June 30, 2014

Ten Digit Creations - Small Haul/Review

I wrote the post about home scents after ordering from Ten Digit Creations and the inspiration arrived in the mail today! They're always so punctual! I made a small order from their Etsy store. (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TenDigitCreations) It's better, in my experience, to order from their Etsy outlet if you're making a single small order. For me, it was a package of incense and a random roll-on perfume I had found on clearance.

What I received:
1 package x 20 incense in Honeysuckle @ 2.00
1 roll-on oil perfume in Pear & Vanilla Bean @ 6.40
And they always are sweet enough to throw something extra my way and I received a single tart in Honeysuckle to compliment the incense. Again, a very small order but I needed (yes, needed) new incense and the roll-on was calling my name.

Honeysuckle Incense
Their incense do not disappoint. They generally have a great selection and you'll get 20-25 in your package for a great price. (Under $3).
 The Honeysuckle scent is not overpowered by the standard smell of burning incense. It's quite nice. I've got one going now and it's lovely. I think it's cool, too, that they're hand-dipped!

Pear & Vanilla Bean Roll-On Perfume

This is my first roll-on of their but not my first perfume and not my first time ordering this scent. I loved the Pear & Vanilla Bean tart they have and the perfume is very similar. It's sweet; it sorta smells like the way a pear jelly bean tastes, if that makes sense. 

The little bottle is lovely and the scent is definitely lasting. It'll pear (pun intended) great with any vanilla sprays or lotions I've got going on.

Honeysuckle Wax Tart
 I always love their tarts. This one smells nice and floral, very fresh, just like you'd expect. I'm probably going to heat this one up, soon. I could see getting a room spray or something to that effect in this scent. It's very nice and slightly sweet.

I'm always happy with my orders. Never a dud! And their hand-written thank-yous just go to show that customer service and consumer appreciation is best found in these smaller vendors. I recommend this vendor fully for all things scented. No affiliation, just one happy client. (http://www.tendigitcreations.com/)

June 28, 2014

Plus Size and Staying

I watched one of my favorite Youtubers talk about the plus size community and how underrepresented we are and nodded and agreed and let out a couple "amen sister"(s) throughout its duration. She is right and I feel that as a beaming size 28, I'd throw in my two cents. Ya'll may get a whole bucket of change for that matter.

Ya'll Don't Want my Money?
I hate spending money, honestly, but where I will drop a few dollars is clothes because I simply must. Plus size clothes are hard to find and even harder to find if you're not making bank each month. I find that those that aren't marketing to the majority of women (which are about a size 16 or so) are really losing out. I want clothes. The society we live in makes me wear them. So damnit, sell them to me. You know, a hospital nowadays has no choice but to treat you if you come in and need assistance. Designers and manufacturers should have no choice but to dress me. If I have the money, why not? 

It's Hard Enough Already...
Have you ever had someone say to you, "you've got a pretty face?" or "you'd look so much better if you lost weight," or the more backhanded, "you have lost weight, you look great!" and even "you're fat but you're gorgeous." These "comments" make me want to puke. I get enough from normal, everyday interaction without it being pointed at me otherwise like when it comes to buying clothes. Save the backhanded compliments for someone who cares. Why can't I be both BIG and BEAUTIFUL? I can and I am and we all are, no matter the size. I've often thought, why not just make everything from size 0 to 100? It doesn't make sense to market to only straight size women when numbers don't lie, more women are in double-digits as far as sizes go. 

We're Getting Better.
It has become easier in the last few years to find clothes and websites are getting better. (I can't say much for store-fronts, but oh well.) I find myself bookmarking all sorts of clothes to splurge on when I get the money. Until then, there are more and more places popping up with great sizing. I hate though, that for women larger than I and there are plenty of these beauties, they're having a much tougher time. And although I don't get any bigger, I don't really have the options because I know fewer companies marker over my size and most will stop at 28. But, alas, there is progress. 

Where Do I Go?
I'm gonna throw down a couple of sites that I've bought from in the last few years and tell you how I fell about them. This is for my reference and yours. 

http://www.asos.com/ Go here and find the Curve section. Great sizing information and really fashion-forward stuff. A bit expensive for my taste but I usually can find something I like here. 

http://www.forever21.com This is probably where I've spent most of my money on clothes lately. I love that there even is a plus line here and that it's mostly all pretty inexpensive! Cute, trendy stuff. I love their printed leggings and tank tops. These are my staples. 

http://oldnavy.gap.com/ Can I voice how upset I was when they took ONPlus out of the store? That's where I'd go for school clothes and one year, I came up empty-handed because they randomly took out all of the plus section. I hate even vouching for them now, but Old Navy carries some nice, basic stuff and their pants are great. It's tough to find the correct fit here, true, but each site has their pros and cons. If you know your size, they have great dresses, jeans, and work out clothes. Not as inexpensive as they used to be, but still affordable. 

http://walmart.com and http://target.com I like these two stores for their prices and the quality isn't bad, either. I know Target pulled their plus size line a while back in lieu of replacing it? That hasn't happened yet and may not. But both places and their plus size online section are pretty reasonable all around.

And there's a thousand more, just google or tumblr search "plus size online list" or something along those lines and you'll get tons of great instant-links that'll have you shopping in no time. My one tip is to have and use a sewing tape-measurer to get accurate measurements and that may help you get a better fit. And don't be ashamed of your size. If you're beautiful butt is measuring at a size 32, buy that 32 and rock it hard, girl! If you're chest is coming up at a 44HH, you'd better buy that size and do the damn thing! These are just numbers, folks.

Happy shopping, 
-A

June 27, 2014

It is Well with my Nose

I am one of those people totally fixated by my sense of smell. If it smells good, I either want it on me or near me. I may throw a perfume post in later but right now, we're focusing on smells for the home and a few for the car, and how to do it cheap. I don't have a big, fancy house or anything but you'd be surprised how any place can be made to feel like home with the right scents. And I do spend a ton of time in the car for work, school, and just in general so it has to be pleasant there, too.

Electric Warmers
Scentsy warmers are good to have because they're no-flame and when used with tarts are great for scenting a room (or a few) with personalized scents. Scentsational warmers or Better Homes and Gardens warmers are great, too, because they have so many different styles to choose from - they've got seasonal ones, too.
These warmers generally run on an approx. 20 watt bulb that's replaceable and inexpensive and plug right into the wall with a on/off dial. Safe for just about everyone but be warned that the wax does pool and get extremely hot when in use and these shouldn't be left on when you're not at home.

*I prefer these electric warmers fully and recommend these against candles or tea-light warmers that because of personal reasons (see the post written about my house-fire experience early this year). I just don't condone fire in any shape or form now unless I'm lighting an incense. 



Incense Bottle Burners
Incense burners/holder or bottle burners are also very useful and stylish. I bought my first bottle burner at none other than a very famous smoke-shop (affectionately called a "head shop" where I'm from) and it's hand-blown and totally gorgeous. I can't be bothered to get a picture of it right now but here it a unique post on how to make your own with any type of bottles.

It's basically a tall bottle with holes in the top and three or four on the sides at the bottom. They're much cleaner (considered "ash-less") and safer than the standard wooden or soap-stone holders but they're slightly expensive if you're going for hand-blown. Mine was around $20 and they hover around that price just about anywhere. I use a bobby pin to affix the incense burning-side-down into the bottle. The smoke diffuses out of the hole in the top and on the sides for a pretty cool effect. Just dump when finished. The heavily tattooed gentlemen that sold me my first one said they're good for cone-style incense "...yeah, man, just like it and drop it in," but alas, they fall on their sides each time and burn out before giving off scent. Either way, it's a cool thing to have.

Ventilation, Oils, and Room Sprays
Room sprays are quick, cheap options there for those who want a quick burst sometimes - like before guests come over - and they can be found pretty easily just about anywhere. I, personally, like Febreze in many cases. I also like to cram dryer-sheets where ever they'll fit. My air-conditioning unit is useful here, as I can (safely) stuff the vents with dryer sheets to absorb moisture, odor, and have my place smelling nice. One cool trick also deals with dryer sheets is blotting on essential or simply scented oils and sticking these behind vents. If you're interested in boosting your laundry, dot a few blots of oil onto a hand-towel or dryer sheet and throw it in with your clothes while washing. I've never had a problem with these oils transferring in my dryer. The Body Shop carries these but so does Walmart in a less concentrated form.

For the Car
I love for my car to smell as good as my home. There's only a few things I've found to work well over longer periods of time. They have those silly little vent-clips that last for a day. Those cardboard hangers never do it for me. What I do love and will buy in bulk over the course of a year is those Febreze Vent Clips.

In any scent, they're amazing. Rather expensive for a car air-freshener but damnit, these things do work and those commercials are definitely on-point (you know, where they put those people in a dirty cab that's been freshened up with a thirty-day old vent clip?). Look for mailer or Sunday Paper coupons for these, they run at about $4-6 retail, ouch, but on Amazon, they can be bought in larger packages. Also check Costco or Sam's Club for big packages on the cheap. Otherwise, I buy these individually at retail because they work so well.

Also, can't forget Scentportables! I love these - they're adorable! They can go anywhere but you'll find them mostly on my visors in my car. All the cute designs and scents are totally customizable. They sell these at Bath and Body Works and they frequently are on sale (like so many for so much or buy two, get one, etc.). Bigger lots of these can be found, too, online. Ebay, in particular, generally has a small but good selection. For retail, they sell the scent-inserts and holder separately and it can get pricey but these tend to last and last. Also - how cute, right?



Where to Buy
Scentsationals Warmers and Wax
http://www.scentsationals.com/ These warmers work with any wax. Site also sells replacement bulbs but these can be bought in the hardware aisle, too.

Scentsationals Warmers and Wax + Better Homes and Gardens Warmers and Wax
http://www.walmart.com/ These are in-store, too, with a generally good selection. Quality varies, some scents are better than others but it's a great start and here, I've found many favorites.

Other Smell-Goods
https://www.etsy.com/ Scents galore, and I have gotten amazing scents from Etsy sellers. You can find all types of perfumes, home and car air-fresheners, incense burners (and bottles), wax, wax, and more wax! Oh, you're also supporting non-mainstream, indie producers and I've never found anything too expensive. Give it a go!

My Favorite Vendor
http://www.tendigitcreations.com/ I'll just leave my own testament here as to how much I adore Ten Digit Creations. From all things bath and body to incense and wax, there stuff is so amazing and so reasonably priced. I can't get over it. They frequently have sales monthly on their Facebook page. Shipping is so reasonable and their customer service is some of the absolute best I've ever experienced. They don't get enough love! Also, their fellow Southerners, so "love ya'll!" is appropriate here! Also, shop their Etsy store if you want to try just a few things. The shipping is cheaper and they have a nice clearance section. I actually just placed an order for a roll-on oil perfume and a set of 20 sticks of incense all shipped for $11. Ka-razy.

DIY Incense Burner Bottle
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bottle-Incense-Burner/ This is a neat little instructional post (not mine) on how to create your own little bottle burner for incense. This would be great with really neat wine bottles. A cool gift or a cool way to up-cycle, too! Hello!

*I am not affiliated with any companies or vendors mentioned. All opinions are my very own.