Scent Addict

As some of you know, I'm addicted to fragrance oils now (thanks Marie) and one of my fave places to buy from is Scent Addict.

The owner, Cindy, is fantastic. She provides great customer service and is a joy to deal with. Customer service is very important to me so I'd rather spend what little money I have at an indpendant place like Scent Addict than a big chain place.

Scent Addict carries a variety of product from a variety companies. She has Possets, Villainess, Mythos Mixtures, Good Judy, Cobalt Blends, Haunt, Super Bad, Nocturne Alchemy, Violette Market and many more!

Some of the companies even give her exclusive scents created just for the Scent Addict customer! Don't you feel special?

It's fun to get a few things from different companies for one shipping fee. (and she ships super fast!) I've always gotten a couple samples and a nice handwritten note thanking me for my order. It's an important touch and a small reminder that the mom & pop establishments are slowly giving way to the obnoxious big box stores. That part makes me sad.

So, please give Scent Addict a quick browse and see if there isn't a little something you need for yourself or a gift. You won't be disappointed. Tell her Shelly sent ya!

Black Friday

It's the day after Thanksgiving and in years past I'd already be working at my part time job, waiting for customers to walk into my store at the mall.

This year, I'm at home, in my PJ's, waiting for 6 am to come so I can feed the dogs.

I can't tell you how fabulous it feels to not be working retail this holiday!

Last spring, I went down to working just floorsets at my mall job - that is every 6 weeks or so. I work 5pm to midnight on a Sunday putting out new merchandise. It's the most exhausting thing I've ever done and it takes a full day to recover. (it sounds like it wouldn't be tiring, but it really is)

Anyway, the fact that I'm not working retail makes me as happy as little Guido looks in this picture. I hope those of you having to work retail survive and those who are going out in it, remember to be nice and treat those retail people with some kindness and respect - they get paid shit, you know.

Me? I'm gonna buy a few things online to complete my holiday shopping. I'll be in my PJ's, sipping hot cocoa and enjoying not having to step outside or deal with the crowds.

Buncha crazy people.

Soap Box Company

I've really gotten into fragrance oils and one place that I am enjoying ordering from is the Chicago based, Soap Box Company. Jen stocks a variety of soaps, bath goodies and oils so it's almost one stop shopping!

Swing by and browse ..... they are running the Soap Box Bonanza Giveaway thru December! Go and sign up!

Call Me An Addict!

I wrote about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab already but as I've fallen deeper and deeper into the fragrance oil culture, I've been led to and discovered other companies that intrigue me and even tho I love BPAL, as it was my first love... I feel the need to 'date' before becoming monogamous with them. (My friend Marie is pretty faithful to BPAL)

A friend of mine calls fragrance oils, 'liquid crack' and I'm beginning to see why.

I followed links from friends and placed orders. I am waiting for the goodies to arrive but I thought that I might post links to the various places I've discovered. If you are into the fragrance oil scene and know of any great places to buy online, please let me know!

Also, I recommend signing up for newsletters from any site you may be interested in because newsletter members get notice of sales, special offers and coupons.

The Soap Box Company carries a variety of different brands so it's nice to find one place and one cart to dump your treasures into! In addition to oils, they carry soaps and other bath time pleasures. I placed an order for three Arcana Soap oils, one Possets oil and a Cobalt Blend oil there. They are an e-tailer based close by in Chicago so I'm hoping the turnaround time is pretty quick so my impatience can be rewarded and a quick fix is imminent.

Heaven & Earth Essentials - I'll be placing an order with her today, I'm sure. She has a few blends I want to try and she has a full array of bath goodies that can all be custom scented with any of her fragrance oils. Gotta love that! Also, I signed up for her newsletter and a few hours later I got an email back with a $5 discount code! So, sign up and then show her some love by placing an order.

Specialty Bottle - a fragrance addict needs a few tools of the trade to manage her addiction and I found those here. I ordered some mini amber bottles so I can share or sell partial bottles to friends. You can buy them by the piece.

Places I've visited or have been told about, but haven't yet ordered from.... yet. I'll add to the list as I discover more, I'm sure!

Cobalt Blends

Possets

Nocturne Alchemy

Good Judy

The Scent Addict is also one stop shopping. Oils, soaps, bath luxuries and more await you there.

Accessories for Fragrances - a friend of mine buys her decanting supplies here.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Marie, my ‘too-cool-for-me’ friend gave me a bottle of fragrance oil for my birthday. She has no idea what a special gift that was to me (well, she does now) because no one else I know would do that. (edited to add that my friend Nat gave me a bottle too!)

She is big into oils and quite the expert. Last year she let me sniff a scent called 'Nosferatu'.

Raw, wet earth, the coolness of the cement mausoleum, the crispness of the trees and the frigid breeze of the fall. It was crazy and it captured me. It's amazing how scent artists can blend oils to smell like specific things!

I’m what they call a ‘foodie and fruit’ girl, meaning I can’t handle floral scents so she went on the hunt for a scent that would work for me and she ended up getting me a delightful scent called ‘Sticky Pillowcase’ from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL).

Sticky Pillowcase is described as “Terminal sugar rush. A little goblin's candy bag, upended. Smushed candy corn, rock candy dust, marshmallow gunk, strawberry goo, spun blue sugar, globs of salt water taffy, and lint.” And it’s fabulous!

I’m now just getting into the fragrance oil arena and I have a few other friends besides Marie to help me on my journey. Mindy and SuE have been more than generous by sending me little goodie packets with sample vials for me to try. They have all been so great at choosing scents I’d really like.

Fragrance is such an important and personal thing. It can elevate (or even change) your mood and bring you out of a funk. It can evoke good and bad memories and can take you places you've been or wish you could go. Scent can remind you of people you love and people you lost.

There is nothing greater than having someone say 'you smell good!'.

It’s a huge learning curve but it’s fun. It’s also kinda pricey so I’m only going to be able to indulge once in awhile. Marie and I recently went in on a BPAL order to save on shipping and I decided to treat myself to a bottle of what I was pretty sure I’d love, it’s called ‘Butter Rum Cookie’, described as, “a boozy addition to the devil's bake sale! Rum-soaked butter cookies, crusted with sugar, soaked in almond and garnished with orange rind.”

Next month, Marie and I are going to split a bottle of ‘Hellcat’, which is described as “a soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, butter cream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond.”

I invited Marie to post here about fragrance oils since I don’t know that much.. so here she is:

"To me the difference between BPAL and Commercial perfumes is that Commercial perfumes are designed to evoke a particular sort of person. Really they are playing towards the eventual advertising. You are supposed to desire to be that other person and they can sell you just the expensive bottle of scent to help you on your way.

BPAL's oils are very different in intent. Beth is an artist who paints with scent. Each fragrance is an image, idea, character, archetype, situation, piece of literature, etc. fully realized. The variety is so amazing that there is something for everyone.

Besides just smelling good, and seriously I have never smelled a commercial scent that made my eyelids flutter the way some of my favorite BPAL's do, they educate and explore ideas. That allows the wearer to express who they really are...their loves...their passions...their mild interests...their sense of humor..."

I recommend stopping by BPAL when you have some time to kill and browsing through their site. It's like going to another world!

You Can Make a Big Impact on Small Business

A little background before I get on to my topic for today:

I am a small business owner. I am a consultant for Watkins, Avon and Taste of Home Entertaining. This is my job besides the job of being a housewife and pet mom. The economy is so bad that I have virtually no orders and the few orders I do get, although I’m grateful, doesn’t even cover the monthly cost of my website fees.

Last week, I met with a friend of mine who is also my insurance agent and we were doing a little checkup on the state of our insurance and to see if things had changed and if we needed to adjust coverage. She asked me – “what is your personal income?” I had to say zero, when in all seriousness, the zero is actually a negative number. I have to buy catalogs and materials, samples and such. I have fees to pay and I am bringing in almost nothing.

I sell Watkins and they have daily needs and groceries and I still can’t get any sales! These are things you buy every week, like laundry detergent and food! I really don’t get it at all.

It’s sad but I am not alone… which brings me to the topic of this posting.

This week I’d like every one of you (and pass this along to your friends) to go out and buy something from a small business owner you know. Heck, I challenge you to do it all week. You have NO idea how this impacts someone that works from home and works on commission or the person in your town who has to pay rent on their little storefront at the strip mall. That purchase impacts that person, their family and their team (many home businesses are network marketing, which means someone else is making a small commission on their sales so it goes up and up) and those with employees are affected as well – if they lose business, people lose jobs.

The small business owner is your friend. You need them to maintain competition in your area. If they go under, you lose because pretty soon your only choices are the big box stores that don't give a shit about you, your business or the service they provide.

Make an effort this week to make it a good week for a small business owner.

It could be a lipstick from the Avon or Mary Kay lady, buy a new stamp set from Stampin’ Up, a few kitchen goodies from Pampered Chef, surely you can spare $20 somewhere.

Here are some ideas:

• Go to the local bakery and buy your bread or the donuts for your meeting.
• Pick up your weekly needs at a local drugstore instead of Target.
• Book a party with your friend that has a 'party plan' business. It's a great reason to have friends over for food and fun and it helps her out.
• Buy a pizza from the pizzeria down the street instead of Pizza Hut or Domino's.
• Shop at the local hardware store instead of Lowe's.
• Take your car in for an oil change at the locally owned place instead of Lube Pros.
• Pick up your morning coffee at the local coffee shop instead of Starbucks.
• Have breakfast at the diner downtown instead of IHOP.
• Order Tupperware instead of picking up containers at Target.
• Pick up appetizer products for Thanksgiving from Watkins or Tastefully Simple.
• Buy some candles from a Partylite consultant instead of Yankee Candle at the mall.
• Shop for a unique gift at the museum gift shop in your town.
• Buy your best friend a box of candy from the local candy store instead of Godiva.
• Call up your Avon lady and ask if she has anything in stock she wants to sell for a bargain.
• Buy your salon shampoo at a local salon instead of Trade Secret or Ulta.
• Take a trip downtown and find something for yourself in one of the little shops.
• Pick up a bouquet of flowers for your mom at the local florist.
• Have your next meeting catered by a local restaurant.
• Order your holiday hams and turkeys from the local butcher shop instead of the chain grocery.

If you aren’t familiar with http://www.etsy.com , go browse there and buy a few things – think ahead for the holidays! Search thru ebay.com for things you've been wanting. You'll probably find a deal to boot! If you can’t spend money on yourself, then start your holiday shopping and do it all with small business owners this year – not Wal-Mart.

Every single choice you make can impact a small business owner in a very big way. Besides, you'll get personal customer service from someone that appreciates your purchase and is there for you in the future. I’m not saying you need to buy something from me. Just go and search out the little guy because those dollars could mean a meal on the table or a necessity for their family.

Excuses, Excuses!

Do you need a reason (er, excuse) to shop? I have some good ones .. feel free to use them.

It's on sale!

I have a discount code!

I have a coupon!

It's almost my birthday!

My husband bought ________ (therefore I need to return balance to the universe by spending
the same amount)

It's almost christmas.

I have two discount codes!

I work hard, damnit!

Today is my choice of 5 deluxe samples!

I'll give up lattes for a month. I swear.

I had a free shipping code!

Three words - gift with purchase.

It's limited edition.

I didn't spend as much on groceries this week.

I'll probably never see it at such a low price again.

The regular retail price is $98! I'm saving $85!

Dad always sends me cash on my birthday so I'll just buy it now.

All the girls have one.

My husband is out of town.

I'm lonely.

I'm depressed.

Lip gloss makes me feel better.

______ pissed me off! (shopping is better than eating)

I have a bonus check coming.

It's gift time at Clinique!

It's gift time at Lancome!

It's gift time at Estee Lauder!

I had a credit on my card.

I need to buy ______ a gift.

It's a different shade of red.

It's Sephora Friends & Family discount time!

It's raining.

I'm hungry.

The Wonderful World of Etsy

I am really good at wasting time. I can spend hours doing nothing. (it's one of my skills!) I have found another delightful way to waste my day away and it's name is ETSY!

I love browsing etsy.com

It's a sort of ebay for handmade goodies. You can discover some amazing talent on Etsy. They have anything you can dream of and quite a few things that you'd find in your nightmares but you know, variety is the spice of life! It's kinda fun (and frightening) to see what things are born from the creative minds of strangers.

I've gotten zombie magnets, a custom embroidered lip gloss holder for my purse, cool hand mirrors for friends, sugar scrub and body meringue, earrings and scrabble tile pendants (which I LOVE and I'm going to learn to make myself), a quadrapus necklace (look it up) and a cool black cat tile necklace that looks like my cat! I've been jonesing for other items that are just too cool and too unique.

When you have a few hours to blow, check it out! The prices are usually really reasonable, they take pay pal and the people are fantastic. Last week I ordered a few things and a couple items came with extra freebies just because they are such nice folks. They are willing to customize things (like colors, chain lengths, etc) and it feels really good to give your money to the 'little guy'.

Find something one of a kind!

That Glade Woman

Have you seen the Glade commercials with that crazy woman who lies about everything?

1. She has her friends over and lights up a Glade candle, only she peels off the label and tries to toss it (only to have it stick to her ass to be discovered later by her friend who is very much on to her lying ways) and tries to pass it off as a French candle. Bonus question - why is she all dressed up anyway? Who wears a little black dress during the day, at home?

2. Her husband goes off to work, her kids to school and she spritzes the air with a Glade room freshener and calls it a day. She shops, she ice skates, she does whatever a big city chick with no day job does, apparently.. then she lies to her family and says she cleaned all day! (they must not have any pets because a spritz wouldn't do shit)

3. She has pals over to do yoga and says the nice air scent is a 'boutique-y' fragrance and then one of her pals discovers it's a Glade Plug-in and her life is over.

4. She's in the tub and gets a phone call and tells whoever is calling that she's at the SPA! Then her husband knocks and instead of admitting she's at home, she lies and says that it's just her 'aromatherapist'.

Good god, woman! How snobby can you be? You're obnoxious!

The Lure of the Outlet Mall

So, back in July, my dad and his wife stopped in town for a 4 day visit and the shopping dynamo stepmom wanted to know where the closest outlet mall was.

You see, they used to live in PA and she had literally dozens of malls within a couple hour drive and she rotated every weekend then they moved to OK and now she is starved for retail therapy.

The closest outlet to me is 45 minutes away but not worth the trip. It’s boring to the point that you’d rather kill yourself in a head on collision on the way there then to actually shop there, so I suggested the next closest, which is an hour and a half away and it has the high end, designer places she prefers.

So, we hop into my dads BMW and armed with my iPass (see? I bring something to the table), we set course (with the help of their GPS unit, affectionately called "Dorothy") and we trekked to the outlet mall.

You'll see a variety of things at an outlet mall - “irregulars”, “uglies”, “WTF is that?” and “um.. yea, there are no words” but it’s the thrill of the hunt and you might actually walk away with something fabulous.

Now, here is the thing about outlets: Very few people know that most outlet stores carry two types of merchandise. They have the product sent from the retail mall stores in your home town that doesn’t sell and then they have their own outlet brand line that is created solely for sale in the outlet stores. It’s usually lower quality and not worth the bag you take it home in. (of course that is just my opinion). You want to be shopping in the back, trust me.

So.. tell me, if it wasn’t interesting enough to buy at the local mall after being marked down 5 times, placed into the clearance section and then marked down an additional 50% on the sidewalk sale, why does it suddenly become interesting at an outlet mall store?

It’s because we think we are getting a bargain. I mean, if it was $98 retail and now it’s $12.99 then we HAVE to buy it, right? I mean, we’d be an idiot not to. Look at the money we’re saving! It doesn't matter that it's a lime green top with elastic sleeves and a pink and cucumber colored flower print with a bow .... it's $12.99!

Let me tell you. If it was ugly at $98, it’s still ugly at $12.99 and most outlet stuff is ugly.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I buy things at outlet stores but I have been known to be drawn to the ‘odd’ stuff and things that no one else likes. I call it my ‘OJ Simpson might be innocent’ frame of mind. I’m a Libra so I tend to choose the underdog side of things. I like to believe in people. I like to rescue the ugly little coin purse that no one wants.

I like strange and unique so the outlet mall is a mecca of otherworldly treasures and giggly “oh, no they didn’t” moments when I discover something that is both horrific and yet strangely alluring at the same time. (much like the ‘as seen on tv’ products) I am both hopeful and scared that someone else thought it wasn't so bad.

Outlet malls are not for the mainstream shopper.

You need to be quirky enough that you give yourself the creeps sometimes.

So.. there we were. Me and my Wednesday Addams self and my upper crust stepmom, shopping at Dooney & Bourke. D&B is quite amusing in that they sell ‘irregulars’ which either means that the stitching is flawed, the handle is upside down or it’s just so hideously ugly that no one in their right mind would want to carry it – unless they got it at 30% off retail.

I’ve seen it happen before my eyes… women in search of status who buy the print or color that makes polished women cringe. (I won’t name prints or colors because what if I’m talking about you? That wouldn’t be good manners and we’d both be just a little bit embarrassed)

Anyway …. Then we hit the various shoe stores, now I am not a shoe girl (I know, gasp, the horror!) but it’s true. I very rarely spend money on shoes and I’ve been known to buy two or three of the same exact shoe should I find a fabulous one. (and that would be from Sears – I know, it’s frightening)

Shoe outlets are the worst because you will have one of three things come over you… you’ll be thrilled and excited to find the exact pair you’ve been salivating over at Macy’s for 6 months, in your size and color and 74% off retail price! It’s both satisfying and exhilarating. It will put a spring in your step and cause you to have a blast of confidence that you haven’t seen since you saw that girl from high school who is now fatter than you. Or, maybe you’ll find a pair that isn’t really you but at 86% off retail, they are so inexpensive that you’d be a fool to leave it there for someone else even tho you know damn well it will collect dust in your closet and you won’t wear them – even tho you have very good intentions. Then.. it’s possible you will find nothing and you’ll get depressed about your big ass gargoyle feet and how all the cute shoes are one size bigger or smaller. You’ll probably be with a friend who finds 34 perfect pairs and has to get your opinion on which ones to actually buy. (yea, she can bite me too) so, I suggest skipping the shoe outlets and going straight for that weird food court, just to say you saw it with your own eyes.

The weird foot court is so called because they usually have ‘chains’ that exist only at outlet malls across .

Souki of Japan, Cinnamonster, Paulo’s Pizza & Yogurt, Sub & Grub, Potato Pen … I mean, it’s like being stuck in a strange sort of alternate dimension where things look similar to familiar things but they aren’t real or right. Oh, and they are all priced as if they exist in the airport.

I once paid $7 for a baked potato and an iced tea.

Outlet malls make perfectly normal people buy and eat scary and uncharacteristic things.

I did find a very cute purse at Fossil and I’ve gotten quite a few compliments on it. I think if you go to an outlet mall with the right frame of mind, you can have fun … but you need to realize that it’s like going to the zoo.

You are so excited to be going, it takes forever to get there and get parked and once you get there you can’t wait to get the hell home. You usually remember you had the same exact feelings the last time you were there but had forgotten and now you’re just hot, tired, hungry, pissed you spent so much money and weaving your way thru the slow moving reptiles, stinky bears and uninteresting farm animals while waiting impatiently for the monkey pen to show up in your travels.

Ok.. so it isn’t nice to compare other outlet shoppers to zoo animals but if you’ve been to an outlet mall, you know what I’m talking about. It’s unfortunate but very true. I try hard to be a monkey in that zoo – projecting human qualities while maintaining a healthy distance from the people on the other side of the glass.