Music Shuffle TAG!

I was tagged by The Redolent Mermaid to play Music Shuffle! The rules are simple... put your iTunes (Spotify/Pandora) on shuffle and answer the questions with whichever song was next in line. I had some giggles as things came through! Thanks Julie!!

How am I feeling today?

"Home is where the Heart Is" - Lady Antebellum ...my little family is my heart! <3

Will I get far in life?
"Homesick at Space Camp" - Fall Out Boy ....lol.. Space Camp?? Is that like Pig Farts!?

How do my friends see me?

"Show you Love" - Jars of Clay

Where will we vacation next year?
"Extra Pale" - Goo Goo Dolls ...oh look, even my iPod makes jokes about my paleness! :)

What is my theme song?

"Crazy in Love" - Eminem the title? yes.. the song? NO!

What is the story of my life?

"Play something Country" - Brooks & Dunn ...i approve!

What was high school like?

"Bring me to Life" - Evanescense

How can I get ahead in life?

"Anthem (Part 2) - Blink 182

What is the best thing about me?

"Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived" - JK Rowling ...YES!!!! i'm totally the nerd with books on disc!!

How is today going to be?

"I don't want to know" - Fleetwood Mac ...thumbs down!

What's in store this weekend?

"Reflection" - Mulan

What song describes my parents?

"Can't hold us down" - Christina Aguilera ...ummm.. not quite.. lol

What song describes my sisters?

"Things People Say" - Lady Antebellum ...not even close

How's my life going?

"Good Enough" - Evanescense ... i think my iPod is feeling sad..lol

What will they play at my funeral?

"Lovers in a Dangerous Time" - Bare Naked Ladies

How does the world see me?

"Emotions (remix) - Destiny's Child ...fail! come on iPod!

Will I have a happy life?

"Brave New Girl" - Britney Spears 

.. I'm definitely NOT the clubbing/one night girl.. but i like some of the lyrics! "She's gona pack her bags/She's gona find her way... She's gona wish on stars and touch the sky"

What should I do with my life?

"The Only One" - Evanescense 

What is some good advice for me?

"Bootylicious"- Destiny's Child .....hahahaha

How will I be remembered?

"I'll fly away" - Jars of Clay/Sarah Kelly ...love this song!

What do I think my theme song is?

"My Immortal" - Evanescense ...go home, iPod.. you're drunk!

If I were to have a theme song, it would be something more like this...

Complete with upbeat music, catchy lyrics & some sassy syncro walk/dance moves!

What does everyone else think my theme song is?

"I just want to celebrate" - Lynyrd Skynyrd .. on point!

So some answers are a little wacky.. some on point... but a fun little game! Thanks Julie!

Wanna play?? Leave your results in the comments OR leave a link back to your blog!

Review: Alamo Candelaria

I am beyond excited about my latest order of scentsational, geeky goodness!

 I was introduced to Outlander by my BFF Julie! If, by chance, you've been living under a rock.. you may have missed this glorious book coming to life on the tv! *fangirl squeal*

^^^that's James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.. he is verra fine!
annnnd he's starting this post, just so i can see him give that sultry stare on Julie's sidebar! 

So, moving on to my amazing order from Alamo Candelaria!

I heard of this company through Julie, and I have been drooling over the amazing soaps and waxes. A few months ago, the announcement of an Outlander themed line had me fiercely stalking the facebook page. When opening day came around, the joy of time zones was in my favor and I scored a nice little haul! My TAT was amazingly fast (even for overseas mail); I believe my order was mailed out within 3 days of being received.

Everything arrived very well packed and with lots of fluff to keep things from being smashed or broken. This is a HUGE plus when I look at reorders.. as my mail gets jostled a lot as it travels all the way around the world.

Up for offer was this beautiful Outlander themed perfume box set! I love that it has a description of each scent inside the box.. and those bottles!?! Each glass bottle has a cork that is sealed in place with black wax. the attention to detail in packaging is just stunning! I almost felt bad breaking the wax seal... almost!

I am trying to pace myself on opening my perfumes (crazy, i know!), so as of now I have only opened "Dragonfly in Amber" - A warm, sweet woody amber vanilla, bergamot, bay leaf, patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, clove, with rich notes of ambergris, balsam fir, cedar, and sandalwood. I was a little hesitant about this scent. I am not usually a fan of amber anything as I find most amber scents to be very sweet and candy-like. This scent, however, is a rich woodsy type scent & is bold without being overwhelming. I think this will be a good late fall/winter scent for me. (Hubby approved, so that's a double score!)

Other scents in my box include: Indigo, MamaCita, Fraser Ridge, La Dame Blanche, Standing Stones, & Bloody Man.

There were also some absolutely gorgeous soaps up for grabs, but as they came in a soap/perfume set.. I decided to pass in favor of some wax crack! No really... it's called wax crack! 

My first selection was "Standing Stones" - A sparkling, woody herbal with a citrusy bergamot, lavender, basil, amber, sage and oak moss. On cold sniff, I received an impression of a scent very similar to fabric softener. I have been a bit congested, so that could be a factor... Anyways, once melted, the lavendar, basil & oak moss notes became much more distinguished. Its hard to put a description on what exactly this wax smells like to me... but then again, I'm sure the Standing Stones aren't easily labeled either. mysterious...regal... old world....with a hint of countryside.. The throw is medium, which is perfect for my small rooms.

My second wax crack pick was "Fraser's Ridge" - tart, wild mountain strawberries, blackberry, peach, and raspberry, with a hint of violets, grounded with earthy patchouli. This scent has easily secured a spot in my top 10 favorite scents!! I can see why this wax (& the soap) sold out so quickly! The smells of fresh strawberries on a warm spring day out in the countryside....patches of wild violets swaying in the breeze... *sigh* The detail on this wax is stunning... little strawberries, dried herbs, wax seal imprints... I'm torn between melting & hoarding! The throw is medium & the strawberries come across light & airy... I will be waiting patiently to try to add the matching soap to my collection. I really just have a desire to roll in this smell... thankfully I have the perfume to tide me over! ;)

I received 2 very generous samples with my order! The first being a sample of wax crack in "Indigo" - Fresh rain, sweet grass, ozone, earthy patchouli, oak moss, and sweet amber musk. I had glanced quickly past this scent when ordering.. but I will definitely be snatching it up when i place my next order! When reading descriptions, I generally associate anything that smells "fresh rain" or "ozone" with detergent scents, but this scent is far from detergent. It is bright, airy, and fun! 

My second sample was this delicious treat! Salt Lique Lollis are the most amazing invention ever! After receiving a chai flavored one in a recent birthday gift.. I was soo excited to see this honey salt lique lolli sitting so pretty in my box! I took just enough time to snap a photo before promptly devouring the salty, sweet treat!

If you would like to know when the next opening is, make sure to follow Alamo Candelaria on Facebook! You will not be disappointed! I, personally, am hoping for a future release of all the soaps as a set... they are all just too gorgeous & it makes choosing just a few difficult!

If you have ordered recently, tell me what you got! Should I be adding any items to my wish list?

Review: Super Tarts - Custom Order

Brace yourselves! There is immense geeky fan-girling ahead!!
(and possibly pictures of amazing wax... if i can stay focused)

So back on October 14th, I managed to score a custom bag from Super Tarts! I received my bag on January 6th (this includes roughly 10 days of shipping for overseas mail). Due to circumstances beyond the owners control, this TAT was a bit longer than expected, but still not a terrible wait time.
There are plenty of options to choose from to appease your senses. In addition to have a vast array of house blends, you can also choose from an even bigger selection of single scents to blend your own!
My bag weighs roughly 1lb 4-6oz & is filled with the most adorable shapes!! I chose to pick from her house blends list & chose "Doctor Who" - a delicious combination of red rooibos tea, shortbread cookies and creamy custard...minus the fish sticks!
When I saw that description, I was sold!!

Weird fact: I have plans to try fish fingers & custard... I  mean, if The Doctor loves them, they've got to be good, right??

My bag arrived filled with the most adorable shapes!! I'm not sure if Super Tarts is a fan of Doctor Who, but I can totally make connections between the shapes & the show! (yes, i'm aware just how geeky that makes me!) When i opened my bag, I was immediately met with the most delicious scent! Fresh brewed tea, warm cookies, delicious custard... I am positive this is exactly what the Tardis smells like!! I may or may not have sat & sniffed my bag for awhile... and this scent has pretty much become my kitchen staple... wake up in the morning, take a deep sniff... you can almost hear the Tardis!! The throw seems pretty strong to me, as it escapes out of my kitchen/dining area & into my living room... i LOVE it!!!

Ok, so let me rein in the geekiness long enough to show you the wax!

Are these not the most adorable shapes!? Further in the bag I also found flip flops, mini pies, & tiny ice cream scoops! AHHHH!! THE CUTENESS!!

I orginally thought I had tentacle shapes when i dumped my bag.. bits of Zygons, perhaps?

However, after i took this photo, I realized they are TEETH!!! How stinking cute is THAT!?

I have become a huge Super Tarts fan & look forward to reordering in the future!

What new wax have you tried lately that you absolutely loved?

Review: Super Tarts - Anniversary Order

One of my guilty pleasures in life is wax melts. 

I love to have decadent aromas dispersing through my house. My very favorite scent would have to be anything involving cinnamon, and it has to be the 'in your face' cinnamon. Every year I patiently wait for fall in anticipation of it "being acceptable" to douse my house in this glorious odor. 

I began my love with wax melts with scentsy, but my bestie The Redolent Mermaid has been introducing me to the wonders of small business wax creations. Stalking her blog has become part of my nightly ritual, as I await the revealing of her latest waxy goodies. When I saw a review for Super Tarts, I knew I needed to get in on this vendor. 

Themed wax to make your favorite shows & books come alive?! 

(woooo!! geek girl moment!! <3 *ahem* back to the wax....)

There have been a few openings recently & I managed to place 2 orders! Ohhhh yeah!!! *fist pump!* The first was a custom order, which I am still waiting on. The second order was from the 1 year anniversary opening on October 28th. Since I'm in the middle of a big move, the turn around time didn't seem very long to me. I received my shipping notification on December 2nd & my package arrived on December 11th. My shipping length is a reflection upon the joys of overseas mail, but I believe most packages make it through the mail in 2-4 days.

My order arrived triple wrapped in priority flat rate bubble mailers with a scent list & free sample. One of my clam shells arrived broken, but I attribute that to the length of time it spent in the postal system, as well as the distance it had to travel.

I was extremely tempted by all the choices available, but finally settled on an even number of 6.

The following descriptions were provided courtesy of Super Tarts.

Tie Me Up - Vanilla Bean Champagne and Strawberries

Jaws - Sea Salt, Fresh Air, Sea Grass, Sliced Plum and Sweet Pear. This is an amazing spa blend!

White Walkers - Spearmint, Peppermint, Fresh Mint Leaf and VBN

Ravenclaw - Blue Raspberry and Lavender

Katniss - Eucalyptus & Lemon Curd

Beauty and the Beast - Sweet Blackberries and Magically Delicious

 I am waiting to move into our house for melting, but below are my impressions from first sniffs.

Tie Me Up - The mix of vanilla champagne and strawberry is sweet but enjoyable. I was a little worried picking this one because I tend to stay away from fake strawberry smells. However, the strawberry smells neither fake nor overpowering. Both scents come across well balanced.

Jaws - First, the blood splatter... LOVE IT!! it made my geek soul giggle when i first saw it. This is a deliciously relaxing scent. I could see melting this during "me time". It's a very interesting but pleasant combination. I'm curious to see how it changes when melted.

White Walkers - This was a pick for my husband who is in love with the Game of Thrones books/show. I am loving this combination of mint! However,it's not coming across as potent as i was expecting. It may be a personal thing, I've been leaning toward bold, in your face scents lately. The extra attention to detail with the crumbles is a fun choice. I'm hoping this has a strong throw when melting.

Ravenclaw - the blue raspberry is a little sweeter than i was anticipating. I was expecting more tartness & more lavendar. This is on the sweet side for me, but we'll see if it mellows with melting.

Katniss - oh my goodness, can i just bury myself in this for awhile?? strong, potent eucalyptus & lemony curd goodness that powers right through your sinuses! I am a big fan of eucalyptus... I can see this being a fantastic cure for the sniffles!

Beauty and the Beast- both my husband & I could smell this one upon opening the packaging... the super sweet smell was pretty potent. It's not a bad smell, but I'm not really feeling it. I'm not sure if the sweet blackberries adds to what I'm smelling, or if the magically delicious is just that strong.. but we'll give it a whirl in the warmer and see what happens!

Free Sample 

Vanilla Spearmint - upon sniffing my sample, it seemed mellow enough to melt in our small hotel room without overwhelming our senses. When i first sniffed, the vanilla seemed to barely be pushing through the spearmint. Once melted, it mellowed into a subtle note and mixed with the spearmint giving me the impression of a bubblegum. A fun scent, but not something that I would repurchase.

So there you have it.. my very first wax review! 

What favorite scents have you dropped in the warmer lately?

~Ashley~