Last week the Universe and I were not getting along. Basically, it was having a tantrum and I was getting hit with the rotton tomatoes it was chucking around. But the Universe redeemed itself over the weekend and this week was going pretty well. It started on Tuesday when almost all the ingredients I needed to make this yummy dinner were on sale:
I was so happy! It was hearty, tasty and made enough for two days worth of leftovers.
And then this morning arrived. I got out of the shower and realized that I was out of lotion. Well, I shouldn’t say I realized it today. I actually realized it over the weekend and have been trying to extract every last bit over the past few days, causing the bottle to make that lovely farting sound. But I didn’t buy any more.
So I get out of the shower and go to put lotion on my legs and it’s a no go. And any woman will tell you not putting lotion on just shaved legs is a bad idea. So I scrounge around the house until I find some lotion. But not just any lotion. Bath and Body Works Country Apple lotion.
I don’t know why I even have this lotion. I’m pretty sure it was a gift from one of the parents back when I worked at the daycare, which means it’s almost two years old and I have obviously never used it. Why? Because it reminds me of middle school–when holiday gifts from each and every friend were a gift bag of miniature lotions and body sprays in usually one of three scents: Country Apple, Freesia or Cucumber Melon. (I wore that Cucumber Melon Body Spray for years.) And I didn’t really want to smell like I was in middle school.
Unfortunately, I had no choice.
Afterwards, I got dressed and headed off to meet my carpool buddy. She commented on how she loved my black and white dress, which I had paired with a red tank and black flats. As I thanked her, I glanced down to admire it. Only then, in the bright morning sunlight, did I notice that the dress is actually white and navy blue. Smartly paired with a red tank and black shoes. Sigh.
So here I am, sitting at my desk, wearing a clashing outfit and smelling like a freaking orchard.
Thanks, Universe. You’re a peach. Or should I say, a Country Apple.
Updated: Because you guys want the recipe! It’s called Peasant Pasta and just ignore the fact that Rachel Ray made it. I halved the recipe and only used the spicy sausage and we had plenty.
31 comments
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September 6, 2007 at 11:16 am
L B
HAHAHAHAHA! The middle school comment sooooo true. It was a toss up for me between Cucumber Melon and Sun Ripened Raspberry. Oh, the birthday Bath and Body Works prize packs and of course the smell of every girl applying their body mist after gym class. Hey—I have a navy and black complex as well—but for some strange reason Stacey London and Clinton don’t have a problem with it!
September 6, 2007 at 11:18 am
Michelle
That dinner looks scrumptious. Jealous.
And I’ve made the navy/black clashing mistake one too many times, don’t feel bad.
The Country Apple scent reminds me of my mom. That’s what she always used to get. I, too, was a Cucumber Melon wearin’ girl 🙂
p.s. Don’t worry I wasn’t making an empty promise about the exercise thing. Totally will jump on the train, I just have to buy a scale this weekend!
September 6, 2007 at 11:39 am
Sass
I went into B & BW for the first time in years the other day and bought little gift boxes for my bridesmaids. Does that make me lame? Great, here I go again being so uncool. Sigh.
In any case you are probably the only one that notices the black and navy. Who else is going to get THAT close to you? Don’t sweat it.
September 6, 2007 at 11:42 am
onebigholiday
I loved getting those lotions…and my friends still sometimes give them to me even though I’ve moved on haha.
I bet you still look great!
September 6, 2007 at 11:46 am
La
Ditto on the dinner, yum-o! I could totally make that with g/f pasta, yes?
The black/navy blue thing? I have done SO many times. It’s shocking, really. Either the lighting in my closet is super bad, or my eyes are. I’m thinking both.
And ditto for the sun-ripened raspberry – that’s always my go-to when I run out. But if I may pass along a super product? Johnson’s (yes, the baby Johnson & Johnson) Softlotion 24 Hour Mositurizer. It is a dream for the skin, and it smells very pretty, but subtle at the same time. End product placement.
🙂
September 6, 2007 at 11:49 am
Michelle
I LOVED cucumber melon and actually freaked out when they discontinued it. Then, about a year ago, I discovered a B&BW scent that was very similar (sunburst melon?) and bought oodles, thinking I would love it. Notsomuch. Apparently, it’s a scent best worn on those aged 12-17.
September 6, 2007 at 11:57 am
A Lil' Irish Lass
The B&BW lotions always clashed with my perfume and I ended up smelling like a headache feels. Have you tried Jergens Original Scent? It’s one of those subtle yet amazingly scrumptious lotions. My mother used to wear it when I was a little girl and I thought it oh-so-ladylike, but then they discontinued the product line. I found it about a month ago at Target and bought a gross. I don’t leave home without my sample size!
The navy/black problem is ubiquitous. My theory (ie. lame justification of my faux pas) is that black is so basic you can pair it with everything. That works, right? *ashamedly biting my lower lip*
September 6, 2007 at 12:05 pm
DG
WHAT pasta is that??? Because I need to immediately make it. Give us the recipe!
And cucumber melon spray? I was so all over that and now I literally get sick when I smell it.
September 6, 2007 at 12:05 pm
alissa
I used to wear the pear scent and you’re right, middle school! Please direct me to the recipe for that yummy dish you have pictured!
September 6, 2007 at 12:17 pm
mikesgotnothin
Believe it or not, there is one benefit to sharing an office with Molly….I just tried the aforementioned peasant pasta. In a word: fab. u. lous.
September 6, 2007 at 1:02 pm
aernyc
One year (in middle school!) everyone gave me stuff from bath and body works. They forgot to talk to one another tho (or maybe they did…) and got me all sun riped raspberry bath products for my birthday. To this day I can’t even smell raspberries without dry heaving.
Don’t worry about the navy blue/black thing. Yesterday I wore what I had thought for FOUR MONTHS was a brown shirt, and everyone was like oh nice purple shirt. What the?!?! Just blame it on bad lighting….
September 6, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Melissa
I have a problem with the navy/black thing too, but I bet you looked great anyway. Day’s almost over now – no worries. And B&BW came out with a Sensual Amber sent last year (year before?) and I really liked that one for last winter. It was nice – not at all fruity.
September 6, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Anna
Pasta looks yumm-o (sorry, couldn’t resist).
And I also choked when I read FREESIA, the official scent of me and every girl I knew in high school, at least once we had retired our cubes o’ Lauren. And stopped dating boys wearing Drakkar Noir.
GOD, what were we thinking!
September 6, 2007 at 2:05 pm
...BeccaLynn
Alright, we need to get an organization thing goin’ for this whole SUPER HAWT BLOGGERS. I’m in if anyone else is…
September 6, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Peter
The universe changed the colour of a dress just to mess with you? WOW. I thought that it had it out for me.
September 6, 2007 at 2:27 pm
...BeccaLynn
Oh Molly. 🙂 Your comment made me feel better. And It made me smile, as evidenced by the smiley emoticon earlier in this comment. 🙂 Oh, there it goes again.
Life is awesome right now. Kind of like you. Very few people can bring a smile to someone’s face just by a few words in a comment. THAT’S how awesome you are.
September 6, 2007 at 3:03 pm
crystall
I love bath and body works (yes, I wear “real” lotion and perfume, too) but still… even if it is grade-schoolish, the smell is nostalgic.
And by full moon – do you mean flashing your ass? hahahaha. Sorry. Had to.
September 6, 2007 at 3:12 pm
cdp
I totally feel you on the BBW Country Apple sensory nightmare that was middle school. Avoid. At all costs.
Dinner looks tasty.
September 6, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Princess Pointful
Haha… I smelled like baked goods for most of high school.
September 6, 2007 at 3:33 pm
clinkny
Bath and Body Works. My friend used to wear Country Apple – it was like her signature scent. When another friend of ours started wearing it too, she freaked out.
God, what bitches we were.
Anyway, that pasta makes me drool and navy/black drives me INSANE. Also, I can’t get on board with black/brown either, though it has really taken off here in NYC.
September 6, 2007 at 6:19 pm
notbubbly
Oh, I feel you girls on the black/navy issues. I am even worse about black/brown. Like Clink said, that pairing is taking off but I still find it terrible.
September 6, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Dani
everyone still gets irritated by the fact that I do not use lotion…ever.
🙂
mmmmmmm pasta
September 6, 2007 at 9:15 pm
cdp
ps Rachael Ray is annoying as all hell; but her recipes are . . . wait for it . . . yum-o.
September 6, 2007 at 10:14 pm
ADW
Mine was Pear Glace (with the accent over the e) from VS. Now my 10 year old daughter wears it and i get a little weepy.
Came over from Miriam’s blog at littlespoon. I likey.
September 7, 2007 at 7:53 am
Mountains
Good old Country Apple! Ugh, I can smell it now! Thanks to a million and one girls who wore that (and the Raspberry one), I’ll never be able to get that smell out of my head. I was a Sunsweet Kiwi girl (does anyone remember that scent other than me??). I remember buying about 20 of them when they were on sale once. Because, you know, when it’s your signature scent, you absolutely cannot be without! And B&BW has a way of discontinuing things I love (see: their line of eyeshadows and hair-type-specific shampoos that they stopped selling right after I was absolutely hooked!). They’ve also stopped selling the Sunsweet Kiwi, so now I use a little of this and a little of that. But I totally agree with you – when you need lotion, you need lotion. Even if it IS Country Apple.
September 7, 2007 at 8:54 am
Michelle
Totally making that recipe this weekend!
September 7, 2007 at 9:21 am
kwarterlifecrisis
Hey, at least your black shoes were CUTE black shoes. Let us not forget the clonky black slides I wore all week. I honestly think I’d rather be mismatched in cute shoes than matching in ugly ones. Sigh.
And yeah, country apple is the stuff of my junior high years. But I would also be lying if I told you I didn’t have a little (ancient) bottle of country apple foot lotion in the giant basket that sits on the back of my toilet.
September 7, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Mim
I finished! Yay, I’ve so enjoyed reading your archives and look forward to more!
When you mentioned the lotion my brain went straight to Country Apple, Freesia, and Cucumber Melon. And do you remember that it seemed like in you group of friends you had the Country Apple Group, the Freesia Group, and the Cucumber Melon Group? I seem to remember the Freesia group being the snobby ones 🙂 I was Cucumber Melon all the way…until they started making Sweet Pea.
September 7, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Mim
Dude, I left a comment and it’s not here. Do you approve them? If not I’m sad and I’m not sure what happened to my crazy witty comment.
March 16, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Vessel
I am glad to retrieve your prominent way of writing the article. Now you make it easy for me to understand and figure out the concept. Thank you for the post.
April 11, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Niki B.
@ Mountains, I remember Sunsweet Kiwi. I was a major fan, and totally bummed when they discontinued it. My stock-piling only lasted so long 😦
Now that I’m older I can barely stand any of the scents of the lotions there. Pregnancy did not agree with them I miss the body butter, and lotions though, still can’t find one that compares…..other than Origins Perfect World…which is freakin expensive. haha
Ah the memories ❤