Off the Bookshelf; Slim to None!

While there is nothing like having a real paper book in your hand, I am madly in love with the Amazon Kindle. Slim to None is a book I found on the Kindle Book Daily deal. Every day Amazon discounts an e book to either $0.99 or $1.99 for best sellers . Just like a Groupon or Living Social deal.
Slim to None was on the 0.99 list. While normally it wouldn't be a story I would have chosen (or paid full price for) it turned out to be more interesting of a read than I had expected.
The story is based on a fictional woman named Abbie who happens to be the top food critic in New York. She is so good at what she does she is constantly being sent out to the best restaurants in the city. Unfortunately for her, eating for a living has caused a quite a bit of weight gain. She is eventually recognized by all the restaurants in town, therefore blowing her cover. Unable to go incognito, she is pulled off the critiquing circuit and forced to write a column.
Willing to fight for her job she is determined to lose the weight to get back to what she loves the most. Food.
I thought the story was pretty interesting, but on just about everything else I'm divided in my opinions.
While I was intrigued about the story of a real sounding woman struggling with real women's issues (while I am personally not obese, hasn't just about everyone wanted that Victoria's Secret model's flat stomach at one point in time?). I was put off by the constant self loathing, and put downs. (If I heard a woman speak the same way about herself in real life I would be pushing her into counseling fast!) I was hoping for a more positive outlook from the main character, but after page after page of self degradation I found it tiresome.
I did however, really enjoy the writing. Playful banters, play on words, those sorts of things. I enjoyed the way the writer spoke. With one exception. Abbie is a food critic, and she loves food. A lot. I get it. When another character says a word in any way food related, or  rhymes with something food related, Abbie goes on a tangent about whatever delectable dish that comes to mind. I found the first few food references interesting, but when it got to the point she describes her eyes the color of brown gravy, I couldn't help rolling my own eyes in response.

Jenny Gardiner

What does a fictional book about a food critic trying to lose weight need most of all? Recipes! Oddly enough, there are recipes in between most of the chapters. And not just any ol' recipes. They are some how connected with the portion of the story you just completed. She bakes a banana cream pie for her boss, and right there, smack dab in the middle of my book, a banana cream pie recipe!


Without giving the ending away, a lot of bad stuff happens, the main character hits rock bottom, and a happy ending! If you are looking for an interesting read, it's definitely worth it if you can find a good deal. I feel like I got my 99 cents worth, even for recipes alone if I ended up hating the book.

The Woman behind the Wax, Interview with the Owner of Crabby Candle Co!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, your probably know I melt a LOT of tarts from Crabby Candle Co. So when I decided to do interviews, I knew without a doubt I had to get in touch with Rebecca and harass her into answering some questions for me. Luckily for me (and for her! lol) she was interested, and no harassment was required. (Just kidding of course)
So I bring to you, my highly anticipated (especially by me) interview with the Woman behind the Wax; Owner of Crabby Candle Co!

Please tell us about yourself!

The Crabby Family

Hello!  I'm Rebecca, owner of Crabby Candle Co. I'm 27 years old, a Taurus, and I like long walks on the beach... oh, wait. Never mind. :-D (Hey lady! Not that kind of interview!!)
I'm a full time stay a home mom to two adorably rotten children- Eliza, who's 5, and Orrie, who's 2- and a wonderful husband, Edward, who's a full time designer/drafter, and full time student going back to get his bachelors in Mechanical Engineering (did I mention we're all crazy around here? lol)  We live in northern Kentucky, just outside of Cincinnati. We're a motley crew, but I wouldn't have it any other way. ;-)
I've loved all things candle related since I was young (probably too young to be lighting things on fire, but oh well- it worked out!) and I've dabbled around making them for about 2 years. A year ago, I became serious about it after a few online friends asked to buy some. The rest is Crabby history... 

 How did you learn how to make your own candles and tarts?

Google U! :-D Funny, but true. I'm completely self-taught, and there's been a lot of trial and error lessons in there, but I'm glad for that because I have learned SO much in the process. I truly don't think there isn't a wax or wick I haven't tried!

 

What type of wax do you use, and why?

Crabby Cubes!

Actually, that's one thing I think makes our tarts/candles a little different... I make my own tart wax mix (which is a soy paraffin blend) myself - no pre-blends, just lots of testings to get the mix just right, and we think we've found a nice custom blend. And our candles are the same, just with different types of soy/paraffin. Hopefully our customers find that to be a good thing because I think our mix helps the tarts perform well, last a long time, and is easy to clean out of warmers.

 

You must get this all the time but, how did you get the name Crabby Candle Co? 

Ah yes! It's really a great thing at craft shows- folks love to come up and ask about the name! Oddly enough, I'm kind of an Astrology fanatic (understatement) and somehow, in the middle of brainstorming names with my husband, I threw out Crabby (since my husband and daughter are both Cancers) Candle, and it morphed into Crabby Candle Co. When folks ask if I'm the crabby one I laugh and say no, it's my husband- and it's true! In both senses of the word. ;-) 

Who designed the crab? He's adorable! And the cloth crab with the googly eyes?

 I actually found my crab on a design site and bought the rights to him. I <3 him! And my Clarence the Cantankerous Crab (the crocheted one with the googly eyes) is a one of a kind creation by my super talented friend, Sara (who also owns Like a Fox Photography - did I mention super talented? lol) 

I LOVE the tart sampler idea . How did you come up with it? How do you decide what gets into the box each month?

When I first started, I had a few giveaways of new scents to get feedback on them, and it really helped me to decide which scents to add to our available list. I thought it would be a great idea to allow people to try them out at a discounted rate in return for some feedback on them. I try to put a good assortment in so that there's something for everyone. I've got TONS of samples (because I can't restock without grabbing a few new scents) so I go through them and wax the ones I want to try for that month and if they do well for me, they get added to the list! It's done wonderfully- and I'm glad you like it! <3 

 

What is your all time best selling scent?

The Crabby Couple!

 Oh geez-  There's a few that come to mind, because Summer scents and Winter scents are so opposite- Summer best seller would have to be Raspberry Lemonade (which tickles me because that's the first scent I mixed myself) and Winter is definitely Pumpkin Cornbread. 

What scent is your personal favorite? And your families'? 

My favorites have changed a lot over the last year because surprisingly (to me at least) my sense of smell has changed dramatically- and in a good way, thankfully. Scents that used to smell like one thing, smell completely different to me as I pick up the different notes a lot stronger now. Never expected that one! But my current favorite that you'd catch me melting if you dropped by my house is Vanilla Lace. My husband LOVES Blue Sugar and Himalayan Bamboo and my kids just want to sniff any of them. lol 

I think the Halloween seasonal items look great. Which one was the biggest hit with your customers? What gave you the idea to make your candles “bleed”?

Crabby's Bleeding Candles!

Thanks! :-) My husband came up with that one! He had seen one a few years ago and thought it was really neat, so I decided to try it out. I worked on them for awhile before I got them just right, and I'm really proud of them! And customers really seemed to love the Braaaiins tarts, and I mean, really- who doesn't love them some good brains?

Any other new scents or products coming soon? Do you have something fun for the Christmas Season planned?

 Ah, Christmas! I'm really excited about the gift baskets we're already getting together. There's going to be a lot of different options- from smaller, more affordable baskets, to all-out-customized baskets- and everything in between. I'm working on getting plenty of warmers in different size/price ranges so that everyone will be able to find something they like!

 You always seem to have something going on. Do you have someone to help you out when there are a lot of orders to be filled? Do you have a dedicated workspace? 

Crabby's Workspace

My wonderful husband is my side-kick. He's the Robin to my Batman (he'd argue that one, but we all know it's true. ;-) ) Although he's not really involved in the mixing/making process, he's my packaging man.  He's also the person I bounce all my ideas off of and get feedback from.  His other job is babysitter so I can get orders poured in the evenings! And I do, thankfully, have a dedicated workspace, which I love and appreciate being able to have. We converted one of our bedrooms into my 'work room'- if not, the 2 and 5 year old would be into *everything*!

  

Do you participate in any local events such as fairs or markets?

I do on occasion- thankfully my internet sales keep me pretty busy, but I do enjoy the interaction with customers at shows. :-) And I'm always looking for good business to carry my products in their stores.

Do you currently (or will you in the near future) have your products in stores?

I've met with a few places recently about having them add my products to their stores- just small places around the Cincinnati area, and I'm hoping they think we're a good fit. I'm still throwing around the idea of just opening my own store front, but there's a LOT to consider with that one!

Rebecca's favorite warmer

I would love to see a picture of your favorite warmer if you have one. What do you like best about it and where did you find it?

I've converted a heat plate warmer with a metal tart tray, thanks to the ladies at WAU for the idea! (Your welcome ;P) and it's become my favorite, though I've always been partial to the heat-plate type of warmers.

 Do you have a funny candle making, or wax related story to share?

Oh geez! LOL Let's just say my carpet had a run in with a whole bottle of candle dye.. and the dye won! (most of it came out, but we'll still probably have to replace the carpet... and I may or may not have been the one to drop it... uhh, oops? lol) That sounds like something I would do. What color was it? If it were me, it would be guaranteed to be red! The dye was brown. I have a picture of it, but it doesn't look so good. LOL! It's a very unfortunate color brown, especially on a tan carpet! And the worst part is, it fell and like splashed.. almost 4 feet across the room. ugh!

If you had your own theme song, what would it be? 

"Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Vassar -- it makes me smile every time because it's so true to my life- in all the best ways possible. <3 Life's all in how you see it, and it's too short not to laugh at the small stuff. :-)  

And I'd just like to take a minute and say thank you for the great opportunity you've given me to let folks get to know the Addict behind the Wax. I truly appreciate the interest you take in the chandlers (Rebecca had to explain that "Chandlers" means candle maker, from the old days along with black smiths, masons, and potters. I hope I'm not the only one who didn't know that!) who make the tarts and candles you love and I know it means a lot to all of us! <3 
 

Thank you Rebecca, that's awfully sweet, and means a lot to me. :)
 Crabby Candle Co is offering a special discount just for my readers, but instead of doing a code she gave me a link to which will take you directly to this exclusive sale. 

She is offering 
 5 - Crabby Sticks, 3.5oz each, 17.5oz toal
13 - Crabby Patties samples, 1oz each, 13oz total 
That's 30.5 oz for the entire box. 

You can choose to have them in Fall or Winter scents. If you are particularly undecided (like I usually am) there is a third Mixed option. The mixed choice will be the best scents from the Fall and Winter boxes.
 Normally these packages go out for $34.15, but until October 28th she is selling them to my readers for $25.00 including shipping! If you're interested in one of her boxes you can. order them HERE. I am obsessed with the tart sampler boxes, and I personally have 1 of each of these already. They are goooood!

Crabby's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/crabbycandleco
Visit their website at http://www.crabbycandleco.com/

I want to give a huge thanks to Rebecca, and to the readers of course. You are what makes this blog possible, and so much fun to write! 

 

 

My 1st Delightful Incense Order!

Delightful Incense has been on my list of vendors to try for a long time. One day a couple weeks ago I was looking for an Oak scented tart to play with and blend at home. As luck would have it, Amy (Owner of Delightful Incense) happened to come across my thread on the WAU Facebook page. We got to chatting, and it turns out she was able to order a sample size from her supplier of something she thought I would like.
In the end, the oak turned out to be Apple and Oak, (which I LOVE. If you are curious, you can view my previous blog post about it HERE.) but it was a scent that I had already stock piled. I didn't really want them, because I had so many already. But since she took the time to look around for me, plus I had been wanting to try her product for a while anyway, I placed an order for some other items.
There was one thing I was excited for the most, the Rose Detailed Cup Cake I got in the Birthday Cake scent. (Anyone else notice I've been obsessed with that scent lately?) The entire thing is made of wax, and the rose detailing is beautiful. As I'm sure you can see from the photo it got a little squished on the right side, but that's not Delightful Incense's fault at all. My postman left it on my door step in the sun. (It is certainly cooling down, but Los Angeles still gets a few hot days here and there.) I think he's frustrated with me about all the packages I've been getting lately!





I also ordered some mini pies in fragrances that are old favorites, Pink Sugar, Blue Sugar, and Vanilla Bean Noel.  The fourth pie is in Cake Bake, which is one that's new to me. It is a very almondy cake type, and reminds me of the almond mini muffins that have been a long time favorite in my house.
The pack of mini star shapes is in a scent I've been meaning to try for a while, Toasted Marshmallow! They come six to a pack and look so adorable.

I was also sent a very generous amount of freebies with my order. The paw print is in a scent named Redwood Forest. It's not quite like to oak scents I was looking for originally, but I would have to say it is pretty close. The paw print is a jumbo size, (3 oz I think) so I plan on cutting it in a few pieces and experiment combining it with other scents. I also got Vanilla Waffle Cones in a smoking cauldron shape. A grubby tart in Black Cherry Bomb, as well as Butter Brickle and Pumpkin Apple Butter in standard scalloped tarts.


On top of all those amazing goodies, would you believe she still sent me the tarts in the Apple and Oak scent she got? I placed an order for these other things because A) I wanted to try her products and B) to offset the cost of the fragrance oil she bought for me.

I had assumed she would make them and try them herself, but she actually included them in my package. And not just one or two, but all five! (It's a good thing I love this scent because I have loads of it now LOL) Speaking with her was a pleasure, and her kindness and generosity was incredible. Not to mention her tarts all smell great. Her Apple and Oak is about twice as strong as the Apple and Oak I already had.

If you haven't tried Delightful Incense yet, I highly recommend you do so. This is the kind of vendor that makes small home businesses great.

Bath and Body Works Review, Be Enchanted!

When I first saw that this scent was available in trial size, I was excited to try the newest signature scent.
Be Enchanted is described as "A fresh, sparkling blend of iced pomegranate and sugared petals inspired by all that glitters." So hey, another fruity floral! Who would have known? (I like fruity florals, but B&BW seems to be riding this same horse all year.)

I'll be honest with you, the first thing that drew me in was the beautiful packaging. It reminds me of a softer version of the Secret Wonderland labels (which I also love). Purple and blue are my favorite colors, and I think they were blended together beautifully. The silver branches in the shiny foil like material also make it visually interesting.

As far as the things I like about this newest release, that's about it. Sure the name is kind of cute, but the more I thought about it the more it seemed like it could be the name of the next Barbie movie. Which leads me to my second gripe, what's with all the scents with ambiguous names? So far this years releases, Carried Away, Country Chic, Into the Wild, Paris Amour and Charmed Life. Remember when the name on the bottle would at least allude to the type of scent inside?
Consider this fictitious conversation;
"Hey what's that scent?" "Black Raspberry Vanilla!" "Ooooh that sounds nice."
As opposed to;
"Hey what's that scent?" "Charmed Life!" "Uh....what?"

So yeah, I'm ranting a bit, but seriously. What happened to the days of Juniper Breeze, Country Apple, Sun Ripened Raspberry? Sure I understand that a company has to grow and change to survive throughout the years, but it certainly seems they are abandoning the essence of what made them big in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I love some (some) of their newer scents, but I don't seem to see a whole lot of diversity this year.
End of (this!) rant.

As far as this scent goes I can describe it in a few words. "Ho-hum", "forgettable" and "eh"
Is it nice? Sure. Is it original? Not at all. I see this scent as a couple different mixtures.
 Pomegranate Citrus + Paris Amour = Be Enchanted
Peach Citrus + In the Wild = Be Enchanted

I understand that everyone's noses are different, but to me it just seems like they are mixing together scents they already came out with this year. Honestly, I wish they put as much dedication into the scent as they did with the label. Never before I have procrastinated writing a Bath and Body Work's Signature Collection Review, but I was just so disappointed and unmotivated.

Pros; The label is very cute, scent is okay
Cons; Why spend your money when you can mix the scents you already have?

In Dedication to Oma

I have no idea who came up with the phrase "You don't realize what you had, until it's gone" but they were definitely on to something.  I don't take things too seriously most of the time, but this is a week that has really made me think. My maternal grandmother has been admitted into hospice, and my paternal great grandmother just passed away. 

I always called her Oma, even though she was my great grandmother. I didn't know her as well as I would have liked. She didn't speak English, and I don't really speak German. We visited a lot when I was very young and living in Germany. After I moved to America, the only time we spoke was when I was with my Grandma. Because sadly, I forgot almost all the German I knew.

I've been wanting to take a trip to Germany, but there are always other things that seem to come up. After putting it off, and putting it off, it is now too late.

So I thought it would be nice to show some of my favorite photos.

Anna and Johann Thiel. My great great grandparents, and Oma's Parents

My Oma Anna and Opa Josef

Oma. Not sure the year this was taken.

My Oma's home, many many years ago.

A more recent photo of Oma

I cropped my photo next to my Oma's wedding photo. I have to say we look a lot alike, even though we are separated by 2 generations.
My Dad says she was a very sweet, and loving woman. I wish I had a bit more foresight and tried harder to get to know her better. So don't make my mistake, go call a long lost family member, even if you need a translator in tow.

The Woman behind the Wax, Interview with the Owner K's Kreations!

I am pleased to announce my interview with the owner of K's Kreations. I have been a satisfied customer of hers, so when I got the opportunity to ask her some questions I couldn't say no!
I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. 

How did you discover your love for wax and scents?

Kathy from K's Kreations!

Having a hard time answering this one, who doesn't love wonderful smelling things in their home?!  

How did you learn to make your own candles?
Back when I started making candles, there was no Facebook and not a lot of information on the internet. Books on the subject were not always full of complete information, so much of what I learned was with on the job training. It took months of trial and error to find the best combination of wax, fragrance, and dye to be confident that I was making a quality product. It takes MONTHS of testing, testing, and more testing, before a wax product can go on the market safely.

What made you decide to start K's Kreations?
I had worked in manufacturing and inventory management for many years, but after my youngest sons got to be too old for daycare, I decided it was time to make the change to be a stay at home mom for them during the summer. I actually taught painting shortly after I quit my "real" job and was buying candles wholesale to paint on. I decided to try my own to paint, and hence, K's Kreations was born.

Perpetual Pillar Candles

Is candle and tart making your full time job? How do you carve out special time just for you? 
Special time? What is that? Seriously though, this is my full time job and I take it very serioiusly. I am often reminded (by Tom) that it is the weekend or holiday. When I have orders in the house I am very committed to making sure they are complete and perfect within my short turnaround time.

What makes K's Kreations special?
 My customer service. I have customers who have been with me for years. I know my product sells itself, but my special touch of keeping in touch with customers throughout the ordering process makes them feel comfortable. Ordering from the internet can be scary for people when they cannot touch or smell my product, and many times I have been asked for suggestions on fragrances. I contact the customer, find out their likes and dislikes and can recommend from there. I have had a huge success rate from that!

What type of wax do you use, and why?

Pumpkin Tarts

I use soy wax. I live in Northern Indiana and everywhere you turn there is either a corn field or a soybean field. It felt like a great fit to be able to support American farmers. My container wax is 100% soy, and my tart wax has additives for hardening.

Do you change your scents with the seasons?
Yes, I do have seasonal scents, but I generally bring them back a few months before the "season" begins again. Many of my holiday scents are great sellers year round.

What is your all time best selling scent?
Wow, that varies from season to season. But without a doubt, the best seller throughout the year is Cranberry Orange & Spice.

Do you have a favorite scent?
Yes, Vanilla Bean Noel was one of my first favorites, and almost 10 years later, it still is.

Is your favorite scent the same as your family's favorite?
Tom (my husband) and I generally agree on the same scents. Alex's favorites was Blueberry Cheesecake, and Nick love Chocolate Kisses. 

The Alex's Rainbow's line is a beautiful tribute, will you be expanding this line even more?

Alex's Rainbows Candle

  Yes, without a doubt. Alex was a huge influence on my business and my biggest supporter (after Tom). He and I worked together very well and he loved helping me. He was the one who picked the status jars to add to my line earlier this year. I am going to be adding more of the rainbow chunk candles in containers and also more rainbow styles as soon as they are tested. We are also donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these candles to a charity in Alex's name. The rainbow design is in support of the gay community, and Alex was openly gay and bullied. We are still researching funding of the various charities and want to donate to one where the needs of young gays are met.  

Any other new scents or products coming soon? 
There are always new scents and products in the works. I have been working with other experienced, professional candle makers in the Veteran Candle Makers Association (VCMA) and we are coming up iwth our own exclusive blends to offer our customers. This is an exciting project and I cannot wait to add more of these blends to my line. 

What types of products do you like to make the most? 

Blueberry Cheesecake Whip

Great question! My favorite thing to pour has always been candles. This year I added the Specialty Jar Candles and they are so much fun. I am able to add more of my own spin on those and it feels great to create a beautiful new product. I have received a great deal of compliments on these at local shows, as they are not seen much in this area.

Do do have a "candle making room" or special workplace where all the magic happens?
Truthfully, my business is spread out throughout my house. I have an office on the second floor, a huge storage room in my basement, but the majority of the "magic" happens in my kitchen and dining room. I have a huge island where my pour pots, scale, dyes, ect. are all within easy reach. Oh, I almost forgot my garage where all the packaging materials are stocked. Time for a dedicated building, lol!

Is there anything you wished all wax customers would know?
Yes. I have read quite a bit lately that people don't believe that there is a science to making candles. But there is. It is not as simple as placing a wick in a jar and pouring wax on it to make a candle. You have to test, test, test, to get the perfect combination of wick, wax, fragrance, and dye. Not all fragrance and dye combinations burn the same. It takes months of testing before I will put a new jar or style in my line. 

As a small business owner who (other than your customers of course!) has been your biggest supporter? 

Grubby Gingerbread Candles

Without a doubt, it has been my husband Tom, with my twin sons, Alex and Nick, a close second. Leaving a full time job was a sacrifice for the family, but one I would never change. Being able to be home for all my boys' needs during their growing up years is something I would never change.

Do you do online candles parties?
I have not done online parties, but I do parties locally and offer fundraising and wholesale. It is something I am looking into for next year.

Do you have a funny or amusing "waxident" (wax accident!) to share?
Though no waxident is really funny at the time, Tom and I were working on a large wholesale order a few years back and one of us (depends on who you ask), knocked over a pticher of wax and it was all over the counter and floor. Thank goodness for my loyal heat gun in cleaning that one up.

Melting Snowman Candles

Kathy is offering a special sale for my readers. If you use the code "blog" you can receive 15% off your order until October 9th 11:59pm Eastern Time.

Thank you so much Kathy for the interview, and the sale!

You can visit the K's Kreations on Facebook
or the K's Kreations website.
 
   


  
 

Fall is for...Owls!?

 I love owls, they are probably my favorite animal. But you don't see them much in stores during most of the year. For reasons that are unknown to me, owls seem to be synonymous with the Fall season. Considering they are alive all year long, I don't quite get it.

I was out and about this afternoon, since I had some time to kill before my hair appointment. (I got an amazing haircut today!) While I was wandering around window shopping, I noticed there were a ton of owls everywhere. They were displayed in store windows and sold as dishware, keychains, jewelry, ceramics, and greeting cards.
 So I thought it would be fun to put up a couple of photos of some of the owls I purchased this season.
Owl Tealight Holders.
They had a few different colors in addition to the two I chose. The others were in green or orange. (The same colors on the brown   owl's tummy)


 Owl Jewelry
I never had any owl jewelry before. I was surprised to see that I didn't care for much of what I found. Owls are fashionable this year, apparently so is BIG jewelry. I prefer my pieces to be a little more subtle. They had large pendants, and although I loved the style, I didn't want to look like Mr. T.
Same situation with the earrings. I can't imagine wearing enormous earrings to the office. Out of all the options available I ended up buying 2 sets. The first set are about as big as I like to go. They have lovely detailing, and the pink tummies make them pop.
The second pair is more for everyday type wear. They are smaller, rounder and a solid gold color.
The owl pendant is exactly what I was looking for. The chain is not very pretty, but it's an inexpensive piece so I suppose that's to be expected.

Wax/Oil Burner
My last owl purchase was a tealight oil/wax burner I bought a month or so ago from Bath and Body Works. I like the design a lot, although at first I would have preferred it to be colored. The white ceramic has grown on me and I like that I can put it anywhere and it still looks great. My favorite part about this warmer are the cut outs let the light from the candle shine through.

There were a lot of other items I liked as well, but I only purchased things I thought I would use. I found when it comes to collecting, it's easy to go overboard and end up with a lot of extra stuff.
My tealight holder and warmers are already getting used, and I'm wearing the small pair of  owl earrings right now.
If anyone knows why the Fall season is associated with owls, please let me know. I suppose it doesn't really matter because either way, I am excited for all the owl love. :)

Off the Bookshelf; Brain Rules!

I just finished reading Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. For any of you Kindle owners out there, Amazon has come out with a daily deal for their e-books. It's similar to a Groupon, and every day you can purchase a book at a deeply discounted rate. At 99c this book was a steal!

 Have you ever been curious about brains? It's not just a favorite snack for zombies, your brain is an insanely complicated piece of biological machinery. The book is divided into 12 different chapters, and each chapter deals with a different concept of your brain and how it works.

1. Exercise
2. Survival
3.Wiring

4. Attention

5. Short-Term Memory

6. Long Term Memory

7. Sleep

8. Stress

9. Sensory Integration

10. Vision

11. Gender

12. Exploration

                                      

 At the end of each chapter he ties it into how we could improve ours lives. Some of his ideas are a little farfetched, and not likely to ever happen. For example, in the sleep chapter he states that biologically, humans are programmed for mid day naps, and says that employers should provide areas for their employees to rest, as in sleep. Oh, and we should be able to work based on when we are most active due to our natural body rhythms. Early Birds should be able to work early, Night Owl should be able to work graveyard.

The facts, research and details are offset by a hefty dose of humor and common sense. Although I wouldn't recomend it to the sensitive reader. (He writes about experiments conducted throughout the years and people who are seriously mentally disabled) I loved it though, and learned a lot.

Will it blend? Pink Sugar and Spiced Cranberry!

The Pink Sugar wedge is slightly larger than it appears here.

Pink Sugar is amazing. Easily one of the most popular, and arguably one of the most blended scents out there. Everything I have tried so far that was combined with PS has been wonderful.
Then it got me wondering, is there anything that doesn't smell awesome mixed with Pink Sugar? So I thought it would be fun to blend some Pink with different types of scent to see how it would turn out.
For the first round I thought it would be fun to blend PS with Spiced Cranberry. I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of Spiced Cranberry because it is chock full of cinnamon, although the cranberry notes are lovely. Spiced Cranberry is a scent that arrived in a sampler, and wouldn't have been something I would have chosen for myself. But I didn't want it to go to waste, which is why I thought mixing it with something else would be a great idea. I am hoping the Pink Sugar's sweetness will be enough to calm the spice, but allow the tart cranberry notes to shine.

Pink Sugar Pie!

So I decided to melt the Spiced Cranberry first, to get a feel of how it smells before the PS is added.
Spiced Cranberry is described by Briar Rose as " Tart cranberries smothered in a blend of cinnamon and spices. Top notes of red wine." 
It melted and smelled like I thought it would, a warm and fruity type. Not as spicy as I had expected, but still a little out of my normal comfort zone.

Spiced Cranberry 2 Pack

So then I added a wedge of my Pink Sugar Pie.
95% of the wax community knows what PS is but just in case it's described as, "A fruity blend of cotton candy, lemon drops, caramel and raspberry jam on a dry down of musks." which is just a longer way to say "amazing".

So.....did it blend?
Yes, but, it didn't blend together as I had expected, and not as I had hoped. Instead of toning down the cinnamon as much as I would have liked, it toned down the cranberry a lot more. So instead of a sweet cranberry with a hint of spice, it was a sweet and spicy mix, with just a hint of fruit.
I wouldn't really consider this a success with me, but it would go over very well with most everyone else. Perhaps as a Christmas seasonal type (Sweet Cranberries, need I say more?).

What would I name my new scent? "Pink Christmas Spice"