D'you know what I'd like to do, Mr. Todd?

The Mrs. Lovett costume is finally almost done. YAY!! Between tonight and tomorrow, it should be good to go. Did a test run with the makeup a few days ago, and... well, I'll post pics when it's done, you'll see. It's not terrible.



I'm trying a new perfume sample today- this scent's insanely frickin' expensive, but really beautiful. "Untitled" by Strange Invisible Perfumes (it was originally called "Lady Day," but apparently Miss Billie's estate disapproved). It smells of gardenias and, faintly, oranges, and it's very subtle- not one where you sniff the bottle and get prowlygrowly- it creeps up on you, you start thinking, "wow, God, what is that? Oh, it's me!" Very nice one. Too expensive to buy a bottle, so I'm glad not to love it too much, but... really a nice scent.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The entire concept of "credit" is such a friggin' scam. I've been looking at car stuff, figured I might as well bite the bullet and find out exactly how much lower the nonsense with the student loan nazis has driven my credit score, and- get this- because I couldn't confirm the name of the new bastards the SLN's sold my loans to (without, y'know, telling me or anything) from a multiple choice list of ACRONYMS, Experian blocked my access to my own credit report. Of course, if I download, fill out, print, and mail in their looooong form with copies of all my id and my "10-digit PIN code" (WHAT? WHAT PIN code?!!? Does everybody have one and I was out sick that day?), they'll consider mailing me the number in about 3-6 weeks. All this because I don't know the name of a company I never did business with! Please, spare me the lectures about being a responsible consumer- my point is, if you don't start the game knowing the rules (and I didn't) the system is set up to fuck you for life, and it makes me really frustrated and angry and depressed. C'mon, I just want a decent car without having to do anything illegal to get it. Then again, that would probably be less complicated.

(Later)
Realized I've never given Robert Piguet's Baghari a proper try since the large sample came, so I piled it on. Feeling much better now. Still pissed, but I smell terrific!

(Even later)
The Baghari's turned overwhelming in this hot weather- getting headachy- but it is a good scent overall. Watching "Blacula" in between family phone calls- it's a big weird day for us. Yay for divorces!

(Way, way later)
"Blacula" was GREAT! No, seriously, it's actually a good movie! Y'all should all go rent it right now.

Fendi, Fendi, Fendi!

Well, I'm happy/pissed on the sniffa front: I'm furious that some lucky cow outbid me at the last possible moment for that cheap-OH Badgley Mischka last night- she snuck in to win literally 8 seconds from Game Over- but am v. happy that my Fendi Theorema came today. Weirdly, it's labeled Theorema "Leggero" - which I had assumed was the same as regular FT, since I have NEVER seen a review or a mention of a "light" flanker on any of the major perfume sites. Oops, I think. I'm kinda digging this "Leggero" - my one worry with the regular was that it might be overpowering in hot weather, and this does seem lighter... it's not less Christmas-y, but..... it smells like opening beautiful spicy prezzies at the beach. It's awfully good.... but I'm still mad at that sneaky eBay ho, and thinkun' I might do best to wait post-Mother's-day to bid on Badgley again.

The second-string plumber just left. He was very sweet and earnest, and I was DYING trying not to think of how like Borat he sounded. His verdict was that I can shower TOMORROW MORNING, "Around seven or eight- you will wait, yeah?" SHITSHITSHIT. SHIT! I smell like nachos, dammit! EEEUUUUWWW!!! He was really superdupernice, and covered the counter with a tarp, which the primary (sleazy, forward) plumber yesterday didn't bother to do- hence my need to buy a new toothbrush (its covered in sawdust!) But, dammit.... I feel dirty!

PS: I broke down and bought another record from iTunes. The Scissor Sisters album "Ta-Dah" is GREAT. If you like Erasure or the BeeGees or ABBA (ironically or not) or if dance music just generally makes you grin, download it NOW.

Holy crap!

1) The plumber actually showed up! Damn, I KNEW I shoulda washed my hair earlier. No tub for a day or so = not fun.

2) The Eddie Izzard tickets came, and they're just beeyootyful. I may sleep with them.

3) "Children of Men" is a damn good movie, but I feel like a doofus for not recognizing Michael Caine (he's up there with Sean Connery in the Ridiculously Hot Old Guys category).

4) I'm sniffin' Bond No 9's New Haarlem today. Started pretty, faded to popcorn, still smells like it 4 hours in. Dan and the plumber (this is a very... er... forward sort of plumber) both like it. It's better than Broadway Nite, which I said- and Dan agreed- smelled like prossies, but not nearly enough better to be the delicious HG I hope to find. My insanely cheap full bottle of Fendi Theorema should arrive today/tomorrow, and I'm in the bidding for cheap-OH Badgley Mischka, so at least I won't smell BORING for the forseeable future. :)

53 reasons I need a new car

I've been seriously debating the plusandminuses of eating disorders, but overall I think the best solution to my nonsmoking weight gain is to buy a car. I have to do it soon, before my Camry explodes in the middle of Kirkman causing a multiple car pileup and negating the need to choose between planting and cremation. If I have a car payment, that's less money to spend on cheeseburgers, and a new car would mean I can GO PLACES, like the beach and home to see my family, so I'd be out doing stuff instead of sitting on my booty wanting to do stuff.

I'm still sniffin' samples, trying to pick a new perfume (or two, or eight). Haven't decided fo' sho' yet, but am currently DIGGING my Fendi Theorema sample- of COURSE, as it's discontinued and expensive- which just arrived today. It's freaking delicious, like oranges and cloves and cinnamon. It smells like Christmas. Maybe not right for hot weather down here, but then again, I keep sniffing my wrist and making growly noises, so.... hm. My top choices so far seem to mostly be foody scents, maybe cause I've had loads of.. er.. social success when I smelled vaguely of cookies, but I'm still working out which ones smell like ME, not like some .alt version I wish I were. My faves so far:

Guerlain Iris Ganache (flowers on creme brulee!)
Badgley Mischka (not my absolute fave, but it's getting mad compliments)
Chanel Coco (incense-y, far more sophisticated than I am, but classic and beautiful)
Lolita Lempicka L (not fancy, just pretty. Perfect for summer)
Hermes Hermessences Ambre Narguile (a warm blanket of amber and honey. If it just had a *tiny* dash of sexy, I'd own a bottle already)

Got a couple more on the way, a couple on the to-do list, and a couple to retry- Guerlain Mitsouko smelled amazing once, then like Granny's catbox once, so it gets a third try... but on my day off. Annick Goutal Sables I'm still debating, cause I can't figure out why something that smells just exactly like peppered maple syrup makes me happy every time I sniff it.

So I put in to get off work early today just cause I could, not cause I expected it to happen. With the lame-o closing schedule I have now, it's unusual to get a chance to bail, but today it slowed down and just never picked back up. Fine by me, it had been nothing but travel agents adjusting existing reservations (i.e., no money for me!) and my work buddy had the day off, so I was grumpy and bored.... but now I'm home, and I really don't have a damn thing to do except read, watch tv, clean house, or go to Target. Bo-ring. I should at least be using my pass to go to a famous expensive theme park... but I'm edgy about explosions while driving over there. Yep, it's time to buy a car!