Happy Almost-Friday! What fragrance are you wearing?
(PSA: I am leaving on vacation tonight, and I won't get back until Monday the 18th. It's my first "go someplace warm to escape the winter" vacation in forever. I am planning on playing hooky from the blog more than I usually do on vacation. I will try to make sure there is a scent of the day poll every day, and I'll post other fragrance things when I can, but if I miss a day, apologies in advance.)
Me: leaning towards fire, in Hermès L'Ambre des Merveilles.
Reminder: on 2/8 our theme is Fire and Ice...wear something that keeps you warm in winter (Fire) OR wear something that reminds you of snow and chilly winter air (Ice). Suggested by Glannys.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2019, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Jacomo #08
A nice winter warmer!
Chai tea!
Enjoy your vacation Robin! On a freezing morning in Denver I’m wearing The Architect’s Club.
Thank you Elisa! Sorry it is freezing there! It isn’t even that bad here this week.
Serge Lutens Cannibale
one of his darkest scents, very potent I only dab a little it lasts forever
Cannibale is a fantastic name!
I wouldn’t say fantastic because quite frankly this doesn’t mean anything but Serge Lutens certainly goes to forbidden territories noone else does.
agreed! 😀
Have a wonderful time Robin!
I’m wearing vintage Mitsouko for warmth. It isn’t cold here today at all, it almost feels like very early spring.
Vintage Mitsouko is pretty much always the right choice as far as I’m concerned. If I weren’t doing an all-Lutens week I probably would have worn it today.
I would love to have more of it. I have some more recent Mitsouko extrait, I’m guessing the Fléchier reformulation. That is gorgeous as well, but this is better.
Thank you!
You smell lovely !
SotD = L’ambre des Merveilles
Yay for Merveilles, yes to Hermes!
That scarf igloo is fantastic.
Thank you, Robin, for the inspiration today and every day. 😀 Enjoy your vacation.
Me thinks I want to wear a silk scarf today just because of that photo..
Me too!
me three!!!
my most frivolous life goal is to one day wear an Hermes carre! 😀
Are you based in NYC. I forget where everyone is or maybe you don’t want anyone to know..
I am not sure if they still do this but 5 years ago Hermès hosted a sample sale and they had their scarves for a 100 bucks each. And the smaller ones were less. THere was a limit (2 think) on what you could buy.
This is not my listing but this is the one I purchased for 100 bucks https://goo.gl/images/oR7LYq
I saw it on eBay for almost $400. I would never pay that amount but to each his own…
Mine itsn’t “vintage” but the look and colors are the same..
Wow, that scarf!
I have always had this strong pull towards all things Egyptian <3
I wish I were in NYC for an Hermes sample sale! I’m a left coaster 😉
Your scarf is gorgeous! To me they are works of art. Thank you for sharing.
I own a Farandole carrée, that my ex found on the ground somewhere.. The silk is really luxurious, but i don’t like the pattern very much. Wore it mostly to keep my neck warm driving my little scooter in the cold.
ooooh, an Hermes scarf is the luckiest find ever! 😀
It might not be as far fetched to own one as you think….I’d been noticing them when I would get samples at the Hermes boutique but was always too shy to even ask to see one because of the price etc. But if you do your research and keep an eye out, you can find them for a more affordable price -I ended up with two (long story), both recent designs, and it’s really, really nice to wear them – instant million bucks feeling 🙂
I have laboratoire du temps and l’arbre du vent – both more contemporary designs, because the traditional ones would be hard to pull off for me.
thanks, E! your scarves are gorgeous. I won’t give up on my dream to wear one someday 😀
Yes to Hermes for sure!!!
woot woot! Hermes in the house! 😀
Thank you twin!
😀 😀
You smell so super good!
thank you, KellyC! L’ambre does have super smell good powers 😀
Enjoy your vacation time Robin! You deserve it! ☀️
Wearing Washington Tremlett Black Tie. Sample thunk! A pretty, no brainer saffron-rose scent. It wears close to the skin, but it has good longevity. I like it, but not fb worthy in my opinion. In that category I enjoy Saffran Troublant more which is a big favorite for me.
Thank you!
Is WT even still in business? I thought they were gone, in which case, best not find any FB worthy.
Oh! Not sure if they are still in business. His last perfume The Gentleman’s Vetiver was released in 2016. I have to check for updates.
Ah, then maybe they’re still around.
Have you thunked something everyday this week? If so, wow!
I think I have thunked one every day and there are many more waiting on line to say goodbye. ?
I’m in Violet Blonde, mostly for its Red-Hots-Candy warmth, but it has a bit of chill from the violets too. So half-and-half points for me again today.
Your Red Hots mention reminded me of SL Chypre Rouge, which has a little of that vibe. Gonna go find that one…..
Robin, enjoy your vacation. Going some place warm?
I sure hope so!
I am sipping chai tea. Listening to NPR. I have a lot of free time these days since my father in law is here and I don’t exist to the kids while he is here.
I haven’t showered yet so no SOTD. I will pick either Lagerfeld’s Chloe that I recently purchased or Songes. Someone can chose for me.
Chloe!
Thanks!
I will pass you a virtual cup of chai tea
Hahaha! Nandri! (Thank you in Tamil)
I can’t wear Chloe now — it kicks me right back to teenage angst because that’s when I first wore it — but it’s such a beauty. I don’t think you could go wrong with either it or Songes.
Both are so feminine!
And warming..
So it does fit the community project
We are going to Grenada, just a bit north of Trinidad & Tobago. I have never been. Weather looks to be in the 80s all week, although hoping it is sunnier than it is calling for right now…but I will be happy either way.
Sounds like a beautiful vacation. I love LOVE the Caribbean.
I was in Jamaica once, in the summer, about a million years ago…that’s my entire Caribbean experience.
You are going to love Grenada! Don’t forget the sunscreen (and to reapply frequently).
I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing holiday!
I’ve been dreaming of going to St. Barts, Dutch or French side, don’t care just as long as I make it there!
You have been to Grenada? I will probably get a sunburn but any other advice will be happily taken!
St Barts looks lovely. It’s very hard to choose an island.
I’m wearing the first spritzes from a new fb of Alyssa Ashley Musk, over a layer of Neutrogena Body Oil.
Today’s tea: ginger kombucha.
Robin, have a wonderful and well-deserved vacation! I just booked my flights to visit my sister in California in the spring, and I’m *so* excited.
California in spring is beautiful! So excited for you. 😀
Thanks! I think you’re a west-coaster, iirc? I’ll give you a wave from the plane 🙂
yes, I’m in LA area, please do wave! 😀
Thank you, and good for you!
Is your new FB up to sniffing standards?
Warming up in Bois d’ Ascese!
You smell wonderful!
Mmm you smell great. I’m thinking of wearing it tomorrow, and my little decant is thanks to you!
Robin, I hope you have a wonderful and restful vacation.
I’m wearing Munchen from Frau Tonis perfume today. I bought this in Berlin this summer, and it makes me so happy. Lemons, roses, sandalwood – yum!
Have a fabulous day.
Munchen sounds lovely. 😀
2nd that!
Sounds good. And i am from München, although i live in Wuerttemberg now (that’s hard for a bavarian 😉 )
Ooh! I’m from Heilbronn! But live in California.
Wearing Le Feu D’Issey Light, and the most fiery thing in it is its name. It’s peppery but fresh. Still, I wanted to wear it for the “Fire” CP.
Perfect choice!
Still testing Ca Neroli. On me, there is a bit too much of a mothball note and the dry down is a little too wet/ heavy. I was thinking of getting a small bottle because of the low price point but think I will explore the line more before buying anything. I ordered the PdN discovery set so stay tuned. Thank you for all your great neroli suggestions. It’s on my list to try Neroli Blanc and Grand Neroli.
Cap Neroli!
You smell great!
Grand Neroli is my favorite from Atelier. 😀
SL Un Bois Vanille. You want warmth? You got it. His most accessible and I think beautiful scent — not the most arresting, certainly not the greatest, but so comforting and dreamy.
I would certainly want to sit beside you!
Good choice for Fire. Smells so good
Have a great vacation Robin! It’s supposed to get up to 76F in Atlanta today….LOVIN’ IT! 🙂
Felt like smelling like a cookie today, so I’m in Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit. It’s so sweet and cozy. Last time I wore it the Perfume Grinch went all day thinking there were cookies around….he didn’t figure out it was me until 5pm! 🙂
Thanks to Ihadanidea’s post earlier this week….I’m ordering a 14ml of Lancome Lavandes Trianon Eau de Parfum today. IhadNOidea (get the pun?) that the 14ml size was an option. Another cookie smell on the way ASAP! 🙂
or maybe not….don’t see the 14ml of that one anywhere…..
Hey, I could have just come to Atlanta then!
If you can’t find it – I’ve mostly made up my mind that I want to swap my decant (10ml or so) away that I bought last year. Just sayin!
They don’t call it Hotlanta for nothin’. As you found out for yourself, not every perfume in that line is available in 14mL format.
In 31 Rue Cambon today.
I just had a conference with the director of graduate English studies at a nearby university, about their MA program. She told me that *just last week* the faculty decided to stop requiring GRE scores with application. I am THRILLED. Ready to go back to school and pick up the direction I should have chosen 30 years ago.
Yay! Glad you got some good news!
Rock on! Now go dazzle them with your writing!
That is AWESOME news! Go get ’em Mals!
First you smell fab
Second…go get that degree Mals!
NICE!
Boy, I would love to go to grad school in English, what fun.
Great news! And you smell lovely too!
That’s fantastic! (The GRE is such an unnecessary evil!)
Yes, GRE scores are just silly and no one really takes seriously in admissions decisions, at least not in the humanities/social sciences….
+1 to this
That’s fantastic news!
Fantastic news! Go get it done!
Fantastic. I hope you have a great time.
Fantastic!
How great! Go spend that… $300 dollars or whatever it is now… on something fun!
That’s great, happy for you! Congratulations!
Oh, that sounds awesome! Congrats on finding a new(old) path.
Excellent news! Good luck with your studies!
You smell great, Robin. I hope you have a fantastic vacation. I like to layer Eau de Merveilles over the dry down of LADDM, which results in a drier, less sweet L’Ambre de Merveilles. I’m wearing Rossy again for the community project, which definitely comes down on the side of fire. There’s, like, a dragon on the label and everything.
EdM + LADDM sounds like heaven! I must try this 😀
Hope you like it!
I think you’re achieving both fire and ice with RdP because it has a cool metallic opening. It is one of my contenders for Friday.
Interesting! I don’t get that. For me it’s a blast of fiery Red Rose, and then a slow but inexorable trip into inky darkness.
Oh, Robin, I hope you have a wonderful time!!!
What a day yesterday! Didn’t get to comment, but I wore Lonesome Rider which reminds me of being in Santa Fe in some of the leather shops they have with their little fireplaces burning. Love it!
Today I am in Cafe Tuberose which I really love. A good cup of hot coffee on a cold morning is one of my favorite ways to warm up!
You smell good! I didn’t know I liked Cafe Tuberose until recently. I’ll admit that the initial scent doesn’t thrill me, but the drydown is so nice. Patience with this one is rewarded.
I actually like that initial spray! But you are right, the drydown is so nice!
Wow, you smelled amazing over the last two days!
Lonesome Rider is some great stuff!
Have a great time, Robin!
I FINALLY thunked that Jasmin et Cigarettes sample. On to the next!
Congrats!
Smelling good!
Those samples that hang on can really drive a person nuts!
Robin, have a great vacation and enjoy the warmth!
Thank you Filomena!
😀
oops! got a little too excited 😀
SOTD is Lush Sun. That’s fire, right?
Definitely!
In Hermes Cuir d’Ange today. Understated and elegant, if I do say so myself.
Robin, I am joining the chorus in wishing you a fabulous vacation!
Koyel, I just saw your earlier post re. Therese. I would love to discuss a swap. You can email me at arzeznik in the land of comcast dotty net. And thanks for the offer.
Cuir d’Ange is so good. Maybe a top 3 leather perfume for me.
Enjoy your vacation, Robin! I wish I were going somewhere warm!
Yesterday, minutes after I convinced myself to take advantage of that Smell Bent sale and get a bottle of Prairie Nymph and a boatload of samples, my man came home and declared that I STINK. He first smelled my breath, concerned that I may have eaten nuclear waste, and then smelled my neck and declared that it was my perfume. I was appalled, having spent all day gleefully basking in it, and would continue to do so until my shower this morning! It seems like he’s anosmic to a lot of things so it’s rare for him to comment on my fragrance at all, much less negatively. Shocking!
So I looked him in the eye as I hit the ‘confirm purchase’ button. Donatella will understand.
Today I’m playing nice in a chilly fruity-floral, Bah Humbug by Fortune Cookie Soap. It has a minty note that gives it some iciness, but it’s still too sweet and friendly to live up to its name.
Ha good for you! Man those significant others and their unsophisticated noses can really be a drag on our habit. I don’t wear Tabu because my bf does not enjoy it at all. But I still have a bottle for sniffing.
If I had known how long it would last I might have used a couple less sprays. Spritzing lightly counts as compromise.
Lol! Donatella will understand and so do all of us 🙂
Excellent story!
I have a few scents that Mr. Jalapeno cannot stand at all. I have flat out told him that I wear those perfumes for my enjoyment.
Ha! Good.
But my SOTD has faded, and what’s that I smell? My new bestie Prairie Nymph on my wrist, ever so faintly, but 30 some hours and a shower later. Maybe I didn’t need the bottle if this sample will last the rest of my life. He can deal.
Spicy today in Oeillet Bengale.
And drinking the coffee I bought yesterday…my market had my favorite in stock, so I trekked over and bought three bags.
Starting to ponder how to use a Bigelow gift certificate….
I tried this once and really liked it. I also like grendaille (sp?) d’afrique – I have a small sample vial from Fumerie that I am hoarding. I hope one day to pay a visit to Aedes and smell the rest of their collection.
Wearing Anubis for fire since Elisa P wore it yesterday and because my coworker is working from home for the next two days. Otherwise, this strong smoky, ressinous scent would be a no for the office.
You smell great. I keep playing the in-the-basket-out-of-the-basket hokey-cokey with Anubis.
Of course, I think you smell great! I dabbed it for work so I don’t think anyone noticed. Though, it actually becomes close to the skin pretty quickly on me.
Oh, meant to wish you a happy vacation, Robin!
Enjoy your sunny winter escape Robin – I wish I could do the same! I wore l’ambre des merveilles a few days ago – I am glad you are enjoying it. Sadly, it doesn’t do it for me anymore. I am actually having this reaction to more and more perfumes in my (meager) collection. I am starting to worry! Is that a normal phase – to be tired of old loves?
I am in Rose Flash – spicy and lovely.
It may just be the weather or your mood, so I wouldn’t give up on them just yet.
Weather or mood – that sounds very plausible since both have been foul lately!
Yes, it is a normal phase that many of us go thru. It has happened to me many times, to the point that I have lost interest in my whole entire collection. Everything smells boring or bad or repetitive, etc, you name it…. At those times I must take a break and stop wearing perfumes for days and even weeks. Once that phase is over I start enjoying my perfumes again.
That’s so interesting about taking a break from perfume to reignite love for my collection!
I went through the “Nothing is interesting” phase with my perfumes as well. Taking a temporary break was exactly what I needed to do for that time.
Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre is my SOTD and I am drinking a cup of green tea.
Have a wonderful vacation Robin !!
Thanks!
Oh, good for you, Robin — hope you have a wonderful time!
Wearing a teensy bit of Amouage Memoir Woman (a little dab will do ya!) thanks to the prompt from another NSTer this week. I have only another wear or two of this and then the sample will be thunked. (I foolishly let my sample of Epic Woman evaporate. Sigh. I’m finding a lot of that as I go through samples and decants I haven’t touched in years. Serves me right, I guess?)
that would have been me. But i sprayed generously to empty my sample. Its a BIG scent, but not in a bad way
I’m sure I would have enjoyed your sillage from a generous application! I’m trying to stay under the radar at work, though…
Prompted by a Portia post, I’m layered up in Mitsouko: vintage EDT this morning, then, after the gym I slathered on some body lotion–which is the only perfumed lotion I possess–and a generous amount of (modern) extrait. Loving every moment of it.
Hope you have a gloriously relaxing holiday, Robin!
Thanks Crikey!
I did not know there was still a Mitsouko lotion, how lovely!
Life with dogs can be aggravating. I don’t know what my 8 year old dog are but it was loads of diarrhea. I took him out last night and there was some but when I woke up this morning, there was more. I must have been sleeping so soundly, I didn’t know until I stepped in it when I woke up. I am taking a quick two minute break. When I finish that last segment with the carpet cleaning machine, I am going to take a shower and wear L’Heure de Nuit.
Poor you, and poor dog. Eugh.
My dog was sick like that last month. So sorry for you and your pooch.
Hope your dog feels better soon and it is nothing serious.
Oh, yuck, for both of you! I hope it’s out of his system soon.
Yuck, poor furry baby. I hope he feels better soon..
Poor you and your poor pup too.
Ugh. Critter diarrhea. Hope doggy is better soon.
Eeewwww! Diarrhea is no joke. Hope that your poor pup gets over it ASAP.
Enjoy your vacation, Robin!
SOTD = Dusita La Douceur de Siam
I posted a picture on Instagram and described it as:
Sweet sophisticated voluptuous ambery floral, warming on a cool day, cooling on a warm day. What’s not to love?
The packaging is top-notch: a hard case, inside of which is a decorated bottle shaped cutout. It fit my personal Red Package challenge in that the art work on the inside of the box includes red splotches.
#fwp – 50_Roses – I have a Keurig and I live it. My favorite K-Cups are the Teader Joe’s Organic Medium Roast and whatever Aldi carries (best value ever was 80 cups for $24.99).
Commuting Woes this morning:
– garlic breath from the guy sitting next to me
– man standing in front of me chewing gum loudly
I *almost* wore that today, but decided to save the remnants of my sample for a warmer, fewer layers, day. Oddly, I don’t get any of the warm notes- it smells like fresh hothouse flowers on me. Pretty either way…
Hot house flowers. I love that smell.
Agreed!
Maybe the guy chewing gum could offer a piece to the person with garlic breath? Problem solved
?
?
LOL!
?
That’s a novel idea but methinks the garlic breath is really garlic breath and garlic miasma oozing from the guy’s skin!
I hope you have a great vacation Robin! Happy for you ?
No fire or ice today, just the good ol’ leathery yumminess of Bottega Veneta.
Leather keeps you warm!
Thanks for giving me credit! I actually don’t find leather to be very warm- but it takes a lot to warm me up. My thermostat is set at 76 during the winter ?
I would have mine at 76 if it did not make my skin so dry!
Ah, well, my skin doesn’t suffer, but my sinuses and eyes do! It’s a risk vs benefits thing, I guess.
I keep my thermostat at 76 in the summer just because I don’t want the AC running continuously and I want to keep my electric bill reasonable. I keep it at 70 in the winter, and would keep it 70 in the summer if money were no object.
Come to think of it, I keep it around there in summer, too, and just spot it down here and there if I need a cool blast. I was freezing in our bedroom, which is below ground level, the other day, and checked the thermostat and it was 71, but my body felt like it was 50! Someone had shut off the switch in the cellar by accident.
Yum! Waft this way, please!
Wafty, wafty! Happy to share the goodness ???
Have a wonderful, warm vacation, Robin. Don’t worry about the blog too much; we’ll be ok.
SOTD was supposed to be Bois d’Armenie, a nice, warm fragrance of which I was reminded by someone yesterday (50_roses, maybe?). But I accidentally grabbed my Neroli Outrenoir instead. I gave myself a good spray on my right arm, got VERY confused by the scent, realized my mistake, and put a spray of Bois d’Armenie on the other arm. Then I was concerned I had done a terrible thing, but it turns out they go very, very well together. Shockingly, I think the Neroli Outrenoir might be more potent than the Bois d’Armenie; I wouldn’t have guessed it.
I had a pretty bad day yesterday. My cat who has small cell lymphoma has been losing more weight over the past three months, so we took him to the vet. After a day of tests, they said they suspected the chemo he’s been taking has stopped working. He’s been on it for three years, and it tends to work for just 1 – 2 years, so it’s about time. Our options at this point were either more potent chemo that would severely damage the rest of his little body or just taking him off chemo and giving him palliative care only. It sounds like the more potent chemo would in any case just buy us a few extra (miserable) months. So we’ve decided to stop the chemo and watch him closely to figure out when he starts being in enough pain that the joys of his life just aren’t worth it.
But how do we figure that out? He can’t tell us anything. How can we make these decisions for another’s life?
We just need to enjoy our remaining time with him and make his life as good as possible. He’s only 10. We don’t know how his sister will deal with his loss, and we’re worried she won’t make it after he passes.
So after this news, we went and saw Bohemian Rhapsody, which was very good (and I’m not even a Queen fan!), and this combination of cat news and movie meant I spent much of the evening sobbing.
Oh, dear Koyel! So sad for you. Those are such hard decisions to make, but sounds like choosing quality of life is the best thing for him. And, yeah, they don’t talk, but I think you’ll know intuitively when it’s time.
We did “home hospice” for my last kitty, and when she stopped eating and got weak, we gave her pain medication just in case she was uncomfortable, and she died peacefully on my lap in her little bed. It was hard, but I’m glad we did it the way we did.
It is really encouraging to see how many of you say that we’ll know intuitively when it’s time. It really does NOT feel like it’s time right now, and it’s comforting to hear that that suggests that we’re right, and that we’re not just needlessly putting him through pain.
I’m sorry for your loss. I think a peaceful death in your lap is the right way to go. We got a list of vets who pay home visits for when the time comes.
Sorry about your cat. I think animals don’t need to talk in order to communicate and you will know quite easily when the time is right based on the relationship you have established over the past 10 years.
I think you’re right, Kanuka. Their fuzzy little faces and bodies are very expressive. I’ll need to pay attention to his signs and not to my need to hold onto him.
Poor cat. Its bad when your little ones have to go
Thanks, tannina, I think it’ll hurt for a long time afterwards.
So sorry about your kitty. You are doing your best for him but I know it is hard.
Thanks, Petunia. I hope we’re doing the right thing! It is really hard, and will likely only get harder.
Oh Koyel, I’m so sorry about your cat. Sending you hugs and love.
Thanks, therabbitsflower <3
I’m so sorry about your kitty. We’ve lost two to cancer , one from fibrosarcoma and one from mammary cancer. In both cases it was when they stopped eating that we knew it was about over. The latter one we found in the bottom shelf of our kitchen pantry where she had never gone before. She seemed to be looking for a place to crawl away and hide. You’ll know when your kitty stops eating and interacting with you. It’s not always easy to tell how much pain they are in because they are good at hiding it, but you might be able to tell if he is in severe distress. I can’t tell you exactly how to handle it, but I think you’ll know when it is time. It hurts so much to lose one of our little fur babies.
I’m sorry for your loss, 50_roses.
Yeah…we actually scheduled the vet visit way earlier than the usual three-month checkup because he spent two days in the corner of the closet, not crawling all over us or anything. He came out for treats, which was encouraging, but it was really scary to see him being all lethargic.
In the days since his two days in the closet, he’s gotten back to his new normal (mostly sleeping in place but also playing with us a bit) in a way that has been encouraging. But he is eating so much less than he used to 🙁
Thanks, Koyel. None of our losses are very recent, but it still hurts. We’ve actually had (and lost) many kitties over the years, but I think the cancer deaths have been the hardest. It’s so drawn out, with treatments, side effects, dashed hopes of a cure, and then finally watching them fade away.
As long as he is eating something and interacting with you, it is probably not time yet. You will know when it is time–when he either stops interacting with you and just hides away, or when the disease is making him so miserable that you cannot bear to watch.
With one of ours, we went through initial surgery, including the complete amputation of his left hind leg (the cancer first occurred in his thigh), then chemo and radiation. The cancer recurred in his lungs, so more surgery (and the removal or part of one lung), then it came back again in multiple places, including his intestines. Eventually the tumors there became so large that they blocked his large intestine completely, and he not only didn’t eat, he couldn’t eat as he couldn’t process it. That was when we decided it would be cruel to let him suffer any more. We couldn’t see subjecting him to any more surgery, and we simply couldn’t sit by and watch him die that way.
The other (the one with mammary cancer) had surgery to remove the tumor, but it came back. It grew quite large, but she still continued to act normal for quite a while, eating and interacting with us and with the other cats. The day that we found her huddled up in the back of the pantry, she had stopped eating altogether several days earlier. It seemed that she was looking for a place to hide away and wait to die, and we both sensed that it was time to let her go.
Spend as much time as you can with your kitty in whatever time he has left. They give us so much love, companionship, and comfort, and ask so little in return. They don’t care how rich you are, or how good-looking you are, or how important or socially prominent, or where you went to school or who you know or what you do for a living or what kind of car you drive or what label is on your clothes. All they care about is how you treat them. We humans could learn a lot from cats.
Oh wow, those sound so stressful, especially the amputation 🙁
I love your summary of what’s important to a pet and how we can learn from that ourselves. That’s really special <3
The amputation was honestly not as bad as you would think. It was difficult for us, and for him at first, but he adapted amazingly fast. Within a week of getting him home from the surgery, he was running–not walking, but running at full speed–up and down the stairs on three legs. The vet told us that they usually adapt better to the loss of a hind leg than the loss of a front leg. I would have expected it to be the other way around.
Really sorry for you and your kitties.
Thanks for your thoughts, Glannys.
I’m so sorry you are having to go through this, Koyel. Kitties are so precious. I’m glad yours is done with harsh treatment. Even though making that decision is very hard it sounds like you made the right one.
Thanks, ringthing. Me too. The chemo drugs make him feel nauseated, so at least that will be over.
Oh, no! It is so sad when they are taken too soon. You are really having a rough year. Sending you love and a big old “f*** cancer!”
I know, right?! 2019 has been off to a REALLY rough start for me. Thanks, Regina <3
I am so sorry Koyel. This is very hard. I am also thinking about his sister. Sending hugs.
Thank you, pl67 <3
So sorry about your cat’s illness.
Thank you, Coin-op.
I’m sorry about your cat, Koyel 🙁 Our family lost an old dog last year, it’s never easy. I hope his last days are as happy as possible. Sending love.
Sorry for your loss, Dorsey <3 Thank you, I hope so too. I'll do my best!
I am so sorry about your cat. I hope his last days are as happy and pain-free as possible. Love & hugs to you.
Thank you, SmokeyToes <3 I'll try to keep them that way!
I am sorry you are going through such difficult times, Koyel.
Thinking of you and sending good vibes your way.
Thanks, adanst. There’s a lot going on at the same time 🙁 Thanks for your thoughts.
Poor sweet kitty… Snuggle him as often as you can —
Oh I definitely will <3 he deserves all the snuggles and treats.
I too am very sorry about your sad cat news. A friend whose beloved cat had cancer asked her vet how to know when to put him to sleep, and the vet said “Make a list of his three favourite activities, and when he can’t do or enjoy any of them any more, then is the time.” She found that helpful. I do know that I let one cat go too long with her cancer and very much regretted it.
Oh gosh, calypso, I’m sorry to read about your cat. I’ll do my very best not to do that.
That sounds like really good advice, and I’ll certainly try to abide by it. Thanks for sharing.
I am so sorry Koyel,
It’s the price we humans pay for loving our pets.
I too think they have ways of showing us and have had my share of vets come to the house while I had my senior kitties wrapped up in my lap.
We take care of them and for me that means helping them across the bridge.
Keeping you in my thoughts.
Thank you, apsara. Helping them across the bridge–thanks for sharing those words; they’re definitely something for me to keep in mind as the time comes. Sorry for your lost senior kitties, but saying goodbye as they’re wrapped up in your lap is the right way to do it <3
Oh Koyel, so many hugs headed your way. That is so hard. And it is very hard to know when the time is right. But you are a good cat mommy and I’m sure you will know.
Thank you, KellyC <3 I hope you're right, and I appreciate your kind thoughts.
I am so sorry. I know you love him very much. Sending hugs for you and your sweet boy.
Thank you, Barqs <3 I do love him so much. I'll pass your hugs onto him <3
Koyel, I grew up on a farm, and still work on one. I have been through all kinds of this and the answer to will I know when it is time is yes, you probably will, but no matter what don’t second guess yourself once the decision is made. I too had a brother / sister pair of cats, who lived to 17 and 19, respectively, and sister cat went on happily after her brother passed. She seemed to just enjoy her people family.
Oh gosh, I’m sure you’ve had to go through this many times indeed on a farm. Congratulations on having kept your 17/19yo cats healthy for such a long time!
I hope that’s what will happen with our sister-cat. She sure does like snuggling with us. Anyway, your advice not to second-guess ourselves after the decision is, I think, vital for me to keep in mind. I do have a big habit of dwelling on grief and doubting decisions, and I will really need to think about your advice a lot.
Oh Koyel! I’m so sorry to hear about your cancer kitty’s setback. I agree with a lot of other posters here, though, that you WILL know when it is time for that final trip to the vet. The last time it happened with one of my cats, it was very obvious. Hugs, and strength for the difficult times ahead.
Thank you so much, Jalapeno <3 And sorry for your own fuzzy losses.
Aw, so sorry Koyel, what rotten news. So glad the chemo worked so long though!
Thanks, Robin. I think, because the chemo worked for so long, I decided he was invincible. I understand that that was not smart, but I couldn’t help it.
Oh Koyel, that’s so hard. Big hugs to you, your boyfriend and all the cats.
Thank you, sistine <3 I appreciate your hugs.
that’s tough news – but I’m sure you’ll do a good job making your cat comfortable. Like everyone else pointed out, I think we can tell when it’s time – our cat started lying down in the middle of the hallway, which was very unusual for him, and that told us something was up. So – I think you, who knows your cat well, will know exactly when it’s time.
Ah, I see what you all mean now, when you say I’ll know. Sorry for your loss, and thanks for the kind thoughts.
I’m so sorry, Koyel. It is so hard to fully accept that we will experience the loss of our beloveds, and perhaps we fear that our desire to hold on may cloud our judgment. It sounds to me like you are preparing yourself and are clear about what feels right. You are as ready for the journey as you can be. When the time comes, you will have the strength and love and courage to acknowledge and embrace the end.
You’re right–you’ll never be fully ready for these things. Thank you for those kinds words, Holly.
Koyel, so sorry to hear the bad news about your cat. You’ll know when it’s time.
Thanks, hajusuuri <3
Koyel, I too am so sorry to hear about your kitty. We love them for as long as we can. As many others have already said, you will know in your heart when its time.
Sending you hugs.
Thank you, Gail.
Ooh! Enjoy your vacation, Robin!
I’m wearing DSH’s Piment et Chocolat.
Thanks Holly!
How is the Piment et Chocolat?
Hi Jalapeno! I like Piment et Chocolat, but I don’t love it. I guess I wanted a really zingy piment and a bitter dark chocolat. Instead, I find this to be a pleasant Starbucks take on Mexican hot chocolate. Thankfully it’s not too sweet – it’s a slightly dusty mild powdered cocoa with a bright floral pepper note. Altogether pleasant, but just not outstanding for me.
Wearing Eiderantler by January Scent Project.
Musky, herbal green on a damp day of housework and laundry. Taking joy where I can find it.
I always read this as “idly antlered”, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…
I read it as Idle Antlers. Perhaps I was influenced by seeing “free-range” antler dog chews in a pet store? When I questioned the staff, they exclaimed that yes! those are real antlers AND they’re free-range!
Have a wonderful trip Robin. I hope you can just relax and enjoy yourself. Chilly morning here. I learnt yesterday that Maori traditionally identified 7 distinct phases of summer (and we are now in the sixth phase, marked by the ripening of berries. The seventh stage is when leaves start dancing on the trees prior to falling. I will wear Glamour Yeti ( Glamor, without the ‘u’) but at the moment in Chanel 5 which I read was inspired by Beaux’s WW1 experience above the Arctic Circle, and the smell of water and earth as the ice and snow thawed.
Oh, how lovely to have 7 phases…I should look up that system.
I like to say that we have six seasons here on the Gulf Coast, but you could think of it as six phases of summer–presummer, earlysummer, midsummer, latesummer, postsummer, and notsummer. Right now it is notsummer.
That’s a whole lotta summer!
Cozied up in Chinchilla. A cozy fur smell with chill in the name! I should have saved it for tomorrow. 🙂
No law in not wearing Chinchilla two days in a row, it’s marvelous 🙂
today i chose Ice with Montale White Musk, which is like a cool white and heavily starched shirt. In the afternoon i topped it up with some vintage Chanel N19, which was not bad at all.
Now cooking red lentil-tomato soup with a dried limette for some citrusy flavor and will add Wiener Sausage at the end. My swabian boyfriend – as all svabians – loves lentils and beans, so he will be happy.
dried limette sounds interesting — off to google.
limette is German for lime 🙂
Robin, enjoy your vacation!
My sotd is Au delà Narcisse, from a sample.
Its so good!
You smell fantastic!
It is good! I keep toying with buying it. I’ve already used over half a decant in a short time…
Hi all, my SOTD is Clinique’s Wrappings. Happy almost Friyay!
You smell great!
Thanks! 🙂
Great choice !
Smelling good!
Such a great scent for this time of year!
You are smelling fantastic!
Wishing you a wonderful vacation Robin!
I am wearing Equistrius today because it needed some love.
Thank you Petunia! And Equistrius thanks you for taking good care 🙂
Wearing Kyoto today, it called me. I wear it all year so no points today but I do smell great 🙂
And Robin, have a wonderful time!!
Thanks ringthing, and you smell great!
Enjoy Robin, sounds wonderful!
wearing Oscar from a sample, its so much nicer than the testers I have tried in department stores. I’ll say this one fits the “fire” theme. It definitely smells of it’s time. It makes me wonder what it is exactly that makes perfumes smell dated – overdose of powder? certain combinations of ingredients, “70’s perfumes” seem heavy on the galbanum I think? Anyway, this is very nice, I could see loving this if someone I loved wore it, very “spicy powder” to me.
Huh. Good question! I guess, for me, certain real animalics like civet, but I guess powder is something people associate with being old fashioned.
I’m wearing Grandiflora Queen of the Night today because I was reminded of it when Lucasi mentioned it the other day. (Lucasi I hope your cold is better by now.) It started out still warm and humid but a strong front has come through and dropped temperatures here by 12 degrees, and more cooling-down predicted. I’d appreciate having a bit more time for winter clothes before going into the usual nine months of t-shirts and sandals! But Robin I hope you get to do swimsuits and sandals on your trip and that it’s pleasant and sunny!
Oh, I will be in swimsuits and sandals no matter what! It should be in the 80s all week.
I sure wouldn’t mind sending you some of my winter weather, Calypso! ⛄?
Calypso–you’re in Houston, right? It doesn’t sound as if this cold front is going to be a intense as the last, at least down here. We are supposed to be back in the 70s by Sunday. As I mentioned in another comment here, I like to say that we have six seasons on the Gulf Coast–presummer, earlysummer, midsummer, latesummer, postsummer, and notsummer. I also wish notsummer would last longer. I prefer long sleeves to short stylistically, but I just don’t want to wear them from April to October. So far this “winter” I haven’t even dug out any of my sweaters to wear. Of course, I tend to run pretty warm these days. I was pretty annoyed that our air conditioning came on yesterday evening. Couldn’t it wait until March at least?
I’m so jealous. Enjoy the sun!
No SOTD. I had a meeting this morning and thought it was kind to skip scent. I was right. Nine people in a tiny room do not need to be overwhelmed with perfume. Pretty sure I’m going with Tobacco Vanille for the rest of the day though.
Thank you Lucy!
That was thoughtful of you and I hope you enjoy TV all afternoon.
I snagged a pack of drugstore musks for $10 (Jovan Woman, Jovan White, Coty Wild Musk and Coty Vanilla Musk) and have been having a lot of fun with them. Some small reviews:
Jovan Musk for Women: What I think of when I picture a 70’s musk: floral with a hint of herbal/minty aspect that makes it smell a little bit freshly showered, as much as a musk ever is. Decent lasting power for what it is – 3 or 4 hours.
Coty Vanilla Musk: I’ve praised this one here before! It’s musk, vanilla, sandlewood. Maybe some orange blossom. But very well balanced, and surprisingly last almost a whole day for me.
Coty Wild Musk: this would be the winner of the pack, if only it had any staying power. It’s darker in character than the others, maybe a little dirty even, a creamy amber-musk with a fatty/nutty character. And it disappears within an hour. If they made an edp of this I would snap it up.
Jovan White Musk: Eh. Smells like soap.
I tried Prada Candy Kiss yesterday which was a white musk floral without the caramel of the original Candy or the sweetness of the Floral flanker. Not as good value as your haul though
Isn’t it weird how far flankers get from the original? How does a resiny-caramel thing end up at a white-musk floral?
Thank you for the mini-reviews! Drugstore steals are the best.
Great reviews, thank you. I have an old bottle of Wild Musk that I often wear to sleep in. Not sure if the staying power is any better than the most recent incarnation, I don’t smell it the next morning – really love it, tho.
It is a lovely thing, and I’m curious about what the vintage is like, especially the oil.
Great reviews, thank you!
I will have to seek out Vanilla Musk next time I’m at Walgreens.
SOTD is PdE Cuir Ottoman for another very chilly Los Angeles day.
I am getting a late start but am tackling the spare bedroom with all my might.
After a smoothie..
Have a great time away, Robin!
Cuir Ottoman is great!
Robin, congratulations on your warm weather get-away! Enjoy! And safe travels, too.
More warm-ish but gloomy weather today. If Old Man Winter is lurking around here somewhere, it’s gonna be nasty when he decides to make his presence felt.
SOTD = CK Euhporia again.
Smelling good!
Thanks KellyC!
Ack! That should have been “Euphoria”! Oh well, that’s kind of how my day has been today. ?
Gosh darn stupid NJ Transit. There’s normally alert emails informing riders about upcoming cancelled trains. They just cancelled 2 trains via announcement at the station and on monitors. No emails, no reason (they’re lies anyway). We’re probably better off not having any schedule – take your chances!
Are you stuck there waiting to get home? This would cause me so much anxiety.
I got home just a little later. Thank God they added stops to the normally express train but the announcement was very low key. Instead of overtly announcing that a particular train was making extra stops for today only, the announcement just said first stop is “x”. This low key announcement was very easy to miss in the cacophony of train noises and people noises.
Boo hiss and phooey on NJT!
You’re right – incompetent fools!
Lies, kind of like the horrible smell of burning rubber and fuel in the L train tunnel this past Tuesday was “perfectly safe”and “not toxic” according to the MTA spokesman after a couple of people were carted off in ambulances.
On the warm side, Pacifica Spanish Amber, unfortunately discontinued. A lovely amber perfume with labdanum, sandalwood, geranium and elemi.
I agree on all counts about Spanish Amber: warm, lovely, and sadly discontinued.
Today was kind of a good news, bad news sort of day. The good news was that when I got home I had FOUR! perfume packages waiting for me. The bad news is that I am so congested from this cold that I can’t smell any of them properly, so testing will have to wait. Oh well, it could be much worse. Right now we have seven people in our lab out sick with respiratory infections that are probably flu. I don’t feel terribly bad, just stuffy and rather tired.
hope you’ll feel better soon – what did you get in those packages, if you’re willing to disclose?
A Luckyscent order with Memo samples (Tiger’s Nest, Moon Fever, and Marfa) and a sample of Bois de Paradis; an order from Ave Parfum with samples of four Auphorie scents (Miyako, Mayura, La Lanterne Rouge, and l’Anima Della Rose; an order from Aftelier with a replacement bottle of Ancient Resins, a Frankincense Face and Body Balm, and samples of Orchid and Wildflowers solid perfumes; and a package with a decant of vintage Ivoire from the Freebiemeet and lovely bonus decant of Galanos.
I’ve got the Auphorie samples dabbed on (all four of them!) in spite of the cold, just to see if I could tell anything about them. They seem to be quite potent, as they are cutting through the congestion enough for me to tell they are there. I am afraid my favorite may be Mayura, which went out of stock between the time of ordering the samples on Saturday and receiving them today, but of course I can’t tell for sure until I get my sense of smell back fully.
Those are some fine samples! I really liked Miyako when I tried it). I hope you’ll soon be able to really smell them.
Yay for perfume goodies! I hope you are seeing some improvement in your “Crud” status?
I dont’ feel too bad, just tired and a little congested. The congestion wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t just gotten in 12 new samples and decants that I want to try out.
Commando (headache), but a confession: Donatella, forgive me for I blind bought Angel Muse at Tj maxx on Clearance, when the plan was to no longer spend $$ on cheap potential thrills but instead wait for getting what I really want….I suppose I can return it.
I hope you really end up liking it. I think it really is a high quality scent. But save the receipt just in case.
Return it! I can send you a decant if you want!
That is super kind, but this was such a cheapie ($20) that it would feel wrong to make you go to the trouble of making a decant and then having to mail it. Thanks though!!
Wow, that’s a great deal! I have yet to find a TJ Maxx steal….If you know what bottle you’re saving for I’d still return it, but the gift idea for your hub sounds good too!
You can return it if you choose to. I have done so before there, no questions asked!
So I noticed that the top cellophane had actually been resealed with tape (by a previous buyer who returned this perhaps?) which I gingerly peeled off and then got out the bottle and tried a spritz. It’s not bad! Luca Turin said in his review that this would make a great masculine. I can totally see that. I also got my freebie today – Shalimar Edp – and I do love that more for sure. So – still debating. Perhaps I’ll spritz my husband tonight…
I think it will make a good fun perfume to wear just because. It’s really a well done sweet scent.
Inspired by Jalapeno, I remembered that I had a sample of Opium. Its definitely not vintage though, otherwise it wouldn’t have been randomly stashed away. It does have some power however!
Very glad to be home.