My Top Ten Beauty Pet Peeves

 MY TOP TEN BEAUTY PET PEEVES

 If you follow me on Facebook (which, by the way, you should if you'd ever like to chit chat with all of us over there!), then you know that I sometimes post status updates expressing my frustrations (aka rants) about beauty and other things in life.

 
So this post was actually born of a few status updates I did a while back, which received lots of "likes," meaning that many of you seem to share the same types of frustrations (soooo glad I'm not alone in my misery!). So here are the things that tend to the bug me the most when it comes to the wonderful world of beauty:

Number 10

Having to sneeze immediately after applying mascara. 

Number 9

Having perfectly clear skin on days when no one sees me. Why do I always get a blemish (or three) on a day when I have an important engagement or meeting or have to have my photo taken?

Number 8

Getting a chip on a manicure that I really wanted to keep perfect for just one day.

Number 7

Turning my favorite shampoo/conditioner/body wash upside down in the shower so that the very last drops go to the top of the bottle so that I can get just one more application. And then getting in the shower the next day to discover that I didn't quite click the lid closed all the way. 

Number 6

Realizing I just ran out of makeup remover towelettes on the exact night when I'm just too tired/lazy/cold to stand at the sink and properly wash my face.

Keep reading to see my top five beauty pet peeves...

There has to be a limit to this....

I was a tween once. I get it. My very first celebrity crush was Shaun Cassidy, and I was eight years old. For those of you too young to remember Shaun Cassidy, he was a SUPER popular singer and actor in the late 70s and well, um, he looked A LOT like Justin Bieber:

Same doe eyes, same side-swept bangs, same delicate look about him. So really, I get it. I totally understand "Bieber Fever" because I swear if you asked me when I was eight or nine or ten years old, I would have told you that I'd love Shaun Cassidy until the end of time and nothing would ever change that.

But there has to be a line somewhere that should never be crossed. And I think I just found that line. Justin Bieber nail polish? I mean, seriously?

Nicole by OPI is set to release the "One Less Lonely Girl" collection this February and, according to Glamour.com it will include the following six shades:

One Less Lonely Glitter (pale purple), Prized Possession Purple (grape), Give Me The First Dance (silver), Me + Blue (metallic blue), OMB! (metallic red), and Step 2 the Beat of my Heart (heart shaped specks).

Something tells me that even my ten-year-old-self, back in 1980, would have screamed, "You've got to be kidding!" if the powers-that-be were to have released a Shaun Cassidy Nail Polish Collection. The main reason I say this is because, it just doesn't feel right to release a line of nail polish based on a kid who probably doesn't care, or know a thing about nail polish (this is just my own assumption and I could definitely be wrong).

I'll play devil's advocate here and say, "Well, it's the songs that are inspiring the nail polish shades." Um, ok? Do you automatically think of pretty colors to adorn your nails when you hear a Justin Bieber song? Maybe you do! I don't, but maybe I'm in the minority here. Heck, I don't think of pretty nail colors when I see clips of Gossip Girl, but I understand a Gossip Girl nail color collection way more than I do a Justin Bieber nail polish collection.

Or maybe I'm just officially too old to "get it" at all.

Am I wrong here? Do you think this is a bit too much? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this most-pressing matter!

I still can't believe I actually spent money on these...

I've seen a few nail bloggers talk about the least favorite polishes in their stash and, for some odd reason, I've found that I enjoy seeing the colors people hate almost as much as seeing the colors people love. I can't explain why, but I just find it totally fascinating.

If you're like me, then you're really going to enjoy this post. I dug through my 100+ bottle stash and selected the top 8 polishes that I absolutely despise in my collection. They make me angry, they make me sad, and they make me say: "I cannot believe I actually paid money for that."

Let's start with number 8:

Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day Nail Color in Strong Blush

Strong Blush? Could this name be any less creative? Anyway, this color actually looks prettier in photos than it does on my nails. It's super sheer and, because it's just so blah to me, I think I wore it once and decided it just wasn't worth the trouble to ever use again.

Number 7:

Ten Nail Polish in Bronze

Not quite brown, not quite gold, and surprisingly not quite bronze, Bronze is pretty uneventful and manages to make my hands looks even paler than they already are. I'm sure this color would look nice on someone, but just not me. Luckily, Ten polishes are a dollar store staple, so I didn't blow a lot of money on this.

Coming in at number 6:

Maybelline Foreverstrong + Iron in Mighty Mauve

OK first of all, where's the mauve here? This is a plain ol' berry-red and it makes me yawn every time I see it. Nothing special or even remotely interesting about this shade, and I dislike it so much I didn't even care that this photo was blurry.

At number 5 we have:

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Nourishing Nail Color in Starlet

One thing's for certain: you'd be hard-pressed to find an actual starlet wearing this shade. It's frosty, it's streaky, and it's a dated shade of pink that would make even pink nail polish fanatics recoil in disgust.

Number 4:

Essie Brick Oven

OK, just look at my ring finger. What did I ever find enticing about this color? And to think that I paid a lot of money for it, to boot! WHAT was I thinking? I mean really.

Number 3:

mark, set, shine rapid action nail color in Rosetronique

I bought this polish many years ago (1999, I think) when a former colleague first introduced me to mark. I thought the tiny bottles were so cute (this bottle is literally about the width of a Sharpie pen) and thinking back now, I believe this was my very first metallic polish. Looking at it now (on my middle finger) I can totally understand why I was scared of metallics for a very long time afterward. This polish was thick and goopy even back then, and look at those brush marks! Eeesh. And what the heck does "rapid action" mean, anyway? Is this polish supposed to make you paint your nails in fast-forward speed or something? lol!

Number 2:

L'Oreal Shock Proof Nail Color in Sheer Moonberry

I bought this in the 90s and even THEN it was out of style. Maybe it was the allure of the 99-cent price tag? Who the heck knows, but I was in such a hurry to paint this color on my finger today that I didn't care that there was black gunk on my nail (residue from a leaky black polish from years ago). I could not be bothered to remove this rust/tan/orange trainwreck and start over again. And really, Sheer MOONBERRY? Does anyone think of this shade when they hear the words "moon" or "berry"?

And the polish I hate the very most out of all the polishes I own:

Ruby Kisses Neon Green

What you see on my pinky nail is a result of FIVE coats of Neon Green. I bought this polish last year and I was so very excited to have a bright, cherry green creme in my collection. But noooooo. This is deceptively sheer and no matter how many coats I use, it never, ever matches the shade in the bottle. And to add insult to injury, it dries to a matte finish, and it chips like crazy. So it's not even worth layering over a more opaque shade! This color sucks so much that I want to throw it against the wall every time I see it.

So there you have it: the eight most despised polishes in my collection. You may be asking yourself why I'm still holding on to these polishes and unfortunately, I don't have a good answer for you. I just can't seem to throw polishes away, no matter how awful.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and please feel free to bash some polishes of your own in the comments. I would LOVE to read all about the colors in your stash that make you angry just to look at them!

PS: I'm so sorry that I'm behind on responding to comments from the past few days. I hope to get caught up over the weekend, so thank you for your patience. This week has been a little crazy for me.

Would a punk rock gorilla with snot coming out of his nose make you buy this hair gel?

Living in a border town has amazing benefits, such as access to wonderful people, cultural events, food(!), art, and...beauty products. Living close to the border has its advantages in terms of the vast array of Mexican beauty products that can easily be found at my local drugstores (deliciously-scented products by Grisi and Vanart immediately come to mind).

I was at my local Walmart yesterday when this rather unique display for a new Mexican hair gel line caught my eye:

Moco de Gorila Styling Gel (English translation: Gorilla Snot Styling Gel)

I have to be honest, at first I giggled, and then I kind of grossed out. But then again, I'm probably not the target demographic for this line (nowhere near it, I'm sure!) and I had to wonder if the average teenage boy might say, "Oh cool!" when he sees this in the haircare aisle.  

For me, it's kind of gross, yet so bizarre that I'm oddly drawn to it.  I had to open a bottle to see the product for myself, and it's a pretty thick, goopy gel that smells sweet and fruity.

In case you want more details, Moco de Gorila comes in three different strengths:

 Strong Hold 

 (See how this gorilla is kind of conservative and has his studious glasses on?)

 Mega Hold

(Uh oh. The glasses are off and he's rocking some piercings.)

Extreme Hold

(He's a full blown punk rocker now with a raging red Mohawk. This guy means business!)

See what I mean? It's kinda cute, kinda gross, kinda bizarre, and totally unique, right? I could easily see the snot-theme in candy (in fact, I think I've seen something similar to this manufactured by a US candy maker but it was in the form of edible candy "ear wax"--eeeeew!) but I don't think I've ever seen the "gross-out" concept applied to haircare products before. Have you?  As always, I'd love to know what you (or your 13-year-old teenage son, neighbor, cousin, etc.) think of Moco de Gorila!

Seven Random Facts

A lot of bloggers have been doing this tag lately so I think it's time I chimed in (if I remember correctly I did a similar tag in the past, but it was a long time ago so why not disclose a few more random facts, right?). Also, thanks so much to the bloggers who have personally tagged me for this one!

1. I've said it before but I have to say it again: I'm a HUGE Lost fan. I have every season on DVD and have watched every episode over 20 times (pathetic, I know). I read every Lost blog out there, and I lurk on several Lost message boards and I think Lostpedia is better than Wikipedia (not really but you get the point). And even though I read Lost spoilers for season 6 on a daily basis, the best part about Lost is that, the more spoilers you hear, the MORE confused you get. Spoilers aren't really spoilers in the Lost universe.

2. I have a huge crush on Paul Rudd.

3. I have a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and I minored in Film Studies.

4. I love every vegetable EXCEPT for Brussels sprouts.

5. I am ashamed of my addictions to celebrity gossip and reality TV.

6. I am over-the-moon excited and thrilled by the news that Soundgarden is reuniting.

7. One of my goals in life is to someday attend the Lebowski Fest.

If you have a blog, consider yourself tagged (if you haven't already done this one). And if you don't have a blog but would like to contribute, I would LOVE to see your seven random facts in the comments! :)

My blog is The Worst Beauty Blog Ever!

I received an interesting comment today on the "My Dance with the CVS scanner" post I wrote recently, and I really wanted to share it with you:

Anonymous said...

I think that you have never worked in retail, otherwise you wouldn't criticize the hourly workers who are paid a pittance to label each and every product in the beauty department while dealing with picky, demanding scavengers like yourself. The employees are not LAGGING, as you say. They are overworked, underpaid, and probably had no one in the store to affix the stickers because the register had to be manned at the front of the store to ring up beauty looters like yourself. SO before you criticize "lagging" CVS employees, remember that most make minimum wage and have to support families in a recession on $8 bucks an hour, all so you can get tingly about your "score."

In addition, the clearance items are DISCONTINUED to make room for the new items, so why stock up on items that will never again be available?

I am sure you will be one of those rude customers who shouts at the hapless cashier for the inaccurate register scan. Yet you relish low prices in a drugstore for your own selfish means.

Worst beauty blog I have ever read.

I'd like to take this opportunity to respond to this anonymous blogger. Many of you are probably going to say, "Why bother?" or "Just delete posts like that" but I am all for free speech, and if you've got something negative to say here, I'm MORE than willing to give you a thoughtful response.

So here I go, dear Anonymous commenter:

First of all, when I said that CVS employees may be "lagging" when it comes to affixing stickers to the clearance products, I never meant for anyone to interpret that negatively. I lag on doing important tasks on a daily basis, and I also understand that when someone "lags" on a task, it doesn't mean that they don't have very good reasons which cause them to "lag". You're painting a picture that is just not true. I don't think the CVS employees are sitting around doing nothing when they could be affixing clearance stickers to products. I clearly understand that they have other things that need to be done, so when I said "lag" I simply meant that they have not gotten to this task yet.

I take personal offense to the fact that you think I am a "picky" "scavenger" who has no empathy or sympathy for hardworking, underpaid employees. Several members of my family are the hardworking, underpaid employees of which you speak. And I also think it's quite an assumption to make on your part to assume I have no experience in retail, or that I may come from a privileged background and don't know what it's like to work hard for your paycheck. I've worked many a retail job in my life and if you were to ask ANYONE who knows me, you'd know that I have more empathy than a lot of people out there when it comes to people who work hard at jobs that earn them little to no recognition monetarily or otherwise.

Just the other day, at CVS, I asked a gentleman to get off his cell phone while paying for his purchases because it was hard for the cashier to speak to him. After that gentleman left, I told the cashier that he had the patience of a saint, and that I really wished people remembered that he was a human being who is performing a SERVICE for YOU. No matter what your job, nobody deserves to be treated like a robot. I get upset on a daily basis when I see the utter lack of respect that people give their friendly Starbucks employees, gas station attendants, grocery store cashiers, etc. It truly makes me sick. We are all human and everyone deserves to be treated with respect and decency, regardless of occupation or social standing. Period. End of story.

And because I am NOT rich (not even close), what's so bad about getting, as you call it, "tingly" at scoring a bargain? Honestly, I would really like to know what you find offensive about that! Should I demand to pay full price for everything? If you were looking for a beauty blog that only talks about high-end products, then you really did come to the wrong place. I will continue to get "tingly" about scoring bargains forever, precisely because I was one of the people you mentioned in your comment. And when I get that tingly feeling, it is NEVER at the expense of others. In fact, the entire reason I started this blog was because I want hard-working women out there to get that tingly feeling right alongside me. I'm trying to HELP people who don't have a lot of money (myself certainly included), which is something you obviously missed while perusing Nouveau Cheap.

Regarding your statement about the products on clearance at CVS being discontinued, WE ALL KNOW THAT. Which is precisely why we want to STOCK UP! If you love something and you know you'll never be able to find it again, doesn't it make sense to buy a few so that you can enjoy the product for as long as possible?

As for you declaring that this is the "worst beauty blog you have ever read", well you are certainly entitled to your opinion. Believe me, I realize that Nouveau Cheap is not for everyone, but that's the great thing about the internet. If beauty on a budget is not your cup of tea, there are a million different blogs out there to suit your needs.

But one thing I really want to stress is that, for someone who tries to come across as compassionate for the hard-working person, you seem very full of anger and bitterness, which you have directed toward me. It's ironic that you've chosen me to unleash on, given my background, understanding and the deep respect that I have, and have always had, for the people who are stuggling to stay afloat by working honest jobs for low wages. Man, if you only knew...

I'm tired of even attempting to try and defend myself here, so I'll stop now because I highly doubt you will even read this. But if you do, I welcome your response.

Sincerely,
The Recessionista

PS: And how dare you call me a "beauty looter"! I have never looted anything in my life. Sure, I'm guilty of digging through bargain bins to find good deals, but I PAY for those deals with my hard-earned money.

While I'm away for my birthday...

Hello my lovely readers! I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow is my birthday, so for the first time ever, I am going to make all comments left on my blog for approval (i.e. if you leave a comment it will not be visible until I approve it). This will only last for one day, and then on Monday all will go back to normal! I don't plan on being anywhere near my computer or Blackberry tomorrow so that's why I'm doing it. :)

In the meantime, please enjoy the two lengthy reviews I posted today for Palladio and White Sands, and please feel free to poke around in my archives if you'd like more Nouveau Cheap.

Until I get back, let me offer you this awesome montage of love scenes from classic 80s teen movies (I found this while I was searching for my favorite "birthday" movie moment on youtube, which is the ending scene of Sixteen Candles--I couldn't find it, darnit!).

So here's my idea: If you can identify every movie in this clip, leave a comment on this post. The people who can identify ALL of the movies in this clip accurately will win...MY UNDYING LOVE AND RESPECT! (Sorry, it's my birthday so I'm not giving out prizes for this!). But I will love you even more than I already do if you successfully name each and every movie in this clip:

I've been tagged: Eleven Happy Things

Thanks to dear Halifax, I've been tagged to share with you my "11 Happy Things". This was a fun one to compile and I'd love to know if any of the things I listed make you happy as well.

1) Painting my niece's toes (see pic above). Do I really need to explain? :)

2) Overcast, gray, cold and rainy weather. Ever since I was young, this type of weather has made me happy. I feel more alive when there's a chill in the air and I love love love it when it's gray and overcast outside. I swear I seem to have more energy when the skies are cloudy and I'm also far more motivated. This is ironic since I live in San Diego where it's eternally sunny and 78 degrees, but I have lived in Northern California in the past and I loved it the year we had 31 days of non-stop rain.

3) Discovering unknown movies. I love taking a chance on Netflix and renting movies that I've never heard of before. I have discovered more great films this way than by word-of-mouth or listening to film critics. For instance, my boyfriend took a chance on a film recently called "Look" and it turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in the past six months. Totally engrossing and, if I had listened to the critics, I would have never rented it.

4) A good french fry. I obviously try not to eat these too often, but I like my french fries cooked a particular way. When I see one that looks perfect, I derive much happiness in something as simple as a french fry. I like them sort of soggy (I know, gross) and there's a particular consistency that's got to be just right.

5) Catching a whiff of Aramis Cologne. This is the cologne that my dad wore when I was a kid (he's since moved on to bigger and better colognes). So every time I smell it, I think of being a child, still sleeping in bed, and getting woken up to my dad giving me a kiss goodbye as he hurries off to work in the early morning. I swear I can still smell it on my cheek as I write this. :)

6) 80s Music. I was 10 years old in 1980 so I truly am a child of this decade. In my opinion, there are no bad 80s songs; just good ones and even better ones. lol.

7) Blush-colored peonies. Oh my goodness. If you live in a region where the climate is conducive to peonies, you have NO idea how lucky you are. Don't ever take peonies for granted because, believe me, you will miss them dearly if you ever move to a warmer climate. Oooooh how I long for these flowers; especially the blush-colored ones. Peonies are, to me, the only flower that looks gorgeous in ANY stage of bloom. The buds can be closed, slightly opened, fully bloomed or almost dead and they still look beautiful. Now that's a flower!

8) Black turtleneck sweaters. Can a girl have too many? I think not.

9) Watching people trip. Watching someone walk along and then stumble is always hilarious to me. It makes me happy in the sense that it reminds me that we're all human. I especially like seeing people who are trying way too hard to be cool take a tumble. Cracks me up every time. In fact, I love the bit that Ellen Degeneres does about walking and tripping:



10) A good-looking man in a suit. Now don't get me wrong--I love the scruffy, dirty look too--but there's something about a clean-cut, good-looking man in a suit that always puts a smile on my face.

(Sorry, I just had to sneak in a picture of Matthew Fox here.)

11) Whenever I receive a comment on this blog. Sounds cheesy, I know, but interacting with you is what motivates me to blog. I love hearing from you even more than I love writing reviews, because I just plain love talking about beauty products with like-minded people who share my passion. So when I wake up in the morning and see that I have comments, it's like my birthday every day. :)

And on that note, I'm tagging the following beauty bloggers in alphabetical order. All I ask is that you leave a comment here when your post is up because I'd love to read what you have to say!

Trisha from Cosmetics and Cupcakes

The Decorative Diva from Decorative Diva

Becky from Embrace Your Imperfections

Glamorous Beauty from Glamorous Beauty

T from Happy Face Happy Wallet (I know you're out for a week but I'd love to see your responses when you get back!)

Kitty from Lipgloss Kitty

Michelle from Lipstick Rules

ndoodles from Make Up Theory

Caramel Diva from Music, Trends, Jewelry & Makeup

Tamara from Mocha Mish Mash

Product Placement from Product Placement The Blog

Anthony from The Art & Science of [beauty]

Leigh from The Cheapest Girl Around

Siluet from Siluet

Honest Scrap Tag

In case you're not aware, there are "tags" that go around in the blogging community and sometimes they're really cute and fun. I've decided to take part in the Honest Scrap Tag because it came from a real sweetheart, Caramel Diva, and it also sounds like a fun thing to do on the 4th of July. :)

Because I've been tagged, I have to share with you, my dear readers, ten things that you may not know about me, but are 100% true (I guess no matter how embarrassing that may be!). Here we go:

1. I'm left-handed. This gives me pretty much only ONE advantage in life: I can use a drive-thru ATM without having to reach across my body.

2. I like tomatoes in a salad, but I hate them on a sandwich.

3. I've been told by many people throughout my life that I have a soothing voice and that I could be a radio DJ or do voice-over work. I would LOVE to do either one of those jobs, and I actually used to be a recurring guest on a local radio show many, many years ago. I was friends with the DJ of an evening show and I'd call in as the "ditsy young girl" character every so often on his show. lol.

4. My favorite color is pale pink (but it's got to be the exact right shade of pale pink).

5. In a perfect world, there would only be one brand of pen: Pilot Precise V5 Fine Point (not Very Fine Point). Don't waste your time trying to convince me that there is a better pen in existence. I'll win that debate every time. :)

6. In recent years, I've come to appreciate the beauty of a plain cheese pizza.

7. I was a child of the 80s and I maintain, to this day, that I was the first person in my entire elementary school to wear leg warmers. Also, I was the first person in my entire junior high school to rock an asymmetrical bob. I swear, I really was. The sad part is, now, I'm probably the least fashion-forward person of anyone I know. What the hell happened?

8. I am a super freaky, geeky, waaaay-too-into-it-for-my-own-good fan of the TV show Lost.

9. I'm also a news junkie and subcribe to just as many news and political blogs as I do beauty blogs. What's more important than knowing what's going on in the world around you, right?

10. It sort of irritates me when people say, "I have a new blog up!" Your site in general is called a "blog", which originates from the term "web-log". When you write a new article on your "blog", it's called a "post". You don't write new "blogs" for your "blog". :)

The MOST expensive beauty products I've ever seen

Just for fun, I thought I'd do a bizarro world post and bring to you, my dear readers, the most expensive beauty products I've ever seen. Hold on to your wallets because this is going to be one wild ride.

(Now, I know there may be products on the market that are more expensive than these but, in my opinion, these products have the most interesting ingredients and claims.)


The beyond outlandish:

The $2,350 bottle of perfume
(If that's not expensive enough for you, there is another one available for $215,000 but it's not listed on the website; you must call for details)

The $55,000 bottle of nail polish
(But don't worry, there's a version for $250 if you're on a budget!)

The $62,000 lipstick
(Hey, it comes with a lip brush.)


The ridiculously expensive:

The $115 lip balm

The $65 mascara

The $98 eyeshadow
(And it's not even a palette.)

The $60 eyeshadow brush

The $118 foundation
(Oh darn, I can't find a swatch to match my skin.)

The $125 bar of soap
(Let me repeat: One bar of soap.)

The $60 bottle of shampoo

The $65 sugar scrub
(I can never get over the fact that they're essentially selling us SUGAR and OIL).

The $300 eye cream
(they don't even tell you how many oz. you're getting; if you have to ask, you can't afford it darling)

The $650 moisturizer (1 oz) <--Yes, ONE ounce

The $253 hair brush

The $300 hair dryer

In honor of Lost's season finale tonight...

Most of you probably don't know this but I'm a HUGE Lost fan. And I promise it's not just because I have a serious crush on Matthew Fox (but I can't lie, I've wanted an excuse to post this picture for a long time!). I love everything about this show and I'm proud to be a supergeek about it too (if I had a dime for every Lost podcast I've listened to...).

But rather than bore you with my most recent Lost theories, I thought I'd share with you this fascinating interview that Beauty and the Feast did with Lost's Makeup Artist, Emily Katz..

I don't know about you, but I've always wondered exactly which bronzer "Kate" is wearing to give her that healthy I'm-not-wearing-any-makeup glow. And also, don't you want to know what sunscreen they use when they're out there in the jungle filming all day? It might surprise you!

My Top 10 Favorite OPI Names of All-Time

It's springtime and I'm feeling a little cheeky. Thinking about spring colors for pedicures always makes me think of OPI and their clever, hilarious names for colors.

I think every one of us has probably owned a bottle of "I'm Not Really a Waitress" at one time or another, but I'd like to give you a list of my other favorite names.

My All-Time Favorite OPI Names:

10) Don't Wine...Yukon Do It

9) Curry Up! Don't Be Late!

8) Don't Be Koi With Me

7) You're A Pisa Work

6) A Rose At Dawn...Broke By Noon

5) Don't Socra-tease Me

4) My Auntie Drinks Chianti

3) Miso Happy With This Color

2) I Don't Do Dishes


And drum roll please...

1) Who Comes Up With These Names?

(By the way, "Who Comes Up With These Names?" is in the pic above, in case you were curious.)

Let's hear it for school girl ingenuity!

I'm not one to condone breaking the rules, but in this case I have to say, "You GO girl!" :-)

Click here: Vanishing Nail Polish

Adventures in Etsy-land

Today's adventure is pretty wild. I spotted this soap and just had to post it here because...well...it left me speechless.

The seller's name is sabrinasadie and she makes cool vintage-inspired jewelry and soaps. But this soap (pictured above) has really got me perplexed. The title is: Ghost Child Haunted Spooky Soap, Tuberose Scented. It sells for $5 plus $2 shipping.

OK. I'm trying really hard to come up with a use for a bar of soap that has a creepy "ghost child" on the front, but so far I've got nothing.

Anyone? Anyone?

Adventures in Etsy-land

If you've been living under a rock for a few years and haven't heard of Etsy.com, it's THE place to go for handmade arts & crafts (and oh so much more) online. You can buy anything from beautiful handbags from up-and-coming designers to handmade sweaters and scarves, artwork, housewares, edibles, ceramics, candles and my personal favorite: Handmade bath and body products. The prices on Etsy can't be beat, and most products come from women who either already have a successful online or brick and mortar small business, or are trying to grow one.

I fully endorse Etsy as a way for anyone to get the results of their own beautiful creativity out there in the marketplace, and I encourage anyone reading this to take a look at all the wonderful items Etsy has to offer.

That said, I'd like to bring to you some of the fun and wild things I stumble across on Etsy, for your viewing (or buying) pleasure.

Today's Adventure in Etsy-land is a nice, delicious plate of hot wings. Made of soap. Yep, the image above is of soap. Now, hot wings, celery and carrots may not immediately come to mind when you think of decorative soap, but somebody, somewhere, has to got have a use for it. Perhaps a tailgate party or other sporting event?

You can find this adorably strange item for sale at CrazyKBathandBody for $6 and did I mention that it will come to you shipped in a take-out box? Too cute!

What a sham.

OK, I know it's a bit early for me to veer off course, but I just had to mention the Snuggie. Um, hello! It's a robe worn backwards.