Sillycone!

I have my quirks, my likes and dislikes, I’m sure you’ve heard a few of them around here. But have you ever wondered what sort of things I like when I’m not around the computer? You know, other than Harry Connick Jr., old movies, and uh, animals. Maybe just a little? Oh, good I thought you might!

I love incense. But, I’m not too fond of the kind that smokes up the whole room or smells like dirty feet / socks, etc. There is only one kind I have found that smells the same lit as it does in the package. CraftySteph’s Etsy Bazaar & Curiousity Shop - basically, if you don’t like incense, there is a good chance you might like Stephanie’s. Some of you might remember Stephanie’s blog, Mystickal Incense, which she stopped writing to focus more on her Etsy shop.

Stephanie’s incense is handmade, uses natural essential oils, and does not leave smoke hanging in the air, which in the past has always been my issue with incense. No one wants their house to look like a freaking opium den!

My current favorites scents are:

Lavender Lullabye - I swear this smells like a newborn after a bath, you know, after they have been rubbed down with that lotion that smells like heaven?

China Rain - The first thing Kate said was, “Oh my gosh! It DOES have a rain smell to it.” and it really does, like a light, spring rain. It’s kind of soft, delicate, kind of sexy, and has an overall clean smell to it. Not smokey at all.

Blackberry Sage - Is nice. Perfect, not too strong, not too heavy, just right. Not too fruity, not to spicy, it’s a little berry and a little woodsy in a great way.

Opium Type - this one is light, a hint of sweet, and an overall comforting scent, could almost be described as elegant.

And finally, Citronella. I bought this scent to burn on my deck in the evenings. It’s AWESOME. Actually seems to work better than citronella candles do. And, the smell? I happen to love it, so to me it smells like tea with honey and lemon. I plan on buying more to have burning on the patio for 4th of July.

To top off all of this scented goodness, Stephanie, the shop owner and incense producer, is the best. You won’t believe how quick her responses are and how much she actually cares about her customers. She’s got some of the best customer service going online today. And, if you aren’t into incense she also has candles and lots of other nifty things as well.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, Stephanie had no idea I was writing this. I was not approached to do a review. I actually remembered other people really liking her products (when she sold them through her blog and website) and searched until I found her at Etsy. I’ve placed several orders (SEVERAL) and her products and customer service is always consistent.

On Mother’s Day I received Orka 11" Silicone Oven Mitt - Red and SiliconeZone Grid Potholder, Red (aka, silicone version of the old hot pads our mom’s used to have). Crys asked me how I liked them because she had been considering getting some for herself. So, if you haven’t tested them out, uh, they are amazing. I was shocked at how well they work.

I found a good excuse to use them when my husband pulled a very hot loaf of sourdough bread (wrapped in foil) off of the grill. I wouldn’t have been able to slice it up without those mitts and I was really shocked to find that absolutely NO heat came through them AT ALL. And, I’ve burned myself slicing up hot sourdough bread bare handed.

I plan to throw out all my old mitts and hot pads and stick strictly with silicone. Next step, replacing all of my baking dishes with silicone. I have two cake pans already and I can’t believe how easy they are to bake in and clean up.

What’s In My Keg:

A wickedly awesome, seasonal Scottish Ale from Lengthwise. I highly recommend it. It has currently replaced their Centennial as my favorite beer. I’ll be bummed if the season ends before I’m tired of this. No citrus notes, which are nice because it seems like the citrus stuff is at the top of everyone’s tastes this time of year. It’s a little toasty, a little nutty, but still light and clean enough not to be a fall or winter beer. It’s not light, in fact, it has an awesome amber color, but it’s definitely not mud!