#Cream & Amber

[twincitiesgeek]

The MN Bookstore Guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday 2024

Our annual guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday at Minnesota's independent bookstores is here! See what your favorite local shop has planned.

Thanksgiving is here, and as always, lots of Minnesota indie bookstores are offering sales and specials on Black Friday, a.k.a. Plaid Friday, and Small Business Saturday, November 29–November 30, 2024. Here, you’ll find information on what all your favorite shops throughout the state are doing on those days as well as a few sales and specials happening on Thursday and extending beyond this…

[sukunaaaah]

The most majestic dog she’d ever seen was in front of her— sleek black fur, long and shining, it looked like it might be a wolf hybrid. It was standing next to a man in dark layered clothes, loose cargo pants with more pockets than she could count, knitted charcoal sweater poking out from underneath a faded black utility jacket. His profile was covered by a disposable black mask that contrasted with his pale skin and long eyelashes. Pretty, she thought, and stylish with his monochromatic look and tall frame.

Looking down to her lace trimmed blouse to her pink ruffled shirt, and the cream knee high socks tucked into her patent leather Mary Janes and found their juxtaposition to be quite dazzling. She walked slowly, her heels clomping with each step through the apartment lobby. “Hi— can I pet your dog?” she called out lightly, not wanted to startle the man or the dog. The man pulled out a wireless earphone and didn’t even look her over, before speaking. “No.” His voice was apathetic and low like just opening his mouth for a one sylibil word was too much work.

She nodded and looked down into the dogs amber eyes, damn she really wanted to pet that dog. “Oh, okay! They’re really pretty— um can I ask, is it a boy or a girl?”

“Girl.” Again with the one word response. It was kind of cute. She wiggled her fingers at the girl but didn’t reach out her hand, but her bracelets still clanged together all the same. “She really beautiful,” she chimed before looking up at the man, who was now watching her from the corner of his eye, but his body was still turned away, facing the elevator. “You two make a good match,” she added for good measure— a girl doesn’t get the chance to flirt with a man like this everyday. Did he live here too? Or was he just visiting someone? She wanted to know.

She could see his eyebrows furrow slightly, and she wanted to believe he was blushing under that mask but she really couldn’t tell. Time to amp it up a bit, see what happened, he hasn’t told her to fuck off yet and he seemed like the type who would tell her to fuck off if she was crossing a line. “Her eyes are pretty like melted chocolate or maybe a planet— is Saturn brown? I don’t actually know,” she lamented before turning fully to the man, crossing her arms and balancing her chin on her fist as if she was pondering something great, looking him up and down pointedly. He just shrugged slightly, pulling his hand from his pocked to pet his dog softly behind the ears.

Stepping a bit closer but still a respectable distance away— she’s not a creep just a flirt. “Hey, would you look over here for a second? I wanna check something,” she asked curiously, batting her eyelashes a bit, and if the arm she tucked under her chest caused movement then… that's just fine with her.

His hand was still on his dog’s head when he turned to her with a shift of his shoulders— and he did have very nice hands, the kind of hands you want on you immediately and immodestly. He was looking at her fully now, parallel to her body, and she swears to god that the light shined brighter, backlighting him like some tall, dark, monosyllable angel sent to tempt her. She blushed, and moved the hand under her chin to her flushed cheek, cupping it and tilting her head to the side, letting her hair fall just enough in her face to be coy. “Mmm, I can’t really tell from here….’, she muttered, glancing up at him, looking properly dejected before she continued. “Could you step a little bit closer?” she asked, blinking up at him with her flirtiest eyes.

To which he just blinked at her cooly from behind his mask, and sighed like he’d rather be anywhere else while he step forward— just one step, no more. Side by side to his dog, black woven leash wound around his hand, hanging in a short tether to the dog's collar, embellished with a simple silver heart chain. He looked down at her boredly, but his hand was wringing the rope in his hand like a fidget spinner. God, could this guy get any cuter! They were close enough that if she reached out her arm fully, she might be able to brush her polished fingertips against his chest. She furrowed her brows, and dropped her hand from her cheek and propped it on her skirt clad hip. “I still can't tell, could you be a doll and just step a little closer?” she asked sweetly. And bless his soul, he just rolled his eyes with an audible huff that blew air from behind his mask, and stepped one step closer.

A slightly less respectable space, perfect. She took her que and leaned up unto her toes and peered up into his eyes, his green eyes— perfect green, like opening her eyes underwater to watch the summer sun pierce the water in shafts of emerald light. Green like the color of unripe tomatoes her grandmother fried on Sundays. Green like grass stains on her white dress, and the bottle of absinth she’d stolen on her seventeenth birthday. Green, green, green.

“Oh,” she breathed.

The elevator dinged.

“I was wrong… you don’t match,” she confirmed like she’d solved a puzzle, and settled back onto her heels.

She waited for the residents to leave before she stepped in, walking to the corner where the keypad of apartment floors was. He entered in after her, his dog following after him like he hung the stars, lucky girl. She noticed that his earphone was still held between his fingertips, she smiled to herself, humming while the doors slid close. She pressed the button for the ninth floor and watched it light up a diffuse white.

“What floor?” she asked, suddenly feeling a little shy, her stomach felt hot and buzzy like she’d swallowed the sun or a beehive.

“Huh?”

She wondered what he was thinking about, but it probably wasn’t what she was thinking but a girl could fantasize. “I asked what floor?” She gestured to the keypad with a wave of her hand. He glanced to where she pointed and back before speaking, “Tenth floor,” he muttered and she leaned forward and pressed his floor button.

She got a two word response! Score.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Motion Sickness Chapter 62

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I kicked my feet up and I watched the striper dance before me. I took a long draw on my packed pipe and since Aurum was doing it, I tossed some bills on the striper. Why the fuck not?

She bent down low in front of me in pretty white bottoms. She had pretty blue eyes besides and a frilly matching white top. She danced in front of Aurum and I and he poured me a drink.

I took it from him with grace and sipped on the alcohol slowly, though faster than I might normally.

"No word on your mustached man," he told me. "I've been keeping an ear to the ground about it and I haven't heard a thing. If only you'd seen his weapon, man. Then we'd have something to go off of."

I grunted and nodded. I took a swig of drink.

"Can I get something sugary up here for Neo? Girliest, sugariest drink you have in the house. All the better if it has ice-cream in it."

Neo hit me in the side but smiled. She didn't disagree.

"One fuzzy navel coming right up," Aurum called out to a wait staff member who was passing by on the second floor of his club. The man nodded and took the order. Like all of Aurum's waitstaff the man was good looking. Stand out in a crowd good looking. Almost hunter angel-like good looking.

Aurum owed me. For killing Tyrian. Neither of us said it but mass murderers are bad for business, they brought the wrong kind of attention. He was paying me off with drink and women a little. Or trying to. I was hard to buy off with such trivial things. I wasn't saying I couldn't be bought with it. That seemed like a bit much. And the dancer was beautiful with those baby-blues. She reminded me of my first crush a little.

I was good for his business because I was so dangerous. Keeping me happy was good for his business because I was so dangerous. It was a razor that might cut one of us but for now he was happy and I was happy so why not drink with one another and party while I waited for my information to come in?

I'd already paid for it by murdering some of his enemies and he'd probably tell me about it as soon as he knew something because Cinder Fall was another murderer who wasn't interested in the drug game or playing the game like I was.

"Cloud, I still don't have any news on the others you asked me to watch out for. Cinder Fall or Hazel Rainart."

"Cinder Fall is probably not her real name anyways. Plus she could be working through some other associates. Emerald Sustrai or Mercury Black."

"I'll keep an eye out for them all the same. Did you learn what you needed from Avalanche?"

"I did. The General's project wasn't so secret after all. Hard to keep everyone in on something that large quiet."

"Fair enough." He said without asking me more about the project. He probably didn't care to know the details so long as it didn't affect his business ventures. "Come with me. Try some hyper," he said. He was trying to buy me off with drugs as well. He'd hooked me up with more greens. I'd paid a little but it was discounted.

"I don't know that I should. I already have some psychosis. That's what the weed is for."

"Oh it's not so bad. Just an intense rush."

"Isn't it a pro-psychotic?"

"Maybe a little. I'm not a doctor. Try some, you'll be fine."

I shrugged my shoulders. Fuck it. Why not? What was the worst thing that could happen if I did? I'd become a murderer? That ship had sailed, thanks. I'd become involved in the drug game? A bit late, thank you. An alien goddess would seize control over my mind, again? Maybe. But I couldn't live in fear of Mother all the time.

He cut out a line of the stuff and showed me how to inhale it.

I did. I pulled deeply into my nostrils and up into my sinuses.

I leaned back as the powder filled my nose and dripped down my esophagus a little. It hit my brain fast and hard. Aurum had been right. It was intense.

And it was a rush. I was zooming. My brain strummed like it was endlessly hitting a high wiry note on an electric guitar with an amplifier. Volts coursed through my veins in my skull. My arteries seemed to be full of odd amps. Like I'd been shot in the head by some kind of electric gun.

Bugs wiggled their way around behind my eyes more intensely than ever. I just didn't care as I leaned back into my seat once more.

I swear I could almost hear mother's voice over the din of the music in The Den. But only just. It wasn't bad now that I thought about it. Just a dull whisper. Just some bitch talking to me like she owned me.

What else was new?

My leg was moving restlessly. I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin.

Neo sucked on a long blue bendy straw next to me and on impulse I nearly took it from her hands and threw it across the room. I reigned myself in, though. There was no reason to do that. I just needed to sit back and relax… relax… relax.

My brain seemed stuck in a loop and I repeated that over and over in my head like a mantra. Relax… relax… relax… why wasn't I relaxing?

I drank and smoked some more. I drank like I was thirsty and I smoked like my personal stash wasn't running a bit low before I'd bought some more.

It felt damn good to over indulge and crossfade myself as thoroughly as I could.

"Well you're handling it well," Aurum said. "That was your first time, no?"

"It is. Was. Whatever." My heart beat fast and my leg bounced. "I want to kill something. Is that normal?"

"Depends. For you, probably. You're a killer."

I nodded. That made sense. It was hot in all my clothes so I stripped my armor off and set it beside Neo and I on one of the long couches.

I sat back and watched the dancer before me work as my vision came in and out. Blackening and refocusing.

It beat a steady tide in rhythm with my heart.

"Though there is one man in town who I thought you should know about." Aurum told me. I wasn't sure how he was staying so fucking calm.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Name's Adam Taurus. Old White Fang member. He's another killer. Caused the SDC problems for years."

"Want me to kill him?" My voice was much more calm than I felt. My heart was racing. My head throbbed in time with the music in a pleasant way. My eyes felt like they were going to pop from their sockets.

"Maybe. He's the sort who is also bad for my business. Idealistic. Unwilling to compromise. And he paints the town red wherever he goes."

"I could go for a fight right about now. Not sure it's a good idea. Neo, your thoughts?" She shrugged at me, then she shook her head to the negative. Thank you for that contribution Neo. Enlightening. "We'll probably end up passing. I'll kill him for a favor if you change your mind."

"I just might take you up on that." Aurum took a long swig of his favorite amber drink.

I followed suit and found my glass empty. It was quickly refilled by a gorgeous young redhead with a staff shirt on and long legs.

I stared after her for a long time.

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I came down with a headache. "Neo would you get me a glass of water." I bemoaned from my bed in our shared motel space.

She obliged. Fetching the water, then she poured it right on my face.

"Ack! Neo. Gods damn it." I was awake now if nothing else.

I sat up in the bed. I spat water from my mouth. I stood up and got my own drink of water. Neo could be so unreliable.

"You're such a bitch, Neo." I told her over my throbbing headache. I palmed my forehead and over one of my eyes.

"Why I oughta," I said it like a complete sentence with no real heat.

She blinked at me innocently and her eyes switched colors. She fooled nobody with that.

She had a cigarette in her mouth, the smoke from it was filling our shady apartment.

I wasn't sure which drug that I had partaken in the night before that was killing me. It could have just been alcohol. It could have been hyper. Either way I was thirsty enough that when I downed a glass, I followed it up with two more.

I could scarcely remember the night prior. Other than a soft warm feeling that followed my memories about it. Too much drink. Too much weed. Too much of everything. I probably wasn't going to try hyper again. I crossfaded myself hardcore. I rubbed my eyes firmly.

I looked over at Neo and really took her in for the first time. She wasn't wearing a shirt and was just in her brassiere and a pair of pink panties. I took her milky cleavage in for a moment before I looked down at myself. I was totally naked.

"Did we…?"

She rolled her eyes at me. A smirk on her face as she did. She reached over with her cigarette and put it out on my chest, nice and slow. She grinned at my pain. Her breathing rushed a little as I hissed. The tips of her breasts hardened and I noticed that the burn she left there was not alone. It had company.

"Neo, I'm damn well serious." I tasted my own lips with my tongue a little. It tasted funny. Was that someone else's lipstick or was my mouth just fucked from drinks and hyper? It tasted like lipstick. Neo was wearing pink lipstick.

"Did we or didn't we?" She just turned and began putting the rest of her clothes on. She spun and twisted a curtain into place between our two sections of room and beds as she clothed herself.

"Neo!"

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She refused to answer me. In any capacity. She just left it as it was which was well within her personality but was more than a little obnoxious from my end. Fuck her.

Sex with a demoness or not, and I was trying hard not to think about that, I still had other business to attend to. Like heading over to Avalanche headquarters.

We rolled up on the bar with Neo's arms wrapped around my waist. She held herself nice and tight to me for the ride. The absolute… I mean honestly...

"Neo you little devil," I said to her, looking forward. Neither of us were wearing helmets. Little point when we were both hunters.

It was on me for getting black out drunk and giving her the opportunity to hold it over me. Forever.

Plus if I really did do it I had a lot to feel guilty about. Wherever little Ruby Rose was she wasn't enjoying another's company like that. She was probably shattered to pieces.

She was probably in a lot of pain over me. I had caused that. I didn't deserve to cause her pain. But I had anyway. It made my chest ache to think about. It made me feel worthless. More worthless, that is.

Guilt rose up in my mouth like bile and it whipped at me like a switch. I didn't much like to think about that. But by all accounts we were broken up. I had no idea when I would even see her again. We were shattered, me and her. So what did it matter if I did have sex with Neo? Evidently it mattered to me. I didn't want it to have happened. I regretted that I didn't know.

It meant that Yang was right about me. One way or another her older sister instincts had been on point. She'd been right to keep me away. For more than one reason, probably. That made me feel like shit.

It also meant disappointing Weiss. I had long wanted her approval for one reason or another. That hadn't exactly changed. Her affectionate dawn smile with her hair down reflected in my mind for a moment before I imagined her looking at me with a cold hard apathy like she had so many times before. And I grimaced at so many memories of asking her out.

Besides, I should feel guilty about what I had done to Ruby. She was probably off saving lives while I was taking them like some common criminal or something. We couldn't be more different. She was an angel and I was a demon.

And I wasn't about to talk to Neo about that. Or have a one way conversation with her, at any rate. As much as you could have a conversation with Neo. About all of this.

I walked up to the bar and opened the door with a jingle of bells. I tried to roll my shoulders and undo a kink in them I'd worked into the muscle the night before.

Jasper was up behind the bar, washing the counter down with a cloth.

"Oh, Cloud… you're back!"

"I promised to train you guys a little. Where's the others?"

"They're out for a minute. There's a big player in town. Adam Taurus. He's causing problems for the union and with the miner leaders like Dyne."

"Dyne?"

"Just Dyne. No last name. He's one of the old miner leaders. Been around since the old days of the White Fang. He was always outspoken about union action over taking up arms. Or at least he used to be. He hates the Schnee name, now. His daughter was injured in a mining accident recently. Bisque is worried about what he and Adam will get up to."

"This is the second time I'm hearing about Taurus."

"He's problems. At least for us. They're working up strikes, which is a good thing. But they also have the potential to get violent. People could get hurt. Bisque is trying to stop things from escalating."

"Yeah but you guys are fairly militant. Shouldn't you be on board with Taurus?"

"We always plan our operations around not killing people. People always die with Taurus on the job. Always. He's got a red streak a mile wide."

"Guess that's why Aurum might want me to kill him. Not willing to play ball. And Wenge?"

"Leading a strike. Avalanche needs to stay involved in all of this if we want to be a player at all. I'm just holding down the fort because somebody needs to be looking after the bar. People might come by and have questions for us about the strike. We have to stay on top of information."

"Need me to kill Taurus?" I asked.

"You think you can pull it off? I know you're good but Taurus is also a badass. He's got some real power," Jasper said.

I thought of Tyrian. He was one of Salem's guard and I'd killed him. He was probably about as dangerous as hunters came. Barring people like Cinder who were also maidens and had some extra kick.

"I might be able to manage it. Difficult to say before I lay into him but it's a possibility. Aurum talked to me about maybe taking him down. I remember that from last night at least."

"What happened last night?" Jasper asked. She leaned forward on one hand which rested with her elbow on the counter.

"Drank too much. That's all. Nothing else happened."

Neo nudged me. I looked way down at her short ass. A calm smirk was on her face looking back up at me. One end of her lips turned up.

Shut up, Neo.

"You up for some training?" I asked.

"I can't." Jasper sighed. "I've got to man the fort. Think you can come by again later? Wenge should be by then too."

I nodded.

"Probably. I'm just waiting for some information to come in. Not much else is going on in my life at the moment. Running favors for my 'friends.' That sort of thing."

The door jingled again. I turned to look. It was the crossbow girl from before.

"Oh. It's you," she said with some derision at me. I could live with that. At least I was being remembered.

"Me." I agreed. Like it was a curse. Which it was in a lot of respects. Boy was it.

"I'm not here to talk to you." She looked away towards Jasper. "I'm here to talk about the strikes. You kicked this off by bombing the mind and shutting work down."

"Maybe we did, as far as Avalanche is concerned the strikes are a good thing."

"Not this close to the elections. It's too much unrest."

"You're just upset because the strike leaders aren't paying homage to Robyn. They don't care about another election cycle where nothing gets done to improve their conditions. Especially when Schnee himself is running."

"This isn't about that. If martial law gets declared it will push elections back."

"I know you're concerned about Hill's chances of winning. Maybe you should be out leading them instead of hiding away or whatever the Happy Huntresses are doing," Jasper told her. Crossing her arms over her chest.

"The Happy Huntresses are always fighting for Mantle."

"Yeah, on your time table. Not on Mantle's. The people want change and they want it now."

"You stirred them up. Your bombing caused this. The people were content to wait!"

"We didn't cause the strikes. You're looking for Dyne and Adam Taurus."

"Adam Taurus?!" Fiona was incredulous.

"Oh you haven't heard? Maybe the Happy Huntresses are out of touch."

"Don't be petulant just because I wouldn't help you with your bombing. Look at what you've done! Now Adam Taurus is involved."

"If you're scared of him-" Jasper began she was cut off.

"Only a fool wouldn't be," Fiona said. "Call off the strikes."

"No can do," Jasper said. "Wouldn't want to even if we could. Take it up with Dyne."

"Dyne is unreachable. He wants revenge against the SDC at all costs. We're hoping Avalanche is more agreeable. You have a network. You can shut this down."

"I told you we want the strikes." Jasper leaned forward into her words. "Live with them. Or don't. Better yet."

"All this because I wouldn't bomb them with you! It was a bad idea. Look at all the unrest it's causing. Ironwood might declare martial law. Who will win then? Not the miners. The military always backs the SDC to break up the strikes. People get hurt every time. Please. This has to stop. Only through elections will real change get affected."

"I disagree. I think we can get real change done by collective action."

"It never works. It'll end with them opening fire on the mob. It always ends that way. Dust mining is too important to stay shut down. The military will back the SDC because they need the dust."

"There's an oversupply with the embargo. There's enough dust to last months. The strike won't last that long anyways. Old man Schnee will have to give in and improve the working conditions."

"He never does. And the negativity too, it's drawing the Grimm."

"So what? That's exactly why they can't open fire on a crowd of protestors." Jasper refuted.

"So what? So what?" Fiona repeated sounding shocked. "So people will die. And what about people who want more than improved conditions? What about the levelers who want wealth and property abolished? You're giving them a platform."

"What if the levelers are right? What if wealth and property should be abolished. Look at the pain it causes."

"It's the foundation of our society with the Grimm at the gates!"

"Cloud, what do you think, are the Grimm that big of a threat? We've got the largest military in the world for a reason."

I had been watching the two with rapt attention as they ran down Mantle politics. To be honest I was learning a lot. Particularly about these levelers. They sounded a lot like the Anti-capitalists of back home in Vale.

"I think the Grimm are always a threat. More than the layman knows," I murmured.

"See, even the murderer agrees. All this negativity can't go on. If you don't shut down the strikes, then the military will."

Fiona turned at the door.

"Please," she begged. "Shut it down."

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-WG

[grailbot143]

Welcome Back Everyone!

If you would like to submit art work for this week’s episode please do so before Friday when I will post the recap and update the Master List. Click Here

As I was not the biggest fan of last week’s episode, so this week, we are going to do something a little different. I'm going to skip the recap, not even doing a briefcap. mention, briefly the new fusion . . .Alexandrite. . . alright done, then move on to the list of lists!

Consolidated lingering Questions

The Gems:

Where do they come from? I now know they are not from Earth, they are from somewhere in space, further away than our ocean can get in a 30 foot (10ish meters) diameter cylinder from the ocean floor.

How is power derived from them?

Why is a pearl considered a gem? apparently, as I have now been informed, a pearl is considered a gem in the realm of decoration or jewelry, as is amber and shell. Much like a tomato is considered a vegetable in cooking apparently and fruit in horticulture. So in the "magic rock alien race" a pearl is obviously a gem

What about the gemmed enemies? the monsters used to be humanoid, how does that work, why??

How do they get gems? Or are they created out of gems? created Assumption: each has unique powers, i.e., Amethyst can’t project a plan from her gem ~~I'm not sure they don't each have the same powers and their limitations in magic don't instead spring from their maturity and personality.~~

If the above assumption is correct, what exactly is Garnet’s superpower? third eye, strength, lightning

What are Steven’s powers? healing, shield bubble

Pearl's Powers? project illusions and store stuff in her gem and create illusions

Amethyst's Powers? nothing yet? can that be right? She's quick and efficient at shapeshifting I guess.

During Ocean Gem it is mentioned by Lapis Lazuli that the only thing the Crystal Gems care about is Earth, but Pearl showed her complete disdain for humans on multiple occasions particularly Keep Beach City Weird where she said humans were insignificant. . . . so what about Earth do they care about so much?

What’s the deal with Amethyst’s strange relationship with gravity? seriously, did this just go away?

Who all can fuse? Pearl and Amethyst = Opal and Amethyst and Garnet = Sugilite and Garnet and Amethyst and Pearl = Alexandrite

How old are each of them? It’s suggested that they’re centuries old. Amethyst acts a bit like a teenager. Is she that much younger than Pearl? Where does Garnet fall? Why is Steven the only boy?

How many boy gems are there everywhere?

The World:

The Lunar Sea Spire was known as the Oasis for Gems on Earth, so I know it’s Earth, but… Is it in the same Earth that we are in, but hidden from us, or some sort of alternate universe

Everything seems to be happening in Beach City. Are there other Gems in other towns? Like every town has a team of Crystal Gems protecting it? Or is this town some center for universal negativity, so the Gems are focused here?

Where did Lion take Steven and Connie for training? Is that place, or a similar one, available to all gems? Do you need a familiar to take you there? How does Lion know the way?

Warp Pads. . . . Galaxy Warp. How did the Galaxy warp get here? Why is it here? Why is it broken?

The House on the Beach:

This is more a curiosity, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the fight that took off that statue’s hands. I bet it involved Sugilite.

What is up with the living temple inside the house? Beating hearts, waterfalls, a pool for getting rid of evil spirits, a holodeck run by the imagination, dimensional shenanigans. Need much more history and understanding here.

Townies:

What’s up with Onion and his dad? Are they from some other planet?

Why would you make a place called Fish Stew Pizza?

What would make one believe a potato can provide protection from a multi-dimensional being. .. . also, are the Gems multi-dimensional? I don't see that.

Rose Quartz:

Why does Rose have to die to give Steven his superpowers?

~~Is Rose even dead? _pretty sure this is answered (-doubts-)~~

What would make her choose that? a prophesy? desire to give Greg a kid? gonna die anyway?

Did she give up her gem to HAVE a kid or to EMBUE a kid with the gem?

Lion:

What all does Lion know? How did he get his powers?

Characters

The Crystal Gems

Pearl

Garnet

Amethyst

(dead?) Rose Quartz

Steven

Other Gems

Lapis Lazuli

Fusions

Opal

Sugilite

Alexandrite

The Townsfolk & Other Humans

Sadie

Lars

FryMan

PeeDee Fryman

Ronaldo Fryman

Greg

Mailman

Barb (not seen)

Nanafua Pizza

Kofi Pizza

Jenny Pizza

Kiki Pizza

Sour Cream

Buck Dewey

Onion

Onion’s Dad

Mr. Smiley

Suitcase Sam?

Mayor Dewey

Connie

Connie's Mom (Dr)

Connie's Dad (Security Guard)

Monsters/Creatures

Centipeedles and their mother

Red Eye

(offscreen) A giant bird with a giant polka-dot egg

The Spirit from the painting that possessed Together Breakfast

The Crystal Shrimp

(deceased) Frybo

Steven with Cats

The Eel that liked shiny stuff

Lion

Starfish Drills and their MOM?

Giant Bird from Giant Woman

The Geode Beetles of Heaven and Earth

The carnivorous moss that turns into beautiful flowers

Holo-Pearl

Training Robot from the cavern

Blow/Pufferfish

Blood Polyp (offscreen)

Ice Monster

Gem Shard Animated Body Parts

Invisible Monster

Sneople

Places

Around Town

Big Donut

Beach City Walk Fries

Funland Arcade

the boardwalk

Fish Stew Pizza

Greg’s van

It’s A Wash

the storage facility

the Crystal Gem’s house on the beach

Suitcase Sam’s T-Shirt store

Funland

Dock

Wrestling Arena

Movie Theatre (in town?)

Pearl’s favorite tree (deceased)

Under the Ocean

Lars’ House

The Lighthouse

Greg's Aunt and Uncle's Barn

Crab the Shack

Mystical

The Temple with a beating heart

the storage unit? Greg said it was magical

(destroyed) The Lunar Sea Spire

Warp pad in Steven’s living room

The Training Cavern

Upside down Pyramid in the Strawberry Fields

Sand Castles that the Dessert Glass built

The cave in Arcade Mania

The Sky Spire

The Lava place where Garnet retrieved the Geode Beetle of Earth

Deadman’s Mouth

The cloud/Pillar place in Steven The Sword Fighter

Rose’s Room

The Communications Hub

The underwater place the Glass of Time was in

The ice cavern the Shooting Star was in

Rose’s Fountain

The Geode

Galaxy Warp

Tropical Island of Geodes

Other

Space

Things

Gems

Rose Quartz

2 Garnets

Amethyst

Pearl

Centipeedles�� Mothers gem

(pants animating) Gem Shards

(maybe? pretty sure) The Lunar Goddess Statue

Eel’s Gem

Gem from Upside Down Pyramid

Dessert Glass

Starfish Mother Gem

The ROC in Giant Woman

Blowfish Gem

Ice Monster from Monster Buddies

Lapis Lazuli

(Animated Body Part) Gem Shards

Invisible Monster Gem

Mystical Items

Summoned Weapons

Laser Light Cannon

Red Eye?

Lunar Goddess Statue

Cursed Painting

Replicator Wand (destroyed)

Button in the Cavern (and all that stuff)

Fire Salt

Glass of Time

Shooting Star

The Mirror

Warp Whistle

Warp Pads

The Protective Potato (according to Ronaldo)

Food (as it’s seemingly important to our little hero)

(discontinued) Cookie Cats

Fry Bits (Cat Fingers enjoy this too)

Together Breakfast

(offscreen) Pizza

(unmentioned) Cupcakes in jars

(not food) Cheeseburger backpack

Donuts

Fish Stew Pizza <-- Be sure to join the rewards program!

Giant Strawberries

Margarine to slick hair back

Sodas that he threw all over the place in Tiger Millionaire

Coconuts Sandwich Cereal (Arcade Mania)

Steven (for the bird in Giant Woman)

Cake

Aqua Mexico Burrito

Cream Pies (more a prop than food)

Bag of Chips

Burger for Onion’s Dad

Seagull’s banana peel and pizza

Cheeseburger Backpack full of snacks for the movie

Popcorn

Hot Dogs

Burgers (with a ridiculous amount of buns, lettuce, and silverware)

Creamed Corn

Cloud Donuts

Cloud Fry Bits

Fire Salt

“Special” Fries

Fire Donut

Kamikaze (directly in his mouth)

CHAAAPS

Durian Juice

Sandwiches

Blow torch Grilled Cheese

Crying Breakfast Friends

Fish (caught by Sadie, Cooked by Lars)

Potatoes

Bread Sticks (Crab the Shack)

Shrimp (Crab the Shack)

Likes and Dislikes So Far

Dislikes

Not a fan of the important role junk food plays in the show not as prevalent as it was before

I don’t relate to Steven much. He mostly annoys me.

Why is there not a main antagonist?

Season 1: Episode 5 Frybo

Season 1: Episode 6 Cat Fingers

Season 1: Episode 18 Beach Party

Season 1: Episode 27 House Guest

Season 1: Episode 32 Fusion Cuisine

Likes

I like that all the answers to everything are not conveniently packaged in a single episode

I like Garnet…

and sometimes Amethyst…

and I often relate to Pearl

I like Greg and his super awesome van

I like that it seemed like we landed in the middle of a life, rather than the beginning of a story… this continues to be true through every episode.

I like most of the townspeople and their relationships with Steven

I appreciate that though there are some references a kid wouldn’t understand completely, there is so far no blatantly adult humor or sexuality even in undertones - still true after 27 episodes…mostly still true. . . Sadie is a bit too um grown up

I like Connie a lot. She is funny and smart and a perfect non-super for the story.

I like arcade games…

I like that there are so many details in the background like everywhere…

and it’s obvious the creators are nerds

I like Sour Cream

I like the representation of emotions related to motherhood that each of the Gems go through in their own ways.

I like that the makers of the show know what customer service is like. Either that or they have really disturbing imaginations.

I like that the show encourages people to think critically and discuss large questions.

I like that there is a whole dark seedy side that I’m only just peeking into.

I just want to remind everyone, I write these recaps after having only seen the episode once, a week ago, and often interrupted by my whole blogging thing. I mainly do it for myself to refresh my memory for the next episode, but since I post it, I thought I should ask your forgiveness if it isn’t exactly perfect (or even close). Don’t forget if you have a submission for artwork for today’s episode, submit before Friday using the link above, and I’ll pick one to use as the cover art.

[gothify1]

Screenshot this.As a beauty lover, I wish I could say I loved all of my editorial beats (hair, makeup, skincare, nails, wellness, etc.) equally. Alas, I do not. I could wax poetic about my favorite skincare and makeup products for far longer than anyone would ever want to pay attention, but other topics like hair or fragrance feel trickier. Re: hair, I have an unapologetically straightforward and boring product routine and styling repertoire, and re: fragrance, I've just never been a huge perfume lover. Scent is such a personal part of one's beauty routine, and historically, I've found recommending perfumes (let alone trying to describe them) extremely difficult and, at times, a tad forced. However, in my opinion, 2019 and 2020 have been uncharacteristically wonderful in terms of obsession-forming perfume launches. As someone who used to turn my nose up at the majority of new fragrances I'd sniff, I've been stunned by the number of fresh scents to strike my fancy recently. With bountiful new launches, the turn of the season is a prolific opportunity to identify a favorite new scent, and this spring and summer have been no different (despite all the other uncertainties happening in the world right now). As a lighthearted distraction, I'm sharing 10 of the best new perfumes that have launched in anticipation of summer. As I've been spritzing and testing away the past couple of weeks, the sparkly summer selects below have provided a comforting mood boost, and because I know choosing a new perfume can be incredibly difficult (like finding a needle in a haystack), I'm comparing summer's new class of perfumes with some of the best cult favorites from seasons past. Hopefully, this will provide some context as far as notes, fragrance family, the like. Keep scrolling! The 10 best perfumes for summer (and the popular formulas they're similar to) await your perusal just below. Fragrance family: fresh. Key notes: cardamom, bergamot, sandalwood Fragrance family: fresh. Key notes: driftwood, sea salt, seaweed. To date, Isle might be Skylar's best-selling fragrance, but we have a hunch the natural fragrance brand's newest launch, Salt Air, might give the aquatic-themed perfume a run for its money. If the refreshing, calming smell of salt-crusted sea breeze were captured inside a bottle, this would be it. Better yet, all of Skylar's scents are designed to be mixed, matched, and layered, so feel free to layer Isle and Salt Air for a unique, dreamy summer perfume. Fragrance family: warm, spicy. Key notes: white musks, benzoin, caramel accord Fragrance family: warm, spicy. Key notes: salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla. Prada's Candy Eau de Parfum is one of the most iconic fragrances on the scent market, and it's especially beloved among those who favor a sweet, enveloping aroma. So we think the same crowd will be over the moon for Sol de Janeiro's exciting new perfume which—you guessed it—is reminiscent of the cult-loved scent of the brand's famous Bum Bum Cream. (This is a launch we've been anticipating for years—ever since our first Bum Bum slather.) It's summer in a bottle, and no, you won't smell like a candy shop melting in the sun. Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: rose, tuberose, jasmine Fragrance family: fresh. Key notes: orange blossom, jasmine sambac, tuberose. Just in time for summer, Kilian has launched an ode to Grecian villas and the neighboring Aegean Sea in the form of a new, slightly fresher (and less floral) take on the brand's cult-favorite scent Good Girl Gone Bad. This summer perfume prioritizes luminous orange but retains the rose and jasmine sambac inclusions you love from the original. Fragrance family: warm, spicy. Key notes: cattleya, jasmine, freesia, rose, patchouli, vanilla Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: bergamot, dewy rose accord, iris, musk, pear accord, ambrette. One of the reasons Viktor&Rolf's OG Flowerbomb perfume is so popular is its ability to lure both the floral and spicy/sweet sets of fragrance lovers. For summer, the brand has leaned into the former with a dewy new scent that's a rich blend of florals designed to evoke a subtle, early morning earthiness that reads like a second skin post-spritz. (We recommend experimenting and layering both of them!) Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: musk, iris, ambrettolide, pink peppercorn Fragrance family: chypre. Key notes: rose, bergamot, patchouli, pink peppercorns. A musky-floral ode to the mythical love between Psyche and Eros, Fleur de Peau is one of Diptyque's best-selling perfumes. For summer, however, we recommend opting for the brand's new (and already very well-received) Parisian improv, Eau Capitale. It's lush, full-bodied, and vibrant. Spritz and imagine a side of crusty baguettes and acafé allongé. Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: lavender essence, orange blossom, musk accord Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: black currant, rose, white musk. Sure, there are a few other iterations of YSL Mon Paris, but if you love Libre (as we do), we dare you to try this one in particular. Both scents are grounded with rich musk but lend different notes from florals and fruits to create a similar yet still differentiated fragrance experience. With this brand-new summer perfume from YSL, Libre's lavender and orange blossom are swapped out for rose and black currant. Crispy, juicy, and beautiful. Fragrance family: fresh. Key notes: pressed lemon, chinotto, blood orange, green mandarin, musk, incense, copaiba balsam, ambrette, oakmoss Fragrance family: citrus. Key notes: orange flower water, dew-on-petal, pink pepper, crystallized flower parts, paradisone, jasmine water, civettone, white musks, ambrette seeds. Okay, so this new summer fragrance is so cool. Yes, you can most definitely wear it as a light and airy perfume on its own, but it's actually intended to elevate the effect of our other D.S. & Durga favorites. We especially love it with the blend of spicy Italia-inspired citrus, above. Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: bergamot, cedarwood, fig Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: yuzu, bergamot, sandalwood. A few fun facts for you: This citrus-meets-floral scent is one of our favorite launches for the summer, and it also features yuzu, which hails from Japan and is one of the rarest fruits in the world. Similar to Fico di Amalfi (which is slightly more woody), this new summer perfume features bergamot as a star player note-wise, while Fico's cedarwood inclusion is swapped for sandalwood (which feels a bit peppier for the warmer months). Fragrance family: chypre. Key notes: chypre, blackcurrant nectar, airy florals, musky blond wood Fragrance family: floral. Key notes: black currant nectar, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla. If not you, we'd bet money you know at least one person who considers Armani's cult-favorite perfume, Sì, their signature scent. For summer, the brand released an exciting new iteration that brings the heat with floral and woody aromas that amp up the intensity of the OG best seller. Fragrance family: warm, spicy. Key notes: neroli, saffron, nutmeg, rose absolute, davana, amber, vanilla, styrax, sandalwood Fragrance family: warm, spicy. Key notes: nutmeg, pink pepper, peony, lily of the valley, praline, vanilla, sandalwood, amber. If you're a fan of Venenum Kiss, we have a hunch you're going to fall harder and faster for Ex Nihilo's newest fragrance launch, Explicite. Both are warm, opulent, and a bit daring—the kind of fragrance that people will comment on. (So prepare yourself for all of the questions and compliments.) They're well-rounded and sweet but not all saccharine thanks to the additions of elegant florals and unexpected spices.  Up next, It's Official: These Coveted Perfumes Prove Rose Has Outgrown Its Grandma Label

[malodorousmalcontent]

Solstice Scents Review

Man, finally getting around to writing my thoughts on my First Ever Solstice Scents Order (or two, actually.) I've had all of these for around a month now, and just because of all the other smells i've had going on, haven't really gotten around to them. But i'm taking the time now. Checkin' 'em off my LIST.

I'll be going over my experience ordering from Solstice Scents, as well as the scents Foxcroft, Snowshoe Pass, Violet Mallow, Lace Draped Spectre, Riverside Hayride, Nightgown, White Fox, and Winter Dove. Let's do it to it.

ORDERING FROM SOLSTICE SCENTS

So, not gonna lie, I put off ordering from this house mostly because of their website. I'm a graphic designer, and a bit of a branding snob, and the look of the website, not even considering the purposefully rustic theme, just the way it's built, is a little bit... Dated. Not the worst crime imaginable, but actually navigating the site made it worse: having multiple pages for the different sizes of one scent would clutter pages, not having an easily findeable scent list for their seasonal collections (if it exists, I STILL haven't found it), not knowing what was Just Seasonal and what was GC because of how they'll do limited seasonal releases of GC scents in normally unavailable sizes or formats... It was all very confusing. Their photography is nice, though, I'll give them that. Goes with the general look of the brand well. (And that's not like, subtle shade - I know the difference between a purposefully down-to-earth design, and something lookin' dated. Their purposeful branding, in a general sense, is not dated.)

Placed my order. The drop-down list for available free samples was handy. I wish they mentioned that, if it's your first order, you can ask for an additional free sample - I only knew about that practice from a different review.

TAT was pretty dang fast - a couple days and it was coming my way. The greatest delight, aside from the scents themselves, was their packaging: It's fantastic. A far cry from my complaints about their website. Their designs look good, the cards that came with the order were lovely, I love the little CD-case-type thing that the samples come in, and when I later placed a second order for a 5ml of Winter Dove, I loved the box it came in, too. Love the scent names in that snappy handwriting... It was just, good. Was nice getting actual designed packaging, rather than just bottles wrapped in bubble wrap or in a plain box. Very professional. No leaks. No issues. A good, clean-cut order.

(Additionally, when I did my second order and Lace Draped Spectre was still available on their free sample dropdown, even though it was sold out and wasn't going to be restocked anymore for the season, they still honored it. Which. Hell yeah.)

Overall, very positive experiences! Onto the scents.

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FOXCROFT (PERFUME OIL) || Decaying Leaves, Rich Black Soil, Dry Leaves, Fall Air, Woods, Chimney Smoke.

I put this on, and the very first note I get hit with, without even looking at the notes, is sweet smoke. The first time I ever tried this, that smoke straight-up went BBQ-y for the first five minutes of wear, but it doesn't do that anymore - it's just... Very strong woodsmoke with a hint of sweetness. The smoke fades after just a few minutes, and I start getting the other atmospheric notes: A woody note that smells fresh and sap-sticky, like a newly splintered evergreen branch; dry fall leaves that smell so realistic that I can picture picking them up and crunching them in my hand; the emptiness of cool fall air; and damp earth from a rainstorm that happened the other day. The smoke's still there, kind of encompassing everything, but it's much lighter now.

And... Looking at the notes, I guess that's literally everything that's in it! Dang. Talk about a scent being dead-on. On the dry-down, this takes on a warm, almost... Maple-y quality? Like slightly burnt maple leaves. I like it. It's really cozy.

This wears a bit close to the skin on me without actually being light, but lasts for a pretty long time - a few hours in and even after scrubbing it from my wrist with dish soap, i'm still smelling earth and decaying leaves.

tl;dr: a very realistic fall atmospheric with woody, dry leaf, and damp earth nuances and a nice swirl of smoke. Dries down to a maple-like sweetness.

RATING: 5/5. A really beautiful atmospheric. I'm not really interested in smelling like it, but it's objectively very well made.

--

SNOWSHOE PASS (PERFUME OIL) || White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds.

Mmmm. Mmmm. This smells absolutely tasty. The vanilla accord is rich and exceptionally creamy, with a super true-to-life vanilla extract smell. The peppermint cream blends well with it - it's hard to detect, but gives a slight minty edge to the vanilla. My roommate, from a distance, says it smells like cooked brownies. I don't necessarily agree--it doesn't strike me as chocolatey in the least--but I could see how someone might think that. It might be thanks to the amber - i've noticed some ambers can read a bit chocolate-like.

Admittedly, the cold winds note is kinda gone at this point - it was very present when I first got the sample, but now, I don't really get anything that hits my nose as particularly chilly.

This wears pretty strongly on my wrist, doesn't fade quickly, and obviously has some good sillage if my roommate is smelling it from like, 3-4 feet away.

tl;dr: True to life foody, creamy, rich vanilla with a hint of mintiness.

RATING: 4/5. I wish the white amber and white musk were a bit more detectable to me, and that the cold wind note hadn't vanished. Even so, this is a really delicious, rich vanilla scent.

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VIOLET MALLOW (PERFUME OIL) || Marshmallow Cream, Violet Flowers, Vanilla Bean, White Musk.

This one's easy. It smells ex act ly like a cabbage patch doll's face - that floral-vanilla slightly rubbery scent. Sometimes Solstice Scents' vanilla note will have a bit of that rubbery quality for me, and the violets in this, rather than just living on their own in their signature Purple Burp smell, blends well and amps up the cabbage patch kids smell. Which is great for me, because i've been dying for a perfume that smells like it - I actually asked for this one as my free sample because people had been saying it smells like that. And it does. Spot on.

Wears strong on my wrist, with sillage of like a foot or two when wet, then maybe 6 inches or so when dry.

tl;dr: Cabbage Patch doll!

RATING: 4/5. Kinda simple, but fills a very specific desire in me. I don't even know if i'll wear it that much, but I loooove just having this smell on hand whenever I wanna whiff it. Plus, even if the vanilla/marshmallow is a bit rubbery, I love a violet scent where the violets don't smell bad.

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LACE DRAPED SPECTRE - REFORMULATED (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Musk, Spicy Pink Carnation, Pink Pepper, Rose, White Musk.

This... This grew on me so fast, and is now one of my favorite perfumes. Holy shit. This is just so, so good.

When I first tried it out, I took one whiff and went, 'oh! So THAT'S what a carnation smells like!' I was familiar with the smell of carnations, but had never really matched the smell to the flower, but this was so dead-on that there's really just no mistaking it. The connection was made instantly. It's a green, dewy, velvety, heady, smooth, non-powdery, lush-smelling flower, with just a hint of a spicy kick to it - which i'm sure is amped up by the pink pepper. The vanilla musk amps up that delicious carnation and makes the scent a bit humid and sweet. That's about all I can really, for-sure detect in this... But, god, I don't think it NEEDS anything else. It's SO GOOD.

Got HELLA sillage and HELLA longevity - I put this on and can smell it all day. God. I have two 1mls of it and I hope they last me 'til fall. Seriously, it's so good.

tl;dr: A fantastic, realistic carnation note, amped by vanilla musk and with a kick of pink pepper.

RATING: 6/5. This is a holy grail scent, bay-bee. I've had some good florals since, but this was the first good floral. This is the one that changed my mind about florals.

--

RIVERSIDE HAYRIDE (PERFUME OIL) || Moist Dirt, White Carnations, Fallen Leaves, Bare Branches, Hay & a Hint of Pressed Apples Carried on the Breeze from Corvin's Apple Orchard.

I put this on, and before I can even close the sample vial, I get hit with this wave of spiced, dried, tart apples - but that gets subtler after only 10, 15 minutes of wear. What I smell at the top at that point is a very subtle, velvety carnation - not nearly as lush as the carnation note in lace-draped, it's more like... If a bed of carnations was a few feet away. It also smells pretty wet, with a notable cool air note, and some damp green-ness. At this point, the apples are so subtle that they're at the bottom of the scent, just a soft sweetness with an edge of tart, very realistic for a dried apple scent, and I can't smell the spices anymore.

Sometimes I also pick up a weird sourness that isn't the apples, and almost smells... Milky? Like milk that's kinda nearing its expiry date and you're not really sure if it's bad or not. I don't get it all the time, and it's not bad enough to ruin the scent, but it's there. Looking at the notes, I think that sour smell is actually the hay.

On the dry-down, that hay gets stronger, and basically all i'm getting is the hay and maybe a hint of the apple. If you like hay, this would be good for you. The last note I can detect before it disappears is tart green apple. Despite not having a lot of sillage, apart from that first wave of apple, this wears VERY strongly on my wrist.

tl;dr: A velvety floral atmospheric with touches of cool air, green-ness, and an ample helping of dried apples, that dries down to strong hay and faint apple.

RATING: 3.5/5. Well made, but I could do without that strong hay note. I say. About a scent with 'hayride' in the name. Guess that's what I get.

--

NIGHTGOWN (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose & Tiare Flowers.

This is lovely - I actually like it more than I thought I would, since i'm really not into chocolate notes, even white chocolate, and white florals generally aren't my thing. But this blends beautifully: the tuberose and tiare are soft and delicate without smelling soapy or indolic like so many white florals can, and the white chocolate and vanilla round it out, balance the floral qualities, and give the scent some depth. It's really lovely - i've worn it to bed a couple times, so I guess the name 'nightgown' fits.

Dries down to stronger vanilla and realistic white chocolate with a light floral edge. Very elegant and creamy. Wears close to the skin for a few hours before it begins to fade.

tl;dr: Soft, delicate white flowers balanced by gentle, creamy sweet notes of white chocolate and vanilla, the latter taking over on the dry-down.

RATING: 5/5. Another one I probably won't wear a lot, but it's objectively beautiful. Solstice Scents REALLY can do no wrong with florals, i'm beginning to feel like.

--

WHITE FOX (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Musk, White Fur, Woods, Snow Laced With a Vein of Dirt.

So, reading reviews of White Fox, it seemed to be pretty hit or miss. Half the time, it was a beautiful vanilla scent with atmospheric notes; the other half, burning plastic. I wasn't sure what I would get, but I was willing to take the risk.

What I ultimately get is plasticky vanilla. Not the worst, but, uh, not the best, either. I get something very minty, too, even though peppermint isn't a note in this (maybe it's the woods note, some evergreens), and it makes that plasticky vanilla almost... Burning. Chemical-y. It mellows out some with wear, though: the burniness goes away, and the vanilla becomes less plastic (but not totally un-plastic) and more soft and fuzzy, so, decently wearable. The fur and dirt are distinguishable in this, too, and round out the sweet notes well.

Dries down to a subtle vanilla musk sitting underneath some really notable dirt, and finally, before it fades, become simply dirt and fur. Lasts for a good handful of hours, and has some good sillage while wet.

tl;dr: Burning plastic kinda medicinal smelling vanilla that mellows out to a softer, fuzzier vanilla, rounded out by dirt and fur.

RATING: 3/5. I'm honestly debating rating this a bit lower, because it starts out so bleh, but with wear it's okay. ...But just okay.

--

WINTER DOVE (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Crystals, Spicy Carnation, Nutmeg, Cream.

Man, this is such good shit. It's not LDS, but by god, it'll do.

For the first, like, 5 minutes, I get straight eggnog from the nutmeg and cream, and then it just becomes this beautiful, rich, creamy carnation note. The carnation's pretty spicy, but more than that, it's velvety, softly floral and green and fresh as hell. Smells real, as SS' carnation note tends to. The sugar crystals give this just a touch of sweetness, and honestly, I don't get the nutmeg as much after those first 5 minutes. It's a soft, rich, delicate scent - definitely would call this LDS' more feminine cousin. On the dry-down, the carnation fades, and the scent becomes much more creamy and foody-sweet without necessarily going back to eggnog.

Has a lot of sillage - i've gotten reports of other people smelling it real well when I walk past. (Notably, my sister said it smelled like a headshop, which kinda surprised me. I think it must'a been the spice in the carnation.) Lasts for a good handful of hours, too.

tl;dr: Eggnog, briefly, and then a sweet and creamy lush carnation scent, and then, on the drydown, creamy sweetness.

RATING: 5/5. Blind bought a 5ml for this because I didn't think I could live without Solstice Scents' carnation note, and I have no regrets.

--

So, final thoughts: I really, really love this house. Their florals are killer, their scents are rich and long-lasting, and at the very worst, they might go a little rubbery or maybe a little potpourri-ish, but there's nothing in this that was out-and-out awful or came across poorly made. Gonna be buying from them again, most definitely.

[designdekko]

Autumn-inspired motifs and colours that will transform your space

Autumn – A season that sets the mood for hot pumpkin-spiced lattes and a slight nip in the air. It is also the perfect time to redecorate to match seasonal trends, colours and overall aesthetics. The cross-connection of cooler weather and warmer tones enhances the overall vibe in your home. The season brings with it more indoor hangouts, bright festivities, time spent at home and the cosiest home decor trends. 

Also Read | Arabic Resin art decor launches by Artist Madhavi Adalja

Hues of orange, amber and burnt sepia immediately strike us when we think about the fall season. The perfect palette colours for this time are shades of deep orange, magenta, browns, peach, pale corals, charcoals, marigolds, peacocks and dusty roses. Motifs enhancing the beauty of dried leaves, floral wreaths, and colourful fall flowers are exactly what you need to redecorate or enhance the look of your space. 

A perfect amalgamation of bright and earthy colours will be an absolute win while doing up your home. While your walls are covered with bright wallpapers, opting for sage green or off-white sofas would add a cool colour as well as offer a serene vibe. The Floating Inflorescence Wallpapers inhale the visual pleasures of rich floral bloom on chrome background. The design of this wallpaper has simple flower motifs in calming colours, making the design for walls largely modern and contemporary. 

Also Read: Easy Guide To Choose A Color Palette For Your Space

While plain painted walls are classic and have been a forever favourite, the colours of autumn like rich cream, soft gold, fiery red, etc capture the essence of autumn throughout the year, making your abode look warm and welcoming. These walls can be easily accentuated with wall plates, wall mirrors and wall art. While looking for such decorative pieces, we suggest you look for natural motifs. Birds spiralling around a bunch of flowers and abstract designs with floral motifs are the perfect match for your wall decorations. The Passerine Calling Canvas Wall Art and the Legend Of The Cranes Décor Plate are a few of the many choices to add to your home décor. 

A snuggly reading corner or cosy couches to binge your horror movies are going to be your favourite spots during the fall season. Textiles are the easiest way to change the mood as per the season. Warm cushions on your reading chair with a dohar are going to amp up your reading space. While you enjoy the weather make sure your pets also get the best while you curl up with your favourite book.

Also Read | A floating pavilion as testing grounds for museum-to-be M. in Dutch new town Almere

The Tuskers Delight Pet Bed is the perfect companion for your furry friends on a cold day. The print brightens up the space with its cute elephants in earthy shades of olive green, burnt orange and matte.

Why limit the motifs to only cushions and bedding? Add warmth and texture to your living room with the Cheetah Print Flatwoven Rug. The design on this handmade flatweave features cheetah prints along with tropical leaves making it a solid match for autumn. While talking of motifs, long curtains are a must-have to add drama and bring out the design aesthetics of the room together. Available in a mix of styles, colours and patterns, the curtains will transform your space into a pleasant and restful atmosphere. 

Also Read: Easy Guide To Choose A Color Palette For Your Space

Talking of colours, adding metallics to your design scheme is also a great idea. One such convenient hack is incorporating this through microelements. For example, the Bird Land Side Tables come with iron leg frames and a beautiful top which perfectly captures the essence of nature-inspired motifs. 

Similarly, you can also experiment with metallic lighting elements in your home. As we will soon welcome Diwali, a Mettalic Lamp Base for the corners will add extra sheen to your bright and colourful home. The Grey Globe Crystal Candle Holder and the Olive Crystal Candle Holder will add the requisite amount of sparkle. The shimmering crystal discs dance with reflected light in stylish silhouettes while making your home glow.

Also Read | A floating pavilion as testing grounds for museum-to-be M. in Dutch new town Almere

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[activekidney73-blog]

Maple Pecan Cake

Maple syrup is one of my favorite sweet treats. I typically use it to top off stacks of pancakes or other breakfast treats, like most of us do, but I also have been known to stir it into coffee/tea drinks, ice cream and other creations. This Maple Pecan Cake is a wonderfully simple cake that is sweetened with maple syrup and accented with toasted pecans. It’s a delicious addition to brunch any day of the year and is a stellar dessert option in the fall and winter.

The cake batter includes both sugar and maple syrup. The sugar helps to create a light, fluffy crumb in this cake, giving it an almost pound cake-like texture. Maple syrup adds both sweetness and plenty of flavor. To get the most out of your maple syrup, choose a dark colored maple syrup and make sure that you are using the real thing, not pancake syrup. Dark maple syrups used to be labeled “Grade B”, but are now usually labeled “dark” or “dark amber.” You can really taste the maple syrup in the finished cake and it adds a wonderful sweetness – and a much more balanced maple flavor than you get when using maple extracts in cakes.

This cake can be baked in a tube pan or a bundt pan. I used a tube pan with a decorative base, which produced the pattern that you can see on top of the cake in my pixtures, but a plain tube pan will work just fine here. I find that this cake recipe doesn’t fill up a bundt pan quite as much as others, however you’ll still get a good sized cake and the bundt design will come through well if you opt for a bundt pan. No matter what type of pan you use, be sure to grease it before pouring in the batter to ensure that it doesn’t stick!

I served my cake without any frosting as a coffee cake, letting buttery maple flavor of the cake evoke a breakfast of pancakes or waffles alongside freshly brewed coffee. The cake is sweet enough that you can get away without frosting it easily. If you want to amp up the maple flavor, however, I recommend finishing the cake with a maple glaze, which you can make by whisking together a few tablespoons of maple syrup, water, some confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt.

Maple Pecan Cake 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup milk 2/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Blend in maple syrup, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined. Stir half of the flour mixture into the maple mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain visible. Fold in pecans until evenly distributed. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan before turning it out onto a serving dish.

Serves 10-12.

Source: http://bakingbites.com/2018/09/maple-pecan-cake/

[twincitiesgeek]

The MN Bookstore Guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday 2023

It's here: our annual guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday at Minnesota's independent bookstores! See what your favorite local shop has planned.

Thanksgiving week is here, and as always, lots of Minnesota indie bookstores are offering sales and specials on Black Friday, November 24, and Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2023. Below, you’ll find information on what all your favorite shops throughout the state are doing on those days as well as a few sales and specials that extend beyond this weekend. Check out the map at the bottom of…

[romvnova]

Becoming The Raptor Wrangler: Chapter Four

“Holy shit.” The explicit word tumbles carelessly from Owen’s lips as he swipes his hotel keycard, the door unlocks and he pushes it open. The room’s luxurious and huge. Not one room but three joined rooms not including the monstrosity of a bathroom. He takes a moment to poke around, fingers skimming over the real Italian marble bathroom countertop. The mirror has a small wifi signal glowing blue in the left hand corner and an idle power button and his eyebrow rises.

Owen immediately feels highly uncomfortable knowing that this is where Mr. Misrani’d put him up: a fancy ass hotel room that was evidently made for a serious VIP. A room, mind, that Owen likely couldn’t even afford for an hour. And they were giving it to him during his stay on Isla Nublar: which was indefinitely …or for as long as the park still drew revenue and stayed open, at any rate.

He tosses his duffel bag on the bed, yanked the zipper open and pawed through it until he found a cream colored henley shirt. He pulled his sweaty shirt over his head, balling it in his hands, glimpsing around for a hamper to toss it into, before remembering the walk-in closet. He disappears into it, dropping the balled up shirt into the lined basket before stepping out.

“Jesus christ.” He snarls, hand shooting out to grasp the closet’s doorframe to steady himself as his heart pounds all the way up into his throat. Still trying to come down from the anxiety attack he’d gotten on the Main Street of being around so many goddamn people put him on edge. An already too-familiar red head standing by his bed in his hotel room with no warning damn near sent the war veteran into a second episode. “Don’t you knock?”

She turns around, startled — and that in particular was rather comical to Owen — as if she didn’t expect him to be there. Her eyes widen and she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, sheepishly, knowing she’s been caught. Her cheeks flush a bright red to rival her hair as her eyes linger, perhaps a bit longer than she’d have liked, on his bare chest.

“I —,” Claire takes a deep breath, squaring her dainty shoulders as she strolls nearer. “I did knock. You didn’t answer so I thought…” but she trailed off with no obvious intention of fully explaining herself.

“You’d just let yourself into my hotel room?” He finishes for her, giving a mocking nod. “Y’know if you wanted to be alone with me in my room all you had to do was ask.” He teases her with a cocky, lopsided grin, brushing past her. She makes a cute indignant noise in the back of her throat from behind him that causes a chuckle to rise in Owen’s own. It was inappropriate and he’d likely just broken five different fraternization rules right then and there but god, he can’t help himself. There was something about Claire Dearing that makes him want to banter with her.

Perhaps it was the fact that he suspects she can not only handle it but return what he gives her tenfold.

“I wasn’t…” She inhales deeply and lets it out in a heavy sigh. “We’re on a tight time schedule, Mr. Grady.”

“Owen.” He corrects her automatically as he pulls his cream-colored henley shirt on and zips his duffel bag back up, turning to face her once more. “That’s fine.” He replies and holds his hand out to her. “First, give me that key card you used to get in here.”

She glares at him and procures a small, white keycard from her pocket and places it in his hand. His fingers curl around it in his palm and he smiles at her, causing her nostrils to flare as he moves around his bed to place it in the nightstand, making a show of closing the drawer.

“Please Mr. Grady. I was going to return it to the front desk when we left. Don’t insult me.” She rolls her eyes and scoffs, making it very clear that any idea of ‘them’ and ‘hooking up’ positively disgusted her.

Well good, Owen thinks in an internal huff.

“Word of advice, Miss Dearing?” He words it to sound like a rhetorical question because he’s going to give it to her anyway, whether she wants to hear it or not. “Don’t ever sneak up on me again. It’s disrespectful, I don’t appreciate it, and you could cause me to go into an PTSD episode.” It wasn’t meant to be a threat; just a warning, but he feels incredibly disrespected by her for just letting herself into his hotel room regardless of whether she knocked or not, her subtle insult of him didn’t help to soften the wound either. To be fair, he’d been as cruel as her but damnit if he didn’t feel justified in it.

“Now, I believe we’re on a tight time schedule?” He encourages her to lead the way with an errant gesture of his hand to the hotel room door. To Owen’s surprise Claire doesn’t lead him back out the front where all the guests flock like herds of sheep. Instead, she takes him out the back entrance for hotel staff.

“I’ll have your keycards set to unlock these doors so you can avoid Main Street.” She tells him distractedly over her shoulder as she types on her tablet, clutched once more in her grasp.

He’s begrudgingly grateful, and he wonders whether she’d been more observant to his panic attack on the Main Street than he’d originally assumed.

Which caused Owen to immediately reassess and analyze the scene in his hotel room. He thought Claire was being impatient. Barging into his room because they were on a tight time schedule as she didn’t hesitate to remind him the first chance she got …but what if he’d misinterpreted the whole thing?

What if, assuming she was more observant than he’d given her credit for, she’d been checking up on him. Not because of the schedule but because she’d seen his episode he thought he’d been slick in hiding?

“I’m sorry I startled you, Mr. Grady.”

“Owen.” Her cheeks flush a lovely shade of red as she catches his gaze from the other side of the black and blue Jeep they were going to be taking. Owen watches as she fusses with her hair as he climbs in the passenger side. It doesn’t completely hide her face but he suspects it helps to keep him out of her peripheral vision.

Owen grabs the roll cage bar over his head as she peels out down the dirt road. The Jeep’s suspension is built for the uneven terrain but speed isn’t graceful on the dips and bumps and it jars his teeth together.

“This is the raptor paddock and cage.” She says as she puts the Jeep in park in front of the giant metal construct. Construction workers are hard at work on it, welding and fusing it together in places.

“Is it safe?” He points to the catwalk as he hops out of the Jeep.

“Yes.” Claire replies and he wastes no time jogging up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He steps on the metal catwalk, fingers running over the railing as he looks below him at the ‘cage’. It’s an open  space and in the far corner is the entrance into their massive paddock. It stretches far enough to allow the raptors to roam and run without feeling claustrophobic. Plenty of forest, a massive watering hole, and plains.

He looks over his shoulder as he hears the sound of Claire’s heels on the catwalk.

“I wouldn’t…—” He started, ready to grab her if it looked like she was in danger of losing her balance…or breaking an ankle. Once again, Claire Dearing navigated the metal grate of the catwalk in a manner that would, Owen doesn’t doubt, give a runway model a serious run for her money. She gives a soft clear of her throat and smiles at him, a bit smug a bit charming as he lean his hip casually against the short catwalk railing.

“We’re going to have four ACU guards stationed at each corner of the cage,” She points to the spots on the wrap around catwalk. “Armed with non-lethals, of course, as per our safety regulations.”

“You put twelve amps in those raptors, it’ll destroy their trust in me in an instant.” Owen tells her.

“So …what? You’d rather risk being killed?” Claire questions him.

“I’d rather ACU not interfere with my work.” He tells her, taking a step closer to her.

“It’s company protocol. There has to be at least four ACU guards per carnivore paddock while the trainers and handlers are working with them.” Claire tells him simply, her tone implying that he’s not going to negotiate it with her.

“Fine,” Owen agrees watching as Claire’s shoulders sag a little with relief. “But while they’re stationed in my paddock, with my raptors, they’ll listen to me. If I tell them to hold fire, they better damn well hold their fire.”

Claire blinks up at him, clearly deliberating the terms he gives her. “I can manage that.” She eventually murmurs in compromise.

“Good.” Owen says before he turns away from her and walks the rest of the catwalk, eventually following her down the stairs and back to the Jeep.

“Owen Grady, this is Dr. Henry Wu.” Claire introduces them as the elevator doors open to the incubation lab. It’s sterile and white and reminds Owen of a military medical facility. Out of all the scientists there, Dr. Wu is the only one wearing a bespoke black suit.

Owen shakes the doctor’s hand.

“Dr. Wu, this is Owen Grady. He’ll be spearheading Project IBRIS.” Claire says as he leads the way down the corridor of glass walls and doors. As they move past, Owen glimpses around him with muted fascination. He’d never been one for science, but there’s something methodical about watching them work: extracting DNA from amber samples. Playing with double helix’s suspended on touch screens in their areas, mixing genomes.

“What’s the survival rate of the hatchlings?” Owen asks as Dr. Wu leads them down a secondary hallway and presses his hand against the reader to unlock the door with a soft hiss. Claire takes a step to the side to allow Owen to pass before her, as he comes to stand before the two large nests, each nest holding six velociraptor eggs.

“The typical rate is two per nest, but it’s a bit of a lottery, Mr. Grady. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes it’s one …sometimes it’s none at all and the process starts all over.” Owen feels his brows furrow at the utter lack of emotion in Dr. Wu’s voice as he says it. Owen isn’t sure if the man is just apathetic or if, after years of dealing with failed incubations he’s just grown …desensitized.

Owen frowns but leans closer to examine the next that Dr. Wu hovers around, hand pressing against a draw diagram with neat scribbling written on it. He looks down at in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“Ah, each raptor hatching has mixed DNA with a different reptile to give them all a unique appearance. I thought it would be easier for you to tell them apart that way.” Dr. Wu makes it sound like it’s an generously altruistic act but Owen can’t help but feel insulted.

“How incredibly kind of you.” Owen deadpans sarcastically, letting out a low grunt of pain as he feels Claire step on his toes in a clear warning.

“Sorry, Mr. Grady.” She murmurs in an apology that sounds sincere but he knows damn well isn’t. She puts on a good show for Dr. Wu.

If Dr. Wu noticed the silent battle of stares happening between Claire and Owen he pays no attention to it, or rather draws no attention to it. Instead, he lets the band of his black rubber gloves snap against his wrists as he puts them on and points to four eggs in the oldest nest.

“As you can see these eggs have stress fractures along the egg shell. I estimate they’ll hatch within the next couple of days or so, but I’ve taken the liberty of syncing this tablet,” Dr. Wu gestures to it and Claire grabs it off the table for him and hands it out to Owen. “to these monitors. I want you here from sun rise to sun fall watching them, but the tablet’s alarm is set to go off if they begin to show increased signs of activity. Your employee ID card will get you into the lab’s elevator and into this room exclusively.”

“Alright.” Owen agrees. He knows the importance of being here when they hatch, of imprinting upon them the moment they’re born. It’ll jumpstart and further help to cement the bond he’ll work to create with them.

“Well,” Owen pulls up an office chair and lowers himself down into it. “Best get started.” He says dismissively.

Dr. Wu takes his exit then, not needing to be told twice until it’s just Claire and Owen. She procures a sleek, white phone from her pocket and holds it out to him. Gingerly, Owen takes it. Like everything in this lab it looks highly breakable.

“Company work phone. It’s pre-programmed with everyone’s numbers. ACU, Dr. Wu, the park rangers are all on your speed dial.” Owen thanks her, watching her as she hesitates for a moment before she glimpses back over her shoulder and exits the lab room, heading back the way they’d came. Owen rubs his eyes and stretches in the chair before he turns his gaze to the two nests, his eyes drawn to an egg in the second nest. It’s a bit bigger than the others: not noticeable upon first glance and it’s shell is almost a matte pearlescent color with tiny, iridescent blue vein-like marks, easily missed if one wasn’t studying the egg as intensely as Owen finds himself. He stretches out a finger to touch the egg, the rough texture of the shell warm beneath his fingertips. He follows an iridescent blue vein’s path along the egg with a gentle trace of his fingertip and recoils his hand and drawing in a sharp breath when he feels the egg thrum like a heartbeat. Owen’s brows furrow before he decides he better not touch them again, lest Dr. Wu catches him.

He looks like the kind of man who’d love nothing wrong to read him the riot act and given that Owen’s fairly sure Claire’s already given herself that power he doesn’t want the two of them to gang up on him. He settles back in the chair, watching the monitors and comparing them, making sense of the scientific mumbo-jumbo enough to have a grasp on what he’s looking at and what he’s looking for.

[zombiiesque]

Seasonal Series: FALL For Nocturne Alchemy

Originally published 10/3/2019

So I've been meaning to work on this series for a while, but I keep getting distracted! I'm terrible, I know. I've had the idea to write up a series of four posts, one for each season, of scent suggestions from Nocturne Alchemy - both LC (Limited Collection) and PC (Permanent Collection). I've asked my fellow House of Nocturne Alchemy Tent members for their suggestions, too. If you are not already in the Tent on Facebook, please join us - we'd love to have you! It's a wonderful group. So, fall. It's October, and here in Florida the temperature hasn't really given us any relief, and I'm dying to wear my heavier fall scents. I am really glad not to have snow here yet, but I really would like to have some cooler days! Bring on that crisp fall air, I am ready.

Let's start with LC scents, shall we? Some of my favorites: Phantasm Kiss. Can't talk about fall without talking about this, the biggest gun of all, for me. The vanilla/smoke/wood balance is absolute perfection, and it's cozy and dark and right in my wheelhouse. To boot, it literally makes everything I have ever layered it with smell just so much more amazing. I don't think I've ever tried it with something I didn't love 1000%. This is VHTF, (very hard to find) though - if you come across one in the secondary market, you'd better act fast. Jack's Halloween Oudh is another iconic fall scent - everyone seems to love this, and it truly is fall in a bottle. It took a long time for me to be able to wear it, because for some reason I amped the dickens out of the spices, but they finally mellowed with age enough for this to truly be an experience, not just a perfume. It's a FALL fall scent, in capital letters. Just a tad on the foodie side, but balanced enough with the other notes that I wouldn't call it a gourmand. I'm not going to pick a particular pumpkin from the 31 Pumpkin Library, but I will say this: If you haven't been following along with this series, you are missing out. This is the last year for these. I was not sold on the idea of pumpkin as perfume, because I was never much of a foodie gal - I liked it well enough for room scents, and will eat the heck outta some pie, or muffins - but I just didn't really ever try any that appealed to me. Now I've accumulated a good 10 of them, and love them all. There's something for every taste, even the folks who don't like pumpkin or foodie scents. Can't wear spices? There's even several without spice in the series, too. Feeling Witchy, with a capital W? Sisters of the Moon was created by Bastet in honor of Stevie Nicks, and it's perfection. Herbal, dark, haunting, mysterious - it's everything you want in a witchy perfume. Always a favorite of mine this time of year. My absolute favorite Halloween subcollection though, is the Mummy series. So many favorites in this - Mummy Crypt, Mummy Tomb Incense, Embalmed Mummy, Mummy Amber, and currently available in the Resurgence, The Mummy Returns. Even better, these all do well layered with each other - I highly recommend experimenting with this! My absolute favorite is Mummy Crypt, but truly, I love them all. I would be remiss if I didn't mention V, also available in the Resurgence. I have to say that one really crept up on me - I really liked it, but I do have a lot of incense, and I wasn't sure it was totally unique to my collection. I wore this recently and it was like I was hit by a lightning bolt - I GOT THE FANFARE. Holy. Freaking. Bats! Don't skip out on this if incense is your jam, because this is a beauty. I am not sure whether it was hormones - mine have been in flux for quite a while - or the aforementioned warmer weather, but although I did like it, I wasn't obsessed with it. I surely am now, and it's going to get a lot of wear over the next few months. Thoth did a spectacular job with it, he truly did. Oh, I don't want to forget to mention the Patchouli Bats. If you love patch the way I do, there are some beauties here, and my two favorites right now are Scarlet Bat - available in the Resurgence section of the Limiteds, and the new Vampire Bourbon Patchouli Bat. I'm not going to say a lot on that, as I've got a review coming up at the end of the week with a more in depth look at Bourbon Bat, but it is divine, and already a fan favorite. Another Patchouli Bat I love that came out with the last Holiday LC is Vampire Cardamom Bat - I added this on as a last minute choice, and wasn't really sure about it, but it's become a quick favorite, and I wore it year round this year, but I think it's definitely more appropriate in the cooler months. Scarlet Bat is sugared patchouli red musk, and it. Is. Sexy. Seriously stunning. Okay, lest I go on too long here, I'm going to wrap this up by mentioning some of the LC favorites in the Tent. Vampire Bourbon Patchouli Bat is a fast fan favorite, and everyone is raving about it. Also

mentioned were Halloween Evening, Skeletonic, Blood Queen, Sandman, and Eternal Ankh Spice. Based on the review thread in the Tent, if you like lavender and sleep scents, Halloween Dreams is very popular. Okay, there are a ton of other really wonderful LC choices for fall, but I obviously could go on and on - let's head to the Permanent Collection!

Nocturne Alchemy has a large and wonderful PC, so if you have not explored this yet, you are truly missing out. Treasures untold, as Ariel says in The Little Mermaid. Right off the bat, I'm going to mention the brand new Halloween 2020. It was available in a special black frosted bottle in the LC section, but it's also part of the All Hallows' Eve subcollection, along with previous Halloweens, including my beloved Bastet Halloween 2016. This is a sandalwood lover's dream. I received a sample with my order, so I'll be talking about it when I post my reviews, but I LOVE it already. This is a great fall section, chock full of perfect cooler weather scents. BOO! is a fan favorite - I keep meaning to get a sample of it, because I want to give it a try and see if I can wear the spices. I do, however, have a sample of Day of the Dead, and it is the perfect Horchata. Sugary rice milk, creamy vanilla, and a touch of musk - it's so wearable, even if you're not into foodie scents. It's a snuggly white scent. I used to have a sample of Black Crow, but I gave it away many moons ago - but it's something I need to upgrade to a full bottle of, I loved it. I do however have a big bottle of Black Raven and I adore that one! The patchouli is prominent, but it's blended well with the other resins, and it's a rich and dark scent. If you love those kinds of scents, don't skip out on this one. I could really go on and on in this section, but I'll stop, and just encourage you to explore this one for yourself, especially for fall. Another section you won't want to miss is the Goblins. This one contains another big fan favorite, Spooktacular. I have the original version, without the addition of Bastet's Ice Cream Accord, but I need to pick up the new one, as well. This is simple - gooey, creamy, marshmallow goodness. If you are looking for a marshmallow scent, Spooktacular is the one you want. And it layers with absolutely everything! Demonseed Cake and Pina Ghoulata are also popular. The Immortals has another favorite - Emerson. This is a beauty for fall, a bright, rich golden resin scent. Mina is another popular one, jasmine with vanilla, musk, and pepper. I'm going to mention Ozymandias here, although I wear this year round, if I had to put it firmly into a season, I would call it a fall scent. I highly encourage you to age this one if you find it faint at first, that is common with this scent. It's a cozy, sweet resinous scent with just a light kick of pepper, and just perfect for snuggling into a jean jacket and thick sweater. It's in the Pharaohs & Queens section. There are a literal ton in the Studio Limited sections that would suit, so I'm going to briefly mention a few favorites: Ember Vanilla. Smoked out, slightly chewy vanilla, and layers well with many other perfumes. I haven't tried Bourbon Vanille solo yet, but having had it in blends, I am yearning for a bottle, and I think it, too, would be a great fall scent. There are many of the Ombres that are heavier and absolutely perfect for the fall, not the least of which are Oud Ombre and Fig Noir Ombre, a darkly sexy, date night fig and resins perfume. The newly released Musk Haven musks are great as well - I'm thinking particularly Vanilla Musk and Amber Musk, with the golden, stunning amber musk of Saphir. Ember is a rich, woody combination of frankincense and myrrh that I crave all year, but in particular during the cooler months. Kashmir - a dark, sexy red musk, and Bloodstone - a deep, spicy dragon's blood - are heavier and well suited for fall. Really, there are a plethora of choices in the Studio Limited, so I'll leave you to browse at your leisure, and just mention a few more that come to mind. Etherias is another section worth exploring, and I have several of these on my wishlist, including Etherian Ambre, which I think sounds perfect right about now. But one I really crave once the temperatures drop is Polichenelle - a gooey marshmallow with a puff of smoke and spicy clove. This to me is the perfect scent if you like clove, but it can amp up on your skin. I have that problem

myself, but not here - the marshmallow really reigns it in and it is beautifully balanced. It dries down to a lightly spiced marshmallow musk on me. The Royal Ambers have so many favorites, but I really want to mention Sky Amber, Thoth Amber, Sekhmet Amber, and especially Horus Amber. The cardamom in this is so smooth and rich, this is a gorgeous golden scent that is just wonderfully warm. Let me put the brakes on, y'all. There are a lot of great choices for fall in the PC, and some recommendations from my friends in the Tent include Burning Jack, Vanilla Pumpkin Pie, Halloween 2019, and Halloween 2017 (I too have this one and love it).

OH, another one - I would really feel bad if I didn't mention this. The Desecrated Tomb is a great little section, and the three I have all layer well with each other - Black Frankincense, Black Myrrh, and Black Vanilla Embalming Spice. But that last one is a perfect fall vanilla, it's dark and smoothly warm with the spices, and totally unique. And it's another fan favorite!

And that's it! Fall is my absolute favorite season, so I get a little verbose with the recommendations. There are so many wonderful possibilities, and not just in the Limited Collection. What are your favorite fall scents? Do you have and love any of these? Happy October, y'all.

[lilantiqueandfloralshoppe]

Decorating your home can sometimes be challenging. What color theme should I go for? What style? Where should I hang [this] or put [that]?

Sometimes the most unexpected items make the most beautiful decor. I am going to share with you some un-conventional ways to decorate your home with vintage-themed items.

1. Old Serving Trays

Serving trays are a very common item you can find at just about any second hand store. Serving trays can be painted or used “as is” to give your home a elegant vintage-themed look. You can use them as a center piece with some candles and old books stacked on top. You can also hang them on the wall of your dining room or kitchen area.

2. Old books

3. Old Frames

4. Carnival Glass

You have probably heard about “carnival glass” if you have ventured into the vintage/antique world. However, if you have not- these glass items are beautiful. They are usually colored (pink, blue, amber, etc) and they have an iredesant look to them. These pieces are a little harder to find, but if you happen to run across some, they would definitely amp up your vintage-themed decor. You can display these beautiful pieces in just about any room. These are super easy to display and don’t need much accents paired with them- their look is enough. They make vases, glasses, bowls, plates, basins, etc.

5. Old Kitchen Utensils

Kitchen utensils? Really? YES REALLY! Kitchen utensils make great statement pieces in your kitchen! And not to mention - people LOVE vintage kitchen supplies. These pieces would definitely be the conversation starter in your kitchen for any get-together situation. You can simply hang these on the wall, put them in a shadow box, or leave them for display in a vintage utensil holder on your kitchen counter! I love finding old unique items like these. PS: leave them rusty, or paint them with white chalk paint!

[ellocentipede]

Nocturne Alchemy Halloween 2019 Review

I’ve been sitting on this post for a long time—my apologies! I kept ordering decants because I was so curious about this collection, and I didn’t want to post until I had all of the reviews put together. This was a really great collection, and many of my favorites were surprises! Buckle up, buttercups, this is a long one!

Halloween 2018

Scent description: Pumpkin Incense, Raw Fig and Pumpkin puree, Tonka Bean, Blue Sugar, a drop of Kashmir, a drop of labdanum, a drop of clove and a breath of white amber.

Very pretty—but not what I expected! This is clean, resinous sugared incense on my skin and I love it! The musk is a beautiful addition. It smells like a fancy metaphysical shop!

Halloween 2019

Scent description: Waxy Candy Corn, Vanilla, Cotton Candy, Spun Pumpkin Cotton Candy, Bourbon Vanille with touches of almond, pistachio, gold sweet tobacco and white musk.

This is a pretty, candy corn scent, but leans a tad sweet when combined with the cotton candy notes. I know a lot of people love this one, but I prefer Halloween 2018′s incense and Halloween 2020′s rich sandalwood to this blend’s candy bag!

Halloween 2020

Scent description: A special All Hallows’ Eve blend of  7 Sandalwoods (Hawaiian, Indian, Australian, New Caledonia, Indian Santalum Album, Karnataka Sandalwood, African Sandalwood (Baphia Nitida), Cardamom essential oil, Clove essential oil, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Bastet Amber Absolute, smoked sandalwood infused with oak and pine smoke in the NA Studio.

I love NAVA’s sandalwood, so even though this has smoke listed as a note, I had to try it. It’s a beautiful sandalwood scent with a touch of sweet smoke! The smoke is not dominant or acrid at all. This is beautiful and I’m happy to have it!

Eternal Ankh Spice

Scent description: White Amber Absolute, Powdered and reconstructed oil of Egyptian Vanilla Husk, Vanilla fleck, African White Vanilla Absolute, Essential oils of Nutmeg, clove and Cardamom with a drydown of beautiful Eternal Ankh Vanilla

In the bottle this smells Eternal Ankh-heavy with just a dash of spice, but on skin the spice blooms and is really beautiful. I get mostly the cardamom with a hint of nutmeg in a cloud of EA. This is really perfect for "fall" in my neck of the woods--where the forecast has high temps in the 90s through the first week of October.

Bastet’s Ice Cream: Halloween Spice Cake Crystalline Creme

Scent description: Buttery Coffee cake, Cinnamon and nutmeg, Vanilla Bean powder, Bourbon Vanille Absolute (original BV in Studio Limited), a shot of Espresso bean oil to hold up the spices, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar

This should be called Snickerdoodle Crème. I tend to amp cinnamon, and I smell a lot of it here, along with the Crystalline Crème. Yea, this is snickerdoodle ice cream on me!

Vampire Bourbon Patchouli Bat

Scent description: Golden and Black Patchouli essential oils slow-drip blended into our Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Sugared Vanilla pods with hints of Oak and Hinoki wood

A silky, smooth patch, sweetened with creamy, sugared bourbon vanilla. This is sweeter and smoother than the original Vampire Vanilla Bat. It’s well blended. Alas, NAVA’s patch just doesn’t work for me, and this blend is no exception.

Blackout

Scent description: NA Chypre accord (labdanum, oakmoss, lavender, patchouli and neroli), Jasmine Absolute, NA Oudh, Bastet Amber Absolute, Mandarin, Clove and Amber accord

A pretty chypre! The florals are tamed by the clove and oudh. The oudh here is smooth, not too gritty. I think I may be smelling some benzoin? Unfortunately this one starts to not be so great on my skin. The oudh becomes more prominent and begins to remind me of a petting zoo.

Blood

Scent description: Kashmir (Studio Limited), Pipe Tobacco accord, Caramel Oudh (NA Studio), Black Patchouli leaves, Palo Santo essential oil, Italian Bergamot, Italian Pine resin, Frankincense Resin, Myrrh wood and Bastet’s Musk

Sweet tobacco, airy incense, smooth patchouli, and pine. This one is a bit like cologne on me. This one seemed to be a popular scent this year, but it falls flat on me.

Blood Queen

Scent description: Wild Black Currant, Cemetery Musk, Santalum White (Studio Limited), Kashmir (Studio Limited), Black Musk, Blood Wine accord, Black Violet and Lilac essence

Lots of tart, juicy red currant. Smells like kool aid or fruit punch. A floral note starts to come through—the lilac, perhaps? A littttle soapy. Reminds me a bit of Wally Wallaby—fruity floral. I don’t love this one, but I also tend to not love fruity florals.

Dark Ghost Velvet

Scent description: Velvet Blend: Eternal Ankh, Jasmine, Vanilla bean, and musk all weave the scent of Dark Ghost Velvet into Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute, Black Vanilla, Black Clove and a touch of Kashmir and Black Musk (Studio Limited)

Yessss. I was hoping this would work for me, and it does! I love NAVA’s jasmine scents. This one is beautiful—it’s a deep, creamy, true jasmine scent with a dry smokiness here from the clove. A beautiful floral for the cooler months.

Ghost

Scent description: Maydi Frankincense, Black Orchid, Tonka Bean Absolute, Crimson (Studio Limited) Musk, Caramel, Lemon, Cola accord with Kola Nut and a drop of Ceylon Cinnamon

This one is a pretty Cola scent, but unfortunately I don’t get much else. It’s fairly similar similar to Koala. Blue, but Koala has a beautiful, rich labdanum note (the same one that’s in Midnite Bunny) that deepened the scent and gave it some complexity. This one is pretty wispy, and alas doesn’t last long on my skin. A ghost of a scent indeed!

This Mortal Coil

Scent description: Balsamic Sandalwood, Mahogany wood, Turkish Rose, Musk

Well, this is gorgeous. This is what I wanted from their Rose Musk blend, but somehow that one didn't work for me. It's a beautiful musky rose deepened by the sandalwood and mahogany. Not sharp at all--super smooth, woody rose.

Dragon’s Eye

Scent description: Magnolia Blossom, Orchid, Rice Milk, Lotus essence

Pretty, smooth, well-blended florals in creamy rice milk. This is not overly sweet or screechy—it’s a very mild floral fragrance. I don’t get any bubblegum from the lotus—but there’s a hint of lemon.

Moonsand

Scent description: Light essences of Pear, Clementine, Heliotrope, Gardenia, Plumeria and White Amber Absolute

I almost passed on this one, but it may be my favorite of the update! It's so beautiful. It really fits the name--somehow it smells like a glowing jar of sand blessed under moonlight. It's a tropical fruity floral and is a bit reminiscent of both EA Violet and EA Orchid

Skeletonic

Scent description: White Birch, Tonka Bean, Vetiver essence, Birch wood, Bastet’s Musk Absolute, Black Styrax

This one smells sharp in the bottle—like sappy, green wood and cologne. On skin, it’s surprisingly not sharp at all! It does smell like green woods—like sunlight dappling through light green leaves in a forest in spring. The benzoin (styrax) is surprisingly not ruining this one for me. It’s very gender neutral, and reminds me of BPAL’s Elf scent. Unfortunately for me, the benzoin comes out with wear and turns funky on my skin.

Halloween Dreams

Scent description: Lavender Absolute, Organic Lavandin Flowers, French Lavender, Halloween Candy accord (sugars and caramel), Crimson Musk (Studio Limited), Halloween Bonfire Smoke accord (NA Studio), Ember wood smoke infused Lavender buds

Fresh lavender flowers, burnt sugar, and a hint of smoke. Too smoky for me!

Pumpkin Spice Cotton Candy

Scent description: Cotton Candy accord, Strawberry-Sugar accord, Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger and Nutmeg

Exactly what it says on the tin. Dry, warm pumpkin spice spun sugar.

Candy Corn Cotton Candy

Scent description:

This doesn’t smell like cotton candy to me. Instead it’s a rich, creamy, chewy artisanal caramel.

Hekate Cat

Scent description: Black Hemlock, French Lavender, Pistachio, Sandalwood, Vanilla Pudding accord, Brown Sugar and a touch of White Cinnamon

A blast of pistachio and vanilla pudding, with a hint of tart/poisonous berry that must be the hemlock. I’m not a fan of this one, unfortunately.

Hemlock Cat

Scent description: Blue Hemlock, English Lavender, Musk, Vanilla Cake accord, Vanilla, Brown Sugar and touch of Cinnamon

This smells like a fruit jelly made with a tart, poisonous berry, and a hint of lavender on top of cake. A unique scent, for sure! I think maybe the hemlock note is not working for me.

Castaway Coconut

Scent description: Cotton Candy accord, Bastet’s Ice Cream blend, Vanilla Wax accord (NA Studio), Cherry, Pineapple, Candy Corn Vanilla accord, Crystalline

Huh! This one is like Coppertone! It’s suntan lotion-esque coconut!

Pineapple Punch

Scent description: Sweet Pineapple, Orange zest, Vanilla, Brown Sugar accord, Sweet Coconut, Crystalline & Bourbon Vanille Absolute blend

Tart, strong pineapple with a hint of creamy coconut milk. Smells like a tropical drink.

Shipwreck Spice

Scent description: Mortar pestle of Clove, Pine needles, Cinnamon Bark, Nutmeg, Green Cardamom, Patchouli leaves, Orange Zest, Apple Skin, Crystalline (vanilla from Studio Limited), Romanian Green Cognac essential oil, Crystalline, Vanilla Bean and Vanilla-infused Musk

This smells like Christmas! I get pine and winter spices (clove and orange) in a cloud of vanilla musk that softens the edges. There’s a bit of smoke on drydown.

Pumpkin #27

Scent description: Bourbon Vanille (Studio Limited), Black Fig, Raw Pumpkin (no spice in this blend)

Smooth, creamy, and mild pumpkin pie filling--no spice! The pumpkin is not like raw pumpkin—it’s more like the canned pumpkin pie filling but with zero spice (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.) added.  The fig is really fragrant and nice, giving it some flavor without heavy spice. It smells like the same fig that's in Summer Fig Crème. I really don't see anyone not liking this scent--it's very pretty and seasonal without being "spice candle in your face".

Pumpkin #28

Scent description: Buttery Pumpkin accord (vegan), Crystalline (Studio Limited), Bastet’s Ice Cream, Butter Cream Icing accord, Madagascar Vanilla bean

Sweet, creamy, lightly spiced pumpkin pie filling, with a touch of something like the butter, pecan, and brown sugar topping that I put on my sweet potato casserole. This is a great pumpkin scent for those who are sensitive to spices (like myself).

Pumpkin #30

Scent description: Tonka Bean Absolute, Moonstone (Studio Limited) Absolute, Egyptian Musk, Pumpkin Pie accord (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger)

This is the pumpkin spice scent for a world travelling archaeology professor. It's pumpkin spice with Egyptian musk coming through on drydown. It's dry, smooth, rich, and warm, a bit exotic.

Resurgence Collection (items from last year, rereleased)

Bastet’s Ice Cream: Candy Corn Crystalline Creme

Scent description: Etherian Vanilla (not yet released Etherias scent, a ghostly vanilla skin scent), Candy Corn accord, touch of almond, butter, Crystalline two-fold, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, touch of Mallow, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.  A new take on a gourmand vanilla Candy Corn.

This one is pretty awesome. It does smell like candy corn ice cream. It’s not overly sweet, but is a nice, mild vanilla caramel scent. It’s interesting to me that the candy corn note on Halloween 2019 was too sweet for me, but here it’s just right. I think the ice cream note provides creamy sweetness without being tooth-achingly sweet. I’m a big fan of the Bastet’s Ice Cream scents in general.

Bastet’s Ice Cream: Halloween Spice Cake Santalum Creme

Scent description: Buttery Coffee cake, Cinnamon and nutmeg, Vanilla Bean powder, Santalum Sandalwood Absolute, a shot of Espresso to hold up the spices, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.

I love this one! It does the cinnamon/snickerdoodle amping thing when wet on my skin, but dries down to a creamy, lightly spiced cake with a good dose of NAVA's awesome santalum. 

Bastet’s Ice Cream: Pumpkin Pie Crystal Creme

Scent description: Pumpkin cream, Pumpkin skin, Black Fig.  Pumpkin Pie Spices: Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Butter-Vanilla Bean and Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Crystal Vanilla-Musk Absolute, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.

I purchased this bottle last year when it was first released, in the hopes that the ice cream element would soften the pumpkin spice into a magical pumpkin scent of dreams for me. I ended up rehoming that first bottle because there was too much cinnamon, and it caused an eczema reaction on my wrist and the palm of my hand. This year I decided to give it another go, and surprisingly it’s not as spicy. I’m not sure if my skin chemistry has changed, or if a year of aging has tamed the cinnamon, but whatever it is, I’m not complaining. This is a pretty pumpkin pie scent with a tiny dollop of fresh whipped cream sitting on top. It reads just a bit woody and dusty to me, and I think it’s the fig note. I really like how NAVA combines pumpkin and fig (as in some of this year’s pumpkin blends above, and Halloween 2018). This is a lovely scent, it’s just not my pumpkin pie scent of dreams.

Dawn by Ian

Scent description: Plumeria, eNVie saphir, Bastet's Amber, Rice Milk and Blue Crystalline

I love this one! A fresh, bright plumeria (not shampoo-like as it can sometimes be) tamed with gentle, creamy rice milk and deepened with musky, cloudy amber. This is a great year-round option. It’s classy and elegant. Rice milk becomes more prominent with wear, and the plumeria recedes a bit while remaining the heart of the scent. A beautiful creamy floral—not overly sweet and absolutely not screechy.

V by Thoth

Scent description: Incense, Sweetened spices of Cardamom, Cinnamon, Allspice and clove swirled with Vanilla pods, Ghost Musk and Copal Resin

This is sort of a dream incense scent on me. It’s hard to review in the way that Alchemist Bazaar (also a beautiful incense blend on me) is hard to review—it’s just so well-blended. I don’t really smell the cinnamon or allspice, which is a huge surprise since those notes tend to be so punchy and dominant. I am getting a fair amount of copal. This is like Copal incense and other precious resins (amber, perhaps?) simmering. It’s not “sweet”, but it’s also not sharp—it’s very smooth and elegant. If you think you would like this blend at all, I highly recommend trying it!

Scarlet Bat

Scent description: Red Sugar, Crimson Musk, Black Tea Leaves, Neroli-sugar, and NA Black Patchouli Absolute

The siren song of “Neroli sugar” (and the excellent reviews) led me to blind bottle this one, but I should have known better. I will say that this is one of only a couple of NAVA’s patchoulis that has alllllmost worked for me. I get a lot of tea leaves, that read as almost anise-like or cinnamony to my nose. This is like a spicy (as in cinnamon), sugary, musky patchouli. Close, but no cigar. It may have worked for me without the patch!

Pumpkin #21

Scent description: Bourbon Vanille, Pistachio, Pumpkin essence, Almond, Cherry rind, Pistachio Pudding accord, Crystalline and Egyptian Musk

Review pending receipt of decant!

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Nocturne Alchemy’s beautiful scents may be perused and purchased here: https://nocturnealchemy.com

[mariequitecontrarie]

Meet Me in the Courtyard: Part 2

Part 2 Summary: The courtyard “movie of the month” is Back to the Future, and Ruby decides Gold is a mad scientist like Doc Brown. The Fic: Belle hosts a monthly movie night in Storybrooke, always leaving the seat next to her empty. Gold loathes movies, yet movie night at the library is the one community event even he can’t seem to resist. Rating: T WC: 2400 A/N: Written for @a-monthly-rumbelling June prompt: bad day, drink, cuddling. More fluff and awkward dorks flirting awkwardly. Thanks to @maplesyrupao3 and @magnoliatattoo for reading over this for me, and to @rowofstars for the boost of encouragement.

{On AO3} Part 1 on Tumblr | Part 1 on AO3

“He’s weird,” Ruby announced, patting Belle’s knee under the table.

Belle tore her gaze away from the front door of Granny’s and made a face at her best friend. “‘Weird’ is a weak word with a poor connotation,” she said in the tone she reserved for when the schoolchildren visited the library. “Gold is whimsical. Private.”

“He’s a nutter.” Ruby dragged a handful of fries through a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, and hot sauce and crammed them in her mouth, then chased the grease cocktail with a long pull of her chocolate milkshake.

“Now you’re just being mean.” She poked Ruby in the shoulder, satisfied when she grunted in pain.

It was Saturday night following the monthly movie in the library courtyard, and Gold had made his excuses two-thirds of the way through a showing of Back to the Future, promising to meet up with her at Granny’s later.

“You call it mean, I call it observant,” Ruby countered. “He’s always tinkering with stuff in his store. This afternoon I saw him playing with some weird thing with dials and wires.”

“Sounds like an amp meter,” Belle guessed. “He would need one to check the electrical safety of antiques.”

“Naturally nerd girl would know what nerd boy was up to.” Ruby smirked. “Anyhoo, it looked suspicious, so I went around to the side of the building and peeked in the workroom to see what else he had cooking. Huge table cloaked with a thick white sheet.”

Belle splayed a hand over her heart and opened her mouth, feigning shock. “He’s in the restoration business.”

Ruby shook her head. “That’s just his cover. I’d betcha anything he’s building a time machine.”

“Out of a Cadillac?” Belle drizzled honey into her mug of Earl Grey and grinned at the mental image of Gold putting pedal-to-the-metal in the luxe sedan. “And people accuse me of having an overactive imagination.”

Ruby arched a raven eyebrow, causing Belle to roll her eyes.

“For the last time, Gold is not dabbling in time travel.”

“No, you’re right. He’s Gold. He’d never do anything so altruistic.” Ruby shoved another fistful of fries in her mouth. “He’s building a bomb,” she said with her mouth full.

“You’re ridiculous.” Belle sipped her tea.

“Then why did he leave in the middle of the movie?”

Belle frowned into her drink, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug for comfort. She didn’t have the answer, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “He had to go.”

“On a Saturday night in the middle of an eighties classic?” Ruby crossed her arms. “More like he didn’t want to hang out here with us. Not enough intellectual stimulation for such a genius.” The sarcasm dripped from her voice like the ketchup from her burger.

“Says the woman who’s dating the resident psychiatrist.” Belle sighed. Ruby was one of her best friends, but sometimes it seemed like their relationship was less of a friendship and more of a rivalry.

Ruby batted her eyelashes at Archie. “That big brain is inside a hot bod.”

“Maybe he left because of all the nasty looks you were sending his way!” Belle accused. Every time Emmett “Doc” Brown had appeared onscreen, Ruby looked between the kind but wild-eyed scientist and Gold, sending Belle meaningful glances that distracted her throughout the film. Gold had kept his gaze steadily on the movie, but he had to have noticed. Ruby was less than subtle.

“Where’s your wee sweetheart, Belle?” Merida asked, a teasing glint in her pale blue eyes. “Did he get distracted and forget how to get to the diner?”

“He is rather absentminded,” Mary Margaret added, wrenching her gaze away from her fiancé David’s lips long enough to join the conversation. “And he locks himself in his shop and acts annoyed whenever anyone comes in looking for something.”

Ruby hooted. “You gotta admit, he has those same buggy brown eyes as the Doc…”

Belle clenched her hands tighter, until the tips of her nails left dents in her palms. “His eyes are not buggy!” she cried, almost upsetting her untouched wedge of blueberry pie. Gold had soulful, amber eyes, so intense that she sometimes had to look away. And when he was grew passionate, they darkened into a silken onyx…

“They kinda are,” Ruby insisted, snapping her out of her fantasy.

Furious, Belle jerked to her feet. She wished Ariel was there to come to her defense, but she was at home nursing a chest cold. Besides, if she had been at the table, Jefferson would have been there, too, and she would be deflecting more than one barb from that sardonic ass.

Honestly, sometimes her friends were insufferable.

“Ok, ok, we’ll stop.” Ruby grabbed her arm. “Sit down, Belles.”

Belle slumped back in the booth in defeat. She and Gold weren’t even dating, really. They had watched part of two movies together, drank a cup of tea at the same table, and shared one pizza lunch at Tony’s Italian Eatery. He’d been pleasant, even charming, but she sensed he was keeping his distance. Perhaps other people and public places made him nervous. And with the way present company treated him, was it any wonder?

“Belles, we’re just trying to protect you from making a mistake.” Ruby’s eyes were a troubling mixture of guilt and amusement.

“Ruby, honey.” Archie coughed and pushed his glasses up on his nose. He nudged the basket of fries toward her. “Food’s getting cold.”

Merida opened her mouth again, and Mulan shoveled an enormous bite of chocolate cream pie into her girlfriend’s mouth with a smirk. “Chew slowly, sweetie.”

David threw her a pitying frown before tucking his arm around Mary Margaret once more and steering her into a conversation about the merits of animal adoption.

Belle toyed with the fluted edge of her piecrust and took another sip of her lukewarm tea, doubts crowding out her enjoyment of their movie after-party. The voices of her friends buzzed around her head like flies—annoying but indiscernible. Maybe she’d been too forward with Gold and this was his way of politely disengaging—by blowing her off at Granny’s with the entire town watching.

“Son of a bitch, here he comes.” Ruby whistled low in her throat, and nodded toward the door.

Belle smiled, feeling a rush of relief. Gold was winding his way through the tables, an ancient flip phone pressed to his ear.

“Not so tech savvy, now, is he?” Belle couldn’t resist sending Ruby a triumphant glare.  

“On the line with his plutonium dealer,” Ruby muttered. “No smart phones for him. Big Brother could track every move he makes. Gold’s a dork, not a fool.”

“Down, girl.” Belle clenched her teeth and brushed pastry crumbs off her fingers.

Everyone was staring at him. Everyone. Gold could feel the weight of their eyes as he maneuvered through the crowded restaurant. It seemed to take centuries to get to Belle, like he was sinking into quicksand instead of walking. He ended his fake conversation and pocketed the phone, nearly dropping it as he approached Belle’s booth. She was smiling in his direction, but the telltale scrape of her teeth against her lower lip betrayed her nervousness. Was she happy to see him, or not?

The rest of her crew fell silent, gawking at him like he was sprouting a third eyeball. Gold leaned heavily on his cane, his ankle throbbing. It had been a bad day at the shop, his latest project causing backed up orders and customer complaints, Miss Lucas had stared at him through most of the movie like he was some sort of science experiment, and now he was standing at a full booth in a packed diner with two-hundred people watching his every move. He should have chucked it all and gone to bed with a bottle of Glenlivet.

“Gold, hey.” Belle cut through the thick silence, scooting over on the banquette then patting the square of red vinyl beside her.

Miss Lucas and Miss Blanchard stifled giggles, while Miss DunBroch and Miss Fa stared into their drinks. Nolan nodded in greeting, but he wore the wary expression of a man outnumbered.

“Aren’t you going to sit with us?” Belle asked.

To hell with this. “I’ve suddenly recalled I need to be somewhere,” he announced.  

“Now?” Belle’s voice was a high, mousy squeak.

“Yes, right away.” He looked at his fingernails. “I just stopped by to tell you.”

“Couldn’t you have called?” Miss Lucas looked pointedly at the breast pocket in which he had placed his phone.

Ignoring her unsavory companions, he swept Belle a small, ironic bow. “Good evening.”

Blood pounded in his ears, his cane eating up the tile as he hurried toward the exit. Behind him, he heard Belle say “Thanks a lot,” but he wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or to her friends. It didn’t matter—his breath was coming sharp and fast and the walls were closing in; he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Outside, he took a deep lungful of air, but it was as thick as pea soup, not at all refreshing. Thunderclouds rumbled overhead as he hobbled down the sidewalk toward the shop, plump raindrops beginning to splatter against the sidewalk. Feeling miserable, he locked the door just as the heavens cracked open and the deluge began.

Not five minutes later, he heard a muffled pounding at the side door, and he threw it wide to admit a drenched Belle.

“Running away again?” She dripped onto the polished hardwood, a puddle forming between trembling legs. One of her sky-high heels had broken off and she stood uncertainly inside the doorway, holding the ruined navy pumps between her fingers.

“I do not run away Miss French. I walk.” He eyed her broken shoes distrustfully.  

“How’s that working out for you?” Like a wet puppy, she shook droplets of water off her head, her rose petal scent intensified by her damp skin and soaked curls.  

“Not so great.” He flinched. “Are you going to hit me like you did during Hunchback?”

Rainwater rolled down her face, her pained face mimicking his own. “I did not hit you.”

“Aye, you did.”

“It was a love tap.”

“Ah.” He blushed, his embarrassed gaze drifting away from her face and landing on her chest. Her cream silk blouse was soaked through, and the way the material molded to her lithe body like a second skin left little to his imagination. And had he ever imagined. The chattering of her teeth brought him out of his stupor. He swallowed and groped at the little cot for a blanket, wrapping it around her upper body. “You’re shivering.”

Belle shrugged, her eyes searching his for answers. “Tonight…was the movie so bad?”

“Back to the Future? Not at all, actually,” he admitted. “Much more entertaining than the first time I watched it with my ex-wife. Of course, she spent the entire film talking about banging Michael J. Fox.” His self-deprecating laughter echoed off the floorboards.

“Then why?” She lifted her arm then let it fall in favor of hugging herself. It was a protective gesture, and it made him ashamed of stomping off like an angry toddler.

“Your friends are rather hostile.” He crossed his own arms. “I could tell what was being said about me wasn’t favorable. No surprise there.”

Belle cocked her head. “Why do you always assume you’re the one at fault?”

“Force of habit?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you walk through life expecting to be rejected, it’s far easier to bear when the inevitable comes.” Another brittle laugh. “It’s all right, Belle. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“But I do.” The corners of her mouth lifted in a sad smile. “Remember, I was the one who concocted a whole community event in the hopes we could spend some time together.” She laid a cool hand against his cheek, still damp with rain, and he slid toward her like a magnet. Her allure was irresistible.

“You could have just asked,” he said. “Although your friends…”

Her thumb against his face drifted down, massaging the pulse point in his jaw. “Who cares what they think? Ruby and the others were dreadful tonight—I’m not making excuses for them—but people are human. When they don’t have an explanation, they make one up.”

“Like I’ve threatened to bomb the town hall if my tenants don’t get the rent in on time?” he asked.

Belle giggled. “No, I mean they don’t know the real you. I bet they don’t know you listen to show tunes while you restore antiques, eat your fortune cookie first when you go out for Chinese, and cuddle with a blanket and a glass of whiskey on the couch before bed.”

He felt himself smile. “How did you know all that?”

“The last one was just a guess. But Ruby’s not the only one who knows how to spy.” A flush crept up her neck as she realized what she said. “Sorry, uh, that came out wrong. I don’t mean I watch you. I mean, I watch you but I don’t like, look through your windows and…oh, crap.”

He laughed softly at her bewildered expression. “It’s all right, Belle. I’m flattered. My ex-wife, she…” He bit the inside of his cheek. Belle didn’t want to hear Milah’s version of his shortcomings.

“Your ex-wife is a moron.” The steely warmth in her gaze made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

She tossed her broken shoes into the corner, then nodded toward the covered worktable. “What do you have under there, anyway? Everyone is dying of curiosity.”

“Yes, the elephant in the room.” He snickered.

“Well, I know it’s not a time machine…right?”

“No, but what I have under there may allow us to visit another era,” he said mysteriously. “Interested?”

She arched up on dainty tiptoes, her eyes flashing with excitement. “On pins and needles.”

“Have a look, then.” He gestured toward the lumpy table with a smirk.

Belle lifted the corner of the sheet and peeked, her eyes going wide with happy surprise. “Is that what I think it is?”

###

[guitarsun40-blog]

Maple Pecan Cake

Maple syrup is one of my favorite sweet treats. I typically use it to top off stacks of pancakes or other breakfast treats, like most of us do, but I also have been known to stir it into coffee/tea drinks, ice cream and other creations. This Maple Pecan Cake is a wonderfully simple cake that is sweetened with maple syrup and accented with toasted pecans. It’s a delicious addition to brunch any day of the year and is a stellar dessert option in the fall and winter.

The cake batter includes both sugar and maple syrup. The sugar helps to create a light, fluffy crumb in this cake, giving it an almost pound cake-like texture. Maple syrup adds both sweetness and plenty of flavor. To get the most out of your maple syrup, choose a dark colored maple syrup and make sure that you are using the real thing, not pancake syrup. Dark maple syrups used to be labeled “Grade B”, but are now usually labeled “dark” or “dark amber.” You can really taste the maple syrup in the finished cake and it adds a wonderful sweetness – and a much more balanced maple flavor than you get when using maple extracts in cakes.

This cake can be baked in a tube pan or a bundt pan. I used a tube pan with a decorative base, which produced the pattern that you can see on top of the cake in my pixtures, but a plain tube pan will work just fine here. I find that this cake recipe doesn’t fill up a bundt pan quite as much as others, however you’ll still get a good sized cake and the bundt design will come through well if you opt for a bundt pan. No matter what type of pan you use, be sure to grease it before pouring in the batter to ensure that it doesn’t stick!

I served my cake without any frosting as a coffee cake, letting buttery maple flavor of the cake evoke a breakfast of pancakes or waffles alongside freshly brewed coffee. The cake is sweet enough that you can get away without frosting it easily. If you want to amp up the maple flavor, however, I recommend finishing the cake with a maple glaze, which you can make by whisking together a few tablespoons of maple syrup, water, some confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt.

Maple Pecan Cake 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup milk 2/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Blend in maple syrup, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined. Stir half of the flour mixture into the maple mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain visible. Fold in pecans until evenly distributed. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan before turning it out onto a serving dish.

Serves 10-12.

Source: http://bakingbites.com/2018/09/maple-pecan-cake/

[malodorousmalcontent]

Sucreabeille Review Part 2

Hey everybody it's that time: the Sucreabeille reviewapalooza is upon us once again. A short explanation: near the beginning of February, Andrea, owner of Sucreabeille, offered me a coupon to explore and review some of her scents. I accepted, and through various circumstances, ended up placing three more orders and coming into ownership of a grand total of 32 33 of her house blends, aaaaall of which I plan to review. Since that's, y'know, a lot of smells, I decided to divide up my reviews into four parts.

This is part two. You can read part one here!

So, without further ado, here's my thoughts on Arsenic; Longest Night; Death Unicorn; Let's Be Bad Guys; Banshee; Here's The Thing: Fuck Everyone; Arya; and You're In A Cult, Call Your Dad.

ARSENIC || Antique lace, gasoline, old books, fresh vanilla bean.

IN THE BOTTLE: Like a strawberry jolly rancher!

ON THE SKIN: Honestly? Still like a strawberry jolly rancher: bright, sour-sweet, mouthwatering candy, though it is accompanied by the occasional whiff of sharp gasoline-like fumes. This is like a brighter, perkier take on genuine gasoline... And, truth be told, i'm not complaining. I really like the smell. It really puts the toxic in intoxicating.

...Get it

Be--because, it's. It's arseni--

Anyways

As it dries down, the vanilla comes out, and it's this bright, rich, foody vanilla that doesn't let this scent darken in the least. At no point do I get the lace or the old books, though, which was a bit of a disappointment: I was sitting there huffing my wrists, trying to convince myself that any smoothness in the scent was the antique lace, that I was catching a whiff of paper or the reserved scent of a hardback cover... But, nope. Toxic jolly rancher, then vanilla.

Lasts for 2-3 hours before it starts to fade.

RATING: 4/5. Docked a point because of the lack of an appearance of half the notes, but even without them, it's a really tasty scent.

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LONGEST NIGHT || A big glass of merlot, cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, cedarwood, pure honey, frankincense, myrrh, sweet sugar plums.

IN THE BOTTLE: Very faint spiced wine.

ON THE SKIN: This starts out with the merlot and nutmeg/cinnamon conbination at the very forefront, and under it is something that, in my notes, I listed as smelling like a baked good - but it's the combination of the spice with the honey note, i'm absolutely sure. Usually honey is too strong on me and ends up being kinda unpleasant, but it's reigned back here and is actually pretty nice. Underneath it all, real subtle-like, is the same bubblegum smell that Frozen Moon has in spades: the sugar plum. I think the perfume could do without it, but it's faint enough that it doesn't really affect the scent too much.

On the drydown, the spice and honey takes over as the dominant scent - a little disappointing, considering what I said earlier about not liking overpowering honey notes. The merlot is still there, but much lighter, and there's still just the faintest whiff of bubblegummy sugarplum, and... That's basically where it stays. I never get the cedarwood, frankincense, or myrrh.

RATING: 3/5. Doesn't smell bad, but not something i'm in love with, either.

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DEATH UNICORN || Fresh cut lavender, black anise, sweet vanilla bean, black pepper crushed under a unicorn’s horn.

IN THE BOTTLE: Anise made sparkly from lavender.

ON THE SKIN: So, for the first, oh, five minutes, I can smell basically everything in this. The anise is at the forefront, gummy and earthy and licorice-y, and the lavender gives it this floral edge, the pepper makes the scent buzz, and... Without looking at the notes, i'm guessing there's vanilla?

*Checks notes*

Yup, dead-on! It's below everything else, but still notable.

Unfortunately, after those first five minutes, basically every note but the anise, amped up by the vanilla, is gone... And I don't like anise. Pure licorice smell. It had some alright sillage, could catch whiffs of it while just going about my regular business, and it was strong and clear on my wrist... But I can't report on longevity - I had to scrub it.

RATING: 2/5 - not only do I just not like the smell of the biggest note in this, but the fact that everything else faded so fast is a bit sad. Maybe I just amp anise?

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LET'S BE BAD GUYS || Tobacco/vanilla, gunsmoke, leather, sandalwood.

IN THE BOTTLE: Bright, fresh, new leather.

ON THE SKIN: This one's similar-ish in notes to Khal Drogo, but definitely doesn't smell the same. While KD's leather note was old and worn and velvety, this one is bright, fresh, and new - without going car interior. I think it's the same leather note that this house uses in Belladonna, which almost smells like dark, inky rain to me. It's a really pretty note - if you're familiar with Alkemia's The Raven, it smells like that. The sandalwood is there underneath it, dry and dusty, but it's way more subdued than it is in KD - the leather is definitely the star of this scent.

The rest of the notes, I think, are really well-blended and are there to boost up the leather. The gunsmoke lends it a surprisingly clean smokiness without going BBQ or getting amped to hell, as smoke notes will sometimes do on me (lookin' at you, Alkemia's Smoke and Mirrors and Solstice Scent's Foxcroft). The tobacco/vanilla's there, but it's very subtle, and just gives that leather a tiny swirl of sweetness.

Has some decent sillage - I can just barely detect it from 6-7 inches away - and stays pretty strong and noticible on my skin for a good few hours.

RATING: 4.5/5. Really good leather scent that stays surprisingly clean for the notes it has. Unisex, almost leaning butch - it makes me feel like a badass leather-clad biker lady.

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BANSHEE || Burnt sugar; baby powder; nag champa; real ylang ylang; a perfect sunflower; palmarosa; fresh figs; a moonlit night; decadent pomegranate; metallic copper; white musk.

IN THE BOTTLE: Baby powder mostly, perhaps with a tiny bit of the burnt sugar.

ON THE SKIN: Woof, it's burnt sugar and baby powder time!

The burnt sugar is the first thing I smell, and it's the same note from Cream Tea - though it's much more subtle in this, not headache-inducing. Sitting up there at the top with it is the baby powder, which... Look. I'm not super familiar with the smell of baby powder, but this certainly smells like the baby wipes we've got in our house: clean, with a weird slightly bitter aftersmell, and, of course, powdery. Really, really powdery.

This perfume has a lot of notes i'm not super familiar with, so I had to kind've keep my thoughts general on the smell of it. I get the burnt sugar, the baby powder, something kinda earthy-dank, and a floral edge that's sort'a perfumey, not sweet at all. The sweetest thing in this that I can even sort of detect is the fig, which, honestly, ain't that sweet.

When it dries down, the burnt sugar goes away, but the baby powder persists, and there's something giving it a... Almost wheaty, nutty smell? I'm thinking it might be the 'perfect sunflower' note, which might be closer to sunflower seeds. The metallic tang of the copper is also much stronger, gradually overtaking the scent. The floral edge is gone, and i'm still not picking up anything fruity. The last thing I smell is the clean, slightly soapy nature of the everlasting fricken' baby powder.

Starts out strong, but gets sorta light on my skin within two hours. The last thing I smell before it disappears is just a strangely clean scent. ...Prooobably that baby powder.

RATING: 1.7/5. I bought this because it was a weird scent, and, I mean, I got what I expected.

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HERE'S THE THING: FUCK EVERYONE || Bourbon, rich chocolate, dark amber, touch of dirt.

IN THE BOTTLE: Chocolate! Imagine that.

ON THE SKIN: So, when I first tried this on before resting, this was chocolate for all of 20 minutes before turning into dirt, and then it just kinda stayed at 'dirt'. Bit of a disappointment. I'm happy to say that after almost two weeks of rest, it's gotten a lot better!

First off, it's staying sweeter for longer, which is great. It reminds me of Hexennacht's Evening Star - powdery chocolate amped up by amber - but, uh, obviously dirtier. There's a teensy bit of a boozy edge, but honestly, if I hadn't seen the word 'bourbon' in my previous notes, I don't think I would have noticed it. Underneath it all: very subtle, dry, dusty dirt - but like, clean dirt. Like if you smelled a handful of dirt that had nothing else in there but dirt. No minerals. No, idk, worm poop. Just dirt.

As it dries down, the dirt overtakes the Sweet Notes, so now it's dry, dusty dirt on top of... Honestly, i'm pretty sure it's the amber - i'm not getting a lot of the chocolate anymore, but the scent is still very rich and sweet in the way that sweet amber can be. The bourbon's come out more, too. Let this one rest, guys! Forreal!

Sillage of 2-3 inches, and it's not light on my skin - nice n clear n easy to find, even on the drydown.

RATING: 4/5. I'm not personally interested in smelling like chocolate - something I learned shortly after ordering this - but it's not a bad scent at all.

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ARYA || Peaty oak moss, lemon verbena, frankincense, a double shot of good bourbon, smoky sandalwood.

IN THE BOTTLE: Strong, slightly green lemon.

ON THE SKIN: Unsurprisingly, I amp that lemon verbena to hell and back, as I do most lemon scents, and it just completely overtakes the entire scent. The most that I get out of this from the other notes is a vague, fresh green-ness, which I imagine is from the oakmoss... Or, heck, maybe it's just more of the lemon verbena, since that's, y'know, a plant. Geeze. I was hoping maybe i'd get the other notes on the dry-down, but... Nope. As soon as the lemon starts to fade, the entire scent goes with it.

At the very least, even though it's really one-note on me because lemon is a Cursed Scent with my skin chem, it's a very light, cool, refreshing lemon. Like sniffing a raw lemon with a cold stream nearby. It eventually just becomes the soft, pleasant smell of lightly lemon-scented hand soap.

I... Didn't take any notes on sillage or longevity, because, gosh, i'm so good at what I do. I do recall that I never really smelled it in the air, so, it wears close to the skin, at least.

RATING: 2.5/5. Well. It's a good lemon note. :( Just wish I could get anything else.

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YOU'RE IN A CULT, CALL YOUR DAD || Flannel, sedona trees, bergamot tea, snickerdoodle cookies.

IN THE BOTTLE: Snickerdoodles and flannel. The snickerdoodles smell so fricken' good, this is another scent that made me go 'ooooh!' upon first whiff.

ON THE SKIN: Oh, golly gee, this is so frickin' good. My absolute, hand-to-god, favorite scent i've picked up from Suc. Period. Saving the best for last, here.

Starts out with those rich, bright, mouthwatering, buttery, sugary snickerdoodles - but they're not cloying even on their own, though they have the flannel to temper them back as well. And, oh, gosh, that flannel's so good. Nice, fresh, cozy-as-can-be flannel: the flannel of the pajamas you wear on Christmas morning, out in your isolated cabin surrounded by a sunny-but-snowy forest. That kinda cozy.

On the drydown, there's suddenly a small, slightly bitter green note, which I assume is the sedona trees, but mostly it's just smooth-but-tangy bergamot tea, the snickerdoodle sweetness still floating around it. This has good sillage both when wet and dry - I catch whiffs of it often - and it lasts for a good, long time - I'll wear it to work and still smell the tail-end of it 8 and a half hours later.

It reminds me a lot of Sixteen92's Shadow Show, which is another HG scent of mine - not because they smell very much alike, they honestly don't, but because they both give off very similar not-quite-gourmand vibes, which i'm in LOVE with. I could wax poetry about this scent. I could sing ballads about it. It's so good.

RATING: 7/5. Like. Go buy this! Right now!

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So, that's part two! Two more parts to go. Next review's gonna be: Liquid Gold, Belladonna, Big Damn Heroes, Cersei, Stay Sexy, Shiny, Margaery, and one scent I haven't chosen 'cause it'll be coming in my next order.