Hair is still more slippery than usually, but now it's also dirty. I noticed another strange thing: even though it's dirty, it still smells strongly of the honey shampoo/conditioner I used. I'm used to CV's scents that are much milder. The scent is not unpleasant, but I don't like how strong it is still. I fear it interferes with my goal to smell of .
     Speaking of BPAL, now that I have an order in, I've read some reviews. It seems that my favorite scents are not favorites for many. I agree with what people have said about scents I'd call nice -scents like Leanan Sidhe and Tzadikim Nishtarim, but it seems that many people don't like aquatic, ozoney scents that I love madly. Also, unlike for many, for me there is such a thing as too feminine scent. I like to sniff feminine scents -say, Magdalene and Eos, but they are not quite "me". I like a little ambiguity and mystery there. I can only wonder if it's just a preference or whether it actually has something to do with the fact that my psychological gender is not female but neutral...
     Just a bit of information that those of you who read my reviews might want to know.

Today's hairstyle: Basic knotbun, Caramel Ficcare and a cap. I've got things to do.

Crafts: Nylon slip project is proceeding well. I've already sewn two (two more to go). Just as I expected, the pattern was simplicity itself, but stretchy sheer nylon fabric gave me plenty of challenge. I haven't sewn knit fabric before, so everything starting from selecting the right stitch was new to me. A little extra challenge came from my decision not to do everything the simplest way possible. I consider slips undergarments, and I want my undergarments to be cute. So, plush elastic, scalloped edges and tiny fabric roses it was. But, my first slip ended up being perfectly wearable (though far from perfect), and my second one turned out to be quite good.
      When I'm done, I have one more dress, and then I'll have to fetch a new fabric shipment from Customs who seem to have taken a special interest in my shopping spree. Flannel. Jiffy Grip for making slippers. Fabric for aubergine dress and apron. I'm going to be busy.

How nice to see you here! Thanks for all the congrats. I've had some good times lately!
   About Thunder Moon: If you are able to locate another bottle, I think certain swap is a deal. Of course, if it is too much trouble, there are always other options. Lots of other options, in fact. But this would be a possibility. In any case, no hurry since I expect my BPAL shipment to take a while and would love nothing better than have a couple of them to continue their flight to a warmer climate.

Now that we're talking about BPAL, here's another review I don't think I've done yet.

Asphodel: This sits firmly in the "mother of everything that is beautiful and good" category. I can see why everyone seems to love this scent- it's one of the most perfect floral scents I've ever tried. It starts with Lily of the Valley. Now, I don't normally care about lily of valley scents as for some reason I associate them with grannies, but this is a GOOD lily of the valley scent. It soon broadens to a rich floral scent that would make Coco Chanel weep in envy. If Leanan Sidhe was a bouquet of blue flowers, this would be a bouquet made of white flowers, with a hint of rose red here and there. This has just the perfect balance of freshness and sweetness. This is the kind of scent that makes men follow you and buy roses and chocolates on the way, then running to catch you up again.
       All this raving done, I have to say that this goes to "too feminine for me"-category. This is so lovely that it isn't "me" any longer, if it makes any sense. But don't let this little detail stop you from trying this.

And, here is a glimpse to what I've been shopping lately. Unfortunately, also a glimpse to the hair horror I've beeing going through all week. Now my hair is very dirty- it has hold barely enough so I could make the styles for these pics. I hope returning to shampoo bars will help.



Blue Wave Lalo Orna hairstick.



And here's Red Poppy LO stick. Very cute, but I wish it was a tad longer.



Burgundy Ficcare adorning a sorry infinity bun.



3-tone green Ficcare with crystals.

Stars: I had a very good star viewing night yesterday: sky was perfect, and I saw just about everything one can hope to see during one session:
-managed to identify two constellations for the first time, Lynx and Cetus
-saw one meteor
-saw a new open cluster: M36 of Auriga.
-and to top everything off, I marveled the little "Engagement Ring" asterism around Polaris (North Star). If you have binoculars at hand, I really recommend you check this one out some night. It's just beautiful: a ring of faint stars and Polaris as the diamond of a ring.      

What a pretty shawl!!!

Beautiful!!!!  The alpaca yarn looks exactly like the yarn I'm using for the cardigan,too!  Nice to work with,no?  I'm on the second sleeve,put it altogether and do the edging.  Your shawl is absolutely great!!  Wear it in good health!

Thanks, everyone! The shawl was a difficult project, but worth the trouble that went into it.

Curlgirl: I fell in love with the alpaca yarn. It's so soft and warm.  I will certainly make more projects with it.

I think I could use another shawl, maybe in pure white. I keep thinking of new knitting projects faster than I can knit. I've already knit so much this fall, but my to-do list just won't shorten. After the leg warmers, basic socks and matching mittens for T, then I decided that I want a beanie too, then I have yarn for making a nice dark blue cardigan for myself... in other words, this is turning out to be a very typical fall for me. I think last year it was mittens, mittens, mittens...

Hair: Received a hairstick shipment from MT: Blue Shimmer sticks and Silk Noir sticks. I think I got the last pairs because now they are sold out. I had been drooling for these pairs for a while, and they are gorgeous. Black silk wrapped beads are nicely different yet simple, and Blue Shimmer pairs features gorgeous kyanite beads and a small silver butterfly dangle. Very cute!
     I've also seen the first pictures of the new Ficcare catalog on LHC. Gorgeous new colors! I've always dreamed of jewel tone Ficcares and now they have them: beautiful dark blues and violets are calling my name. I hope they'll be available online, it would make ordering easier. So I'm going to wait a little while before ordering.

Stars: I started a trial membership period for SLOOH, which is a robotic telescope operated via internet. So far, it looks quite promising. While there is something undeniably special in looking up with your own eyes and minimal technical aid, there is also something special in getting really good views to space via one's computer screen. Especially when that means possibility to observe even when the weather here is bad, as well as possibility observe objects that would otherwise be too far South.
    I've already scheduled my first mission. During the next days, I'm going to try to track Pluto. It is so small and so far away, that it blends in with faint background stars- the only thing telling that it's actually a body orbiting our Sun is its movement among the stars. So, I'm going to try and see if I can track that movement. Needless to say, this is an exercise I couldn't try without SLOOH.

Thank you, Trisha! It is lovely to wear. A bit big to be worn under a coat, but wonderful indoors. My crocheted shawl is a bit smaller though so I wear that when I go out.

Here's something else delightful for you: Pyrex dotted siren earrings from BAF.



I love just about everything in these. The color, the unusual but pretty style, how they look in my gauge. These are one of nicest earrings I have ever owned (though I admit freely that most of my other gauged earrings are in that category as well). But, these are REALLY nice.
    Their arrival has made me a little worried though: the earrings I ordered a little earlier (and with supposedly faster shipping) have not arrived yet. I hope they are all right and still coming.

Hair: A little dirty, up with a burgundy Ficcare. Just an ordinary hair day.

Health: First week on meat-free diet is over. It has been ok: planning meals has been a challenge, but we have managed.

I agree, Lisabelle. They are gorgeous and match with all my dresses too. And they were cheap too, compared to golden earrings I used to wear and liked way less.

Today I went to Helsinki to claim my fabric shipment: flannels for warm underskirts, Jiffy Grip for soles of the slippers I'm planning to make and some aubergine broadcloth for a new dress/apron.   I also found beautiful yarn on sale, and had to buy a bagful of it. I'm not sure of what I'm going to make- a shawl, mittens or perhaps headgear, probably both for myself and as Christmas presents. But it's beautiful, thick yarn that is quick to work with. I will find my inspiration.
   When I came home, my "boatload of BPAL" had arrived. I got no less than seven extra imps, and will have a gigantic job in testing them. Best of all, my basic scent needs are now well taken care of: I have an extra bottle of Thunder Moon that arrived yesterday (thanks,

G_L

!, a second imp of Bliss (smells so perfectly of milk chocolate that it can cure a chocolate craving) and a whopping 5ml's of R'Lyeh.

But, here be the first reviews:


This scent has powerful, musky core that lighter notes of the scent seem to orbit. The Dragon is awake and alert, its heart beating a steady, slow rhythm. It knows its power and that it is capable of defending itself. I like this scent in the beginning, but once the lighter elements fade away it turns too musky for my tastes.
3/5

Schrodinger's Cat
Paradox in a bottle, they say. A very nice scent, say I. No creepy action at a distance, no shady wave functions. Just a sweet, fresh scent: honeysuckle and old-fashioned sweet lemonade. A refreshing stop in a park cafe on a beautiful day. Perfect balance between matter and energy. The cat may be dead or alive, but its spirit is eternal.
In spite of being such a bright scent, it lasts well- the aged scent is mild: a single stem of honeysuckle forgotten on top of an old pile of lecture notes.
4½/5

Y'Ha Nthlei
The underwater city of Deep Ones...where the Deep Ones are eating watermelons in their cold halls. This scent has real chill- ice-cold, clean water of dark depths below the pollution of the world of Men. To find fruits from this place is a surprise. The Underwater City presents itself as mysterious, alluring in its sweetness, repelling in its chilliness...are the golden ornaments of Deep Ones expressions of beauty or mockery? Are the creatures who inhabit this City abominations or natural inhabitants of this strange place, builders of sea anemone and algae gardens? It is impossible to be sure of anything, it may be all right to be a little scared...for the glammer of Y'Ha-Nthlei can not be resisted.
5/5

Hair: Needs a wash. Up in a bun with a Tiger Eye Maximas.

Thanks for your kind words!

BPAL is an abbreviation that stands for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com), makers of exotic perfume oils. Unlike brand perfumes, BPAL scents are 100% oil blends, not diluted (they're also 100% plant based). The scents -as far as I have sampled them- range from traditional perfumes to unusual and downright strange scents you could never find from big brands. Many people who do not like ordinary perfumes like these more exotic scents from BPAL. As you may have noticed, they have zillions of scents, including many limited edition scents. Sample sizes called Imp's Ears or just imps, can be ordered individually or for a fixed price for six. I don't remember the exact price, but it was something around $20 for 6 imps. All scents are hand-blended, so the shipping times can range from very quick to months. But even there is wait, it will be worth it!
BPAL scents are also extremely swappable, as many longhairs are into them and they can be used in homemade hairtoy concoctions to add scent. Once you have sniffed an imp and found that it's not 100% perfect for you, you can pass it on.
  So, how does one choose just a few scents from a webpage that lists hundreds of them? Some people look the descriptions and try the scents that have elements they like, for example aquatic, rosy, musky etc. However, as BPALS are unusual and full of surprises, I prefer to just order scents that have names that appeal to me. This method seems to produce pretty good results, too! Usually BPAL sends some free imps (frimps) with orders, which is just great!

I'm making through the pile of tiny bottles here on my computer desk slowly...


Lovely scent. Tea roses, complete with dew drops on their petals, cream colored real pearls and crystals in long hair. Commanding and sexual? I wouldn't say that, though T says that he could imagine himself following this fresh, sweet scent. This scent is just sweet and pure. Innocent and welcoming as nothing hides behind the first notes of the scent: even when it grows deeper, it never losts its freshness.
5/5

Mandrake
A very strange scent. Smells like an attic: dry air, old magazines stored in cardboard boxes for some obscure reason, a random collection of china coffee cups and old clothes. As the scent ages, there is just a hint of moisture- maybe the roof needs to be repaired.
1/5

Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo
Fruit pie, made with love and served with honey tea in a summer garden. Sun is high and warm, shining on the happy tea party. A little too much warmth for me, but otherwise this is a really nice scent.
4/5

Deep Ones
Scent of the mysterious monster-people living in Y'Ha-Nthlei, the underwater city from the world of H.P. Lovecraft. Spicy, sweet scent that is strong but not overpowering. The garden near the spice market of the city under the waves. Gentle, barely noticeable underwater currents bring an air of mystery from the strange coral spires and towers they have passed through, and as you breathe deep, it mixes with spices and fruits that grow in strange vines of this garden. When you have worn the scent for a while you realize that there is a reason why the garden is right here, next to the spice market: there is an old ship buried under the beds of pearlescent bubble corals and bright sea anemones, a ship, of which only a light lingering of the scent of wet oakwood hints, whispers and innuendo of brave men...of possibility that not every man drowned in the waters above...
5/5

Hair: Washed yesterday evening, surprisingly nice today. In a bun with plain matte gold Ficcare. It seems that creativity is leaving me along the desire to pamper my hair until it's intolerably slippery.