Calling Perfume Your Own

There is a fantastic article over at Life123 that tells you how to make perfume.

When designing a perfume, most people start to think about what scents are their favorites and what scent defines who they are. I would pick something like the fresh smell of trees in summer mixed in with a soft hint of lavender or some other good smelling spice.

I have worn various perfumes in my time, but never found one I truly liked. Maybe being individual and taking further interest into what goes in the products I put on my body would make a huge difference.

From "notes" to natural mixtures, I can't wait to design my own perfume. It looks like a lot of fun!

Portland Highlights

I visit Portland, Oregon one-two times a year. Here I've compiled some of my favorite places to go, which I think are some of the greatest hits of Portland.

SHOPPING

Many downtown stores close by 6PM so make sure you show up early!

Jantzen Beach Center
1405 Jantzen Beach Center
Portland, OR 97217
A collection of just about everything. ROSS and the Burlington Coat Factory have decor, accessories, apparel and shoes with designer and famous brand names for cheaper.

Lloyd Center
2201 Lloyd Center
Portland, OR 97232
A brilliant collection of 200+ stores. Is the leading, biggest mall in Oregon. Features 18 movie theaters and a nice ice rink.

Pioneer Place
700 SW 5th Ave
Portland, OR 97204
Charming, but expensive mall. Very much worth taking a stop to visit The Body Shop or American Eagle.

Powell's Books
1005 W. Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
One of the most famous bookstores in all of the USA. Great finds, quiet and friendly cafe atmosphere.

Made in Oregon
600 SW 10th Avenue, Suite 101
Portland, OR 97208
Gift shop filled with fun knick-knacks and apparel/food products to help you remember your Oregon adventure.

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DINING

Stanford's
1440 N. Jantzen Beach Center
Portland, OR 97217
Delicious way to treat yourself out to a formal dinner, or a dinner on the go. Food comes fast and impresses me every time. Try the veggie burger and Caesar salad - they're my favorites.

Paradise Cafe
Pioneer Place
700 SW 5th Ave
Portland, OR 97204
Unbelievable 3-salad dishes and cookies that are great for any lunch at any time.

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SIGHTSEEING

Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park
1020 SW Naito Pkwy
Portland, OR 97204
Beautiful park, perfect for a jog or relaxing stop along those long tiring blocks of walking.

Portland Ducks Land and Water Tours
Approx.
777 NE ML King Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
Just like the Seattle, Washington ducks, the Portland tour goes on land and water to some of my favorite spots and hits others like the Chinese Classical Gardens.

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HOTELS

Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel
1000 NE Multnomah Street
Portland, OR 97232
Leading Portland hotel in implementing Green Practices. My favorite hotel of all time, honestly. Amazing restaurant and custom ice cream sundaes. Very nice staff, great atmosphere. 5 stars.

Oxford Suites
12226 N Jantzen Dr
Portland, OR 97217
Pretty nice hotel, 3 stars. Sweet staff, nice contenential breakfast. Comfortable beds and cool TV channel options. Beautiful artwork on the room's walls.

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SKATING

Lloyd Center
2201 Lloyd Center
Portland, OR 97232
Ever heard of Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, three-time U.S. Champions? Well, they trained at this rink, and I think it's a very cute place to hang out with friends! Very small, but a great place to practice while on vacation.

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I will edit this list after June 2009 and add some more places of my favorite.

Yes, I'm a Safe Sex Advocate

Painting by: Rogerio Granato

I haven't spoken out much on the topic of sex and STD/pregnancy prevention and Health Guru wants me to write a post about it - so, I thought now would be a good time.

Old friends and peers had a lot to say about sex. You can't get pregnant during your period, missing one pill doesn't matter, there is an absolute safe period when a girl can't become pregnant, of course all guys hate using condoms, you can't contract STDs during oral or anal sex, and you can't get pregnant from anal sex. It was a ton of myths!

I would like to advocate safe sex and Health Guru has a great selection of tips, sheets and endless amounts of videos to educate my tween/teen audience on how risky unprotected sex can be.

It's extremely important if you are a teen planning on or having sex to know the dangers, “side-effects” and life changing consequences that come along with having unprotected sex and a myth-boggled mind.

Please take notice of this opportunity and spend at least 10 minutes on Health Guru updating your sex IQ and becoming more sex aware.

Learning My Silhouette and Colors

About a week ago I decided
to research some more and
tap into my personal style.

First part of this process is
learning your silhouette which
you do by going to
Style Makeover HQ and
searching for your body type
using their identification list.

The second part is finding out
the colors that accent your skin
tone, hair color and eye color.

I can't say I was surprised at my
results, but the experience was a
good one.


My results:

Rectangle Body Shape:

Your main style aim is to add curves by defining your shoulders, or, if you're slender, by defining your waist.

Do wear shoulder pads, semi-fitted clothes, short-sleeves and sleeve-less tops and dresses, medium to high necklines, dresses that wrap or flow through the waistline, straight to gently flared flat-fronted pants, and a-line shirts.

Do not wear clingy fabrics, fitted clothes, low necklines, baggy tops, baggy pants or narrow skirts.

Balanced Body Type:

Your main style aim is to elongate your mid-torso.

Do wear jewellery, scarves, and garment designs that draw the observer's eye up towards your shoulders and face, medium-long tops, un-tucked tops, tops and bottoms in the same color, skirts and pants with narrow waistbands or no waistbands, straight or flared skirts, waisted, and low-rise or hipster pants.

Do not wear short tops, empire line tops and dresses, wide belts, pants or skirts with a high waistband.

...

The second part is the funner one. Now you get to find out what those colors are that compliment your body.

Fashion experts look at your skin, eyes, and hair for complimentary tones. One of the best, but time-consuming approaches, is to go to the mall and ask a professional to assess what colors are best for you. Asking them won't cost a penny - unless you get sucked into buying a truckload of cosmetics.

In the world of fashion, you'll sometimes hear people talk about what season they are; it's a concept that beauty professionals use to figure out what colors look best on people. Check out the list below and see where you fall. If you fit into more than one category, you're most likely a mix of seasons, as most people are.

Winter: Blue or pink undertones (skin), brunettes, dark eyes. Colors that look good: White, black, navy blue, red, shocking pink.

Summer: Blue or pink undertones (skin), natural blondes and brunettes, pale eyes. Colors that look good: Pastels, lavender, plum, rose-brown, soft blue.

Autumn: Golden undertones (skin), redheads and brunettes, golden brown eyes. Colors that look good: Beige, orange, gold, dark brown.

Spring: Golden undertones, freckles (skin), straw-colored or strawberry-blonde hair, blue/green eyes. Colors that look good: Peach, golden yellow, golden brown.

My result:

Winter!

That's silhouettes and colors in a nutshell for ya.

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This post is part of the category "79 Things". Click to see the complete series of 79 Things.