It's the weekend, and we're repeating (with slight variations) a poll we did last year around this time. As always, answer as few or as many as you like, or just talk about something else.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
2. What's your favorite holiday (any holiday) food, OR, what's the best thing you cooked in 2020? (Feel free to share or link to a recipe!)
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2020, and if so, did you stick to them?
4. Possibly related to #3, what's the next fragrance you are itching to buy?
5. Share something wonderful with us! It can be anything — something delicious you ate, a great movie you saw recently, the last good book you read, any fabulous news you recently received — really, anything.
6. We usually hold a freebiemeet in mid-January, but I'm thinking that this year we might be better off postponing until the spring, given the state of the pandemic? Do vote yay or nay for postponing.
Note: top image is Pomegranate in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market. Israel [cropped] by Ralf Steinberger at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. Wearing Oha at the moment. I was looking over my bottles and this one just spoke to me. It’s one of the perfumes that never feels wrong.
2. My favorite holiday food is the stollen that I nearly always make at Christmas.
3. I didn’t make any perfume (or other) resolutions. I made one New Year’s resolution many years ago that I have kept faithfully ever since. I resolved not to make any more New Year’s resolutions.
4. Maybe a FB of Violet Ambrosia, and possibly Wild Roses as well.
5. Ironically, in the midst of a pandemic, I have been at my healthiest this year. It has been over a year since I had any kind of respiratory infection, and that is a very long time for me. Last year was a series of almost non-stop respiratory issues and I just could not get healthy. I credit much of the improvement to getting to work from home for about 6 weeks back in March and April. I used to say half-jokingly that what I needed to get well was a chance to just get away from other people and their germs for about a month, but I couldn’t take a month off all at once. Well, I got a chance to do pretty much that, and it worked.
6. I vote to go ahead with the freebiemeet. I have been collecting scents I don’t and won’t wear to give away, so I will probably post some things whether there is an “official” freebiemeet or not.
*knocks on wood* I have not been sick this year yet, either. Just allergies. *knocks on wood
Maybe it’s because I stay home more often nowadays? That and my Vitamin C every day.
I started taking Vitamin D back around March or so. There was some speculation that it might help prevent COVID. I don’t know if it is actually helping, but it isn’t hurting.
What I have found is that now I seem to have a properly functioning immune system. It is easy to say that the reason I didn’t get sick in March or April was because I wasn’t around people much, but I have been back to going in to work every day M-F since May, and still I haven’t gotten sick. Masks probably help, as well as social distancing, but there have been several times I felt that all-too-familiar feeling in the back of my throat that usually signals the start of several weeks of misery, but every time it has gone away without developing into anything.
Me too, I get those itchies in the back of my throat when I wake up in the morning, and sometimes my ears will start to ache, but then it usually goes away at some point. I figure it’s my immune system being the bada$$ it’s supposed to be. I have also been adding blueberries to my oatmeal that i eat 4 or 5 times a week; I heard those are packed with good stuff, too.
Yeah, I figure I’m finally learning how an immune system is supposed to work. I’m not actually supposed to pick up every single bug that goes around.
Last year was awful for me; I had no fewer than six respiratory infections. I don’t know whether they were colds, flu, or something else. I just know that I was sick continuously from early February to mid-April with three back-to-back-to-back infections, then was sick again in June, August, and November. During all that, I twice developed laryngitis to the point that I could not speak at all above a whisper. The episode in the spring lasted a month. The last sickness (in November) was strange–in some ways it was less severe than the others, but it lingered forever. I had a persistent cough that didn’t resolve until February of this year. I am just so glad not to be sick.
I read that pharmacies in my country actually did very badly of flu and cold medicines this year. It stands to reason because the precautions we are taking against covid protect against other viruses too – all the sanitizing, face masks, distancing etc. I’m sure pharmacies did very well on supplements and other items.
Yay for being healthy! We have been schooling/working remote and no colds, etc. since before March.
I’ve worked from home since March, I think the reduced stress not being around toxic coworkers has helped my immune system immensely.
#5 Hooray. Come to think of it, same here with no colds, etc. knock on wood. As much as I’ve tried to socially distance while commuting (had been doing so for many years even before it became a thing), people are germy. I have been working from home since March 16th sohave not had the commute; however, I have not been a hermit either and when I’m out and about, I try to pay attention to my personal space plus and go out of my way to avoid people who either don’t know how to wear a mask, shop in groups, talking or people who already look frail (which really means someone else ought to be doing the shopping for them).
i think it also helps that there are not as many smokers at my job since before quarantine started. Those were the ones that would stand outside in the back employees only entrance and leave the door open while they smoked. You could smell it all the way in the kitchen, sometimes in the front of the dining room, especially with so many of them. I kept bugging them to close the door when they went out. Also half of our (smoking) staff left after we re-opened (which is SO fine by me), so that helps a lot, too. Smokers really don’t get how harmful second hand is to us non-smokers; it really screws with one’s IS.
I think they know, they just don’t care.
I haven’t had a cold in a year, either, and it is really wonderful. I am a middle school teacher with an abnormal immune system. I’ve had more than one doctor suggest maybe my chosen career is not the best for my given biology. . . I do love my students and my work, though, and it’s been lovely to not get sick for so long! (Trying not to think how the first year back will be when we’re all mingling again.)
So sorry for your loss of family this year. This has been such a cruel year, especially given families not able to mourn a loss.
Huzzah for not getting any colds!
Happy Weekend!
Busy busy busy time at work these past few weeks!
Sotd! PG Naiviris,sent to me by a generous NSTer during our last freebiemeet!I am in love with it!Powdery woody iris with a slight chypre twist in the top.LOVELOVE.
2.) Favorite holiday food will always be the “standards” my Mom and Grandmother prepared during birthdays and holidays,the garlicky leg of lamb,”soetkoekies”(almost like shortbread,but with cloves!!),syrupy Lamingtons and milk tart,sweet potatoes with gingerbread,marshmallows and honey.YUM.
3.)Perfume resolution for 2020 was to use what I have and not buy anything.So far so good!I might spoil myself with something during December though.
4.)Tom Ford Lost Cherry is high on my wishlist!
5.)Something wonderful:yes,the freebiemeet goodies finally arrived yesterday!I was so happy!It was gathering dust at the post office since Nov 9th,only got the notification slip yesterday!Filled with wonderful things to test!
6.)Yay for postponing,the world is in too much chaos right now,and I doubt it will be much better by January…
Have a safe and happy weekend guys and girls!
XO
Lost Cherry has been on my wishlist for a couple yrs lol..one day I shall get a travel size or something lol.
I hope to see a travel version over here as well!
Ideally,if and when I buy perfume again,I don’t want or need more than 30mls,or 50mls max!
Hello Johano!, so glad your package was delivered!
HiHi Lillyjo!Me too!??
Happy weekend bello
Ciao bella!
How’s NY doing?
XO
NYC is a warm sunny day, I am in a beautiful big hat. This weather is abnormal for December
Those cookies look so good —
http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za/old-soetkoekie-recipe/
Yay,you found an almost exact recipe!They are SERIOUSLY good,and very fragrant.Thank you for the link Robin!?
Oh, those do look good!
1. SOTD – Spirito Florentino by Tiziana Terenzi
2. My favorite holiday has ALWAYS been Christmas. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
3. I didn’t make any resolutions for perfumes in 2020. I feel if anyone did and didn’t stick to it, they get a pass. 2020 was just the worst.
4. I will probably look onto more scents from the perfumed Tiziana Terenzi. Their perfumes are amazing!
5. Honestly, I’m just glad 2020 is almost over. I’ve lost some family members this year and I’m looking forward to better times ahead.
6. Postponing the freebie meet might be a good idea right now.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend!?
Neimans in Vegas has a wealth of info on this brand and are happy to fill you in and discuss TT. Not affiliated, they are just very knowledgeable and helpful regarding this brand:).
I was just in Vegas late October and stayed at The Encore….not too far from Neiman’s. The next time I go back, I will definitely check that out. Thanks Omega!
Ooh the Encore/Wynn is very nice! I am guessing you have been to Fashion Show where Neimans is? Then there are the Plaza Shops at the Wynn with the Le Labo and Diptyque shops:). And Chanel, Dior, Hermes at the Wynn as well. Lots of places to sniff!:).
I am sorry for your losses, Scent.
Thank you GateGirl. The horrible part is that all my relatives live in Louisiana, and they weren’t allowing funerals. So, I couldn’t even go down there to pay my respects. It breaks my heart.
Oh, that’s so hard. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Oh I am so sorry. So hard.
That’s terrible. I actually winced a bit in sympathy as I read that.
Sorry to hear of the passing of family. What a dreadful year it has been.
**I love Tiziana Terenzi’s Laudano Nero–my top pick on my wish list these days.
Thank you Oakland Fresca. I appreciate it.
I obviously have been sleeping on this line of fragrance. The one that I am wearing smells JUST LIKE Baccarat Rouge but a tad bit more on the feminine side. I’m just crazy about this scent! So in love with it!
So sorry to hear that you lost family members this year. That has to have made mourning even more difficult. Hugs.
1) SOTD is amber paste from Whole Foods?. Warm and cozy, just the teeniest tiniest dab goes a long way.
2) I have two, like 50 Roses, marzipan stollen is one although I don’t make it myself. And corn pudding on Christmas Day. A dish my grandma made, very unhealthy with butter and cream, but oh so delicious. Once a year isn’t going to kill me.
3) No perfume resolutions, or resolutions in the usual sense. I like to try and do something positive for myself. So instead of beating myself up and resolving to diet, I tell myself I’ll get a massage once a month.
4) I’m going to try and track down a couple of vintage Guerlain scents, Kadine is one.
5) I got a holiday card and a long letter from a dear friend in the Netherlands. He’s been out of sorts for awhile but is now feeling better. It was wonderful to get an actual letter. It put me in a very good mood for days, and showed me once again to be grateful for the simply things.
A monthly massage sounds like a good resolution! And hand written letters are treasures.
Agree about the letters!
I love the letters I got when I was doing my little scented letter project…wish it continued!
I cannot imagine this pandemic without facetime, but I miss letters too. I talk to my sister almost every day, really sometimes more than once, but I never knew as much about her life as I did the years she was in the peace corps in Jordan and had no way to communicate other than letters.
That said, I hate writing letters.
And I’m just the opposite and a little old school. I love sending letters and cards. That has been one form of therapy for me during this pandemic! I always spray a bit of perfume on it. When the person receives it, they always say its just like me being there. Lol! That’s a bit comforting for both me and the receiver of the letter.
I love this! I used to be very much a letter-writer, but now it is holidays and maybe a birthday. I miss receiving them, and I think it’s really special to get one! I am enjoying the arrival of Christmas cards especially this year!
SOTD: Black Cashmere, love it so much.
Best cooking? Making delicious soups this year out of whatever I could find. Honestly, sometimes I thought I’d have to use dryer lint and old twist ties but my pantry & freezer always came through.
No resolutions, no purchase cravings.
Best recent movie: The Lusty Men (terrible title) about the old time rodeo circuit. Very realistic, w/Robert Mitchum & Susan Hayward.
My state is one that’s “on fire” and my vote is to postpone the freebie meet.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone ?
One more good thing, my husband is cooking New Orleans shrimp & grits right now. He even makes his own shrimp stock and it smells wonderful ?
Soup! At my house that’s the answer to “what’s for dinner?” for most of December and January. 🙂
Your comment about dryer lint and twist ties reminded me of the folk tale about Stone Soup.
you smell great!
1) Can’t quite decide today, although I am leaning toward Neandertal Dark, or it might be Nectarine Blossom and Honey, not sure which yet.
2) Best thing I cooked. I’m a simple gal. Frozen salmon cooked in the toaster oven with a sprinkling of Goya and instant mashed potatoes. Comfort food, right there.
3) No perfume related resolutions for me. Just to try to post more, I guess?
4) i don’t really have my eye on anything specific right now, just enjoying the little collection that I have already amassed so far.
5) Something wonderful – I’m still working, and bringing home my own paycheck? I guess these days that could be considered pretty wonderful.
6) Whatever everyone else wants to do is fine with me.
(sorry for the gloom-ish-ness of this post, I have been steadily pulling myself out of doldrums this week, getting better) 🙂
Still working and bringing home a paycheck is pretty wonderful. No need to apologize for the doldrums; I’m sure a lot of us have them (myself included).
I’m glad your doldrums are diminishing, you are definitely not alone ❤️
I was also in the doldrums this week. Hugs to you!
Big hugs and I am grateful for my job and paychecks too.
GateGirl, a sprinkling of what Goya product?
Frozen salmon in the toaster oven is one of my go-to dinners when my husband is out, because he hates salmon and I love it.
“Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning con pimienta”. I give the fish a good liberal coating before I bake it and it’s really quite good. That and some lemon juice.
And of course, my wine. My very favorite red wine. Perhaps the best comfort food of all. 😉
Good idea about the adobo seasoning. I usually think of adobo as more appropriate for pork but I will try it on fish. I’m in a paprika-cumin rut.
Thank you!
Oh, and should have shared my usual salmon spice mix…it’s from a restaurant I used to eat at frequently. I cut the sugar a bit and am usually too lazy to make the mustard sauce, and I bake…so really the only part of the recipe I use is the spice mix.
Barbecued Sugar-Spiced Salmon with Mustard Sauce
Scroll down here:
http://newfinmysoup.blogspot.com/2009/09/closing-day-at-del-mar-and-pacifica-del.html
Your post didn’t sound gloomy to me, just pragmatic. I bet a lot of us here have dealt with the doldrums lately.
1) idk yet but feeling like a Chanel..No 5 in particular.
2) My favorite holiday is the 4th of July by far:)
3) I didn’t make any resolutions but didn’t buy much as I am having to budget more. 2 bottles and a splitmeet for the year, not bad.
4) Well, I would love the ever elusive L’Heure de Nuit, it’s hardly ever on sale and when it is, it’s not in the budget lol. Would also like Lost Cherry..but idk that lasting power is meh..Bitter Peach is worse it seems? Aroma M Geisha Noire has been on the wishlist forever too.
5) I got some furniture from someone who was moving, so that was very nice. Also in a bin was some dvds and a book of Poe’s complete works, so at some point, will read some lol.
6) I vote nay on postponing any meets
Geisha Noir has been on my wishlist since it cost $40. I keep watching the price go up and still haven’t bought it ?♀️
Right? Wow, it was 40 bucks? I remember when it was 65 and wish I got it then:(.
1. SOTD is the remains of Indigo Vanilla
2.My favorite holuday food is my Dad’s stuffing on Thanksgiving. Best thing I’ve cooked was the turkey breast in mole sauce made in a slow cooker
3. Perfume resolution is to eventually sample all the samples in my posession and so I must sample more than I acquire. I am ahead by about 80 samples
4. I’d kind of like a travel spray of Moth and some Hot Masala
5.Something wonderful is the 3 month long vacation in Hawaii, staying in a studio less than 2 blocks from Waikiki beach
6.Doesn’t matter to me when the freebiemeet is since I’ll be away from most of my perfumes but probably better for others to postpone it
Moth is so good! I almost wore it today. This is probably old news but I went to the Zoologist website today and they are closed till January because they’re short staffed.
Not old news to me! Glad you mentioned this.
I like your resolution. I need to do this, too!
Oh! Turkey in mole sauce sounds wonderful – what a great idea!
Sometimes, when my samples just get so out of hand, I start to sample like half a dozen at a time. A dab on each finger on my left hand, or whatever, and then I can at least say, “yes this one needs more time, absolutely no to that one.” It feels like cheating, like I’m not giving them a proper chance, but without doing this, sampling starts to feel like an endless chore instead of a fun hobby.
I really have a hard time sampling more than 4. More than that and the scents overlap for me too much
Hapoy weekend and whoa, Christmas is fast aproaching, isn’t it?
1. SOTD is April Aromatics Vanillicious. This is a chewier, darker and more resinous bourbon vanilla. Yum!
2. Gingerbread woth rose marmelade.
3. I did not
4. Ormaie L’Ivree Bleue
5. I’m only working til end of next week and the rest of December is holidays.
6. Might be better to postpone. Or hold normally and let people send later.
Rose marmalade, yum!
Yes!
I made some rose jam a year or so after Kevin posted a recipe here. Had never had it before then, but it’s really yummy, and it made fun, surprising gifts!
That description of Vanillicious sounds great and I may have to get a sample…have not tried anything from this house yet but I have been researching on Fragrantica. 😉
I have it so don’t get a sample ?. It is really good!
It’s a beautiful natural scent
I have never had gingerbread with rose marmalade but now I want some!
Highly recommended. Just mind I’m talking about gingerbread cake layered with marmelade, not about the cookies ?
Oh, I assumed that!
I am taking this coming Monday off, then Wednesday and Thursday off for the next two weeks — too much to do because I volunteered me and 2 colleagues to work through stuff this guy in the U.K. claimed to not have time to do EVENTHOUGH he said he will be done by yearend and then said he won’t be done until February – really? Technically, I can take the next 3 weeks off and still have 7 days to carry over to 2021.
I too have so many holiday days still available.
I love the photo – pomegranates are on my list of favorite fruits.
1. I’m wearing Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac, and smelling marvelous. It’s a beautiful, spicy vanilla.
2. Best thing by far is the last Bo Ssam I made back before lockdown, and shared with friends around my dining table.
3. No resolutions for me. I tend to cogitate about the things I’d like to see happen, or do, and then allow that to sort of sink into my consciousness. I don’t set too many hard and fast rules for myself, though.
4. I’m more interested in finding bottles or decants of old favorites that aren’t readily available: Bois de Paradis, Theorema, Botrytis, Black Cashmere, etc.
5. I’ve been reading a book about Dorothea Tanning, a favorite artist of mine. I do like reading about the personal circumstances of artists, but when it comes down to it, what I like best is looking at the beautiful pictures of the art.
6. I’m okay with either choice; let’s go with the majority preferences of those who feel strongly about it. Up sides and down sides to both.
Report back if you find Botrytis.
I love pomegranates too, but at first I thought those were strange red donuts. I guess I need one or the other today. 🙂
What do you see, tiffanie? “I see red donuts.” What do you see now? “White donuts.” And now? “Blue donuts.” I think a trip to Krispy Kreme is in order……
om nom nom, yes please! 😀
Especially funny because I tried really hard this morning to find a wonderful, free-use image of sufganiyot doughnuts seeing as it’s Hanukkah. None of them were quite right, but obviously I managed to transmit the idea anyway ???
ha! that’s fun.
mmmm, sufganiyot are delicious 😀
At first, I thought those pomegranates were partially peeled blood oranges.
Absolute Aphrodisiac is a gem!
I’ll be looking in the perfumes. I might have a wish of yours.
Ooh, seriously? Swap!
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
I’m in the remnants of Le Lion from last night.
2. the best thing you cooked in 2020?
I made this brussel sprouts labneh recipe for Thanksgiving and it was amaaazing.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021587-brussels-sprouts-with-pickled-shallots-and-labneh
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2020, and if so, did you stick to them?
I didn’t have any other than to buy more of what I like cuz life is short
4. Possibly related to #3, what’s the next fragrance you are itching to buy?
Not buy but I do want to sample more from Les Indemonables
5. Share something wonderful with us!
If you like food or cooking Samin Nosrat’s Netflix series was pretty awesome
6. We usually hold a freebiemeet in mid-January, but I’m thinking that this year we might be better off postponing until the spring, given the state of the pandemic?
I’m happy with either option
I like your resolution, and I’m waiting for some Les Indemonables (gosh, that’s a mouthful) samples to come in, acquisition of which was inspired by comments here (so probably yours!)
Yes from the comments here and Persolaise’s gushing review
https://www.luckyscent.com/product/833009/discovery-set-by-une-nuit-nomade
I ordered this set and am really enjoying them so far…not sure on any FBs yet but a good house…not a poser house. 😉 ehaeheh somehow I have begun to use poser house for niche houses that have sprung up in the past 10 years that rely on aroma chemicals and overcharge.
Totally agree about poser niche – that should be the official nomenclature for them!
I bought Une Nuit Nomade blind and love it love love it.
Oh yeah it was Ambre Kadjar. love it
Yes, that is a excellent house and I am enjoying working my way through the samples.
Sorry I linked to the wrong set…the Les Indemodables is still out of stock on Luckyscent…I bought both sets and have muddled them in my head. The right link is below. It was OOS a couple months ago and I did the email when available link and bought it when it came back.
https://www.luckyscent.com/product/827004/les-indemodables-discovery-set-by-les-indemodables
Thanks! I got a sample of Musc de Sables from Indigo and may go that route for the rest
1. Sampling today. Or will be, whenever I find the little packet of Luckyscent samples I received recently…
2. Favorite holiday food: cookies! Will start making those tomorrow. I got myself some new cookie stamps and a shortbread pan so gotta try those out soonest.
3. Resolutions. Foo. Yes last year I resolved to do a ‘low buy’ year for perfume, which lasted all of one month. Eh.
4. No buy-itches at the moment but ask me again tomorrow 🙂
5. Wonderful! I posted this late yesterday… reposting today in case folks missed it: https://twitter.com/DanRather/status/1336676556492533762
6. I vote for holding the freebiemeet (who doesn’t need some fun these days???) but like 50_Roses, I’ve got stuff that needs a new home; I’ll post things myself if we don’t do an official thing.
“Buy-itch”! Great term. I’ll be stealing that!
I reposted your link too! 😀 I’m reading “up” the comments and didn’t see you had put it here until now. Hope you don’t mind, and want you to know that music and those people were exactly what I needed last night.
How could I mind? 🙂 It was just the thing I needed, too.
Ha! My number 3 was the same as yours. Epic fail!
So wonderful!
and if anyone wants more of the flash mob symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg
and below that you will find the link to the covid version, which is also lovely
Actually covid one made me cry.
Non-covid made me cry, too! I miss doing things with other people. So beautiful! 🙂
I cried watching your link yesterday, pixel. Something about it was incredibly cathartic.
Well, I keep accidentally exiting so I won’t go through typing all my answers a third time. I will say that I am wearing POTL Luctor et Emergo and I’m not looking to buy anything for a while, but not sorry that I went over my budget a bit this year.
And I’m in favor of a freebiemeet or any ‘meet’ any time because: fun. The infectious disease docs where I work (Univ of Washington Medicine) are not concerned about catching COVID via packages, etc. HOWEVER, I totally understand if people are worried or don’t feel like it. Just wanted to add my vote!
My alma mater! Haven’t been back to Seattle in 20 years, though. Was supposed to have a brief visit on way back from an Alaskan cruise this summer, but of course that got nixed.
Oh, darn. C’mon back and visit (sometime soon, we hope).
Just to clarify, I would not worry about catching covid from a package either. Having to go into a post office is more what I was worrying about…
Oh, I see. I get that concern, but either way is okay for me. (My P.O. is generally quiet so I’m in and out quickly in mask, eye protection and sanitizer.)
1) I’m wearing Arielle Shoshana’s Sunday. I have the travel spray and it has such a nice label that I have no idea how much is left. It seems I’ve been wearing it at least once a week since June.
2) Stuffing!!!
3) In July I resolved to try to buy no perfume for a year. So far, so good. (Although it may be cheating to have hinted heavily to my husband about nice Christmas presents that spritz…)
4) What I’ve noticed during my no-buy is that my collection contains no tuberose (must remedy eventually) and not nearly enough incense. I also have no amber scents, which surprises me because I love it as a note.
5) We managed to successfully find better jobs and buy a gorgeous, perfect house long-distance during a pandemic. We then sold our old house in one day for wayyyyy more than we expected. Our families are healthy, and there is fresh air and sunshine and trees and pets. These are all pretty wonderful.
6) No real opinion on the freebiemeet.
I thought the picture was of donuts! And I just realized that I don’t think I’ve had a donut all year. ?
I also thought the picture was of donuts until I read Robin’s reference! Of COURSE I would see donuts!
Congrats on the properties!???
ha! I saw donuts too. I want one right now! 😛
I am envious of your number 5. It is going to take us a loooong time to unload our condo in Montreal and buy a house in BC. No one wants to live in a second floor condo in a pandemic.
Your number 5 is amazing!!
Congratulations on #5!
Big congrats on your #5!
SotD = E & J Nirvana Amethyst
1. Last night I dug deep into the perfume cupboard looking for E & J scents. I found rollerballs of Black, Amethyst, and Bourbon, am still looking for French Grey. I’m sure I have a sample I made at Sephora in the before-times.
2. Favorite holiday food: pumpkin pie and any kind of gingery or spiced cookie, cake, or bread. My birthday is in early October, so I give myself a free pass to eat pumpkin pie throughout the last three months of every year. Sometimes I bake a Libby’s pumpkin pie with half the sugar, without a crust, and call it pumpkin custard. Healthy, right?
3. 2020 perfume goals: organize the perfume cupbard, re-home decants and samples I’ve tested before they evaporate, and stop buying so much. 🙂 All three goals met. Instead of shopping I gifted care packages of perfume decants and samples to local friends I know will appreciate them. I bought just 1 FB and a handful of samples this year. I will have to re-reorganise everything, I’ve been rummaging a lot lately.
4. Wishing for FBs of Tam Dao, laddm, and Avignon. I sound like a broken record.
5. Something wonderful, in case you missed it, I had to re-share pixel’s link from yesterday’s sotd post:
https://twitter.com/DanRather/status/1336676556492533762
“Thy magic binds again
What custom strictly divided”
It was a relief and a release to hear that music and see people gathering as they used to and will again someday. I cried and laughed and smiled and thought “there are no masks, this must be heaven.”
6. I would vote for waiting on the freebiemeet, but if it happens in January I think everyone should feel free to ship at a later date.
Stay safe,
wash your hands,
wear a mask,
I love you, dear NSTers!
Love no. 2! I bought a ginormous Costco pumpkin pie to eat all by myself, because no one else likes it. I cut it into individual slices and put them in the freezer so I can take out one slice at a time and eat it. 🙂
excellent idea! I should do that too.
My mom does the same thing with a whole Costco apple pie. She says the slices are her apple-pie-pops, and she does eat them frozen. 🙂
Mr. Teebear claims he hates pumpkin but somehow when pumpkin pie appears he makes an exception… *side-eye* I wish I could use your trick because that’s genius!
I considered buying a small one but I may be going to Costco on Monday …
I had no idea you could freeze pumpkin pie! I rarely buy it, because I’m the only one that likes it.
I luuuurrrve pumpkin pie too. It is not a British thing at all, so my husband is ambivalent (and is downright hostile about pecan pies—which is one of his major failings as a spouse!).
My husband is a pecan pie fiend and can eat a whole one by himself. I am forbidden to make it as he needs to lose 20 lbs.
Yay for pumpkin love!
pumpkin love is an everlasting love 😀
I make pumpkin custard and pumpkin oatmeal bake for my breakfast oftentimes in the fall. I love them! I don’t make them especially sweet, just enough to not be savory really, and I think it’s totally a healthy breakfast.
yay! I’m not the only one. 😀 I sometimes use very little sugar, like you said, just enough to be on the sweet side of savory. Pumpkin really is a bit sweet on its own.
And thank you, now I’m excited to google pumpkin oatmeal bake. I eat oatmeal almost every day.
I posted my recipe as “Harvest Oatmeal Bake” in one of my recent posts. I play around with the ingredients more than a “recipe” implies, but this is at least one way I’ve made it. 🙂
https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/11/24/make-ahead-breakfast-food-prep-the-pumpkin-spice-edition/
Oooooh, pumpkin oatmeal bake sounds yummy!
1) I smell great in some Chergui…love this scent, particularly this time of year
2) My sister’s Christmas cookies, all of them but especially the nutmeg logs and the butter cookies (usually in the shape of Christmas trees!)
3) Mostly kept to my no buy rule….one decant and just this week I treated myself to a Clinique Wrappings gift set–free in perfume math so who could resist
4) No itches for new, just want someplace to wear all that I have–come on vaccines
5) Given that I will probably continue to be locked down through the next few months, I finally bought a new TV–now to add some streaming services and I will be ready to hibernate
6) May be best to postpone the freebiemeet, but whatever is decided, let’s continue to play safely!!
Congrats on your happy purchases. Your shopping matches my shopping! 😀
I succumbed to that Wrappings gift set last December, or maybe was it the year before. And I’m buying a new TV today. It’s for my Dad, he’s almost 80 and needs a bigger, easier to see screen.
Hah, we are twins….I got a really nice 43 inch Samsung which any senior (me included!) would enjoy watching….good luck.
Inspired by last weeks CP Iv had a very violetful day! I went out this morning in Iris Nuit – then after a swim I put on Jolie Madame – and then not feeling totally fulfilled Iv been adding spritzes of Violaceum. 😀 I now remember why I went through a violet phase!
Favourite holiday foods? The keneidalach that used to be put in the soup on Passover. I’m also very partial to panettone! I’m not very good in the kitchen but this apple bread comes out yummy anyway:
https://paleoglutenfreeguy.com/olive-oil-apple-bread/
No resolutions: I’m eying some Demeter online – Pixie Dust, Black Russian and Sugar Cookie. I think the impulse will pass if I hang on!
Something wonderful: I’v discovered that once I shut off all the negative self-talk exercise DOES lift my mood – and gives a good excuse for lovely shower gels and lotions after.
Opinion on freebiemeet? None, happy to go with majority – or with the opinion of any medical workers dealing with the pandemic who may be reading.
Hooray on exercise putting you in a better frame of mind. Because it gets dark early, I wouldn’t be able to do my after work walk safely. I had been scheduling time mid-afternoon to go for a walk and jist work a little later … I really don’t have to work more when I come back but I do have a lot of work I need to get done before December 31st.
It’s probably worth scheduling in in the afternoon and then finishing a bit later – at least you will get some daylight that way!
1. SOTD = Guerlain Shalimar in the 2020 Serie Limitee bottle
https://www.instagram.com/p/CItCxmehnZB/?igshid=18w9f2r0h5tl9
2. Favorite holiday food – anything with pumpkin (these seem to be available more or it could be wishful thinking ?)
3. Resolutions ? Eh.
4. … I am plotting …
5. More packages coming ?
6. Freebiemeet – I’m fine either way. I have been doing random freebies anyway due to customized qualifications.
What a beautiful bottle! I’m strangely curious about your #4 ?
Heh! I have a 20% off one-time use coupon to a niche perfumery and it does not have the normal exclusions nor an expiration date…
♥
Thank you.
go Team Pumpkin! 😀
We’re pumpkin triplets with cazaubon unless I missed someone else below this comment ?
What are your customized qualifications? Do you mean being more selective about whom you send them to, rather than just sending it to the first person to claim it? I have a few bottles that I would like to be selective about–discontinued or somewhat rare things that I would like to go to someone who will really appreciate them, so they don’t end up unloved again.
So the regular Freebiemeet has qualifications for the definition of “regular” (2 comments in the past 6 months). I get annoyed when they used to get my freebies and eventhough I stopped offering them, I feel bad for the true regulars who are shut out of a nice freebie.
I should qualify, the same free-loaders show up and dibs every single time.
Another pumpkin fan! That Shalimar bottle is gorgeous.
Woo hoo! The bottle is very nice indeed!
You got that bottle! ?
Yes! I was very surprised when I got an email from Suzan (shopfrance) that it was available!
Yeah, I was searching around online for it yesterday to no avail. Seems I waited too long or I needed a French connection to find it for me. It’s beautiful!
You can contact Suzan (at shopfrance) — you never know!
??? re: your #4! It will sure be fun to hear what all the plotting comes to…
I think I’ll wait until early next year!
Hello all!
1. SOTD is Spiritueuse Double Vanille.
2. As I’ve mentioned in years past, I love a good panettone around Christmas time. I’ve never made it myself but found a bakery which makes pretty good ones and I always buy them fresh and eat them right away. Yay for my waistline!
What I have made this year for the first time was a chocolate and orange babka and that was a big success. I will be baking it again for Christmas. Here is the recipe in case anyone is curious:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-orange-babka
3. No resolutions.
4. Just bought Le Lion and I still want to try Les Indemodables but the sample pack has been out of stock at Luckyscent.
5. I have been watching Virgin River on Netflix and I quite like it. I’m in the middle of season 2 and I know I’m going to miss it when its over.
6. Do not have an opinion on the Jan freebie meet.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend.
+1 panettone
Agreed. We were given one by our hotel in Rome, where we stayed over Christmas during our wintery honeymoon, and it was really lovely! We weren’t sure what to expect, but now I wish I could get it every year.
https://www.luckyscent.com/product/833009/discovery-set-by-une-nuit-nomade
Appears to be in stock…sorry…not sorry… 😉
No, unfortunately the Indemodables set is still out of stock. Your link is for the Une Nuit Nomade set. Are you trying to create a new lemming She-ra? ? Just when I thought things were under control?
ehaeheh my apologies…I bought both sets and they are muddled in my brain. ? You are correct. I sent the wrong link to someone else in this thread too sadly and shall have to find and fix.
Recently bought their samples from Indigo, you could give that a shot.
Love Panettone!
Congrats on your new bottle!
Yay on #4, the Le Lion part ?
1. A la rose AND Nahema. Packaged up small decants of rose perfumes last night, numbered 1-10, for a great friend. I supplied a separate key with the name, house, main notes as described by the perfume house, and average cost per ml for each perfume. She and her college-age daughter test the un-named perfumes, guess the notes, cost, etc., rank them in order of preference–and then look at the key. Needless to say, A la rose and Nahema were among them. I am almost out of both, and feel compelled to ‘drain to thunk’ in the next few days. . .
2. I’ve gotten very good at creating delicious and varied meals from supermarket produce and meats. We are stupid-spoiled here in Oakland with so many farmers’ markets and special meat shops, etc. but during COVID I haven’t had the heart or the will to stand in line and spend a lot of money on food. However, for my mother’s birthday meal on Dec 24th (vegetarians–stop reading now!!!!) my husband and I are making a soup and salad (plus cake of course) meal that we will eat at separate tables outside. It will be rabbit prepared with dried fruit on frisee lettuce salad, and homemade clam chowder with lardons.
3. Nope. Never stick to them!
4. I keep asking the universe (and writing down on a list I give to my husband) for Laudano Nero, by Tiziana Terenzi.
5. On a personal note, I’ve lost almost 50 pounds. I still have more to go, but I am looking and feeling much healthier. COVID literally scared me straight into dieting. (If you are thinking something snarky about my shopping snobbery and buying at the local supermarket, I hear you!) AND, completely random, but in global good cheer, it was great to read about that huge spider they found in Surrey that folks thought was extinct. https://www.livescience.com/extinct-wolf-spider-found-british-military-base.html Also, I love the Peruvian cat carved into the hillside that’s been there 2,000 years https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/world/americas/peru-cat-nazca-lines-nasca.html
6. I feel okay about yay or nay.
Congratulations on your weight loss!
your #1 is genius and thoughtful gifting, sounds like perfect fun for friends who enjoy perfume.
and woot! woot! on putting your health at the top of your list!! 😀
Congrats on losing weight and feeling healthy! 🙂 How wonderful.
That meal plan *swoons*
I ❤️ your answers!
Oh I love the blind sniffing gift! And congrats on your weight loss. That’s a huge accomplishment.
Wow, 50 pounds, that’s awesome! Way to go!! I have to think that you would really feel that kind of weight loss and I’m sure you feel so much better.
Also, i am a veg-head who would never chastise someone for their meat choices. That’s just not how I roll ;). I am more likely to bawl someone out for throwing away food, meat or not. That really drives me nuts.
I have a co-worker who is a hunter (not the Supernatural kind, heehee), who regularly eats venison; I really don’t blink an eye. Being a veg-head is just something I like to do for myself. (There are also 5 of us at my job, We Are Growing!!)
And I in turn do not feel like eating meat is any sort of moral stance and completely respect the choice made by vegetarians. I also enjoy cooking for my vegetarian friends and creating delicious meat-free meals for my family. The first meal I ever prepared for my now-husband was an elaborate, saffrony vegetarian paella. He still reminisces about it! (Couldn’t have hurt that I made warm zabaglione served over fresh raspberries for dessert.) ? ???
I really want to know how they ranked the perfumes, what a fun idea!
And congrats on that weight loss, wow! I’m about to head off to a friend’s to pick up a dog bed she no longer wants and plan to give her some cookies as a thank you – but she just told me she and her husband have done on a diet….
I made rabbit curry once for new years – many years ago.
Your #5 is amazing and inspiring! Keep up the great work!
1. In remnants of Angel. I spritz the official 8 sprays of Angel, so some of you might want to move away from me.?
2. Favorite holiday: Christmas! So much fun, the music, the hustle and bustle, Will Ferrell in Elf and snow ?. I love me some gingerbread and make funny gingerbread cookies. Just goofy faces.
3. Resolutions? I really should cull the collection and make room for new. Smaller size bottles.
4. Tons!!! A.n.other has at least three perfumes I am looking at. Eau d’Italie Jasmine Leather, Wonder of You, Don’t Cry for Me, POAL.
5. Something wonderful? My dog. She’s such a happy girl and the love?.
6. I vote yes. I already saw someone here could use a decant of something I have. If people are uncomfortable, then whatever works. ?
I scraped myself up a bit the other day and looked like a Walker, at first glance. I’m down to a small wound that keeps opening up every time the band aid comes off. Off to shower and I hope I remember to be careful, no exfoliating!
Happy Saturday!
Have you tried those gel bandages (the ones with no pad that seal completely onto the skin)? I was skeptical, but I have found that they really do seem to help wounds heal up faster.
Thanks! I’ll check into those. I’ll try anything.
I watch Elf every December! 🙂 It makes me happy to watch the silliness from Will Ferrell. And I like seeing Zoey Deschanel as a blonde.
Elf really makes Christmas ?! That shower scene with Will and Zoey. ?
Ouch on the re-opening wound. I am in pierced ears rehab right now.
“Pierced ears rehab” – LOL! My mom made me wait until I turned 16 to get my ears pierced. While waiting, I used to glue pearls to my ear lobes to simulate pierced ears. Then when I finally got to actually have them pierced, mom took me to a doctor’s office to have it done, and I was so anxious that I fainted in the elevator afterward. Family legend. ?
You’re a legend! My only other choice is to have them re-pierced and I don’t want to do thag.
That’s no fun! Been there and really don’t wear earrings or much jewelry at all, anymore.
I did have another piercing where my scar tissue built up so quickly, I almost passed out when they redid it.
Have you tried Jasmine Leather or were going to blind buy? Very curious about this one and would like to try it.
I’m starting my freebieing now. I’ll send you my Eau d’ Italie and Altaia samples which were part of a Sniffapalooza Zoom event last month. You can contact me by clicking on my username. I just need your shipping info.
“Sniffapalooza”. For some reason that really cracked me up, I am sitting here cackling away at that word, heeheehee!
That’s what I did way back when I first heard it.
Thank you so much! I’ve just emailed. Eau d’Italie samples don’t appear to be very well distributed. I’d only found one place online, but didn’t move forward for one sample. BeautyHabit carries the line, but no samples, which I think odd for a large site and an expensive perfume.
Got your email. You can always special request in Notes and if they have manufacturers’ samples, they will likely include. Technically, they cannot sell them.
8 sprays of Angel??? Wow! I am both impressed and a little scared by that. And I am an Angel fan. LOVE that drydown.
1. Mitsouko today.
2. I made my first chicken pot pie, and it was divine. It will now become a staple. Keys: chop everything just so (and not too big), whole cream, mushrooms (sautéed on their own so nicely caramelized), leeks, season as I go (including black truffle salt), tarragon and bay and no garlic (love garlic, just not in this).
3. I was on a very brief no buy. I made up for it in spades. No regrets. I console myself with the idea that I am supporting the economy and most of my $$ purchases were from independent local perfumeries.
4. There are several Parfum d’Empire scents I’d like to acquire, but no sense of urgency. I’ve already indulged myself a lot this quarter.
5. I’ve had a rough week filled with bad news. I’m alive. I’m relatively healthy. My feet take me where I need to go. I have a job. I enjoy my family. Not really the point of the question, but that’s where my head’s been at this week.
Trivial little Happy things: there’s a delicious banana nut bread in my kitchen (warmed with extra butter on top! Divine.) and I have some blind buys coming in the mail that’ll give me a fun thrill.
6. No preference. I’m not worried about packages, but not sure if I’d participate due to my own schedule.
That sounds like a proper chicken pot pie! My husband makes some strange hybrid thing with chicken, kale and beans (yes, beans!) and phyllo dough that never impresses me. My sons like it–
Yay for supporting the economy and blind buy thrills…I have a couple coming in the mail too.
I’ve really supported the economy this fall. . .
Sorry for your bad news this week. I have a few things coming next week, all except Sephora from indie / niche perfumeries.
Mitsouko, yum!
Homemade pot pie, double yum! And banana bread, too?! I’m glad you have those all to bring you some joy and pleasure in a tough time.
Thumbs up for the pot pie; it sounds great! What kind of dough did you use for the crust?
Sorry to hear that you had a rough week.
I must confess to store-bought crust, the kind that comes rolled up and you lay it into your own pie pan. Averaging 60 hour weeks these days, so this cheat works for me.
That said, I did see a pie crust on Milk Street tv show that I would be curious to try: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/pie-dough It uses a technique lifted from Japanese milk bread recipes.
I’m no bread or crust baking expert, though. I have a strange aversion to touching flour (or velvet). Can do it, but gives me the chills, and I’ve just never taken up baking where you roll things out on a floured surface. But the brown sugar tart they show with that crust looks amazing! Maybe when I take time off at Christmas I’ll give it a go.
Huh. Putting into writing my dislike of touching flour prompted me to google it, and apparently it is indeed A Thing. One of the first things that popped up was a post on The Black Narcissus!
And it was so spot on: I also dislike chalk (thankfully, I’m not a teacher), powdery sand, and I’ll eat chocolate ice cream mochi (because: amazeballs) but I try to brush off as much cornstarch or rice flour (or whatever s as I can).
No judgement here on using store-bought crust. If they can make it as good as you can, why not?
1. Commando mostly, but some coco mll privee in my
2. Rose cake with rose frosting
3. What is that?
4. Shalimar Plitre flanker & G Essence
5. I am still sticking with my Italian lessons. I enjoy it very much. While reading this YA novel, red scrolls of magic, they are traveling through Italy in a Maserati and I am sure I am having dreams of doing just that. It’s giving me
lots of pleasure. Along the same Italian lines, my girlfriend sent me an early Christmas gift of Ciao! a coffee table photography book my Mario Testino.
6. I vote nay for postponing
I think in the dead of winter , it’s so depressing and a little freebie pick me up of some sort will lift the spirits. Or course this depends of the state of the world at that time, but I say yes to the frebbiemeet
Do you know if there’s anyplace to try Philtre? Don’t want to blind buy, though suspect I could offload it pretty easily if I caved (and wasn’t enthralled!)
The Testino book sounds entertaining. The coffee table book on my list is The Look of the Book, about book cover art.
I don’t know any place to try it..I wish!
I never met a Shalimar I didn’t love
How is the Privee please?
Its very light and fades very fast. It starts out with an initial blast of coco mlle and then settles very fast and quickly. Its met to be a bedtime fragrance so its for the hair, the body, maybe a bedtime lingerie … 😉
Meh, light and fleeting isn’t my style really. 😉 I love reading the Fragrantica editor reviews for Best of 2020 and a couple listed it…thanks for the feedback!
Rose cake sounds intriguing. What’s the source of the flavor?
Ciao Bella!
One of my favorite Testino books is called “Any Objections?”.I love his style,and the photographs in this one are all so spontaneous,mostly “b-sides” that would probably not make the pages of Vogue.Love it.
Happy Weekend!
XO
If you love rose cake, have you ever tried Persian Love Cake? The first time I tried it was at a friend’s wedding (she was a pastry chef), it’s made with vanilla, rose essence, and cardamom. It’s beautifully fragrant.
I make a cocktail with gin, ruby red grapefruit juice and rose essence that’s delicious.
Sounds similar to the rose cake I make , I will see if I can find a recipe for your cake and compare
Scent of the Day is Night Flyer, reputed to be the exact same formula as the original Zoology Bat, but marketed by the Nose’s own company who retrieved it from Zoology.
It does not bring me to a bat cave. Perhaps a walk along the brackish industrial warehouse area near a somewhat brackish river?. A not exactly pretty smell.
A wind carries some bananas, perhaps from the trash or a food depot. The bananas last just a moment, giving me a trail to follow.
I come to what seems to be the warehouse of a turkish fig importer, and the air is heavy with the scent of nearly but not completely dried black figs.
But the space seems to have been taken over by the black sheep son of the importer, because it seems to be holding a specialized costume party-1980’s macho black leather outfits only and the smell of their over shouldered jackets melds with the scent the figs. And then someone puts a stack of heavy metal and early punk ups on the record player.
Record Player?
This is not a costume party The room is a time capsule. It somehow is 1980.
A few gentlemen are wearing leather masks, but definately not medical masks. The average social distance is no distance.
.
Can I transport myself back to this point in time where the indoor buffet and mosh pit were legal but the joints were illegal?
But Can I resist the heavy scent of macho black leather, dark turkish figs?
You paint quite the picture! ?
Please tell me you’ve seen this, your review gave me flashbacks!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOLLe0T2fKY&ab_channel=DasKraftfuttermischwerk
no I had not seen the clip
OMG is that video hilarious!
Hilarious but CREEPY!
FUNNY!
yikes! I just ordered this sample the day you posted this – had I read the poll first….
1. Eldo Fat Electrician! Love this one.
2. Favorite holiday food is Christmas Mac and cheese. My grandma used to make it, but since she passed away, my husband and I have perfected our recipe in her honor over the past few years.
3. No perfume resolutions. I bought more perfume this year than ever before, but I don’t feel sorry for it. With other hobbies put on hold, it’s fine with me if this one got more intense.
4. Also Fat Electrician! Luckily, it’s an affordable one to lust over.
5. I’m teaching a poetry unit, which always sends my nerdiness into a happy tizzy. I recently rediscovered Wallace Stevens’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”, and a colleague just shared a new favorite: “Poem Beginning with a Retweet” by Maggie Smith.
6. No preference!
What exactly is Christmas mac and cheese, and how does it differ from the usual kind?
I too need to know!
This is a little misleading. It used to mean Mac and cheese with 3lbs of cheese per 1 box of pasta when my grandma was alive, but my husband and I now use three cheeses, including a pungent alpine cheese, garlic, smoked paprika, cubed ham, cream, and chicken broth. We slow cook the whole thing for about 2 hours, and it is magical.
We need the recipe of this Christmas mac n cheese!!?
I agree with you completely on your No. 3. I have let myself play with perfume this year, and I have no regrets. Money saved on so many other hobbies and past times (and commuting to work, and clothes that aren’t leggings).
PS (As if I haven’t yammered on enough already above!)– I want to add that this weekend I am writing a short (lite) piece on gratitude for the local rag. The doctor I interviewed earlier this week described a study where folks had to journal briefly once a day, about things they were grateful for, for just one week. At the week’s end they were 2% happier. . . but after a month the same group was 5 % happier, and then six months later the group was on average 9% happier. So, I guess if you want to be 9% happier in six months (and why not?), write down what you are grateful for, for one week now. 🙂 !
Does writing it down increase the effect, or is it just the effort to think about what one is grateful for that does the trick? I don’t journal, but I try to focus on things I am grateful for and find something each day to be happy about. I’m curious, though–how do you quantify happiness?
From what this doctor was saying, it sounds like the regular habit of thinking about things about which you are grateful is the key. So if you are habitually focusing on what you are grateful for, that should do the trick.
She shared another study where people had to write letters and “personally deliver them” to people to whom they grateful to, who they had never thanked before. Apparently, that simple act has a big impact on your happiness score. She cited her own story–not writing a letter, but taking an old professor out to lunch whom she hadn’t seen in decades and to whom she felt great gratitude.
I imagine it does quite a bit of good for the other person as well. We had an experience like that a few years ago.
I wish I could remember more details, but anyway here goes:
My husband is a church pianist, and a few years ago he heard through a friend/family member (I think it was from his Mom, but I’m not sure), that an elderly woman who (IIRC) had been his piano teacher when he was a kid had been asking about him–where he was now, what he was doing, if he had continued with the piano, etc. He was touched that she still remembered and thought about him. He made a recording of himself playing a number of hymns and sent it to her. She passed away not too long afterward, so he was glad he took the initiative to make the recording when he did.
Wonderful story! And music! Lovely.
I wish I could thank my 7th grade French teacher who changed my life. Unfortunately he is passed on, but I send him grateful thoughts often.
nice! 🙂 can you share a link when your piece is published?
If you email me, and remind me after publication (Dec 29) I can. It’s a tiny rag, so I can send you the link to the publication (I have no byline, etc. etc. and it will be a short, light piece–so don’t hold your breath!).
ann dottie eisenberg attagirl comcast dottie net
I used to do gratitude affirmations in my head, but since I seem to have the attention span of a cat on catnip, it didn’t last long. Although I do seem to remember that I felt a little better doing so, so maybe I will give the written version a try.
Finishing off the sample of Hale Bopp, which is a pretty amber but less lasting than I expected.
My favourite holiday food might well be panettone – one seems to have mysteriously vanished already.
(Re)Resolution: No More Blind Buys, repeat, No More Blind Buys. The success rate is something like one in ten, and that is too low, no matter how good the deal is.
Cannot get Arquiste Boutonniere out of my head, but I do not need a big bottle. Will think on it.
Good news, which shouldn’t have been unexpected but was: I only have two more days of work and then I am on vacation for over two weeks.
Woo hoo on only two more days of work!
Same here on blind buys, but hope springs eternal— I just placed an order. ?
i have one more week of work (five days) and then I am off for two weeks. I am looking forward to getting some rest and/or getting some stuff done around the house. Preferably some of both.
Have you tried your beautiful jealousy-inducing Nordstrom for the panettone? Or the equivalent of Barnes and Noble (Indigo?)?
Happily, I live near an Italian-based grocery store – oh, and by “disappeared” I meant “disappeared into my tummy”…
LOL?
Eat ridiculous amounts of panettone, and enjoy your break!
NO MORE BLIND BUYS. *snicker*
Yay for vacation! Is it lovely and festive up there now? Such a beautiful place in winter.
How cool, a perfume named for a comet! Where did you find it/get it?
1. Sampling Jardins de Misfah by Une Nuit Nomade which is very interesting. I get a sweet, fruity rose w/ saffron. ?
2. I like most all the food for all the holidays. eaheaheh 🙂 My grandmother used to make nut and poppyseed rolls at Christmas. ♥️
3. My 2020 perfume agenda was try more vanilla and boy did I nail it! 😉
4. Might need a bottle of Behold Patchouli next.
5. Discovered Trader Joe’s Kunefe over Thanksgiving and I could eat it at every meal. My 7 year old watched Home Alone and Home Alone 2 over Thanksgiving and was absolutely enchanted. ??
https://www.foodbeast.com/news/trader-joes-kunefe/
6. Yay to the freebiemeet!
your #3! Yup, you nailed it
I once had kunefe at a cool middle eastern restaurant in SF (so many years ago now that I can’t remember the name), and it was delicious.
1. Still commando; will put on Insolence edt after my shower to continue from last week’s cp.
2. Best savory recipe 2020 has to be SmokyToes recipe for Cuban Pork; it was so delicious, thank you again! Sweet recipe goes to my annual Christmas cookie – Toblerone Shortbread; I made them a few weeks ago and we are currently still ‘testing’ the cookies daily to be sure. I think there may be 3 or 4 cookies left.
3. I tried to be on a “low or no-buy” since the summer. It’s been successful so far. Not sure how long this will last, see # 4.
4. Looking at Chanel Le Lion; I do have a couple bottles of vintage Shalimar edt that I love so I’m not sure how different they are from Le Lion since I’ve heard they are comparable in the drydown.
5. I’ve been doing more yoga recently! Started a 30 day routine of Adriene’s, big thanks to those who have mentioned her here. I even got my hubby to do it with me. I feel much more flexible even now; we are at day 21. And I’m amazed/shocked at how good he is at balancing on one foot; I’m hopeless so far at it, but gives me something to strive towards.
6. No preference for the freebiemeet.
Iv never done one of the 30 day programmes but Adriene’s videos have been pretty revolutionary for me. Her non-judgmental, steady and encouraging voice – together with the excellent guidance actually gave me my first positive experience of exercise. Sometimes I can do warrior 3 but more often not. Either way my general balance in every day life improves when I at least attempt it ?
Happy Weekend!
1. Rose et Cuir – I love it but I read something about there being an unhealthy ingredient in it…say it isn’t so!
2. I adore Swedish Christmas Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowballs – by any name they smell and taste so sweet. I could eat a lot of them.
3. Perfume has helped me get through this particularly strange season – wearing it, reading about it (thanks to you all!) and of course buying it. I resolve to continue this.
4. Like most of us, I am always happy to vintage perfumes – in January I went to an estate sale and the owner and her mother in law were both perfume collectors! I bought a lot (minis of vintage Jicky and L’Heure Bleue, a bottle of the original Miss Dior, etc.). It was an out of body experience.
5. Feeling grateful that as a psychotherapist, I am able to see my clients remotely and that doing therapy online wasn’t as big of a disruption as I anticipated. I am also enjoying reading and re-reading Adam Phillips, a British Psychoanalyst and author who, regardless of whether I totally understand or agree with everything he says, always expands my thinking about being human and being in relationship.
6. Yay for Freebiemeet in January. I agree that it would be a nice thing to look forward to in the new year.
Off to google that author. Telehealth is absolutely wonderful and the rapid expansion and acceptance for all types of visits in the last months is a such a positive thing to come out of this dark time.
I completely agree, especially for the elderly.
I have been enjoying Dr. Gabor Maté’s work on addiction and stress, very thought-provoking.
A little spray or dab of Rose et Cuir shouldn’t do any harm, no matter what is in it.
1. Vers a la Voute Etoilee my favorite modern Chypre. Also cozy on a cold day…
2. Real homemade mincemeat soaked in apple brandy and baked in a buttery crust… yum.
3. I bought enough perfume this year that I feel like I have enough! Sort of a amazing feeling.
4. That said, I have emptied my bottle of Mohur Extrait and I need to replace it….go figure…
5. Fortunate to have a stable job, and now being able to work from home, at least part of the time, in the midst of this pandemic, I find my stress level has actually decreased. Weird to say.
6. Freebie meet anytime is good. I do have some things to pass along. Whatever feels safest is good.
Wooow Mohur Extrait!! It sounds lovely but very costly…
Oh, I love mincemeat. Mother used to make it around the holidays. This recipe below is closest to hers, from what I remember.
True story, back in the 1970s, mother was preparing mincemeat and hadn’t added alcohol to the pot already simmering on the stove. The bottles of rum and brandy were left at the side of the stove and mom had to run to the next door neighbors for a minute.
In the meantime, Grandmother comes over to the house (we lived closely to one another), sees the bottles of rum and brandy (about 1/3 & 1/4 bottle each), and thinking mother forgot to add it, proceeds to add the contents to the mince meat. All the contents. The alcohol was cooked off, but it gave everyone a giggle.
Here’s the link…
https://www.daringgourmet.com/authentic-traditional-mincemeat/
Your recipe is close. I use fewer raisins and add figs and some dried cherries, and us apple brandy…
1. I am wearing Clinique Wrappings. It matches my cheerful holiday mood perfectly!
2. My favorite holiday food is Rum Cake. I found out about it a couple of years ago when we went on a cruise to the Caribbean. Since then it is part of our holidays every year.
3. I made the resolution of no” buy” and I was in the right path, until the stress of the pandemic made me fail badly. I think I need to stop making resolutions.
4. I am itching to buy a full bottle of Iunx Talc. I think the offer of Talc during the last splitmeet finally did not happen, since I never heard back from the NSTer who offered it. I may pull the trigger before the year is over and make it my Christmas present to myself.
5. Well, I finally regained some energy and started my Christmas decoration this morning. Not sure when I will finish though. I also finished writing my holiday cards and wrapping small packages last night and I mailed them out this morning. My Christmas spirits is very high! I am counting the blessings after a year full of very personal difficulties and dealing also with all the Covid stress surrounding everyone. Looking forward to a better new year.
6. I vote Yes for the freebiemeet. All the meets this year have brought some shine, cheers and smile to my face in the middle of a pandemic who has only brought stress and anxiety to my life.
Happy weekend, everyone! ?
You should definitely buy Talc asap, IUNX has shut down!
Oh no! Thanks for the info!
I can help you with Talc – I have a humongo humongo bottle which I bought in the summer!
THANK YOU! Emailing you now!
Happy you are feeling the Christmas Spirit!
???
I do love Wrappings, such a joyful scent!
Wrappings is SO good! ????
1. I’m wearing St. Clair Scents Pandora.
2. Favorite holiday food is lemon bon bons; sort of like Mexican wedding cakes but more powdery with pecans in the base and a very tart lemon icing. https://www.flickr.com/photos/94283635@N00/8327782878/in/photolist-qhE8yb-dFU4Hq-dC6VF5-9UX4uA-JDnB94-R5oT2n-EMS2bd-EWbvWY-vvhPHR-pimz5N-n7xbmv-fWancR-dxc5t3-coFH2j-c54rsE-atLRrz-aqXk5N-aqXk89-a78WL5-9XvzCz
Best meal I made recently: trout amandine with boiled potatoes and fresh asparagus. Simplest is best!
3. No resolutions
4. I want to sample those new Amouage scents.
5. I’m very glad I live so close to a major medical center where I could get my very bad cat bite diagnosed and treated in time to save my thumb!
6. No opinions on freebie meet.
It’s so horrifying to learn that a cat bite could be so dangerous. Glad yours was treated so quickly and you’re doing well.
Calypso, I have ready about Your accident and I really hope You recover as quickly as possible!! I just wanted to say the kitty in Your picture has the most gorgeous, sweetest face
Ack I’m so sorry the cat bite turned so serious. It’s no fun getting surgery at any time but especially not these days
I have a good friend who was hospitalized for week for cat scratches. It was her own cat. He of sweet and mild manner had gotten stuck under a fence. The extraction was not fun, and he took it out on her hand. She didn’t at first understand the seriousness of the scratches–so glad you are okay!
Yikes, that must have been one serious bite! As a cat-owned person myself, I confess i do not think about the effects of bites or even scratches (I am lucky that mine are not inflictors of either pain, even under duress. My current one goes to the vet to have his nails clipped because he hates it and is very strong and thrashes a lot. I take no chances).
Yes, cat bites (and dog bites also) can be very dangerous. I’m so glad you got that looked into, treated, and I’m hoping for a complete recovery for you.
Yes, Smokeytoes (my avatar) will allow me to do several things that he won’t allow others to do, but he’s big (37 inches long and 21 lbs) and strong. If he’s aggravated or won’t let me groom him. I leave it be. I can’t risk it.
Best wishes for a full and easier recovery. Scary.
1. I am wearing Balenciaga Prelude
2. My favorite holiday treat is mulled wine with mince pie
3. I didn’t quite stick to my low buy resolution
4. Royal Oeillet by Oriza L. Legrand
5. I am waiting for a package of samples from a dear perfume friend
6. Yes to freebiemeet, we can quarantine the parcels afterall.
I haven’t heard of your sotd. Is it vintage?
Yes, it’s a warm amber.
I want Royal Oeillet too!
We’re twins in wishing for it ?
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
TF Bitter Peach
2. What’s your favorite holiday food, OR, what’s the best thing you cooked in 2020?
My favorite holiday food anytime is cream puffs, with whipped cream inside and not pastry cream. The best thing I cooked was Dahi Toast, from a recipe in the Washington Post, and caramelized cabbage in a cast iron skillet. I have been on a cabbage binge this year.
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2020, and if so, did you stick to them?
No resolutions of any kind.
4. Possibly related to #3, what’s the next fragrance you are itching to buy?
Nothing is on the list. I am hopelessly behind in testing and read here about houses and scents I’ve never heard of. Blind buys are generally a failure for me, so I will have to catch up sniffing when it’s safe again.
5. Share something wonderful with us!
Bertie Wooster doesn’t have cancer!
6. Freebiemeet in mid-January?
My post office is tiny and always jammed. I vote for a postponement until later in spring.
That is amazing about #5! So what was the problem and how did they figure it out?
In April, Bertie was sick and the vet did labs, took a urine sample and did an ultrasound. On the ultrasound there was something that looked like a tumor but in hindsight was probably a blood clot due to the urine collection done by a needle aspiration. He had another ultrasound this Thursday and there’s no sign of any tumor. I am massively happy and relieved but kind of pissed that I have been worrying about Bertie dying since April. The vet who diagnosed him isn’t at the practice anymore.
Wow, that is aggravating but wonderful at the same time. So happy for you!
Yay for Bertie!
I would be po’d too, at the guy that isn’t there anymore.
Yippee! That’s great news about Bertie.
That’s great news about Bertie, I’m very happy for you!
Yay, Bertie!
Boo on gloomy vets that have had many of us on edge about our babies for eons.
Sending Bertie a virtual rawhide-free bone?
Happy your kitty is doing well – sending cheek scritches.
YAY FOR BERTIE!!!!
Great news about Bertie!
Awesome news about Bertie kitteh!
SOTD: Sycomore
Don’t cook anymore. But I did find some excellent black and white cookies at Trader Joes and as a native New Yorker I gave them an A+ and had two for dinner last night.
And for holiday, I guess it would be homemade Pfefferrnuse. Takes me back to being a kid in the kitchen where I grew up.
My bottle of Chanel le Lion is here! Fancy box and all just for me.
New book from library The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donahue/ I wanted to listen to it but they didn’t have so now I have a real book
One good thing I did this year was get a mini percussive therapy gun. Really helps these old bones after sitting at laptop all day.
I will go with the vote on freebiemeet.
Congrats on Le Lion! Mine is still in the post. Soon we may be Scent twins!
Mmmmmm lucky us!
1. Wearing Safari by Ralph Lauren. It’s such a comforting scent
2. My favorite holiday food is pretty much much everything (seriously, everything). I cooked several dishes that will be on repeat, gluten-free, low carb almond-flour rolls, they make a nice GF hamburger roll or a pretend bagel for lox and cream cheese. Cincinatti Chili was also a favorite. Also Fish Chowder, recipe courtesy of my Irish Mother in law.
GF almond rolls:
https://www.powerhungry.com/2020/08/keto-almond-flour-bread-rolls-5-ingredients-vegan-oil-free/
Cincinnati Chili recipe:
https://www.thechunkychef.com/copycat-skyline-cincinnati-chili/
Irish Fish Chowder:
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 medium sized carrots medium chopped
4 cups whole milk
3-4 cups diced potatoes
2 pounds cod, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
¼ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup clam juice (I omit because Kevin is allergic to shellfish)
2 Tablespoons of corn starch mixed with water to thicken
2 teaspoons of chicken Better Than Bouillon
DIRECTIONS:
a) In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender.
b) Add milk and potatoes; gently simmer for 10 minutes. *Take care not to scald the milk.
c) Add fish, clam juice and corn starch mixture – gently simmer another 15 minutes.
d) Season to taste with Old Bay seasoning, Better Than Bouillon, salt and pepper. Serve.
3. My perfume-related resolutions for 2020 was to not buy anything, I failed… Purchased a few bottles, vintage Chanel Coco, vintage YSL Opium, vintage Safari, vintage Youth Dew bath oil. All reasonably priced, I spent about $120 or so, not terrible in the scheme of things.
4. The next fragrance I want to buy is Tauer’s LADDM.
5. My husband and I had delicious tamales today, from Costco no less. They were delicious! For folks who love a good brie, I just tried Pico Soft ripened goat cheese from France, it’s amazing! It’d be gorgeous in puff pastry with an apricot or fig jam layer, elegant and easy for entertaining.
I just finished reading the Lions of Fifth Avenue, very enjoyable. I just started reading The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, I’ll report back with details…
6. Given the Covid-19 numbers are trending up, I’m for postponing until the spring…
Wow, love both the recipe and the way You smell with Safari!!
Many years ago, I had a co-worker who used to dive for abalone off the Monterey coast, and made the most delicious abalone chowder from it, which he graciously shared with me. I love chowder of all kinds!
Wow, with all of the beautiful wildlife off N. CA coast, diving would be spectacular! I’ve never tried abalone, one of these days, I’ll get around to it. Enjoy the recipe, let me know if you have any questions!
(1) Zoologist Sloth since last night, with a refresh this AM, and happy to report it did not set off Mr. Teebear’s allergies! It’s my current #1 bliss perfume, and of course it’s the one with oakmoss, tonka and coumarin listed in the base notes. But all is well.
(2) I have have few “holiday” recipes I make but a recommendation for swoon-worthy comfort food that is vegetarian-friendly: this goat-cheese and roasted vegetable moussaka from Good Housekeeping UK. I’ve made it twice this year already. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a538321/vegetable-moussaka/
(3) I was aiming for low-buy due to finances: almost all my purchases were second-hand or heavily discounted. Check!
(4) Papillon Perfumes Salome.
(5) Mr. Teebear and I have spent 9 months living together continuously! Granted I’ve been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster because my industry has been ravaged by the pandemic, and I love both traveling for work AND working. BUT he is my favorite human and, frazzled or not, I’m grateful for so much time with him! Most of 2019 I was legit crying every time I headed back on the road, because I felt my breaks were too short.
(6) I’ll defer to others on this one.
I too have spent the last 9 months with my husband… and I am ready to send him on a very long fishing trip. I’m glad your pandemic confinement has been good for you though. 🙂
Hahahaha yeah, I think Mr. Teebear is the one in your shoes ? he’s shown the patience of a saint, he’s used to having the house to himself for half the year!
My mum would love to have my dad go on that fishing trip with your dear one. 😀
Mr. Spicebomb has told me that as soon as he can, he’s going to go on a long road trip without me. I have made no attempts to dissuade him. 😀
That moussaka looks fantastic. Bookmarking it. I’ve a log of goat cheese in the fridge that needs eating.
very glad Sloth is working for you and for your mister. 🙂
I have mild seasonal allergies, mostly due to pollen, that have been flaring up more than usual the past few months. Yesterday I wore a few drops of Nirvana Amethyst on my wrists. Every time I brought my hands close to my face I got stuffy and sneezed! I hope it’s a passing thing.
And thank you for your sweet #5, you made me smile. Lately I don’t say too much about my family life here on NST, but I will add that I’m grateful for the very calm, peaceful, and patient person I’ve shared these strange days with.
Aww thank you. Glad you have someone calm, peaceful and patient as well, you deserve it.
I am wearing 4160 Tuesdays Hammersmith, which smells like tea and biscuits. 🙂
Holiday food: pumpkin pie, panettone and iced cookies
I completely failed on my low-buy resolution. As a result I am going to double down and go on a no buy next year. Ask me how it’s going in February. 😉
Next on my list is either 4160 Tuesdays Tart’s Knicker Drawer or Les Indémodables Vanille Havane (before my 2021 no buy starts) 🙂
Like another poster above, my wonderful thing is my sweet puppy girl. She is a daily joy.
I’m ok either way with the freebiemeet.
Haha about your low buy ?
“Tart’s Knicker Drawer” ?
?Puppy love ?
No-buy? How do people do that? Impressive aspirations.
LOL, no buy till February. My 2020 no buy lasted just a wee bit longer… sigh…but did I mention vintage Tabu, Chamade and 4711?
Low buy fail twins!
1. You or someone like you.
2. Christmas Eve meal: the 12 traditional Polish dishes we make every year (even though we live in FL for over 17 years now)…
3. Oh, yes!! But mine is probably opposite of most of ya’lls.. I wanted to expand my (still too small) perfume collection – and I have been doing ok with doing so:)) I used to have like at least 500 bottle, minus, samples… and I stopped collecting like crazy for a while and lost most of my stuff (hurricanes and such in FL).
4. Winter Palace FB, Winter Palace FB and Winter Palace FB!!! But also (and for sure!!) Russian Tea by MM, L’Atessa by MM and something from the Vagabond Prince. Either Enchanted Forest or Swan Princes. Oh, and maybe something good from Kilian as well…
5. My daughter will turn 19 months old this week and we ordered her awesome christmas gifts such us a niiiice swing, juicy couture mini-track suits among some of them.
6. Not that I participated in the last one, but I DID indirectly because I was reading through it all along!! Some of You guys for real lucky:) I will say yay (I’d like to participate in the next one if y’all let me:)) but I will understand if it will have to be a nay, we all live in a difficult time right now…
I read that your daughter was turning 19 years old—and thought how strange (but also slightly wonderful?) that you were getting her a swing and mini-track suit!
Me, too!
Yes, she will be very happy:))
Russian Tea and L’Atessa are beautiful scents. 🙂
Sorry for your losses, sounds like you went through some difficult times.
I hope you find as many of your old friend perfumes if the freebiematch is held.
Late to post today – I’ve been rearranging furniture and the junk in the back closet all afternoon. My poll answers:
I wore Dryad today – it has become my no-brainer, always-works favorite lately. It’s so gorgeous.
Favorite holiday food has to be pumpkin pie. Can’t get enough of that – must be the spices.
Perfume resolutions … well, yes, I made some, and no, I didn’t keep a single one of them. Oops.
I confessed yesterday to acquiring a gift set of Le Dix. It was spur-of-the-moment, and that seems to be my modus operandi. Who knows what will capture my fancy next? Seriously, the perfume I’ve wanted forever is a bell jar of De Profundis, but now that Uncle Serge has moved it into those hideous black tower bottles, I think my quest is futile.
Something wonderful … well, my tv room / workout room looks much better now. Not sure that’s wonderful for anybody but me, so I’ll also mention vaccines are coming! Maybe a tiny flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.
On freebie meet, my vote would be to postpone it for a bit.
And on an unrelated note, I’ve been semi-binge-watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer lately. I never watched it when it aired originally, and it’s much darker than I expected – it’s a kind of running series of parables on all the ways that high school and being a teenager are horrible. I’m sort of fascinated at how invested I am in the various characters. ?
Fun Trivia for the day: Le Dix was Bette Davis’s favorite perfume.
Now I must investigate.
No kidding! That is so not what I would have expected her to wear – it’s much too ladylike. I’d have thought she would’ve been more … adventurous or outrageous or something.
go Team Pumpkin! I love it too.
I have a sample of Le Dix around here somewhere that a wonderful NSTer shared with me. Must find it, then swan about the house. 🙂
Yay for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!!! I wish I could invite myself over and watch with you. 😉 It really is *literature* in my opinion, not just a show.
Pumpkin pie is almost weekly during the Winter chez MossyBerry. I substitute nutmeg for ginger in the canned pumpkin recipe, and add extra cloves and a little allspice. I am not ginger fan, either food or perfume.
I also have to make myself a VIP list soon, which stands for Very Important Perfume:) I am also thinking of Xerjoff’s Dolce Amalfi sample.
Oh my…my freebie-“angel” sent me some real lemmings!
Loved the PG Naiviris,right up to the last dregs of drydown last night!
SOTD Sana Jardin Celestial Patchouli…WOWZERS.Beautiful perfume,also have a hefty dose of Orris which I love!
Happy Sunday kids!
XO
“Celestial Patchouli” by name alone sounds promising. Will have to look it up.
It’s always so exciting to find a new winner! (This is why I have such a massive sample collection, mostly filled with non-winners, because our odds aren’t that great when you think about it!)
Commenting waaay too early because i can’t sleep and am feeling chatty (see ALL my posts above). I had decided to go with the Neandertal Dark yesterday; nice sharp little scent, definitely unisex, that just added to the appeal. Today i am going to go with Nuit Et Confidences. Just the name itself makes me curious about it.
I love the can’t sleep and I’m feeling chatty!
My sister has started to work in the office on a one day a week basis since the end of September. The first time she went she spent the first hour chatting like mad to all people.
If I wasn’t on slack all day with my coworkers, I’m sure I’d be the same the next time I saw somebody IRL. Glad the tech is there for us to have a lot of fairly immediate personal interaction.
Realize not all virtual workplaces are set up like that. On a small side project I work at a different company, they don’t have slack, just MS Teams, and it feels much more isolating.
This is sounding like an ad for slack. I have no affiliation.
I’ve used it for my classes for one of our projects and I really like the chattiness of it.
1. Ambre Précieux Ultime, a denser and smokier version of the original. It’s excellent but I think I prefer the original.
2. French Cheese bought in France from a local cheesemaker. (Remember Brian?)
3. Stop buying perfume (not going to happen 😉 )
4. Several, Queen of the Night, Awake, Belles Rives.
5. A friend sent me a link to a family performing a very famous Cuban song, the little girl is only 8 in this picture. They’ve since performed a number of songs that can be seen on YouTube. The filming is done by their mother. It’s an utter delight to watch them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDEu39FLYpw&list=RDpPYQjs3xz5Y&index=2
6. Postpone. Measures are getting progressively stricter in Europe and I imagine elsewhere as well. So I would not want to make any “unnecessary” trips to the post office.
I haven’t smelled Queen of the Night yet, but the name alone makes me want to! The description does sound promising.
Happy Sunday
Le Lion perfume
You smell fantastic!
1. Sotd is Mad Madame.
2. I have lot’s of favorites but today I will pick cheese platters.
3. I think I made a resolution to be in a better position to buy more perfume, lol. Didn’t happen.
4. Right now I have a bottle of Guerlain Lui in my fragrance net cart. A generous Nster sent me a sample and it’s great! I’m not going to buy it, I just visit the cart.
5. My boss had to stop giving me overtime, but he gave me a generous gift card to the grocery store for Christmas. He’s a good guy. It made me cry.
6. I’ve been sitting on alot of samples to give away. I’m ok either way for the freebiemeet. Going to the post office mostly depends on the weather/road conditions for me. January is 50/50 .
I was originally going to pick food as my favorite ?.
Nice boss with the generous gift card!
I don’t recall mentioning. A neighbor relayed to me what she heard from a friend of hers but a large grocery chain is now only going to be getting grocery replacements once a week instead of twice a week for the next few weeks.
I have a boatload of Lui, send me your address. 🙂 My email is my user name at me.com.
Aw, what a great boss to work for!
In TF Lost Cherry, the first of several blind buys. Purse spray, bought from Sephora with a $20 off Black Friday coupon. I’ve never been a gambler, but now I realize I’ve become one in the realm of perfume!
Loving it, so all is well, but if I make any perfume resolutions, no. 1 would have to be: no more blind buys. Not the first time I’ve thought that.
Finished a sewing project yesterday: what I’m calling a modern “house coat”, because it’s a cross between a robe and a coat. I guess it’s really just a coat, but I plan on wearing it around our poorly insulated, chilly chilly house.
What I made: wrap coat with waterfall-style shawl collar, large patch pockets, dropped shoulders and wide sleeves, tie belt. Made from a boiled 60% viscose 40% wool, with raw overlapping seams.
It’s raining this morning. We need the water. Bundled up in bed with my coffee and some reading material. Will do some work-related reading today as well.
Bucketing outside here as well, and we really need the water. I just wish I didn’t have to go grocery shopping. This is NOT the weather for it these days with wiping down carts and scuttling down slick grocery aisles with our faces covered. . . also, I have to deliver to elderly family members in Berkeley. Girding myself.
I just bought a vintage housecoat on Etsy. I was inspired by the Queen’s Gambit. I generally wear a robe over pjs in the morning or a cooking smock over my clothes. I figured the house coat could work as both.
That’s so cool you can sew your own!
Your “house coat” sounds so lovely!!!
Forgive me, Donnatella, for I have sinned. I got that little giftset of Wrappings that Robin posted about yesterday. Couldn’t resist for the price.
1. Spent most of the morning in Deneuve extrait but about to switch to Shalimar Ode a la Vanille after my shower.
2. Can’t wait for the Christmas standing rib roast dinner.
3. I don’t make resolutions.
4. I still want a bottle of Cormandel but it’s not in the cards anytime soon.
5. Just bought Jen Lancaster’s latest book but haven’t read it yet.
6. I say hold the freebie meet online or hold off until summer.
Dawn I hope Coromandel ends up being yours in 2021. I know you have been lemming it for awhile. I only have a few ml left in the bottle I split otherwise I would send you a decant to tide you over
I still have a large decant of the edt and a medium sized decant to tide me over until I have enough funds to get a bottle. If Chanel ever decides to do travel sets of the Les Exclusifs line, it would be awesome. I did email them to tell them that it would be a great idea but got an answer/non answer from them.
Travel sprays of the Exclusifs would sell like hot cakes! And perhaps in doing so undermine their own branding? I don’t what marketing logics hold sway over there
Fashionably late to the party this weekend. . .
1) SOTM is just the remnants of SMN Ambra, and it’s all resin and warmth. Likely a spritz of something else spicy is in my near future.
2) Favorite holiday food is probably old-fashioned chocolate fudge. Not likely to make it this year, though. It’s fussy, and I’d want to be able to share it with others, since otherwise I can totally finish off a pound of fudge in a few days, but if I don’t make it right, then it’s not as fun to share. “Here, eat my gritty, crystalized fudge/enjoy my runny fudge sauce, yeah, fudge sauce, that’s what I meant to make!”
For non-holiday fare, I made chicken cacciatore last week and it was really delicious. I need to braise more meats.
5. I am so grateful for all the folks going all-in on their holiday decorations this year. My dark, cold walks after work are so much more fun and joyful to see all the lights! We put up our tree Friday, and we put out lights on the house yesterday, so now we’re doing our part, too.
I’ve never been able to make fudge the real, old-fashioned way. It crystallizes on me every time. I think, however, that the marshmallow creme recipe makes fudge that is just as good, and it seems to be immune to crystallizing.
We had an exchange student living with us a few years ago, and I made gallons of fudge for him—white chocolate, dark chocolate, with dried cherries, with nuts, two layered with peanut butter (using peanut butter “chocolate” chips)/chocolate. . . Cheating the whole time. Not sure where is my original recipe, but this one looks like the one I used: https://www.thespruceeats.com/microwave-fudge-520886
Yeah, the marshmallow kind is fine. . . but I fear I’m a snob about this one and really do notice the difference, especially if it’s made with quality chocolate, etc. Old-fashioned isn’t easy to make, though, and I made it the best one year when I made seriously pounds of the stuff. I just kept working on it until I got consistent. Of course, I’ve lost the finesse I’ve gained during that time! I’d have to restart that project all over again to get consistent results again.
To me, fudge is a summertime treat. I associate it with going down the Shore and getting some there.
Oh yes, also a wonderful fudge association for me! I love all the silly, extravagant flavors you can get in a sweetshop. Reeses peanut butter cup fudge? Why not?!
This morning I’m sampling Soivohle Cuir Beurre. I ordered a few samples from their website recently, and she threw in an equal number of freebies (so sweet!). Cuir Beurre is quite peaty at the start, and then turns very smooth and dry. Would love to smell this on male skin, but Mr. G won’t play. Boo.
Boo, indeed!
Free samples! Fun!
What other freebies did you get from Soivohle?
Well, let’s see. I ordered Tobacco and Black Moss, Paracelsus, Cuir Beurre and Femme Seudo, and when the package came it also included Circa 1969, Twelve Keys, Underworld, and Illuminant Debris (actually, it looks like I might have ordered Illuminant Debris, so maybe she didn’t go way overboard on the freebies). So far I’ve tried Tobacco and Black Moss (love the opening but need more investigation of the dry down), Femme Seudo (not sure I’m a fan, but will try it again), and today’s Cuir Beurre (am liking it more and more as the day goes on – good lasting power too).
Paracelsus is gorgeous! I swooned the first time I tried it.
Ooh, well then, that’s the next on the list!
Wearing my traditional holiday scent, Chopard Wish.
You smell wonderful – just got Wish this year and loved it!
Joining Marjorie Rose in being fashionably late.
1. Over the Musk. Yesterday I wore Vanille 44.
2. My favorite holiday food is Swedish meatballs. I use my beloved granny’s recipe and they are delish. The best thing I made this year was shepherds pie, it’s become part of our regular rotation of meals.
3. I don’t know. I doubt it, lol.
4. Probably Kyoto. I panicked recently when I heard the line was being discontinued so I emailed luckyscent directly to ask and got a response that they had not heard that so ?♀️
5. My son called me out of the blue yesterday. He said he just wanted to talk to somebody and I was his first choice.☺️ Made my day.
6. I vote yay for the freebiemeet.?
It’s ok. We can dance until sunrise. 😀
My stepmother was Swedish-Norwegian American, and she made wonderful Swedish meatballs from time to time. I don’t eat red meat anymore, but I might make an exception to enjoy a moment of that flavor nostalgia again!
Aww your number 5 is so sweet
Now I think I will get down the crock pot for Swedish Meatballs!
Also late to the party! But getting stuff done before the weather turns. Once the snow shows up, it’ll be time to hunker down, especially if the forecast for Wednesday is even close to right.
1. SOTWeekend = Oriza L. Legrand Reve d’Ossian EdP, from the sample stash. I reverted to type and grabbed an incense perfume for comfort.
2. Favorite holiday food: It really depends. Typically, my sage, onion, and giblet stuffing is a favorite. But making it is a production! My favorite rediscovered dish has been Sloppy Joes. They are easy-peasy to whip up, and comfort food.
3. Yes, I made perfume related resolutions last year. I failed abysmally. Insert facepalm here.
4. Probably related to #3, I am not really Jonesing for anything right now. Not even the Wrappings gift set on sale, with extra 30% off is tempting me.
5. I got a vintage Christmas card from my BFF recently. She included part of her family’s Christmas letter from 1975 in her letter. I really enjoyed it all, and learned something about her that I did not know before.
6. No opinion either way re: the freebiemeet. However, I am unlikely to participate. Not interested in going to my Post Office in January.
I love vintage post cards and cards! Yes, we learn from them. And, shout out for team Sloppy Joes!
SotD is Jardins de Bagatelle: it’s going for a song on the discounters; just sayin’
2. Chex Party Mix, home made. Use a full stick of butter, more nuts and pretzels instead of bagel chips, and amp-up the other ingredients accordingly. Oh yeah!
3. Tried not to buy from EBay. Failed. *blush*
4. Waiting for the next lemming, but may nab Shalimar Philtre if I make to the big mall two hours away during the holidays…..
5. It is wonderful that I have fabulous co-workers. Not all of us are compatible, but our office has this happy vibe where we are focused on “The Mission” and we smooth over the rough parts.
6. I incline toward a Freebie Meet, but hesitate because of a slight risk….IDK; the weather will be colder for most of us – viruses don’t linger on cold surfaces do they?
1. Sacrebleu. I decided to unscrew a near empty decant of heure bleue that I must have kept around for reference, and dab on the last bit – and there you have it, a scent I thought was too much became very wearable! Because I’m now out of Heure Bleue, I’m in Sacrebleu, which I own and which works well for this dreary rainy day (grateful for the rain but it does nothing for productivity).
2. I don’t have a favorite dish per se – but I have favorite cookbooks and highly recommend the milk street cookbook. I have a couple and think the best one is the general one, rather than going for the off shoots. It’s still day to day dishes but better, but a bit more innovative and attractive than some other cookbook authors (in my opinion). If you have small kids, “Feeding a family” by Sara Waldman is a nice one, too.
3. No FB buys until the decant is empty!
4. I now have a long, long list of scents I wouldn’t mind having a FB of, plus houses I’d like to try, or specific scents – but I’m feeling pretty zen about it – maybe because there are so many.
5. Very grateful that the pandemic forced my hand to finally start my doctorate, and feeling extra grateful that so far, I’m really liking it. Also feeling very grateful for the kind nurse at Kaiser a couple of days ago, and of course, the rain!
6. I’m lucky to have a very easy post office situation and happy to do a freebie meet in January – but I would have more stuff that’s ready to move on later in the year!
Re #6: that is also partly why I would be in favor of a freebiemeet in January. It will certainly not clear out all of my unloved frags, as I have too many to contend with in one meet.
Wow! A blog I really want to read!
You are encouraging me to brave my recipe for three loaves of stollen. Takes an entire day to make and clean up the mess. But so worth it!
Also, I bought a small sample of “Fille de Berlin” from Luckyscent.com. I LOVE it. I figured that since it is such a strong projection, I ordered next a rollerball from theperfumedcourt.com. It is coming soon. I think I will really love it.
If I do, I plan to buy a full bottle of it.
If I ever stop being able to smell it, I will know for sure that I have COVID!
Stay well everybody,
Shirley from “the middle of nowhere”
Here I am, very belated, and copying Robin’s original questions because I can’t remember anything.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
This is a couple of days later, so my memory is already blurred(!). I remember messing around with the vanilla essential oil again, and then I think I added Demeter Hawaiian something Vanilla, which was nice. I also diluted lavender essential oil with jojoba or coconut carrier oil, and put that on at bedtime at least one weekend night. I smelled nice, and the skin of my arms, legs and hands was nicely moisturized. You know your skin is dry when the oil soaks right in.
2. What’s your favorite holiday (any holiday) food, OR, what’s the best thing you cooked in 2020? (Feel free to share or link to a recipe!)
I like a Christmas ham, cooked with cloves, and mince pie. Back when, a friend of my grandmother’s (Dad’s mother) used to make eggnog pies and bring one over. I remember this from the 1980s, but it most likely was a tradition way before then. I don’t know if anyone in our family got the recipe.
Going the non-ham route, Mom and I have in previous years made it to Passover or Hanukkah meals that friends and relatives invited us to. I have a sweet tooth, so of course I like charoset. (lol) I learned to make latkes from a recipe in a local newspaper that I saw in the mid-1990s or so, but I’ve gotten several other recipes for latkes since. I like matzo ball soup, and I got a noodle kugel recipe from Mom’s stepmother a few years ago, when we went on one of our trips to Florida to visit with her and my grandfather on that side of the family. I’m glad I was able to see them then.
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2020, and if so, did you stick to them?
No resolutions.
4. Possibly related to #3, what’s the next fragrance you are itching to buy?
Small amounts of many things. Paying hundreds of dollars for 100 — or 50 — ml of a perfume isn’t something that it’s reasonable for me to do. Paying $20 or $25 for a travel spray is more reasonable for me. 10 ml of anything is probably enough to last me quite some time. (lol!) A 30 ml bottle of perfume or cologne could easily last me for a year or more. 🙂
5. Share something wonderful with us! It can be anything — something delicious you ate, a great movie you saw recently, the last good book you read, any fabulous news you recently received — really, anything.
No big news. I was happy to get dozens of flower bulbs planted in October and November, and I’m hoping they’ll look fabulous in the spring. 🙂
6. We usually hold a freebiemeet in mid-January, but I’m thinking that this year we might be better off postponing until the spring, given the state of the pandemic? Do vote yay or nay for postponing.
I haven’t really read what people said above, but I’m going to do my best to avoid the post office and shipping anything that’s considered a hazard, like alcohol, even denatured alcohol, for the next few months. I was okay in March 2020, and even into April, but after that I got very low on “spoons.” (Is that the word I want? I just wasn’t up for doing much from spring on aside from working in the yard and then getting into cooking casseroles and such in the fall.
Let’s hope that 2021 is better! I think by the summer, when hopefully many of us have been vaccinated against COVID-19, I’ll have more ability to focus and get things done that don’t involve being in the house or yard, or shopping in grocery stores or big box stores like I’m preparing for an apocalypse(!).