#so i'll see if i like this version of anise.

[robotsafari]

if you like anise from dawn of mana im sorry the only iterations of her i've seen is as the literally worst retconned garbage in the entire universe and some witch in the legend of mana lore.

[dustbuneary]

Hello, hello — What a beautiful day it is!

I found myself scrolling a bit today and your lovely image of your Pokémon battling caught my eye! That’s a “Mismagius”, isn’t it? What a state they’re in too, I’m sure they’re great at battling and holding their own!

Buuut — what if I told you I knew the inside secret that Big Pokécenter doesn’t want you to know? The rarest of the rare candies you could possibly find? You see those gems sticking out of your ghostly friend? Bright red, shiny little things, can’t miss ‘em! What if I told you those are a reflection into the Pokémon’s true level?

I’ve got a new order of my Evolutionary Gloss in just recently! One coat of this stuff and it’ll change the color of your little guy’s gems in no time! I can even include the handy little color guide for an extra 500 pokédollars. Red is good, not anything to scoff at — but could you imagine if your Mismagius shifted their gem color to blue with a little bit of your influence? A blue-gemed Magius isn’t anything to scoff at.

Pink? Oh Arc, you’d have people running the minute you stepped into town! That’s why you’ve never seen one with different colored gems — most people have to hide them to not scare everyone away with the amount of unseen power they hold. It’s a blessing and a curse! But, really it‘s just a blessing. Especially for you with this limited time offer, since I’m so kind.

You buy a tube of my patented Evolutionary Gloss and I’ll throw in the exclusive color chart for an measly extra 500 pokédollars! Bringing your actual total to a simple 3,500 pokédollars for a deal that could help level up your little friend in a matter of days! What do you say, yes or yes?

— 💰🍸

Huh. Scam team huh? Why does that sound so familiar... I'm sure I'll figure it out.

You would think if you're going to have such an obvious name you would at least get a more convincing pitch, or maybe try it on someone who ISN'T a competitive battler that's raised a Mismagius for years, haha. But I guess this is a good reason for me to talk about Anise and some of the misconceptions that apparently surround Mismagius' gems!

First off, no, the color of a Mismagius's gems have no bearing on their power level. They are generally red, though if I remember right there are a few conditions, genetic or illness, that can effect the coloration of their gems, as well as many breeders that breed 'fancy' versions of Misdrevous with different colors and shapes, so at the end of the day this means next to nothing.

More importantly though, the gems are not just ornamental, either!! Those gems are how Mismagius sustain themselves, absorbing fear and negative energy from their surroundings to be able to keep themselves well fed and healthy! Now, while I have no idea personally if these paints or gloss or whatever it is would actually stop a Mismagius from being able to absorb the energy it needs, it WOULD stop you from being able to see the gems, and the first and sometimes only sign of failing health in a Misdreavus or Mismagius is a translucent or clear gem, as the color draining is a serious sign that you need to get your friend to a pokemon center right away!!

All that to say, absolutely not, thanks. Hell, even if it WAS completely safe, and what you said about colors wasn't just nonsense, why on earth would i EVER want to scare off potential battles?? I LIKE battling!! What would even be the point?? If you ever want a demonstration though, you're more than welcome to stop by the Amity Department Store sometime :)

[misomain]

Goan Prawn Curry

Sul sul, tombler!

This time we're visiting India, more precisely the region of Goa, through its cuisine. This post is the last rewrite that happened because tumblr terminated my previous blog, also ironically without ever been published since it was queueing in schedule box. But that's okay and I've learned my lesson (=saving the website after every post).

Today, we're cooking Goan curries, both prawn version and vegetarian (tofu) version. Goan curries are defined by three main elements: coconut milk, a range of curry spices, and a distinct sourness, which usually comes from tamarind but can also from vinegar or other ingredients. The sour flavor profile was an influence of Portuguese culture, Goa was a territory of the Portuguese Empire for around 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.

The recipe of Goan curries are made by robinksimblr (you can download the recipe here). You would also need to install the latest version of Robin's food enabler in order for the recipe to appear in your game. Now, let's begin!

Preparing the fish filet used in the non-vegetarian version by tenderizing, cutting, and seasoning the meat.

Dicing paprika and onion to add to the masala. Common ingredients for Goan curry is garlic, turmeric, red chilis, and coriander seed, although every family might add their own special ingredients: cumin, mustard, ginger, even star anise and cloves!

After toasting and grinding the spices, combine everything in a pan over a medium-high heat: starting with onion, the masala, and a mix of coconut milk and water. Simmer for a bit until the sauce has thickened, then add the prawn (or tofu) and cook it a little bit more.

The way I gasped when I saw Vienna plating it into a gorgeous blue, patterned plate! Vienna also made a vegetarian tofu version to try together. I love the synergy between the traditional patterned plate and Vienna's modern dining area.

In this occasion, let me introduce Vienna's husband: Astarion Ancunin. Baldur's Gate 3 fans might find his name familiar... Because yes, he's based on the infamous vampire-slash-high elf. Astarion is a surgeon on Willow Creek Hospital, a career that gives him easy access to blood, if you understand where that leads to. Due to the importance of his job, Astarion is rarely home during lunch time in weekdays, but today he's taking a day-off to relax Since their son is still at school, the couple enjoys a serene rest of the day together.

Later, after her son Frejr came home from his after-school activity, he interrupts accompanies Vienna's workout time while trying some curries for supper.

A little story -- yesterday I showed an Indian friend a picture of Goan prawn curry to ask them if it looks like the real thing, and my friend told me they haven't tried Goan curry either. It really puts me into perspective of how huge India is (said a person who also hasn't tried every region's cuisine from her own country). I generally love Indian spices so I know I'll most probably love this curry. Anyway, my to-do list for Indian cuisine is still long, so see you on the next post! Dag dag!

P.S. History of the state of Goa and recipe details for Goan curry are taken from this article, this article, and this Wikipedia page.

[allons-y-to-hogwarts-713]

Hey there! Sorry for the silence for the past few days! I had quite the hectic week. I'll get started on your present veerrryy soon, so if there is anything that is on top of your wishlist for a fic, please do tell me! :) You should definitely go with them if they ever go back to Amsterdam! Though there a lot of nice places outside the city as well :) Those are some wonderful things you mentioned about CS, I love those too. I just googled the outer banks and they are gorgeous!! [1/?]

What are some of your favourite foods? I love to try different foods when I'm travelling! I've only ever been to the westcoast of the US, but I'd love to see more! New York is very high on my wishlist. Some of my favourite places I've been are Edinburgh and Napoli! I old cities, it's almost like you can feel the history. I always try to imagine what it must have looked like hundreds of years ago [2/?]

Some of my favourite things about CS is how they fight for each other, and defend eachother. They can be so soft and sweet to eachother, and then in the next moment call the other out on their BS. Also the loving and stupid smiles, the leather jackets, the 'making eyes'. Basically everything! Did you make any more Christmas cookies? I'll hop by again later to talk about Christmas and to tell how you my prep of you gift is going [3/3]

Hi, Santa!

sorry, I saw the parallel when I added the Snow Miser gif and I had to

No problem, I totally understand, and I apologize too for the very late response.

Surprise me! Whatever you like to write. :)

I love a lot of food lol. It would probably be easier to name foods I don’t like. XD Honestly though, I could eat good ol’ mac ’n’ cheese any time. If it involves potato and/or dough and/or is fried, I probably like it too lol, especially potato pancakes, pierogi, and pizza. I also love Chinese food, though I guess I’ve mostly had Americanized versions of it. There’s one place around here that my sister-in-law said is a little more authentic than others for the most part though and their food is delicious, and her mom traveled here once and we made hotpot and dumplings together, which was great. What are some of your favorite foods?

I’ve never been to the west coast, but I’d like to see it eventually if I ever get the chance. One of my friends went to Edinburgh once or twice and loved it there. Old cities are cool. Even places that aren’t really that old but aren’t what they used to be are interesting to me. Like the main street in the town where I used to live, a lot of the stores and little restaurants were closed even when I was a kid and nothing ever reopened there, and it’s only gotten more empty since then. I always wonder what it was like when the buildings and businesses were new and the paint was fresh and the street felt alive just a few decades ago.

Yes yes all those CS things are great!

I did, I made sugar cookies, which I have to finish icing at some point. My mom made snickerdoodles, ginger snaps, and “monster cookies” which use oatmeal, peanut butter, and M&Ms. I want to make chocolate chip cookies and more butter cookies, and my mom wants to make pecan cookie balls, anise cookies, and Oreo cheesecake cookie ball things, but we’re almost out of some main ingredients (including butter) and we haven’t gotten to pick up more yet. I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses shortening, but I like the butter one better if I can make it. Do you like to bake? Have you made any cookies?

Are you ready for Christmas? I’m definitely not, and it’s so close!

[zombiiesque]

Nocturne Alchemy Summer Limited Reviews

Originally published on 7/2/2019

Yikes. So I never finished my Vaults, did I? Well, I'll have to come back to it! Right now, I have a few reviews I wanted to get posted from the Nocturne Alchemy Summer Limited Collection release. I'm also including a brief review of the PC Eternal Egypt, for reference purposes! I chose three perfumes, and they sent me one of their choice because I won a giveaway on their business FB page. So what I have here, in the picture, is Eternal Egypt Summer, Eternal Egypt Ambre, Chamomile, Vanilla & Spice Tea, and Apricot Sugar. The sample is Kashmir, which is the free sample while available, that they send along with orders. Any of you who have been following me for a while know that Kashmir is one of my favorites! Let's hop right to it, shall we?

First off, I want to talk about one of my desert island scents - Eternal Egypt. I'll be brief, but I think it's helpful for comparison to the two special versions I picked from the Summer LC. The NA site has this description: Eternal Egypt (Signature Blend): White Amber, Red Egyptian Musk, Egyptian Amber and the sands of Egypt.

I started off with a sample of this many moons ago, and at first I was a little leery - I had ridiculously bad luck wearing ambers. Smelled like baby powder on my skin. I think I wound up putting the sample in my box for about six months, and one day I dug it out and waved it in front of Jody's nose. Win. He was instantly a fan, and he remains one to this day - it's one of his favorites on me and he can name it when I wear it. I think it's the only one he knows, even though he has others he loves, too. It truly is a signature scent. I graduated from the sample, to a 5ml, and now I have a 10ml I'm flying through. The white amber gives this almost a coconut vibe? This is very bright and fresh, and that sandy note, I don't know how they do it, but this is just such a classy scent. It feels like a high end perfume, but at the same time, it's very easy to wear. I must say this is pretty perfect to represent Egypt - when I wear it, I am transported. I feel like the red musk gives this just the slightest bit of sexiness. If you've tried Crimson, I think that's the red musk here, or something similar, as it's not the bold red musk style of Kashmir. It's clean and a little spicy, and very appealing. The combination of the musk and amber is just totally perfect.

I've added a picture of Eternal Egypt Summer and Eternal Egypt Ambre side by side, so you can see the height difference. Ambre isn't as big as my 10ml original EE, but it's definitely larger than the standard 5ml.

One thing I want to mention, about a lot of Nocturne Alchemy perfumes, and particularly Eternal Egypt: these do get travel shocked. So a little caution note, a little imploring: Please do not judge these by what they smell like when you first get them - and please, please try them on your skin before you dismiss them. They change quite a lot with some rest, and what you smell in the bottle can be very different once it melds with your skin and warms up. Eternal Egypt variations in particular seem to do a lot of "filling out" with age; they get richer, more beautiful - the notes seem to meld and really reach their full potential with a little time in your possession. So my initial reviews will stand, but it's like they're amplified TL;DR? Give these some time. It's summer, it's hot, they've traveled a distance to get to you.

Eternal Egypt Summer is part of the sub-collection Eternal Summer. Notes are: White Amber, Labdanum, Crystalline, a little eNVie saphir Amber, Copal, Guaiac wood, Lavender, NA Chypre accord. I opened this fresh out of the mail (not advised, ever, I have to say, but I have no self-restraint) and I swooned a little. This is pretty different than the original. It's got a cool feel to it. I gave it a few days to rest before I tried it on my skin, but I could kind of tell right away I was going to love this. Converse to the cool feel, there's a warmth here from the copal, a sweetness from the guaiac. The lavender isn't a star, but I think rather blends with the chypre, which is absolutely lovely. I usually like chypres, and this is no exception. You can definitely tell that there's an essence of Eternal Egypt to this, but if you're worried you might be getting a dupe, you're definitely not. How does this make me feel? Like I'm at the beach. It's a perfect, sunny day, the water is a sparkling turquoise, and there's a cool sea breeze on my sun-warmed skin. Yes, this feels like summer to me.

Eternal Egypt Ambre is a part of the 13th anniversary collection. NA says this: Eternal Egypt Anniversary Collection – a reinterpretation with exclusive notes, beautiful blue pearl bottles but most importantly celebrating thirteen years of the original perfume blend from Nocturne Alchemy in four new iterations and limited to 75 bottles each. From the elegant label art to the carefully chosen bottle and the exquisite ingredients, the owner & creator of Nocturne Alchemy (Emerson Hart) wanted the create something to honour the first perfume created at Nocturne Alchemy thirteen years ago. Aging these perfume will bring out the resins and natural notes.

The notes for Eternal Egypt Ambre are: Bastet’s Amber Absolute, Labdanum, Cedar essential, Palo Santo essential, Black Patchouli, Benzoin, Heliotrope, Smoked Balsam of Peru, Italian Lavandin, Black Pepper and White Amber Absolute. Oooof. Well, y'all already know how much I adore Bastet Amber, and here we have my two desert island scents? Okay, that was an obvious gimme. This, too, is pretty obviously different from the original Eternal Egypt. The bottle is GORGEOUS, as is the label! When I first got this, it was far more travel shocked than Eternal Egypt Summer. I couldn't really tell what was going on, and there was almost a black licorice note in the bottle sniff. What? Turns out, that's the palo santo note. It can smell like anise, or minty...but I gave this a good bit of rest before I tried it on my skin. Four days. The anise had calmed down, and I could get an idea of what this was going to be like on my skin, I thought - except, it was so much better than I could have imagined! It absolutely transformed once it warmed up and melded with my skin. Wow. This is more complex, and sexier, than Summer. I'm having a hard time picking out individual notes, that's how well blended this one is. If Summer is bright and fun, a day at the beach - Ambre is a sultry summer night, a slinky black dress, and low slung heels. The palo santo gives this a cool feel, as does the white amber.

Honestly just so glad I chose both of these, I have several variations of Eternal Egypt, because I love it that much, and these are two wonderful additions to my collection. Backup worthy, really.

One of my favorite things Nocturne Alchemy does for their Summer Collections are the Summer Tea and Tea Service. You can read my reviews here, although I've added more that I haven't reviewed from previous collections. The Summer Tea Service reviews are separate, you can find them here. Y'all, it's hot in Florida. And it's hot from April right through December these days. I find myself craving the Summer Teas as soon as it warms up, so they get a lot of wear from me. Green Tea Crimson is easily in my top five all time favorites, ever.

Last year I missed out, but my good friend Heather grabbed Apricot Sugar, and absolutely adored it. So I promised myself if it came back in the Resurgence, I would for sure have to nab it - it seemed like everything she wore it with was perfect, and of course, it was wearable alone. So I chose that for my third bottle, and as I mentioned, I won a giveaway (thanks, y'all, SO much!) on the Nocturne Alchemy business page, for a free bottle of their choice from the LCs. They chose Chamomile, Vanilla & Spice Tea for me. I had already eyed it, because it sounded delightful. The notes for this are: Blue German Chamomile, Bastet’s Ice Cream Accord, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla essence, Black Tea, Cardamom Spice and a little sugar. I love chamomile tea. I have one that's chamomile and vanilla, and it's so soothing, puts me right to sleep! And Jody's mom grows chamomile. This is very realistic. I guess this could possibly go a little floral, but they are such masters at blending, that never happens here. It's got a bit of a floral/herbal tinge to it, for sure, but it's reigned in beautifully by the vanillas. The cardamom is more of a supporting note on my skin, just a slightly spiced warmth, honestly, it's perfection. The balance here is superb. The black tea is something I utterly love, and it adds a little strength to this. Unfh. I've mentioned before, I didn't use to like tea notes, they would go bitter on my skin, but that's never happened with NA, and this is no exception. This is just so appealing! I could not be happier with what they chose for me, I adore it. The ice cream accord adds a tiny bit of foodiness, and it's at the perfect amount. Yum. Obviously, you can easily wear this alone, but I love to layer my Summer Teas with the Tea Service, it just is the perfect compliment. The first time I wore this, I added a little dab of Apricot Sugar, because that's what I had on hand, and it was delightful! I wasn't sure if it was going to wear well with this one, but I have to say if you have both of these you really should try this, it was a wonderful surprise. I've since tried Rice Milk and Sugarcube, and those are both easy winners, too. I haven't tried Sweet Santalum Milk or Coconut Milk, but I suspect those will work well, too - or even my original Bastet's Ice Cream Accord, if you want your tea to be a little creamier/more foodie.

Apricot Sugar: Apricot stone essence, Apricot Skin, Egyptian Sugar accord, Papaya skin and Vanilla fleck. Oh, how much do I love NA's sugar note. It's just so dang good! I have a couple of bottles of the original Sugarcube, and I have worn it alone, because I love it so much. There's almost a freshness to it, and of course sweetness - but it's not tooth-achingly sweet, if that makes sense. That base is pretty present here, more so than it is with Lemon Sugar. The apricot is bright, juicy and just a little tangy, and extremely realistic. I think the papaya skin is more of a supporting note, I've had it in other blends and enjoyed it, but I don't really notice it here. It may be adding to that juiciness. This is a simple blend, but it was meant to be layered, and it really shines when you do that. As I mentioned above, I wore it with Chamomile, Vanilla & Spice Tea, and I've also worn it with White Tea Vanilla, and Crystal, so far. I'm going to try it with Santalum White and White Ambre Ombre, because I feel like those will be great pairings, too. I think this is a very versatile layering perfume, and would be lovely with so many perfumes. Anything with vanilla, for sure. Bastet Ice Cream Accord, some Dinos, Eternal Ankh, really I think anything you think might work. I bet it would be pretty with Egyptian Musk, and definitely Diamond. I'm so happy I grabbed this! If you were a fan of, or yearning for, Love of Bastet: Pink Vanille, I think you should definitely get this.

I have Dimetrodon from last year, but I've run out of time, today, so I'll post that separately. It's currently available in the Summer LC Resurgence, in the Prehistoria collection.

What did you choose from this release? What are you looking at? I'm eyeing a Dino or two, and more Teas....always more Teas! I hope y'all enjoyed these reviews, and they helped you to make some decisions. As always, thanks for reading!