Monday, December 30, 2019

Best of 2019


Though 2019 was a bit of a hellion in some ways, she was also the harbinger of travel, the giver of a new nest to fluff with the family feathers and the herald that brought about adventure. She pissed me off and filled me with passion all at the same time.


This time is when I traditionally turn and look back at the year that has passed to see what favorites have remained true and which ones have been replaced with others. And most things have been replaced with houseplants and old lady embroidery crewl when ever I can find it. Or vintage book finds.


Potters:
I continued to purchase some pottery here and there this year. Some potters I still collected from this year include:

CBe Ceramics- a couple mugs and a tumbler
Dirtworks Ceramics- a mug
Grumpy Dwarf Pottery- small pots
Hand to Earth- luminaries and mugs
Little Garden Pottery- mug
Lori Phillips Ceramics- mug and incense stick holder
Murava Ceramics- spoon
One Eleven Pottery- cauldron mug
Red Hot Pottery- owl mug
Silver Run Ceramics- curio mug
Xeno Jean- a handful of stein mugs


Candles: My favorite candles of 2019

Ember Mallow from Sihaya and Company
Birchwood and Pine from NEST
Rowan by Wick and Fable
Vanilla Patchouli Comfort from Bath and Body Works
Quoth the Raven from Sea Witch Botanicals


Favorite Wax Scents 2019:
Candles From the Keeping Room- Strawberry Pine
Candles From the Keeping Room- Lumberjack
Candles From the Keeping Room- Winter Flannel
Handmade in Florida- Enchanted Woods
Ten Digit Creations- Palo Santo/Bourbon Tobacco/Wood Spice
Bohemienne Life- The Green Faerie 
Bohemienne Life- Haystacks and Bonfires
Sea Witch Botanicals- Wolf Night
Vintage Chic Scents- Carnival of Souls


Favorite Soap Scents 2019:
Handmade in Florida- Fresh Pumpkin
Andy Tauer- Mandarines Ambrees
B. Perry Studios- Rose Gold
Arcana Wildcraft- Haint
Bohemienne Life- Monet
Future Primitive- The Wand Chooses The Wizard


Indie Bath and Body Favorites 2019:
Future Primitive- Conditioning Shampoo Bar
Future Primitive- Conditioning Hair Rinse in White Witch
Wildroots- Natural Deodorants
B. Perry Studios- sugar scrubs
Blood Moon Botanica- Moon Dew facial serum
Aftelier- body oils
Kings Road Apothecary- body oils


Full Bottles of Perfume Purchased (EDP) 2019:
Solstice Scents- Hidden Lodge
Solstice Scents- Wold Spirit


Favorite Perfume Oils 2019:
Arcana Wildcraft- The Bone Mother
Arcana Wildcraft- Merrywidow
Arcana Wildcraft- Witches Trace Sigils in the Dirt
Arcana Wildcraft- Haint
Arcana Wildcraft- Tinderbox
Arcana Wildcraft- Anodyne
Arcana Wildcraft- Oberon
Arcana Wildcraft- Moth
Blood Moon Botanica- Lavender Amber
Nocturne Alchemy- The High Priestess
Nocturne Alchemy- Incense Chai
Nocturne Alchemy- Sandalwood Chai
Nocturne Alchemy- Private Universe
Sixteen92- The Witching Hour
Sixteen92- Liber Officiorum Spirituum
Whisper Sisters- Banchouli
Wylde Ivy- Green Lady (EDP technically)


Favorite Wax Vendors of 2019:

This was a strange wax year. I left a ton of Facebook wax groups and pretty much only ordered from a handful of makers. By now I have my favorites and I pretty much stick to them. I am not into trying too many new vendors on my own druthers at this time. Plus I am still trying to melt rather than collect.

Bohemienne Life- Kyme at Bohemienne Life really pulled me in this year. I have always loved and appreciated her soaps and wax and body care but I just couldn't stop buying from her wax crack pre-orders this year. She makes it easy to order and the bags of wax are priced well for a nice amount. Her blends always reel me in though and the throw is consistently strong. I will be ordering from Kyme for a good long while.

Candles From The Keeping Room- Carol still will pull an order from me any chance I get. Her wax throws well, smells great and comes in a ton of scent options. The ordering process can be tricky if one isn't on Facebook often. Some of my very favorite wax scents are from CFTKR so I try to pop-in when I can to see what all is happening. 

Wax vendors I will still order from that aren't listed: Beezy, The Bathing Garden, Dessa's Homespun Scents and Vintage Chic Scents. And Glitterati if I get called up.



I will thank 2019 for all the amazing opportunities it gave me. A new home. Unexpected places to travel. The most delicious paper bowl of clam chowder. New friends. Old friends. Plants galore and a Bob Ross-style painting or two. Time spent cuddling with Toddles. Dates with my husband. Adventures with my girls.


2019 Bucket List Items Completed:
-Swam in a new spring~ Wekiva
-Visited new independent book store~ Inkwood, Ocoee Used Books, Idle Time Books, heck... a TON
- Painted some Toms~ started on my Hobbit Toms
- I.D. 7 Floridian wild plants
- Explore a new museum~ National Gallery of Art in D.C.
- Surprise someone with a plant
- Leave a book for a stranger to find ~ several times
- Purchase something off beat in an oddity store~ cypress knee lamp
- Overnight girlfriend trip
- Buy a fig tree~ Fiddle Leaf Fig and it is still alive WOOT!
- Go vegetarian twice a week

Bucket List Fails:
- Brew fire cider tonic (might still try)
- Learn to knit (shelving this for a few years)
- Bake cinnamon rolls with yeast (never gonna give you up)
- Take girls to Kennedy Space Center (next summer)
- Drink 1/2 my tea stash (made a small dent)
- Get an ear piercing (maybe next year)
- Visit a kava bar (maybe that trend passed?)
- Surprise day date with Adam (he gave me one- does that count?)



I hope 2020 takes us somewhere exciting.

How was your 2019? What were some of your favorites?

10 comments:

  1. Great photos! I just made cinnamon rolls from scratch for the first time for a Christmas potluck brunch using my SIL's family recipe and, well, I need more practice LOL! The middle rolls weren't done but the ones around the edge were tasty. So glad you found a lovely home in Orlando after the long and difficult search. Best wishes for 2020 <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! They sound like they would be the most delicious things on the planet but I just have not made time to give them a whirl. I will though. Good to know I might to need to practice them. Do you think two smaller pans of them would help the bake time? Thank you for the kind wishes. I am so very ready to sink into this home and really make it our own. I hope you have a fabulous 2020!! <3

      Delete
    2. I made two round aluminum pans (froze the second unbaked) because that's how my SIL always does it. Some other recipes use rectangular pans and that seems like it's be more uneven. Better Homes & Gardens has a really useful guide that I wish I'd read before taking the plunge: https://www.bhg.com/recipes/bread/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls/

      Delete
    3. Thank you!! I will definitely be reading this before I dive in.

      Delete
  2. I literally lol at the shelving the kniting goal. One day sis, one day. You really knocked your goals out of the park this year. 2020 I am hoping for an uneventful, and boring year. Which may be accurate as I will be busy with school. Here's hoping. Vegas is an exception of course! I can't wait for that. Love you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. I think knitting will be for retirement perhaps. Or at the very least when the girls are in college. Uneventful year for sure but I doubt it will be boring. You will have plenty to keep you occupied. Vegas will be fun. Love you too.

      Delete
  3. 2019 totally sucked for me. But I'm tired of bitching about it; it's time to move on.

    I am fully with you on the 2019 Solstice Scents purchases, though. I bought a full size Snowmint Mallow just before Christmas because I was nearly through the bottle I bought two years ago. I'm pretty sure that has never happened with me - I always drift off and find new scents, and leave the dregs behind (sometimes literally.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like that you put that out there then immediately put it in its proper place. I just know that 2020 is going to be great.

      I love that you picked up a refill on a beloved SS perfume. Angela really does have a way with atmospherics, heck she has a way with perfume period. I am striving to slow down the perfume roll but I simply cannot ignore the beauty that is a SS EDP. Enjoy your Snowmint Mallow. I think I may need to revisit that one.

      Delete
  4. My 2019 was difficult, but one of the nice things was that Pacifica Beauty discontinued my favorite scent and I began my indie perfume journey to discover a new one. I found...sooo many! My favorites were Kuumba Made Persian Garden, Arcana Wildcraft Sea Glass, and Solstice Scents White Fox EDP. Thanks to this blog for helping me learn about my new scent world!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sorry that 2019 was a bit of a beast. I am hoping your 2020 will be full of joy and peace and prosperity. An indie perfume journey sounds like bliss!! Isn't the world of fragrance simply incredible? I heard Kuumba Made makes a lovely amber paste? Maybe I am remembering wrong. Either way it sounds like you found some amazing goodies. I adore Arcana and Solstice Scents. <3

      Delete