Ebb and Flow: October 2019

The highs and lows of the month.

Perfume:

Solstice Scents Gibbon's Boarding School

Perfume Oil:

Whisper Sisters Mabon (used it all up!)

Body Oil:

Kings Road Apothecary Tulsi and Pinon (KRA is closing up shop by year's end, so I am trying to stock up while I can)

Skincare:

B. Perry Studios Facial Oil

Candle:

Wick and Fable Hog's Head Inn

Wax:

Vintage Chic Scents Pink Twinkling Lights (in the bedroom)

Reading:

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Watching:

Tons of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Halloween, Friday the 13th and new Monarch butterflies hatching from their crysalis

Listening:

Tony Elman

Doing:

Lots of planting of seeds, plants. Lots of weeding. Lots of landscape tinkering. Dirty fingernails. Achy back. Feeling good in the yard.

Dreading:

Getting to the dentist but I know it needs to happen soon. Got a sore tooth.

Awaiting:

Seeing my friend Ashely. Thanksgiving break and the cooking and family that comes along with that.

Hit:

Super soft 100% cotton sheets from Tuesday Morning. Still crazy expensive but very much worth it.

Miss:

Trying to transplant some old hedges to make a privacy screen in the backyard... they all died. Boo.

Low:

Work stress.

High:

Salem, time with my girls and sister, time with my other sister, Halloween at Hogwarts with the husband and girls, movie with a friend, butterflies, old books, great co-workers, decorating the bedroom, thrifting with Adam on a day date, finding out we get to go to Vail, Colorado in the spring and Las Vegas for my sister's wedding in April.

Happy Halloween!! How was your October? What are you looking forward to next month?

Sihaya and Company: Sisterhood of the Moon Box

This monthly curated box was given gratis in exchange for photographs from Sihaya & Company. All opinions are my own.

I am going to be showing the last two Sihaya and Company boxes I got out of order. Since Halloween creeps so near I wanted to showcase this most recent Sisterhood of the Moon box first. I will feature the Autumn Jewels box in November in a week or so. This is the third year I have received the Sisterhood of the Moon box and I fall further in love with it each year. The abundant spookiness, the fall flavors, the attention to detail and darkness. It all enchants me. 

Dryad Tea can be counted on to contribute a delightful tea called Black Cats and Pointy Hats that is redolent of spiced cider. Overripe apples, mulling spices, blackberry and lime leaves and jasmine all blend with black tea leaves to make a divine autumnal draught. $6.50

Little and Grim contributed a 4 ounce glycerin soap called The Augur in the scent Botanomancy which features fig, apple, lemon, ginger, sage, frankincense, caramel, cinnamon and smoke. It is a smoky fruity darkling. The fig and apple are tempered by herbs, yet the caramel and soft spice induce a temptation of their own. The smoke and incense lend a mysterious air to the fruits and herbs. I am putting this in my shower right now. $8.50

Sixteen92 is a perfume house that holds a special place in my collection. I appreciate the stony musks, chilly ozones, crisp leaves and foggy atmospherics that Claire creates. She also has a deft hand at woods, soil and smoky leathers. Not to mention metallics and other interesting bits. 

The Witching Hour- Notes: Dense fog, charcoal ash, a burned cedar chest, sacred willow, knotted roots, silver needle and a salt circle beneath a starless sky. 6ml $14

Sharp green sap, herbaceous and bitter, bite like the cracking whip of Devil's Snare. The stinging teeth are tempered by the dense metallic twang of midnight fog, mincing in on dewy padded feet. This slinks from the bottle and smells similar on the wrists when freshly anointed. The green crystalized sap dissolves into warm embers and lush woods. Claire's smoky woods scents are never heavy or cloying but rather sniffed through the filter of a crisp cool nighttime sky, where night winds cleanse the smoke and trees and mosses, dappling them in silvery moonlight and briskness. This is the witching hour. Where nocturnal hearts beat quietly and black eyes reflect the moon. 

A Black Phillip enamel pin from The Pickety Witch came in the box. $10. I love the cascade of fall leaves cresting his bust. 

I have been watching Christina of Sihaya and Company tinker with the idea of creating tinted lip balms for a couple months now. I ordered her Harry Potter lip balms a while back (strangely I am hesitant to break the seals as I am sure I will fall madly in love and then never be able to get them again). I love seeing the process of her adding mica and flavors, increasing shade pigments or adding shimmer. I love this plummy creation that she included in the box. The deep red-purple tone can be layered to create a vampy shimmery look or a light swipe can impart a slightly bruised blush to the lips. I appreciate the slip and cushion of this moisturizing lip color. $6.50.

So so sad to not have a bath tub to soak in. I really and truly miss my beloved salt baths. Bubble baths. Milk baths. Baths. I wonder if this sudden lack of magnesium from my salt baths is giving me trouble. Oh well. One day. 

This amazing ritual bath potion from Cattail Apothecary called Awaken Intuition blends mugwort, mullein, lavender, clove, sage, yarrow and patchouli into a bath time treat. $8. 

A bath time treat I will have to wait a long while to use but I think it will be worth it.

Ah! The candle. I always look forward to sniffing the Sihaya and Company candle that inevitably accompanies these boxes. The Thinning of the Veil stitches together carved pumpkins, smoky oudh, black amber and smoldering dragon's blood resin. $13. This is a haunting aroma that mimics the scent of a rotted out blackened log where unknown creatures dwell. Ashen smoke, pitch black soil, ebony wood and singed resins all weave into dark shadows. I have burned this candle before and loved it then as I love it now.

This is a great box filled with amazing items. Individually these run about $66.50 but the box is $65. The most alluring part of the box is the limited edition nature of certain items like The Thinning of the Veil, the enamel pin, the lip color, and the Sixteen92 perfume, which can only be had through this box. I am very happy with everything and will use it all up.

What items in the Sisterhood of the Moon box most appeal to you? Do you see any favorite makers in here?

Wildroots: Natural Deodorants

My friend, April, featured seom Wildroots products on her IG account a while back and their deodorant caught my eye when she mentioned that it was the only one she uses. 

Lately, deodorant has been an issue for me. The naturals I had tried in the past have been failing me. Handcrafted Honeybee wasn't keeping the smell at bay and Dirty Goat was a crumbling texture nightmare. I love Blood Moon Botanica's roll-on deodorant but an $18 glass dram lasts me about one month and the restocks are not consistent. I don't mine sweating, but the smell and the wear have to be pleasant for me and I need to be able to get my hands on it when I need it. In comes Wildroots. Which, somewhat ironically, have since temporarily closed shop while the husband and wife team who runs the business and makes the goods relocated to Salt Lake City. BUT I swear they announced they will be reopening in late fall. 

On to the goods.... I picked up two types of deodorant: the Herbal Deodorant in Coconut + Clay ($14) and the Sensitive Deodorant in Juniper + Citrus Mint ($14). I ordered both on August 1st and they came fast. I have been faithfully using both since, alternating which type based on whimsy. 

Both come in a glass 2.5 ounce container and are very creamy and melt into the skin easily without reside or chalkiness. Both have controlled arm pit funk and lasted all day long. The sensitive has a beautiful wild and woodsy, clean herbal citrus scent and I love it. It is baking soda free.

The Herbal charcoal and coconut one is a touch more mellow in scent but just a lovely as the sensitive version. I feel like I try to wear this one when I know I will be doing some heavy duty sweating.

A little goes a long way and with daily wear I have dug about half way into one jar and about 1/3 of the way into the other and it has been almost three whole months.

I will be back for more once they open. I will be tempted to hoard in case they ever decide this is a venture they may want to leave one day. 

I am now tempted to try their other goodies.

Off topic, but now I am looking into facial toner. Lately I have been only using witch hazel but looking to change it up. Do you use toner? Any recs?

Melting Basket 145: Halloween

Wax from the last basket I melted (over a month ago... shame... so much shame) that I would buy again: VCS Should I Stay or Should I Go? and Cozy Jackie O, CFTKR Apple Dumpling and Olde Town Bake Shop. 

Lasting Scent Candles- The Great Pumpkin

Lasting Scent Candles- Black Pumpkin

Lasting Scent Candles- Toasted Pumpkin Latte

Lasting Scent Candles- Pumpkin Juice

Lasting Scent Candles- Spooky Brew

Dessa's Homespun Scents- October

Dessa's Homespun Scents- October and Apples and Cinnamon

Dessa's Homespun Scents- Harvest Cauldron Cider

The Bathing Garden- Charred Jack-O-Lantern

CFTKR- Cinnamon Fire

CFTKR- Pumpkin Firewood

Vintage Chic Scents- The Bourbon Orleans Hotel

Sniff My Tarts-Apple Cinnamon/Celtic Moonspice/Country Christmas/Pink Noel

Closet Full of Wax- Wildlings <3 gift

Swanky Candle Company- Palo SantoClean Shave Coconut Milk <3 gift

Sniff My Tarts- Vanilla Sandalwood/Caramel Tobacco/Campfire Marshmallow <3 gift

Since Halloween will be occurring during this melting basket I wanted to dig out any spooky or October themed scents I had one hand. I went to the bottom of the Rubbermaid for this one. I only have a handful of LSC and Dessa's left. Though I am looking forward to moving some of the wax under my bed out and into my regular storage. I believe I will be on a no-buy for the rest of the year and into 2020 on wax. My last few hauls from Bohemienne Life, CFTKR, Ten Digit and Rosegirls have me set for a while.

I told you I would do an update on the bookshelf my husband and his Dad built me once I got it situated. It still isn't "done" but it is as good as it will get this year. Progress. 

Looking back and realizing I only published 3 or 4 posts in October is a little wild for me. I don't think I have ever had such a slow month in the years since I began doing this. I can tell you it isn't from lack of wanting to blog. Or material. I have plenty of perfumes I am behind on and wax and indie bath and body. It is the time. I used to have a job where I could pretty much come home and have down time. Lay my work at the school door when I left with the exception of report card time. However, this new job is... heavy. I don't like to do anything by halves if I can help it (with perhaps the exception of cleaning). The result is I don't really have much "me" time. I shut down my Facebook page for the blog and to be honest, if it wasn't for the awesome events I find out about through FB my personal page would be on the chopping block too. The precious time I do have I am spending with my girls, my husband, my books, my plants. I will still be blogging, but the pace will be sluggish until the end of the school year. I am hoping the breaks will give me spurts of writing and photography time. 

Thank you guys for being here for me. I appreciate the love and kindness. I will be giving away some wax and perfume here soon. So keep an eye out!

How are you doing? What kind of season is your life in right now? How do you spend your "free" time?

Sihaya & Company: Ember & Mallow Candle

Sihaya and Company candles have been burning throughout my house for the past couple months. Ember & Mallow is currently on rotation in the sun room and might just be my favorite Sihaya candle to date.  

Ember & Mallow- Notes: Vanilla marshmallows over a smoky autumn bonfire. $12

A beautifully rendered smoky toasted marshmallow scent with amber highlights and woodsmoke shadows. As much as I love Bath and Body Works Marshmallow Fireside, Ember & Mallow beats it hands down. I not only want this wafting about the home but also all over my skin. Which is why I picked this scent up in the body lotion and body scrub Sihaya did in collaboration with Paintbox Soap Works. This candle throws strong and burns evenly over time. Trimming wicks is a must or the flame will be towering. 

Christina is raising her candle prices by $1 beginning today I believe. Though I paid $12 I think it will now be $13 but in my opinion it is well worth it. I will be back for this one again and again. 

If you could only buy your candles from one place for the rest of your life... where would it be from?

Ebb & Flow: September 2019

The highs and lows of the month... a day late.

Perfume:

Solstice Scents Hidden Lodge

Perfume Oil:

Arcana Wildcraft Anodyne at night

Nocturne Alchemy Bastet's Ice Cream: Halloween Spice Cake Santalum Creme

Soap:

B. Perry Studios PSL Sassy

Scrub:

B. Perry Studios Celestite

Body Oil:

Kings Road Apothecary Deep Woods 

Hair Gloss:

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Pumpkin Patchouli

Nail Polish:
Rescue Beauty Lounge Concrete Jungle

Candle:
Sihaya & Company Sleepy Hollow (smoky leather and smoldering pumpkin)

Wax:

Rosegirls Winter Mermaid in the bedroom (peppermint, shaving cream, coconut)

Eating:

Ruffles All Dressed potato chips

Drinking:

Starbucks Fall blend coffee at home and water

Reading:

Still slogging through The Witches by Stacy Schiff, ready to move on.

Watching:

Nothing

Listening:

To Don Williams records.

Dreading:

When the time comes in the next month or so for me to truly decide if I want to continue Montessori training.

Awaiting:

Boston and Salem this weekend. No doubt. Fall Leaves. Lanterns in the Village hot cocoa and ghost story time. Used bookstores in Cambridge. Chilly weather. Clam chowder. 

Hit:

Molblly queen mattress from Amazon for the guest bedroom. Surprised how inexpensive a good mattress is now.

Miss:

The sunflower seeds I tried to plant in the backyard that the squirrels immediately dug up and ate. Turds. 

Low:

Some family issues that kind of all came to a boiling state at once this past weekend. Thankfully they were able to be resolved with open communication and open hearts. I had some friendship struggles and other things here and there but seasons come and go and I find as I get older those things are easier for me to handle.

High:

Seeing and spending time with my sisters. Getting home situated more. Splurging on plants. Landscaping more. Having my dad over for his birthday. Exploring our new town. Watching baby quail hatch in the classroom.

How was your September? Is fall treating you well so far? How about me being so scattered that I simply forgot to post my Ebb and Flow until my sister called me out? Thank you, Lindsey. I don't want to miss some reflective time.