MJ Speaks

There are some stores that no matter how often I stop into, there is always something new that I have to buy.  Or, an old favorite that I simply must stock up on.

Lush is one of those stores.

I first discovered Lush on a layover and, at the time, there was only one store that was convenient for me to go to.  I’d pick up a layover just to stock up on product, buy gifts, and feed my fix for a few months until I could get back again.

I love the displays of their delicious smelling hand-made bath products.  Besides being al natural, with no animal testing, they all smell pretty damn fantastic!

Lush now has stores in more places than you can shake a stick at (check the website for countries and location), and many products can be purchased online.  Perishable products usually cannot be shipped, however.

While they offer a variety of products (skin care, hair products, deodorants, etc.), the bath products are still my favorites.  And I love the soap that is just cut for you right off the block.

My personal recommendations:  Karma bath bombs (orange and spices), creamy candy bubble bar (vanilla and lots of sugar), rock star soap (smells a little bit like bubble gum), and almond butter buttercream (almond and citrus).

Lush makes life a little easier most days.

Last year I finally got to Paris, a trip that took way too long to make.  This is one of my favorite photos from the trip, the iconic Eiffel Tower.

Photo credit:  personal collection

I’ve never been a huge Louis Vuitton fan.  It’s not that I didn’t like them, it’s that everyone around seemed to have one.  Or rather, a couple of friends had them and everywhere else I turned people had a knock off LV.  (Yes, I can tell the difference!)

It was never high on my wish list as far as a handbag.

Until I went to Paris last fall.

And there, while strolling along the Champs d’Elysees, I fell in love.  With Louis.  And we entered into a committed relationship limited only be the depth of my bankbook.  I took this Monogram Mini Lin Canvas Speedy (in photo) home with me.

Here are the vitals:

• Monogram Mini Lin canvas; supple, light, and resistant
• 58% cotton, 24% linen, 18% polyamide
• Grained calf leather trim
• Light colored stitching
• Shiny brass metal hardware
• Top zip closure with padlock
• Comfortable, rolled leather handles
• Tonal textile lining with interior patch pocket
• 11.8" x 8.3" x 6.7"

This is definitely not a one-night stand!

I’ve had the movie Rebel Without a Cause Tivo’d for awhile, and I finally sat down to watch it.  Over the years I’ve seen bits and pieces of it, but never the entire movie from start to finish.

Wow — what a powerful film — featuring a very young James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo and spanning a 24 hour period in the life of teens in Los Angeles.

The movie was released in 1955, a month after star James Dean died in a car crash, and has become synonymous with the image of a fast, out-of-control life.  In Rebel Without a Cause, Dean played a troubled teen who didn’t understand the world around him, nor how to fit in.  Many people think that sums up his life as well.

Ironically, some of the appeal of the movie may come from the tragic death of the three stars.  Dean from a car crash, Natalie Wood from drowning, and Sal Mineo from a stabbing.

The American Film Institute chose the movie as one of the all-time Top 100 American Films.  It would be on my list.  Watch the trailer and see if you agree.

For some time now, I’ve had this personal blog space.  I’ve had the domain for quite awhile, using it for business purposes when I did more public speaking.  But it’s just sort of been hanging out there.

Why haven’t I done anything with it?

I blog every day at Flyaway Cafe and The Seattle Traveler, and manage a channel of 24 travel and culture blogs for b5media.  I know my way around a blog.  Why, then, haven’t I made the time to do anything with this space?

Tonight I was chatting with fellow b5 blogger and friend, Christina from eBeauty Daily.  She helped me realize how wonderful it would be to tap into the other parts of my life on this personal blog. 

Some of my blogging here will, of course, overlap with my travel blogging, because travel plays such a large part of my life.  But I’ll also be talking about the myriad things that I enjoy in life, from girly things like makeup and hair and shopping, to serious things like blogging and learning new stuff.  From new discoveries like shops and restaurants and music to personal stuff like what I’m reading and what’s motivating me, and talking about all sorts of useless information that I carry around with me.

So I invite you to come along with me. . . on this journey through life.

Under development. . . my personal blog. . . coming soon!