Currently- February 2014

The doldrums of winter edition.

Book
Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson. This is one of my favorite books of all time and has been so for the last 37 years. A haunting winter story about little Moomintroll who wakes up from his hibernation some time in January and needs to deal with winter and the creatures that inhabit it while all the warm and familiar things are either gone or asleep .

Moomintroll trying to reason with his Ancestor

Music
Elbow- An Audience With The Pope


TV
Meh. I may be the only one in the known universe that didn't enjoy Sherlock. I don't get the magic of Benedict Cumberbatch (though he did impress me in Parade's End), and the whole thing, from the plots to Mary Watson as an assassin did not work for me. Oddly enough, I do like Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes as well as Lucy Liu as Watson in Elementary. Go figure.

Perfume
Scents by Alexis- Body Made Luminous. It's probably the best chocolate perfume I know. The husband got me the bottle as a pre-Valentine's Day gift, and it was the last one perfumer Alexis Karl had and will have in some time, so I apologize for raving about something that's impossible to get, but I just had to. I'm obsessed.

Makeup
Everything by Make, and if you saw the photos of the palette I posted today you know why. I was sent a few items for review and have ordered a few more, because this is the most impressive and cohesive makeup line I've seen in a while. It's so refreshing to find something like this after a long ennui.

Frequently Worn Item/Outfit
The above pair of Uggs. Yes, I know. Uggs. But they're sturdy enough for icy sidewalks and other environmental hazards while still having a good heel that makes me feel human. They've been through a lot in the three or four weeks I've had them and obviously can use a good shining. I'll do it tomorrow. Maybe.

Food
Radishes sprinkled with coarse sea salt.

Guilty Pleasure
Various coconut candies.

this afternoon in my backyard

Bane
It's too obvious to even mention.

Joy
The email I received this evening from a long-time reader. Thank you, Theresa. It brought tears to my eyes.

Anticipation
Being able to open the window without getting a frostbite on my nose.

Wishlist
June.

Random Thought
This is not very random, but kind of worth mentioning. If you have even a peripheral interest in perfume you probably already know about IFRA and the gradual crumbling of the perfume industry that it has caused since 2005. There's a telling article on Grain de Musc that you may have already read, which as far as I know is the first on-the-record cry from inside the industry. I want to know where these people were nine, five, and even two years ago when the writing on the wall couldn't have been more clear. Here's a selection of my own posts on this topic:

Something Is rotten (April 2009)
More About IFRA (April 2009)
Thoughts About IFRA And Skin Allergies (November 2009)
According to IFRA, you can't read or understand this post (January 2010)
Outlaw Perfumes- The Revolution Has Started (November 2010)
Outlaw Perfumes- Final Thoughts (December 2010)

How are you doing? What are your loves, banes, thoughts, and recommendations?

Top image: Winter 1947 in NYC via NY Daily News.