Thursday, November 30, 2017

Ebb & Flow: November

The highs and lows of the month.


Perfume:
Sonoma Scent Studio Equestrian

Perfume Oil:
Arcana Forest Witch

Soap:
Handmade in Florida Moroccan Mint Tea

Scrub:
Cosmic Cleanse ScentSations They're Here (I just wish less glitter)

Lotion:
Cosmic Cleanse ScentSations They're Here

Bath Salt:
FuturePrimitive The Gloaming Milk Bath

Face Primer:
Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer

Candle:
Sihaya & Company Sisterhood of the Moon

Wax:
Beezy pumpkins lighting up my life.

Eating:
Carbs like they will be taken away from me any minute. Because they should. Oh good Lord. Gimme dat bread.

Drinking:
Water but also hot apple cider when I can.

Reading:
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was my latest book and I quite enjoyed it.

Watching:
Stranger Things 2 it was soooooo gooooood! Also watching gratuitous amounts of Christmas movies.

Listening:
Carpenter's Christmas album

Dreading:
Starting my college courses... so much writing... so much juggling! But I better put on my growth mindset cap and change this attitude and slay it. 

Awaiting:
Turning 37. Taking my girls and guy to EPCOT (LOVE their Christmas around the world celebration) and spending the holidays with them. Christmas light trances, homemade hot cocoa, crackling fireplaces on the TV, cards to be sent out and advent calendar celebrations are some of my favorite things.

Hit:
Kore Herbal Alchemy Rune Face Scrub with glacier silt and juniper. And I am obsessed. It makes my skin feel amazing and it feels and smells like icy riverbed silt at the base of a volcano in Alaska. 

Miss:
Cosmic Cleanse ScentSations lip balm, it ends up leaving my lips rather dry so that I have to reapply very frequently to get the benefits that a typical lip balm gives me. 

Low:
Feeling scattered and stressed. Not being on top of things like I normally am. This is the first year I have neglected our Thankful Tree and that bums me out something fierce. The Fall Fun Series II was neglected. My weeknight dinners have been cereal and scrounging more often than not. It has been a bit of a hectic month. I am still adjusting to the additional work load and juggling that with my home duties and my blogging. I will admit. I have thought of just shelving this hobby and seeing how that feels. I am going on a no-buy/low-buy for the next couple months now that I have my wax stocked up and it would be an easy time to stop and have that additional temptation removed. But honestly, I have so much perfume I have not even reviewed I could sustain myself on that for a while along with some warmed wax reviews. There are a dozen candles I have not even blogged. I have some wax floating around here that was gifted to me that would make a nice feature. Plus I need to stretch myself again and do more bloggy things like the photojournal (I miss those), new series and more crafting/cooking. Just tossing some ideas around. I know this is not always the case for everyone, but it is for me, that once I stop blogging it will probably be forever. And there is a big part of me that is just not ready to move on yet. 

High:
The bonfire nights we have been having during cold evenings. I could fire gaze for ages, watching the smoke billow and stream, embers flashing and glowing and the ashen bark flushing with radiance like a primitive mosaic caught in a fiery sunset. The best fire was with my sister Darby on her birthday. We went camping in their new RV for one night in a local park and it was relaxing. That is where the photo above came from, the sun was rising and the fog was burning off and the dew still glistened on spider webs and plants. Thanksgiving was nice and mellow this year. No traveling. Lots of loving family. And I am looking forward to Christmas. I may have dropped the ball in November but I am ready for December. <3

How was your November? Any highs or lows? Did you try something amazing or read a good book? A crappy book? How are you doing?

12 comments:

  1. November is always a tough month for me. I don't feel ready for Christmas and it's a busy time at work so there's always stress. I'm trying to take time to sit back and relax, breathe and enjoy the moment, but that's easier said than done.
    You have a lot on your plate, and I hope it's not overwhelming you. Sometimes I'll write a list of all the things I'm thankful for instead of writing a list of all the things I need to do. It helps me keep perspective.
    Happy upcoming birthday and holidays! Maybe you should melt a little pink twinkling lights to celebrate! ;)

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    1. I wasn't feeling ready for Christmas either until about a day or two ago. I hope work goes smoother for you from here on out. November was pretty busy at work for me too. The spring will be even crazier though. I like your plan on just relaxing with intention more. I need to to do that. Too often when I have an extra minute, instead of just closing my eyes and resting, I try to fit in one more chore or to-do item.

      I love your idea of writing thankful lists. I will do that in my journal tomorrow on my lunch break (after resting for a few minutes of course!). Thank you for the well wishes. And you are totally right. I am melting Pink Twinkling Lights on my birthday. <3 THANK YOU!!

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  2. November always feels to me like the roller coaster cresting the top of the climb and beginning to hurtle downward, except not in a fun way :D I love the change in the weather, though so that helps. Bonfire nights sound awesome!

    I've been rereading Harry Potter from the beginning via the audiobooks, which I'd always heard were awesome and they are! I also just finished The Rabbit Back Literature Society, and it was... odd. The twist at the end made up for many of its shortcomings, and I liked that it didn't solve all the mysteries for you. I totally want to visit Finland now, though!

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    1. What a perfect metaphor. I am on that roller coaster for sure. The breezy chilly nights have been so very very nice. Perfect for moon gazing.

      Harry Potter audiobooks?! Now why have I not done that?? I agree, sometimes a good book leaves a little to the imagination. It takes place in Finland? Nice! I am very intrigued with the Scandinavian countries myself. Sweden really piqued my interest as I was reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. I was reading an odd book too, Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen. I love his music but this book was so weird I had to stop reading it. I think it messed with me a bit too much. I would much rather go to Finland. Thanks for the book recs! I am going to re-read HP until I get the audiobooks. <3 Hope your December goes well Kate! xoxo

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  3. Ugh November, I'm glad I barely knew ye. Honestly friend, I contemplate quitting once per month at least. Sometimes I continue due to excitement over a review, others, it's that I'm afraid not having blogging to devote my attention to might leave too much room for other darker thoughts. You have the opposite issue, too much wonderful diversion. I'm excited for you restarting your college courses, renewing your license, what-have-you, doing what's best for yourself and your family.
    Whenever I have a thing I'm dreading, I power through with minimal breakdowns, lots of coffee too, but it makes me that much more grateful for all of the fun and easygoing times when I'm not doing 'the dreaded thing'. Also, pardon the butting in but the HP audio books bring so much to the experience, you should do it as a reread!
    Sounds as if you have such fun upcoming this month, I hope you really do it up right.
    P.S. I lol'd at the Carpenters Christmas album, but on second thought, I need diverse Christmassy suggestions. Sure, I have a little libraries' worth of holiday cds in reach, yet end up listening to classical, Bare Naked Ladies and A Charlie Brown Christmas every time, please share any other vintage Christmas gems;)

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    1. Do you? I honestly can't say that I blame you. Blogging is great fun and a wonderful creative outlet but boy howdy does it take a chunk of time and a jolt of energy. Thank you for the well wishes. I am in the heart of my first course and though it is short it is INTENSE. I have on to tow large assignments due each night. The night before last took me 3 hours to complete, this was after working all day and then scarfing down some hot dogs. I am beat.

      Yes, getting over the humps does provide me some new appreciation for the calmer times. December doesn't really offer much in the way of relaxation for me but it does provide opportunities to dwell more in my family and they sustain me.

      I will look into those!! I have not done my re-read challenge item yet so that may be it! Thanks!

      Yes, let me take you back to the early 90's in my childhood home. We had one of those intercom systems where you could talk to people in other rooms like a walkie-talkie in the wall or use it to play music. The main intercom had a radio and cassette option and every Christmas season form the time I was in 5th grade to 12th grade we would pop in The Carpenter's Christmas Portrait album and listen to it all season long. So now they are my quintessential Christmas album. The Beach Boys Christmas got play and the typical Nat King Cole but it wasn't Christmas without the Carpenters. <3

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  4. Also, just saw Equestrian! Thank you again, going to re-try during the less sweaty winter months.

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    1. Yes! I wore it to work the other day and the assistant teacher said how nice I smelled and I told her thanks! I smell like a horse! I do think it is a wonderful chilly weather scent.

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  5. Hopefully things settle and mellow for you soon. I miss chatting! I'm trying to figure out some things for myself here, although not things as big as your situation. My blog is still just sitting in limbo. I have so many years and so much time invested in it that it's hard to let go, yet it IS getting easier to just not do it. (Although, having said that, I have reeeeeally strong urge to blog today, so who knows?!)

    My November was, once again, kinda neutral. I finished reading the last of the Hex Hall books (last one was dumb), and read the newest Magisterium book (it was good), and have now gone back to that newest Philippa Gregory book, The Last Tudor (or something like that).

    ~Deb

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    1. Thank you sweet Deb. I hope so too. It will once this course is over. I have one more to take but that is in January. I miss chatting too. It has been nice this past week talking with you more. I cannot imagine once you have that much work and time invested in a blog, just walking away from it. But if that is what you need to do to have peace sometimes it needs to be done. It sounds like you may be coming back around though! I always hold out hope you will continue. Selfish I know.

      Sorry Hex Hall ended on a dud. Boo. I miss reading Philippa. Love her books. They are so easy to ready, like popping candy.

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  6. After reading this and the comments of my fellow bloggers, it seems like the the struggle is REAL right now when it comes to blogging. At first it truly is a piece of cake and fun to shoot out content but now with busy schedules, life and just everything it gets to us. I feel like I would miss it too much if I did stop and it's not that I really want to, I just don't always have it in me recently to sit and work on a post though I don't want to slack on my blog either. I hate it that I have been slacking on reading all of you guys post, including yours! I miss our chats too.
    My November was..well.. I was going to work up a post about some of what all happened. From getting in my first wreck (They hit me), to buying my first new car it's been interesting to say the least. But I've made it and now I'm almost done with Christmas shopping for December so I'm getting ahead to hopefully have a smoother month.
    I agree with you on maybe doing a no buy/low buy thing. After getting a few candles from candle day, I now have options for candles to review and PLENTY of wax to go over for awhile that I need to get through that frankly I'm only slowly melting as I'm only melting in the afternoon when I'm home.

    I hope things get better for you girl and that you have a blast at Epcot and had a terrific Birthday!

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    1. Hey hun! The blog struggle IS real as you well know! It does take commitment and time. I would miss it too if I left right now. But sometimes I think it is healthy for me to re-evaluate whether it is working for me, my family and my goals at the moment once in a while. I am so sorry to hear about your car accident. I had no idea that was what precluded your new car purchase. Praying you have a smooth rest of the month too. You deserve it my friend. YAY for being stockpiled and ready to melt and burn rather than shop! I am right there with you!

      I only melt in the evenings too when I am working during the week. But once I get on Christmas break the wax will flow!

      Thank you Jessica! I was thinking it would be a beautiful crisp cold day for EPCOT but now the unpredictable Florida weather rears it sub-tropical head and rain is expected with super cold temps. Hoping it passes and we can still go. My birthday was wonderful. Lots of love form my students and co-workers and my own kids and hubby. <3 Thank you!!

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