October 6
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Town
My best friend and I always take a vacation in October, and this year we decided to do something small and nearby and rented a cabin in West Virginia. The cabin is about ten minutes from Shepherdstown, so we decided to go into town and walk around a little before having dinner. While we did get really lost on the way there (Google Maps is very hard to use when you have no signal) so it took a half hour instead of ten minutes, it was a really nice and small downtown area. I grew up in a small town, so some of the atmosphere was really familiar. But what it really reminded me of was Brevard, North Carolina where we went to see the solar eclipse last year. It's a town with a lot of character and plenty of neat little unique shops and restaurants. And oddly enough, a university that we didn't know existed until we parked next to it.
We ended up going into Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery first, and that was kind of unfortunate timing because we hadn't had dinner yet so we didn't want to ruin our meals. But we both got some sweets to go, I ended up with a cream horn and some black forest torte and she got a chocolate whoopie pie. They also had some delicious looking fresh bread. The cream in the cream horn was especially delicious. The whoopie pie was very chocolaty but in the best way.
Then we stopped in at Mountaineer Popcorn, where we picked up both caramel and then some garlic Parmesan popcorn. They did say they would let us try any flavor we wanted to try, so I probably should have gotten a sample of the loaded baked potato because what does that even taste like on popcorn? But either way, both flavors we got were very delicious and I recommend them both.
The town had so many other things to offer, and I could see how it would be easy to spend a whole afternoon shopping and walking around, enjoying the historic buildings and the unique little shops. Town Hall was a really great looking building too, with a mix of sort of a modern and antique style.
Sunday, October 07, 2018
Friday, October 05, 2018
#OpinionatedOctober - Fizzy Fairy Fandom Box
October 5
Fizzy Fairy Fandom Box
https://www.etsy.com/shop/FizzyFairyApothecary
Subscription Box
I first noticed Fizzy Fairy Apothecary because she does some really fun fandom themed bath bombs and soaps, and I was looking for an Etsy seller that did high quality bath bombs that wouldn't ruin my budget. She definitely fit the bill, her prices are reasonable especially considering the enormous size of the actual bath bombs. I know it's a humble brag, but I actually have a really large soaking tub (it was one of the biggest draws to buy our house if I'm honest) and it just needs a bit more than the average tub. And I like bath bombs a lot more than bubble bath because it has a lovely scent and color, but none of those comically sized bubbles that just take a year and a half to rinse out.
I'd ordered a few things from her Etsy shop when I noticed that she had a monthly subscription box. Now, I've actually tried very hard not to fall into ordering too many subscription boxes after I finally broke free from Birchbox and Julep (both of those ended badly) but what can I say, I really love bath bombs. I can't remember what the theme was the first time I ordered, I know that was basically what kicked it over for me so it's a shame I just can't recall. Her subscription system makes it easy to skip if you're not into the theme, but I have definitely gotten the box more often than not. I think there's only been maybe two themes I didn't think sounded amazing. The only drawback is sometimes it's hard to find a place for that many bath bombs if they start to pile up a bit. Her themes are always fun (next month is the Wizard of Oz).
My favorite theme so far has been Labyrinth, not just because it's one of my favorite movies of all time, but because the bombs themselves were gorgeous and smelled amazing. Though there were some problems with the Jareth bath bomb and the copious amounts of glitter it included. I've had glitter bath bombs (even ones from Fizzy Fairy) before, but nothing compared to Jareth, drama queen that he is. So. Much. Glitter.
Fizzy Fairy Fandom Box
https://www.etsy.com/shop/FizzyFairyApothecary
Subscription Box
I first noticed Fizzy Fairy Apothecary because she does some really fun fandom themed bath bombs and soaps, and I was looking for an Etsy seller that did high quality bath bombs that wouldn't ruin my budget. She definitely fit the bill, her prices are reasonable especially considering the enormous size of the actual bath bombs. I know it's a humble brag, but I actually have a really large soaking tub (it was one of the biggest draws to buy our house if I'm honest) and it just needs a bit more than the average tub. And I like bath bombs a lot more than bubble bath because it has a lovely scent and color, but none of those comically sized bubbles that just take a year and a half to rinse out.
I'd ordered a few things from her Etsy shop when I noticed that she had a monthly subscription box. Now, I've actually tried very hard not to fall into ordering too many subscription boxes after I finally broke free from Birchbox and Julep (both of those ended badly) but what can I say, I really love bath bombs. I can't remember what the theme was the first time I ordered, I know that was basically what kicked it over for me so it's a shame I just can't recall. Her subscription system makes it easy to skip if you're not into the theme, but I have definitely gotten the box more often than not. I think there's only been maybe two themes I didn't think sounded amazing. The only drawback is sometimes it's hard to find a place for that many bath bombs if they start to pile up a bit. Her themes are always fun (next month is the Wizard of Oz).
My favorite theme so far has been Labyrinth, not just because it's one of my favorite movies of all time, but because the bombs themselves were gorgeous and smelled amazing. Though there were some problems with the Jareth bath bomb and the copious amounts of glitter it included. I've had glitter bath bombs (even ones from Fizzy Fairy) before, but nothing compared to Jareth, drama queen that he is. So. Much. Glitter.
Thursday, October 04, 2018
#OpinionatedOctober - Spooked Podcast
October 4
Spooked
Podcast
https://spookedpodcast.org/
One of my favorite podcasts is Snap Judgement, they have some of the best audio storytelling I've heard. They always would do special Halloween episodes each year, with people telling real stories of weird happenings and ghost stories from their lives. Last year, they spun off the special episode into it's own once a year special edition podcast called Spooked. I wouldn't say I'm a ghost hunter or anything like that, I'm not going to go out of my way to vacation at a haunted hotel or anything. But I do enjoy a good ghost story, fiction or not. So far this year, they've released ten episodes, though I've only listened to the first nine. I have to say, this season is a bit more hit and miss than last season, there have been more stories where instead of just going along for the ride, I've not really been able to buy in. Perhaps the best episode this season is 37 seconds, about a woman who has a vision that she'll die in childbirth and no one believes her. But other stories have ended up almost revealing too much, which drains a bit of their power. In a two story episode, "The Perfect Tenant" both stories end in a kind of unsatisfying way because you get enough information to know there should be more to the story that's just left out.
Overall though, I have to say that it's still well worth it, and a perfect addition to anybody's queue if they're wanting to get into the mood for Halloween. Just be prepared for some episodes to chill you more than others.
Spooked
Podcast
https://spookedpodcast.org/
One of my favorite podcasts is Snap Judgement, they have some of the best audio storytelling I've heard. They always would do special Halloween episodes each year, with people telling real stories of weird happenings and ghost stories from their lives. Last year, they spun off the special episode into it's own once a year special edition podcast called Spooked. I wouldn't say I'm a ghost hunter or anything like that, I'm not going to go out of my way to vacation at a haunted hotel or anything. But I do enjoy a good ghost story, fiction or not. So far this year, they've released ten episodes, though I've only listened to the first nine. I have to say, this season is a bit more hit and miss than last season, there have been more stories where instead of just going along for the ride, I've not really been able to buy in. Perhaps the best episode this season is 37 seconds, about a woman who has a vision that she'll die in childbirth and no one believes her. But other stories have ended up almost revealing too much, which drains a bit of their power. In a two story episode, "The Perfect Tenant" both stories end in a kind of unsatisfying way because you get enough information to know there should be more to the story that's just left out.
Overall though, I have to say that it's still well worth it, and a perfect addition to anybody's queue if they're wanting to get into the mood for Halloween. Just be prepared for some episodes to chill you more than others.
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