by Lexine

Fragrance Flashback

Looking back at some of my favorite fragrances from my teen years on this National Fragrance Day…

Calvin Klein’s “CK One” – this scent may have been responsible for my current love for unisex smells. I got introduced to it in the seventh grade, three years after its debut. Since I was a total geek in junior high, in my attempt to be cool, I wore what the cool girls wore. And the cool girls wore CK One.

Clinique’s “Happy” – the very first fashion mag I owned was a late 90s copy of Allure, given to me for free by my then-dentist. The date of the mag is lost on me but the two things I remember from it was that supermodel Niki Taylor was on the cover, and an ad for this perfume. Its fruity, citrus-y notes attracted me. When I put this on now, it’s an instant throwback to eighth grade (oh, whyyyy did the Spice Girls break up?!).

Estee Lauder’s “Dazzling” – RIP Dazzling, both gold and silver. A relative gifted me Dazzling Silver, and it was the first perfume that made me feel grown up and sophisticated like Liz Hurley in that ad (even if I was still a geek now in my high school years).

Tommy Hilfiger’s “Tommy Girl” – another scent that takes me back to my high school years. I also used to be a mild gamer then, so now whenever I get a whiff of Tommy Girl, I get this weird urge to play Wipeout XL on the OG Playstation.

Body Fantasies’ “Raspberry Fantasy” – this is actually the very first fragrance I bought. (The others listed here were either gifts, something borrowed from relatives, or a scent I would buy later on.) I think it was, what, $3 at Walgreens then? I know Body Fantasies had other scents, but Raspberry Fantasy was my jam. Sad that this scent no longer around, and the current incarnation of Bath & Body Works’ Sun-Ripened Raspberry is doing its best to fulfill my raspberry cravings, but it’s not the same! (B&BW even messed with the original formula of SRR! Booooo!)

by Lexine

Sunday Sweets

I took the day off from work today and, besides getting to sleep in (take that, spring forward Daylight Savings Time!), I just made these: Keto Turtle Brownies! Whenever I crave brownies, I prefer to have something else with them. I can eat them plain, but I like jazzing them up. No better add-ons to a brownie than caramel sauce, pecans, and melted chocolate drizzle! And it’s all sugar-free/low-carb so you don’t have to worry about the diabeetus.

Recipe: https://www.bonappeteach.com/easy-keto-turtle-brownies/

by Lexine

Now Playing (3.8.24)

Some of my favorite “girl power” songs in honor of International Women’s Day today! 

Shout out to Xtina for revamping “You Don’t Own Me” in her Vegas residency shows! I first heard the original almost 20 years ago; I forgot what led me to it but that classic 1960s pop ballad beat grew on me. I didn’t read into the lyrics until later. This song deserves a comeback! 

by Lexine

Leap Day Random Thoughts

…that’s too hot and long for Twitter!

Part One of my work-in-progress is complete! I plan on having four parts to my story, with the third part bringing in most of the action and drama. Don’t worry, there will be a nice ending between my protagonists…and that’s all I’ll say about it for now. I’m the type who stays mum about her projects until it’s 100% complete and ready to be marketed. And this time, I know its genre! 😜

Over a month ago, I had a wooden bookshelf that collapsed all of a sudden. *sad face* Won’t say what brand it was, but I’d figure for something worth “$250”, it would hold up for a long while. I actually bought it for cheap from a Craigslist seller years ago, and now I know why the seller offered it for cheap. *sighs* After seeking out similar replacements this past month, I settled for something different: a steel shelf! The one I got is said to hold up to 350 lbs per shelf, so hopefully it holds up over time. I just assembled it (on my own–you can assemble this solo, despite what other reviews say), and reshelving all the displaced books will be my other rainy-day project this weekend.

My new favorite low-carb recipe: Crustless Pizza! Domino’s who?

Something I want to make in the next month: Chocolate Covered Cherry Fat Bombs. I plan on making them as gifts for two friends celebrating their birthdays in March. And for myself, of course.

I find this very disappointing. Voter apathy will be the death of democracy for us all. Not sorry for the bold all-caps, but GET OUT AND VOTE, PEOPLE!! Have some not learned from 2016?

I find this very rad, though. (Yes, I still use 1980s-era lingo.)

by Lexine

Rainbows And Votes

How I’m celebrating this holiday: by admiring the sights of rainbows from my studio apartment and getting out to vote! The weather here still isn’t pretty, but I’ll always enjoy a rainbow sighting (the one pretty thing to come from this icky rain). And my state’s Primary Election Day is in two weeks. If you haven’t yet voted in your state’s primaries, get out and vote! These days, all elections matter!

by Lexine

A Galentine’s Day Pairing

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Black Cherry Merlot (from Bath & Body Works) really is that scent. I adore all things cherry-scented, so it’s fitting that my newest burn fills my casita with cherry goodness! As for that book, well…why not. It was a thrift store find (duh) and it stuck out in a sea of sappy romance paperbacks. That title with that tagline…I’m sold! Nice girl stories be damned!