Monday, September 14, 2015

Currently- September 2015



Book
I'm on book three of C.J. Sanson's Matthew Shardlake series. In this one, Sovereign, we actually meet Henry VIII in person. The build-up to the event has been done incredibly well, and I've shared the narrator's terror of his monarch.

Music
I only recently discovered Jay-Jay Johanson and I'm kind of smitten. I couldn't find a clip of Scarecrow, the song that got me on this kick, but here's  a song from a previous album.



TV
Last week the Husband and I binge-watched Hand of God (an amazon original series). I've loved Ron Perlman since he played Vincent the Beast in the late 80s (I just died a little realizing how long it's been), because of the depth and emotion he could express even under the lion-like mask of Vincent. His new role as Pernell Harris, a judge so corrupt and dirty yet internally convinced in his way and religious zeal is incredibly hard to watch. Which speaks volumes of Perlman's talent. The series is a lot more violent than I normally prefer (yes, I know. I do watch GoT. Through my fingers, mostly), and the lack of sympathetic characters does a number on the watcher (I ended up rooting for Mayor Bobo, another corrupt politician). But it's excellent.

Perfume
A cheap thrill: Oro by Roberto Cavalli. A spicy amber that was the best $12 I've spent in a while.

Makeup
The new Chanel blue liquid liner. I've been on an even bigger blue liner kick than usual, and this one fits the bill like nothing else.

Frequently Worn Item/Outfit
Draped jersey dresses, short and long. I got a bunch at Banana Republic, of all places, and they've been serving me well. And vintage jewelry.

Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure
Watching I Am Cait. And loving every minute.

Food
Carbs. The Blond and I had a little staycation during which we surveyed local bakeries, from little French cafes to Balthazar (it's about 15 minutes away from us, and it's a good thing the place isn't closer or we'd be in deep fat trouble).

Bane
The state of my dressing room (the spare bedroom my niece calls "the playroom" where my closets and makeup live). I need to reconfigure some storage solutions and a new system for new stuff that's came in and products that need to go.

Joy
I'm actually kind of motivated to do something about the above. I also started a new notebook for lists and ideas. It's the start of the imaginary new school year. Almost makes me miss teaching. Almost.

Anticipation
The weekend. Girl time with my closest friend.

Wishlist
A new camera. I've been fighting with my lemon of a Canon EOS Rebel T2i for nearly five years now. It's time to admit defeat.

Random Thought
For a book lover seeing home decor objects made of real books that are cut and glued is the same as a deer head trophy for animal lovers.

How are you doing? Please share your recommendations, loves, banes, and random thoughts!

Art: Vase de Chrysanthemes by Armand Guillaumin, 1885.

7 comments:

  1. I love your Random Thought! Now I know I'm not alone. =)

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  2. Book
    Vivienne Westwood by Ian Kelly and Vivienne Westwood

    Music
    Róisín Murphy / Moloko
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwmoMaB6VWc

    TV
    UEFA Champions League, Andrew Graham-Dixon's art history documents

    Perfume
    Currently smitten with an old fave: The Different Company Bois d'Iris

    Makeup
    Deep red lips and nails - right now MAC Charlotte and OPI St. Petersburgundy

    Frequently worn item
    Still warm enough for cotton/silk Inouïtoosh shawls, so one of them always gets an outing.

    Food
    Chanterelle mushrooms

    Joy
    Autumn!

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  3. Book
    "The Dukan Diet". My mother finds fancy weight loss methods, and I'm the one who does the research and eventually ends up advising against them (in 99% cases). It looks like this will be another repeat.

    Music
    Nothing new, just eclectic mix of faves from shiny JPop idols to power metal.

    TV
    Again nothing current, just rewatching latter seasons of What Not To Wear.

    Perfume
    Mostly shiny new Jicky EDT.

    Makeup
    I became the lemming again and bought That New Parisienne Something Or Other Lancome Palette AND Guerlain Beaugrunelle. Also got myself talked into buying a Kiss Kiss lipstick for extra I hadn't really needed. Impressions? Beugrunelle is less intense than my usual Dior blues, so it will be worn a lot. Parisienne is a bit more "natural" than I usually like to wear, but I'll be grateful for it when I need to be really minimal, I'm sure. And I needed the brow part of the set. (Also the box is way larger than I'd have preferred.) And I might have not needed the extra, but I did need a "not-there" lipstick that doesn't make me look dead. Not something I'll wear often, but necessary for certain professional occasions.

    Frequently Worn Item/Outfit
    Jacket+pant/jean+fitted colorful top+comfy medium heel

    Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure
    Sweets and inane browser and phone games. Related because games are cutting into time that could be used to bake a cake and stuff to carry to work (maybe old-fashioned honey cakes-filling but not leaving you craving for more) which are, at least for me, better than store-bought chocolate and cookies in terms of how much I end up consuming - and prevent nibbling on stuff that's at hand.

    Food
    I did manage to push myself to start cooking again, having researched meals that can be frozen without losing quality. My budget is breathing a sign of relief - it looks like a lot when shopping for ingredients, but at the end of the month... I've also been sick at home for several days recently and had no problems regarding food - just microwave it.

    Bane
    Applications for scholarship.

    Joy
    Just plain lack of major problems at the moment.

    Anticipation
    Burberry Cosmetics is about to arrive into my little corner of the world too! And I heard good stuff about L'Occitane's Angelica Gel, so I'm looking forward to trying it out too.

    Wishlist
    Traditional Burberry Trenchcoat for eternity now. Blame the Bogie.
    Red pumps that aren't shiny or fire-engine. With black seeping through from beneath, preferably. Like that old pair I had that unfortunately had leather-coated heels that cannot really be saved even with protective tape.

    Random Though
    I don't really wish for clingy pants of any sort, "comfy" or "skinny", to go away. I just wish that the amount of alternatives available, in just as many variations, sizes, and sheer number of items in stock, was the same.
    (Low-rise, though, is one of trends that should have stayed on the runway.)

    Love your TV and Perfume entries! I'll definitely try to find if the show is available to me, and perfume will join my loong wishlist - at top, since it isn't that pricey.
    And as for Random Thought - yikes. I forgot that it was a thing. I don't think you even have to be a dedicated bookworm to cringe at that. I guess I can sort of get the impulse to reuse the ruined books, but...let's not post it online and encourage someone who inherited piles of books they consider worthless. (Though I doubt anyone just has that large a pile of just slightly damaged stuff at hand.) Also, recycling is a better idea. If unharmed, library or shelters. Or just pile the books and use them as stands and walls without touching them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Book: Let Me Tell You by Shirley Jackson. A wonderful new compilation of fiction, memoir, and nonfiction, from one of the truly great 20th Century American writers. Almost half of the book has never been published before, and the rest has not been easily found until now.


    Music: On a Peter Gabriel/ XTC kick......cycling through "So" (PG), and "Skylarking," (XTC).


    Fragrance: I have also been a "Cheap and Cheerful" thing--I think it's enjoying the winding down of summer......anyway, Old Spice. 12 bucks and tax at Walgreens. Not exactly as I remember it, but still good.


    Frequently worn item: My big, black Wayfarers with the prescription lenses....when I got them, I had my bifocal put in, so I could (and do!) read outdoors in comfort.


    Joy: a good friend's first granddaughter.


    Bane: The commercial hustle to The Holiday Season.


    Baking: all sorts of things for charity fund raisers......cookies, lemon cake, carrot cake (for the sale, I made and applied cream cheese frosting, which I do not care for, but everyone else seems to adore on carrot cake).


    Wishlist: The optional Hammered Glass bowl for my KitchenAid tilt-head mixer.


    Random Thought: agreed about readable books being turned into craft objects. If the book is physically unreadable, I have no objection.


    Observation from Madame Rosa: "Mrrow!"



    Lawrence and Madame Rosa del Gata in Ohio

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  5. Feel exactly the same about books being vandalised in the name of craft! I might have been thinking about shelving some books in colour order though...

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  6. Joys - Am beyond astonished at myself that I am so enjoying the crisp, cool weather on my morning walks - bliss. Of course, am wearing the sort of layers that most people reserve for January blizzard conditions.

    Have been ruthlessly purging my closet - tons of clothes are now gone and it feels absolutely wonderful to walk into a beautifully neat, well organized space to pick out my outfit each day. Very inspired by Marie Kondo's philosophy regarding getting rid of all that doesn't bring joy.

    Never thought I'd get, much less love, a poncho, but I just got the most incredible oversized knit poncho. Pure happiness to wear.

    Bane - Not particularly thrilled about Mercury going retrograde tomorrow - especially as it comes between these two eclipses that are hitting not just important nakshatras in my chart, but directly on a couple of very challenging/difficult planets. I have way too much Saturn influence in my chart (not just current transits or dashas - birth chart Saturn making itself felt all over the place), so am trying to make my current mantra a quote from Frances Mayes, "What if the sky doesn't fall? What if it's glorious?" I love that.

    TV - Haven't been watching much, but am really looking forward to the return of The Great British Baking Show tomorrow.

    Perfume - Have been in a serious big white floral and vintage leather chypre mood, but can feel a vanilla phase coming on. Also spices. Have just been getting reacquainted with Tea for Two - sadly ignored for far too long.

    Wish list - More scarves and sweaters. And a couple of really unusual necklaces I've been eyeing by a local designer.

    Am so with you about books being turned into home decor. Aaargh!
    Anna

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  7. Book - I'm re-reading the Game of Thrones series in preparation for the upcoming season.
    Music - I’m on a classical bent lately, really a fan of piano concertos (Dvorak especially). I discovered our campus has a free classical music series which I’ve signed up for.
    T.V. - I love Ron Perlman – he is such a talent! I love American Horror Story and can’t wait for their season to start. I’m a huge fan of Angela Bassett and Chloe Sevigny.
    Perfume – Kuumba Made Perfume oils, a cheap thrill, best $15 I've spent in a while. I love their Amber paste, Frank & Myrrh and Egyptian Musk.
    Makeup - Anything blue liner. My favorite look is pairing Lancome Black Lapis Kohl eyeliner with LMdB Tuscan Sunset all over the lid into the crease with Fig at the corner. It gives a beautiful pop of color and brightens the eye (without looking too much like a showgirl from the Tropicana).
    Frequently Worn Item/Outfit - I am on a Banana Republic kick. I have several vintage BR pieces from the 80’s that are in excellent condition. I love the Out of Africa style of Safari clothing and their older pieces reflect that aesthetic. I also recently purchased several much yearned for pieces of resin jewelry from Tina Frey. I am over the moon with my new necklace and bracelet.
    Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure - Watching Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders “Making the Team”.
    Food – Although I have celiac and can’t eat wheat, I’ve given up grains entirely. My joints feel so much better!
    Bane - Very noisy neighbors that include alcohol and fireworks, never a good combination.
    Joy - I’m picking a non-profit to volunteer with. Preferably with animals (horses would be stellar). Also discovered the Gino loves to play with wadded up paper balls. He is bouncing and chirruping with joy chasing that paper wad around.
    Anticipation - The weekend, going to the De Young museum to see the J.M. Turner exhibit with a friend.
    Wishlist - I finally used up the last of my Guerlain Kohl powder eyeliner in Marine (the one that looks like a deadly weapon). There’s not a one to be found, on any discount website, anywhere. :/
    Random Thought – Thinking of scrubbing up the resume and looking around. Or perhaps taking classes to gain a new skill. I’m in a rut and need a challenge.

    ReplyDelete

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