¡Ombligo!

Had to include a beautiful image to end the year right!

2005 was one of the best and worst years for me!

The Best:
I have been incredibly blessed this year with new and continuing friendships. Which is far better than any contest win!

The best thing that happened was being able to give my Mom a new car! Especially given the fact that she's been so sick this past year and had never in her life had a new car!



Another major highlight this year was winning the Will & Grace trip for my parents. I hadn't mentioned this yet but my parents had already planned a trip to Las Vegas for their anniversary this coming February.



They were given a choice of dates to travel from and the one that fit best into their schedule. Unfortunately, the one date that best fit into their schedule was right before the trip they had already planned to Vegas as there are no substitutions in the travel plans for the Will & Grace trip, they'd have to fly back here from L.A and then fly from here to Vegas.

My Mom mentioned this to the contact person for the trip and the contact person said she'd look into making an exception. Well, the sponsors are going to fly my parents straight from L.A. to Vegas!

The Worst:
Stepping on the scale and realizing that I've reached the highest weight I had ever been in my life! This ranks up there as the one of lowest points in my life but being given the opportunity to change my life around when I thought it was impossible gives me a lot of hope!

Another low point was getting my credit record tampered with - bastards!

All in all, I can't really complain! This was a wonderful and prosperous year for me and I hope all my actions and reactions set me toward a path of positivity!

I hope that all these blessings and good fortunes continue into the new year not just for myself but for everyone!

I always get misty eyed when hearing Auld Lang Syne but the tears shed this year will be only happy ones! Hope that they are happy ones for you as well!

Even if they are not, here's hoping that next year is a better one for you! Tomorrow, you have to power to start a revolution in yourself!

I'll see you in the new year! ♥

.....We'll tak a cup o kindness yet, For auld lang syne!

I won't deny that I spent far too much on fragrances this year. My new year's resolution for 2005 was to not purchase any fragrances unsniffed which was clearly broken early on! Ah, no matter!

Here are the gems that I discovered this year:

Parfums DelRae Bois de Paradis
Starts off with bold cedar and dries down to pure heaven, it's the blackberries that draw me in.

Serge Lutens Chergui
Who knew leather could smell both sexy and sweet at once?

Serge Lutens A La Nuit
This was my choice as signature spring of 2005 fragrance but I wore it all year long. This is what turned me onto jasmine.

Sali Oguri Pink Manhattan
Even better than the fragrances that inspired it. More fruity than floral with just the perfect touch of sweetness - Summer in a bottle!

The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit
A subtle spiced jasmine that is amazing in both warm and cold weather.

Yves Saint Laurent Roses Enchantees
A green fragrance with roses that forever changed my opinion on lily of the valley. Can't wait for the weather to warm up just to wear this one again!

L'Artisan Extrait De Songe
Subtle hay fragrance with hints of wood and musk, very unique and different from other fragrances on the market. *discontinued*

Les Parfums de Rosine's Un Zeste de Rose
Fresh and light rose that even non rose lovers would love. Makes even the hottest days seem bearable.

People Of The Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo creme
I think I may love this even more than the fragrance itself. A lot more incense than in either the EDT or Parfum. The scent lasts all day and then some.

Serge Lutens Bois de Violette
Oh my, cedar and violet - such a sexy combination! By far the best violet fragrance on the market in my humble opinion. Just amazing!

Regina Harris Original
Incense and roses, that's all I need in life! Incredible in cold weather and smells better as the day goes on.

Rosine Rose D'argent
Makes me question why I previously dismissed fragrances with anise. Another uniquely beautiful spiced rose. *discontinued*

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir
Fruits and woods have never been so good together, the pine in here just melts my heart.

Lancome 2000 et Une Rose
It's no wonder why this is such a coveted fragrance a bold, beautiful rose bouquet, lightly spiced with hints of citrus and vanilla. Truly worth all the hype and more! *discontinued*

Keiko Mecheri Peau de Peche
This subtly spiced and earthy peach fragrance is as comfortable as a thick, warm blanket.

Beautiful lists by beautiful people!
Here are more Best of 2005 lists:

• An Alabaster Brow


• Beauty Addict


• Blogdorf Goodman


• Bois de Jasmin


• Brain Trapped in Girl's Body


• c'est chic


• Crazy Jay Blue


• The Great She Elephant


• Hrmph


• Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary


• Legerdenez


• Make a Mental Note


• Monkey Posh


• Mother Hen's Place


• my life my words my mind


• no one knows why the wolf laughs


• Now Smell This


• Peppermint Patty


• Perfume-Smellin' Things


• Scentzilla!


• She'll be feverish after so much thinking


• Slap of the Day


• Victoria's Own

Wishing everyone a beautiful, blessed and bountiful 2006!

posted by Sand  # 12:00 AM 19 comments

I have fond memories of visiting my paternal grandparents' house and smashing the pomegranate open from the tree in their backyard to eat those juicy seeds.

Pomegranate Noir is described on the Jo Malone site as:

Inspired by the allure of a scarlet-coloured silk dress, Pomegranate Noir is an enigmatic scent.

Ancient pomegranate, raspberry and plum are crowned with precious frankincense and patchouli to create a mystery that unravels with time.

The pomegranate is straight up pomegranate juice on me that's sweetened with a cooked raspberry and plum - like a spiced chutney if you will. This is a rather dark fragrance. I don't get a lot of frankincense but what I do get a lot of is pine with a touch of patchouli and a hint of cedar.

I chose to wear this on Christmas eve and my parents just loved it on me, my Dad even mentioned that this was a fragrance that my grandmother (the original perfumista) would have loved.

This is absolutely perfect for colder weather and surprisingly it lasted all day on me! I love this fragrance! Full bottle worthy without a doubt for me! I adore it!

Many, many thanks to Trina for so generously (as always) introducing me to this fabulous fragrance!

Want to read more reviews on Pomegranate Noir? Check out
Bois de Jasmin, Now Smell This and Perfume-Smellin' Things.

Pomegranate Noir retails for $85/100 ml or $50/30 ml direct through Jo Malone or through Bergdorf Goodman, Gloss.com or Neiman Marcus.

Rose has been of my absolute favorite notes since I was little so I'm always open to trying yet another rose fragrance.

Among the top of the list was Lancome's 2000 et Une Rose, especially hearing the numerous raves about it by the President of the 2000 et Une Rose fan club (and my best friend) Annie of Blogdorf Goodman fame.

The notes according to Ms. Annie are: dune rose, musk rose, Bulgarian rose, amber, musk and vanilla.

I wore this on Christmas day and felt it that the fragrance was too easily muted by the scents from the kitchen. A bit disappointed at first thinking that it was all hype until I had been wearing it for an hour and a half and suddenly I was able to take in all of the scent.

And it is AMAZING! So different from anything else I've worn.

It opens up with a vibrant rose bouquet which is softly taken over by a spray of pink peppercorns and a rather bold citrusy scent which I at first thought was orange but as the day went on it smelled more like yuzu.

(I've never smelled actual yuzu so this perception is based more on yuzu scented products I've used in the past.)

As I love spicy rose fragrances I felt that the peppercorn note left far too soon for my taste.

I don't get a lot of amber in here, nor musk but after it dries down I do get a lot of vanilla.

Most fragrances don't last for very long on my skin and this was no exception unfortunately but I bet it smells even better come warmer weather and hopefully lasts longer.

I don't really believe in a special occasion fragrance anymore but the rarity and specialness surrounding this scent force me to file this one as such, that is unless Lancome decides to re-release it or I make a trip to Paris!

I'm not sure if I should wear this or Nanadebary Pink for New Years Eve - that's how much I love it!

For a better review on 2000 et Une Rose please read the review on Bois de Jasmin. Plus, check out this review at Beautybuzz.com.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am incredibly and overwhelmingly blessed. I have for the most part received everything I have ever wanted and more out of life.

If anyone asks "Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?" I can honestly say with all my heart that I did!

I present to you the best Christmas gift I have ever received which even beats the Cabbage Patch Kid I got as an 8 year old!

Inside the card was a reference to a poem on "How to gift" which says:
...Something to eat - Harry & David pistachio toffee
...Something to read - The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders.
...Something they wanted - Lancome's 2000 et Une Rose!!!!!!!!!!

This is a discontinued fragrance and sells on average for about three times it's original price on Ebay. It was only sold for a year 1999-2000 and I sadly never had the opportunity to test it back then. All I wanted was a sample vial of this and now I have my own bottle!

....Something they need - Sailormoon Magic Stick!!!

What's more awesome than the gift of magic? Plus, it has lights and sound! I was playing with this all day!

Who sent me this uberfabulous and ever loving gift? Beautiful, brilliant, and ever benevolent Barbara better known as Pirate Barbatia to MUA girls.

She is such an inspiration to me and one of my many role models. To have her as a friend is by far the greatest gift I could have ever received!

Photo from the iHotto Website.

I spy with my little eye:

iHotto Ice Cream Necklace - Mint Chip

on clearance for $14.99

Also, get an additional 10% off with code: TCBBSTGST - Expires: 1/31/06
Plus, if you sign into Ebates, you earn 3% cash back rebate.

Can also be purchased direct from the designer, iHotto or through Fred Flare for the original price of $30.

Ok, so I didn't exactly eat like a person on Weight Watchers this past week. This time of year there are traditional holiday foods that I only eat once a year and look forward to it. I ate what I wanted which in all wouldn't have been such a bad thing because I don't crave as much as I used to but my downfall was the lack of exercise.

Getting back on the treadmill was painful and it's going to take a while to get back to where I was before. I know better, I honestly do and for the most part it was worth giving into holiday overindulgence - I just should have done it differently.

One major highlight of this past week was when I was doing laundry, I had run out of jeans and looked at a pair that didn't fit me before - at all. There are my fat, thin jeans. Meaning they are still fat jeans but I had to lay down and suck in all the fat before zipping them up. Well, no laying down and no sucking anything in. In fact, they were a little loose in the waist. OMMFG!!!

I'm starting to see the changes in my body slowly, still nowhere near my goal weight but I'm trying. I decided that in the new year I need to try a bit harder to see the results I want. No excuses anymore!

So, I didn't get a final star for 2005 - but you bet your ass I'll get it in 2006!

Ugh, I'm seriously Jabba the Hutt right now!

Biscochos are my kryptonite!

I had a rather lovely Festivus! There was no pole involved but I did have a rather lovely Festivus dinner.

Here is my own airing of grievances:

To the passive aggressive people in my life: Get over yourself - Seriously! If you hit me one more time with a smart ass comment, I'm going to hit you with a smart ass response! Got enough shit of my own - don't need yours!

Regarding Contests: People please stop asking me to buy lottery tickets or to give you numbers. It's called probability!

Regarding Weight Loss: Stop telling me that certain foods aren't exactly low fat. It's my mouth, and my body. I know how much I'm going to have to stay on the treadmill to work it off and sometimes it is worth it!

Keeping it at three because it's an odd number. This entire week was full of Festivus miracles but there was one in particular that has left me completely speechless. Needless to say I am bewildered and hope to talk about it more later.

To end Festivus, I challenged Hope to the feats of strength but she took off running! She fears my strength!

Early on I didn't find myself drawn to any Keiko Mecheri fragrances so I dismissed the entire line. Recently however Darling D of An Alabaster Brow described Peau de Pêche smelling similar to Japanese peach candy and with that I was sold!

The notes in Peau de Pêche are: White Peach, Orris Powder, Sandalwood, Amber Wood.

The initial spritz was a rather heavy scent of alcohol which turns into an amazingly beautiful scent. The peach is a lot bolder in the beginning and softens as the day goes on. Slightly woody but more earthy and a touch spicy.

I'm testing other fragrances today on my arms and this doesn't draw away from the scents that I'm testing. Perfect for those times where you want a soft fragrance that leaves a subtle impression.

Peau de Pêche retails for $80/2.5 oz. and is available through Luckyscent, Luscious Cargo and Neiman Marcus.

Thank you D for the incredible favor and introducing me to such a beautiful fragrance!

Winter is one of my favorite seasons as the weather affords me the opportunity to wear fragrances heavy on woods and spices. So what am I choosing as my fragrance choice for this season? Bois de Paradis!

It was really hard to choose just one scent to mark this season but that's the one I seem to be reaching for a lot. I find the cedar a bit too bold in the beginning but once it dries down it's an amazing fragrance!

I have chosen dark purple to be my power color for this season. I've been wearing my midnight blue glass ring a lot which takes on more the color of dark purple. For a long time now I've been on the hunt for a dark purple bag that's an ideal size. While I've found several that shade, not have passed the test.

Goals for this season? I really need to take the time to read the stack of books I've overlooked. And I want to learn how to knit. So far I have the first step down, how to hold the yarn when you knit!

The one major drawback to this season is that my eczema flares up, especially on my hands. *sobs* My poor hands!

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to rings! The funkier the better I say!

I always welcome the chance to buy a new ring for my collection so I caved on the following rings from the MoMA store: Alissia Melka-Teichroew's "diamond" rings in clear and red and the adorable Snow Globe Ring.

I was debating on ordering the silver version as I was really drawn to the design but really wanted to see the size and fit of the acrylic ones.

For me this is a perfect option to a traditional diamond ring. Several years ago I said that I'd like to purchase for myself the biggest solitaire diamond ring I can afford by the time I turn 30.

That was soon amended after hearing investigative reports on the diamond industry, especially those focusing on blood diamonds. As it's up to the bearer of the ring to determine what traditions, meanings, and stories the ring portrays for them, mine will stand for my stance against blood diamonds.

Here are more pictures of Alissia Melka-Teichroew's diamond ring collection:



Notice how the thickness of the band varies in this picture above. Well, on the MoMA site, they picture the silver ring as being the thinnest band where the acrylic versions are pictured as being a bit thicker. I'm a bit disappointed as my clear ring is half the thickness of the red one. I was hoping to wear the two rings together but the boldness of the red really draws away from the clear one.

Maybe I'm just being anal but I'm a teensy bit upset by the discrepancies on the thickness of the rings.



Aside from the MoMa store, the Snow Globe ring can be purchased direct from Carolyn Forsman ($8 or 2/$15) or through Amazon ($6). The Carolyn Forsman site offers a choice of three different glitters: Iridescent glitter, stardust (finer glitter) or silver laser glitter. There is also a Star of David snow globe ring.

I believe that the only place you can buy Alissia Melka-Teichroew's diamond rings online are through the MoMA Store the acrylic rings are $10 each and the silver version is $98.

My sampler actually arrived on Monday but the batteries in my camera died. This was by far the most fragrant sampler I'd ever received! As I love all things scented, I declare this The Best Sampler Ever!

This is what arrived:

A stick pin from Erin Elizabeth Jewelry. - So beautiful, I really love this!
A ginger and lime bath melt from Scrub Your Butt Soap Co. - Amazing scent! I love me some ginger baby!
A newspaper from Warm 'n Fuzzy
Earrings from Dancing Stones - Lovely colors and score for lever back closures!
A wallpaper bookmark from Posy Press
A zine from Sini Puu
A card from Sappy Cards
A card from Cute as a button
A hot chocolate button from Kat's Meow
A Christmas gift tag from Nesting with Style
Bath tea from Prairieland Herbs
A soda tab bracelet from Copacetique
A paper pack from Chebang
A "I want to be a strawberry" button from Button Arcade
Holiday gift tags from Wataame
Candy cane incense from Mother's Hearth Incense
Fetus Navidad from FeTO - the name cracked me up! She's a Degrassi fan! Holla Degrassi!
A zine from Modern Suspenders
A crochet cupcake keychain from Sweet Honey Complex - This is so cute I'm going to cry!
Gift tags from e. marie arts

This is my second attempt at this week's WW update.

I'm heading into week three of the lower dosage of Synthroid and starting to feel much better. My blood pressure is getting back to normal as each day passes. Well, I stepped on the scale and discovered I gained a little over a pound!

Here's what WW had to tell me: GREAT JOB for logging your weight! We notice that you've gained a little this week. You should know that gaining weight every now and then is a natural part of the weight-loss journey.

Needless to say I've been feeling defeated and deflated lately, more so than ever! Everyday a little part of me wants to give up on this goal but it's seemed to affect me even more recently. Doubt was starting to set in and I started questioning if I honestly deserved the very best out of life and if all this was really worth it - not just the weight loss but everything.

For a long time I've felt as thoughmy life has been on pause and only recently is it really starting to move.

On Saturday, I received a Christmas card from a former sorority sister that I haven't talked to in exactly five years. Recieving that card brought a flood of emotions as it was this time of year five years ago that we talked last. At the time I was at a really bad place where I thought "Can it really get worse than this?" Yes, it can and it did. Where I was five years ago was only the beginning of my personal downfall.

At first, I was focused on how little my life has changed from that place and narrowing in on only the negative but I also thought of other ways in how my life has changed and events that have taken place. So yeah, I'm nowhere near where I expected to be but I am currently doing something about it to get where I want to be.

On Monday, one of my best friends called me and we talked for a very long time as she isn't at an ideal spot in her life either. After a while she brought up the subject of my former frend and talked about out friendship or lack there of.

Seems that former friend is now claiming foul on an incident that took place exactly two years ago (What is it with this time of year???) and is now saying that that was the real reason why she was upset with me. She's also claiming that she's open and willing to talk to me but I've not contacted her.

If something has hurt or offended me, I speak up about it! The response isn't always immediate but I do make sure it is effective. At the same time if I've ever hurt or offended anyone I expect them to speak up about it so that I'm given the opportunity to clarify matters or apologize. To sum it up, I want a swift resolution to any conflict.

I don't and have never gone out of my way to purposely hurt someone, yet that was what the former friend and her spouse did to me. Even if she was genuinely hurt by the actions that took place two years ago, that still gives her no right to have treated me the way she did. Instead, I hear two years later that she's claiming to be hurt by my actions from back then.

I am incredibly angered and offended that she's making it seem as if I'm the bad guy. I'm also angered by the fact that my friend has chosen to be a mediator between the two of us when nobody ever asked her to be. If I have a beef with someone I prefer to take it up with them myself - no need for a middleman!

Instead of me responding with "Bitch is a liar!" and clarifying exactly what occured, I said "As far as I was concerned the friendship was over but I wished her a very happy life!"

And I do, with all my heart!

I'm just trying to rise above it all and focus on my own issues! Move in the direction that I need to be because deep in my heart I know I deserve better!

As Wynonna Judd said on Oprah,"I'm not where I want to be, but I'm sure as heck not where I was."

Aghhh! I wrote out my WW update for an hour - it was so long and when I clicked for it to post, it timed out and all was lost! I'm too tired to write it all over again tonight, it's almost 3! I'm sleepy, angry and creeped out by Nip/Tuck!

Bastardassmotherfuckingsonofabitchblogger.comsucksass!!!!!

I'm wearing Aqaba today and remembered that the ever so generous and Queen and protector of all animals sent me a sample of Jewels of Blu which is part of the new Aqaba Jewels collection.

Described on the site as:
For the Eyes of Blu of You

In Seas of Days Gone By

With You in Love Am I

Queen of Sheba and King Solomon

Ancient Love

Lost in the Sands of AQABA

I was drawn to this one the most because of the notes which are:
Top: Peach, Apricot, Rose de Mai.
Middle: Ylang Ylang and Egyptian Jasmine.
Bottom: Vanilla Bourbon, Patchouli, Tibetian Musk

I think the only fragrances I own which have apricot notes are Floret and Maybe Baby, both of which I adore so I was very anxious to try this fragrance.

In all honestly I wasn't crazy about it with the initial spray. It seemed a bit harsh but as it clings to my skin it starts to smell a bit like a sorbet. This fragrance has a bit of a melon note to it, which turns me off a bit but as my skin warms up the note slowly of dissipates.

The floral notes in here are soft and a bit buried under the fruity notes which are further sweetened by the vanilla. The patchouli in here is incredibly beautiful, very soft and very different from other patchoulis.

A very nice fragrance but I think I tested it at the wrong time of the year as this is more of a warm weather fragrance and I think I'd appreciate it much more at that time.

Jewels of Blu retails for $125/3.4 oz., $85/1.7 oz. or $55/1 oz. The 1.7 oz bottles are also available through B-glowing and Luckyscent.

Blingo


The first time I heard of Blingo (a search engine with daily prize giveaways where each search is also a sweepstakes entry,) I had a feeling it might be a scam.

Soon after, I heard of people winning and receiving their prizes so I figured I was game and have been using it ever since. You're only eligible to win under your first ten searches a day.

So, I'm searching away and enter "Kanye West" and I get the "Congratulations" sign shown above. It says I won a free movie ticket, however when you go through the confirmation process it asks you if you'd like a $10 iTunes instead. I chose that option as I have a new iPod nano from....The Kanye West Touch the Sky Contest! Oooh, freaky!

They have a lot of other really cool prizes at Blingo including Sony PlayStation portable, Visa gift cards, iPods and portable dvd players.


I also won a bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care from the Moisture Obsessive Instant Win Game!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the mail arrived for today and here is what it included:

From Allymoon I won the shirt featured above and below which is a cotton/lycra blend making it oh, so soft! Isn't it beautiful and just perfect for summer!

They have other fabulous designs on the site! Also from Allymoon are magnets and a pin. Other designs can be found here: Allymoon Knick Knacks. What a wonderful site and everything arrived gift wrapped!


Allymoon shirt on a hanger.


Magnets and a button from Allymoon. The series of magnets is titled My Funky Closet

which says:
I never know what to wear on a date! Should this dress go with these heels or these flats? But I like this outfit with these cute sandals...or, maybe this outfit would look better...I CAN'T DECIDE!!! NOW, what bag should I carry?

Isn't that the truth!!!



From Life & Style Weekly, NAO never accept ordinary™ lip gloss in Sea.



From Allure magazine, St. Ives Apricot Scrub. My sister who's an esthetician frequently goes on and on about how bad St. Ives Apricot Scrub is bad for your face. I'll use this as a body scrub instead.



From Wired magazine, Kong: King of Atlantis.


From Hershey - Express Yourself & You Could Win Sweepstakes a Hershey's Happiness t-shirt.

Also arriving was a Christmas card from a former sorority sister that I haven't talked to in five years! What a blast from the past!

I've got a bit of a lucky streak going on, in the last three weeks I've won the following items:



Mary Kay lip gloss in watermelon from Latina Magazine.


Neutrogena tinted lip balm in glow from Lucky Magazine.


Alberto VO5 Red Heat Defense Conditioning Spray, Miracle! Mist from Allure Magazine.


Monty Python's Flying Circus: Eric Idle's Personal Best from PythOnline.

These things arrived within the last two days:

$100 American Express gift cheque from Pepperidge Farm - Live By Your Whims Instant Win Game


iPod nano from Verizon Online - Kanye West Touch the Sky Instant Win Game (this was actually won in my Dad's name but he gave it to me)!


I knew it was going to be small but I had no idea how tiny it would actually be! I was secretly hoping it would come in black! Now to find a case for the thing, and upload music of course!

Not pictured is the $5 gift certificate to Subway.

I haven't tested any fragrances in a while as I hadn't been feeling good. As I'm feeling better I couldn't decide on which fragrance to test first and settled on VIP Room as I'd been dying to try it for ages and I'm really glad I did.

The notes in VIP Room are: Tiare flower, bergamot, tangerine, pineapple, sandalwood, vetiver, birch, iris root, leather, styrax, amber, vanilla, musk.

I like those top notes in other fragrances but when I first sprayed it, they seemed to be a lot sweeter than I was expecting which totally threw me for a loop. Thankfully those notes seem to disappear almost instantly once the strong leather starts to come out.

As the leather dries down, the woods come out with the iris and once dried down, the amber and vanilla seem to pop out. Once dried down, the sweetness of the not notes is detectable again but they smell really nice meshed with the rest of the notes.

I'm feeling a bit mixed about VIP Room as it's the middle notes (and their strength at that stage) that I love the most about this fragrance. As it stands now, this could totally be full bottle worthy and one I'd love to have in my collection!

This is really perfect as an all day fall into winter fragrance. The only major drawback it the lasting power, it fades far too fast on me.

Want to read more reviews about VIP Room? Check out reviews on Bois de Jasmine, Now Smell This and Winter Wheat.

Aside from buying it direct from the source, you can find it at Aedes & Lucky Scent for $120/3.4oz

I'm such a sucker for cute, kitschy pins! I'd seen these Oh Lolly Lolly pins at Heyday Fashion and found them adorable but didn't buy them for whatever reason.

Last week, their newsletter contained a free shipping code so I went to see which colors they had in stock and discovered them on sale for $3 each! Total Score!

While I wanted them all, I showed a little self control and limited myself to three: bubblegum, blueberry and peppermint.

Heyday Fashion is currently closed until December 27th but these pins can also be found at Indieworkshop for $6.50 each which includes shipping.




Looking for the lollipops that inspired these pins? You can find them at Hammonds Candies for:
$13.50/for a set of six 1oz. lollipops
$15.80/for a set of four 4oz. lollipops
or even $14.00 for a one pound lollipop!

Hammonds also carries everyone's favorite ribbon candy year round.

You know you want one....sucker!

So I stepped on the scale monday and saw the same weight I've seen for the last three week. That's right, my weight has stayed the same! No losses but at the same time, no gains.

It's neutral week! This is week 2 of the new dosage of synthroid so hopefully things will start kicking and I'll be back on track. My energy levels are increasing and I'm starting to feel a lot better. *bows and courtesies*

This is what WW had to say about my weight:
If you're feeling a little neutral about your weight-loss result, here's a little fact to make you smile: The rate you're losing weight at is considered to be very safe and healthy. So you're seeing success! You're doing the right thing.

Remember this anonymous saying this week: "Feel pride in how far you've come and confidence in where you're going."

I'd like to earn one more WW star before the year is over and feeling a tiny bit frustrated that I can't make my body lose weight when everything's not quite working at full capacity.

I'll show you body! I need to see some results this week! To the treadmill I will go!

I love The Museum of Modern Art store, I seriously want everything featured on that website. I was looking over the site last night and notice that this Russel Wright Stepped Vase looks a lot like the top of The Different Company's bottles turned upside down. Only the top two tiers unscrew to reveal the sprayer but what a welcome coincidence!



Russel Wright Stepped Vase sells for $160.
Code: 5VIP6 gives you 20% off until tomorrow night.

I didn't want to say anything before as I really didn't have all the details but now I do, so now I will.

As a hobby I enter contests and win things on occasion, sometimes I enter my parents, sister and friends to win as well. Not often, but say there is something they'd be interested in or a sweepstakes only available in that area, etc... Needless to say I've won small things for everyone!

Anyhow, a while back my mom received an affidavit that she was the winner in our local market of Time Warner Cable - Lifetime's Will You Grace Us With Your Presence? Sweepstakes.

Prizes (30-1 per market): 3-day/2-night trip for two adults (21+) to Los Angeles, CA, welcome dinner, and two tickets to see a live taping of Will & Grace (ARV $3,000).

Today she was informed of the dates she can choose from for the trip. She has to rank her preferences between January and February and it's first come, first serve.

I watched Will & Grace when it was first on the air but lost interest once it went opposite C.S.I. My parents don't watch it either but I'm sure they'll have a lovely time. This is Will & Grace's last season so it's sure to be memorable.

I've always been so ga-ga for cableknit anything. In all honesty I really don't know if I've ever owned a cable knit sweater, perhaps as a child?

Sweaters don't really flatter people on the chunky side because it's inevitable that you end up looking like a sausage. Unless of course you wear a sweater that's two sizes two big then you look like you're wearing a tent.

Anyhow, these accessories look great against both fit and fluffier bodies! I still have yet to find a scarf and am really swooning over these scarves and hats from The Gap. I had been looking for something handmade but these are softly calling my name!



Cable Scarves at Gap.com $24.50 (shown in turquoise.)



Cable Cap at Gap.com $14.50 (shown in raspberry rose.)

I have been swooning over the Bangle Bags at Margaret Nicole for a while now but seeing as how my obsession over fragrance seems to always take presidence I've yet to cave on one.

I wouldn't even know which color to choose and the ribbon choices are nearly endless! Ah, someday Bangle Bag you will be mine!

Someday, *sobs* but not today!


Margaret Nicole Bangle Bags $150 - $200.

This past week was bad, really bad. My body starts malfunctioning on me on the worst week of the month (if you know what I mean) so needless to say I didn't have any expectations and didn't see any results. Same weight as last week which I normally would find frustrating but now I feel rather neutral about.

The one thing that had me concerned was my blood pressure, last week I noticed it was a bit higher than normal. I have really normal blood pressure so I can tell when something isn't quite right.

Before I was diagnosed with Graves disease my blood pressure was out of control as my heart was beating out of my chest. I was tired all the time, etc... That was the reason that I was hospitalized originally, then they ran a series of test and diagnosed me with Graves and had to have the radiation iodine treatment them. Before I was put on Synthroid, I was put on heart medication to calm my heart. I was on that medication for at least six months and I was restricted to not exercise.

As had a doctors appointment last week I wasn't too concerned as I was going in for a checkup but if I weren't I'd definitely seek medical help. I wasn't feeling good at all and didn't exercise for five days straight which is probably the longest I've not exercised since joining weight watchers.

As I suspected, my medicine was lowered and I'm now down to a lower dose of Synthroid (from 150 to 125). I've been on the new medicine for two days now so it'll be some time before everything gets back to normal. I felt a bit better yesterday and was able to exercise. Hope to follow the routine this week and wait until the new dosage takes effect.

MLB Baseball 2005 - Rafael Palmeiro during the Government Reform Commitee hearing on the use of Steroids in Major League Baseball in Washington DC. March 17, 2005 © Greg Fiume/NewSport/Corbis.

You know that scene in Kindergarten Cop where Schwarzenegger reaches his boiling point and screams at the kids? That's the place where I'm at right now - it's nothing serious of course, it's just my thyroid - as always!

The last time I wasn't feeling too good, I found out my levels were too low (that's when I was struggling to lose any weight). Got my medication raised and was feeling okay for a while until the last four weeks I was feeling a bit wonky again (I haven't worn any fragrance aka "juice" in an entire week!)

I go to the doctor yesterday and find out that my levels are too high so I have to get to a lower dosage (which means that it wasn't all me in the last weigh in).

It gets me to thinking, a higher dosage of Synthroid combined with weight loss is probably equivalent to the use of illegal steroids in athletics.

You and me Palmeiro, we're one in the same!