Flotsam & Jetsam

I lost interest in blogging for a while. No biggie, really. I lose interest in lots of things and pick them back up. I hope that's okay. I like you, gentle reader, but I don't really blog for you, which I hope isn't an alienating confession.

At this point, I blog to write, to keep my typing fingers remembering the clack of keys and the rhythm of potential syllables dancing in my head. There may be odd lapses in the posting cycle, but life is full of odd lapses. I hope to post something beauty-related soon, when the mood strikes.

Oh, I made my major pen purchase of 2013: the Monteverda Intima in Neon Pink. I am in lurrrve. Simple in its details, unexpected in its palette, as its essentially a recreation of a lava lamp in acrylic resin, a classic pen material as it's not too heavy or clunky and has an inexplicable give in the grip. It's a bit tactile but I don't always require a nib as smooth as glass. I have hopes that some figure-eights with a paper bag and general use will improve the performance.

TL:DR ballpoints are unfortunate and only suitable for airplanes*

*and today's fountain pens generally perform well in airplanes, yay for technology

I've been flirting with fragrance, because, I think, I like fragrance reviews: so based on association, intuition, and attraction. In my own life, I prefer to sample from the Etsy and indie markets rather than dive into a pricey niche obsession. Today, I'm trying out Solstice Scents Jack and the Devil in the safety of a well-air-conditioned room, as it's not your typical summer scent, by any means--I smell mostly patchouli, pumpkin, and spicy resin with a bit of a wet-rice smell if I really think hard about it (rice bran oil is the carrier here; it's not overtly 'ricey' but it's a smell I remember from rice fields and, more pleasantly, Filipino coffee.) It's prettier than the name would have you believe. Liking patch in anything is a new development for me, but I'm in no rush to order a full-size, particularly since my return to the tropics is imminent and I think Jack goes best with a cold day, a warm blanket, and a slightly dangerous book. (Google says it's Franz Kafka's 130th Birthday, so perhaps Amerika or The Trial.)