AmyJo

Hello dear everyone, Well, it looks like a big snowstorm is supposedly coming to the mid-Atlantic states tomorrow and Thursday... Here in the panhandle of West Virginia they are predicting more than a foot of snow... And Mag and Michele, it's headed your way! So could be interesting. Or, nothing will happen at all... All of your scents sound so beautiful. Mag, I'm glad that little Cannoli is doing better and I hope she will stop eating hair! Lol It's always something. You inspired me to melt Jack Frost from Nellie's Acres and I loved it. Michele, I'm so glad you had good weather for your drive by baby shower! Sharon, I'm sorry the weather has been so dreary in Wales. This is my last week at the plant and I am enjoying it. Yesterday was my virtual retirement celebration and it was short and quick as I had requested. It is tough enough with people writing sweet emails and calling... Too many goodbyes. I will miss everybody greatly. I'm working my way through two Advent calendars, Empire Alchemy and a collaborative one between Britta's Creepy Treasures and Rainbow Melts. Just about everything has been great and I'm really enjoying them. Tomorrow both of them have mint blends (yes, I peeked) and that seems perfect with the impending snowfall. I hope everybody has a beautiful night. Stay safe in the coming weather!!

Hello all! Good to see everyone! Sharon, that is indeed exciting that the vaccines are beginning to be given in the UK! And who better to receive one of the first jabs than William Shakespeare!! Do they have an idea when the bulk of the population will be vaccinated? I know you are enjoying that beautiful Darley Llama wax. Mag, ohhhh that Golden Willow melt sounds beautiful. How is it that I keep forgetting to order from her?? I certainly have not forgotten anybody else... Michele, your Palo Santo blend sounds perfect. I have really enjoyed getting to know that scent this year. I know you are getting very excited with the babies coming soon!! Maggie and Michele, I'm glad all the doggies are doing ok. They will get into everything and give us grey hairs, won't they?? I also found our beagle Georgia working on a cotton ball I had used to soak up some wax. She was none the worse for wear but I was on edge until the next day. Susan, your melts sound lovely! I love cranberry scents so much. I'm glad you got a dusting of snow - same in Ohio and West Virginia - so beautiful. Well I continue to work my way through the beautiful Empire Alchemy advent calendar and today it is: EA Pom Poms & Mittens - vanilla ambrette, Madagascar vanilla, lavender, and olibanum - started out very light but now it is filling the hotel room, very sweet and perfumey, very body care. It's pretty. Mag, thank you, there has been very little drama at work, so let's hope I can ride off into the sunset with that being true! This week has been going very well and I will start driving home at noon tomorrow. The way it stands now, one more business trip next week and then wrap it up WFH. We are going to have hardwood floors put in and that was delayed, thankfully, by the flooring people, due to illness in their family. We found out yesterday that they will start on our floors immediately after the new year. So not only am I greatly looking forward to this, but the timing is perfect to transition over into retirement. Over the holidays, I must declutter in earnest so we can move furniture back and forth more easily. Take care all and stay safe out there.

Mag, that's so scary and I'm happy that Cannoli seems herself again. Hopefully it was just too much excitement and she just needed some sleep. I am definitely ready for snow - parts of New England had 6" last night, jealous - so please send any snow you don't want to SW Ohio or NE West Va. Susan, hi! How is that Kringle candle throwing for you? Michele, that Peppermint Creme Noel sounds lovely! Today it's Scentsy Marshmallow Mint - absolutely gorgeous! - and it reminds me a lot of the Sonoma marshmallow mint candle, which wasn't available this year, so doubly happy. Back on the road tomorrow but this is the last two weeks of travel I will probably ever do for this kind of work. Take care all!! Stay safe!

(oh, I see a poker game in our future... And lol on forgetting the rules... I cannot play those games like bridge or euchre where you have to remember what everybody has played... Forget about it... Not happening) Yes on the Charlie Brown tree! We were living in Japan in 1978, and Christmas trees were not a thing in Japan at all back then... But we found one little shopkeeper near the Navy base, where there were a few pitiful trees he had chopped from somewhere... The one we got was only a few feet tall, and stuck out several feet on one side with nothing on the other... DH called it "the Christmas Bush" and we just put the bare side to the wall... Beautiful memories! (Have you?) The person below me has a special winter hat that she loves wearing.

Hello everyone, Well, that was a week. Busy in WV and then we had a job in Ohio yesterday... Lots of driving. So I am glad it's the weekend! Two more travel weeks... Mag, I'm so happy for you, that you will go back to teaching - I know you've missed it. Congratulations and I hope it's with a great group of colleagues. The little ones are so lucky to have you coming as their teacher. Michele, I'm sorry that the melting was making your daughter nauseous but yes, I remember some green moments during pregnancy so it's understandable! As for Wax Workshoppe, I thought they had lovely, strong wax but unfortunately they are OOB. Sharon, LOL, it's good to see you! I'm working my way through the Empire Alchemy Advent Calendar and the scents are so beautiful and strong. Today it's: EA Velveteen Plum - plum and pomegranate wine, fig, marshmallow fireside - and it's a juicy sweet plum with that biting fig balancing it out, and then the soft, sweet marshmallow fireside in the background. Very strong. Love! Yesterday's chai blend lasted 24 hours in a hot warmer. I have to clean up this house today! A little worse for wear. Take care all and stay safe!

(I don't know if they work, lol...I don't have one but I see them on IG with Baby Yoda riding on top... I'm sure Clementine would be pouncing on it.) Well, yes, I do love to play cards. I blame my father for this, as he taught me how to play poker from an early age. When I ran with the fire department, I used to deal poker at the yearly Fireman's Festival...that got interesting as people got drunker. But I am always up for a card game, not that I've played recently. (And you? I could foresee a girls' game for our wax troupe...). The person below me will plant some bulbs here shortly.

Hello everyone! Michele, I love this title! Busy week at work. It looks like I will travel through Dec 18 and then possibly WFH the last two weeks of the month. Mag, how did the Wax Workshoppe hold up over time? Michele, glad you're enjoying Teddie Bees! I don't dare look over there. Well I'm not melting much this week due to work, but I'm enjoying the Empire Alchemy Advent Calendar very much. Today was: Simmering Potpourri - orange, clove, cinnamon, tangerine - smells like a pomander ball and it was blowing me out of the hotel room this morning. Gorgeous spiced holiday scent. Take care all!

(Haha!! I love your dad's remote aerial adjustor, that's just awesome! Same at our house growing up - PBS was the excitement. As for cable...don't get me started on the noise, noise, noise from the idiot box...) In fact I do own a baby Woodwick candle, in Evergreen! I like their little cracking sounds. (And you?) The person below me owns a Roomba.

Mag that's amazing that your EA melt lasted so long!! I agree with your though - they do benefit from a good cure... And yes -- I am tempted by their sale tonight, but I have SO MUCH from this vendor already...I haven't hit any other sales, but I did pick up a few BBMB from Scentsy (Marshmallow Mint, anyone? ). I still might see you over at EA later... So very tempting.... happy hunting!!!

Hello all! Susan, Michele, it's good to see you both! Your melts sound delicious. We also had a quiet Thanksgiving, very tasty, ordered in with plenty of leftovers. Today it's: Scentsy Winterberry Apple Tea, slightly spiced and delicious. Up The Creek Coffee Marshmallow Bread, oh my goodness, different and delicious. Enjoy the long weekend if you are off and everybody stay safe! I will be traveling this week. One month to go.

Good morning all! Mag - LOLOL - yes I love Clorox in wax! Ugh that one was rough. That's amazing that EA Yosemite has been going since Saturday...I love that scent. What is the wattage in that melter? Michele, that VCS coffee blend sounds lovely and I'm really enjoying coffee scents now that it is colder outside. Well my Kae's Iced Cranberry went strong for 24 hours and I needed a change - still had scent in it, beautiful. This morning it's: Nana Makes Scents Christmas Elf Treats - marzipan, berry, cinnamon, clove, tonka bean -beautiful scent, nice balance between the almond and the berry, and not too heavily spiced. I wish it had lasted a bit longer but that was lovely. And Ava's Country Cupboard Snow Day - similar to BBW Vanilla Balsam, beautiful. I got caught in a rainstorm during my walk this morning and came home soaked, so I am still warming up. Have a great day everyone.

In reruns, yes - we are binge-watching NCIS, again, on Netflix. Otherwise, no because we don't watch network TV at all. We don't have cable, just Roku, and although we have a small antenna that we can use for network TV, it is a bit of a pain to put it up in the window. (DH loves TV and I don't, so anything that makes it more difficult is fine by me... Mean Girls, I realize...) The person below me has written a poem.

(thank you - no news yet but she is tough!) I'm afraid my wood-chopping days are over... We have a small fire pit and we just buy a small stack of wood locally. *wimpy wimpy wimpy* The person below me wakes up in the middle of the night and reads.

Hello everyone! Michele, I'm so happy that the wedding went well and that the weather cooperated. Your pictures on IG were absolutely beautiful! The VCS Palo Santo and Cashmere Birch blend sounds beautiful. Susan, very frustrating about the non-mask compliance... With the vaccines sounding very positive, if everyone can be a bit patient and help one another, we'll get through this thing... Take care my friend. The Citrus Seagrass sounds like a welcome break from all the pumpkin of late! Mag, I'm glad the bulk melting idea is helping to get through some of the older bags. I'm trying to discipline myself to purchase smaller quantities... Your CFOW Tea & Cakes melt sounds wonderful, again a nice changeup from the heavier fall scents. Well this morning I had a cranberry tart that smelled like Clorox so I switched to a different one, with great success: Kae's Iced Cranberry - Sweet Cranberry, apple, and vanilla - BBW dupe and it's fabulous and strong. And Homeworx White Birch candle, under the lamp - White Birch, fir balsam, and fresh air - There are no words for how much I love this one, one of my favorite winter scents and filling the house beautifully. And Up the Creek Scents Zucchini Jelly Donut Sugar Cookies- Oh. My. Goodness. I never knew I loved zucchini bread and this is just so delicious. I could make a meal... Not killer sweet, just a mouthful of wonderfulness, so tasty, and thankfully I have three more scent shots of this because the bags are gone on the website. I ordered it on a whim, because I've been ordering lots of things on a whim, and ohhhhhh. I'm WFH but it's pretty quiet. Traveling the next two weeks and that may be it. Hugs all around! Stay safe.

Michele!!! Take lots of pictures!!!

Michele, we are thinking about you and your family today and celebrating with you virtually. CONGRATULATIONS to your younger daughter and her groom-to-be!!

(yes... no get-together this year for us either, with our son's friends...one of the elder parents is ill... scared for her) I love, love, love going to the ocean in the winter... When we lived on Long Island we used to frequently go to Northport or Montauk and walk... It's so clear and beautiful and quiet without all the summer hubbub. I miss that very much. The person below me is seeing lots of migrating birds these days.

Hello dear all, Mag...I am dying here..."I must have a plan that even I don't know about..."...I think that's the best expression of our addiction that I've ever heard!! LMAO Good to hear that the Nellie's Acres bags seem to be ok... Who knows why that one scent misbehaved...I love her tarts so much and so far they are very strong for me. Thank you for that because I was scrambling to buy new bags! And yes, speaking of unknown wax planning, just when I was seeing a little dent, I caved and bought a massive Rainbow Melts destash from a buddy on Instagram. It is an absolutely beautiful assortment of fall scents, all less than a year old - just when I was almost completely through all of my fall wax - and I am thrilled with it, but.... not a moment's respite to take a breath. Michele, I melted another of the bags you so kindly gave me and enjoyed it very much under the lamp... See, our plan is working, we can get through these older bags!! Frost yesterday and 60F today...I don't know how to dress... Each day I hand more work over to my successor...I am liking this retirement stuff, from the day job at least. Getting excited for the next chapter. Working on lots of new music and this is very satisfying. Take care all! Hugs all around!

Fall leaves give me chills, they are so beautiful, and I love them all. If I had to pick a favorite, I guess it would be the red maple... especially in New England, where it seems like the tree is lit from inside. The person below me wants to change up the Thanksgiving menu this year.

Hello everyone! Well I'm not sure where these days are going... November is flying by. The summer seemed to drag, but now, whoosh. Everybody's scents sound so beautiful! It has been a lot of pumpkin around here, and some beautiful scents, but I do need to mix it up a bit. Mag, I'm with you - the Christmas scents are probably my most favorite of all. I started a pine one yesterday - couldn't hold out any longer - and it made me so happy. Maybe I will change out the NA bags of you think those aren't right, yikes! Michele, your family must be getting so excited, with the babies coming! What a joyful thing to look forward to! Susan, your melts sound wonderful. I hope your colleagues are being extra cautious with masks! Well I needed a change from pumpkin so it's: Up The Creek Scents Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - I was unaware of this scent but many people were raving about it on YouTube so I grabbed a tub - spectacular. Salted caramel, pistachio, and vanilla - but I can't say I can pick out any of those notes... It smells like something entirely different. It's not heavy at all and really delightful. Stay safe everybody!!

SCD...I should know this... Sugared Cinnamon Donut? Salted Caramel Decadence? *help Mag* So tonight it's: Sonoma Marshmallow Candy Cane candle - under the lamp - this is my most favorite minty candle and was sent as a gift - it's not overly sweet and the marshmallow is just so creamy. Perfection! I'm so happy to have this because Kohl's didn't issue it again this year and now they are recalling half a million candles due to high flame issues. But under the lamp - gorgeous. As for Clemmie....lol, she pays her staff nothing, hunts not at all, is a picky eater, interferes with my typing on the computer, shreds parts of the furniture, and makes deposits of an unmentionable odor, so one might argue, why is she here? All she is good for is her enthusiastic, un-catlike greeting when we come through the door...her sweet warmth in my lap...the raspiness of her whiskers as she rubs her face against mine...and the trusting depths of those great green eyes. I guess she can stay. I hope everyone has a lovely night. Stay safe all!

Oh yes! I am always ready for snow. There have been pics on IG of folks in MN with snow on the ground and I am so jealous. I've seen several different woolly worms, with differing amounts of black versus brown fur, so no clue what the weather holds for Ohio! The person below me uses a particular type of bread for French Toast.

Good morning all, Haha Mag! I also have some wax tucked away in the coffee table now.... We do what we have to do! As for numbers of orders...I think I ordered 7 times from EA... It's a sickness.... I'm glad the Bunny Sisters blend worked for you and I'm right there with you on the PPW.... Seem to be tolerating it better this year, though. I love all the pumpkin scents except the heavy caramels but I do need a break. Michele, that Destination Wax Lavender Sugar Cookie is one of my faves! That's one I will buy over and over. You've done such a good job with reorganizing and slowing down the orders. Well today it's: BH&G Pumpkin Lemon Shortbread - really delicious and good throw. Rainbow Melts Pumpkin Caramel Crunch Cookie - it's strong and delicious but I can't go too long with the caramel, just not my fave. Very very very very sweet. Well two mice were caught, and now two days of nothing in the traps, so I am encouraged. Clemmie continues to be oblivious. Her staff is taking care of things and that's what counts. Have a lovely day all! Frost on the pumpkin this morning - 30 F. Ahhhhhhhhh!

I do not rake leaves at all...I let them lie... My belief is that they are nature's natural mulch and I guess I am very stubborn about this. They seem to serve our bushes well so this is my story and I'm sticking with it. However I do love being outside in any capacity and enjoy walking through the crunchy leaves... The person below me throws away almost all of the snail mail which comes every day.

Hello all and Happy Monday, Summer has returned and I have all the windows open - WFH today and then traveling early tomorrow to Lima, Ohio, which at only three hours' drive will seem like a hop, skip and jump. I see people putting up their Christmas decorations but gee whiz, it's 76 F so I'm having trouble imagining Santa and the sleigh. Hopefully the cooler weather will return soon. Susan, if you are imagining yourself chopping, this must mean loaves have arrived? Details please! Mag, that huge candle sounds so beautiful with the black and gold, and beautiful sentiment. And you say your "latest" order of 1803... How many were there, did you say? If you tell, I will share how many Empire Alchemy orders there were in the last few months... Michele, well done, you've got it all organized!! That must feel so good. Now you know what's what. You've got this. It seems like we've all slowed down again which is really good (for the moment anyway). And very smart to finish the brittles with just a little left. Well today it's: The Bunny Sisters The Evil Dead - woods & earth, Olive Branch, shaving cream - I love this - The shaving cream and Olive Branch are strongest. Nice and fresh and not cologney or evil in any way. We had a mouse in the house - the fields were just harvested and the little creatures have nowhere to go - and I'm here to report that it has been caught and dispensed along the back fence. I hope the word is out to all his cousins and friends. Clemmie is useless in this regard. She used to be a good mouser, but it has been a long time since one came in the house, and she is far too pampered and doted upon now to be required to work. That is all I know - take care all - enjoy the beautiful weather if you've got it - and stay safe. Hugs to all!