You smell nice!!!

This is a comment I look forward to receiving when I have purchased some perfume from my friend, Amanda. She doesn't know it yet but I'm going to! Amanda has a shop on Etsy called EsscentualAlchemy.

My one and only bottle of posh perfume is fast running out and I sincerely doubt that my (otherwise wonderful!) husband will think to buy me another for Christmas. In situations like this, one wishes for a way to smell stuff over the internet. It's a good job Amanda sells samples!

Natural Perfume 6 Luxurious Samples

Amanda also uses some very original and evocative images for her perfume listings. You can almost taste this one!

Orange Cream Natural Perfume

And this one for "Lumberjack Man" definitely says "manly" to me!

Lumberjack Man Natural Eau de Cologne

Amanda also uses images from Tarot cards to great effect:

The Moon Gaian Tarot Natural Perfume

Do go and visit her shop. She does a great job of tempting one to try her wares! While you're there, have a look at her "About" page. Very interesting!

I'm clean!!!

After the flooding in this area of Spain, we have had no running water for ten days. Irony of ironies! We have been grafting hard to clean up the house and the patios, becoming exceedingly dirty in the process. I have been putting up with strip washes but getting a mite frustrated with the situation because I just didn't feel properly clean.

Until today! My wonderful husband, Bryn, has built us a solar heated power shower in the back garden!

The black painted fuel can, sitting on top of the boiler house, holds 20 litres of water. Left in the sun all day, it warms up nicely. The garden shower we already had but, because gravity wasn't enough to produce a good spray, Bryn fitted an old washing machine pump in between to turn it into a power shower. 

My husband, who never throws anything away, is a complete genius! 

It's just as well that nobody lives behind us, though. The back wall came down in the floods! I felt a little exposed but I didn't care. That shower was pure luxury! 

P.S. Tomorrow, I am going to buy a bath mat and a towel rail!

Daringly Different!

If the title mystifies you, it is the phrase that Pam from epicetera uses to describe her jewellery!

Pam has a definite style which I admire immensely. Look at this bold necklace!

Turquoise Calsilica Jasper Necklace

Pam can do chunky with panache but also uses delicate pearls to great effect:

Natural Keshi Pearl Necklace

As well as a penchant for the dramatic, Pam also demonstrates a sense of whimsy!

Colorful Stretch Skull Bracelet

Most of all, colour is manipulated with style in Pam's designs. I love these long random necklaces of hers!

48 inch random necklace, mixed pearls

Have a peek at Pam's "About" page to find out more about how she got started!