, I peeled back the packing tape on the beautifully-wrapped UPS box containing my Cavi-Art, and produced 3 little jars of loveliness — one black, one red, and one that resembled ikura (salmon roe). I was surprised to see how good in the closed jar; if the label hadn’t said “Seaweed Caviar” on it, I’d never have known the difference. This stuff looked exactly like the real thing! Of course, looks aren’t everything, so I still had a healthy amount of skepticism.
Some of the reviews I’d seen of this product were all, “Maybe if I chill this first, it wouldn’t suck soooobad,” so I popped it into the fridge, wanting it to be ready for me as soon as I remembered to get new camera batteries. I did, however, sneak a taste of each jar prior to getting batteries… I just couldn’t resist trying it.
The ikura was the first one that I’d tried, and was the focus of one review that had truly worried me. The reviewer mentioned that there was an overpoweringly yucky dill flavor, and the stuff inside had an “oily” mouthfeel. This was not encouraging.
Real ikura is usually a deep orangey-red color. Upon removal from the jar, I saw that the mock ikura was much paler, and the brine that it floated in was very thin and watery, so it needed to be drained before I was able to have a decent sample. It also had these adorable little spotted bits, not unlike salmon roe, but much more obvious than actual ikura. Upon tasting, there was indeed what seemed to be a “dill pickle” note somewhere in there, but it wasn’t too overpowering for me, nor was it much of a turn-off. The balls of fake salmon roe popped nicely in my mouth, pretty similar to the real thing. I’d miss real ikura if I stopped eating it, but this stuff isn’t a bad substitute.
Visually, the red and black “lumpfish” varieties were dead ringers for the real thing. They didn’t have the same strong pickle essence as the ikura, and to me, the red didn’t taste any different than the black. I liked these “traditional” faux caviars a little better; not as salty as actual fish eggs, though they definitely had a strong veggies-in-brine type of flavor. The “eggs” were just the right size, though a bit more firm than the real thing, and yielded less liquid when they popped.
While I do love real caviar, I will definitely buy this product again. There are certain advantages to Cavi-Art, such as:
1. It won’t give you the runs, like regular caviar can. (Is it the high salt content or the cholesterol?)
2. This stuff keeps for weeks, maybe months! Eggs that come from an actual fish are good maybe a week, tops, before they need to be eaten or tossed. Cavi-Art is basically a pickled vegetable which can keep for a long-ass time. The jars that I got were about $8 each, which is a great price for something I don’t feel pressured to hurry up and use before it gets old.
3. The brine in Cavi-Art is clear. Real caviar often needs to be rinsed before using it as a garnish, or else you get nasty-looking fish juice all over your pretty hors d’oeuvre platter. Would my adorable little toast points with herbed creme fraiche look even half as sexy with a bunch of gunk all over them? Hells no!
4. The “lumpfish” style of Cavi-Art is firmer than true fish eggs, so if you stir it into something, the little eggs don’t immediately pop and discolor your food. They’re also easier to manipulate because you’re confident that they’re not going to break at the slightest provocation.
The only real drawback that I can think of is that Cavi-Art could stand to have a little more of a fishy taste; it’s definitely more of a veggie flavor. Even so, I’m still floored at how awesome it turned out to be. I’ll definitely be returning to their USA website for more when the need arises.
**(By the way… can someone tell me when the hell people started deeming it acceptable to refer to Valentine’s Day in its abbreviated form? Are people not aware of what they’re actually saying? Everytime I hear someone call it “V. D.,” it makes me snicker like a 12-year-old who caught her parents saying a bad word. For some of us, I guess every over-commercialized marketing ploy that The Man calls a “holiday” is at least as uncomfortable as an infested crotch — but even still, all of those people cluelessly spouting “V. D.” are pretty entertaining.)