Friday, August 17, 2012

How I incorporate CBV into my home decor

I've seen so many blog posts/videos/etc on how people "store" their CBV stash. I have my stash in an amoir in our spare bedroom, but I wanted to take the time to show how I incorporate some of my CBV into my home decor (and it sort of gives a glimpse into our new house that we recently bought - thanks to the encouragement of you all in April when we decided to start looking!). I have various CBV things throughout the house, but I focused on the living room and dining room. So, here it goes. :)

Dining Room -




Inside the green vase, which I got for a Christmas gift probably four or five years ago, is a CBV Vanilla Maple Pecan (yum!) pillar candle.

Living Room -


All of my scent shots are stored in a large brown basket (that sits on top of a radiator cover next to our front door).




This book shelf is full of movies and our wedding photo albums. But on top is some of the most important things in the living room, including my tart warmer.






It took me a while to decide what to fill the empty space to the right of the pictures with. For a while I had my Singapore Sling Black Label candle there, but it was too small. So, I dove in and bought a decorative cube candle in one of my absolute favorite CBV scents Nutty Candied Apple. I think it fits on top of the mantle perfectly. :)

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Candles By Victoria - August Scent Shot Review

Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee (free scent shot) - This is a very creamy, rich hazelnut scent with a hint of vanilla, and a slight note of coffee. This would be a good one if you're hesitant on getting a coffee scent.

Baby Powder - This is a re-order for me. Smells exactly like the name suggests, dead on!

Lavender Apple - I was hoping this one would be more like Lavender & Basil, where the lavender is extremely toned down by the Basil. This is a very, very strong lavender with a light note of apple.

Spearmint - Another re-order. Smells like spearmint gum.

Apple Vanilla - This is a very nice apple scent. It's the perfect blend of green apple with a light vanilla touch to it.

Clean Cotton - Clean, fresh, cotton/laundry-y type scent.

Hell on Heels - I really like this one. It's a very sweet fruity/floral scent. The blend of nectar, apple, and blood orange, along with the floral note really makes this one nice.

Caramel Latte - Perfect blend of caramel and sweet latte scent.

Clothesline Fresh - Very clean, fresh, laundry-type scent. Just like the name suggests, like clean laundry drying outside.

Frangipani - The clean notes in this mixed with the baby powder, make it smell very clean and perfumey. I haven't heard a lot about this scent, so if you're looking for a clean scent, I would definitely recommend it.

Cookies N Cream - Right now I get that sweet cookie/almond scent that is predominent in a lot of Victoria's cookie scents. I'm hoping once this cures a little and I warm it, the chocolatey note will come out too.

Honey Vanilla Love Dust - Definitely get the honey note, along with chocolate. I've heard a lot of people say they needed to wait for this one to cure and warm it before the wonderfulness of it comes out.

Cantaloupe - Re-order. This one is absolutely F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! Smells like a sweet, fresh, cantaloupe.

Mermaid Kiss - A very clean, fresh scent. This one reminds me exactly of BBW Deep Aqua and/or Aqua Blossom (new name).

Pumpkin Frappuccino - This is a great pumpkin scent, with a hint of coffee. If you like pumpkin scents, I would highly suggest this one!

Under The Big Top - Perfect mix of strawberry, cotton candy, and caramelized pralines. I love this one, and will be ordering it in a candle, for sure. If you like Sugar Kisses, you will definitely like this one.

Vanilla Velvet - This one needs to cure. It's a little off right now, and sort of has a soury note to it that reminds me of Cream Cheese Frosting (that I wasn't fond of). I'm hoping once it sits a little while and I melt it, I will like it more.

Chantilly Lace - This is a very sweet, perfumey floral. Reminds me of some kind of perfume or lotion or something, but I have no clue how to even describe any of the notes in it. But, it's nice!

Vanilla Bean - Straight vanilla scent.

Sugared Corn Pudding - Reorder, and I love this one! Sweet, sugar bakery scent, with a small, teeny hint of "corn". It's soooo good!

Banana Fritters (CAS by Tina) - Mix of Elvis and Cinnamon Donuts. Very great blend of Peanut Butter, Banana, and sweet sugary, cinnamon donuts. Yum!!

Barefoot In Blue Jeans (CAS by Deb) - Mix of Sexy in Stilettos and Blue Sugar Cotton Candy. This one is great!! If you like scents such as Pink Sugar, Love Shack, etc, you will LOVE this one!!

Sticky Toffeecorn (CAS by Jandre) - Mix of Kettle Corn and Caramelized Pralines. Sooooo good and yummy!! I get a little more Kettle Corn, but the Caramelized Pralines is hidden in there and I'm sure it'll come out once warm.

These are gifts for my MIL -

Cucumber Lime Twist (free scent shot) - What a great blend of lime with a hint of cucumber and a touch of fizz.

Orange Sandalwood - Just like the name suggests, it's a great mix of orange and sandalwood. If you like sandalwood, I would give this one a try!

Lavender & Basil - One of my favorites, I had to get for her. The mix of lavender and basil creates this wonderful clean scent!

Mediterranean Fig - Can't really explain this one, but it's a great fig, clean scent. And super strong!!

Gain Island Fresh - Smells like Gain laundry detergent. Sooo nice and clean!

Frankincense & Myrrh - This reminds me a very clean, powdery scent. I like it a lot more than I expected.

Jamaican Ginger & Grapefruit - A sweet grapefruit scent, with a hint of ginger. It's a very nice, sweet, clean scent.

Rosemary - Smells like rosemary herb. Super strong!!!

French Quarter - Very nice sweet, powdery floral. I didn't think I was going to like this at all, but I might need to cut off a piece to keep for myself!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

CBV July 2012 Review, of course!

Well, I couldn't resist placing another order. I literally just got it about an hour ago - first CBV order at the new house, woo hoo. At our old place the UPS guy usually didn't come until around 3, the UPS guy at the new house came at 10:30! :)

Onto the review -



Scoop Some Scent - Lavender & Basil - I've had this scent before in a scent shot and had to get it in SSS for my low wattage plug-in warmers for my bathrooms. I'm not usually a lavender fan, but the basil really tones it down and makes it a nice, fresh, clean, soapy-type scent. If you like clean scents and haven't tried this one yet, you have to!



Bundt Cake Melts - Nutty Candied Apple - If you know me you know I can't live without my Nutty Candied Apple. I figured I'd get some NCA in these tarts to warm in the summer months while my AC and fans are blasting.



Cookie Melts - Vanilla Maple Pecan - I tried Vanilla Maple Pecan in scent shot form when Jandre stated it smelled like waffle cones, and I agree. I love Granny's Pie Crust, and this scent is very similar to GPC with a kick. It's sweet, creamy, a teeny hint of spicey yummy goodness.



Scent Shots (top to bottom; left to right) :) -

Spellbound - Again, had to stock up to hold me over for the summer. Sweet, apple, candy deliciousness!

Cottage Garden - On cold throw it's a very strong floral (which is fine because CBV got me into liking florals). Strong on the jasmine and rose scent. The scent description says it has fruit such as pineapple, peach, and melon. It'll be interesting to see if the fruit notes come out when it's melted.

St. Lucia - Have had before and really like. Very, very sweet melon scent.

A Hunk, A Hunk Of Burning Nuts (CAS by Aerika) - All I get when I smell this is Elvis (may not help that Elvis is currently burning on my stove top a few feet away from me). I cannot wait to melt this and the Caramelized Pralines to come out. Two of my favorite scents mixed together can't be wrong. Yum!!

Fresh Picked Strawberry - On cold throw it smells like a candied strawberry. I can't wait to let this one cure a little and melt it, I know it'll be true to the name.

Cantaloupe - YUMMY!! If you like fruity scents, you must must must try cantaloupe. It smells like a super sweet fresh juicy cantaloupe. This might be the first one I melt for when my husband comes home and sees I got more CBV. When I melt things he likes he is more understanding, and I know he'll love this one. I don't know how anyone couldn't!

Champagne Pomegranate (free scent shot) - I have never tried Champagne Poemgranate, and I don't know why. I love Fizzy Pop. This is a great blend of Fizzy Pop and Pomegranate.

Sugar Kisses (CAS by Keyonna) - I love this one too. Alone, I did not like Victoria's Cotton Candy and wasn't a super big fan of Raspberry Guava, but mixed together it makes a perfect yummy sweet concoction! If you like scents like Pink Sugar, Tiffany-D, etc, you will really like this one!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Candles By Victoria - May 2012 Haul/Review

I wasn't going to place a CBV order in May, but I started running low on some of my favorites. I also just recently got 2 wall plug in warmers (similar to scentsy warmers, but I got them A LOT cheaper on ebay) and wanted to get some Scoop Some Scent for them for the new house in the main bathroom and the laundry room/other bathroom. Finally, Victoria used to sell Kettle candles on her site in various different colors/designs. They were recently taken off of the site, and I was devestated. I really wanted a green kettle candle in Caramelized Pralines for my new kitchen. After asking on the message board, Victoria so GRACIOUSLY had Candleman search in their warehouse to see if they had any extra kettle candles lying around. Lo and behold, they did! So, of course, I had to order one. :)

This is mostly going to be a haul/review of pictures as opposed to review of scents since I've reviewed most of these scents a million times before since they're a lot of my favorites.

Scent Shots


From left to right:
  • Vanilla Maple Pecan - Jandre stated this one smells like waffle cones, and I agree. It's strong on the maple and pecan, which mixed together creates this yummy sweet, yet a little spicy bakery goodness.
  • Bamboo & White Grapefruit - This one's STRONG! It was my free scent shot, and not something I would typically go for, but it's nice. It's very strong on the grapefruit and I get some orange, too. The citrus fruits mixed with the bamboo tone them down a little, but add a bit of an earthy type note.
  • Blueberry Monkey Bread - Cinnamon, raisin, blueberry, bready goodness. It reminds me a lot of bear claws + blueberry. Yum!
  • Fizzy Pop - Ginger Ale/Sprite, nothing more to say. One of my husband's favorites!
  • Lavendar & Basil - Wow is this one nice! I did not like Victoria's straight lavender scent, but something about mixing this with the basil makes it sooooo good. It smells like a sweet, clean, crisp lavendar beautiful soap. I will definitely be getting this in a candle for my bathroom.
8 oz Candles

  • Peanut Butter Cookies - Name says it all!
  • Spellbound -  Such a beautiful sweet, yummy scent! Caramel apple, cotton candy, very sweet yumminess!
Votive Candles (set of three)

  • Citronella - Got these to put in my outdoor votive holders to keep away the bugs. I still have some of an 8oz Citronella candle from last summer, and they really do work!
Scoop Some Scent



From left to right, top row to bottom row
  • Shamrock Kiss - Smells like the old school herbal essences shampoo
  • Love Shack - Love Spell and Pink Sugar. This one is my go to bedroom scent - it's such a sweet, fruity, slightly musky, sensual scent. I got it for my beautiful purple tart warmer in the bedroom.
  • White Nectarine & Pink Coral - Smells like the orange bottle of herbal essences shampoo (no more frizz kind). Delicious!!
  • Nutty Candied Apple - My number one favorite CBV scent! It's such a fresh, crisp apple with that yummy nutty note to it. I LOVE THIS SCENT MORE THAN WORDS CAN DESCRIBE!!
Kettle Candle (green)



Caramelized Pralines - The camera flash made this look like a lighter green than it really is. But it's beautiful and I cannot wait to put this is my new kitchen. As far as Caramelized Pralines goes, it's sooo good! Sweet, caramel goodness with the nutty note of pralines.

Here's a picture comparing the opening of a 22oz tureen and this kettle candle.


Friday, April 13, 2012

Candles By Victoria - April 2012 Order

Well, I told myself I wasn't going to order until May... but I couldn't resist! I at least held off through the entire month of March, which might be a record for me since starting to shop with CBV. :)
I think I convinced myself that this order was okay because I got a couple of things for a basket for a bridal shower, and got mostly scent shots for me (I'm trying to narrow down my candle collection). So, tarts were okay to order.

And... hubby decided to give his two "scents" Take it for what it's worth. ;)


Purple Tart Warmer - I have faithfully used my jet black tart warmer in my living room for the past year. I decided it was finally time to be able to melt scent shots in my bedroom, as well. And, I think, trying to convince myself it would help me get through my tarts more quickly. Purple is one of my and my husbands favorite color - our bedroom and bathroom are both dark purple themed, so it matched perfectly.

4oz Mini Jelly Jar Fresh Laundry - I've had this before. Such a nice, clean, fresh out of the dryer laundry-type scent.

24oz Crumb Melts Lemon Pound Cake - Yep, love this one! Perfect sweet lemon bakery scent.

Watermelon Cupcake - I love Tiffany-D and I love Pink Cupcake. What a wonderful mix of both. The pink cupcake is definitely the prodominent scent in this, but the melon in Tiffany-D is there.

Chrystom says - YUCKY

Rock That Vanilla - I have never smelled what this is duping, but it's good. It's a very nice vanilla scent, mixed with a perfumey/woodsy type scent. Kind of reminds me of a toned-down twilight woods, but sweeter

Chrystom says - "SMOOTH"

Spring Moments - This one is very complex. On first sniff, it's like WHOA perfumey notes. But, if you dig a little deeper, I do smell some fruits. I'm guessing the perfume note I'm getting is all of the florals mixed together. This ones nice if you like florals.

Chrystom says - "FLOWERY"

Banana Caramel Cupcake - I love all of Victoria's banana scents that I've tried so far, and this one is no exception. It's a perfect blend of banana with a hint of caramel, along with the vanilla cake-type note. Reminds me a lot of a vanilla pudding/vanilla wafer dessert. YUM-O!

Chrystm says - "HORRID"

Caramel Apple - I've had this one before in a mini jelly jar candle, and just needed to replenish. I really enjoy this scent. It's a 50/50 mix of caramel and sweet/crisp apple. Soooo yummy!

Chrystom says - "VERY STRONG GRANNY SMITH WITH JUST A HINT OF CARAMEL"

Raspberry White Mocha Latte - When I first got this it was very strong on the coffee scent. Now that it has cured for a few days, the raspberry is really coming out. I'm usually not a big fan of coffee scents, but I had to try this one. And, to be honest, the last few mornings of work I've been extra sleepy, and I catch myself sniffing this scent shot to try to wake myself up.

Chrystom says - "NOT VERY NICE, WITH THE SLIGHEST HINT OF RASPBERRY"

Sunshine - I reviewed this in my last round robin review. Lovely blend of floral and sweet apricot. Reminds me of BBW Apricot Vanilla - the apricot in it.

Chrystom says - "NICE MIXTURE OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS"

Fizzy Pop - I have had this many times before and ran out. Carbonated Sprite/Ginger Ale.

Chrystom says - "MMMMMM.... LIKE A MIXTURE OF MOUNTAIN DEW AND SPRITE"

Pink Sugar - What a sweet, fruity girly scent. I can't pinpoint what I'm smelling, but it's good. Like young, feminine, sweet girl.

Chrystom says - "MEH, ALRIGHT"

Hello Dolly (free scent shot) - Reminds me A LOT of Graham Cracker Crust. It's a sweet, caramely, bakery scent. If you like bakery and caramel, you will probably like this one

Chrystom says - "ANOTHER HORRID"

Apple Martini - Very similar to fizzy pop, but a little less fizz and tart apple mixed in.

Chrystom says - "A BIT OF AN APPLE WITH A LITTLE FIZZY IN IT"

Lilac - Have had before and loved. Smells like a beautiful lilac flower!

Chrystom says - "LIKE SMELLING THE FLOWER"

Get Me S'more - After sniffing this, I get a lot of notes. There's the chocolate, the marshmallow, and the graham cracker. Reminds me a lot of her Cheesecake scent. So, if you like this, you would probably like Cheesecake.

Chrystom says - "IF YOU DON'T KNOW BY NOW, I HATE BAKERY"

Trix Are For Kids - Yummy, yummy, yummy! Reminds me a little of Victoria's Fruit Loops scent, but with more orange and toned down a little. Still has the sweet notes, along with the cereal notes. So, if you like Fruit Loops, try it. If you don't like Fruit Loops, try it! It's very fruity, that's for sure.

Chrystom says - "Like Fruit Loops with a heavy orange"

Kokamo Cove - Something in this makes my brain only be able to smell Fresh Laundry. It's still good, and I'm hoping once it's melted, all of the fruity notes will come out. But, maybe the fruit/floral combination of whatever is in this, smells like Victoria's Fresh Laundry scent. It's not bad at all because I love that scent, just not what my nose was expecting.

Chrystom says - "REMINDS ME OF A HOTEL"

Night Blooming Jasmine - Have had this one before, too. What a wonderful sweet floral scent.

Chrystom says - "PLEASURABLE"

White Ginger - I know Ashtyn and others have compared this one to a Calgon perfume, and I agree. It's a very nice, sweet, perfumey, floral.

Chrystom says - "STRONG ON THE PEAR"

Warm Apple Fritters - I love Victoria's apple scents, I love her Cinnamon Donut scent. Therefore, I LOVE THIS SCENT. It's soooo good! A great mix of macintosh apple, with a hint of sweet cinnamon/bready note. Yum!!

Chystom says - "THE APPLE STANDS OUT"

Wildberry Scone - If you've smelled Victoria's Jelly Donut scent and liked it, you will love this. The only difference I can pick out is the berry. Instead of sweet, creamy strawberry, Wildberry Scone is a more tart berry.

Chrystom says - "NOT PLEASURABLE"

Life's a Beach - Fizzy Pop + Fruit = AMAZING!!! That's all I have to say about this one.

Chrystom says - "ALMOST LIKE A FRUITY FIZZY POP"

Raspberry Guava - Very nice strong, fruity scent. I get mostly sweet raspberry.

Chrystom says - "HIGH RASPBERRY SCENT"

Raspberry Violet - The raspberry and violet mix perfectly. On cold throw, they blend equally together. Neither over powers the other. I can't wait to melt this one to see if it's just a good warm.

Chrystom says - "GRAPE INSTEAD OF RASPBERRY, BUT I DO SMELL THE VIOLET"

Love Shack - I thought I loved Love Spell, but no I LOVE Love Shack. On cold throw, it's a great mix of sweet, pink sugar and sweet, musky love spell. When melting, it blends sooooo nice together and almost smells like a sweet perfumey fruit punch. Soooo good!!

Chrystom says - "FRUITY AND NICE"


So, now that you've read about all the wonderful scents I ordered in April, go check out http://www.candlesbyvictoria.com/ ---- You won't be sorry!!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

CBV Round Robin 7 Review

Every few months the wonderful ladies (and gentlemen) of the CBV Pouring Pot message board participate in round robins, swapping scent shots and random other goodies with each other. One person will generously volunteer to start the box (filling it with as many scent shots as they can), and the box goes around to different people. Each person gets a chance to smell all the scent shots in the box, take what they want, and then exchange them with an equal number in return. This is a great way to try scents that you maybe have never tried before, and also share scent shots with other people that you may not be too fond of, but it could become someone else's favorite.

So, this is what I swapped some of my scent shots for.

P.S. I Love You - Exact dupe of BBW P.S. I Love You, but BETTER! When I worked for BBW for about a year, I HATED this scent. Something about it in perfume and lotion form did not sit well with me. But, Victoria's version is great! It's a wonderful mix of the florals, but in a sweet, not overpowering way. I get a lot of rose, amber, and citrus. I think the amber scent in it tones down some of the floral notes. If you're not a floral person, don't be afraid to try this scent, it's good!

Cherry Vanilla - The name says it all. This ones strong on the cherry and light on the vanilla (at least on cold throw). It might change when it is melted.

Buttermint Candies - Yep, smells like the buttermint candies you eat around the holidays. 50/50 blend of butter and mint.

Oatmeal Milk and Honey - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. It is a perfect scent for a baby's room or a bathroom! Smells exactly like a clean, fresh, lotion.

Million Dollar Baby - Smells like pineapple cake to me. I can't wait to melt this one.

Sunshine - Another favorite that I got! The scent description says it's a blend of apricot and sunflower. One of my favorite body splash fragrance from BBW is Apricot Vanilla. They of course, do not make this anymore, but this reminds me of it. It's the same kind of sweet apricot scent, with a hint of floral. What a great spring/summer scent. I already ordered another scent shot in this!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Catching up.... Crockpot Sundays

Ah, I've really been slacking when it comes to blogging my "Crockpot Sunday" recipes, and blogging in general - I'M SORRY! So, with the few minutes I have tonight, I'll update everyone.

We have had a few repeat recipes because we love them so much including; buffalo chicken sandwiches and cream cheese chicken chilli.

New recipes we've tried are:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 Ingredients-

1 pound frozen chicken (shred with two forks when finished cooking)
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, or fresh if in season
Crumbled tortilla chips
Cooking Instructions -
1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, onion, and garlic into the crockpot
2. Pour in water and chicken broth, season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf
3. Stir in corn
4. Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours
5. Shred chicken with two forks
6. Sprinkle with crumbled tortilla chips and serve

Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients -
  • Potatoes (washed by not peeled), cut into small cubes
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 10 cloved of garlic, minced (I usually just use a hand cheese grater to mince it)
  • 64 ounces of chicken broth/stock
  • 16 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
  • Optional toppings - bacon, green onions, shredded cheese
Cooking Instructions -

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken broth to crockpot
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours
3. Remove half the soup and put into a blender with half cream cheese - blend until mixed well
4. Place other half of cream cheese into crockpot, let melt
5. Add soup/cream cheese mixture back into crockpot
6. Mix everything together well
7. Serve with variety of toppings; Enjoy!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Crockpot Sunday - Chicken Tacos

Here's another super easy, but super yummy (and versitle) crockpot recipe for chicken tacos.

Ingredients:
3-5 frozen chicken breasts
1 16oz jar of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning

Put everything in the crockpot and mix ingredients together. Cook on low for approximately 6-7 hours. When finished cooking, shred chicken with two forks.

Put in your favorite taco shell with your favorite ingredients.

I used soft taco shells, lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Enjoy! :)

Candles By Victoria - February 2012 Order Review

Well, I told myself I wasn't going to be ordering anymore candles for a while until I get my stash down a little... it's overflowing! But, when I found out I was one of the February winners for the Blogging for Candles By Victoria contest (yes, Victoria has a contest each month where you can blog about CBV and she picks three winners each month to win a $50 giftcard.), I was ecstatic and of course had to order. That $50 giftcard was "burning a hole in my pocket".

So, here's what I got and hopefully it cure my itch to buy more until at least May when I can place a birthday order. :)

(Sorry this picture is sideways, I don't know what's up)

Scent Shots:

Butterfly Kisses - On cold throw, I get strong lilac and honeysuckle and if I sniff deep enough, the cantelope comes out a little bit. This reminds me a lot of Bella Swan with the lilac (which sort of mingles with the fruit to create a grape-y type scent, even though there is no grape). Might be a little too floraly for me, but my husband picked it out and really likes it, so we'll see.

Cinnabon- This one has been on my wish list for a while, and I was so excited to see that it was my free scent shot. It's a wonderful mix of a stronger bakery cinnamon with a sweet dough/icing note to it. I have a feeling this ones gonna be a strong bugger, but good!

St Lucia- A lot of people say this one reminds them of Tiffany-D and I get that, especially since they has a lot of the same notes in them - honeydew and melon. I feel like St Lucia is a lot softer than Tiffany-D. St Lucia has marshmallow and vanilla to mellow it out a bit. Tiffany-D has cotton candy, which makes it a bit sweeter.

Baby's Breath- This one is such a nice scent! A perfect mix of jasmine and vanilla. It's a very sweet, floraly, yet relaxing and clean type scent.

Divine Paradise- I got this one because Mackenzie (mheath1293) from the Pouring Pot did a review of this one and said it reminded her sooo much of YC Almond Cookies. When I first smelled this I felt it was a bit strong of the cherry almond scent, but as I've let it sit for a few days, it's blending into something beautiful. Right now I get a strong cake note, with a lot of cherries and a little pineapple. So, I was trying to compare this with Almond Cookie and decided to smell my scent shot of Divine Paradise and then my candle of Almond Cookie, and of course CBV blew it out of the water! After smelling my scent shot, I literally could not even smell the Almond Cookie candle AT ALL. I had my husband do the same thing, and he said, "I don't smell anything". So, of course, just goes to show you Victoria's triple scented candles are AH-MAZING!

Pink Bubblegum Crush- This is one of my favorites, and since I had a tight budget (of course I went over the $50 limit of the giftcard), I decided to just get this is a scent shot to hold me over until I can get a bigger candle in a few months. But, anyhow, this is suppposed to be a dupe of a particular soap, but I've never even been into this soap company's store, so I have no clue what it's supposed to smell like. But, in my eyes (or nose), Pink Bubblegum Crush = Swedish Fish.

Bermuda Triangle- My husband requested we try this one. It's supposed to have a lot of fruits in it - cantaoupe, honeydew, watermelon, along with citrus notes, and apple. I only get citrus notes from it - grapefuit, tangerine, and lime. But, it's a really nice blend. If you like citusy notes, I highly suggest this one!



22oz Tureen Halo Purple in Spellbound - This is one of my all-time favorite scents by CBV. I've reviewed it before, but it's a wonderful blend of apple and sweet cotton candy!


22oz Tureen Gem Blue in Tiffany-D- Beautiful scent in an absolutely stunning jar! Another one of my favorite scents by CBV. Wonderful scent of watermelon, honeydew, cotton candy, and vanilla!

24oz Mustard Jar in Elvis (sorry no picture)- I still have about half of a mustard jar in Elvis still left, but I figured I better stock up while I can. Elvis is a lovely mix of peanut butter and banana. And, when burning, it blends into such a sweet, comforting, cozy scent to me. Another favorite, for sure!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Crockpot Sunday - February 19, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches


This one is beyond super easy, and super yummy (and hot!).

Ingredients

Frozen chicken breasts (I would suggest about 2-3 for 2 people)
1 (big) bottle of Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 packet of Ranch dressing
1-2 Tablespoons of Butter

Cooking Instructions

1. Place frozen chicken breast into crock pot
2. Pour entire bottle of hot sauce over chicken
3. Pour packet of Ranch dressing on top of chicken
4. Cover, and cook on low for about 6-7 hours
5. After 6-7 hours, shred chickn apart with 2 forks, add a tablespoon or two of butter and mix
6. Cook on low for about 30 more minutes
7. Put on a roll/bun with whatever toppings you want. I just used some shredded cheese


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Candles By Victoria - Valentine's Order

After placing a pretty big CBV order in January, I told myself I was going to try to wait a few months before ordering again. But, of course, I gave in. Victoria not only introduced her new Love Potion No. 9 (located on page 20), but she also had a 15% off sale, so I had to order. ;)

Here is a review of what I got...

(Sorry I don't have a picture for the first one)
Love Potion No. 9 - This is such an awesome candle. It is a massage candle. Yes, a massage candle!! You light the candle, let it get a full melt pool, then pour the hot wax onto your hands or a part of your body (or a partners body) and rub it in. This particular candle currently only comes in one scent, but it's super nice. It's a wonderful soft mix of fruity, floral, and vanilla. The most perfect relaxing, sweet, but not overpowering scent.

If you're thinking to yourself, oh, I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife to use this with - that's perfectly fine! This candle can be used on your own as a lotion for any part of your body. It's extrememly moisturizing! Treat yourself, it's worth it. It not only scents up your room as it's burning, but then scents you when you put it on!


Chai Tea Scent Shot - This is the perfect relaxing scent to me. It smells just like all the spices of a chai tea.

Lemon Pound Cake Scent Shot - This scent smells just like the name. It's a sweet lemon scent, along with a cakey note. It's soooo good!

Blueberry Patch Scent Shot (free)- Straight blueberry scent. Yum!



White Nectarine and Pink Coral Mini Jelly Jar- This is such a nice bathroom/clean scent to me, but fruity at the same time. It reminds me very much of Herbal Essences shampoo (orange bottle - frizz control).


Caramelized Pralines 8oz Jelly Jar- One of my all time CBV favorites! Such a rich, creamy caramel, nutty scent!

Spellbound 8oz Jelly Jar- I'm starting to fall in LOVE with Victoria's apple scents, and this one is no exception! It's the perfect blend of sweet apple and sweet cotton candy. It's sooo, sooo, SOOOO good!!! I don't hear too much about it on the Pouring Pot Message Board or CBV Facebook page, but I highly recommend it!


Tiffany-D Scoop Some Scent- This idea is so fun. It's a 16oz jar of soft wax. You can order it in any scent. You then use the wooden scooper to scoop out whatever amount of wax you want to put in your tart warmer. Such a wonderful way to scent a room without a flame. And, Tiffany-D, I can't rave enough about it. It took me almost a year of ordering from CBV before ordering it, and I have no idea what took me so long. Now I can't live without it! It's a beautiful blend of watermelon, honey dew, cotton candy, and vanilla.



Nutty Candied Apple 22oz Tureen in Grape and Silver Glitter- Another favorite of mine. A great nutty apple scent. So hard to decribe, but so delicious!


Singapore Sling Black Label candle- Super yummy. A great, complex combination of lemon, poppyseed, sugar, marshmallow, vanilla cake, and a little musk. I can't wait to burn this baby!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Crockpot Sunday - February 12, 2012

Ranch Pork Chops and Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes (we had green beans with it, too)


Ingredients  
  • 6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 packet dry Ranch Dressing
  • 10oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 3-4 lbs peeled potatoes
  • 5 Tablespoons real butter
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic (directions below)
  • Milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking Instructions (Pork Chops and Potatoes)
  1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
  2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water.
  3. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil.
  4. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
  5. Mash potatoes and add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper.
Cooking Instructions (Roasted Garlic)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour.
  3. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed



Saturday, February 4, 2012

New Tradition - Crockpot Sunday

Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to find new recipes to use for the crockpot. And, since Sunday is usually a pretty busy day in our household, I decided to nominate Sunday to be the day of the week I cook using my crockpot. And, crockpot Sunday usually leads to leftover Monday (since it's only my husband and I) :)

I usually wake up, put it all together then by the time we get home in the afternoon dinner is served!

And you're probably thinking to yourself, I hate using my crockpot because it's so big and bulky and hard to clean up after cooking food in it all day. I highly recommend Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners. Stick the liner in your crockpot before you start cooking, then clean up is a breeze!


Here's the Recap:

Sorry I don't have pictures this time, but I promise you everything is super yummy!!!

Sunday, January 22 - Roast and Vegetables

Ingredients
  • 2-5 pound pot roast (any kind)  
  • 1 envelope ranch dressing (dried)
  • 1 envelope Italian dressing
  • 1 envelope brown gravy mix
  • Potatoes and Carrots
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cup water
Cooking Instructions

1. Cut vegetables (I used carrots and potatoes - but you can add whatever you want)
2. Place vegetables in the bottom of your crockpot
3. Put roast on top of vegetables
4. Sprinkle all three spice envelopes on top of the roast
4. Add water
5. Cook on low for 6-10 hours

Sunday, January 28 - Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pound cubed beef stew meat
  • 1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
  • 1 can carrots with juice
  • 1 can green beans
  • 1 can sliced potates with juice
  • 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (1.25oz) package beef with onion soup mix
  • salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions

  1. Place meat, corn, green beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, soup mix, and salt and pepper in the slow cooker; stir to combine
  2. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Add water if necessary.

Sunday, February, 5 - Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can corn, undrained
  • 1 can Rotel, undrained
  • 1 package ranch dressing mix
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 8 oz package light cream cheese
  • 2 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
 Cooking Instructions
  1. Drain and rinse black beans
  2. Place chicken at the bottom of the pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans
  3. Top with seasonings and ranch mix; stir together
  4. Place cream cheese on top
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours
  6. Stir cream cheese into chili
  7. Use two forks to shred chicken
  8. Serve

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Candles By Victoria Basket

I recently created a Candles By Victoria basket to donate to a basket raffle party that my church is having around Valentine's Day. I included a lot of my favorite scents, along with a lot of favorites from The Pouring Pot - CBV's Message Board. So, here's a picture and a list of everything I included in the basket - may rearrange it a little bit, we'll see. But, whoever wins this is one lucky duck - I might have to even put a ticket in. ;)


Basket Includes:
  • Tart warmer in Jet Black
  • 8oz Jelly Jar in Mango Tango
  • 4oz Jelly Jar in Shamrock Kiss
  • Gooey Cinnamon Bun Candle
  • Scent Shot - Exotic
  • Scent Shot - Fruit Loops
  • Scent Shot - Sugared Spruce
  • Scent Shot - Bella Swan
  • Scent Shot - Elvis
  • Scent Shot - Granny's Pie Crust
  • Scent Shot - Fizzy Pop
  • Scent Shot - Lemon Pound Cake
  • Scent Shot - Bear Claws
  • Scent Shot - Pink Cupcake (x2 - was also my free ss in this order)
  • Scent Shot - Coconut Hibiscus
  • Scent Shot - Nutty Candied Apple
  • Scent Shot - Fresh Laundry
  • Scent Shot - Reese's Peanut Butter
  • Scent Shot - Pineapple Punch
  • Scent Shot - Tropical Temptation
  • Scent Shot - Kim's Country Cornbread
  • Scent Shot - Sweet Angel Dust
  • Scent Shot - Sweet Potato Pie
  • Scent Shot - Pear N Caramel 

Saturday, January 21, 2012

My Top 5 Candles By Victoria Scents!!

After spending my Saturday morning sniffing through all of my scent shots and candles, I have decided what my (current) five favorite fragrances are by Candles By Victoria. If you haven't heard of Candles By Victoria, it is a candle business owned by a woman, Victoria, and her family in Texas. No matter where you live in the United States and Canada, you can get these wonderful goodies sent right to your door by shopping on their website - http://www.candlesbyvictoria.com/. It may be overwhelming going onto the website at first when you realize CBV has over 700 scents to choose from, and a lot of different kind of tarts and candles. But once you place that first order, you'll be hooked and through a couple hundred in no time. :)

Here are my current top five favorite scent (in no particular order) -

22oz Glitter Turren (Black halo glitter with purple colored wax) Nutty Candied Apple

Nutty Candied Apple- Before I found CBV, I was never a big fan of apple scents. I would have never thought that it would be in my top 5! This is such a sweet, fresh apple scent with a hint of nutty goodness. Everyone I have ever shared this scent with has loved it. It is definitely a must try!
  
24oz Mustard Jar in Granny's Pie Crust

Granny's Pie Crust- This one is such a wonderful, sweet, creamy bakery scent. Just like the name suggests, it smells like sweet pie crust. If you're not normally a fan of bakery, I highly suggest trying this one. There's no cinnamon or any kind of spice, and the scent throw is not overwhelming at all. This ones yummy!!

 22oz Tureen (Bright Jeweled Pink) Love Spell

Love Spell- Exact dupe of Love Spell by Victoria Secret. Such a sweet, fruity, girly scent. This one's a staple in my bedroom!


8oz Tureen in Caramelized Pralines

Caramelized Pralines- This one is absolutely delicious! Such a wonderful mix of nuttiness and caramel. It is a staple for my kitchen, for sure!


8oz Jelly Jar in Tiffany-D

Tiffany-D- What a fantastic fruity scent. It's a blend of watermelon, honeydew, cotton candy, and vanilla. I'm not sure there's anyone who wouldn't love this scent. The next time I order it, I'll be getting an extremely large candle.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Reusing Candle Jars

I'm sure a lot of people (like me up until recently) just throw away their candle jars when the wax is gone. I decided recently to try to get more uses out of things before throwing them away. I recently finished my 24 oz Mustard Jar candle of Granny's Pie Crust from CBV, and decided to clean it out and see what I could come up with.

Here is a picture of a 24oz mustard jar in Granny's Pie Crust (unburned)




Here is a picture of a cleaned out 24oz mustard jar with my lunch in it for tomorrow.

Monday, January 16, 2012

What do I do with scent shots?

 Here's a little info for you on scent shots. If you are not familiar with "scent shots", or as they are more commonly known, "tarts", you might be a little confused. What the heck do you do with a 2oz chunk of wax with no wick?

Well, the first thing is you need a tart/candle warmer. I purchased mine from Candles By Victoria. CBV sells a variety of them (12 to be exact) on their website for $15.95. You then put a portion (1/4 or 1/2 usually works), or all of the scent shot onto the warmer and it will release the fragrance.

How do you cut the scent shot up without making a mess, you ask? Well... it's easy. I have a paper plate and a butter knife specifically for cutting my scent shots. Below are picture step-by-step instructions.
 

Step 1 - Scent Shot, Paper Plate, Butter Knife

Step 2 - Take scent shot out of the container and flip it upside down on the paper plate



Step 3 - Cut the scent shot in half using the butter knife



Step 4 - Cut the scent shot the other way in half to create four equal parts


Final step.... scrape any wax crumbs off of the paper plate, then wipe the wax residue off of the knife with a paper towel and you're done!
Now, the wax will not burn away as it does with candles. When the scent shot is done you will not smell anymore fragrance coming from it, but you will still have all the wax left. When that happens, there are a few ways to get the wax out. I use the following two methods - freezer or melt and dump. I find the freezer method works well when I have put at least 1/2 of the scent shot into the warmer. You just turn the warmer off and let the wax solidify. You then pop the plate it into the freezer for about 20 minutes, and with a butter knife ease the wax out. It should come out in one piece. If it does not, it needs to be put back in the freezer a little while longer.

The other method, melt and dump, works well when you use a small portion of wax (usually mine is 1/4). When the scent shot is done and you can't smell any more fragrance, I will take the top plate off of the warmer and immediately dump the liquified wax into the garbage can. There is usually some wax left over in the plate, so I use a paper towel or two to remove any leftover wax.


And voila... there you have it. I hope this helped out for anyone who needed help understanding how to use scent shots. Now, get melting! :)

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Introduction

I figured I would start a blog to share the things I love with others. I am currently really into trying new recipes, Candles By Victoria, the band Hanson, reading, couponing, and inexpensive DIY ideas for the home and gifts.

I look forward to finding new things and meeting new people!!