Beauty

[just bee]

The desert willow produces many blossoms.  It does attract hummers.

[geezerette]

Our hummingbirds were quite early this year--about two weeks ahead of their usual schedule.  Since they arrived about a week early last year, and we had a very mild winter, I suspected they might show up ahead of time and put out a couple of feeders at the beginning of the month.  Sure enough, two days later the first male was drinking his little heart out.  I enjoy them until about August when there are just so many that I'm exhausted trying to keep the feeders filled.

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

Our hummingbirds were quite early this year--about two weeks ahead of their usual schedule.  Since they arrived about a week early last year, and we had a very mild winter, I suspected they might show up ahead of time and put out a couple of feeders at the beginning of the month.  Sure enough, two days later the first male was drinking his little heart out.  I enjoy them until about August when there are just so many that I'm exhausted trying to keep the feeders filled.

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Well, if all those desert willows in the yard blossom this year, the hummers can invite all their friends to my retaining walls to feast... before the roots take out the blocks and my house is buried under the rubble.

[just bee]

For those who follow the bird cams... we have the first barn owlet.

[just bee]

Another bird cam update:

The Great Horned Owlets have grown and flown, but if you're looking for something cute to watch, check out the hawk nest at Cornell.  What little characters they are!

http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/16/Red-tailed_Hawks/

[just bee]

Almost the end of the month and I've acquired some items.  I ordered some Paula's Choice facial cleanser -- a tried and true necessity -- but now I wonder if it was really necessary to order three bottles (on sale, of course) just to get the free shipping.  A habit I can't break.  Free shipping is my raison d'être.

I was at a conference and there was a raffle.  Prizes were all the items I absolutely did not need -- toiletries, candles, Starbucks gift cards, trinkets -- so, of course, I won something.  Category trinket: A large butterfly pendant.  It's actually very cool and will be used.  (I was wearing my bumblebee locket when I won it, so insect jewelry is definitely usable.)

But here is where I post my confession.  I ordered something I absolutely, positively do NOT need.  Again, I needed $35 worth of merchandise for free shipping (that was easy) and the merchandise was sale fragrance.  Not only was it on sale, but drugstore.com had emailed an additional 20% off offer.  I've been nostalgic about old fragrances I'd worn in the past and they just happened to be available and cheap.  I used to wear Toujours Moi and one Christmas my family scoured the stores to buy up every Toujours Moi ceramic unicorn gift item.  I still have them and they're still in their boxes.  Yes, more saved items.  And I once wore Vanderbilt.  And British Sterling.

I miss those days when I could go into a drugstore and sniff the testers and buy gift sets of scents that were on sale for a song.  So I found a Dana gift set for under $10: Tabu, Chantilly, Navy and Toujours Moi.  I chose that over a larger sale set of Toujours Moi because I figured the bottles were tiny and there was more variety in the set.  If I hated the fragrances there was less fluid to feel bad about.  But I did end up with full-size bottles of British Sterling and Vanderbilt.  It's been years since I've smelled Navy and Chantilly and I don't remember wearing either one (well, maybe Chantilly...) but I'm just so curious to find out if I will find the scents as appealing as I did in the 70s and 80s.

Of course they could all be really awful and never be used, too!  And I didn't need that little bottle of Tabu that's in the set because I have a ton of the stuff!  A little goes a very long way...

But, truth be told, I'm looking forward to sniffing these.  I'll report my findings.

Anyone else have a confession?

[just bee]

Another confession.  I'm sitting here watching The Patriot and eating crunchy Cheetos.

ETA:

That would be the Mel Gibson film (2000) -- not the other films of the same name.

[aprilskies]

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@just bee wrote:

The desert willow produces many blossoms.  It does attract hummers.

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So beautiful though.

[aprilskies]

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@just bee wrote:

For those who follow the bird cams... we have the first barn owlet.

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yippee.  I try and check in once in awhile but, it never fails, no one is ever doing anything besides just sitting there.  Of course, I check in sometime in the morning, so they probably arent up and about yet.  LOL

[aprilskies]

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@just bee wrote:

Almost the end of the month and I've acquired some items.  I ordered some Paula's Choice facial cleanser -- a tried and true necessity -- but now I wonder if it was really necessary to order three bottles (on sale, of course) just to get the free shipping.  A habit I can't break.  Free shipping is my raison d'être.

I was at a conference and there was a raffle.  Prizes were all the items I absolutely did not need -- toiletries, candles, Starbucks gift cards, trinkets -- so, of course, I won something.  Category trinket: A large butterfly pendant.  It's actually very cool and will be used.  (I was wearing my bumblebee locket when I won it, so insect jewelry is definitely usable.)

But here is where I post my confession.  I ordered something I absolutely, positively do NOT need.  Again, I needed $35 worth of merchandise for free shipping (that was easy) and the merchandise was sale fragrance.  Not only was it on sale, but drugstore.com had emailed an additional 20% off offer.  I've been nostalgic about old fragrances I'd worn in the past and they just happened to be available and cheap.  I used to wear Toujours Moi and one Christmas my family scoured the stores to buy up every Toujours Moi ceramic unicorn gift item.  I still have them and they're still in their boxes.  Yes, more saved items.  And I once wore Vanderbilt.  And British Sterling.

I miss those days when I could go into a drugstore and sniff the testers and buy gift sets of scents that were on sale for a song.  So I found a Dana gift set for under $10: Tabu, Chantilly, Navy and Toujours Moi.  I chose that over a larger sale set of Toujours Moi because I figured the bottles were tiny and there was more variety in the set.  If I hated the fragrances there was less fluid to feel bad about.  But I did end up with full-size bottles of British Sterling and Vanderbilt.  It's been years since I've smelled Navy and Chantilly and I don't remember wearing either one (well, maybe Chantilly...) but I'm just so curious to find out if I will find the scents as appealing as I did in the 70s and 80s.

Of course they could all be really awful and never be used, too!  And I didn't need that little bottle of Tabu that's in the set because I have a ton of the stuff!  A little goes a very long way...

But, truth be told, I'm looking forward to sniffing these.  I'll report my findings.

Anyone else have a confession?

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I know, the free shipping gets me every time. I havent been able to master that one yet. Only in extreme cases will I pay for it. 

Your butterfly sounds nice and something that you will enjoy. It is great to win, I never win at those things.

LOL, confession, why, yes, yes I do.  Makeup and skincare.  Why, I dont know, but I figured I am going to forgive myself. Makeup, I am having fun with, I make it a point to use it more now. I still didnt need the new stuff but....   I think it is a way I deal with stress, it isnt ideal, but it is okay - for now. The one thing that ticks me off though is the skincare. I swore no more skincare until I use what I have and I was doing sooooo good this year.  But, the good part is the new additions are all in rotation, so I am happy about that. Overall though, my spending is still pretty decent compared to other years but I still have some work to do, ho hum.

Your fragrance collection sounds interesting. What a great thing to do - go back in time. I miss some of the older scents. I dont wear as much anymore but this is a neat thing to experiment with.  Let us know how it goes. 

Having a little fun with products and purchases is okay in my book.

I am not near retirement but I am ready. I am so tired of all the different personalities and all of the office politics. It is really draining.  Time to win the lotto, hehehehe, says the whole world.