Carol Of The Smells

I know I'm 2 months late but here is a Christmas scent review!

        I know that Christmas was so long ago, but I have a few extra Christmas themed scents to share with you all. I was going to post this closer to Christmas but snow and moving took my internet away so it is just now getting it's chance to be published. Still it is never too early to consider your options for next year though. Sadly once again I wont have the pictures of the actual scent shots, but I will have my descriptions and holiday gifs for you all. So I hope you guys enjoy it even though it is late.

Hollyberry: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: The site description is pretty spot on, on this one. I smell the clove along with a tiny hint of sweet bakery cinnamon mixed with a nice light citrusy orange fragrance with a touch of vanilla added to act as a base to round the whole scent out. I'm not sure why it is called Hollyberry since there is absolutely no hint of berries that I can smell but that is a minor thing. This scent fits in with the holiday fragrances and is a nice and different take on some of them.

Warm Throw: To be honest I didn't mind this one so much but it wasn't a favorite and I ended up swapping it in a round robin. However that isn't to say there was anything wrong or bad with this scent. I actually had no problems with it really I just didn't feel it was one I needed to keep in reserve in my personal stash. That being said this one was okay. I didn't really get any berry scent with it though which was kind of strange. I got more of the cinnamon/orange mixture with just a touch of vanilla that kept the cinnamon at bay. The scent throw if I remember correctly was pretty average. I would say though if you don't like cinnamon scents then pass on this one. Still don't let my description scare you away. Like I said I actually had no problems with this scent in general.

Hollyberry doesn't smell anything like holly or berries lol

Snowberry: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: I will just say I'm not the biggest berry fan unless it is blueberry or strawberry. Luckily strawberry is in this scent and is very noticeable. I don't exactly know what loganberry smells like by itself, but I can pick it out in this scent. In fact so far on cold throw I only smell loganberry and strawberry. There is no hint of cinnamon or peppermint in it that I can smell just yet. I kind of like it like this though. I love peppermint and cinnamon but I think it smells great with just the berries. Will be interesting to see if it changes once warmed.

Warm Throw: If you were a little turned off by the mint or cinnamon description let me put your fears to rest and say that I didn't get any cinnamon at all in this scent and only a minuscule amount of mint was to be found. Really the mint only served to make the berries smell more like chilled berries. This was pretty much a mixture of loganberry and strawberry. To me this is like a fruity sweet but not candy or tart sweet berry fragrance. I personally liked this one and feel like it could be an any season kind of scent. I would recommend this scent to those who like berry scents along the line of Berry Me Alive. The scent throw though wasn't very strong. It wasn't super weak either like it was noticeable but it dissipated quickly and 1/4 didn't exactly fill the room.

Christmas Kitchen: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: I get all the scents in this one wrapped up to make an entirely new complete scent. It is a nice subdued Christmas scent so it isn't overly heavy or spiced up as some tend to be. The orange is the predominant note but only by a little bit. The cinnamon isn't a sharp or abrasive kind and it kind of sits in the undercurrents. The pumpkin kind of acts like a base to round out the overall scent and give it a nice depth. I think all the scents are nicely balanced and each fragrance compliments the others.

Warm Throw: This was a very festive scent. Let me tell you if you are a little put off by the cold throw that the scents blend together better was all warmed up. It smells decidedly like Christmas time. The cinnamon stayed subdued but noticeable, the pumpkin didn't come out in force and kind of acted like the glue that held the scent together, and the orange wasn't too citrusy or thick smelling. Overall I liked it. I liked Christmas Lane better but this one is still really nice. The scent throw was pretty average.

Christmas By The Fire: 
Color: Chimney Brick Red
Cold Throw: I can immediately smell the cedar and sage in this one. I think I get a little bit of myrrh and nutmeg in this one too, but not much cinnamon or frankincense on cold throw. I'm not a big fan of the sage and cedar mixture in this one so far. It is kind of too earthy for me at the moment so I'm hoping the spices will come out more once warmed. I can see a lot of others really liking it as it is right now because of it's slight earthiness but I'm just not an earthy/woody fan myself.

Warm Throw: I ended up liking this one more than I initially thought I would. The fragrance came together better was warmed up and the frankincense peaked out a bit more than before. The cedar and sage is still apparent but they are tampered down by the other scents so it isn't overly earthy or woodsy. It had a really nice touch. Not sure it reminded me of a Christmas fire so to speak but it was still very nice and close to one. This would be a good one to have in a wood wick candle so you could get the smell and the nice little crackle of the wick. The scent throw was decently strong but not overwhelming or too powerful.

These really help you get into the Christmas spirit.

Star Of Bethlehem: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is a nice example of soft spices with a nice light citrus done right. Honestly I find this one a very nice mixture where the spices are soft and not "spicy" the clove and frankincense cloak the cinnamon and go hand in hand with a nice light orange fragrance. I am really liking this one for the holidays. This is kind of like what I was hoping Orange Clove would smell like only better. I like that the scent throw so far is very noticeable but it is an overall light type of fragrance.

Warm Throw: I really loved this one. I melted it on Christmas actually and it just set the mood so well. The spices were all as I said very much on the soft side and not the strong abrasive sharp kind. There is just this hint of citrus in the edges but it blends so well with the spices. The scent throw on this one was medium average the throw was just a little bit over normal.  I really would recommend this one to those who like clove or frankincense type of scents. I personally really love this one.  

Christmas Lane: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: This smells like Christmas to me. Like all the things I love about Christmas rolled into one just minus a mint smell that is my personal favorite for winter lol. I get the slight crisp apples, the airy oak, the lightly earthy essence of fir and balsam, along with a nice soft subdued spice of clove. The pine and cinnamon which I am sure are probably in here aren't really noticeable to me just yet on cold. To me this is a nice mixture of some classic Christmas scents and I really like how the mixture of all these fragrances makes one new scent that isn't thick or cloying. It is actually a nice slightly earthy, slightly sweet, and light scent.

Warm Throw: This and Rocky Mountain Christmas and Star Of Bethlehem were the highlights of my order. This one I think took first place just by a little bit. It stayed pretty much the same as it did on cold throw which was perfectly alright with me. The scent throw was pretty moderate. I don't think I can describe it any better than I did on cold throw but just know I love this scent. It just smells to me of all the things Christmas should smell like for me personally. This will probably be a permanent staple of mine for Christmas times to come.

Rocky Mountain Christmas: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: This is a combination of two favorite scents of mine, Sugared Spruce and Leaves Type. I love both those scents on their own and combined they smell terrific. The Sugared Spruce gives this crisp fresh evergreen tree smell and the Leaves Type adds this richer depth that adds the tiniest bit of cider spice that rounds out the scent. The Leaves Type takes away some of the sweetness from Sugared Spruce and gives it more earthiness so it smells more outdoorsy and real.

Warm Throw: I stick with my initial scent description. It stays pretty much the same once warmed up. It mainly smells like Sugared Spruce but it is made more real and authentic outdoors smelling thanks to the Leaves Type. I think the name captures this scent pretty well. It is a wonderful winter scent. The scent throw was super strong and filled the entire house and made it smells like evergreen trees covered in snow. Truly it creates a winter wonderland atmosphere. I really loved this one. Definitely have to have it in my winter scent arsenal.

These scents all make me so happy!

     That's it for this belated Christmas review. I hope you guys will remember some of these scents when you are ready to start plotting for next year. I know a few of you have planners probably with many pages lol. I will be uploading my Valentine's Day Review for you guys very very soon if all goes according to plan. Then after that I should be back onto my normal monthly review track. I still have a round robin review for next month for you guys as well so I hope you all come back for that. Anyways stay safe you guys I know half of the US has been pounded with winter storms while the other half has suffered from sever droughts so wherever you guys all are in the US or otherwise I hope you all take care and stay safe. See you next time guys!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!!

Christmas is so close I can almost smell the mistletoe I won't be kissed under.

     It's Christmas time again! Or Hanukkah, or whichever holiday you choose to celebrate. I personally celebrate Christmas so this will be a Christmas themed scent review. Sadly this month I do not have pictures of the actual scent shots like a normally do because it has been colder and I don't want to go outside in the sun to take pictures of them and freeze my butt off. But I still have fun Gifs and the rest of my usual CBV descriptions for you all. So I hope you guys don't mind. Now I know this is a busy season for most of you so let's get started!

First off here are two scents that fit in perfectly with the cold weather... 

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: You know out of all the instant oatmeal out there apple cinnamon is actually my favorite to eat. When this scent came out though I wasn't sure that it was a scent I'd want my house to smell like, but I ordered it anyway to try. I'm so glad I did if the cold throw is any indication of how it will smell warm. The cinnamon is the sweet light baking cinnamon, none of that harsh red hot kind. The apple is a nice baked glazed apple fragrance and it is equal to the sweet cinnamon. This does indeed smell like an actual bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal. It is sweet, creamy, and comforting smelling.

Warm Throw: Still loving this one! It is so cozy and warm and makes my home feel more inviting. It has a really nice baked apple scent with a slight drizzle of light sweet baking cinnamon. The oatmeal doesn't really smell strictly of oatmeal but more like a more creamy apple cinnamon scent. The scent throw was pretty decent more in the average range. I really liked this one more than I thought I would. It is so yummy and great for the colder months when you are snuggled up inside.

Hot Toddy: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: Honestly when I first got this I had never had a hot toddy personally but I'd heard of them and had been long intrigued by them as well. I have to say on cold throw I can first identify the Macintosh apple. It is a crisp apple scent but it is toned down by a cinnamon clove mixture. The cinnamon isn't the red hot kind and so far has just been like a mixing spice scent with the clove. The clove is the main spice scent so this fragrance isn't too spicy or sharp really. There is some orange but it sits in the background and isn't really noticeable unless you are looking for it. The fruit and soft spice combo is pretty nice. Nothing too standout yet but we will see what happens when it is warmed up.

Warm Throw: I liked this one better once warmed up. My mom really liked this one too. The Macintosh apple isn't as prevalent once warmed up though it kind of blends nicely with all the other scents like a subdued baking cinnamon and clove mix. It isn't too spicy or fruity really it all blends into a new scent that feels comfortable and warm. Kind of like the name leads you to believe. However I like this much better than the actual Hot Toddy I tried last month for the first time ever. Let's just say not a fan of the drink myself, but I am a fan of this scent. The scent throw was pretty good too.

These scents were as cozy as a Christmas sweater.

And now here are some cold weather candy type scents...

Snow Taffy: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: Probably my favorite vanilla type scent from CBV to date. If it continues to smell this good once warmed then it will definitely be my favorite vanilla fragrance. This is mainly a rich decadent creamy french vanilla scent with a depth of light butter and a hint of cocoa with some caramelized sugar there in the edges. All the scents mix wonderfully together to just make a very nice luxurious smelling vanilla. I don't really smell lemons or strawberries but I like it just fine the way it is so far.

Warm Throw: This one was really nice. I like the type of vanilla it is because it is kind of rich with a different flavor to it then most vanillas. Maybe that is why I rate it so highly among all the rest of the vanillas. I thought it was creamy with a little something extra to it. The scent itself is pretty mild and subtle. It fills a room without being overly noticeable or invasive but gives the background a nice soft scent of warm pretty vanilla. I'd say the scent throw was medium, nothing too wowing but then again I don't see vanilla scents as stand out of the crowd fragrances so I thought it was really good.

Sugar Drops: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is a very sweet candy fragrance. It smells like REAL candy though I can't put my finger on exactly what candy it is reminding me of. It is a very familiar candy scent to me though. It is sweet but not sickeningly so in my opinion. It doesn't remind me of bubblegum or spice drops but the candy scent is something that I know I have had before but just can't put my finger on what exactly that is. Jandre said it smells somewhat like Big League Chew Gum and I have to say that it does kind of remind me of that though I feel there is another candy from my childhood that it reminds me of.

Warm Throw: Smells pretty much the same as it did on cold throw. I still can't figure out what kind of candy it reminds me of exactly though. Oh well maybe one day it will come to me. I have to say while I liked this one, the scent throw was pretty mild. It wasn't weak or anything but it had kind of a medium average throw at first then it was kind of quick to fade. It didn't linger around as long as I like my scents to. It is kind of like Sugar Plums in that area. Still I liked the scent and it was a nice nostalgic candy fragrance.

I thought these smelt pretty good.

Cherry Candy Cane: 
Color: Poinsettia Red
Cold Throw: When I first received this scent the cherry smelled like cough syrup cherry but now that it has had over 2 months to cure it has toned down a lot. It doesn't really smell like cough syrup anymore, more like a Luden's cherry cough drop now. So it is kind of like a sweet medicinal cherry but not too bad. The cherry is actually stronger than the mint which is different from Blueberry and Strawberry Candy Cane where it is the other way around. The mint is the second note but still is present in the overall fragrance. I am anxious to see if the mint will come out more once warmed.

Warm Throw: The cherry and the peppermint ended up evening out so neither one was really stronger than the other. Smells just like how you think it would, like a cherry candy cane. It wasn't overly sweet or candy smelling though. If you don't like cherry scents or are kind of on the fence I say skip this one because it is a strong mint and strong cherry. The scent throw was pretty strong. I didn't find it overpowering but my mother did. Then again my mother doesn't like cherry or minty scents so that could be why. I personally didn't have a problem with it. It wasn't a favorite but I didn't mind it either.

Strong mint and strong cherry. Smellers beware.

Christmas cookie type fragrances...

Cookies For Santa:
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: I know the description on the site is pretty vague so let me try and shed a little more descriptive light on this scent for those who have not tried it yet. It is a cookie-ish type scent with a hint of a very subdued red hot cinnamon and a layer of white icing. It actually kind of smells like an actual Christmas cookie like the kind that are sugar cookies covered in white Pillsbury icing and then topped with little red cinnamon candies. I will say though the red hot cinnamon isn't that prevalent but if you absolutely hate red hot cinnamon then pass on this one because it is still somewhat noticeable.

Warm Throw: I think it was Mandyz that described this one as an iced snicker doodle cookie and I kind of have to agree to a certain extent. To me it isn't so much snicker doodle but more like spice cookie. I think it smells like a nicely iced spice cookie. The cinnamon tones down a lot but it is still noticeable, but it blends with the fresh baked cookies scent and then there is this sweetness that smells like icing on top. I thought I might not like this one so much warmed but I actually really like it. It smelt great and made my mom ask if I was baking something. This one is a great cookie scent for the holidays. Very nice and the scent throw was decently strong too. Nothing overpowering but certainly noticeable.

Pink Sugar Cookie: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: So I can really smell the Pink Sugar in this but I also get the base notes of Sugar Cookie as well. The Pink Sugar kind of smells like pink glitter sprinkles to me over a nice sugar cookie that is why I have been saving it for a few months for Christmas because it reminds me of a nicely decorated Christmas cookie. The Pink Sugar isn't so much perfumey anymore which is good because it would smell odd if it was.While I am not a big fan of Pink Sugar I actually don't mind this scent so far.

Warm Throw: As I said before I don't really care for Pink Sugar on it's own but I like it in this mixture. I don't get any perfumey notes from it because the Pink Sugar mixes so well with the Sugar Cookie scent that it becomes one and ends up smelling like pink glitter sprinkles on top a crisp fresh out of the oven sugar cookie. I liked how the two scents don't compete with each other but rather compliment the other one. It smells like something I would eat so it gets an approval rating from me. The scent throw on this one was pretty average I think. I'm glad I saved this scent for this time of year.

These cookies scents smelt real.

Apple Gingerbread Spice: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: At the risk of having coal thrown at me I have to admit that I am not a fan of gingerbread cookies. *ducks behind nearest snowbank* That is just eating them though I do think I like the scent of them. This scent to me is nice. Being a huge apple lover I really like the mixture of baked apples and slight cinnamon gingerbread. It is a nice holiday cookie scent. So far the apples are a bit more dominant than the gingerbread but not by much.

Warm Throw: I started out really liking this scent, but sadly it dissipated rather quickly until all I could smell was the burning of my warmer and a touch of cinnamon. It started out really great like the cold throw but didn't last long. I could smell the buttery gingerbread with the apple notes but then all I smelt was the warmer and I had it in a small enclosed room too. Such a shame. I think I like this scent, but don't like how quickly it fizzled out on me. It was like a quick burst of delicious smell then all too soon it was gone. So buy at your own discretion I would say it smelt great but then again didn't stick around much.

I thought we could be happy together but the scent left me.

Random wintery type scents...

Vanilla Sugar: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is an EXACT dupe of the Bath & Body Works fragrance of the same name. It is a nice smooth vanilla fragrance. It is very soft and subdued and I don't think it is a vanilla that would offend those sensitive to certain scents. I have had the B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion before and I can say that it does indeed smell just like the original. So if you like the original scent or if you just like nice vanilla scents then give this one a try.

Warm Throw: Once again this continues to be a near perfect dupe for the B&BW scent. I really like the softness of this vanilla scent and find it to be mild but still really relaxing smelling. But that is just me personally. I really like vanilla scents and the original scent this one is duping so it should be no surprise that I liked this one a lot too. The scent throw was fairly moderate. So if you like the B&BW version you need to try this one too.

Sugared Spruce: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: I am not a big fan of tree scents however I have heard a lot of buzz surrounding this scent. After hearing a review from my friend Lisa over on The Pouring Pot I decided to break down and try it. This does indeed smell like sweetened evergreen trees to me. It doesn't smell like pine which is the usual Christmas tree type scent which is good because I don't care for pine. I think the name and description on the site if pretty accurate. It is like sweetened greenery. Not too sweet not too earthy. I actually don't mind this one and think it fits perfectly with the colder seasons.

Warm Throw: Still smells like sweetened evergreens. It is nice crisp and fresh with just the tiniest hint of sweetness. I have to stand by my initial cold throw description. I was afraid this one would be too earthy or "green" smelling but I actually really like it. It is refreshing and festive at the same time. It smells like winter trees without any pine tree scent. The throw was actually really good as well. Not a super thrower like say the pumpkin or red hot cinnamon scents are, but definitely up there with the fill the house kind of scents. This one was a pleasant surprise.

These two smelt so lovely.

    That's it for this review, but don't worry I've got another review for this month already in the works. That one will have more recent Christmas scents such as Rocky Mountain Christmas and Christmas By The Fire. Not sure when I will have that one up but before Christmas sometime it will be up if all goes well. So I hope you guys have a wonderful season and that you all stay safe. See you guys soon!

Fortune Cookie Soap Spring 2013 Review!

Fuck Yeah! The FCS spring line is here!

       Fortune Cookie Soap launched their official spring 2013 line on March 15th. The collection introduced 8 brand new fragrances all inspired by the scents of springtime. These new additions also showcase FCS's signature humor when it comes to naming their products. The eight new fragrances are A Nod To The Hippies, Dirty Hoe, Down To Earth, Honey-Dew Me, I Wet My Plants, Kiss My Vine, Late Bloomer, and The Birds & The Bees. I only purchased 4 of these scents because the other 4 scents had certain fragrances that I know I am not a fan of. (A Nod To The Hippies has patchouli, Dirty Hoe & Down To Earth are obviously earthy fragrances, and I Wet My Plants has jasmine and baby powder in it. Two scents I'm not fond of.) As I always do I only purchased the 4 scent body butter sampler pack. I like to smell the small individual samples and then chose whether or not the fragrances are worth buying in a full sized product. And without further ado here is my review...

All of this little haul's goodies.

Honey-Dew Me:
Color: Fluorescent Yellow
Scent Description: After I got done giggling at the name I opened this little guy and saw that the body butter was this really bright and vivid fluorescent yellow. Most of FCS's body butters come in these pale pastel shades, but this one is in your face neon yellowish green. It looks like it could glow in the dark. (Sadly it does not though) After I spent the next few minutes just being impressed with the color I finally smelt this and whoa mama is it good! Depite the name it isn't just a honeydew scent, it is more of a sweet melon scent. A lot of melon scents in general tend to pack a very strong punch, but this one is nicely toned down. It is a really fresh fruity fragrance. I get a mixture of honeydew and cantaloupe melons, and in the undertones I can even smell watermelon. The site mentions this one also has apples and vanilla bean. I do not smell those scents individually, but I believe the apples probably blended with the overall wonderful fruitiness and the vanilla bean is probably what rounds out the fruits from smelling too thick or powerful. This is a wonderful fruity scent that is both sweet and refreshing. Perfect for the springtime. 

It smells so wonderful!

Kiss My Vine:

Color: Cotton Candy Pink
Scent Description: This one is supposed to smell like strawberries and champagne. I can kind of see how it smells like that, but to be honest when I first opened this I had forgotten what scents were in this. So when I smelt it my first impression was that it smelt like a light floral fragrance. It wasn't until after I looked up the description again that I started to notice that yeah it does kind of smell like strawberries and champagne when you think about it. The champagne scent isn't overly strong or sharply alcohol smelling like I feel a lot of "champagne" fragrances end up smelling like. The strawberries aren't really all that fruity either. They mix and blend in with the champagne to the point where they are almost indiscernable. If you were blindfolded and asked what fruit was in this, you probably wouldn't have guessed strawberries...at least I know I wouldn't have. This is a feminine scent that reminds me of an expensive bubble bath. It is certainly a different take on a springtime scent, but it is nicely done.

Not your typical springtime scent, but still lovely.

Late Bloomer:Color: Mint Green
Scent Description:  I was a little leary about this one when ordering because it has Polynesian Hibiscus, ripe berries, white amber, and vanilla. The reason I was hesitant is because I cannot do strong florals, overly dark berry scents, or too woodsy earthy scents. Luckily this fragrance isn't any of those. The main note in this one is a vanilla that is warmed up by the white amber. I smell the faintest trace of a soft smelling flower, but that's it. I don't get berries in this at all. There is nothing fruity about this scent in the least. The scent throw on this one is kind of weak. You can't really smell it until you rub it into the skin. It kind of smells like a fresh, clean, and natural lotion to me. Not my favorite of the bunch, but it is still nice. 

It was nice, but not my favorite.

The Birds & The Bees:
Color: Robin's Egg Blue
Scent Description: The official description for this one is incredibly vague. The site just says "Dont worry, we're not going to give you "the talk". But we will give you a sweet and fruity FCS."...that's it. Needless to say I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one. I will tell you the first thing I smelt was artificial strawberries. Not the signature Laffy Taffy kind that is in FCS other strawberry fragrances though. It also has this vanilla cream like base to it. So it is kind of like strawberries and cream. It kind of reminds me of one of those Creme Savers Hard Candies. It is fruity and sweet and oh so creamy. I also happened to get half a robin's egg bath fizzy in this fragrance as my free sample. The egg shape makes it so very cute.  

To wrap things up...

       In closing I feel like this year's spring line was great. I like that they took a different angle on their scents instead of doing the generic run of the mill flowers and peeps/jellybean candy type fragrances that a lot of companies tend to recycle year after year. I ended up liking all four of the scents that I purchased which doesn't happen often. Usually there is at least one that my nose ends up hating, but happily that was not the case this time around. If I had to reccommend one above all the others I would say go for Honey-Dew Me. It is just a fresh melon explosion and it is fruity without being too in your face. I love it! The scents that I purchased are all for sale currently on their website, but you guys better hurry and try them now and stock up before the summer line comes around. That's all for this year's first Fortune Cookie Soap review. I will be back with another one as soon as the summer line lauches. Keep looking back for my review of a Candles By Victoria Smore's Galore speciality candle. Until then take care guys and keep it pretty!




CBV Secret Santa Box!!

Was that the UPS truck?!!

        So I decided to participate in Candles By Victoria secret santa that was organized by the wonderful and sweet Liz on The Pouring Pot.This was my first time participating in something like this especially with people I have never actually met before and I have to say that this was a wonderful experience and I'd love to do it again next year. It was so fun picking out presents for my match and hoping they liked my gift along with the thrill and mystery of not knowing who was my secret santa or when and what I'd get. So today I was actually waiting for some stuff to arrive that I had purchased for my match when I opened the door however my secret santa package was there instead. I was so excited to see that the lovely Shannon C. was my secret santa. So here is what she got me. 

All my Christmas goodies via Shannon.

A little candy stuffed elf and a santa ornament!

       So the first thing that I pulled out of the box was this adorable stuffed elf whose stomach is actually a container of candy! It has some Reese's and some mini Hershey bars in assorted flavors and it is just so cute and so clever because his head twists off to get the candy inside. The second thing I pulled out was this antique looking santa ornament and it matches my tree so well because most of the ornaments on my tree are ones we've had for years. (My mom still has ornaments from when she was a kid) It just fits in so perfectly I love it! Oh and there was a little soft fluffy stocking that instantly caught my eye.

The first thing I said when I felt the little stocking.



Cute little snowmen!

          Inside of the stocking I unearthed this mini-snowman snowglobe. I don't think a lot of people know this but I collect snow globes like an old lady lol. I've been shaking this little guy so much the snowman inside probably has whiplash. I love watching the tiny snow flakes swirl around. I'm so easily amused... The next item I pulled out was this big ceramic snowman coffee mug. I squealed when I got it because I drink a lot of coffee and tea and I always run out of clean mugs by the end of the day. I also like the size of it because it is pretty decently big and will hold a lot of coffee. The mug was actually filled with more candy (YUM!) like Hershey's kisses and some more Reese's. (The Reese's sadly did not make it to this post. lol) Somewhere in there too was a package of these little white crystals that if you put them in a bowl with water they turn into real looking snow. What a cute idea!

The card along with CBV Gingerbread Men Tarts!

     In the box was this adorable santa card that has a sweet note from Shannon inside. Now I knew there was some CBV in this package because I could smell it as soon as I opened it. They turned out to be a set of three big gingerbread men wax tarts in the scent Hello Dolly, which is one I have never tried before. It is an amazing bakery scent that smells like Fudge Brownie with some yummy rich buttery notes to it. It smells like a baked dessert that I really want to eat. I can't wait to burn these little guys, they smell so delicious! The only problem is the gingerbread men are so cute I'm going to feel like a sadist when I chop their heads and limbs off to put in my tart warmer. (Rest in pieces my poor little gingerbread men.) 

 Pretty much my face when I smelt the box.

      I loved everything in this gift it was so thoughtful and it just touches my heart. I can tell that Shannon put a lot of thought into it and I'm so thankful to her for sending me this. Shannon you are such a sweetheart and I'm so glad I met you. You are a truly wonderful and lovely lady. Thank you so much for everything and I wish I could give you a real hug, but since I can't I will just have to make do with posting these GIFS which is what I would have done if I could.