July 3, 2023 - Almonday - Live Almonday in an Almondway™
* Brush: Stirling 24mm Boar Brush, Almond-colored
* Razor: Muhle R89 #TWINS
* Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
* Lather: Stirling Soap Company - Almond Creme - Soap
* Post Shave: Apex Alchemy - Speakeasy - Splash
* Fragrance: Tom Ford - Lost Cherry
* Music: Belle and Sebastian -
The Boy With The Arab Strap
Daily Write-Up
Too often we post our SOTD early in the morning, and then never come back to reflect upon how that day’s themed shave has affected us throughout the day - what changes may have happened based solely on what we chose that morning.
Well, I didn’t necessarily get to choose the theme - rather, it was chosen for me by our benevolent judges. But to see how a theme can affect my daily living I’m going to be constantly asking myself - how can I incorporate the simple almond into almost every facet of my day?
7:30 a.m. - I stumble into the bathroom to start my day. I fumble around the closet, and pull out some Aveda Cherry Almond shampoo (thanks, honey!), and a sample of Almond Creme bath soap. This was a gift from the fine folks at Stirling Soap Co., which was great, as it is what my wife uses.
9:00 a.m. - Logged into work. Work sucks. The end. I could really use some caffeine, but unless I can pair it with almond in some way - no go.
10:00 a.m. - I gotta eat something. I head into the kitchen, and find some Almond butter. We had picked it up after we found out that our daughter was allergic to peaches, as peaches and almonds are in the same family, and often if you’re allergic to one you’re allergic to the other. Great news - SmallestMiasma is not allergic to almonds. But, the almond butter toast was a good choice. Smokier and less sweet than peanut butter, but chalk full of protein. Since I found a suitable snack, I allowed myself a Diet Coke. I’ll have to go grocery shopping in a bit.
12:00 p.m. - After a few hours of work, it’s time for my lunch hour. Since I hadn’t planned to Live Almonday in an Almondway™ prior to this morning, I needed to go get some provisions. I headed to my local grocery store and shopped for some Almonds and Almond-adjacent items. First I picked up ingredients for a delicious post-work cocktail, then made my way to the nut aisle to pick up some snacks, where I see that they have my all-time favorite snack on sale! Score! (Note - not kidding. These are freaking delicious, Almonday or not). Next, to the cereal aisle, as I’m planning for Brinner tonight. Lastly, I hit the snack section on the way to the produce area to grab items for lunch. It was here I saw that they are advertising an inferior nut, so I decide to finish my shopping elsewhere.
Luckily, there is a Trader Joe’s right across the street. If you’re really truly trying to Live Almonday in an Almondway™, this is where you should do your shopping. The Motherlode of nut juice, dessert Almonds, and many other Almond or Almond-adjacent foods.
I quickly took my items home, and whipped up a quick lunch. Chicken and green bean almondine, with almond milk-infused coffee.
Delicious!
Back to work for a bit - I’ll take a break to shave here in a bit.
1:00 p.m. - I couldn’t wait any longer, the anticipation of shaving in an Almondway™ was too much. I went with Stirling Almond Creme, for obvious reasons. I had three options in my den; I used the terrible Colonel Conk Amaretto yesterday, so it was this or Cella, and given the celebration of Almond we're having today, I went with the far superior product.
I matched it up with Apex Alchemy's Speakeasy for the aftershave. Most of Apex Alchemy's scents are very sweet - this is no exception. The star here is cherry, which is a frequent partner of Almond in scents and dishes. One of our family's favorite desserts is a Cherry Almond Bundt Cake that my wife makes.
I don't have an appropriate fragrance for living Almonday in an Almondway™, so I'll have to source that after work.
For my razor, I picked the R89, the first of the R89/DE89 twins. I know they're supposed to be the same, but I don't feel like mine shave the same. My EJ is way more aggressive.
1:09 p.m. - While I sit here working and drinking my almond milk and coffee, I put Sebastian and Belle on the stereo, an artist that /u/RedMosquitoMM turned me on to last year shortly after I joined the sub. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with one of the LG judges last August. We were talking about the results, and I said that for me, I didn't feel like there was ever any doubt who would win- Skeeter was operating at a level far above the rest of us, who were all playing for second place with our hijinks, while he just put together perfectly thoughtful post after perfectly thoughtful post.
3:35 p.m. - Whelp. I've eaten an entire container of Salt n' Vinegar almonds. Only 1020 calories.
6:08 p.m. - I quit working for the day. Having my brinner and then going to find how to scent my new Almondway life.
6:38 p.m. - I headed to the swankiest store in my nearby mall, and wouldn't you know it, the first fragrance I tried was perfect. Tom Ford Lost Cherry- it is a perfect blend of almond and cherry, and is a perfect end to the day. I have truly lived Almonday in an Almondway™.
Soap Theme Justification
* Almond Creme - it's right there in the name.
Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Aftershave - Apex Alchemy Speakeasy - the cherry notes in the aftershave pair really well with the Almond in the Almond Creme.
- Tom Ford Lost Cherry ties the soap and AS together by being a perfect blend of cherries and almond, smelling almost exactly like our family Bundt Cake recipe.
#photocontest - food