Hmmmm….
I got this in the mail the other day from the National Association of Professional Women. It reads:
“It is my pleasure to inform you that [blah, blah, blah] You were considered for this honor because of your outstanding leadership, commitment within your profession and employment at Bleah.”
They say there is no cost or obligation to be included, but I’ve been on this planet long enough to know that nothing is free. Evidently they don’t screen their potential members, or they’d know that I don’t spell it Bleah, I spell it Blah. And they’d also find that Blah only employs roly polies. With a little digging, they would also discover that I wouldn’t join any club that would have me as a member. So how did they get this information? I showed it to my husband and he started laughing hysterically, so of course I asked him if this was his work. He swears it wasn’t him. He spells it AND pronounces it Bleah, and this whole thing reeks of him. He’s the type to fill in any dubious “required” fields with tidbits such as “bleah”. He’s known as Kilgore Trout at Radio Shack, so…
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Lately I’ve been wearing:
Versace Crystal Noir – photo courtesy of fragrantica.com
Gres Cabaret – photo courtesy of fragrantica,com
Jovan Intense Oud – photo courtesy of fragrantica.com
Jovan Secret Amber – photo courtesty of fragrantica.com
Click on the photos if you care to learn more about these fragrances at Fragrantica.com.
Versace Crystal Noir – It’s a flowery soapy, deep incensy sandalwood. On me. In my opinion, it’s the best sandalwood heavy composition amongst the current department store fare. Allegedly it’s heavy on the coconut, and while I don’t usually care for coconut scented anything, this manages to work for me. Probably because I can’t smell the coconut.
Gres Cabaret – Gres’ Cabochard and Cabotine were not only frightening on my skin, they were inescapable. One thing Gres gets right every time is making a fragrance that lasts all day whether you want it to or not. I had to give Cabaret a chance. The bottle was too nifty and the most prominent notes listed were rose, patchouli and incense. I love all of those things, so I found a mini for sampling. I wasn’t sure about it at first, it seemed rather uninteresting the first time I tried it on, it came across as a soapy rose and not much more. It reminded me of what Liz Claiborne smelled like on my Aunt Charlotte in the 1990’s. But for some reason I was compelled to try it again. And again. The last time I added a tiny dab of patchouli oil and I was hooked. A large bottle can be had for less than $30.
Jovan’s Secret Amber and Intense Oud – If I’m not mistaken, these are two of Jovan’s attempts at Eastern meets Western style perfumery. Bond No. 9 and Montale have been doing this for quite some time, but the price tags might send you into shock. As for the Jovans, less than $10 (for each 3oz bottle) bought some rather upscale smelling colognes. I thought I’d prefer the Intense Oud, but I think I might like the Secret Amber best. To my amateur nose, they both resemble the Bond No. 9 oud fragrances I’ve tested. So if this is what oud consistently smells like in alcohol based fragrances, it’s far and away from what I’ve known as “oud” for the last 20 years since I’ve only worn it as an oil. That said, I do like this alcoholic oud, and both of these Jovans are a good, cheap introduction for oud noobs. There are drawbacks, however – if you’re not a fan of the Jovan Musk, it might be wise to avoid these because they definitely show that Jovan musk undercarriage within a couple of hours. And the lasting power of the stuff I like about these fragrances is not that great, but that musk does not let up.
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NELSON REPORT:
Nelson doesn’t bat an eye at the bright flashes of lightning or the window rattling rumbles during a rowdy thunderstorm. Dogs? No problem for Nelson. That cute little party favor up there in that photo? RUN FOR THE HILLS!!! I kid you not. And it doesn’t even make noise! We’re planning a trip to the party store to stock up. We don’t torture Nelson with the party favor, we use it to keep him off of us while we’re trying to eat. We really have tried to teach him some manners, but if there are French fries, Nelson’s tiny morsel of propriety is nowhere to be found. Nelson runs back and forth, goes in circles, gets on our shoulders and has attempted to knock the French fries right out of our hands. If he’s good, though, he is rewarded with a tiny bite. Fred likes French fries too, but he waits patiently and politely. In fact, Mo and Fred are both very good while we eat, while Nelson is off-the-charts annoying. But he sure is a snuggly little bug in the winter time! And he likes beads.
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In other news, I FINALLY added the 2014 Gallery to my website. Have a look! One small curiosity about that gallery… it seems like the colors and designs grew more vivid as the year progressed. The 2015 gallery is up next (obviously) and I have fancy plans to not procrastinate on it.
SUPERSTARS TONIGHT! That’s right! Here’s what’s happening:
7:30PM CENTRAL TIME: The new beads will appear on the Superstars page for the sale preview. Take this 30 minutes to read and decide what you want, and email me with any questions.
8PM CENTRAL TIME and beyond: Start sending in your requests via email.
Please visit the Superstars page on http://www.z-beads.com.
Here’s a sample of what’s coming up:
come see us and our friends at the sale tonight. click on us to get there!
See you guys later!
the z-beads blog 