We're celebrating the first weekend in May (and the birthday of Our Lady Donatella on Saturday) with our standard-issue open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you think you'll wear the most this month, whatever. (Also, do let me know what you think about possibly holding a splitmeet and/or swapmeet in late May?)
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Camellia [cropped] by Łukasz Rawa at flickr; public domain.
Good morning, NST!
Wearing Ormonde Jayne Woman which has perfectly hit the spot this week. I should have bought a bottle of this already. I thunked a sample last week and am now half way through another.
Stay well everyone!
I admire your sample thunking!
I think a FB is in order..you smell lovely.
You smell glorious!
Happy weekend, perfume people! I’m in Queen today, which is an easy, undemanding scent.
I ordered some fabric from Joanne yesterday. It was a bit daunting browsing and ordering online. I’ll pick it up today, which I think is a great turnaround time. I’m hoping it works well for covering my window blackout blinds. For the millionth time, I’m wishing for a sewing machine!
This book just came out yesterday and I’m going to pick up a hard copy next week. I heard about it via the Instagram account of Azam Ali, who is a musician I’ve been following for over 20 years. The proceeds go to a great cause, and no, I’m not affiliated.
Here’s a short blurb for those interested:
https://youtu.be/45TNYTsuImw
Cheers all!
Book sounds interesting, thanks for the tipp. Don’t know the scent :-/
thank you, Deva, that video brought tears to my eyes.
I will read that book though I am sure it will break my heart, perhaps it will offer hope as well.
Chanel No 19 after so many mentions yesterday. Lazy Saturday and looking forward to some freshly baked Rhubarb cake for dessert later on.
Rhubarb cake! Is there a recipe you can share? I love rhubarb.
First time I made the recipe. Will taste test and if good share. It’s from a book, is that a problem for sharing? No idea. Will credit author and hope for the best.
Taste test approved, here it is from Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Cooking (found it online):
https://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2010/04/darina-allens-country-rhubarb-cake.html
I was thinking No 19 today, but went with Cristalle instead. I am not a baker, but am going to attempt a very simple apple and pear crisp later today….wish me luck!
Best wishes for a wonderful or come, a mix of pear and apple sounds delicious.
apple + pear 😋
I’ll be making strawberry rhubarb pie for my birthday which is Monday. Rhubarb from the garden!
Yay! Happy early birthday! My son and I made a rhubarb galette from our garden rhubarb last weekend, and it was a thing of joy.
You smell lovely.
Hi all, SOTD is Safari by Ralph Lauren. About to head out for a morning walk with the hubby.
Question, has anyone tried Sonoma Scent Studio’s perfumes lately from the new owner? I was thinking of purchasing a few goodies and wondering if the formulas are the same or if she’s made tweaks.
I only had a travel spray of original Jour Ensolleille and it was awhile between thinking that and buying new. I can say I love the new one. Don’t notice a difference but could just be memory. In any case… I’m pleased with the purchases I’ve made since the reopening.
Thanks! Good to know!
I should add, SSS is having a 20% off Mother’s day sale. Code is MOTHERSDAY20 and valid 5/1-6.
I’m thinking about getting another bottle of Incense Pure and Jour Ensoleille.
Thanks for sharing the code. I have not tried anything from this…what do you think are their best fragrances please? And which have the most vanilla?
Cm8 posted alot of recs yesterday
Thank you…I am reviewing yesterday’s thread.
Hi Yasmina,
Yesterday’s SOTD Thread?
Yes smokeytoes
You must have missed the whole conversation we had yesterday after I posted the code 😸.
If you are looking for a gourmand I would recommend Cocoa Sandalwood. Fig Tree is also lovely. Bee’s Bliss and Yin and Ylang read sweet on my skin. And Winter Woods in the summer is a sweet Amber to my nose.
I love Winter Woods. Now I’m tempted to use that code!
Thanks so much for these recommendations! I am reviewing yesterday’s thread too. I am tempted to get the big sample set. 😅
Springpansy get it!! It’s gorgeous in the heat!!
She-ra, great idea! Also, I don’t know how you feel about Violet’s but I always thought Laurie ( the original owner of SSS) had a way with violets so you might like some of her violet offerings. And Forest Walk is gorgeous too!!! True to life fragrance.
I love Velvet Rose also.
Ooo yes! And Rose Volupe is gorgeous too.
Ha! Yes, I posted the code yesterday 😉
To answer your question all my perfume pals tell me that Brenda has stayed true to Laurie’s formulations so it should be okay.
And I encourage you to get those bottles. Two of my favorites 😍
I haven’t purchased Forest Walk, but adore Cameo, Incense Pure, and Jour Ensoleille.
I wish she’d bring back Opal and Egyptian Musk, those were amazing musks.. Especially Opal. I’d purchase a vat of that if I could.
I had Egyptian Musk and Sienna Musk in full bottles. Opal was the one that got away. She had it on sale and I never bought it, then she d/c it. She was supposed to bring it back but never did. Cameo she had in the vault ( beautiful too!) along with Lieu de Reves which I also adored with it’s sweet violets and heliotrope. That was actually my first full bottle purchase. Wish that one would be brought back too.
chocolatemarzipan – I think you and I may be scent twins! It seems we love many of the same scents.
I followed up with Laurie on a few occasions regarding Opal. I think she mentioned it was a supply-chain issue for some of Opal’s ingredients.
If you want a very close dupe of Opal, try Skin Musk by Parfums de Coeur. Cheap as chips and comes in both oil and spray.
Smokey Toes you are scaring me now….I had Skin Musk in my cart yesterday at perfume.com but didn’t pull the trigger….scent twins for sure!!!!!
Safari! You smell fabulous 👍🏽
Believe it or not, I had a chance to purchase a 16oz refill bottle for a song. I kept hemming and hawing and it got away from me.
That is a perfume I need in my wardrobe (Fendi, Feminite du Bois, and Magie Noire the others.
Eek!! You let 16 oz of Safari get away? Was it that huge plain bottle for sale at one of the discount sites? I was eyeballing it a few years ago. Safari is gorgeous. While I like current formulation there is nothing like vintage.
chocolatemarzipan, wow, now you’re scaring me! Was it a brown bottle on beauty encounter?
Then yes. And it was under $150, if I remember correctly….
Yes!!!!!! LOL 🤣 We both let that one get away 😭
I’ve purchased travel sprays of Incense Pure and Rose Volupte from the new owner of SSS, and I think they smell great. Then I decided I needed a 15mL bottle of the Incense Pure. However, I did not try those scents when Laurie was at the helm of SSS, so I have incomplete information on the perfumes.
Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar stolen from middle mini
This morning scored Purell, toilet paper, tissues, baby wipes, napkins and alcohol. Ice cream and frozen food miraculously replenished. And spotted tirumisu Oreos.
Finished a two mile walk. After lunch will mow my acre of lawn😭
You will have deserved those Oreos and ice cream. Fresh cut grass!
Hee hee! You enabler you 😸😁
I didn’t get them but will next time
Don’t tell anyone but I ordered those tiramisu Oreos for my grocery pick-up at noon. I never eat Oreos, but gotta try these.
😸😸😸 You deserve a delicious treat !
What stopped me this morning was the fact that last week I ate 3/4 of a tray of baklava, two HUGE slices of my bday key lime pie and half of my fruit torte. Mr Marzipan said jokingly that I have been celebrating all week with sugar instead of perfume 😸
But next weekend I am getting those Oreos!!
When yours come in tell us what you think.
You will get the tiramusu oreos for sure! 😉
I might just go tomorrow morning 😈
Looks like they were out of stock already for my pick-up order. Oh well – next time! (Not that I need them…I am making birthday pie AND cake this weekend. My bday is Monday.)
Awww 🙁
But yay for pie and cake and a happy early birthday 🎂🎈🎉🎂
Just in case I miss it on Monday…happy early birthday!
Oh no, did I miss your birthday?? Happy belated birthday!
Thank you, Koyel and no worries 😊. Btw, you’ve inspired me to get moving! I have been trying to walk two miles about 4-5 days a week now because even though I am skinny I am very much out of shape. Need the aerobics for sure and yoga alone doesn’t cut it. I remember how much you persevered. I plan on doing the same 😁
That’s awesome, good for you! Have fun getting back in shape
Wow! Purell, I haven’t seen any around here in weeks.
It’s been two months since I have seen Purell. It was the only one on the shelf and I grabbed it.
And meanwhile thanks to Robin who gets a HUGE enabler pin I ordered FIVE hand sanitizers from Vitabath. They were a decent price.I think I am set 😁 .
I was out yesterday and looked for the tramisu Oreos, but couldn’t find them–only saw peanut butter and double chocolate. Ended up with ice cream, corn chips and Pepperridge Farm shortbread cookies!!
Yum!! Love those shortbread cookies.
Yep, Fritos have been a staple over here, too. I still need to make Frito pie. We had a chat about that when, a week ago?
Glad you got the supplies you needed, Vanille Sauvage is my favourite from LMdlV so I think excellent idea to have stolen it.
I was thrilled beyond belief that I got an alcohol and hand sanitizer.
It’s such a comforting vanilla. I am going to use her bottle until she heads back to college 😸
Whoa, you hit the jackpot with the shopping!
I’m skimming, so your first sentence I read as: you have vanilla and are making stollen. 😂
Hee hee!! I love the interpretation of your quick reading. I might never make stollen but I surely would be the first one to eat it 😉
And yes, I could NOT believe my good luck!! Alcohol has been out of stock since February!!
Holy cow, you were shopping in dreamlandmart?? Score, good for you!
😁😁😁
I thought I was hallucinating when I saw the one bottle of Purell.
I really should have played Lotto
Nice score!
😺😸👍
I’m breaking out my Fiori di Capri on this sunny, warm day. I’ve missed this and am ready to wear frequently in the coming months. I have more warm-month scents than cold-month and this is just one. Plus I’m more likely on these to spray with abandon.
I’m happy to have split/swap meets.
You smell faaaabulous!
Royal Mayfair today, temps expected to be in the mid 80’s.
Mid 80s, lucky you! We are having a rare gorgeous weather day, but low 70 something.
Inadvertently continuing with fragrances from Scents of Time: Perfume from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century. I posted this morning on the Friday poll about how this book got me interested in learning more about the history of perfumes. Going down the little line of bottles that are examples of what sorts of fragrances were popular in certain centuries, I chose the next one after the “Rose, the favorite scent of the classical world” scent that I wore yesterday. When I tried to open the bottle, I got the fragrance on my fingers, thus the “inadvertently.” The # 3 fragrance in the line of examples of those popular for some centuries is “Sandalwood-Jasmine, a blend reflective of the Islamic world and India.” I remembered liking it, and I remembered Mom not liking it. (lol) At least she’s consistent.
Fragrance # 1 in the line is “Frankincense, representing Egypt and the ancient Near East.” Fragrance # 4 is “Orange Blossom, which originated in East Asia.” I don’t know if that’s true, but the little collection tries to bop around the world with the representation.
I’ll probably try to wear perfumes that *won’t* attract bees when I’m outside, and keep going with soothing fragrances at bedtime.
As of mid-April the Downingtown Post Office was open, with a clear plastic curtain between the postal worker at the counter and customers, with a space at the bottom of the clear barrier for customers to push letters and packages over to the postal worker. I think southeastern Pennsylvania will still be mostly shut down, but we should be able to mail packages.
This book sounds very interesting. So it comes with actual perfumes as examples of each era?!
Yes, little 4 ml bottles of fragrances.
The book says “copyright 1999,” which is actually later than I thought. And it says, “Historic Scents created for the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Givaudan Roure Fragrances.”
Wow i need to find a copy! That would really work for my class
Unless someone has brought it back, it’s long out of print I think. I reviewed it years ago…
https://nstperfume.com/2005/09/20/perfume-book-report-scents-of-time-by-edwin-t-morris/
Yes, the book Robin reviewed is the one I’m talking about. I was going back nearly two decades for things that got me interested in perfume, and that book was one of them. It didn’t exactly send me down a rabbit hole at the time, but I did realize that I was a fan of floral perfumes, and sandalwood fragrances.
I knew from burning incense sticks and cones that I was a fan of incense scents. (lol) Over the years, I’d been to a couple of high church Episcopal services where they used incense in a censer (sp.?), and liked that additional sensory aspect to the experience. Now it would probably make me cough, but I like the smell.
I think I would love some sandalwood-jasmine
It’s yummy.
Late morning scent: Went back in time with the # 1 chronologically historical fragrance listed above, Frankincense. I’ve smelled much stronger incense perfumes in the last couple of years than this Frankincense, but I found it very nice.
Tea this morning: Bigelow Chinese Fortune, which I think they’ve renamed to Chinese Oolong, as I have a very similar box of Bigelow tea with the latter name.
Bedtime scent on Saturday: I was going to experiment with more of the Scents of Time, but I was not coordinated enough for that by the time I was falling asleep. I went with CdG Blue Encens from a sample sent by some generous NST person.
I have a couple of CdG incense samples yet to try. A lovely person (Millicent?) sent me a decant of Kyoto, so I’m good there for some time. 
I later got a couple of samples of the CdG takes on the European-style incenses. I know Robin likes Avignon.
Couldn’t find my little bag of CdG samples late at night on Sunday night, but I did find my little collection of Serge Lutens manufacturer’s samples. I think I tried L’Eau d’Armoise. I was very sleepy by then.
Wood Sage & Sea Salt aaaaaand, that’s a thunk.
I dreamt about my granny last night, she was making chicken salad, lol. Not sure where that came from. For weeks after her death I waited/wanted her to come to me in my dreams. The first time she did it was not good and I woke myself out of a sound sleep crying.
In the past couple of weeks I’ve dreamt about her 4 times, all of them good!😊 I’ve been thinking about her a lot during this pandemic and as terrible as it may sound, I’m so glad she’s not here to see it. Over a third of the deaths in my state have been people over 90, and at 93 I would have been worried sick about her and she would have been so sad and confused to have no family visiting her for such a long time. There’s a reason she left us when she did. I’d like to believe her coming to me in my dreams is her way of letting me know she’s in a better place and doing just fine.
Anywho! The sun is out again and I’m gonna get out and enjoy it!🌞😎 Stay well everyone.
Loving your grandma dreams! I’ve had a couple of good ones of my grandma and dad, together in the same dream. I woke so happy to “see” them. Here’s to many more good dreams for you!
You smell lovely and congrats on the thunk.
It is not terrible to be glad that she does not have to deal with this pandemic. I am grateful that my parents are not among those shut in alone, or in a nursing home. This is one world event that I am glad they missed.
I have been thinking about my Dad too. I wonder what he would say about this time. He would probably be like..”hey its nice out, lets go on my motorcycle. Go find your leather jacket..” Being on his bike was his answer to everything.
My dad was a motorcycle guy, too. I can’t remember a time when he didn’t have one. Or three. I rode behind him when I was as young as three, with my own little helmet, which was passed down to my two younger sisters. Things were different in the 60’s!
He rode into his early 80’s, when he didn’t have the strength to rock “the donkey” back off the kickstand. 💙
Dearest Nancyleandros-
AH..we have something in common.
I rode on the back of my Dad’s bike for as long as I can remember. My Dad also use to go on these “poker runs”, we would meet a whole gang of riders at a parking lot and we would all ride together in one big pack to a park or a beach. My butt would go numb.
My Dad’s first bike, he painted (painting was his hobby) the front cover of one the Eagles albums on his gas tank.
I miss that feeling, of being free on the back of a motorcycle.
Ah, the memories..
Now if you would excuse me, I am going to have a good cry into my cappuccino this morning.
Dear Lovestosmellgood
Whenever you write about your dad, I can feel all the love you have for him. I end up teary eyed with you.🌹
The Eagles???
Another Eagles fan here! Ltsg, you had one cool dad!!!
Hi ltsg, I had a cry in my tea this morning, too. It’s good to look back and miss our dads. They were adventurous people who instilled a sense of wonder and adventure in us. We will get back out in that big world, I know we will. It’ll just take some time. Take care, sweetie.
WS&SS! mmmm, you smell wonderful. Thank you for sharing your dream, my grandmothers were delightful and loving. I’m always glad when I remember them, awake and asleep.
I have been thinking the same, how grateful I am that my Dad died at the beginning of March.
I did not know this.
Sending belated condolences.
Thank you.
((madtowngirl)) – hugs to you!
I was so close to my grandmother as well. She’s been gone for many years but I’m glad she and grandfather aren’t here to see this. Heartbreaking.
I live with my grandma, who’s 85. It’s definitely hard for her—someone who’s super social and during normal times played Bridge with her friends 2-3x a week, among other social activities—to face the prospect of the final years of her life being lived this way.
But, we just carry on! Family zoom meets and social distancing cocktail hours in the yard (with friends or family) and the cul-de-sac (with our neighbors) all help.
She has you there, which must help her enormously in every way.
My mother has been visiting me every night in my dreams lately. Mostly she’s cleaning in them. Also my dear departed cat Sherbert has visited.
😻😻😻😻
Big thanks to springpansy for recommending Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series in last weekend’s poll…I am reading The Crossing Places and loving it.
And thanks to SmokeyToes for sharing the SSS code. I have not tried anything from this line but am willing to join others in this burrow. Wondering what people think are their must try fragrances and of course which have the most vanilla.
No perfume yet…will update later w/ SOTD.
This series made my list too thanks to poll
I posted my recs for you above 😻
Trying Lubin Grisette. I have a bunch of Lubin samples from Luckyscent that are languishing.
A citrus, powdery rose to my nose. Wouldn’t need more but nice for spring and warm weather.
I could be wrong but I think the code is only for 15 and 30 mL bottles; however, you can try anyway because I’ve had experience with 2 other retailers where the code with exclusion did not work as intended. In both cases, i contacted the proprietor and was told I’ll get the discount anyway for the excluded items. I’m not saying that will be the case here and just wanted you to be aware.
Correct, sale is for 15 and 30 ml bottles.
Sorry about that, in my rush to get out the door, I’d forgotten to mention that!
You’re welcome!
Great – so glad you are enjoying it – but I must give credit to a previous NST poll where someone mentioned it and I saw it. I’ve read all of them now and am eagerly awaiting her next one!
I went with a spritz of Mohur. I know it gets alot of love here, but I think it’s too restrained for me.
I vote yes for a late May split
And oh, I ordered a travel spray of Incense Pur yesterday. Can’t wait to try this new to me house
Yay!!!! Hope you like it!! As I said yesterday it’s one of my favorites.
I’m wearing one of my favourite combinations; Cap Néroli and Néroli Intense. Very springlike and cheerful.
Did some laundry and some clearing up. Just another quiet quarantine day.
Neroli is such a happy smell.
your day sounds like mine, I’m tidying the house and wishing I were outside. Just another day in self-quarantine paradise, eh?
I just got BUBs for both Nicolaïs. They are offering a free 30 ml bottle with an order of over 150€.
Both of these Nérolis are sunshine in a bottle and exude pure happiness.
I just got back from a 30 minute walk around my neighbourghood. I can go outside, but it still feels pretty limited. I guess we are all getting a little bored with our lives, but then again, I’m healthy, and so are my family and friends.
👍👍
Hi I read Persuasion. And realised I had, in fact, read it before many years ago, before I’d read and reread Austin so many times. So I read it with fresh eyes. In the introduction (by Loreto Todd), Virginia Woolf is quoted as having said: “There is a peculiar beauty and a peculiar dullness in Persuasion.” However, I may start reading this one annually too! Reading Emma now. These books are so gentle, yet astute, I find them the perfect antidote to coronaphobia.
Well they deal with an enclosed world, but a good enclosed world.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Persuasion. I can kind of see where Woolf is coming from, but I do really like it.
I love this TV adaptation of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN7j7Ey-cM0
LPRN black perfecto
Listening to The Doors
( picturing Jim Morrison )
Making KooKoo Sabzi (like an herb frittata)
THE DOORS!!! Oh, I loved Jim Morrison……
So what’s in your KooKoo Sabzi? I had a frittata today with leeks, arugula and swiss/gruyere cheese…so lovely.
I loved him too…When I was young I had a flag of him on my ceiling. I loved his whole long hair, leather pants and those pouty lips…
In my next life..
KooKoo sabzi, I follow this recipe more or less
http://www.mypersiankitchen.com/kuku-sabzi-persian-frittata-with-fresh-herbs/
Your frittata sounds great too…
That recipe sounds delicious!
Have you ever listened to The Tea Party, a Canadian rock band most active in the 90s? The lead singer Jeff Martin looks and sounds a lot like Jim Morrison. They have an Indian/middle eastern vibe going on in some of their tunes. Here’s a sample…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_bx347ilv64
Oh hey, I just made kuku sabzi today too! I had piles and piles of need-to-be-used herbs this weekend
It was very tasty; I am sure yours was too.
Question for Robin-
Have we ever done a CP based on what fragrances did you wear in middle school/ high school/ college?
Came to mind this morning after all of yesterday’s comments. It was a nice trip down memory lane.
Middle school! I never once thought about wearing scent during middle school.
Ahahaha. Yes, I suppose that’s typical of most perfumistas. But I could give you a list of what I wore in elementary school 😂
That would be an interesting one. Although I don’t think I have any of those in my collection anymore 🤔
I have some, as decants from dear friends. I think it would be fun to see everyone’s list, as yesterday’s comments really triggered lots of perfume recollections for me.
We have done it as a poll question, but not as a CP since I think many people won’t have the scent they wore then?
Although I do have 2 I wore then.
You are probably right. Too bad because it would have been fun to see everyone’s list 😻
Or maybe change it to “wear the perfume that reminds you of a perfume you wore in middle school / high school / college”
Ooo yes, h!! That’s a great idea!! Hope Robin agrees 🤞🤞🤞
SOTM is Sous le Vent, and it’s a near-tink, or -plink, or whatever the sound of a drained 1 ml vial is. I remember being totally wowed by this the first time I tried it, and still love it this time but not quite as overwhelmingly. Could just be a seasonal thing. It’s raining like mad this morning, so my weeding plans are down the drain (so to speak). Mr. G is heading out to kill and drag home some bagels, and while he’s off being heroic I will indulge in a bit more of Angela’s newest Joanna Hayworth novel. Happy weekend!
I love SLV-
I think you smell lovely
Thank you – it’s a beauty, for sure.
heh heh, agree that procuring food feels like an act of bravery (and almost desperation).
In a copious amount of Victorinox Snowflower, which I think I’ll enjoy as the weather gets warmer, as it’s refreshing like a cold ginger ale! I am really pleased with this one as it was a hecka cheap blind buy at Winners.
Watching an all-day teleconference on gymnastics coaching and training because I’m interested in the crossover with circus arts, particularly the lectures on mental resiliency and balancing a healthy and high performance culture.
Watching a presentation on nutrition and feeling SUPER VALIDATED that the doc is saying 55-65% of an athlete’s diet should be carbs 😂 THANK YOU SIR, for validating my entire life philosophy.
Made green tea mousse yesterday evening, and have the ingredients for deep dish mango pie, just waiting on the mangoes to get super super juicy ripe!
Are you a circus artist/athlete?!
Right now I am a living room workout warrior 🤣
But normally a circus performer, slash, 4-5 years into slowly transitioning into artistic coordination and show management offstage. Thinking of going back to school this fall for a continuing education certificate towards that end if it looks like live shows are still going to be a while away…
Wow!!! That’s amazing. I am intrigued.
What an amazing job! Love it
How amazing
thanks for sharing!
Yes! Even from a non-athlete warrior person 🙃
Fascinating! I lived in Sarasota, FL, a town with a deep circus history (Barnum & Bailey Circus had winter quarters there). Had a friend whose family were circus performers and animal trainers (Lipizzan, horses).
One friend Sabrina, also performed on the high rope. Pretty amazing stories!
Yes Sailor Circus is there too if I’m remembering correctly! I know many people that got their start there.
Sarasota is home to so many traditional circus legacies. I work more the contemporary side of the industry but still LOVE trad circus! Insanely talented and hardworking people.
Hi teebear! Yes! I have many friends who attended Sailor Circus.
My first teen memories of Sarasota was of my mom (an RN) taking me along to home health visits, several of her patients were retired performers. Seeing the pictures, memorabilia, and costumes and hearing their life stories was wonderful.
I still have a home in Sarasota, a few of the Wallenda family members are in my neighborhood.
SOTD = Diptyque L’Eau Trois & Philosykos
Perfumath:
Winter + Summer = Spring
Yes? Yes❣️👍
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sUDw6hCrg/?igshid=c54r0rde33b2
In other news, I called the branch manager of the local bank with whom I have a client relationship. I asked if I can walk up to the drive through (ok, that sounds like an oxymoron). She said for safety reasons, you need to be in a car to use the drive through and added she will help me when I get there and that to go into the lobby, I need to wear a mask 😷. No problem because I wear a mask when I go out, even before they were required inside stores. I girded up and walked the half mile to the branch and was able to deposit the estate check as well as another one for a much smaller refund from Macy’s. I feel so accomplished 🤣.
Off to prepare for Family Zoom. Then a late lunch, likely an avocado 🥑 and pork rinds 🐷.
Local branch relationships are so helpful.
Yes…and the branch is conveniently located!
I love checking things of the list
Heh, me too!
Glad you got what you needed to do done at the bank! That can be a project even if you have a car nowadays!
I wouldn’t have thought to try a winter + summer = spring experiment with perfumes, but it seems like you’re enjoying the result, and that’s what really matters.
Spent the morning cleaning up the house in vintage BaV. It seems like Saturday mornings are spent vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms and getting rid of whatever clutter that accumulates during the week. Getting in the shower and then eating some lunch. Ordered a ton of things from Harry and David. Some of it is for Mother’s Day and the rest is for me. Since the next two days will be warm, I think today is a Deneuve extrait day. Tomorrow might be a Coco Mademoiselle day but we shall see.
Your Saturday is my Sunday
Yep, me too! Saturday I’m recuperating from the work week and just want to be a lazy lazy girl.
I think it’s the season and situation which make us clean more than usual.
When everything is shut down and you can’t go anywhere, what is there left to do? Clean, purge and organize.
Yep
Saturday mornings are my tidying up time too.
Hope you have a lovely day!
No flour to bake a cake, It’s the only ingredient that didn’t reappear on the supermarket shelves, not sure why. In the cheerful Clarins Par Amour Tumours, the raspberry note is very true and playing well with the grapefruit; I had immediately liked this unpretentious fruity floral when it was released and will wear it often like I did last year. Longevity is good too, although not much spillage.
Robin, if restrictions are lifted I would welcome a swapmeet.
Please forgive autocorrect which made my scent sound frightening. It’s the very innocent Par Amour Toujours.
Yikes!
😂
Very funny. I appreciated your comment that Juliette Binoche is older now too, but I saw recent pictures of her and she has that “French woman of a certain age” thing going on, and I certainly do not. Isabelle Huppert has it too.
Oddly enough after about two months of being MIA, a few bags if flour are back on our supermarket shelf…limit 2… Like just about everything in the store including meat.
I seem to be missing flour in my grocery store too. But, somehow I have 4 pounds of butter in the freezer! Sadly, my baking will have to wait.
No sotd yet as I have to water and feed my plants outside and don’t want to attract any bugs. The garden shops are not open yet so I plan on starting some garden peas from seed to climb my front trellis instead; this is a total experiment so it may or may not work.
Will put on Chanel Riviera after my shower.
Good luck with the pea project, Gail.
Thank you, I am in the process of sprouting them now.
Best of luck with the peas! I find that I have to over-plant mine pretty extravagantly and keep them well sprinkled with Sluggo — EVERYTHING seems to want to eat them when they’re young!
Oh, thank you! I can see them being pretty tempting as a meal. I have lots of quail who like to dustbath in my yard.
It’s the weekend, long weekend with that extra Friday off work.
I’m wearing Rose Anonyme again because I though I didn’t wear it long enough last evening, so here I am
Gosh, I seriously need some new fragrances that I can test and write about. Am thinking swapping with friends could be an option, right?
👍 Rose Anonyme
Vanille Insensée, which is nice the first hour and then some note is irritating me a lot. I want to like it, but just cant.
Lambs shoulder with herbs, potatoes and minted peas for dinner, made by the boyfriend.
I made two t-shirts today, adapted the pattern and the second one is now just right. So now I have a pattern for more…
Vanille Insensée didn’t agree with me either.
Vanille Insensee was an immediate scrubber on me. And I love lamb, wish I was coming to dinner at your house.
I used to love Vanille Insensée but as I come towards the end of my bottle, something is hitting my nose as far too dry/astringent from the midpoint on. I wonder if it’s what bothers you too. Might be a bit of spring allergies making me more sensitive to that as well, but once it’s gone I think I’ll explore other vanilla scents.
I didn’t like Vanilla Insensee either. I’ve never bought a Diptyque fragrance – I think I liked Olene. But I think of you as my scent twin in any case.
This is my favourite lamb shoulder recipe. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10460306/Ottoman-lamb-with-Sultans-Delight-recipe.html It comes from Diana Henry’s book Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons.
I’m sampling Rogue Mousse Illuminee. This is sweeter and less green than I expected, I’m quite liking it. Pouring rain and dark here, so I’ll stay in and try to keep myself amused. Maybe make something complicated for dinner.
I went to the PO yesterday and they have clear barriers up in front of the postal workers, and people were spread out in line and most were wearing masks. I’m good with a split/swap towards the end of the month.
Robin, how is your house? Is the tree coming down and the damage getting repaired? I’m not sure how “essential” construction people are in your area. Here it’s business as usual.
Thanks for asking — tree people came and removed entire tree this morning, although they’re coming back later to do the stump. Looks like we have a few loose shingles and some dents in the gutters but nothing serious at all, so really we were quite lucky that it fell in such a nice direction — it could easily have taken out several windows and or put a hole in the roof.
As I understand it you can not do any interior remodeling or actual “construction” but you can have anything done to your yard / outside including hardscaping.
I am so happy the damage was minimal. But now you are missing a tree, that is sad. I love my huge front yard maple, it keeps the house cool in the summer.
We have a japanese red maple in the front yard that we planted when we moved in and I would be heartbroken if we lost that! But it is not tall and thin so it is probably safe even from crazy winds.
Is anyone interested in a USA split of Lancome Santal Kardamon? It’s on sale at Macy’s right now and I could order a bottle. I have not smelled it but the notes sound good.
I’d join that split. Like you, haven’t smelled it, but the notes appeal.
I’ll bite. 5-10mLs. Thanks.
Happy weekend, everyone! I’m going through some Hermes samples today. Started the day in Monsieur Li early, and now am in Vetiver Intense. It’s pretty strong, but then again I’m in ~15 sprays of it.
We had buckwheat soba noodles with ground beef and veggies last night, and it was good! Buckwheat flour is kinda strong, so I’d avoided the noodles, but no more. I like having a new ingredient to play around with.
Hmmm, swap/split meet at the end of May…..I’m sorry Robin, but I’m noncommittal right now. Texas just opened some things, and as long as we don’t have a resurgence, I’d be up for a meet. But if cases spike, I won’t be going to the PO. 😕
Buckwheat pancakes take some getting used to also but they have really grown on me. I have had buckwheat noodles but only in soup — did you use a recipe?
Sure did, here it is:
https://jenaroundtheworld.com/mongolian-ground-beef-noodles/
If you haven’t cooked with buckwheat noodles before (I wasn’t sure from your comment), rinse them after cooking or they can get sticky. Enjoy!
Thank you! If you happen to see this, did you use that much brown sugar? Seems like it would make the beef really sweet.
Yes, I reduced the brown sugar by about 25%. We like things a little sweet, and it was about right for us. Hoisin adds some sweetness too. We added a handful each of zucchini, broccoli and shredded carrots, so that diluted the sweetness also. Taste the sauce before adding it to the ground beef in case it needs tweaking. I hope it turns out for you! 😊
Thanks so much, going to make this next week I think!
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I posted this on my FB page, a military friend mentioned it was made with Yak, which was sweeter, leaner, and quite delicious!
You are so welcome! 😊
Back again. I’m up for a swapmeet (a donation in exchange for my perfumes and I’ll be looking for what I can fulfill in exchange for the donation) and a splitmeet.
Here’s the article I mentioned yesterday after reading that several NSTers are exhausted after back to back Zoom meetings:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/sunday-review/zoom-video-conference.html
And the Family Zoom was fun. My nephew and his girlfriend, both Brooklynites now, joined in this week. I may have been inspired to bake…but need to see if I can find the ingredients. I already have all purpose flour from my as yet untried (pre-COVID) desire to make red velvet pancakes. In the meantime, I will likely make no-bake bread pudding for which I have all the ingredients including stale bread.
My oxytocin levels need a serious boost and I simply want to hug pretty much everyone within a 100 mile radius of me. I can’t get hugs from Zoom, lol. But glad you had a nice family time:).
I love bread pudding and red velvet pancakes with white chocolate chips sound amazing. I am on a chocolate chip kick lol.
mmmmm, chocolate chips. I have a bag that is getting a little more empty every day, though nobody is baking cookies.
Who took the choc’late from the choc’late bag? 🤣
who me?
yes you!
couldn’t be.
then who?
Methinks a plush throw may be a good substitute or maybe a weighted blanket. Red velvet with white chocolate chips 🤔
I just finished off a load of banana bread with chocolate chips in it. Warmed with melted salted butter on top = Heaven. We can’t make it again, too dangerous!
excellent article
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m very grateful for journalists and that the NY Times is making pandemic-related articles available to everyone for free.
lol, I imagine lots of folks have lots of stale bread at this moment in history. Bread pudding is the answer!
Yes, grateful for journalists, the local paper in my area has done a pretty great job.
And again, grateful for the Tbirds doing awesome flyovers all over the country..I am near an AFB and see those guys makin hearts in the sky to me often, at least, I think they are for me? Lol.
Readying myself for the great bread pudding experiment tomorrow!
Hey, how did the bread pudding turn out?
Good luck with your bread pudding!
I’ve been craving sticky toffee pudding..
SotD = Berdoues Assam of India
I’ve missed wearing this one. My bottle had gone awol, finally found it in one of my tote bags that used to go to work with me.
I cleaned out all my purses and totes yesterday, also found some See’s dark chocolate hearts that a co-worker gifted me at Valentines Day. Mmmmmm.
This morning I woke up with an odd craving for hot chocolate. I hardly ever like sweet things in the morning. I heated almond milk with some cocoa powder, sloshed in some strongly brewed Earl Gray tea, then added a dozen chocolate chips to the mug and gave it all a good stir. Heavenly.
And strangely enough, the mug I used had a tea-stained brown interior. After a good washing the mug is almost completely white again! Something about the acid in the cocoa maybe? I dunno, weird.
I think I’ll ignore my to do list for a while, take a very long walk in the sunshine, and muse upon the oddities of life.
Have a super Saturday, perfume peeps!
p.s. yes to swaps/splits, please! I think it would work so long as everyone is up front about their timeline for being ready to go to the post office, it might be longer for some of us.
Cleaning out your purse yields Assam of India and dark chocolate hearts?? Why does mine only ever cough up hair elastics and illegible receipts?
Lol! Same here… or I will find something I could have used months ago.
😂 This!
hahaha! usually I find lint and old grocery lists.
In some faded Tabac Blond plus various SSS samples on different parts of my arms—those samples conveniently arrived last week, just in time for me to take advantage of the 20% coupon.
I’ve been working a lot of hours (for which I am exceedingly grateful) so it’ll be a lazy weekend for me. Family Zoom tonight, a walk in a nearby botanical garden this afternoon with aunt (6” apart) and grandma (whom I live with).
Hope it was a fun walk — I can’t wait until the gardens near me open again!
It was beautiful! The rose garden was insane. There were some great rose names represented:
– Perfume Perfection (!)
– Vavoom
– Bewitched
– Betty Boop
The place is only a mile or two from my house and I so rarely take advantage. Need to change that!
Those really are great names! I would like to have a Betty Boop rose.
Sotd, tbd. Right now, I smell like chicken egg roll grease slightly lol.
I would love a swap or splitmeet.
I have been wanting to split scents like Black Vines, Lost Cherry, Heure d’Nuit, Mon Precieux Nectar for quite some time. Maybe one day it will happen.
My cat has become quite finicky and she has let me know that she will not eat seafood, even in the form of pate. Like her mom, she prefers land animals. So I will pick up an order to please her palate and probably will add some toys to the list. My cats do get bored and they let me know all about it lol.
Lately, I am craving more vintage perfumes..perhaps I want to go back in time a bit. Covid may inhibit where I can go physically but in my mind, I can go wherever I wish! Maybe I will visit the 20’s or 30’s via a Caron perfume:).
Black Vines instills a peculiar kind of panic in me, like I’m about to suffocate in licorice but at the same time sense that if I just stop struggling I’ll stay afloat and be alright. I love it and I hope it’s never, ever discontinued.
Our old lady cat has become very finicky and her palate has changed drastically. She is now rejecting her two mainstays, so it’s been a crapshoot. Very irritating. We just got an order of something new she seems to like, but I know cats. As soon as you buy a case of what they like, they reject it.
Ahahaha 🙃 Yup!!!
I am learning this too with my feline granddaughter. Trying to constantly mix things up.😹
That’s precisely what SmokeyToes does.
If you aren’t familiar with the Youtube video series, Henri Le Chat Noir is hilarious. Below is my favorite video, complete with feline snobbery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8jJuTYfa_E&list=UUKV9BaMeTZ1XkpTzvJl226Q&index=6
That is hysterical 😸
I dug into the perfume cabinet and came up with Shaal Nur, which is smelling just superbly lovely today. A fantastic balance of incense and florals, with a really distinct note of vetiver.
I’m going to take the rest of the afternoon off – maybe fix myself something yummy to eat and binge watch Star Trek Discovery.
Shaal Nur – I have been reading about this one lately. I’m not sure what put it on my radar – maybe a mention by Robin?
Is it sweet?
I don’t find it sweet at all. It’s distinctly herbal, and it has a fresh feeling to it. The florals lift it up, and even the vetiver is fairly airy. IIRC, it’s a bit similar to Passage D’Enfer in its spicy but light incense (not really sure, since I no longer have that bottle).
Thanks for the mini review
That sounds like a beautiful scent.
In Cèdre Sambac today. Always lovely.
Thank you to all who posted recommendations and coupon code for the SSS perfumes. I have never smelled any of them and am having a heck of a time trying to decide which ones to get and weather it’s wise to buy them unsniffed. I’ve been reading reviews on a few but still, no substitute for smelling them in real life.
What’s a perfumista to do? Based on my last unsniffed purchase, the answer would be *don’t do it*. And yet I’m tempted 😀
I would be up for swapping or splitting in May.
Hope your weekend is going smoothly!
Are they not selling sample sets?
Samples, sample sets and the 5ml travel sprays not included in the sale. Timeline a little too short to order samples, then get a bottle b with discount I think (ends 5/6).
I fortuitously got samples in last week and was very, very bad! But it’s all so good. Got 6 15ml bottles. Yikes. But supporting a small business, right?
What I got:
– Rose Volupte
– Insense Pure
– Tabac Aurea
– Jour Ensoleille
– Champagne de Bois
– Nostalgie
And some more samples…
Yowza!!! You did good!! You will be smelling amazing!!
They are but I’m just being greedy 😊
I haven’t decided on this morning’s perfume yet, it’s a dull windy day and I’m struggling to get off the couch. I can still smell last night’s Bal a Versailles, I got a miniature in a second hand shop last year. It looks quite old, but it also seems that the same packaging is being used again, so googling images to date it is very confusing.
I got no couch time today but am already suspecting that I will tomorrow
Sunny Saturday here, got out for a bike ride and noticed our local ice cream shop has opened for the season, yay! Wearing Mon Precieux Nectar.
yay for ice cream and Mon Precieux Nectar! Sounds like a great pairing to me:). Like a pistachio ice cream and MPN combo..yes please!
I am joining Omega in saying yay for ice cream!!!
Oh yes for ice cream. I even may have to pull out my ice cream maker. I botched a couple batches last year but think I have the raspberry ice recipe down now.
Glad you got out for a bike ride!
Hey again
I am thinking I may be falling for vetiver –better late than never? But not familar too much with vetiver rich scents…any suggestions for samples? I am thinking I need a vetiver blast!
Thanks guys!
I love Sycomore, Vetiver Tonka and Unsettled by Bruno Fazzalori
Oh wow thanks for the Bruno rec, had no idea about his bottle that commissioned by the Nevada Museum of Fine Art, I have been to that museum and love it. Very interesting piece and concept.
I second Vetiver Tonka and would add my personal favorite Arquiste Boutonniere no 7 (a gardenia vetiver), Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire, Guerlain Vetiver and Terre d’Hermes.
The classic is Guerlain Vetiver.
I can also recommend two from Chanel: Sycamore and 28 La Pausa. The latter is vetiver and iris.
I used to love Annick Goutal Vetiver but it has changed. Maybe worth trying, though.
FM Vetiver Extraordinaire gets praise, but I don’t think it lasts well.
I haven’t actually tried Heeley Vetiver Veritas because I already had a lot of great vetivers by the time it came out. Nonetheless, that’s a great brand and Vetiver Veritas should be worth sampling.
Encre Noire from Lalique, cheap and cheerful!
Guerlain Vetiver for sure. To my nose the vetiver note in Chanel 19 is also very prominent and a reason I love it so.
I’d love to purchase Vetiver Tonka, but can’t justify a purchase of 4 travel sprays, especially as I already own a few of the Hermessence ones.
I adore Phlur Greylocke which pairs Vetiver with apple and fir balsam.
Joining others in recommending Hermes Vetiver Tonka. Also, Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental.
Other than what’s already been mentioned, Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver is a nice, well-priced vetiver and Masque Milano Hemingway is a good one. Oh, and ELDO Fat Electrician is a really great vetiver! I’d put it in my top 5 vetivers.
How did I forget about Fat Electrician!?
Vetiver lover here! I’m seconding the Sycomore edt for straight up Vetiver. For scents that are Vetiver + other stuff, my favorites are la Pausa, No 19 edp and Ormonde Woman.
Gosh I never noticed vetiver in La Pausa but do love the scent
Thanks all for the recs:)
SOTD is Coriandre, and I alternate wearing it or Victoria’s Secret Pink as deodorant when I go on bike rides. I like, but do not love Coriandre, and have a bottle from an NST’er who hasn’t been around in a while. My kid gave me Pink, and while I find that it smells god-awful, it was a perfume present from my kid, so this is a tolerable way to wear it.
I’ve been getting up at 6:30 AM twice a week to go on long social distancing bike rides. I was just about to increase mileage from 20 to 22 today, but goofed with the map, and ended up doing closer to 25. Tuesday’s ride will be back down to 22. I feel very powerful and accomplished! About to clean off the coffee table.
I’d be up for a swapmeet!
Wow, good for you. That’s quite an accomplishment. I can barely get myself to do 20 minutes of yoga a few times a week.
I second Robin with the wow!!!
Bravo on the bike rides! I’m starting slow with only 12 miles first. Very out of shape!
SotD is L’âme perdue
I watched Isle of Dogs by Wes Anderson this evening. It was lovely. I love stop motion animation so much!
I also love traditional animation take Disney’s Sleeping Beauty…yes some of it is very outdated, but those background drawings still take my breath away, Eyvind Earle was a genius.
I really liked Isle of Dogs too.
I’m having a perfume-homework sort of weekend. Last night, in the course of digging out a long-lost sample, I was a bit appalled by the number of samples I have and how many I’d forgotten about. I wound up pulling several out of the maybe/maybe not box to re-try, so today thus far various parts of my arms have smelled like Bucoliques de Provence (filled me with meh; nothing to smell but that ubiquitous shrill, woody/vanillic aromachemical, whatever it is — wonder if my sample had turned?), Bois de Violette (intriguing, oddly gloomy), and Do Son (pretty, short lived, doesn’t grab me but warrants another spritz). Un Jardin Apres le Mousson and FM The Night are in the queue for later…
Ooh.. report back on The Night!
40 minutes in, and The Night still smells of pure, unadulterated goat dung. Maybe it’ll turn magical in another 40 minutes, but at this point it’s just too much oudy rankness for me. Are my Western tastes too unsophisticated? I like dirty, barnyardy, indolic notes in perfume, but I like them in a supporting role. I think The Night would be great layered under something like Musc Ravageur, but on its own to my nose it’s simply “stepped in something.”
😂 I vaguely remember trying it some time ago and not liking it a bit. I love your description.
Thanks! This sounds like it definitely isn’t for me.
Oh this cracked me up! Thanks for your colorful mini review.
Yesterday, people from my son’s school came and put a sign in my yard that says Graduating Senior Class of 2020. They also dropped off his cap and gown. There’s still no word on having an actual ceremony.
Sotd was Korres Lilac Iris Powder edt, then No.5 L’eau.
Maybe the ceremony will still take place later. You must be so proud of him. And you smell really good, I haven’t yet worn l’Eau.
I am so proud!
It was relatively warm yesterday, so L’eau was calling me 🌞
Oh that is nice about the sign even if it turns out there is no ceremony! But hope they will be able to do something.
It’s a small school, so I think they will come through with something nice.
That’s so nice!
It really is!
Lots of schools are doing virtual graduations in my area. Not exactly sure what that entails. We are closed until June and possibly into the Fall.
I hope fall semester is able to start on time.
I spent all day yesterday dropping off those signs and congratulating my school’s seniors! It was so fun, but wow – so many people (parents especially) really got emotional. It was so great to see the kids.
We have an August date tentatively booked for a physical graduation, and the district is putting together a virtual “senior celebration” for the end of May.
lillyjo, please congratulate your son for his hard work and yourself for helping him through it!
I will, thanks!
Congrats to your son.
This is one of the best/most moving pieces I’ve read since quarantine and applies to us all but high school and college graduates in particular. ♥️
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/listen-kids/610849/
oh, She-ra, that’s fantastic. I love this part:
“And we are grateful, because we need you.
We need the poets and philosophers, the scientists and artists, the engineers, historians, writers, and businesspeople.
Most of all we need the free thinkers, because now more than ever before, we need people who can look at the world in a rational way and make decisions based on facts and reason.”
My eyes are brimming with tears. Thank yo for sharing.
I cried too.
You are welcome…it really touched me too.
Thanks for this.
You are welcome.🤗
Congratulations to your son! My niece also received her sign.
Thanks, and congratulations to your niece!
lillyjo, congratulations to your son and to you and to everyone who helped him along the way.
My son chose not to attend his own high school graduation. My daughter went to hers, though I had to give her a gentle push to make that happen. We celebrated both milestones in happy ways.
I know you will do the same, whatever wherever however things play out in the coming months. Best wishes and hugs to you all.
My son said
Mom, I want people to see me graduate so they know that I’m smart.
Of course I told him we all know that he is smart. He’s worked very hard to overcome some of his challenges.
I have not yet cancelled his party for mid june, I’m hoping to do something with immediate family.
Congratulations to your son! I hope there can be some way for him to connect with his graduating class and feel the satisfaction he deserves at this milestone. I think the quarantine is hitting teenagers especially hard…
I’m approaching milk security with over 18 pounds of powdered milk from various sources on hand. I really could have used ONE of those 55-pound bags that I mistakenly ordered. Too bad I chickened out, darnit!
18 lbs?? That sounds like quite a lot.
I drink a lot of milk! For me, powdered milk is easier to store and use, but it’s never available these days when I order grocery delivery. Therefore, I have a deep sense of milk insecurity.
Right, new covid term: milk insecurity. I don’t mean to mock you, Nozkoz but this raised a smile.
I live very close to a dairy farm where I can still buy cheese and milk. I’m so glad of that, I love me some dairy.
Near a dairy farm is a great place to live now!
There isn’t an actual shortage of milk here (in fact, I’ve heard of dumping), but I think powdered milk production capacity must be limited because it wasn’t very popular before.
Having just attained some measure of flour security, I can relate to the reassurance of your powdered milk supply! Though I was secretly sort of hoping for amusing updates about how you were getting through multiple 55-pound bags, I must admit.
Profumum Roma Ambre Aurea today while spending the day outdoors!
My magnolia tree is in bloom and the front yard smells so wonderful.
I think that a split-meet is a terrific idea. We will all take proper precautions. It would be a nice treat.
I would love a split meet also
Heading out now for my two mile walk and trying to talk myself out of going to the supermarket for those Oreos today.
Flowerbomb on my neck, Iris Nobile EDT on my wrists ( four sprays each otherwise I can’t smell it).
Get the Oreos!
Ahahaha! Guess what?
I
DID 😈😈😈
Along with a pecan pie!
Oh lordy, I am so bad.
And the tiramisu are so good!!! Definitely worth it and glad that I got them.
I’m going to get them next time I go out!
Scooped up some carrot cake Oreos at the drugstore the other day, so we’ll see how that works out. No doubt I will be able to choke them down even if they were a so-so choice.
Report back
If they are good I will hunt them down 😁
A local winery recently offered a free batch of homemade “oreos” — they looked like amazing little chocolate whoopie pies — and I wanted them so bad I almost talked myself into buying $150 worth of posh wine just so that I could eat them.
I pulled myself together, thankfully.
Good for you! I am weak when it comes to sweets.
Sunny but cool. Wearing a mixed berry body lotion with Mure et Musc Extreme on top.
Baked chocolate cupcakes and will now mix some bread dough for a loaf to take to my mom tomorrow. I haven’t seen her in 6 weeks, but need to get some healthcare supplies to her. The older people struggle as they can’t go to three or four places looking for things and my brother is a dentist (who has been working constantly as so many dentists shut their practices), so though he lives very close to her, he can be of no help.
I love Mure et Musc, I have the old vat-sized vintage spray – I need to wear this more often.
The body oil is also wonderful.
It’s great you’re able to help your mother, Amytis!
I like your idea of Mure et Musc with a berry lotion! I have some raspberry body oil from Korres, I will have to try this combo.
It’s me again. I didn’t end up wearing Deneuve yesterday but wore PHI Une Rose de Kandahar and that is what I am wearing this morning. Last night, I listened to thunderstorms and bard owls. Today, one of my dogs saw a a deer in the yard. She stood her ground in the yard and bayed at it and the deer took off. I have no idea if we are going to a relative’s house or not today. If we do, I hope we don’t hang around too long. I am not game for sorting through more of my grandmother’s belongings. We did a lot of that the day of the funeral. I think today might be a day for Chanel no 19 edt.
Good luck, Dawn! I would love to hear owls and a thunderstorm. We’ve been having a lot of rain, but storms have passed us by.
I wore Wood Sage and Sea Salt yesterday to deliver signs to seniors. I’m not wearing anything yet today, but I’m feeling tuberose-y, so I’ll see where that goes.
I think it’s wonderful that you are delivering signs to seniors 😊
And you smell amazing 😍
I too felt tuberose-y and ended up in Carnal Flower (again).
Happy Sunday to you!
Replica Beach Walk, with a light spritz of plumeria floral mist on top. (I think the floral mist has lost its oomph…oh well). I like the saltiness of this scent. It’s one if those I wasn’t too sure about but got a compliment on the subway after spraying it on in Sephora some years back. And my husband noted it too. So..I recently had one of those moments where I felt the urge to just buy something, so I picked this travel spray up on a whim.
Over 9 hours sleep last night. Combination of poor sleep the night before with early rising for a two-hour Zoom thing. Then a long walk in the sun. We elected to take the tram to Roosevelt Island here in NYC, figuring it’d be fewer people over there. It wasn’t too bad people-wise and we had the pleasure of running into some old friends who live over there. So we got to have a long chat. Win-win!
Oh, and Happy World Laughter Day everyone. Hopefully you can find something to make you laugh..or at least smile. (Photo is from Bing cover page today)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_uyMz9JRe1/?igshid=1syys0hxez6za
😹👍
Cuuuute! 😂
Enabler pin for you and pl67 and lillyjo because I bought those Tiramisu Oreos.
🥂🥇
Oh yay – let us know what you think!
They are so good!!! My son has already confiscated them.
Happy Sunday! Cartier Les Heures IV Fougueuse today.
Yes, please, swap and/or splitmeet for May or June or anytime!
Happy Sunday to you!
Thanks – I am enjoying it!
Happy Sunday, D! So happy for a lovely morning and early afternoon here.
Thought I responded to this yesterday but I guess not. It was a lovely day, wasn’t it!
Sprayed myself with nuclear levels (trademark johanob) of Aromatics Elixir since my hubby went out golfing early this morning. I have the house to MYSELF!
Going to make a new-to-me recipe of lemony lentils with toasted quinoa and almonds as a topper. I think it will probably end up being somewhere between a soup and a stew. Here’s to pantry cooking!
You smell marvelous!
Thank you! I like pulling out the big ones when I can spray with abandon😁
It seems like quite a few of my dishes end up being somewhere between a soup and a stew. I love the one pot dish concept; and many contain a combination of lentils, beans, quinoa, barley, rice. You get the idea 😊
Yes, one pot is the best!
SOTD is Bond’s Eau de NY, glorious green verbena, gardenia, vetiver, lily perfume.
On my third cup of coffee.
Breakfast bake (eggs, sausage, potatoes, onions, and cheese) & lunches done for the week. Mr SmokeyToes made killer refried beans and Spanish Rice last night.
All of this sounds so good!
A question to my fellow Canadians: is perfume now a Dangerous Good even for domestic parcels? I was in a post office a couple of weeks ago to send some books to an aunt who’d run out of reading material, and the clerk quizzed me about both perfume and hand sanitizer.
My post office has been asking for about 6 months, maybe longer.
Oh wow. I am super curious to know the answer to this as obviously it affects our ability to swap and split!!!!
I finished off a decant of Mohur Extrait this morning after wearing it all day yesterday too. I think I have another small decant somewhere, so I’ll have to dig it out soon. This perfume is so beautiful, but I don’t know that I’ll pay $445 for a bottle. 😦
I am taking tomorrow off work for my mental health. I’m very grateful to still have my job, but work has been beyond stressful. I’ve also had a hard time with the now lack of divide between work and home life. My living room, where I spend 95% of my non-sleep time at home is also where I work now. So after I sign off for the day, I will still think about work conversations that were had in basically the same place. Anyway, on Friday I arranged to take Monday off. If the weather is decent, I may drive somewhere to sit and read. I need to get out of my neighborhood a little.
Since I didn’t get around to commenting on Friday, I wore Ava Luxe Neroli Blossom and then Dilettante in the evening. I think what really sent me down the rabbit hole was my mom’s souvenir orange blossom perfume from a trip to Florida when I was 4 years old. She had that bottle for years because she wore perfume sparingly, not even every day, but had many bottles. So I would smell the cap, spray it sometimes, and just admire the bottle too. All through elementary, middle, and high school I loved scent and perfume. And college, of course. I started to work at a department store so had access to discounted perfume. I don’t remember for what exactly, but I started eBay hunting and know for sure I started searching for that orange blossom perfume from Florida on there. Eventually found MakeUpAlley and was turned on to the Ava Luxe brand. When I smelled their Neroli Blossom for the first time, that was it. That was the orange blossom perfume I remembered. I’ve since found a greater ob love in Dilettante, but it was such a revelation when I first started wearing Neroli Blossom.
Lovely story on the orange blossom. Thanks for sharing that.
Hope you are able to decompress. That separation between work and home is difficult. The change in venue is important. Maybe you could try taking a walk or a drive every day to replicate a commute. Just time to create that separation, even if for only 15 minutes.
Thanks, LizzieB. I do need to start taking a walk every day after work. I was doing really good with it for a while but then the weather wasn’t cooperating and I kind of sunk into a stress spiral and stayed inside. Part of the problem at work is that my work is centered around changes that affect the whole company, and I’m working with all these managers that think only about the changes that affect their line of business/department. Everyone is working in silos right now, so there’s no oversight of all the changes we’re making employees deal with. And I have to roll them all out, so last week all these things were hitting me at once. I think, hopefully, the worst is behind me now. My manager is committed to changing the way things have been happening.
Sorry, clearly I still needed to vent!
I get all of that! My office is now in a corner of our living room also. Yes to making a separation between work and home, yes to not letting work taking over our entire lives and yes to taking time for yourself. Hugs!
Love this rec for some separation for space between work and home life!
Random PSA. Sometime back I included a link to a company that sells paint-by-numbers kits. I bought one close to 7 weeks ago. I was charged and never received the item…just a shipping confirm. I finally disputed the charge because they never responded to my queries for an update. I’m now extremely careful on things I order, including on Amazon. I look at shipper location first before anything.
Ugh, sorry you had to deal with that. I’m glad you were able to dispute the charge.
Yes. I was concerned someone might remember me commenting on it and go back and find that link.
Also, I’m planning to sign up for this Thursday online class through the Brooklyn Brainery: https://brooklynbrainery.com/courses/animal-extracts-and-floral-flavors-online-class
Maybe others here will be interested too…
I’m going to join you! This sounds interesting and entertaining.
Another nice day today, had a good long walk with the dog in the park. Bothersome police presence, but it is what it is.
Wearing Chambre Noire with a bit of Bottega Veneta.
Today I wish I had a pup to wander with me. Glad you had a good long walk.
Good to hear you are having a nice day. In what way is the police bothersome? Just their presence or are they bothering you?
They play loud recorded messages about a $1,000 fine for not respecting 2 metre social distancing.
SotD = En Passant
Love this scent, makes me imagine L’Heure Bleue and Apres L’Ondee had a sister. And she is reminding me to get outside in the spring sunshine. Heading out for a walk now.
Thank you NST friends for the inspiration to live fragrantly.
Hope you had a good walk! We did a few miles in a local nature preserve, it was lovely.
My weekend is nearly over, spent the day in Bois d’Ascese from a lovely NST’er. It’s good.
I’m still working my way through some Hermès samples. Jour d’Hermes today. I’m getting more of the citrus today than I have before. Usually it’s a white floral with lots of gardenia on me, but today that’s more in the background, so it’s really nice!
Made a strawberry cake and dog biscuits today. Both were a hit, and the biscuits used up another ripe banana. I’m slowly whittling down my supply. Maybe one more loaf of banana bread, and then I’ll have to freeze the rest. 🍌
Fascinating day, right? 😁
Nice weekend is coming to a close. Tonight’s Scent for bedtime is vintage Emeraude. Not an exact dupe but very close to Shalimar.