Product 13: Sandia Soap

Thanks to a dear family friend, I was able to get some of the Sandia Soap for my birthday. I’ve had a nice selection of three different bars (Sangre de Cristo Sunset, Taos Sauna, and Jemez Morning). Each soap has a nice aroma to it which is very distinct but at the same time, I couldn’t fully place it. But these soap bars are beautiful in color and harken the scenery of the Sandia Mountains (i.e. the beautiful mountains of Albuquerque, New Mexico) which remind me of visiting that family friend.

So I figured for my body soap, instead of a shower gel, I would use the Sandia soap. Unlike the soap from work, I didn’t know the ins and outs of the soap. I literally picked my first bar by which one looked prettiest and smelled prettiest. So I decided to use the Sangre de Cristo Sunset.

The bar was a little hard to use since it was hard to grip. More than once, the bar slipped and would fall on my body. I’m just glad I didn’t bruise from the soap. But I liked the way it felt on the skin. But I never fully enjoyed the feel of a bar against my skin. It never fully felt clean to me since I didn’t have that exfoliation factor that I get in my mesh shower poof.

A while back, I got a soap sack from Schillers. Basically it allows those who love soap bars but a person who loves the exfoliation from a mesh sponge. So after a few days, I decided to put the Sangre de Cristo Sunset in the soap sack. Ironically it actually made the soap easier to hold. I don’t know how that happened since the mesh made it even wider for my hands but I guess it’s because it allows me to grip it better.

This is when I really started to enjoy the soap.

Before blogging about this entry, I decided to check out some of the information about the soap besides the label-that it was a vegetable based soap. So I went to the website.. But to my pleasure, I could figure out what the scents are. Sangre de Cristo had Geranium Egyptian Rose scent, Taos Sauna had eucalyptus scent and the Jemez Morning with the pine scent.

I definitely enjoy this soap for my daily cleansing.

Book 14: Star Trek: A Singular Destiny

Star Trek: A Singular Destiny by Keith R. A. DeCandido was the latest book in my Star Trek book binge in this year. So if you followed my non-linear approach to the Star Trek books, this book occurs after the Destiny series but before the Typhon Pact. This is the book I’ve been looking for since reading Zero Sum Game- the explanation to the Star Trek political shake up. This is where the unholy (or holy union if you are part of the Kinshaya empire) alliance of races that are against and surrounding the Federation and Klingon Empires finally develops. So I’ve been waiting for this book.

Unfortunately part of me was largely let down. It was only an okay book. For a book that I was so eagerly awaiting in two different ways: first because it was to explain the political shake up and secondly it was to be a book featuring the Aventine (my new favorite ship since it has Capt Ezri Dax).

This book had a few real gem moments. I loved loved the scene where you see Drex and Martok sit and have dinner. It was a great use of one of my favorite Klingons and really getting the dialogue and his mannerisms dead on. Then at the end of the chapter Drex was killed. It was such a let down since I really enjoyed seeing how Drex grew up from his appearance on the DS9 series. But all the scenes with Martok was amazing.

Now the scenes that featured Dax. There was some great moments and other times where Dax was a little duller. Plus the Ezri featured in Destiny and Zero Sum Game was so powerful and great, that it’s understandable that a different author couldn’t capture all of that power in the same way.

My biggest problem with the book was that it never hooked me and could be a bit slow. Nothing definitive that I can point out as being overtly bad. Basically it wasn’t my favorite Star Trek writer.

Product 12: Derma E Vitamin A Glycolic Cleanser

Derma E Vitamin A Glycolic Cleanser is one of my favorite things in my beauty arsenal. I don’t say that lightly but it’s a great product. I even go a little overboard at times and use in the day when I know I shouldn’t.

A year ago, I was skeptical of Derma E as a line. I’ve always loved the idea of a natural and even organic beauty line but after trying several lines, I started to come to the conclusion that there was no such thing as a great natural/organic line that could live up to the chemically based products. But after hearing an esthetician rave about the quality of ingredients in the Derma E products and how they are really similar to the chemically based products and seeing her recommend Derma E to her friends, I figured the line was worth a shot. So I tried a sample of their microdermabrasion scrub, very clear cleanser, papaya enzyme toner, glycolic cleanser and their vitamin a glycolic scrub. I enjoyed all their products except for two: very clear cleanser and the papaya enzyme toner. But all the ones I loved couldn’t really be used for daily used, a scrubs should only be used once or twice a week and the glycolic was good but didn’t always take care of my oil issues (although as it’s been said twice to me in the past 24 hours ‘all that oil, you’ll never get wrinkles’).

So when I saw that Derma E created a Vitamin A Glycolic Cleanser I was really happy. Not because I’m worried about anti-aging products (one of the largest reasons people use Vitamin A/retinyl palmitate), but because I loved the Vitamin A Glycolic Scrub. Now I could get that babysoft skin that was completely rid of acne creating residues on a daily basis. Plus I loved the ingredients in the product: glycerin, papaya, retinyl palmitate and glycolic acid. All of these things were important to dermatologists and estheticians.

One of the things that really surprised me about this product was how it was helping to even my skin tone. It was making the red disappear, the pores shrink and just doing great things to my skin. I could never tell that from using a scrub that is used once a week versus every day like the cleanser.

Now the only detraction/slight whine I have is the fact, you really shouldn’t use this cleanser in the morning. But that’s the nature of the beast. Retinyl’s will make your skin sensitive to sunlight, so it’s not advisable to use it in the morning. Plus I’m sure the glycolic will do the same thing but I’ve never read it in print.

So all in all a great product. Especially for retailing at $12 at Schillers. It’s a great purchase price. Too bad I’ll be breaking away from this particular cleanser for a little bit as I sample a few other products.

13 Books Down: The Nazi Officer's Wife

So thanks to my awesome friend, I received a new Holocaust related book: The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer as part of a belated b-day package. I really enjoyed this book.

Edith's perspective was fantastic. This was not a book about bitterness or elicit duplicity. Instead it was about eduction. In many ways, this was the best book about the holocaust that I've read. I loved how she took the time to really show how Vienna Jews were different from regular Jews, how there was Anti-Semiticism, and just taking the time to really say, 'you have to understand, this was the way it was.' Plus I enjoyed how she took the time to be introspective in the middle of the narrative.

Now her story was a little bit different the most of the holocaust stories that I've read before. Edith went to work on a farm and then a paper factory before and was only in a ghetto when she failed to check in after her family (her mom) was relocated to Poland, and then through the help of a friend she was able to emigrate to Munich while passing for an Aryan. Then the story develops into how she married a Nazi.

One of the interesting bits about the story was that her Nazi husband wasn't the love of her life especially before the war. In many ways, they lucked into the relationship. Through her fear and inability to really show who she was, they had a very happy life together. But for the better part of everything, Edith loved Pepi. She used the hope of marrying him to gather strength. Unfortunately he didn't have the strength to really be there for her.

I love how this story just completely works. When you read autobiographies, you get the braggarts, the liars, and the true personality of a person. When I read Edith's story, I was so happy. It just seemed so genuine and the placing of ideas in time was just so helpful.

Thanks so much to my friend for sending me this book. It made me so happy.

11 Products, 12 Books, 17 Letters down and 313 days left.

Book 12: The Company She Keeps

The Company She Keeps by Georgia Durante was quite possibly the best memoir that I've read in a really long time. But Georgie Girl's life was just flat out interesting. It's just not very often that a person is a model who marries into the mob and then becomes a stunt woman. Simply put it's a great read.

Georgie Girl (or Georgia) basically lived a normal childhood in Rochester, New York. But then she got her big break modeling for several of the local companies including Kodak. This break in modeling lead to some money and the ability to go several clubs at an early age. it was at these clubs where she started to run into the mafia crowd.

Georgia had several failed attempts at love which is understandable. Although it's sad to see that she had a really abusive relationship, then had a run in with a crazy con-man who tried almost everything he could think of to get Georgia to have a real relationship, then a loveless marriage and yet the whole time there is Frankie in the background that seems perfect for her who she could never end up with him. Although that's due to him trying to protect Georgia only for that plan to completely backfire when she met Joe.

But in one of the more fun turns for me, I loved how she went from a mob wheelwoman and aging model to a stunt woman. That's just insane and awesome. It's just an easy transition but I would have never thought to do it.

It's amazing to read about her life. Although are times when the book just jumps ahead in time or skips things that seem somewhat major.

I would highly recommend this book to my friends. It's just a good read where you wouldn't expect such a tumultuousness life from a person and still able to relate to her completely. Okay certain things you would expect to happen like if you were to marry into mob life that it would not be an easy home life.

Letter 17


Just a fun note to a friend when he was sent something.
















Bonus project
So today, I also decided to make a skirt. When I found this fabric, I knew I would have to have it. So I decided if I was going to do anything with it, I want a clutch and a skirt. Since the most fabric and the trickiest part would be the skirt, I did that first.

My original idea was to have a perfect A line skirt. But when I was cutting, I forgot to curve up the sides, so I got this cool new shape where there is a hint of asymmetrically line.

Now all I have to do is wait until Thursday night and get the top I want from my other job and then I will have the perfect new outfit.

11 Products, 11 Books, 16 Letters down and 319 days left.

Letter 15: Hello



Letter 16: Bon Voyage

11 Products, 11 Books, 14 Letters down and 320 days left.

Product 10: BR Collagen Makeup Remover Cleansing Tissues

In a very recent order at Schiller's, we got the BR Collagen Cleansing clothes. I will have to admit I've been tempted by the BR cleansing clothes in the past but the two other flavors we carry never appealed to me (cucumber and green tea) but there was something about the collagen ones telling me that I should spend the $5 on them.

I will admit I've been really skeptical about the collagen bit about the clothes. I've just thought it was a gimmick by beauty product. Kinda like caffeinated soap to help energize the skin, great in theory but since you aren't ingesting/injecting there will be no actually improvement. Now after using them for two weeks, I'm convinced it's not a gimmick.

So my skin is more then a wee bit oily, especially since my dermatologist stinks and won't give me a new medicine that won't make me sick. Plus I've got a good amount of red tone anymore to my skin. Not exactly pristine skin. But since using these collagen cleansing clothes, there has been a noticeable improvement to my skin. The redness has seemed to dissipated and more importantly the oil is under control. So major win there.

Plus I really like the scent to these cloths. It's basic and clean and it lasts. When I first used them, I noticed it for a while. But since then the smell isn't that noticable. But my face does feel clean.

For $5, these cloths are great!!!! Especially since they are really improving my skin tone especially when paired with my favorite derma-e products (to be shared with another day, still testing that).

Product 11: The Laundress Sport Spray


So now the Laundress Sport Spray was from a recent raid of the 50% off rack at Schillers. I figured for $5, it would be a great little purchase especially with my habit of being a workaholic and a bit of a hockey player. A little spray to help cut down on the sport ick wouldn't be a bad thing. So far it's worked out great.

Basically, this is just a different form of Febreeze. But this is nicer then Febreeze in two important ways: portability and smell. The Sport Spray can actually fit in my pocket. So guess who can spritz her clothes in between two work shifts. While it's just over the TSA approved travel size, it's still in a really convenient size. Plus I love the way it makes things smell- just like fresh starched laundry. It just smells clean and with no hassle at all. I've always love the smell of spray starch but hated to do laundry. Now with the sport spray I get the best of both worlds. So YAY!!!!

Now other business

So I'm playing with the format of my blog. I'm curious what people like more. This way of doing it when I'm putting multiple entries up or if was better before.