Time...

"Time is the longest distance between two places."

(Tennessee Williams)

Stick together

"When you go out into the world,

it is best to hold hands and stick together."

(Robert Fulghum)

A new kind of mixology

I am a HUGE fan of custom items: custom iPhone covers, custom backsplashes, and...custom fragrances!  I highly recommend paying scents n' suds a visit.  This hole in the wall store at Ansley Mall (corner of Piedmont and Monroe) has been in business for over 35 years.  I go to yoga at the Ansley Mall LA Fitness every Monday and occassionally go into scents n' suds to smell their yummy perfumes and candles.  After failing at an attempt to create my own scent a few years ago (it ended up smelling like baby powder) at a different store, I decided to give it another try. 

The owner, Michael Weed, is extremely knowledgeable about fragrance.  He spent about 30 minutes with me and was very helpful and patient while I decided what I wanted.  He explained to me that it usually works best to pick 3 different oils which work as a base, middle, and top notes.  It felt like science class as we decided on the exact formula for my new scent. 

Michael uses essential oils instead of alcohol unlike most perfume manufacturers.  Perfume and/or eau de toilette typically contain about 70-90% alcohol, so you are paying top dollar for something that costs less than $1 in a drug store.  Instead, I recommend you go see Michael at scents n' suds and pay just $25 to create your own perfume.  Once you decide the formula you want to use, the process only takes about 5 minutes.  For $25, you get 1/3 oz. in a rollerball bottle which is perfect to tuck in your purse and use when you are on the go.  You can also get other sizes and different types of containers.  The hardest part was deciding which scents to use-he has every scent imaginable.  I am quite happy with my recipe and love how it is light and lasting at the same time. 

A fun idea would be to go in and create a custom fragrance for a special occassion such as a wedding.  Why not combine a few scents that both you and your future husband both like?  Maybe you took a trip to Provence together, and the smell of lavender brings back fond memories.  Or, perhaps he always brings you roses, and their scent is special to both of you.  You can even name your own scent if you want.  How fun is that?  But of course you don't need a special occassion to create your own fragrance.  Every day warrants putting on your custom scent and enjoying it throughout the day.  Michael can also mix your new fragrance into lotion, shower gel, bubble bath, you name it.  The possibilities are endless.  As the seasons change, you can go back to the store and have Michael add a spicier scent for fall or a lighter and more floral oil for spring. 

For more information on scents n' suds, go to: http://scentsnsudsstore.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.  The Web site doesn't list all of the available oils, so you should just visit the store.  Happy mixing!

Rain, rain don't go away!

I always stop and stare at the huge rain barrels outside of Whole Foods and think to myself, "If I ever live in a house, I am going to have one of those."  I just think they are super cool!  What a great and easy way to go green.  They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find the right one for you and your needs.  According to www.simplyrainbarrels.com, the average homeowner will see a reduction between 30-70% in their monthly water bill when they implement a rain harvesting system.  WOW!  With the extremely high cost of water in the city of Atlanta and other areas across the country, this could mean major savings. 

Go to http://www.simplyrainbarrels.com/rain-barrels/?show=all to check out the different options (my favorite is pictured above).  Since rain water is naturally pure and fresh, it can be used for a multitude of purposes including gardening, watering your lawn, and washing your car. 

Here is some more important information on water usage from www.simplyrainbarrels.com:

Water is a scarce resource that is essential for our existence and our supplies are increasingly coming under pressure. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh and less than a third of 1% of this is available to humans. A typical household uses over 650 liters of water every day. This equates to around 240,000 liters (or 5 average sized swimming pools) each year! Up to half the water supplied to household ends up as waste water. The main uses of water at an average home are:
1. Watering the garden and other outside uses (35% or 94,500 liters per year)
2. Flushing toilets (20% or 54,000 liters per year)
3. Showers, bathing and the bathroom (20% or 54,000 liters per year)
4. Laundry use, washing clothes (15% or 40,500 liters per year)
5. Dishwashing and the kitchen (10% or 27,000 liters per year)

If you live in a house, please consider investing in a rain barrel.  It will save you money and help conserve one of our most precious resources.  If you are like me and don't live in a house, do your part by only running your dishwasher and washing machine when it is full (or changing the setting to the lowest/lightest load), taking shorter showers, and not leaving the water running when you brush your teeth.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!  I hope you enjoy your weekend...it's a jungle out there.

Is age really just a number?

As my 30th birthday approaches (December 31, 2010), I often find myself thinking a lot about age and what that number implies.  Doing so causes me to pose the question: Is age really just a number?

At the end of the day, I think that age is a mix of the following factors:

1) You are as old as you feel.
2) You are as old as you look.
3) You are as old as you act.
4) Your life experiences denote your age.
5) Age is arbitrary and means nothing.

Age can really confuse me sometimes.  I see 50-year-old women who dress and act like 22 year olds, and I see 16-year-old girls who look like they are 35.  Personally, sometimes I act like I am 13 (http://cestlaviebyelle.blogspot.com/2008/12/13-going-on-30.html), and other times 25 years of ballet make my body feel like I am 75.  I find myself having crushes on 22-year-olds and guys in their 40s all at the same time.  How is this possible?  What does all of this mean? 

I do know that too much makeup can really age you, baking in the sun and/or smoking will make you look 50 when you are 35, and getting enough sleep should make you feel just right.  I think it can get tricky when we are not where we thought we would be in life at a certain age.  For instance, I always thought I would be married with children at 29.  As He always does, God had other plans for my life, so I am trusting that He knows what is best for me at every age.  I guess all we can do is forge ahead with the confidence that we are exactly where we should be whether that is 13, 30, or 73.

Some bunny will love you

A great way you can go green is by using products that have not been tested on animals.  PETA has composed a "Don't Test" list, so you can see which companies do not test on animals.  Go to http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf to view the list; it starts on page 2.  I was surprised at how many large, well-known companies made the list, so please support them. 

J'adore Paris!

"Paris is always a good idea."

(Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina)

Not so secret garden

A great way to save money and go green is to have your own garden.  I live in a high-rise building, so I am unable to do this.  But, I love admiring and enjoying the fresh produce from other people's gardens.  I don't know very much about gardening, but there are tons of online resources that can teach you how to do it.  I have dreams of owning a house with a yard one day (or even just a cool townhouse with some outdoor space) and having my very own garden filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. 

By planting your own fruits and vegetables, you are saving money and the environment.  If you are like me and don't have the ability to have your own garden, you can support local gardeners and farmers by shopping at farmer's markets.  Atlanta has multiple farmer's markets throughout the year, so check one out.  If you do garden and have excess produce, flowers, or herbs, feel free to share the love and bring some to me.  Happy gardening!

Isn't she lovely?

"I believe in colors. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

(Audrey Hepburn)

Dear all stylists...

Dear all stylists who will be cutting my hair in the future,

You don't know me yet, but I assure you we will become either great friends or even greater enemies.  If you screw up my hair when you cut it, my friends and family will have to listen to me complain about it for months on end...and no one wants to hear about my hair anymore.  The easy solution to ensure this never happens again is to simply LISTEN to what I say and DO IT. 

If I ask for a trim, you are under strict order to cut no more than 1 inch from my hair.  You see, I spend months growing my hair out, and I get extremely angry when you cut more than 1 inch off my hair.  It makes all my patience and careful treatment of my hair seem pointless.  Doing this is an easy way to make me really dislike you.

If I ask for subtle layers, do not cut my hair in two distinct lengths.  My hair is extremely thick and curly, and all it takes is some bad layers to really screw it up and make me look like Medusa. 

The only time that you are allowed to disagree with me about how to cut my hair is if I ask you to cut it really short.  My hair needs to be longer, so don't let me cut it all off even though it is 98 degrees outside, and I am melting.  That's why God invented ponytails.

One more thing, if I am paying you to cut my hair, you better blow dry it straight.  I don't care if you have someone waiting, they can wait.  One of the perks of going to a nice salon is having a salon blowout. 

Are we on the same page?  The happiness of my circle of trust depends on it, so we better be.

Yours truly,

Elle

Pools, lakes, & beaches-oh my!

While you unwind at the pool, lake, and beach this summer, don't forget that you can still recycle your aluminum, glass, and paper products.  I know it can be inconvenient to do so, but it is a great way to go green and help keep our earth clean.  All you have to do is bring a smaller bag for your recyclables and keep it separate from the trash you will be throwing away.  I do this when I go to the pool, and it is quite easy.  Also, I know that it is tempting to pack food and snacks in plastic bags, but why not use reusable containers instead?  It saves money and our beautiful planet at the same time.  Don't forget the sunscreen, and you should be all set!

Total Eclipse of the heart

(c) Summit Entertainment

The thing I love about the Twilight series is that people of all ages love it.  When I went to see New Moon last November, we stood in line behind two (much older) grandmas...literally.  They said that their grandchildren got them into it, and they are huge fans now.  How fun is that?  Ladies (and some guys) from ages 10-100 continue to fall under the spell of the series.  I love that I can discuss the movies and books with just about anyone. 

I had the priviledge of seeing Eclipse the day before it came out (thanks Lacy!) and loved people watching while waiting for the movie to start.  Women of all shapes, ages, and demographics flocked to see their favorite characters onscreen.  We all ooed and awed as the story unfolded before us.  I felt like we were all in it together, and that thought makes me smile.  I imagine this is what sports enthusiasts feel like when they watch a game.  Now, I realize that sports has nothing to do with feuding vampires and werewolves, but I think the bonding factor is quite similar.  A love of something brings people together for a common cause who might not normally interact in life. 

For all your Twilight haters out there, give it a rest.  I don't care what you do for fun and entertainment in your spare time, so let me do what I want to do.  I'm getting sick and tired of hearing criticism for things that I like to do in my free time.  I don't care if you are 30+ and still play video games, as long as you don't make me play them with you.  I wish we could all just agree to disagree and do what makes us happy.  For some, that is watching sports, playing computer games, or reading books.  And for a lot of us, it's getting lost in a fun, silly, and enchanting love story between an average girl and a beautiful, powerful vampire.