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A friend of mine posted to her LJ that she wanted to feel like a Goddess again.
I endeavored to reply to her post, but the thing just started turning into a book. So I decided to post it here instead. :-)
On sensual pleasures:
Jewellery:
Semi-prescious (sp) stones are a girl's best friends. (Well, when it comes to jewllery at least). You can go to Sears and pay $20.00 for a costume pendant in "emerald" set in nickle or you can go to, say, Venus and Agora (in the market, near Zac's Diner -- I get a lot of stuff there) and pay $25 for the same idea, but in silver and malachte or green amber.
(Granted, you'll have to buy a separte chain, but those will only ring you about $10, and you can switch the pendants out when you want to wear a different necklace. At least, that's what I do. ;-)
Also: Silver is *way* cheeper than gold, and (in my opinion) looks classier too. (At least, you can wear more-alloyed silver and still have it look really good, whereas low karat-count gold looks cheep and somewhat brassy).
Bathing:
As in, litterally, taking baths rather than showers.
Well. I'd love to say that I know what I'm talking about here, but I haven't been able to stretch out in a bath-tub since about the 5th grade, and so I have no concept of what it's really like to take a bath because you just want to soak in a nice-smelling, petal-filled pool of hot water.
That being said, I think that baths (or showers, as in my case) can be used for more than just cleaning oneself up (duh). I think that a bath (or a really good shower) shouldn't be an excuse to lock the world out (although if you've got little kids, I think this excuse is acceptable), but rather as a way of preparing to meet the world.
If you've read the Kushiel books, the main character has baths with scented oils in them when she's preparing to go out whether socially, or professionally, so that the scent will cling to her skin, even though (in the professional cases) it will eventually be over-layed with the smell of blood (among other things).
Throwing flower petals and/or herbs in the bath water, or using body scrubs made of Stuff You Can Eat (olive oil + sea salt; honey, lemon juice (and pulp) and poppy seeds; purreed dried figs and banana...) make things smell nice and look pretty, and make me (if not others) feel like I'm doing something more decadent than scraping the dead skin cells off my feet.
Smelly Stuff:
I personally recommend body-lotions, perfumes and other body products that smell like food.
Vanilla, cocobutter, hazelnuts, green apples and berries, pears, honey...
This makes you smell sensual (as in engaging your mind's ability to call up the taste and texture of really yummy, comforting and refreshing foods) as well as feel clean, well-moisturized and luxurious. :-)
Food:
Have a really nice dinner once a month. (Or more).
Note: This doesn't have to mean an *expensive* dinner.
Get out the nice dishes and the good silver (if you've got them), use a searving bowl.
Have wine (or splurge on one of those 100% juice juices from PC), or just put your ice water in a fancy glass.
Have a few people over, even, for some good conversation over an inexpensive pasta dish (or an expensive pasta dish if you need to get, say, wild rice pasta due to allergies). Get salmon fillets from the frozen fish section (they've really got these!) and serve it with a huge salad of seasonal greens and a loaf of fragrant bread. :-)
And on that note...
Bread:
Making bread is (A) an act of creation, and (B) a wonderful thing to do with your hands (even if it is a bit sticky).
It'll give your arms a work-out (always useful) and it'll give you an excuse to eat butter and/or olive oil. :-)
How great is that? :-)
Also, because it takes time to make (from scratch, by hand), it (A) impresses people to no end. ;-) and (B) requires that you have at least three hours (preferably five) where you don't have to go anywhere or do anything other than read a good book, take a long shower, paint your toe-nails, and wait for your bread to rise/bake. :-)
Anywhoo. As I've got an essay to work on (and finish, if possible), I'd best be getting off. :-)
- Nam'ara,
- Amazon. :-)
I endeavored to reply to her post, but the thing just started turning into a book. So I decided to post it here instead. :-)
On sensual pleasures:
Jewellery:
Semi-prescious (sp) stones are a girl's best friends. (Well, when it comes to jewllery at least). You can go to Sears and pay $20.00 for a costume pendant in "emerald" set in nickle or you can go to, say, Venus and Agora (in the market, near Zac's Diner -- I get a lot of stuff there) and pay $25 for the same idea, but in silver and malachte or green amber.
(Granted, you'll have to buy a separte chain, but those will only ring you about $10, and you can switch the pendants out when you want to wear a different necklace. At least, that's what I do. ;-)
Also: Silver is *way* cheeper than gold, and (in my opinion) looks classier too. (At least, you can wear more-alloyed silver and still have it look really good, whereas low karat-count gold looks cheep and somewhat brassy).
Bathing:
As in, litterally, taking baths rather than showers.
Well. I'd love to say that I know what I'm talking about here, but I haven't been able to stretch out in a bath-tub since about the 5th grade, and so I have no concept of what it's really like to take a bath because you just want to soak in a nice-smelling, petal-filled pool of hot water.
That being said, I think that baths (or showers, as in my case) can be used for more than just cleaning oneself up (duh). I think that a bath (or a really good shower) shouldn't be an excuse to lock the world out (although if you've got little kids, I think this excuse is acceptable), but rather as a way of preparing to meet the world.
If you've read the Kushiel books, the main character has baths with scented oils in them when she's preparing to go out whether socially, or professionally, so that the scent will cling to her skin, even though (in the professional cases) it will eventually be over-layed with the smell of blood (among other things).
Throwing flower petals and/or herbs in the bath water, or using body scrubs made of Stuff You Can Eat (olive oil + sea salt; honey, lemon juice (and pulp) and poppy seeds; purreed dried figs and banana...) make things smell nice and look pretty, and make me (if not others) feel like I'm doing something more decadent than scraping the dead skin cells off my feet.
Smelly Stuff:
I personally recommend body-lotions, perfumes and other body products that smell like food.
Vanilla, cocobutter, hazelnuts, green apples and berries, pears, honey...
This makes you smell sensual (as in engaging your mind's ability to call up the taste and texture of really yummy, comforting and refreshing foods) as well as feel clean, well-moisturized and luxurious. :-)
Food:
Have a really nice dinner once a month. (Or more).
Note: This doesn't have to mean an *expensive* dinner.
Get out the nice dishes and the good silver (if you've got them), use a searving bowl.
Have wine (or splurge on one of those 100% juice juices from PC), or just put your ice water in a fancy glass.
Have a few people over, even, for some good conversation over an inexpensive pasta dish (or an expensive pasta dish if you need to get, say, wild rice pasta due to allergies). Get salmon fillets from the frozen fish section (they've really got these!) and serve it with a huge salad of seasonal greens and a loaf of fragrant bread. :-)
And on that note...
Bread:
Making bread is (A) an act of creation, and (B) a wonderful thing to do with your hands (even if it is a bit sticky).
It'll give your arms a work-out (always useful) and it'll give you an excuse to eat butter and/or olive oil. :-)
How great is that? :-)
Also, because it takes time to make (from scratch, by hand), it (A) impresses people to no end. ;-) and (B) requires that you have at least three hours (preferably five) where you don't have to go anywhere or do anything other than read a good book, take a long shower, paint your toe-nails, and wait for your bread to rise/bake. :-)
Anywhoo. As I've got an essay to work on (and finish, if possible), I'd best be getting off. :-)
- Nam'ara,
- Amazon. :-)