Notes...

** Christmas shopping.... DONE. Mom and I just got home from the mall. Got the rest in one fell swoop between three stores, Sephora, Old Navy and Williams-Sonoma. Whew! Now I can use the pre Christmas week to prepare the baking and clean a bit.

To bake:

Brownies
Sugar Cookies (or Snickerdoodles haven't decided)
Holly Crackles
Ginger Spice Cookies
Nieman Marcus Cookie (a wonderful chocolate chip)

** I couldn't help myself. I got a sample of Vera Wang's new fragrance Princess with my Nordstrom bill and fell in lust immediately. So I bought a bottle today. I feel like such a traitor. LOL!! But BPAL is still my main love, yo. *snuggles BPAL*


** Bath and Body Works, yo. Bought the most scrumptious Pink Buttercream Frosting candle. YUM. Feel like I could eat it it's that yummy. And some shower gels and hand soaps since I needed to re stock.

** Wasabi Peas as well as some White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Moose Munch from Harry & David. My Christmas indulgences. Well other than the bag of Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses I bought the other day. LOL!


** Thank you prettyh! I started the book last night and though I wanted to close my eyes and sleep I had to keep reading!!

And with that outburst, I retire to relax and start wrapping presents.

Hmmm... interesting.

You Should Spend the Holidays In

Bulgaria - with a huge vegetarian meal on Christmas Eve

What Country Should You Spend the Holidays In?

BPAL Review #21: Jólasveinar

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Recieved decanted imp (trial vial) via a decant circle.

The Jólasveinar are the seventy-some offspring of Grýla and Leppalúði, an ogre couple with a taste for chomping naughty children. This impish brood delights in causing discomfort, sowing confusion, and all-out raising hell during the Yule season. Their names are indicative of their malicious intentions -- Strap Loosener, Door Slammer, Window Peeper, Sausage Snatcher, Doorway Sniffer, Icebreaker -- and their creepy natures -- Lamp Shadow, Smoke Gulper, Crevice Imp. The devillish Jólasveinar finally cease their mischief and head for home at Þrettándinn.

Their scent is a mishmash of snow, dirt, Icelandic moss, marsh felwort, and the smushed petals of buttercups and moorland spotted orchids, with the barest hint of the scent of pilfered Christmas pastries.


In the vial: Slightly pine-y (maybe) with an underlying foody-ness.

On wet: Something floral happens. I still get pine, but am smelling less pastry/sweet. But it's not what I really expected, I wanted earthy and cakey. It's not as foody on me as some forum people have reviewed it as being.

On drydown: As mischievous as it's namesake. First it wants to be flowery, then I'll pick out something sweet waaaaay underneath. Then it totally changes again to pine forest. It's strange. An interesting blend. And I must really amp florals because it's all I'm smelling after an hour on. Sometimes another note will peek in but it's right back to flowers.

Overall: Not really sure if it's L-O-V-E love with this one, but I do like it.

*Photo from here.

No Prince concert for Polly *weeps*

I am bummed. BUMMED I tell you. I want two tickets to Prince at the Hard Rock on Jan 31 and the only ones left are the pricy $400 suckers. The $100 tickets went REALLY quickly. I can't justify that $400 cost. I just can't. I want to go. BADLY.

EEP! :/