Maybe you have been wondering why there have been no Digging Ourselves Out entries lately? There are three reasons. First, I was getting jumpy about the number of posts: I would think, “Well, I already posted a Digging Out entry, and now I’ve posted a regular entry, so I really shouldn’t post another entry.” Second, I think that whole cleaning idea might have been Second Trimester Energy. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but compared to how I feel here in the third trimester, I think it was. Third, here are the Before and After pictures from one of my first tasks, the kitchen table project:
Doesn’t that look nice, all clean and smooth? So much better. And now here’s the After After:
It’s not as bad as the original Before picture, but nearly. And the worst part is, I didn’t put that stuff there. Those are Legos put there by Paul and Rob and William, a mask put there by William, school papers put there by Rob, magazines put there by Paul, etc. I know The F1y L@dy says that if your family doesn’t cooperate with your clean-up ideas, you should go ahead and do all the clean-up for them, but I say SCREW THAT!
The Flying Mum tagged me for a “7 Songs I’ve Been Enjoying Lately” meme. I’m supposed to include links to clips, but apparently I am too dim to do that: I tried copying The Flying Mum’s idea of using Rhapsody, but couldn’t make it cooperate with me. I am failing this meme.
- Dragostea Din Tei, by OZone
- Welcome to the Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance
- Life Less Ordinary, by Carbon Leaf
- What Hurts the Most, by Rascal Flatts
- Behind These Hazel Eyes, by Kelly Clarkson
- Too Little Too Late, by JoJo
- Angel, by Shaggy
Do you know, I am actually a little nervous making that list? I feel like maybe you’re going to be snorting and saying, “She likes THAT song? She is SO lame.”
I’d like to start a meme of my own, if I may do that and I don’t see why I mayn’t. It’s a perfume meme. List three (or whatever–we’re casual in this meme) perfumes that are important to you, or have memories associated with them, or that you currently love, and say why.
Charlie (Revlon)– I wore this most of the way through high school, and I still have a bottle of it. I remember how appealing the ads were to me: beautiful girls in tough pinstriped suits, and, if I remember correctly, the idea that under their tough career exteriors they were wearing lacy lingerie. That concept makes me barf a little now, but I loved it as a teenager.
Sand & Sable (Coty)– I wore this during college. I still like it, but I can’t smell it without thinking of a relationship that ended very badly, and so I haven’t worn it since.
La Chasse Aux Papillons (L’Artisan)– This is one of my current favorites, and the first very expensive perfume I’ve owned. The way I found it is a little embarrassing: I read in US Weekly magazine that some celebrity liked it. The way she described it (“like fresh-cut flowers”) so intrigued me that I went online and bought a sample of it (I like Luscious Cargo for samples and also for their fun, cool site), and I loved it and now I have a whole entire expensive French bottle of it and it makes me feel special and pretty and not-frumpy to use it.
So! There’s my very own meme! And I tag ALL of you! Yes, ALL of you! You are ALL tagged! Well, all of you with blogs. All of you who have blogs and also wear perfume.
Chanel Allure – wore this all through dating my husband.
Origins Spring Fever – wore it on my wedding day and my honeymoon and newlywed days.
Bath and Body Works Cotton Blossom – we had this soap and antibacterial gel all over the house when the twins were born. I just bought it again and it brings me right back to those early days when they were so tiny and velvet-headed and milky.
Now they are like two big, sweaty puppies, which is equally delicious.
Tabu, by Dana – it was the first perfume my mom ever bought me, in 7th grade. It made me feel so grown up. Also she told me that SHE used to wear it in high school, and it reminded her of day trips south of the border into Mexico – VERY romantic stuff! I’ve just started wearing it again, out of nostalgia.
Oscar de la renta. The ONLY expensive perfume that smells as good on my skin as it does in the bottle.
Organic lavender oil, by Neil’s Yard Remedies. I mix it in with apricot kernel oil and slather it all over my face and body and breathe VERY DEEPLY.
PS, how’d that orange container end up in the very same spot it was in in the “before” picture?!
Theflyingmum– Isn’t that odd? The orange container is the Treat Container, where we keep cookies or other yummies, and we don’t have a good place for it. When I cleaned the first time, I put it on top of the fridge. Then the very next time the kids wanted something out of it, Paul or I must have put it automatically back on the table corner, which appears to be its natural home.
Love’s Baby Soft- this was my first perfume spray, probably around eleven or twelve, and though now I find it a bit barfy and baby-powdery, it still smells good at the same time. It must be pure nostalgia factor.
Victoria’s Secret Heavenly- it smells like sex in a bottle, that stuff. You can’t wear it just everywhere. But when you do wear it, good things are bound to happen.
Estee Lauder Miracle- first perfume Jim bought for me. Still what I usually wear- it’s light and floral, but not too old ladyish floral.
Hmmm, I guess I am not a fragrance person. I used to wear Clinique Happy when I was all young and in college and full of life and booze. Now I wear Ralph Lauren’s Romance, but only when I am dressing like a grown up and going someplace with cloth napkins. (Is it cheating that I’m not not using this a a blog post? Am I secretly steering clear of memes?)
Okay good, housewife talked about Love’s Baby Soft first, so I don’t have to be embarrassed…
Love’s Baby Soft. Seventh grade, Debbie Gibson, teenage angst, all that good stuff. Smelling it now kind of makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little, but it’s nostalgic at the same time.
Coco Chanel. I can’t afford it but used to steal my college roommate’s after she weaseled a boyfriend into buying her a big bottle of it. Sex, that one is, pure sex.
Victoria’s Secret Rapture. I’ve worn this for twelve years now because I can’t find anything else my husband likes better. I guess it’s my signature scent now.
I may repost this meme on my blog. I like it!
Tabu / Avon’s soft musk – I would sneak this from my sister. I’m pretty sure I inherited it from her way past its prime
VS Pear spray – college. Just college.
DK Cashmere – what I wear now for those special occasions. And sometimes church!
Liz Claiborne…junior high. Remember it in the triangular bottle?
For the life of me, I cannot remember any perfumes from high school.
Sunflowers…in college
Lovely is my current fragrance.
Calvin Klein Eternity- this was so THE perfume in High School. I still like it every now and again.
Ralph Lauren Polo- I dated a guy who used to wear this. I can totally remember this smell mixed with the smell of his leather jacket. Even though I’m an old married lady now, still totally a fond memory.
Creed Fleurissimo- My husband gave this to me on our wedding day (This is actually the scent that Prince Ranier had commissioned for Grace Kelly on their wedding day). The most expensive perfume that I have ever owned. I totally love it because the smell is so not like any other perfume I’ve ever worn. I get alot of compliments on it when I wear it too.
I’m posting the meme on my blog. Who says I can’t follow directions?
Erica– A+
Can I just go ahead and introduce myself here a year ago for you, new to me as I’m obsessively reading through your archives? Hello.
I received perfume for Valentines Day this year, and the precursor that came flying out of my husband’s mouth before I opened it was something to the effect of “ohmygod please still love me after you open this because i don’t know it just smelled nice and i think that it would be good on you and you ASKED for perfume and just because it’s…oh just open it already ahh!” which didn’t make me to excited about it.
It was Jennifer Lopez’s Live Luxe. It smelled good. I had to ask him why he was so anxious about it and he said it was because of the Jennifer Lopez thing. Yeah…I don’t care. It smells good and he gave it to me, that is all there needs to be.
Other than that, which is the first perfume I’ve had in YEARS, I enjoyed coolwater during high school, but everyone wore it then so it’s very commonplace now.
And my hair smoother, biosilk, it’s sort of like a perfume….it’s the most common cause of “ooh, you smell nice.” for me.
Also, hello!
Parkingathome- How fun: it’s like having a time traveler! That was sweet of him to worry about the Jennifer Lopez thing, and so cute the way he said it. I’m going to have to get me some of that Biosilk stuff.
I’ve only owned three real perfumes, so this is easy.
(Name of perfume they don’t make anymore but was called something like “Woman” and was pink) by Davidoff: First real perfume (ie not from Bath and Body Works) I ever owned. My mom bought it for me, I think when I turned 16. I still have some that I use sparingly. I tried to buy another bottle only to discover that they had discontinued it or recalled it or something. Apparently the scent didn’t last long enough, which is why I liked it.
(This is embarrassing)
Fantasy, by Britney Spears. I know, I know, I know. But it smells SO GOOD. It’s sweet and flowery and kind of sugary, but not so sugary that I feel like a cookie. It’s subtle and feminine and makes me feel pretty. Plus it comes in a sequin-studded pink bottle. This is probably the girliest thing that I own, actually. I wore this for most of college and post-grad, and I will probably continue to buy it for as long as they make it.
Love, from Express. A little more chic and grown-up than the Britney Spears scent. I bought it about a year ago after I sampled it at the store and couldn’t stop thinking about it for a month. It’s similarly subtle and flowery and feminine.
Also I hope you don’t think I am totally creepy by reading through your archives and commenting morning noon and night on posts that are well over 6 years old. I’ve been lurking for several months (Temerity Jane linked to your blog ages ago) and suddenly I wanted to see how you got to where you are now. :-)
Plus with getting married soon and having that mean that it would suddenly be okay, and even welcome, to be pregnant — well, I just need to read about someone with a similar attitude toward life/cleaning/whatever who is making it work. Don’t get me wrong, I am MEGA excited but also kind of nervous, so… seeing how you are able to simultaneously get frustrated about mixed candy and feel proud of clearing off a table and still LOVING your family despite all of it just makes me feel like I can do it too. Plus half your posts make me laugh out loud, and the other half make me feel NOT ALONE. Thank you for sharing all of this. <3
You’ve made me want to go sample the Britney Spears one!