HELLO!!! :)

Hello, everyone!

Well, I know that I have just kind of dropped off the map all of a sudden. My life just got really busy and really crazy. I just wanted to make a post and reach out and say  ‘ hello ‘ to everyone that has continued to pop in over here the past few months.

So, what happened? Are you curious? 

Change. Change has been the name of the game these past few months.

Well, first of all , all  of a sudden in July my father just gave me the family business. He doesn’t want to do it any more. And, since that is how I make my money, I have taken it over completely, even though it was never anything that I actually wanted to do. So, as you can imagine, I had my hands full with chaos in general. It is never easy owning a business, especially when you have emotional ties with family, so that has just been…..overwhelming – that’s probably the nicest way to put it. 

There is so much going on with that that it has really changed alot of my plans, so secondly, I have decided to stop building my other web page. I just am not up to dealing with all of that and I’m not the most tech- oriented person anyway. Oh , well.

There is much much more, but I’m sure you get the point.  Things have been busy.

I hope everything has been going well for all of you.

 

Well, this is iLusciousLife, so here is a little list of things that I have been loving recently.

Nora Jones’s new song Chasing Pirates.

Michael Buble’s New song I Just Haven’t Met You Yet.

Benjamin Sharkey is a singer on You Tube that I found the other night. Check him out. Very, very talented.

The movie The Proposal with Sandra Bullock -  I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but it is very funny.

Tonight I watched So You Think You Can Dance and the couple that danced to Two Steps Away from Pattie LaBelle were just absolutely amazing. I love dancing so much! Dancing or watching it is so wonderful.

I love my new candle from Restoration Hardware, it’s pomegranite scented and it’s lovely. Ooo, on my next year list I think I’m going to add a big leather couch from Restoration Hardware – that’s a nice wish, right?

I just bought a sample of perfume from Lucky Scent that I’m really excited about. It’s called Madera. It is supposed to smell like a fine caramel – I will let you know how delicious it is  for anyone who who wants to smell like dessert. :) Which is one of my favorite ways to smell.

Well, I guess that’s enough for now. Thanks, for your continued support and interest in my blog. I hope everything is going well for all of you. Feel free to share any thoughts on….. all of the above. As always,  I’d love to hear you ideas.

Love ,

Arielle81

xoxoxoxo

Nothing Can Be Everything

                                                   Keep Me Fully Glad

Keep me fully glad with nothing. Only take only my hand in your hand. In the gloom of the deepening night  take up my heart and play with it as you list.

Bind me close to you with nothing. I will spread myself out at your feet and lie still.

Under this clouded sky I will meet silence with silence. I will become one with the night clasping the earth in my breast. 

Make my life glad with nothing.

The rains sweep the sky from end to end. Jasmines in the wet untameable wind revel in their own perfume. The cloud-hidden stars thrill in secret.

Let me fill to the full my heart  with nothing  but my own depth of joy.

                                                                                  – Rabindranath Tagore

 

Now that is good writing.

Have you been holding someones hand in the deepening night?

I hope so.

It’s a lovely thing to do.

 May your nights be filled with rain and jasmine and stars thrilling and …. nothing.

 

 

xoxoxo

Quote of the Day…

” How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward. “

- Spanish Proverb

 

Hope you have a great weekend full of rest and peace everyone!

 

Quote of the Day….

” The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they can grow seperately without growing apart. “

-  Elizabeth Foley

This is true for the very best of friends.

Here is to the one who has your back, gives you the best advice, laughs when you do, spends the whole day doing nothing with you, brings you brownies, answers the phone when you call, is actually interested in what you did today, yesterday, and will be doing tomorrow, who will share their lunch with you, who remembers your birthday, who’s on your speed dial, the ultimate confidant.

Friends for life.

Family by choice.

xoxoxo

TOP TEN OF SUMMER – FAVORITES AND WISHES

Here we are in the middle of summer and I find that amazing. It seems as though the year began not so long ago. However, there is no denying that July has slowly unwound already and August is pressing on, ready to burst into full bloom.

So, I thought it would be nice to list some of my favorite things of this summer so far along with some of my families favorites as well

 

My favorite……

song has been ‘ You Sexy Thing’ from Hot Chocolate. It’s an oldie but, it’s alot of fun to sing along with when you’re hanging out around the house. 

movie is ‘ Confessions of a Shopaholic ‘. It was so funny and it made some good points, too.

new purchase is my very , very cute blue bikini from Gilly Hicks.

perfume … well, actually what I’ve been wearing the most is a combination of my Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Amande and Hawaiian Tropics Tanning Oil -  LOVE IT!        Mix those together and that’s been my signature scent of the summer. Yummy. 

food is guacamole. I really do love that. I really would like that right now, actually. 

cocktail has been a mojito – no big surprise there, right?  lol

thing has been accomplishing some long standing goals.

pass-time is hanging out with my friends and meeting new ones.

experience has been visiting the Perfume Expo America.

object obtained is my passport.

 

My sisters favorite….

song has been ‘ She Wolf ‘ from Shakira.

thing to do is being sun drenched.

pass-time is flirting.

experience is her birthday.

object obtained is her passport.

 

My mothers favorite…..

movie has been ‘ The Proposal ‘.

pass-time is haning out with friends.

goal accomplished is loosing weight.

 

 

Here is a bonus list.

My wish list for the rest of the summer.

 

I wish to….

1.  go to the beach or a water park. Either one will make me happy. 

2. get a new car that is all my own.

3. have a really great, happy, and fun birthday. The best one yet.

4. go on some really nice dates.  ( That’s always on my list )

5. start taking some pilates or yoga classes.

6. read Hester Brown’s new book ‘ The Finishing Touches’ .

7. be less stressed!

8. visit the museum.

9. go to the salon and get a new hair style.

10. to get a lot of sun and just really, really enjoy all the beauty, peace, abundance, warmth, happiness, long nights with fireflies, flowers, strolls, and smiles that summer holds and keep it.

 

Well, that’s my list -  from favorites to wishes.

What are yours?

 What have your summer favorites been? What song have you been dancing in the kitchen to?  Most importantly what made you smile? You know I love to know. 

     

Quote of the Day….

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

                                                          - Dr. Seuss

 

Aww… That is so sweet.

Who knew that Dr. Seuss was such a romantic?

So, anyone keeping you up all night? 

Song of the Moment

Yesterday I was listening to the radio and this melody came on. I knew I knew it but it took a minute for me to place it. The melody slowly builds ,the lyrics paint pictures. It gives a feeling that something is happening, telling a story, giving sound to emotion, allowing them to speak. It is Secret Garden  by Bruce Sprinstein. The theme song to the Jerry Maguire movie. It came out around , I don’t know, eight years ago? They played it on the radio constantly back then. I liked it then but, for some reason yesterday and today I almost needed to listen to it.

Music does that to me sometimes.  

Wow! I just looked it up and it came out 1996!  So much for eight years – it’s been 13 years. That is stunning. It was a great movie , too. Classic. And Bruce Springstein’s voice….perfect.

O.K.  what else can I say but,

listen to it.

 

xoxoxo

( Love and sweet dreams to everyone, good night. )

And the Winners of The Perfume Draw Are….

( Drum roll, please. )

 

Jenny

 &

aahang!

Congratulations!

I will e-mail you and you can send me your mailing address and then your perfume sample pack prize will be sent to you right away.

Thanks, everybody

Chocolate + Love = Chocolove

Much like the ancient Aztec, the Swiss, and lovers on Valentine’s Day I love chocolate. 

Lots of it.

Chocolate truffles, chocolate milk, fudge, chilled chocolate layered cake, etc., etc.

Recently I came across chocolate bars  from  a chocolate company based out of Boulder, CO. called Chocolove who like to keep things interesting. They have have twelve different varieties but, one in particular caught my eye. Ginger Crystalized in Dark Chocolate. Intriguing. I picked up the bar wrapped in green paper designed to have a the look of a well traveled passport with stamps and seals and chunky, inky typed letters written across it, wondering how the ginger would work with the cocoa.

Once at home I broke off a dark square and tried it. Amazingly enough the ginger was not over powering but was actually a fun and spicey depth of flavor that was so natural I’m surprized more people don’t use the combination. Almost like eating a holiday ginger snap cookie that was perfectly blended in the creamy chocolate. Very, very nice. It was a fun exotic treat.

Apparently the cryastalized ginger is from Australia and the dark chocolate was made in Belgium from cocoa beans grown in the Caribbean and Africa which was then all combined in Colorado – it was a world endeavour to bring these delicious bars into our lives. It also explains all the stamps and seals.

As I’m sure you probably know by now chocolate contains phenylethylamine a feel-good love chemical that our bodies produce. That is probably why love and chocolate walk hand in hand through history and has pretty much been a favorite in every culture it has been introduced to. Chocolove decided to go one step further and include a love poem that is written inside each wrapper  – So  don’t just toss it in a rush of craving, take your time and enjoy a lovey-dovey poem just for you.

Here is mine:

 

From: Venus and Adonis

Venus:   ‘ Witness this primrose bank whereon I lie;

                    These forceless flowers like sturdy trees support me;

                    Two strengthless doves will draw me through the sky,

                  From morn till night, even where I list to sport me:

                         Is love so light , sweet boy, and may it be

                         That thou shouldst think it heavy unto thee?

 

                ‘ Is thine own heart to thine own face affected?

                 Can thy right hand seize love upon thy left?

                 Then woo thyself,  be of thyself rejected,

                 Steal thine own freedom, and complain of theft…

 

                ‘ Torches are made to light, jewels to wear,

                  Dainties to taste, fresh beauty for the use,

                  Herbs for their smell, and sappy plants to bear;

                 Things growing to themselves are growth’s abuse:

                      Seeds spring from seeds, and beauty breedeth beauty;

                      Thou wast begot; to get it is thy duty

 

William Shakespeare

 

Wrapping chocolate in Shakespeare is a bit of poetry in itself, don’t you think?

So, have you tried any of Chocolove’s chocolate? Read any of their love poems? Or had any other beautiful chocolate experience?  As always I’d LOVE to know.

Yours Truely,

xoxoxo

PERFUME SURPRISE!!! & A GIVE AWAY

The House of Caron Goose Down Powder Puffs

Caron La Poudre Fine Mineral Body Powder

The Famous Crystal Perfume Dispensers of Caron

Candy Colored Caron Perfume Bottles

160 - The House of Molinard's Newest Creation

The Molinard Home in France

Molinard Vintage Perfume Collection

Courvoisier - Legendary Cognac to Legendary Fragrance

Michel Roudnitska Introduces Ellie Nuit

From the House of Jivago - This sweet scent is selling out in Israel

Juliette Has A Gun - 'nough said

Theosiris from Creations Guy Bouchara

Pure Perfume Oils from Egypt

Sahlini Parfums - Bollywood Inspired

On my ever present quest for all things Luscious last week I ventured into the concrete jungles of New York City. Armed with my trusty camera and a killer pair of stilletto heels my expedition led me to the Perfume Expo America where the largest gathering of the perfume and cosmetics industry meet once a year. There they parade the finer things in life -  those that come bottled anyway – to merchants, journalist, and perfume fanatics alike for four days.

It was a scented safari. Pure perfume oil from Egypt wrapped in papyrus. Pink disco balls of Ibiza. Sahlini with their Bollywood potions of La Femme and Femininde. The ” Irresistible Arrogance ” that only a true Imperial company like Courvoisier can bring… anywhere. The loveliness and finesse of the Molinard family  – a cornerstone in the perfume industry – as they unveil their newest creation 160, celebrating and commemorating 160 years in the business of parfum. The perfume, crystal, puffs, and powders of Caron and so, so much more.

I will be posting some perfume reviews of all the wonderful fragrances that the very generous people of perfume have shared with me. And in the spirit of sharing I am hosting a give-away, two actually. I want to share luscious experience with you. So I am making up two sample packets and if you would like to be entered into the random drawing ,please, let me know in your comments and I will let you know who the winners are on this coming Sunday. The winners can send me their address and I will ship it out to you. This is the first give-away that iLusciousLife has done but, I hope it will be the first of many.

Remember if you would like to enter into the drawing for the mixed perfume sample packets,please, list your name in the comments. Their will be two winners!

Good Luck!