It's the weekend, and we're repeating (with slight variations) a poll we've done for the past few years 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 2021? (Feel free to share or link to a recipe!)
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2021, 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.
Note: top image is Pomegranates & Oranges [cropped] by Boss Tweed at flickr; some rights reserved.
oh, i am the first to comment..
1. SOTD is Calligraphy Saffron, one of my successful blind buys
2. the best thing i made this year was a torta di riso, that my best friend made with me and gave me the recipe
3. i just wanted to spend less this year, so i sold some and bought some for less than 300 Euros, this was successful
4. maybe a FB of Salome if i find a discount code
5. the boyfriend bought some new single-malt whiskeys to try, this will be fun!
Hello dearest NST’ers. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and that Christmas atmosphere starts to enter your homes.
1. Wearing Nishane Suede et Safran
2. My mum’s poppyseed Christmas strudel
3. Nope
4. I recently thunked some bottles and I’d love to buy Laboratorio Olfattivo Daimiris as I found a nice price online
5. Last weekend my grandma came to stay with us and she’ll be here almost until the end of the year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXV8XNtoxCf/?utm_medium=copy_link
Oops. This wasn’t meant to land here…
Enjoy your visit with your grandmother, Lucasai!
Torta di riso looks delicious — it was like a rice custard?
shortbread crust with rice pudding and egg and mascarpone plus vsnilla and orange zests
Oh my.
tannina, you smell so good! Calligraphy Saffron is one of my most successful blind buys, too. I liked it so much, I bought all three versions in the lineup, and a BUB of the saffron.
You smell wonderful – I rooted out my bottle of Calligraphy Saffron and gave myself a spritz in your honor. It was my first choice of the Calligraphy line. I ended up liking Rose just a tad more, but all three are delightful. Sniffing just now, I think maybe I would have been happy with just Saffron.
I really love saffron, so this was my first choice
11 hours sleep…..
SOTD for haircut will be Ambre Sultan.
2020 was pretty much a no buy year with a few small exceptions around the holidays. Like many people I was too worried about the pandemic and jobs and money.
2021 different. I bought several bottles and was gifted several from consulting at house of many fragrances. Since contract extended for much of 2022, may get more!
I don’t cook or bake anymore but I loved making worlds best stuffing.
Best thing recently, last Sunday lunch with old friend that lasted five hours.
Next best coming up, my sister actually has her ticket to come to California.
I love those long catch-ups with old friends.
Yay for your sister coming to visit!♥️
1. What fragrance are you wearing today? Smell Bent Commando
2. What’s your favorite holiday (any holiday) food, OR, what’s the best thing you cooked in 2021? (Feel free to share or link to a recipe!) My sister used to make a wonderful pear bread during the Christmas season.
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2021, and if so, did you stick to them? I had hoped to buy fewer decants this year, but that didn’t happen.
4. Possibly related to #3, what’s the next fragrance you are itching to buy? I haven’t ever been able to narrow it down. I think my next thing might be to explore the many lines I haven’t tried before.
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. I saw my sister three times this year. I saw my two nephews and the grands for the first time in several years at Thanksgiving.
Am so glad you saw you sister. I have seen mine once in 2 years. Not my nephew in three and the grandkids.
1. Sotd is Shalimar.
2. I perfected my pimento cheese recipe last spring.
3. No resolutions.
4. Possibly Imaginary Authors Fox in the Flowers, I need to finish my sample to be sure, but at first sniff it smells just like spring here where I live, when the flowers are blooming but the morning breeze is chilly. It doesn’t last long though.
5. I started PT on my foot/ankle yesterday! The 6 wks of no weight bearing is finally over. I can sleep without the boot, it’s wonderful
Yay for losing the boot, and good luck with the PT, that’s wonderful!
And glad to hear about Fox in the Flowers. I could use a spring floral.
It’s a very pretty jasmine at the open, then more flowers, and I figure it’s frankincense that makes it smell so chilled. It lasts all of about 1-2 hours but I just want to spray it again and again to get that jasmine.
Oh, that’s very tempting.
I’m glad you’re on a mend with your foot. Don’t overdo it!
Yay for healing and PT!
A perfected pimento cheese recipe is very fine – care to share? – I have some sharp cheddar in search of… Also, happy you can “boot” the boot for bedtime!
Sure! Here’s the ingredients and rough amounts:
2 c freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese,
Half of a 7 oz jar of diced pimentos,
1/2 c mayo
2 T horseradish
1/8 tsp paprika, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, dry mustard.
Few drops of Worcestershire sauce and a couple dashes of regular Tabasco sauce.
Stir everything together and adjust everything as desired. Chill a few hrs or overnight. Let rest at room temperature a little bit before serving.
Noted – project for tomorrow!
Awesome news on ditching that boot and starting your PT regimen!
1. Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon, warm amaretto for a cold rainy day.
2. We don’t really celebrate holidays much any more and I haven’t been cooking a lot, either. I’m trying to replicate Billy Bee Honey Mustard, which was recently discontinued, and failing miserably. (When it became hard to find earlier this year, I ordered 10 bottles from Amazon: I have one left and I’m hoarding it until I manage to concoct a replacement or give up. It is, or was, the very best honey mustard.)
3. I vowed not to buy any in 2021, and I’ve stuck with that, using up things I own instead. I bought the Deciem room spray, but that doesn’t count. I mean to buy nothing in 2022, either, except….
4. I have sort of decided that if I’m good and I set aside $20 every three weeks rather than spend it on anything I don’t absolutely need, I’m going to buy a half-ounce of Box of Eels this time next year. Maybe. I tried a drop in Berlin in 2019 and it haunts me, but it’s more than I’ve ever spent on a single scent: will I actually pull the trigger? Time will tell! (I could buy it right now but the discipline is good for me.)
5. For December, the Criterion Channel has brought in a batch of Hitchcock movies, 21 of them, and I’ve been watching them all in chronological order. A lot of the classics are missing from the lineup but no matter. From the 1930s to the 1960s he had an incredible run of masterpieces: I’d seen most of them before, since I have been a fan for decades, but I’m glad to be able to see them again.
#4 $100 of whatever you’re (discipline-based) putting away to purchase Box of Eels is perfumath free …
I use this plan for fragrance and fillers. Tuck away my cash in envelope just like my mother did. And voila! make that purchase!
That’s such a good idea
Can you remember a Mary Quant perfume called Havoc? I suddenly remembered my mother had it , early 70s, had a vision of the bottle but can’t recall the smell.
Great idea for purchasing, and enjoy your Hitchcock movies!
Honey mustard sounds yum!
1. I’m in Dusita’s Cavatina, from a sample sent to me by Cazaubon. It’s started out as a full force gale of LOTV. We’ll see how it dries down.
2. My favorite holiday foods are the sweets. From knafeh to Christmas pudding, I am all in.
3. Whah? Can you repeat the question?
4. “Itching to buy”? No. But wouldn’t mind quite a few.
5. I am finally listening to the audio version of Moby Dick. I have been meaning to do this for years. I am slow to pick up fiction, especially well-written, much-lauded fiction. I’ve been promising myself to read Moby Dick and Hilary Mantel’s last Thomas Cromwell tome for ages. If I thought I could follow the audio version of The Mirror and the Light, I might try it. But I cannot imagine, even with a great actor reading, that her style translates well into audio. But the good news, anyway, is that I am loving Moby Dick. Ishmael has not yet left New Bedford, so I am still at the very beginning of his confessional. So far, it has been wonderful.
What version have you got of Moby Dick? I always do a summer reading of a classic novel but I have read Moby Dick but I would like to listen to a great reading. Have a great weekend.
The version I am listening to is read by an American actor, William Hootkins. Chosen because it was included for free in my subscription to Audible, and that it has positive ratings from over a 1,000 people. Sometimes he gets very worked up, but the story demands it (Jonah and the whale!) and I like the fun he is having with it. I have laughed out loud throughout (so far!) at what Melville surely wanted his readers to find humorous. His narration is warm and accessible–like a good friend with the penchant for the dramatic. I feel like I should offer him a beer or something whenever I am ready to turn off the reading.
That‘s a fantastic description of how the actor sounds, makes me want to check it out. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks so much. I will look it up. I read a ‘ classic’ novel every summer but haven’t decided what to read this year. I will probably decide by the best cover!
Also, it is really interesting ( to me) how many Maori travelled the world in the early 1800s, as American and English ships took on crew when they called in here. Whalers especially.
Hello dearest NST’ers. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and that Christmas atmosphere starts to enter your homes.
1. Wearing Nishane Suede et Safran
2. My mum’s poppyseed Christmas strudel
3. Nope
4. I recently thunked some bottles and I’d love to buy Laboratorio Olfattivo Daimiris as I found a nice price online
5. Last weekend my grandma came to stay with us and she’ll be here almost until the end of the year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXV8XNtoxCf/?utm_medium=copy_link
I noticed lots of shoppers in town yesterday and it made me feel Christmasy. Love your photo
Yes, the photo is gorgeous!
I love your photos. Lots of Christmas shoppers in town yesterday ( I still haven’t started)
Oops
Poppyseed strudel? I‘m salivating…
Have a lovely time with your grandma. And if it‘s possible, you might want to video her telling family stories. Now my own mum is gone, it‘s the one thing I wish I had.
Gorgeous pic and yum to your mother’s poppyseed strudel. My grandmother made wonderful poppyseed and nut cakes at Xmas.
Lucasai, there is an old children’s book in the USA called The Poppyseed Cakes, by Margery Clark. It was one of my favorite story books as a girl. Also, I hope you and your Grandmother will be able to share some stories! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/227797/the-poppy-seed-cakes-by-margery-clark-illustrated-by-maud-and-miska-petersham/9780375712326/excerpt
I will weigh w/ some answers later but want to thank everyone for all the positive well wishes and good vibes yesterday. ?
Everything went very well. I am handling a family situation with an extended family member who has some mental health issues and I am not sure how to deal with it honestly.
I may have to speak to a lawyer to get advice.
But all went well and I feel like I can breathe again. So grateful for all the support from this kind and always fragrant community!♥️
Glad everything went fine yesterday, She-ra! I hope you have a more relaxing and cheerful weekend!
How is your sister doing?
My sister is doing very well!
Thank you for asking. I sent her a celebratory pullover fleece and throw blanket when she finished chemo and she loved them. I am hoping she will put on a few pounds over the holidays…like the rest of us. 
Great news! I am sure she will gain some weight with all the delicious holiday dishes around!
That’s wonderful news.
w00t w00t w00t for your sister!
I missed your post yesterday but am sending you a virtual hug today.
Ditto from me.
Thank you, sistine!♥️
That’s good news. So glad. I hope you can take things at your own pace and not feel hassled by the demands.
Thanks, Kanuka!
What a relief that must have been for you! I hope things continue to work out.
Yes, it is a big relief….thanks, Old Herbaceous.
If there is any question in your mind about needing a lawyer, please consult one quickly!
Thanks, Jalapeno. I contacted one last week and may have to hunt down a different kind.
Best of luck with your search!
That is good news, Glad things have calmed down.
Thank you, Gail!
1. I am wearing Lush Jilted Elf.
2. Four Leches cake.
3. I can’t stick to my “no or low” buy perfume resolutions anymore, so I stop making them.
4. I am not itching to buy anything right now, but a full bottle of L’Artisan 25 Obscuratio is still high in my wish list.
5. Like every year, I spend time watching Christmas movies on TV. Right now I am watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and for the rest of this weekend I have on my list Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, Elf and Polar Express. The kid on me never dies!
Happy Weekend, everyone! ??
You smell very nice!
#2 what is the 4th Leche? ?. I try not to pass by the Whole Foods bakery but I fear I may cave in.
#4 Saks is having 15% off Beauty and there’s a Rakuten 2% cash back. ??
Thank you! ?
2. Four Leches Cake is a sponge cake soaked in four kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, heavy cream and dulce de leche (caramel) One of my favorite desserts ever!
4. I will pretend I didn’t read this. I still haven’t bought my birthday present to myself from last month! ??
What? I missed your birthday?!
Happy belated pl67!
Thank you Lillyjo! I didn’t post most of November, so you didn’t miss it! ?
Belated Birthday Wishes from me, too!
Thank you, Jalapeno! ?
I love Christmas movies. Polar Express was so mesmerizing for me the first time I saw it; it was so well done!
Happy belated birthday and yay for Christmas movies! We watched Home Alone 2 last night.
Thank you, She-ra! Christmas movies twins! ?
Im so glad to be home, warm and cozy as Minneapolis was hit with 10 inches of snow yesterday! It’s beautiful, but travel is iffy. Coming home yesterday was dicey to say the least.
1) SOTD is a generous spritz of TF Tobacco Vanilla. Perfect with my fleecy sweater and socks.
2) I love all those fancy appetizers that appear around the holidays and New Years. Blintz with caviar, bacon wrapped dates, fancy baked brie. I never seem to have any of these at any other time of the year so I indulge while it’s offered.
3) Nope, I’d never lock myself into something I’d regret LOL
4) I’m thinking a FB of Cuir Buluga. Trying to decide if it’s different enough to warrant. Oh the dilemma.
5) I just spent a lovely time in Montreal with hubby and another couple. We had a marvelous time just walking around, eating great food, hanging with friends. It’s been far too long and since it was all mostly outside we felt safe. I will say we were VERY impressed with Canadian folks and their social grace. Everyone wore masks, EVERYONE. All restaurants asked to see vaccine cards for entry. No one complained or fussed about the standards. Refreshing!
In my (small, Canadian) city we have a small coterie of people who protest masks and vaccines every Sunday in front of City Hall, but for the most part, people simply accept that this is the way the world is right now. All of my customers wear masks without exception, and whenever the subject comes up, all of them are vaccinated. We all want this to be over with, and for most of us, this is the best way forward: short-term pain for long-term gain. (My husband and I have both vaccines, the booster, and the flu shot for good measure. I work with the public and we are not taking any chances!)
A big Yes to fancy, holiday appetizers!
1. SOTD = Bois d’Iris, since it was 55 here this morning when I got out of the shower. Now, 50 mile and hour winds and temp 37 and still dropping.
2. My version of real mince meat pie with figs and lamb in it. Yum!
3. Not really any resolutions, I have been curating my collection for a while now. I did get picked to buy DSH’s limited edition Colorado, and did so. I expected it to be high mountain piney, but it is more sort of foothills swampy meadow, lots of greenery and herbs with blasts of freshness at first sniff. I like it, I will have to wear it a while to see how it develops and if it turns into a love.
4. I would like to find a perfume that reveals the lodgepole pine forests of the Wyoming/Colorado border – lodgepole pines have resin that smells different for each tree, you can get piney, or chocolate, or vanilla or a mixed citrus scent. One day an old boyfriend and I came upon a patch of ripe wild raspberries on the side of a rocky ridge, with a little stream tumbling down through the boulders and the trees, and the cold water, the hot rocks, the bark and needles of the pine trees, the whiffs of sweet spices and the crushed raspberry leaves and berries, all combines to make a vividly beautiful scent memory, after all these years. I want a perfume that smells like that…
Ah…you have a very beautiful and specific scent memory. I suggest trying the Pineward Perfume line. You can get a sample set of 18 fragrances. I have a smaller set but have not yet tried any of them.
Wow, thanks for the tip – I had not heard of this line! Several look very interesting. I would be interested to hear which ones you favor…
I like your description. I think the pine/ vanilla combination you smell in summer hot pine Forrest’s/ walks through pine needles is one of my favourite scents. The perfume Blackbird has a strong blackberry/ pine scent. I find it also smells of rosemary ( not listed) so it becomes a bit Sunday roast on me, but it is nice. Olympic Orchids.
Sh, thanks for this suggestion, and warning re: Sunday roast! I will check it out!
Ah, not Sh. Fat fingered it again…
Is Sunday roast even a thing? Here it used to be: lamb roasted with rosemary, mint sauce, potatoes, peas and gravy. Always lamb…I think there used to be 60 million sheep to 3 million people but that has all changed since dairy farming became more prevalent.
I grew up on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. We are a lot of lamb and mutton. Big deal lamb roast was for Easter. I’d go for happy free range grass fed mutton over poor worn-out dairy cow beef any day.
What a gorgeous description!
Thanks! That is a kind compliment. My family tells me I am “wordy.”
Ha! My family says the same thing about me (I send long texts, drives my sister crazy lol)
1) My SOTD is California Snow by A Lab on Fire. I love this perfume and should wear it more often.
2) My favorite holiday food is stuffing.
3) I resolved to buy nothing until July 2021. It was… not successful. This year I plan to buy very little and enjoy my collection.
4) Not really itching to buy anything at the moment.
5). Unless something drastically changes, I will be flying to Canada on the 20th to see my family for the first time since Christmas 2019. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that all the pieces fit together.
I hope your trip goes well with no dramas at the border.
Haven’t tested this theory recently, but I’m pretty sure that I can eat an entire pan of stuffing all by myself.
Have a safe, peaceful, and enjoyable trip!
Hope it all works out for Canada!
Have a safe trip sistine!
I hope your family reunion goes forward and is wonderful!
I hope you can get back home, sistine!
Yay for stuffing and seeing your family!♥️
Fingers crossed for Good Trip Juju!
Sunday morning: two dogs, warm bed, coffee and traces of yesterday’s perfume. Before going to The French Dispatch I sprayed Jo Malone Starlit Mandarin and Honey, and Chloe Naturelle. I liked both but they were both gone by the end of the movie. I probably needed a bigger dose ( just shop tester sprays). Not enough honey in the first. Movie: Loved the French Dispatch. Loved it. ( I know some found it ‘ennui’ and ‘blasé’ but not me). Amazing sets, colour and style. Incredible acting from Tilda Swinton (kind of Dinah Shore meets Carol Burnett), Benicia del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux…actors clearly having fun. It made me laugh. Top general distribution film of 2021 ( beating Dune and Power of the Dog).
So many wonderful things this year but one that happened this week was that I saw the cover design for my novel for the first time and liked it. I wrote about 3/4 of the book before I got sick ( it’s about snow) and then I was too ill to write, and then in too much pain to sit ( the tumour and wound being in the back of my leg) but in September I got going again, writing in bed. Anyway…got finished and saw the cover and felt happy.
https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/winter-time-9780143778561
And now, Alex has made baguettes and the smell of baking bread is filling the house. Can’t beat it!
The cover is gorgeous! I hope you have a perfect Sunday. Fresh bread… drools…
Love the cover. Congratulations!
Love the cover and congratulations
It must feel so special seeing your book cover for the first time.
Congratulations!
I love the cover!
How thrilling about the book! The cover is lovely.
I love the cover. Good on you for finishing your book and soldiering through.
Congratulations! That’s wonderful news!
Congratulations! It must feel wonderful to see your work wrapped in such beauty.
Thanks everyone. I will always remember and feel grateful for your good wishes when I became ill. It really touched me immensely …especially the people who prayed for me as I have never been religious and that was something I had never envisaged….but it really helped me emotionally when things were tough. Anyway, you’re all mentioned in the acknowledgements as you were so great. The funny thing about the book cover is that I had to change the title of my book as it was Winterime ( one word) when I wrote it but the designer split it into two words .
Wow, wow, wow…congratulations! I too love the cover and look forward to reading it. The French Dispatch looks wonderful.
That really is a great cover, I love it.
1. SL Vetiver Oriental for a very raw day.
2. Thanksgiving and Christmas because my mother usually hosted and man! She did a great job. Cooked all the food, decorated the house, used her grandmothers antique china, the gold flatware, Waterford Crystal- she went all out! We always had tons of company with family and friends from near and far. Great memories! ?
3. I made zero resolutions and I stuck to every single one! ?
4. I’m dying for a BUB of MVP!
5. I now have purple and I like it. A lot!
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
You have to fight a lot of people for that BUB ?.
The purple hair is ? ?!
Thanks! I’m ready to get out my ? for the MVP round! Float like a ?…sting like a ?..!
I’m in Nordstrom for a return and wowza, the line is crazy! At least another 30 minutes of waiting ahead but I’m wafting pretty in MFK Silk Mood Oud. It’s really sweet and strong so I don’t wear often.
Today is our anniversary and I have a feeling mr yasmina bought me something perfume related – we shall see.
My own most recent purchase was a travel spray of Iris Poudre from evil bay. It’s very similar to the Les Indemonable iris imho, but smoother
Happy anniversary!
Thank you! It was lovely and I got a very generous giftcard to Indigo Perfumery ?
Happy Anniversary! That’s a long time to wait to return something.
I almost didn’t but calculated it would be more time to drive home and drive back another day
Love Iris Poudre – I recently bought a travel spray, also and am so happy I did. Good luck with your line and happy anniversary!
I wore it yesterday and can still smell it in my hair today – so so good!
Happy Anniversary! ???
Thank you ?
Hope you had a lovely anniversary!!
Just got my JJ booster
Will my arm hurt?
1. Love extreme
2. Rustic lasagna
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/free-form-sausage-and-three-cheese-lasagna
3. I don’t understand the question ??♀️
4. I bought too many this year
5. I am reading LOTS of YA books this year. Recently I have been taking some online creative writing through the library and enjoying some time to tap into some different energy. We are watching Lost in Space on Netflix.
re: #3 – LOL!
Yay on the booster. My arm hurt slightly for a day and that was it.
Good to know !
Yay for Love Extreme, lasagna and your booster! Hope you had minimal side effects.
1. Coromandel extrait
2. Marrons glacés but I’m not going to see any this year as I’m stuck in London, I suppose though that it’s possible to find some here
3. It’s always to get less, well it is less than last year so there’s that
4. Rochas Mystère if I can find it at decent price
5. I had a Bois de Jasmin class today and learned a lot.
Ooh was the class virtual? What was the topic?
Yes, virtual, the topic was citrus in fragrances, there is also one on woods and one on spices
I love Victoria’s blog so much – I will try to sign up for a class
You smell gorgeous!
Thank you Geordie, it’s still on my wrists this morning.
I ❤️ Coromandel extrait.
It is so special isn’t it, so glad you appreciate it too.
Perfume unicorns can turn up at the strangest times and places!
Ah, so true.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
Natori EDP, from my DIY fragrance Advent calendar
2. What’s your favorite holiday (any holiday) food, OR, what’s the best thing you cooked in 2021?
Lamb stifado, our Christmas Eve dinner for many years. Recipe: https://scentsandsensibilities.co/2020/12/28/fragrant-feasts-lamb-stifado/
3. Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2021, and if so, did you stick to them?
Nope!
4. Possibly related to #3, what’s the next fragrance you are itching to buy?
I’m thinking of getting more vintage Chanel No. 19 EDT
5. Share something wonderful with us!
Several young friends and relatives whose weddings were delayed from 2020 were able to get married this year, and we were able to attend two of those weddings post-vaccination; so much fun!
Thank you for that recipe, it sounds glorious!
It really is! And pretty easy, too.
Easy is good to hear:)
Bookmarked that recipe! I’m always ready to try something new for the holidays.
Wearing ELO’s perfume on one arm and Masque Milano’s shoe leather on the other. Not yet up for a larger sniff meet-up, but it was nice to be with two perfume pals today.
Holiday food: panettone. They are getting pretty fancy and therefore expensive, but I found a non-fancy-box version and it was equally delicious.
Resolution: removing the sample hill, which I have done. (It also helps to have a friend who’s a newer perfumista for passing some of them along) I have even started on the decants, but that might be for 2022.
No particular itches to buy anything at the moment. Kind of a nice feeling, really.
Wonderful: seeing friends! I now have the entire month of December off, after an exhausting year, and I have been going out for dinners, drinks, and lunches galore, one or two at a time.
I’ve only seen panettone in fancy boxes…maybe I need to go to an Italian bakery?
Yes, or even small grocery store or deli. If it’s a gift or potluck offering it can be popped into a gift bag and still have change leftover.
What fun, enjoy your month off AnnieA!
Poll answers:
I’m in Cristalle EDT today. I don’t wear it in chilly weather very often, but today it’s hitting the spot.
Favorite holiday food … ummm, I don’t think I have one. Maybe pumpkin pie?
I don’t remember making any resolutions last year, but if I did it would have been to shop my collection more and lust after new perfumes less. Making the same resolution for 2022 — I wasn’t what you would call successful on that in 2021. ?
Not itching to buy anything at the moment, but that’s only because I already bought. Two bottles that I plan to wrap for Mr. G to give me for Christmas. So I guess I’m itching to unwrap. ? OJ Champaca is the one I’m most looking forward to wearing. The other is a BUB of Wood Sage and Sea Salt, but in the pretty holiday bottle so mostly looking forward to just looking at that one.
Something wonderful — well, we had drama this morning but it all turned out okay in the end. We ordered a new couch and chair and they arrived at the warehouse earlier this week. Somehow delivery got scheduled for today, but the delivery window they gave us (with less than 12 hours’ notice) was smack dab in the middle of when we would both be away from the house. We tried calling to reschedule and thought that we succeeded, but apparently the actual delivery people didn’t get the word. Luckily, they got here quite a bit earlier than anticipated and I was still home when they arrived. Finished with 5 minutes to spare! And the new furniture is lovely.
Glad the potential drama fizzled out! We’re pumpkin pie twins if you decide to stick with it!
Huzzah for avoiding drama today!
So glad you got your new furniture and you love it!
1. SOTD = Mugler A*Men Pure Malt
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXWxfRiuj0j/?utm_medium=copy_link
2. Pumpkin Pie!
3. Didn’t make any resolutions so I am in good shape ?
4. Shhhhh, I am lemming after the newest Amouage Attar but I want the entire set of 1-2mL each, not 12mL per bottle at $450-$496 each. There are 7 different attars.
5. So far so good despite being at the tail end of COVID Year 2. I miss traveling but I am more content being safe at home.
In other news, there’s a speed check at a particular spot near here. The car ahead of me was going 29mph and got a Naughty label. I was ? and was perfectly at 25mph and got a Nice kudos ?.
Glad you hear that you weren’t busted by the speed trap!
Sometimes they have those devices in the weirdest of places!
1. Cuir Mauresque.
2. Favourite Christmas food has to be mince pies. I‘ve yet to meet a German who likes them, so if I make any, I‘ll be eating them all myself — wouldn‘t bother me ordinarily, but I‘m on a health drive (45lbs down since 2019, another 6 to go before I‘m officially no longer overweight). So I‘ve put the same spices into the fruit & nut mix that goes on my breakfast porridge, which is frankly nowhere near a mince pie experience but still pretty damn good.
https://britishfoodhistory.com/2011/12/17/to-make-mince-pies/
3. Resolutions? Is that something to do with pixels?
4. I would love a bottle of Vetiver pour Elle. Currently available on ebay for 500/700+ euros, so I’m not exactly itching to buy. Why do I wait until things are discontinued to discover them?
5. I offer you a 104-year-old Indian lady who is proper inspiring. I came across this story today in a wave of sadness over losing my own youthful 95-year-old mother not so long ago. It warmed my aching heart.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/11/curious-indian-woman-104-fulfils-dream-learning-read
Good to see you back, geordie. So sorry to hear about your mom. She must have lived a very full life.
And you smell nice!
Thank you, hajusuuri. She certainly did:)
You smell divine. You might have inspired my Sunday morning choice.
Happy to oblige – enjoy!
Inspiration followed, and I AM enjoying! Thanks!
Very inspiring story and I hope that happy times with your mother give you comfort.
Great story. So sorry about your mother. She sounds wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that article and very sorry about your mother.
My sympathies about your mother’s passing. It hurts, even when we know that they have had a long and full life. Hugs.
Condolences geordie, that’s so hard. Have bookmarked that article for bed time reading tonight.
Bless you, folks.
1. I am wearing Escentric Molecules 02. I had to work today after my haircut and I felt rushed and this one stays close to skin and shouldn’t offend my stylist.
2. I used to go to my Italian American grandmother’s version of the Seven Fishes Christmas Eve feast. I miss her but not sure I can ever replicate her meals. I sort of took on my mother in law’s tradition of a hosting a light meal buffet with family but since COVID and then her death, I haven’t done it. And this year I work Christmas Eve.
3. I resolved to buy only 2 bottles of perfume a year and I stuck with it. This came out of concern for the space the herd of bottles occupies on my bathroom counter and my vanity. (I am thinking that if/when we remodel our bathroom, I would like to have an illuminated set of shelves on the wall in which to store the bottles. Some day . .)
4. I am considering a bottle of Another 13 by Le Labo. I do have Escentric Molecule 02 and wear it a lot so maybe I don’t really need another scent like that. But perfume is not really about need.
5. I am looking forward to a trip I am taking with one of my best friends next spring. We have not taken a trip together in 30 years, since we were both so busy with our kids but now the time seems right. My friend loves to plan trips and it is treat for me to have her plan the itinerary for us.
Haircut twins , and you reminded me about the Fishes feast — I worked with a gentleman of Sicilian extraction for many years, and helped him and his wife with preparations for that feast many times. I enjoyed the variety of dishes, but I have to say that rolling out the cannoli dough was my favorite part.
What fun your trip sounds — where will you go?
Seattle. Neither of us has been there before.
Neither have I, that sounds like a perfect spring trip.
Good morning!
Met up with a friend yesterday who I hadn’t seen in a long while so that was good.
My take at the poll:
1. Still honeymooning with my J’adore L’or.
2. I have baked the delicious Basque Burnt Cheesecake quite a few times. Quickly becoming a new favourite. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/basque-burnt-cheesecake
3. No resolutions really.
4. I am itching to buy Hummingbird or the new Rosine for Spring but I still have a couple months to succumb.
5. Booster shot coming up week after. More protection is good news I guess lol.
That cheesecake looks amazing. Happy honeymoon with Dior!
I screenshot that cheesecake – yummy
Yay for a friend meetup, and for your upcoming booster shot!
Yesterday was my aunt’s sister’s funeral and I wore De Profundis (bell jar). Being lazy and and I am wearing no 5 but about to get into the shower and switch over to Memoir. Haven’t worn Memoir in ages. Used my 20% Ulta coupons, gift card and points multiplier for a bottle of Romance and an Urban Decay eye shadow set.
I am trying to make a resolution to not buy anymore perfume in the new year and no more candles in the new year. But sitting on my hands with the Bath and Body Works buy 2 get 2 sale. I can only buy a perfume next year if I finish 2 bottles of perfume before I get another. And I can only use my Ulta points for that new bottle. I think I bought too much perfume this year.
Very sorry for your loss, Dawn.
Glad you were able to attend the funeral.
If you make your resolutions, you can “win” a purchase or at least accumulate points towards whatever buy you’re going to do.
I’ve already accumulated over $600 worth of points. And that can buy a lot of Chanel perfumes. But I seriously need to start finishing things.
Hey folks!
1. I am about to put on No.19, because last night was crazy at work, and I want to be prepared for a rerun.
2. My Grandmother used to make a Middle Eastern dish called hushwee. It’s rice, lamb and chicken with pine nuts.
3. I probably had a resolution to wear what I love, but I don’t remember. It’s easy to get sidetracked with something new.
4. I always have something in my fragrance net cart. Right now it’s NR Musc Noir and YSL Elle.
5. My tree is up and I swear it looks better every year! All my ornaments are old with alot of homemade one’s, I even have old garland because I can never find it anymore.
I love how Christmas trees accumulate a life’s history of decorations. I have a bald angel and a broken santa from when I was little . I hope your week isn’t too nutty at work
My oldest and favorite ornament is a little striped elf with pipe cleaner legs and arms. I won him in a game at Brownies (pre-Girl Scouts).
I *love* the look and feel of a Christmas tree with a lot of old and mismatched ornaments. It reminds me of the ones my family had when I was growing up. Some of the old glass ornaments we had were my Grandma’s. Not sure if any of them survived.
#19 ?
Maybe your next cooking project is to try to replicate your grandma’s dish? Everything sounds good to me except the lamb although I think that’s probably what makes the dish THE DISH
Re: garland … i know not your favorite store but Target has (had) them but you have to get them early. Target shoppers seem to be especially messy this year. I won’t add myself to that group since I tend to put stuff back where I picked them up from after they had been picked over.
12 December is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gustave Flaubert so I am in a dab of Carnal Flower from a sample, for Madame Bovary. I was out and about yesterday and all the foxgloves and lupins are in full flower in the nearby paddocks, all purple and white, lovely. Have a happy week!
The flowers sound so lovely!
Your post made me wonder if there’s an HdP scent for Flaubert?
I don’t think so, and no Jardins d’Ecrivains either.
Foxgloves & lupins!!
We do not have any such glory, but we did make our own holiday wreath today from things growing in our yard — evergreens, holly and red winterberry. (I say we, but really I just went out and cut things and my husband made it, since he was appalled at the price of holiday greenery this year.)
1. I’m wearing Amouage Meander. It’s the clear winner out of the 12 in my new Christmas box of samples. It’s creamy and I mostly notice the pepper and olibanum.
2. Favorite holiday food is the kind of lemon cookie my grandma made. I make them for Christmas every year. It’s a buttery dough in balls that you press into pecan bits and bake, then frost with a very tart dab of lemon icing. About two bites.
3. No resolutions. I know better!
4. Yes lemming the Amouage from #1!
5. Good thing: I’m walking a bit better, though still not far at a time. Hoping to go to a conference in Gandia, Spain, next June. It’s near Barcelona!
Yay for walking better, one step at a time! Also, your SOTD sounds very much sniff-worthy.
Hello there NST!
Poll answers (accidentally typed “Pool” before correcting that mistake!):
1. SOTWeekend = Mitsouko EdP, from that gorgeous wee dabber sample.
2. It’s been ages since I had truly excellent mashed potatoes. I finally did this past Thanksgiving, courtesy of Mr. Jalapeno’s stepmom. I won’t ever make them myself, b/c Mr. Jalapeno and I violently disagree on what makes the perfect gravy. (I *still* don’t think that gravy should be sliced!)
3. Reasonably sure that I made a resolution to buy less perfume. I kept it for the first half of 2021, and then fell off a cliff with the second half. This latest confession to Donatella is going to be a gnarly one.
4. Not Jonesing for anything right now, thank goodness! I am a little surprised that Clinique does not have Wrappings on its website currently. So buying that BUB earlier this year was precognitive wisdom!
5. Mr. Jalapeno’s nephews have grown into such wonderful, mature young men. It’s a pleasure to hang around and chat with them as the eccentric Aunt by marriage.
Woop! You slice cranberry jelly NOT gravy so I am with you wholeheartedly!
I am the only person in the house who likes and will eat cranberries. Not even the cats will go near them. ??
My husband is a mashed potato fanatic and makes them for every holiday, the twice cooked variety from Cookwise that removes some of the starch so they’re fluffier.
But we don’t always have gravy at all, and likewise we completely disagree on what proper gravy is like
For perfume related resolutions, I finally got my act in gear and sold 17 bottles, or so, on evilBay this year.?
And because of the laws of product out/product in
, I purchased the most perfume this year in a while…have to update my spreadsheet for Q4 and do a tally but maybe 24 bottles when all the dust settles…ehaeheh?
Today I sniffed 4 of the new Estee Lauder line: Tender Light, Sensuous Stars, Dream Dusk and Radiant Mirage. Radiant Mirage is the winner of the 4…a floral patchouli w/ a bit of chocolate almost maybe from the patchouli.
??? on your net < 10 increase although you still have a good 19 days of shopping left, mist sayin’ ?.
1. I am wearing Prada Infusions d’Iris Cèdre
2. Mr. Allo makes Far Breton for the holidays and obliges me by adding prunes (it’s similar to Clafoutis)
3. I’m hopeless
4. Always. Just when I think I have enough and should focus on enjoying the fragrances I already have, something new catches my nose.
5. The kindness and generosity of the NST community!
?
Far Breton! That’s a new one for me. Looks amazing and I second the prunes.
Someone might make you what we affectionately call a “personal Far.”…