Six Splendid Things for a Saturday Morning
Saturday afternoon now, technically, but then, punctuality has never been a great strength of mine. *g* Nonetheless, I have some good things to share!
1. I neglected to mention this in my last post, but through a series of bizarre and improbable circumstances (aren't they always?), I seem to have acquired a life-sized pirate skeleton. (Not a real one, obviously. Though the anatomical detail is admittedly impressive.) He is currently hanging in my garage, looking piratical, with stuffed crows perched on his fabulous remains. I have decided to name him Jack, for the obvious reasons.
Also for obvious reasons, this has inspired me to be a Glam Rock Buccaneer for Halloween this year. I might be slightly overexcited about this, and I may or may not have already started brainstorming costume options. But really, I want to make the most of this; you shouldn't look a gift pirate skeleton in the mouth, should you? Not least because his teeth must be appalling. ;-)
2. I always love BPAL, but in this past week, I've had a few really, really especially wonderful BPAL experiences. The first is with trying a scent for the first time, as I skin-tested Kypris this weekend and discovered that it smells approximately like heaven in a bottle. It made me smell like some wonderful combination of a Battenberg cake and a bouquet of fresh, dewy roses, all blushy-pink and delicious and feminine and irresistible. I got compliments all day on it, and it has easily shot up into my top ten favorite bottles, possibly even top five.
The second good BPAL experience came yesterday, when I rediscovered an old favorite, Tristran. As the name might imply, it's a distinctly more masculine scent, and when I first got the bottle, I was a little uneasy about wearing something quite so... woodsy. However, I have now had it for nearly three years, and in that time, it has aged into something glorious and smooth and nuanced and just amazing. Just wearing it makes me feel like I'm standing in a green, enchanted, sun-dappled forest. I find that I'm also much more comfortable wearing gender-neutral and masculine scents now. I like being able to blur some of those boundaries at will--it's empowering. This was a wonderful reminder of that.
The third good instance has been in making the connection that yet another old favorite of mine, Velvet Unicorn, is clearly my Vince Noir spirit scent. (Well, obviously. I mean, the name alone suggests it, doesn't it? VELVET UNICORN. It's probably the successor scent to Unicorn Tears.) But really, it smells exactly like the sort of thing I'd imagine Vince to go nuts for, all spun-sugar candy floss and cherry candies and strawberry fluff and meringues. I've always liked it because it's sweet and pretty and cheerful. But now I can wear it because it makes me feel that little bit more Vincey. :D That should come in handy, because...
3. ...I am getting more plot bunnies than I even know how to handle. I'm at the point where I'm just having to jot down story concepts and go back to start fleshing out, because it's just too much to write at once. (At last count, I had at least six story ideas in various states of incubation.) I must be in one of those creatively fertile periods, because it seems like the most random and incidental things are sparking off ideas that quickly grow and gain momentum. It's slightly overwhelming, but overall? It's really, really exciting and enjoyable. It's good to remember how joyful and chaotic and just plain fun the writing process can be, and I have nothing but thanks and praise (and hugs and snuggles) for those of you who have been willing to let me brainstorm and talk out these ideas with you in chat and e-mails. You are the best. &hearts
4. Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I will get to celebrate it by cooking a dinner for my mother. I know I mentioned that this is Party Season for me in the last post, and that it brings a certain amount of stress with it, which is true... but the flip side of that is that I really like parties, and I really like planning them, and so I am looking forward to this. There are few things that I love better than being able to make somebody I love happy, to celebrate them and make them feel how much they matter. My mom has more than earned that treatment this year, so I can't wait to treat her to a great day tomorrow. Preparations include making raspberry tiramisu trifle today, because it only gets better when it stands, and I know she's been wanting me to make this recipe for a long time.
It's gonna be good. :D
5. I had an opportunity to dig in my garden this week! It was just weeding and neatening up the beds, making sure that things are coming up and well-tended, but still. The weather has been so up and down around here, and so frequently waterlogged and grey, that it was more than welcome to have the chance to soak up some sunshine and get digging and come back inside smelling like sunshine and fresh air and freshly-turned dirt and green, growing things. Yay, spring. :-)
(Now if only I could have that black squirrel, the shameless, bulb-eating little bastard, deported to Siberia. I don't... hate him, exactly. I just don't want him to be anywhere near my garden!)
6. Last night, I went out to see the opening night of the show Younger Brother's been hired for--The Scarlet Pimpernel--as part of the pit orchestra. (He's playing timpani and auxiliary percussion.) I was prepared to be underwhelmed, as I'm familiar with the creaky intrigue/romance plot of the original, and I had also already been warned repeatedly by Younger Brother that the show book has been written and rewritten many times, and shows every sign of it.
And... well, he was right. The plot is still creaky and silly and improbable. And the book shows several tell-tale signs of being Frankensteined. And the score itself isn't bad, just kind of unoriginal and bland. (Those of you who know music and/or musical theater will know what I'm getting at when I say that every single moment of emotional significance was underscored with a majestic timpani roll. *g*).
But you know what? It didn't matter. The material might not have been great, but I had my tie-dyed socks blown off by the quality voices, surprisingly sensitive, nuanced, funny performances, and sheer amount of talent and enthusiasm the cast had to offer. It was well staged, including the sword fighting and beheadings, the orchestra sounded wonderful (yay, Younger Brother!), and the hair and costumes were just as stunning and sumptuous as you'd expect from late 18th century France and England. (I was hugely, hugely impressed with the costumes. I mean it. They really did their period research, the details were painstaking, things were fitted beautifully, and I walked out of there with serious Fashion Lust for at least half the clothes I'd seen, included the villain's swishy black cape coat.) The lead actor impressed me by not only admirably underplaying his character's tendency to be a swishy, silly arse, but also by rocking the three-inch heels he was wearing like he was born in them. All in all, it was a huge amount of fun, especially because it was performed with a lot of heart and didn't take itself too seriously. And I will gladly take a spirited performance of iffy material over a lackluster performance of good material, every time. The execution matters. :D
Also, the villain, Chauvelin, was played by a wonderfully talented guy who is, I would swear, Matt Berry from an alternate dimension--appearance, voice, mannerisms, everything. The voice and inflections were so eerily close, in fact, that I couldn't help but secretly think of Chauvelin as Dixon Bainbridge the whole time. This just added another layer of enjoyment. ;-)
But mostly, I was incredibly proud of how well Younger Brother performed. I'm used to seeing him in a concert setting now, but it still makes me happy to see how much he's learned and how well he's doing. He even netted an unsolicited compliment from a woman in the audience who came up to tell him that she found his playing mesmerizing and couldn't take her eyes off of him. (... I know, it's a little weird. But still very nice! I'm sure she meant it in a non-creepy way.)
Also also, I chatted with the pit crew and actors afterward, and they're a really great bunch. I got invited to go partying with them after next week's show! :D
Overall? An unexpectedly great night.
And now I am off to assemble that trifle. Many smooches and squishes to all those in need of them, and heartfelt speedy healing vibes to all of you who are ailing or aching right now. &hearts
1. I neglected to mention this in my last post, but through a series of bizarre and improbable circumstances (aren't they always?), I seem to have acquired a life-sized pirate skeleton. (Not a real one, obviously. Though the anatomical detail is admittedly impressive.) He is currently hanging in my garage, looking piratical, with stuffed crows perched on his fabulous remains. I have decided to name him Jack, for the obvious reasons.
Also for obvious reasons, this has inspired me to be a Glam Rock Buccaneer for Halloween this year. I might be slightly overexcited about this, and I may or may not have already started brainstorming costume options. But really, I want to make the most of this; you shouldn't look a gift pirate skeleton in the mouth, should you? Not least because his teeth must be appalling. ;-)
2. I always love BPAL, but in this past week, I've had a few really, really especially wonderful BPAL experiences. The first is with trying a scent for the first time, as I skin-tested Kypris this weekend and discovered that it smells approximately like heaven in a bottle. It made me smell like some wonderful combination of a Battenberg cake and a bouquet of fresh, dewy roses, all blushy-pink and delicious and feminine and irresistible. I got compliments all day on it, and it has easily shot up into my top ten favorite bottles, possibly even top five.
The second good BPAL experience came yesterday, when I rediscovered an old favorite, Tristran. As the name might imply, it's a distinctly more masculine scent, and when I first got the bottle, I was a little uneasy about wearing something quite so... woodsy. However, I have now had it for nearly three years, and in that time, it has aged into something glorious and smooth and nuanced and just amazing. Just wearing it makes me feel like I'm standing in a green, enchanted, sun-dappled forest. I find that I'm also much more comfortable wearing gender-neutral and masculine scents now. I like being able to blur some of those boundaries at will--it's empowering. This was a wonderful reminder of that.
The third good instance has been in making the connection that yet another old favorite of mine, Velvet Unicorn, is clearly my Vince Noir spirit scent. (Well, obviously. I mean, the name alone suggests it, doesn't it? VELVET UNICORN. It's probably the successor scent to Unicorn Tears.) But really, it smells exactly like the sort of thing I'd imagine Vince to go nuts for, all spun-sugar candy floss and cherry candies and strawberry fluff and meringues. I've always liked it because it's sweet and pretty and cheerful. But now I can wear it because it makes me feel that little bit more Vincey. :D That should come in handy, because...
3. ...I am getting more plot bunnies than I even know how to handle. I'm at the point where I'm just having to jot down story concepts and go back to start fleshing out, because it's just too much to write at once. (At last count, I had at least six story ideas in various states of incubation.) I must be in one of those creatively fertile periods, because it seems like the most random and incidental things are sparking off ideas that quickly grow and gain momentum. It's slightly overwhelming, but overall? It's really, really exciting and enjoyable. It's good to remember how joyful and chaotic and just plain fun the writing process can be, and I have nothing but thanks and praise (and hugs and snuggles) for those of you who have been willing to let me brainstorm and talk out these ideas with you in chat and e-mails. You are the best. &hearts
4. Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I will get to celebrate it by cooking a dinner for my mother. I know I mentioned that this is Party Season for me in the last post, and that it brings a certain amount of stress with it, which is true... but the flip side of that is that I really like parties, and I really like planning them, and so I am looking forward to this. There are few things that I love better than being able to make somebody I love happy, to celebrate them and make them feel how much they matter. My mom has more than earned that treatment this year, so I can't wait to treat her to a great day tomorrow. Preparations include making raspberry tiramisu trifle today, because it only gets better when it stands, and I know she's been wanting me to make this recipe for a long time.
It's gonna be good. :D
5. I had an opportunity to dig in my garden this week! It was just weeding and neatening up the beds, making sure that things are coming up and well-tended, but still. The weather has been so up and down around here, and so frequently waterlogged and grey, that it was more than welcome to have the chance to soak up some sunshine and get digging and come back inside smelling like sunshine and fresh air and freshly-turned dirt and green, growing things. Yay, spring. :-)
(Now if only I could have that black squirrel, the shameless, bulb-eating little bastard, deported to Siberia. I don't... hate him, exactly. I just don't want him to be anywhere near my garden!)
6. Last night, I went out to see the opening night of the show Younger Brother's been hired for--The Scarlet Pimpernel--as part of the pit orchestra. (He's playing timpani and auxiliary percussion.) I was prepared to be underwhelmed, as I'm familiar with the creaky intrigue/romance plot of the original, and I had also already been warned repeatedly by Younger Brother that the show book has been written and rewritten many times, and shows every sign of it.
And... well, he was right. The plot is still creaky and silly and improbable. And the book shows several tell-tale signs of being Frankensteined. And the score itself isn't bad, just kind of unoriginal and bland. (Those of you who know music and/or musical theater will know what I'm getting at when I say that every single moment of emotional significance was underscored with a majestic timpani roll. *g*).
But you know what? It didn't matter. The material might not have been great, but I had my tie-dyed socks blown off by the quality voices, surprisingly sensitive, nuanced, funny performances, and sheer amount of talent and enthusiasm the cast had to offer. It was well staged, including the sword fighting and beheadings, the orchestra sounded wonderful (yay, Younger Brother!), and the hair and costumes were just as stunning and sumptuous as you'd expect from late 18th century France and England. (I was hugely, hugely impressed with the costumes. I mean it. They really did their period research, the details were painstaking, things were fitted beautifully, and I walked out of there with serious Fashion Lust for at least half the clothes I'd seen, included the villain's swishy black cape coat.) The lead actor impressed me by not only admirably underplaying his character's tendency to be a swishy, silly arse, but also by rocking the three-inch heels he was wearing like he was born in them. All in all, it was a huge amount of fun, especially because it was performed with a lot of heart and didn't take itself too seriously. And I will gladly take a spirited performance of iffy material over a lackluster performance of good material, every time. The execution matters. :D
Also, the villain, Chauvelin, was played by a wonderfully talented guy who is, I would swear, Matt Berry from an alternate dimension--appearance, voice, mannerisms, everything. The voice and inflections were so eerily close, in fact, that I couldn't help but secretly think of Chauvelin as Dixon Bainbridge the whole time. This just added another layer of enjoyment. ;-)
But mostly, I was incredibly proud of how well Younger Brother performed. I'm used to seeing him in a concert setting now, but it still makes me happy to see how much he's learned and how well he's doing. He even netted an unsolicited compliment from a woman in the audience who came up to tell him that she found his playing mesmerizing and couldn't take her eyes off of him. (... I know, it's a little weird. But still very nice! I'm sure she meant it in a non-creepy way.)
Also also, I chatted with the pit crew and actors afterward, and they're a really great bunch. I got invited to go partying with them after next week's show! :D
Overall? An unexpectedly great night.
And now I am off to assemble that trifle. Many smooches and squishes to all those in need of them, and heartfelt speedy healing vibes to all of you who are ailing or aching right now. &hearts