I was at Joseph Beth and was browsing the Burt's Bees stuff.  I don't use Burt as much as I used to; I make so much of my own skincare products now, though I'll always love their lipbalm.  Anyway, I tried a spritz of their facial refresher spray.  It was very nice, but I checked out the label and it was basically water with grapefruit, lime, and lemon oils; maybe a couple of other oils, too.  I said to myself, "Self," I said.  "I can make some of this easily."  So I did:

Facial Refresher Spray for the Very Oily

2 oz pump spray bottle
lavender, rosemary, lemon, grapefruit, and peppermint eos
witch hazel
distilled water

Pour 1/2 inch of witch hazel in the bottle.  Add one dropperful (10-20 drops) EACH of the lavender, rosemary, lemon, and grapefruit oils.  Add 2 drops of the peppermint oil.  Top with water.

Shake very well before using.  I blot off as much oil as I can and give my face a light misting with the spray.  It does seem to cut the oil a bit.

Visited the nephew over the holiday weekend.  My SIL went to the UK so my mom and dad went down for the week to babysit.  (SIL:  Nephew, Gramma and Pa Pa are coming to see you this week!  Nephew:  That means you're leaving.  Two and a half and he is smart!)  He was sick, so he was a bit cranky, plus he's two and a half, so he's a bit obnoxious.  Highlights of the visit include:  Nephew's ongoing argument with Mom's GPS system (GPS:  Turn right.  Nephew:  No!  No turn right!  GPS:  Turn left.  Nephew:  No!  No turn left!  Every single time.  )  Nephew's budding hair obsession (at dinner the first night:  "I have beautiful curls."); Nephew's negotiation with Gramma over TV time (Nephew:  Wanna watch Madagascar!  Brother:  You have to wait until Gramma is done with her show.  Gramma (who would have leapt out of the chair and immediately put in the DVD if brother hadn't spoken first):  It's only 14 minutes more and then you can watch.  You have to share.  Nephew, after thinking for a moment: You share with me.)  Bwa ha ha!  A few days of this, however, is all old Auntie 13 can stand.  Auntie 13 also got the worst migraine of her life and for the first time ever threw up with a migraine; threw up 5 minutes after taking $30 worth of migraine pills.  Yay.

When I got back I was treated to the stunning spectacle of cats who not only managed to be cuddled and petted constantly but also projected an air of supreme indifference tinged with hostility.  It's an amazing feat if you can pull it off.

Mom bought me a garlic storage jar shaped like a vampire.  Does she know me or what?

I don't think my hair has grown in 3 months or more.  I need to get back on my vitamins posthaste.

BPAL:  Lotus Moon (opium-laced golden lotus with rich amber, pine resin, and rose otto)  This just came in today.  First wearing:  BUBBLE GUM!  AAARRRGGGHHH!!!  The golden lotus in Bastet isn't bubblegummy at all but this is, grrrrr.  I'll try it again tomorrow.

I wish I had oily skin!  It seems there are much nummier stuff to put on it to make it better.  Dry skin sux0rs. 

OMG a vampire-shaped garlic jar!!  How very cool!

no more migraine's for a few years now because I practice and teach(when I have clients) Hatha Yoga.  There is a breathing technique called Alternate Nostril Breathing (in English) Nadi Sudi in Sanskrit.  Child's Pose and other asanas are wonderful for migraine sufferers.  Big sympathetic hug to you   I know how you must feel!  Also when I became a pesco-vegetarian those killer migraine's went out the window!  Better them than me cuz that's what I wanted to do to get relief.  I had tried Anaprox(good for sinus headaches)  it's glorified Advil.  I also used once or twice Maltrex(?) melts on you tongue so you don't have to swallow anything.  I know I didn't even want to breathe let alone drink any water!!
I know I put up the instructions for Nadi Sudi on someone's journal.  May have been Lisabelle or Galadriel.  Not sure,sorry!  Let me know how you make out though!

I've tried everything and nothing helps the zits.  I'm going to be like my mom--she had acne until her hysterectomy and she still gets the occasional pimple.  On the other hand, she's 61 and doesn't have any wrinkles, thanks to her oiliness.  I guess I'll just have to wait another few decades to reap the benefits.

I haven't posted for a while because nothing is going on.  Work, PMS, cats, bills, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Last Friday was fun, though.  I was leaving work, like I always do, and they had smeared the floor with the stuff they use to buff the floors.  It hadn't dried yet and that stuff is slick.  Guess what happened.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Yep, I fell @$$ over teakettle all over the floor.    In one hand I had my purse I embroidered and made myself, my tote bag, and a bag with a cabbage in it (it was a gift from someone's garden);  in the other hand I had a box with papers and the like in it; and over my shoulder I had my messenger bag with my computer in it.  Everything flew everywhere and that crap got all over my clothes (my new brown gypsy skirt and my silk shirt I've had since high school.)  The paste doesn't come off, so my clothes are RUINED!!!!!!  My left elbow was banged up and it hurts to crochet.  I bruised the heck out of my left knee and it throbs if I sit too long.  It also wakes me up at night.  Grrrr.  I went into work Monday to fill out an incident report (like I'll ever be reimbursed for my clothes; that skirt cost $90 and I loved it.  It fit so nicely and I loved the little twinkly mirrors at the bottom.  Sigh.) and there was a "WET FLOOR" sign outside the door where I fell.  Too little, too late, people.  I know that sign wasn't there Friday because I had to crawl myself back to safety and I'd have bumped my noggin on it if it had been present.   

I'm going to try to overdye the skirt with brown RIT dye.  If that doesn't work, I'll cut off the bottom ruffle and make a valance out of it.  Maybe for the kitchen.  The shirt is beyond hope; it can never be worn again.  The back is ok, so I think I'll make a pillow cover out of it. 

D@##^!  I really liked that skirt.

On the plus side, my hair is up to 32.5 inches.  5 inches is still damaged, so it's still going to be a year or more before 36.  I need to visit my brother and have him give me a trim unless I can talk my mom into it.  I have the scissors.

Aunt Flo, the red hag, came upon me like a demented banshee this month.  All of my BPAL smelled funny, I haven't slept well for 10 days, I'm cranky as all get out, but my hair has never been softer.  Huh.

Oh, 13bodies, I'm so sorry to hear you got hurt AND got your clothes ruined. 

I hope you can save your skirt with the dye.  I once burned hubby's white button down shirt (before we were married, and there was gunk on the bottom of that iron!) so I dyed it blue w/ RIT dye and he got more complements when it was blue than ever when it was white.  Good luck!!

For your owies, I recommend Arniflora brand Arnica gel.  You can get it at the health food store.  It will take the pain out of the brusies and help them heal.  It doesn't stain or stink and works great.  I first started using it many years ago when I was  practicing Tae Kwon Do.  Breaking boards can give you pretty nasty bruises!!

I'm very happy to read todays entry-I've been thinking about you and that we hadn't heard from you for awhile.  How's your solitare game going?

Thanks for the sympathy, everyone.    I really should be thankful because I could have been hurt a whole lot worse than I was.  I'm still cheesed off, though.  

I went to Ulla Popken's website and my skirt is sold out.    Fiddle foo and poo on them.

Yay solitaire!  The only thing I don't like about my new computer is that my old games won't work with OS X.  But I have my cards to play solitaire in real life.  Whee!  

I have some ointment with arnica and comfrey and calendula, etc, and it has worked nicely on my bruise.  It's healing and it isn't sore anymore.  My knee still throbs at times and I'm pretty sure I bruised the bone which takes 8 weeks or so to heal.  Sigh.  Skirt's still ruined, though.  (I'll not be letting that go anytime soon.  8))

I had a devil of a time putting my hair up today.  Even a simple bun was beyond my capabilities, though I did manage some semblance of a rose bun and speared it with my finny fork.  I hate bad hair days.

I still can't crochet but I can work with felt.  I made a little keychain thing with 3 felt cheeseburgers and beads.  I think I'm going to make some shark sushi (The Sushi that Eats You!) today.  

I'm trying to get a migraine and I need a nap.  

Mom refused to trim my hair.  When I asked her, she reacted as though I'd asked her to perform an appendectomy on me.  A half an inch straight across is not that difficult!  My hair still isn't long enough for me to do it myself.  Last time I tried I ended up cutting it in a broad, shallow "U" shape and the sides were a good 4 inches shorter than the middle.  My brother fixed that over Christmas, however, bless his heart.  

Carnivale Diabolique is up at the BPAL site!  Every other one seems to have patchouli in it (Yuck! Ick! Ptooi!)  but I did order the MIDNIGHT ON THE MIDWAY (Lightning splits the sky, illuminating the skeletal skyline of the carnival rides: sugared incense and night-blooming flowers.).  I can't resist incense-y florals.  The descriptions are nice and creepy and are a great read.

There's also a new forum-only scent called F5:  A refreshing scent!  GET IT?!  Aloe, white musk, lime peel, fresh mint, seaspray, verbena and green tea.

I'm not sure about the lime and mint but I love aloe, white musk, and green tea; seaspray has got to be good and verbena is nice enough.  Besides, how can I resist such a lovely pun?  

)$($*$*($)  I sure hope you feel better soon!  That really sux about the skirt,your elbow and all else that hurts!!

Yesterday one of Mom's friends tripped over her bedspread and broke her arm.  It was her right arm, too, and she's right handed.  Bless her heart;  I've hurt my left arm before and I can't even wipe myself properly.  8)  So I really am lucky I didn't get hurt a whole lot worse than I did.

Guess what I'm still upset about, though?   

OH!  Guess what I did today? 

*Drumroll please*

A crown braid!  Well, it's a two strand braid, cuz that's easier, and it's messy and a bit loopy but it's a crown braid and it's held 4 hours so far.  Whee!  I have quite the pompadour in front and it's surprisingly dressy looking.  I was going to wear my tie-dyed shirt today but it wasn't dressy enough for the hair.     The little tail left over I made into a wee (for me) little cinnabun.  I hope I can speed up the execution.  This would be a great work style but it does take a while to twist it all up.  Today I have third day hair with a fresh scalp wash but I don't know if that makes any difference or not.  I'll try again tomorrow with first day hair and see if that makes any difference.

Over at the LHC, the cat of one of the members was diagnosed with feline leukemia after receiving a clean bill of health and receiving her immunization several months ago.  I'm paranoid about Gorey--he lived outside with Agatha for months and Mom still comments that it's a miracle that he didn't get infected.  Plus he has swollen lymph nodes under his jaw, though that's probably just allergies.  And Bogie and Rumpole are overdue for their shots.  I don't know what to do.  I can't put Gorey back outside.  It would kill both of us.  Sigh.  I need to make an appointment for B & R next Saturday and I really need to stop dwelling on this, but I'm worried about my furbabies, d@##it.