Wickless Wednesday: Current Favorite Songs!

I'm not addicted to only wax, yaknow. I am also addicted to music.
Every once in a while, I like to post what I'm jammin' out to, old and new!
What songs are taking you through the early part of summer? Let me know in the comments! :)

I am OBSESSED with "All of the Stars" by Ed Sheeran. This song is from the soundtrack to "The Fault in Our Stars" and it fits the movie perfectly. It has so much emotion, especially if you've read the book or seen the movie. You never know what the stars are telling you!

This is the lyrics video for "Stay" by Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko. Love this song. Again, another with lots of emotion behind it. Rihanna has had her troubles, so part of me thinks this song is about all of that. Well, we can all identify with the message behind this song...right? Anyways, I am not really a Rihanna fan, but this song is just splendid and haunting, too. You can hear the pain in her voice while singing it. Well...at least to me it sounds that way!

Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" is from the soundtrack for "Dirty Dancing" and has been stuck in my head for a month and a half. The scene in the movie where this song is featured has one of the best ad-libbed scenes in movies. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey didn't get along on set, and when he was tickling her arm during a dancing training session, she kept laughing and giggling, thus pissing Swayze off enough to get annoyed. The faces he makes are 100% authentic because he really was getting mad, and this wasn't in the script. I love this movie so much, it's insane.

So, we reviewed "Jersey Boys" on our movie blog a couple of weeks ago. It was good, at least the music was. I got my hands on the soundtrack and I'm so glad I did. The song "Cry For Me" by Erich Bergen is just AMAZING! Really! He has such a soulful voice that it makes this song great. I hope he finds success after this movie because he was my favorite part of it. I Tweeted about this song and my dancing around to it, and Erich favorited the Tweet! I had a minor fangirl episode. ;)

Finally, we have another song from a movie! We recently saw "Begin Again," and though I am not a fan of Keira Knightley, the movie was really, really good! The song "Lost Stars"by Adam Levine and Keira Knightley (yes, she sings all her songs in the movie!!) was immediately stuck in my head upon viewing the trailer, and it's still stuck in my head even now. Strange, but Adam Levine is the movie, that's not a typo. When the two sing this song together, it's all sorts of magical. I love the lyrics, I love the tone, it's fantastic all around.

Again, what songs have you been rockin' lately? Let me know, I'm always looking for more music! :)

Off Topic Tuesday: A Post About Reading

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." ~Groucho Marx

There have been several times in my life where I thought I needed to read more.
I go through phases of finishing a book and moving quickly on to the next, but then, for some reason, I stop in lieu of technology, or TV, or....well, nothing.

There's really no excuse for my lack of enthusiasm when it comes to books.
I've mentioned before that my love of books and reading came somewhere between 6th and 9th grade, when school forced me to read some BS drivel that I had no interest in finishing.

There are so many freaking books out there, this is obvious.
I feel like if I'm not reading, I am missing out on some great experience.
The thing is, as an adult, I have discovered that I really do like reading.
(I prefer writing, though. I am a much better writer than I am a reader. But that's beside the point.)
I can be transported to a world beyond the pages, to a place where my imagination runs wild, where I can see the characters and situations in my head...so why the resistence?
As mentioned above, I blame technology. It's much easier to pick up my phone or put on a movie or scroll around online than it is to invest time, effort, and thoughts into a book.

Bottom line: I need to change this way of thinking.

Almost one year ago on this blog, I wrote a post about the books I wanted to read last summer. Looking back on it now, I see I have only read one of those books. ONE. And my list was only 8 books long! I know some of you go through that many books in a matter of a few weeks.

My post today, a year later, is about how to get into it.

• What makes you love reading? 
• What books affirmed your love of reading?
• What are the best books you have ever read?
• Is it wrong for adults to want to read books meant for young adults? Because seriously, I love "The Hunger Games." (My answer to this is NO, by the way)
• Do you read a book and then want to go watch the movie to compare?
• Do you have any tips or tricks for people "just" getting into reading? 
• Any tips or tricks to stay focused on reading?
• Do you do anything while reading? Maybe have a candle going (AHHHH, SEE??? We cannot escape the world of wax)? Do you drink tea or coffee?
• When do you read? At night, in the morning, any time you get a spare moment?

If I have missed any questions, please feel free to add to my list. I am at a crossroads in my imaginative life here, folks. I NEED TO START READING!!!

Review: Streetman Seasoning's Spicy Onion Dip (Off-Topic Tuesday)

Josh was the only person I ever knew who ate onion dip.
With Doritos.
It's weird, sure...but it's pretty darn good!

Tony and Heather Streetman have done it again!

In addition to taco seasoning in four varieties (as of now), they have created Streetman Seasonings Spicy Onion Dip (as well as hamburger seasoning, set to launch sometime soon, I hope!). Even before I opened the package, I could smells its oniony aroma right away. It smells delicious! You can never have too many onions, in my opinion. This also smelled like the taco seasoning we had tried a few weeks ago, except a bit less spicy. Here's the instructions!

Mix 16oz. of sour cream with one packet of seasoning. That's it! tub of Daisy sour cream (not a plug, just our favorite) because it has no extra icky/unnecessary/filler ingredients in it. Right away, the mix started turning a reddish/whiteish color; the packet was pretty powdery, so I had to give it a good, long stir to incorporate all the extra elements.

 Mmmmmmmmmmmm, empty bowl for tortilla chip scraping....

Voila! There you have it! Delicious, flavorful, spicy onion dip! I scooped the mix back into the container and refrigerated it for about an hour before we dug into it.

We have used almost all of the 16oz. container. I've used it as chip dip, as a side to quesadillas, and as a replacement to sour cream on numerous Mexican dishes (including leftover tacos with Streetman Seasonings Exorcised, reviewed here). Like I said earlier, it's onion heavy (as it should be), and I really enjoyed it. The thing other, generic onion dips are missing is spice, and this dip delivers! I give it a 7/10! Yum! :)

Off Topic Tuesday: Summer Reading List!

I used to love reading...
...but high school happened and ruined everything.
They force you to read "classic," but classics to who?
Because I'm just gonna come out and say it: "Beowulf" is effing terrible. And long. And boring.

I want to start reading again. I like reading, I just can't seem to get over my high school experience!
So, this is my summer reading list. I know, it's nothing earth-shattering, but I am opened to suggestions.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett: Saw the movie, loved it, my mother-in-law loved the book, and now I want to see how it's different. The time has come.

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins: The second in The Hunger Games series; really enjoyed the first one, so I want to read more! I want to see it before we watch the second movie in November (shouldn't be hard, they are addicting.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombie" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith: zombies are all the rage right now, and I've heard decent things about this book. Anyone read it?

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn: another book I've heard awesome things about from all over the internetsz and in magazines I read. Looking forward to this thriller the most!

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky: A coming-of-age story I've always wanted to read but never have. Prepare to be depressed?

LOL JK I ALREADY READ THIS RUBBISH AND IT'S AWFUL AND REPETITIVE AND MY BEST FRIEND MADE ME READ IT SO BLAME HER.

"World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" by Max Brooks: I had a teacher in college who told me I should read this book, and he even gave it to me audio-style to read. I forgot about it. Now it's time.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson: everyone I know raves about this book, so I will give it a try!

What's on your summer reading list, waxy friends? Do you like reading? Any suggestions for me? I like pretty much anything!

Off Topic Tuesday: Lil' Ol' Duke

This was a sad weekend for my family.

We had to put our beloved family dog Duke down on Saturday.

It was so, so hard. For all of us. He was such a great dog, and an awesome companion. It was a difficult decision to make because we wondered, "is it the right time?" "Are we going to be letting him down in some small way?" "Is this the right thing to do?"

Duke was in a lot of pain towards the end of his long life. He wasn't eating all his food. He would go the the bathroom anywhere he pleased, sometimes without knowing it. He wasn't able to get up because sometimes his back legs acted like they were "dead." He already couldn't see or hear very well, so this compounded the issue even more.

He would bark and yelp in pain and frustration because his legs used to work, so why didn't they now? My mom said he would look at her sometimes, frustrated and confused, as if he was saying "help me, mom."

In the end, he was surrounded by friends and family who loved him dearly. My mom, her boyfriend, my brother (Duke used to follow him around all the time when he was younger...they were best pals), Josh and I, my grandma, and one of my best friends (who basically grew up with Duke because she grew up with me) were all there for his last, final send-off.

As he had a hard time with his back legs, he couldn't jump, which meant he couldn't get into the car. So, my mom opted to have a doctor come to her house, Duke's home, to finally put a stop to all of his pain.

The doctor who came seemed very "by the book" at first; she looked sort of puzzled by the fact that 7 people were there to say goodbye to a dog. I think she was a little nervous, to tell you the truth. She seemed kind enough, though, and explained what the process would be like. We all shared our stories as Duke was given a sedative to calm him down. Then, finally, after a short while, he was at peace. Once she realized that we had a wonderful history filled with loving stories of our dog, our companion, our "family member," you could visibly see that she looked sad for us when all was said and done.

I didn't mean for this post to get so sad, it was really just meant to share a photo of our ol' pal Duke...I'm sorry it turned out this way, but he was a good dog. I'm going to miss him, even if he was a pain in the ass sometimes. He was either 14 or 15, we think. We have had him since he was 3.

Rest in paradise, my lil' ol' Dukie boy. You will be missed.

Review: Streetman Seasoning's Exorcised (Off Topic Tuesday)

Being from San Diego, we love our Mexican food in America's Finest City.
There's a taco joint on ever street corner, or so it seems.
If it doesn't end in "-BERTO'S" (IE: Alberto's, Rigoberto's, Juanberto's, Roberto's, Royberto's, Rayberto's, and El Indio [SEE WHAT I DID THERE???]), then I don't want to eat there.*

Enter Streetman Seasonings.
When Heather from Streetman Candle Co. announced that her husband Tony would be selling their own taco seasoning, I just about died and went to heaven!
When she said it would be featured in the May Simply Sensational Sampler box, I was ridiculously excited.

*to the tune of "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon*
*YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, THIS BURRO'S ON FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH*

(not super attractive, but you get the point)
Here are the steps.
1) Brown meat (we used ground turkey for our dinner).
2) Add oil, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar (instructions on the package).
3) Mix and add seasoning packet, mix again.
4) Enjoy, wait for mouth to fall off from hotness.

WOW is all I have to say. This is the medium version of their seasoning and Josh (read WE because I don't want to admit it kicked my butt) were basically dying from the heat. I can take it, but poor Josh was on his third drink before he went for his second taco.

It was fantastic, though. The flavors melded together so well, and I would have NEVER thought to put red wine and balsamic vinegars in tacos! This seasoning includes both habanero AND red pepper flakes, which is where the heat comes from. On my tacos, I only added cheese and sour cream. Josh added onion and lettuce.

Would I buy this? Absolutely. Am I tough enough to try The Gates of Hell, which includes GHOST peppers (1,000,000 scoville units of face and lip burning amazement)? No, no I am not. However, if you're planning on buying from Streetman Candle Co. and want to try this (or their spicy onion dip, which sounds equally as fabulous), try it. I don't think you'll be disappointed, especially if you like spicy food! :)

* = not factually accurate, I will eat at any and every Mexican food joint in town. :)

Off-Topic Tuesday: Wedding Candle

...well, not so off-topic, actually.

Josh and I are about to have our 3rd year wedding anniversary in May. My candle/scent/waxy obsession just started this past year, but for as long as I can remember, candles have been part of my life. What do the two have to do with one another, you might be asking?

My mom's really good friend Barbara (who I hope is reading this post) gave Josh and I this candle as a wedding gift. The photo of us was on the wedding announcement we made and sent to our friends and family. Packing it and moving it to the new house made me realize the connection, so I thought I'd share!

Do you have any wax/candle/scent themed wedding items you'd feel comfortable sharing? :)

Off Topic Tuesday: Up and Running!

It seems like I've talked about it for a long time, but...

WE'RE UP AND READY IN OUR NEW HOUSE!!!

Insert flashing lights and lots of boxes to unpack here.

Expect numerous updates and many exciting things to come. Thanks for sticking with me, waxy friends! :)

Off Topic Tuesday: Favorite TV Shows

I hate to admit it, but I like watching TV, everything from the cartoon "Bob's Burgers" to the drama "Grey's Anatomy." I'm just a sucker for cheap entertainment.

My question for you on this week's Off Topic Tuesday is: What are some of your favorite TV shows?
Here are some of mine!

I hate to say "literally," but this is literally the greatest show on television. "Homeland" stars recent Golden Globe winners Claire Danes (as CIA agent and general crazy person Carrie Matheson) and Damian Lewis (as former P.O.W. and dude with suspected "ill-will towards America" Sargent Nicholas Brody), as well as Mandy Patinkin (as CIA bad-ass Saul Berenson). If you like shows with LOTS of twists and turns, this is the show for you. The characters are great, the suspense KILLS me, the actors are phenomenal, and the story....well, I really can't say too much without giving something away. This show just ended its second season, and will return in September 2013. Look for it on Showtime.

Kerry Washington plays professional "fixer" Olivia Pope on "Scandal," who we quickly discover is driven to keep a "clean" professional life, while entertaining a very "messy" personal one. She left her position at the White House to start her own professional "clean-up" business helping others fix their messes before they go public, but made sure to start an affair with the married president of the United States (Fitzgerald Grant, played by actor/director and resident Hottie McHotPants Tony Goldwyn) first. Ooooooo. SCANDALous! Olivia's team of often unethical, not always squeaky clean characters provides a great and entertaining show, and the chemistry between Washington and Goldwyn is dynamite! ABC is the place to be on Thursday nights.

"Parks and Recreation" is such a great show, and Josh, who doesn't generally watch TV, loves it! Between Ron Swanson's (Nick Offerman) moustache and love of meat to Leslie Knope's (Amy Poehler) eagerness to do a good, noble job cleaning up her city of Pawnee, hilarity ensues each Thursday night on NBC (luckily, on at a different time now instead of airing the same time as "Grey's Anatomy" or "Scandal". You can tell the cast really gets along well, and each character provides a different type of humor, making this one of the funniest shows on TV.

Once Conan O'Brien got screwed over by Jay Leno, I made a vow to follow him anywhere he went if he got a new show. Well, HE DID! "Conan" is now on TBS at 11:00pm. I make it a point to watch his show every single day, even if it's just his monologue, and I haven't missed a show yet. While is does seem a bit defeated over the entire NBC fiasco, my love for Conan will never die. :)

I'll leave the summaries at 3, but here is a list of some of the other shows I enjoy:
-Parenthood, I cry every single week I watch this show, and it's only getting better and better. The actors are fantastic, the story lines are depressing, and it really holds my attention.
-The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, obviously a fabulous, humorous look at the goings-on in America and around the world. Jon Stewart is my fav.
-Modern Family, about 3 different families of varied cultural backgrounds, ages, and sexual orientations, and how they all get along and live with one another.
-Raising Hope, a hilarious comedy about a guy with a dysfunctional and fun family who becomes a father at a fairly young age.
-The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show following MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters in their quest to become the next Ultimate Fighter and win a six-figure contact with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
-Archer, dirty but hilarious cartoon about an international spy named Sterling Archer.
-Pretty Little Liars, yes, I am 26 years old and I watch a show about teenagers in high school. IT'S A GUILTY PLEASURE SHOW, back up haters. ;)
-Cougar Town, NOT about women being cougars anymore! Courtney Cox at her finest (???).

Aaaaaaaand that's all, folks!

Off Topic Tuesday: Current Favorite Songs

Do you like music? What kind of music do you like?

Below are my favorite songs at the moment. Share yours with everyone in the comments!

While my favorite genres are oldies, rock, and metal, I tend to travel all across the musical map. My favorite band (and I use this term subjectively) when I was a kid was The Backstreet Boys. Currently, I am obsessed with Taylor Swift and garner a lot of flack for this. I've finally been able to listen to her new album "Red," and I LOVE IT. I love that I've been a fan for long enough to see her growth in each song and album. This is my favorite song her "Red." That being said, I DO agree with Josh, she's definitely the problem in her love life, not the guys she dates. (HA)

"Some Nights" by Fun. is a really great song to sing along to in the car. There might be some NSFW language, so just be aware! I don't know anything about this band, but I think the lead singer looks like a combination of Mark Wahlberg and Guy Pearce. Josh doesn't see it. It's a good song, give it a listen!

HATERS BACK UP. This song is catchy as hale. I have so many questions: why is Psy in a place where there are horses in the video? Did he ever take dancing lessons or is he just a Lord of the Dance? Just how much money does he have now? WHY IS HE SWIMMING IN A JACUZZI??? Ugh...hate me all you want, but this song is awesome.

Chaka Khan is fierce. This song is funky and amazing and timeless. End of story.

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to share, there's no judgment here!

PS: Do you like Off Topic Tuesday?

Off Topic Tuesday: Happy New Year!!

Today on Lolo Loves Scents, I am going to be starting a new set of Tuesday posts: Off Topic Tuesday! It might not happen every week, but I'll do my best to keep up the tradition! 

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR, everybody! :) 

Boy, 2012 was something else. Seriously.
After 2010, I didn't think it could get much worse...then 2012 reared its ugly, snarling face.

Welp, 2013 has to be better than last year. In fact, I'm going to make it my life's mission that 2013 will be the best year EVAR.
(...I feel like my best friend and I say this same exact thing every single year)

So, to kick Off Topic Tuesday off right, here's a picture of my wonderful, silly pup, Freddo! He's technically from 2011, but it's been to fun watching him grow for the first year of his life. He's a mini Schnauzer, and he's my first dog, well, a dog that's all my own, well, our own, ha!....

...PUP-CEPTION??????

This was taken a while ago, but he looks pretty much the same (just a bit bigger). I love this lil' guy!

Do you have any pets? Feel free to share photos or links to photos! :)

Off Topic Tuesday: Recent Horror in Newtown, CT

I don't live in Connecticut, in fact, I live on the other side of the country. I don't (think I) know anyone in Connecticut. It's been a long time since I've been in elementary school. Josh and I don't have children of our own...

...But none of this means I don't have a heart or soul that aches this morning.

I think we all feel the same way today after what happened in Newtown, CT yesterday. We are sad, we are angry, we want answers to why someone, an individual so heartless, could stoop to the level he did, could do what he did...
Will this make it better, knowing why he did it? No, it won't.
Will it bring back the innocent lives lost? No, unfortunately, it won't.
Will it change anything? We can only hope horrific incidents like this might change policies, opinions, and attitudes for the better. I'm not going to get political, and understand that there are two sides to every issue, but SOMETHING has to change. SOMEONE has to give. We're getting nowhere, and have been getting nowhere for a long time.

I cried off and on yesterday because of this senseless tragedy, yet I kept myself glued to the television off and on. It's so, so depressing, gut-wrenching, deplorable...those poor children and innocent victims...so many words to describe the one word that keeps popping up in my head: STOP. Stop the hatred, stop the violence, stop the aggression.

Hug the ones you love tightly because, luckily, we get another day with them. Also, please keep Newtown, CT in your hearts and thoughts. This is not okay.

*Candle related to this cause: if you want to help out, CLARO candle is giving 100% of the proceeds of their 'special cause' candle directly to the victims and their families, and those impacted by this tragedy. Visit http://clarocandles.com/ to buy one and donate.
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**I just felt so overwhelmed by this that I had to share my thoughts. Hope you all understand...if not, regular fun, happy wax news will resume tomorrow.