Tell us about a summer vacation, any summer vacation: one you took, one you plan to take, one you'd like to take. And tell us about the perfume that best matches that vacation.
Or, as always, just talk about something else.
Note: top image is Thursday in Montreal [cropped] by Dennis Sylvester Hurd at flickr; public domain.
When I was little, my parents owned a septic cleaning business and the busiest season was obviously summer, so we would take a couple of mini vacations: go stay in a clean motel with an outdoor pool for a weekend. It was always fun.
A tree service is taking down an enormous maple tree from a tight spot across the street and I have a front row seat here on my porch. Plus my climbing roses are in full bloom and it smells wonderful out here 😊
Wearing La Fille de Berlin from a generous nster to match my roses.
I love the image of you surrounded by roses and smelling wonderfully rosy in LFdB. My Cecile Brunner just started to bloom and I’m also enjoying the fragrant Rugosas everywhere 🙂
I am enjoying all the fragrant Rugosas here too! Swoon.
You smell great
Thank, I’m sure you do too 🙂
The beach roses are probably blooming down at the New Jersey Shore now. They smell great but have so many thorns!
Wearing a floral powerhouse Beautiful Belle.
Will wear Angelique Noir from a decant later after I shower. I love this one but it doesn’t last on me.
For summer vacations I am dreaming of a beach, maybe in Songes or some other BWF
Speaking of vacations, has anyone been to Halifax in NS? That is on my list for a potential destination this summer.
That is on my list too…plus Prince Edward Island.
Halifax is worth a visit, I enjoyed all of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island. Still trying to get to Newfoundland & Labrador.
If you don’t have a car, is it easy to get around?
If you’re staying just in Halifax, you should be fine, but if you want to see other places, a car is a must.
I want to explore that WHOLE area in the worst way!
I’m going there in 3 weeks!!! Super excited. I’ve never been.
Ok, what is your itinerary if you don’t mind me asking ?
Honestly, at this moment my itinerary is
1) Get there
2) Check into luxury hotel
3) Hug family members super hard
4) Eat seafood
5) Keep repeating #3.
I know my parents have rented a car, and there’s talk of Peggy’s Cove and Lunenberg. I just want to relax and breathe in ocean air.
Sounds like a perfect itinerary to me! I hope you also repeat #4, lol!
I highly recommend Peggy’s Cove and Lunenberg, both lovely!
Wow, that sounds lovely.
I like AN in the summer more than winter
Do you feel is blooms more on the skin?
Definitely
Further north Cape Breton is much more dramatic and scenic! But you do need to drive. Interestingly the water at beaches is milder up there due to the Gulf Stream,
Calypso, I work on Cape Breton Island, and you’re right-we have the warmest waters north of the carolinas 🙂 The scenery is beautiful. I biked the Cabot trail twice, about 12 years ago. I found that to be epic. I can’t believe you visited CB!
we want wait for the kids to be a little older to go there
I found Cape Breton Island a bit claustrophobic because of all the dense trees, but it was dramatic. Also visited a very cool Scotch distillery.
Hello! I used to live in Halifax. I spent almost 20 years in NB. Right now I live 250 km from Halifax-I’m going there tomorrow, for the Van Gogh interactive exhibit. I hope you have a great visit here 🙂 There’s lots to do, and so many lovely beaches. Most beaches are free. The weather doesn’t get too warm, so bring lots of layers and a waterproof jacket. This past Wednesday the temp was 7 degrees C, and the wind was high, and it felt like zero. Use sunscreen, and a good moisturizer to avoid windburn. For perfumes/cosmetics hit Be Gorgeous Beauty in Halifax – Tim is amazing. If you have any questions I’d be pleased to answer them.
Sincerely, Carole
Thank you! The problem with traveling by car is its just as expensive at NYC! So Mr L wants to avoid this.
Are there ferries or anything as such to see other little towns?
I wish. New Brinswil has cable ferries, to help get you where you want to go, but no such luck here.
That should be New Brunswick – sorry
Highly recommend Nova Scotia, and also New Brunswick. We used to drive up there on vacation when I lived in Boston (longer ago than I’d like to think). Fundy National Park in NB is great. Halifax is a great town, too. That said, if you’re going to NS, you really do have to go to Cape Breton Island. But you do need a car.
Never got to PEI, though. There wasn’t a bridge back then. One of my colleagues at work is from PEI and talks it up at every opportunity, though!
I’ve been to the Canadian coast via the Holland America New England cruise, which I think is a great way of tasting what they have to offer for a longer vacation next time. I want to go back to all of them which did not help me narrow down a future destination. That said, you just gave me an idea of what to do since I am striking out on the Tauck small group tours.
I was born and grew up in Halifax! How cool! I moved to Toronto in 1987 but always go back in the summer and at one time for Christmas holidays. You will be able to explore a lot of the city on foot… it’s a peninsula so it is not a big place. The waterfront is great… start at Historic Properties and walk south along the various paths and boardwalks. I would recommend visiting the Pier 21 Museum, Canada’s equivalent of Ellis Island. A lot of my friend’s parents landed there in the 1960s from Europe, then boarded trains for Quebec and Ontario, or even further west. The Hydrostone area in the north end is a neighborhood built after the Halifax explosion in 1917 – worth a look and a walkabout. There are lots of universities and colleges. If you like a bit of nature visit The Public Gardens on Spring Garden Road… a gorgeous Victorian era park, and also Point Pleasant Park in the south end. It is a very green city, lots of leafy residential streets. Actually I remember flying home once and there was a young guy sitting next to me who could not believe the spruce and pine trees as you start to descend for landing. Outside of the city you should take in the south shore… Lunenburg, Mahone Bay (my sister is there now for the summer). The Annapolis Valley is lovely, Grand-Pré a homeland to the Acadians. There’s tons of history everywhere, lots of beaches, great seafood!
Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! Have fun whatever you decide to see!
We decided since we aren’t going to rent a car, its too expensive, that we are taking a bus for Lunenberg. We will spend one night at a local b&b. I have read this is a beautiful place.
We now live somewhere that is a summer vacation destination for most folks, so we are in months-long staycation mode. Weather right now is gorgeous. I’m thinking JM Tangy Rhubarb will suit just fine for work this afternoon.
Spent my day off yesterday having lunch at the atrium restaurant where the Green Bay Packers (American football team) play – it’s got very good food and one of the best grilled cheeseburgers around. Washed the burger down with a cold Raspberry Smash hard cider that had just the right amount of pucker…enough so that I stopped at a local supermarket to buy a six pack for home. We also bought a scented travel candle entitled “Frozen Tundra” in the pro shop simply because it made us laugh. Here’s the description: “Warm, calming tonalities of Vanilla intertwine with the aromatic Balsam Fir, Natural Pine, and resinous Cedarwood as the stoic history of Lambeau Field wafts through the air.” LOL.
Then we were off to see Top Gun in an IMAX type theater. It was fabulous fun. Very well done, and the flight sequences are impressively scary. Say what you will about Cruise…he is one heck of an old-fashioned movie star. I actually enjoy him more at this older age than when he was younger…he has an air of wry humor that is more endearing.
Love the idea of a “Frozen Tundra” candle, lol!
I feel the same way about Tom Cruise. He has definitely gotten better with age. How was Val Kilmer?
It was a short scene. Very sweet.
Scent twins today! Your day off yesterday sounds marvelous, and that candle sounds wonderful.
Very much not a summer-vacation person: our idea of a holiday is going to a big city and exploring everything, and that’s never fun in the depths of summer, so we always travel in spring or fall. (We went to New York once in late May/early June, thinking it wouldn’t be too hot by then: what a mistake that was.)
So I’m wearing Serge Lutens Feminité du Bois, which I bought during one of those autumnal vacations, Tokyo in the back half of October. If you want a whole lot of cedar, FdB is a pretty good way to do it.
I am not a fan of NYC in summer, but have had many happy city vacations in June. High summer is for oceans & lakes.
I made the same mistake of going to New Orleans in May. If I ever go back it will be in February.
The only time I’ve been to New Orleans was for a conference in early January. It set records for cold temps, and there were times when the wind was just brutal. Not what I expected at all! But it’s a lovely and interesting city, and a highlight for me was the cooking class I took with a few of my colleagues that included eating the lunch we had made in class, with traditional New Orleans recipes and food like shrimp jambalaya. Nom nom nom!
I,ve been to New Orleans in October. Still 2 showers a day hot 🥵!
We’ve had one summer vacation already, combined with a work trip for my husband. I’m so happy to be able to travel again! We went to Milan, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Como; then to Sitges, a seaside resort outside Barcelona, for his weeklong work retreat. Most of his colleagues live and work in Europe, including in Barcelona, so that’s easy for most of them and a treat for us. And yes, I did bring back some perfume souvenirs, the niche ones being Carthusia’s new A’mmare (2021) and Santa Eulalia’s Albis.
We plan to go to New Hampshire toward the end of the summer to see my 91 year-old father-in-law, and we’ll stay by a lake, so I think that counts as vacation! And in June, we have two weddings out of town in interesting places (Kiawah Island in SC, and Williamsburg in VA), so we’re looking forward to those trips.
You’re having a wonderful travel year! How is the Carthusia scent?
It’s pretty great! Very fresh, but also herbal and aromatic. John Biebel named it one of the best of 2021. It’s perfect as a summer fragrance. Think “herb garden by the sea.” I like it a lot!
Sounds great. Fiori di Capri is a favorite. It’s a sunny floral. Oddly described as sweet, which I don’t get. To me it’s the floral of a hot, dry climate,
Oh, meant to make it to Sitges when I was in Barcelona but didn’t manage it. Have not been to Lake Maggiore either.
What a wonderful trip!
It really was — I’d been dying to see Lake Maggiore and its island gardens, and they were even more wonderful than I had expected. Isola Bella was heavenly. Have you ever heard the saying that when good Americans die, they go to Paris? Well, I’m thinking it’s Isola Bella where the REALLY good Americans go, lol!
Isola Bella was just amazingly beautiful!
P.S. I really enjoyed Sitges in May. I’m sure it’s chaotic in the “high season” later in the summer, but early May was perfect. Very pretty town, lovely boutique hotels, cute stores, wonderful food. We stayed at Hotel MIM Sitges, which was one block from the beach. It has a very nice rooftop terrace with a restaurant, bar, small dipping pool, lovely view. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. I spent some time in the hotel’s onsite spa, also lovely. We don’t often go to “resort” towns, or spend several days in the same hotel, but this was a treat. Highly recommend a visit! But not in high season.
I took a day trip to Sitges on the train when I visited Barcelona… what a lovely place! That was a while back in 2012. Time to go back to Spain to see more!
Those sound like great trips, especially with weddings to celebrate! Have fun! 🎊
Thanks! Yes, I feel so lucky to have the chance to “tag along” on my husband’s work trips and add a side trip for just us. We love to travel, and until now we hadn’t been overseas since the summer of 2019. I’m excited for the upcoming weddings; the first is our niece, at Kiawah Island, and we love her AND the South Carolina coast. The second is the daughter of longtime friends who are also godparents to one of our kids, and we look forward to both the wedding and a return to Williamsburg, which is such a pretty and interesting place.
I’m enjoying Armani Cuir Amethyste with my coffee this morning. One memorable vacation was the last one my family took together, before us kids scattered to various colleges and other “grown-up” places. The six of us crammed into the family sedan and road-tripped from Portland to Lake Tahoe. Got caught in what had to be the rainiest four days that town has ever seen, so we decamped to Sacramento for better weather. My dad somehow found a funky little motel (that we could actually afford), built around a pool, a walking trail, and a small man-made lake complete with tiny one-person sailboats. No motel today would ever occupy so much land without using it for more motel rooms so I’m sure it got torn down and redeveloped, but it was a perfect little family vacation spot at the time.
What fun!! Love that story.
What a sweet story! We have a similar one; when our three kids were little, my husband was between jobs and I hadn’t yet gone back to the “paid workforce”, so we were economizing on vacations. We went to the North Carolina mountains, with one goal being to spend a “Day Out With Thomas”, i.e. the beloved tank engine, for our little boy’s 3rd birthday. We found this funky little family-owned motel out in the middle of nowhere, run by the nicest people, and well within our budget. A highlight of the trip turned out to be the local swimming hole they sent us to, which we had all to ourselves.
But you should have seen the incredulous joy on our youngest child’s face when a life-size “Thomas” steam engine puffed into the small town train station that was hosting the event. You’d have thought he was seeing Santa Claus in the flesh. I treasure the memory of that vacation.
Oh, that’s adorable.
That is SO sweet!
Not in south of France but dreaming of the south of France. Currently wearing Dior Bois d’Argent – I’ve been won over by Dior’s latest round of social media posts. I’ve never worn this in warmer temperatures but it’s working surprisingly well for me.
I have never been to the South of France so when I dream of it, it’s all images from TV shows 😉
In one week we are traveling to Croatia with our 18 yr old nephew. We don’t have kids, but we do have siblings who’ve provided us with kids we can borrow 😂. As each one has graduated from high school we’ve taken them on a big trip, anywhere they want. Nephew choose Croatia, so we’re visiting Zegreb, Plitvice National Park, Split, then sailing the coast for a week, wrapping up in the Rovinji area. Besides sailing, we’re having a cooking lesson and going truffle hunting. Nephew is a foodie! He loves to cook. 19 days including the travel days back and forth just the 3 of us. Really excited to spend time with him and see Croatia.
After all that I’m commando again except for bug spray…I’m weeding my flowers. After a shower I’ll pick another Happy Hour scent.
I loved Croatia 🇭🇷
Such a beautiful country
Enjoy
Fantastic! Your nieces and nephews must adore you.
Very nice way to cap off a graduation! My friend and her husband do the same thing for their nieces and nephews although they’re not quite into the sporty stuff, foodie yes!
Oh my gosh! What a blast you all will have! And what an AMAZING aunt you are!
Wow, that sounds amazing. Have a great time!
Coolest aunt and uncle ever! I’m curious to know where else you’ve gone on these trips…?
First nephew choose Turkey. We did Istanbul and then sailed for a week. Bareboat as we’re experienced sailors.
Niece, a budding marine biologist, choose the Galapagos.
Second nephew who has severe CP and uses a wheelchair, we did an adaptive ski trip in Idaho. That required his folks to join us but it was lots of fun.
This is the last kid. At first he picked Tibet, but with the whole Chinese Covid lockdown we knew a year ago that was off the table. Croatia was the next destination.
We’ve tried very hard to stay connected with them, not always easy with teens. Besides these big trips they’ve all visited us at our cabin each year or we’ve gone canoeing in the MN Boundary Water area. Then we send them home; worn out, smelly clothes and lots of stories 😀
What a wonderful trip — and such a great idea to take your niece and nephews on these special voyages! You are the model aunt. One of my daughters is obsessed with Croatia and swears that will be her next trip overseas. I hope you have a fabulous time!
Your nieces and nephews are awesome human beings, just from their travel choices! That’s amazing that you take them!
We are doing a 4 night trip to Montreal later this month, really looking forward to it! Have never been in Canada at all.
Other than that, will be the usual round of quick vacations to beach, sister’s lake house, hopefully to Portland ME to see my stepmother.
Not a city person at all, but Montreal holds a strange attraction for me. I hope you have a great trip!
What dates are you going? I will be there June 24 – July 10.
23rd to the 27th…we will overlap! Email me if you want to try to arrange coffee or something. It’s an anniversary trip so not thinking I will do any perfume shopping, though.
Sent you an email with my contact info. Hopefully we can meet up!
I spent two days in Montreal years ago (to renew my visa for the US) but still remember it as a beautiful city and the shopping was great.
Montreal always seems like such a far away destination to me. It’s probably a much easier drive than I realize, though. I do NOT want to be near an airport for quite a while, after last year.
It always seems far to me too, but it’s a less-than-2-hour flight, so not bad at all.
I hear you on the airport, though.
Sounds great! I’ve never been to Canada either, it sounds so nice. And Maine will be wonderful in the summer. I have cousins who live or summer outside Brunswick, not far from Portland.
One of my favorite ever travel posters: we flew to Portland several years ago for my uncle’s memorial service in Maine. Both of us working full time, with three young children, always stressed out and tired. We got off the plane and the Portland airport had this HUGE electronic welcome sign, with a photo of pine forest by the sea, that said: “Breathe Deep. You’re in Maine.” Perfect.
We were just talking about Montreal this morning. It’s high on our list of possible trips for 2023.
I am in Montréal so if you need any recommendations, you could email me.
Montréal is great during summer. So many new restaurants, bars, terrasses etc.. Be prepared for the crazy high prices though.
herasuk@hotmail.com
Hera, thank you, that is very kind! And yes, so far, does not look to be a cheap trip. But it’s our 25th, so we are splurging a bit.
I used to live in New England and I fondly remember 2 trips to Montreal in my 20’s. I also went with my husband about 25 years go. Great place. Very European and pleasant drive.
Now that I live in Texas, it is not so easy to get there.
Like pyramus, we usually travel in not-summer since it’s less crowded. We are going to Yosemite for a few days next month, though, that will be fun. We usually stick to the Tioga Pass area which is not nearly so crowded as Yosemite Valley. It’ll be Eau de Bug Spray during the days; something woodsy in the evening, I think. Perhaps MMM Soul of the Forest.
Had lunch with a friend a few days ago, and did a little sniffing at Nordstrom’s. Tried out Chanel Paris-Paris; I think it’s not for me, so money saved.
I think it is time for me to swap my winter scents for summer scents even though it’s still a bit cool, and we may even get some rain tomorrow! Unusual for June. But I’m ready for summer.
How nice, have fun in Yosemite!
Going to my first wedding in years today! I’m in Prada Infusion d’Iris.
Favourite summer vacation? Banff National Park. Had the pleasure of snow in July when we visited the Athabasca Glacier! We won’t be vacationing this summer due to lack of funds.
Great perfume for a wedding.
I haven’t been to a wedding in ages, have fun!
That place is amazing and Athabasca Glacier is the great place to visit in July and August! 🥶
I grew up close to Banff. Honestly didn’t realize how incredible it was until I moved away. I was so spoiled.
Same here…outdoor wedding under a tent last night, it was lovely.
I’m in Eau de Neroli Dore today.
Summer vacation will be in July, I’ll be going to Turkey for a week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeY9VGBjLyY/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Twins! 😊
I am definitely bringing this one with me on my summer trip to Croatia this July 💛
Turkey is another on my to-do list! Lucky you.
Planning on work, work, working through the summer just like Brittany Spears sings- “You Better Work Bi**ch!” I don’t want a Bugatti, but I am planning on a very extended vacation in the future.
We didn’t have specific summer trips when I was a little Deva because school was was scheduled 9 weeks in/3 weeks out, year round. Most of the family summer vacation memories that loom large in my head are from an amalgam of warm weather road trips around the US.
In 1977, my mom bought a HUGE Chrysler New Yorker Brougham that was as big as boat. The next year, we took a road trip from Chicago to meander all over the western US, staying at mostly mom and pop motels and state parks. The car had a huge sun roof and as we drove through some state and National Parks with herds of bison, antelope, and elk, my brother got to sit on the roof with his legs dangling into the car. I was not allowed, which didn’t sit very well with me!
I got to go horseback riding in Garden of the Gods, saw real life cowboys herding cattle with the help of some robust doggos, and for the first time really understood the vastness and complexity of the US. Miles and miles of unfenced lands, breathtaking scenery, and some Native American culture. AIM was active during this time, and this trip prompted me to learn more about US history from a Native American perspective as I got older.
I learned to hone my skill of totally disregarding and ignoring my brother, who was a very annoying 16 year old at the time.
I learned family dysfunction becomes more extreme if said family members are confined to small, tight spaces over long periods of time and that being around people non-stop 24/7 without the ability to isolate and have downtime was not the way I planned to EVER spend my life.
My dad especially enjoyed driving all over the US and I often watched him watch everything else. I think until his dying day, the farm boy in him still deeply and passionately loved the idea of the American Dream, even if the reality falls far short. Even though he was the typical “poor Irish farm boy who only wore shoes when going to church,” he didn’t consider himself poor as a child because “we lived on a farm and always had enough to eat.” Consequently, he was grateful for everything. This was a lesson I learned passively which has served me well over the years.
In a “Memoir” Creative Writing class, some summer memories wove themselves into a an assigned paper, and my professor wrote “You take great risk here, but the payoff is HUGE!” So, I encourage everyone to write little bits and pieces of their own memories, keep them close to your heart, read and reread them, edit away, and just spend time in the dusty memory section of the old noggin! It’s a very cathartic process.
I’m wearing Corsica Furiosa as today is going to be a bit on the warmer side. Hope the weather is spectacular for all this weekend!✌🏼
OMG my mother bought one of those huge Chrysler Brougham’s as well, it was powder blue and we called it the Blue Bomb. What a tank!
My dad grew up on a farm in North Dakota and sounds like your dad.
Ours was white with a tan top and white leather seats! With kids and dogs- just crazy! But man, it was the Cruise Ship of Mopar car line-up at the time. When we had friends and relatives visiting from the UK, they all delighted in riding in it like it was a carnival ride! 🎡
Your dad is probably related to my dad in some distant, loose genetic way. Those farm boys are something else. 🥰
Oh Deva, this whole post is just so excellent. That second to the last paragraph got me all choked up, my girls have both kept journals and short stories for years. I’m sure they will be glad they did some day, although my youngest has a scary ability to remember things, like down to the details of what all of us were wearing.😳 Freaks us out sometimes.
My dad grew up on a farm also. The oldest of 7 and like your dad, he’s been grateful for everything in his life too.
I think is just wonderful your kids are doing this. And what about you? Do you write a little something now and then that they can always have with them after you go space trucking? I know I wish my mom or dad left me some of their inner life, written down on paper, that I could carry with me. I didn’t grow up in a family that expressed emotion but I know they loved me, and often thought it would be nice to have access to a little bit of their internal life via letters, a memoir, random jotting down of thoughts, ideas, or emotions. Your kids would love and treasure it always. 🥰
I wish my Dad would have written down the stories he used to tell about his childhood and youth. I used to know them word for word, but that is not the case now.
I’m so glad you got to hear them, at least! But yes, having a tangible reminder of an elusive and transitory memory would be fabulous. My dad was not a talker, so in some ways he was a bit of a stranger to me.
My dad was number 7 out of 11 kids!
Mine was the eldest of 7 and defied all expectations when he shook the farm dust and dung of Ireland off his shoes at age 16 and boarded a boat with just a few hard earned dollars in his pants. He had his faults, as do we all, but I still think he was the GOAT!
Did you ever meet your grandmother? Props to her because I can’t even imagine 11 kids…😵
My grandmother was the sweetest most gentle person. Tough as nails though. She came from Austria and her family lived in a sod house when they first immigrated. Dad left home at 18 to join the Marines and learn a trade as a radio technician.
Wonderful recollections, Deva! You’re such a good writer. It’s so interesting how those early experiences can affect people for the good. I’ve been fascinated by some of the research into “resilient children”, including kids who were prairie pioneers in the American West and kids who lived through the Blitz in London.
I think many of us have forebears who would fall into that category, bless them. And sharing their stories with our own children builds up their resilience too.
All if this! And speaking of the Blitz and WWII, I had an ICU patient for a three day stretch a few years back. On day 3 we weaned sedation and extubated her. She started talking nonstop, but mostly not discernible speech. I was bathing her and asking her to “not talk right now because you need to rest your throat,” plus she was getting a bit agitated. She just started talking faster. Finally I gave up and just let her talk. Her speech became more clear. First thing I made out was “You warsh me like a hoss!” with a clear German accent. I told her, “I LOVE horses!” 😍
Then she went on to tell me about walking with her mother in Berlin when she was five and “the bombs dropped.” How her mother threw into a recessed entryway into a store, then, “She land on top to save me!” then, the crying began. Just devastating. But also a privilege that she shared it with me. I will never understand why people hate and hurt others so much.
What a powerful story. I loathe the suffering that is caused when a small, powerful group decides to wage war.
This sounds like my childhood vacations, but with a giant purple something instead of your Chrysler. (Sorry, I’m terrible with cars. I’ll ask my parents what that burgundy monster was.).
For a minute when I read “giant purple something” I thought you were talking about Barney…😂
Thanks for this post Deva. Brought back memories of touring New England in our old Ford as a child.
I worked my way through college with a full time day job and classes at night. I was down to my last six credits and my university offered a six-credit, six-week course in Rome. I asked my job for a leave of absence to go, and they said no, so I quit. I went to Rome for six weeks, had the most wonderful time, finished my degree, and returned home to an answering machine with four calls from my old job asking me to come back. So I negotiated for a raise and a promotion. It was a good summer and a great vacation! Today’s scent is BDK Pas de Soir.
Oh, this is just FABULOUS, in every way! Good for you! And what an amazing 6 weeks that must have been. 👍🏼
Best story ever
Awesome story, woot!
BTW, I’ve seen some comparisons between BDK Pas Ce Soir and Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour. I know you have both – do they feel similar to you?
Pas de Soir has a buttery note that Sunset Hour doesn’t, but otherwise they are very, very similar.
Saved money, thank you!
Thanks for your kind offer but I have a bottle in my San Diego house, will do a side by side test when I get back in the fall. 🙂
Interesting, I don’t remember a buttery note in the BDK, need to resniff.
Can help.
That’s fantastic. The six weeks must have been divine.
Good job with leveraging!
Omg, what yasmina said! Best story ever!
Good for you! Wonderful story on SO many levels!
Foxbins for the win!
Great story. Brilliant. I have never been to Rome but what an opportunity.
Oh, good on you! Always go the direction you need to go, and it will work out in the end.
In the summer we go to Egypt to visit family for over a month so that’s usually our vacation — not that I’m complaining: There’s so many nice places, especially beaches, to visit within the country.
In Puredistance Gold from the splitmeet— this one is really really lovely.
Egypt sounds lovely 🥰
I dream of going to Egypt.
We all so want to go to Egypt. (I’ve been once, but I was organizing a conference for work and so saw pretty much nothing outside of the hotel.) Ockeghem Tween really, really wants to go.
That’s too bad! I hope it was at least a really nice hotel!
I totally recommend Egypt for tourism— the Spring months would be best: still not too hot to do all the monument visits but warm enough to do seaside swimming as well.
Happy to give recommendations on what to see, eat, do etc for any NSTer 🙂
Wearing Bengale Rouge today. More wind and rain, starting to doubt we will ever have a summer. The good news is we leave on June 20th for our road trip to Montreal. Really looking forward to it.
That’s how I felt about May, doubting we would ever have a spring and really we didn’t, I went from wool coat to no coat. Guess I can throw my spring ones away, lol. Hope you get some good weather soon! And enjoy your road trip.
We will at the very least get good weather in Montreal, it is much nicer there!
It’s quite sunny and warm here today, so I’m pushing it your way. And you smell ah-MAZING! 🌞
Thanks!!
Safe travels on your road trip! And I hope you get some sun soon.
I’m sorry your early summer is so gloomy. I know you’re a fan of sunshine. I hope you see the sun soon!
I’m starting to feel desperate. It rains every single day.
How exciting. What an adventure.
Road trip across the country! I’m so jealous.
You won’t be with the gas bill. I tried to convince my husband to fly, it would cost half as much. But he wants to bring his bike (insert eye roll).
It can be luggage 🤷🏻♀️
He refuses to ship his precious bike…
Ideal past and wishful:
Spend the summer with my dog.
Had a visit from my mother last night (she’s been in Heaven for years). She came to me, healthy looking, wearing her normal clothes and leaned into me on the bed. Kinda transparent-ish. She was reaching out to hold me, but coming for my dog. She is really my parents’ girl. Not tonight, when I asked. We had this exact conversation when my mother was passing and my grandmother visited my mother.
I know this must sound so bizarre. Has anyone else experienced this?
Its an Amazing Grace kinda day. With a dollop of Unconditional Love.
I have been visited occasionally by pets that have passed. I’m glad it isn’t yet time for your beloved doggie to join your mom, but when that time comes your mom will be there to welcome them. Wishing you more sunny days together.
Thanks for the validation. I have had many vivid, real dreams, I thought, right after my mother passed. To the point where she sternly told me to stop asking for her to visit or she would stop. I didn’t think anyone would believe me.
And thank you. I hope I get more days. I want her to be happy. We love our little ones, don’t we?
Their happiness and comfort is most important. Pets give us such pure unconditional love.
My dad passed in February 2019, and he visited me in a couple of dreams in the first year after he passed. He was always happy, healthy and well-dressed, and there was a theme, a message he had for me in both dreams. I wrote down the dreams upon waking so I could read them later and cherish their messages. It’s real. I believe you without question. 😊❤️
I wrote everything down, too! And there was always a message. ‘Visioning’ happens at the end of life, unless I’m on my way, this blew me away. Thanks for the reassurance, too.
I’ve had a few visits from my Dad after he passed away. Your story isn’t strange to me at all.
I hope they have been comforting.
And, thanks. Mom’s been gone for 10 years. Haven’t seen her since my father passed. (She’s probably busy👰)
I haven’t had any dreams about my Dad for quite a while. They were both comforting and a little upsetting.
My mother-in-law has visited me in dreams three times since she passed away. While she was still
lucid (and alive), she told me she was being visited by a beloved aunt and her own mother. I think these visits are common – friends have also described it. It’s so crazy vivid and unsettling though – it’s obviously not a normal dream.
Those visits were a joy and gift to your mother-in-law.
What’s unsettling, is this visioning happens with the dying.
Doesn’t sound bizarre at all. Hugs.
Thank you. I’ve had trouble shaking this today.
This is all so moving
My summer vacation is the same year after year and I don’t even have to look at previous years’ polls to know what it is. Up north, sitting by the lake with my toes in the water, the sun on my face and my 3 kiddos. Two of whom are not really kiddos anymore, and as simple as that sounds, it’s getting harder and harder to pull off as they are all moving in different directions. Such is life I guess. Sigh. I hope we can at least squeeze in a weekend all together.🤞
Also on my bucket list is 2 or 3 nights in Chicago with my girls to do a mini Ferris Bueller’s day off. The art museum, sears tower, the flamingo statue, and of course I would sneak in some perfume shopping.
Our bluebird weather has left us. Looks like LizzieB has it now. It’s overcast with rain off and on predicted for both days. We are thinking of going to see Top Gun. I’m in Art Meets Art Like a Virgin LE, my dupe for Killian’s Love don’t be shy. I waffled on getting this one and now I’m so glad I did.
A Ferris Bueller’s Day Off trip sounds amazing!
Your Ferris Bueller trip is my dream weekend!
I turned the heat on in my car this morning!
Holidays is Drôme Provençale for me as I go almost every year and have childhood memories. On August 15 there is a candlelit parade in a medieval mountain village and I have a memory of traveling by car on our way back while sleepily observing shooting stars.
Sounds wonderful! My dream vacation.
I do hope you will go one day.
I’m hoping next year, when the dust settles on the moving debacle!
A summer vacation in Provence sounds like a fairy tale trip to me!
Drôme is wonderful because it is steeped in history, where I go Nyons (famous for its olives) is near Valreas which was the summer residence of the popes when they reigned in Avignon.
What a beautiful place! The lavender fields alone. I would love to go, also it would be interesting to know Grasse. Is there a lot of tourism around perfume there- as in museums, shops etc?
Oh yes, and mountain/wild lavender is even more fragrant. There is a lavender distillerie called Bleu Provence in the little town where I stay, Nyons, they have an online store but not sure whether they ship to the US. I visited Grasse as a teenager, I don’t remember crowds of people but if you can, get there in May or September.
I haven’t been on a summer vacation in years. We sometimes would go visit my husband’s kids, but that’s not really a vacation in my opinion, and there was often tension during the visits. So I’ll just consider a fantasy vacation: a long weekend at a bed & breakfast somewhere cool. Maybe up in the northeast? Maine? I’ve never been anywhere near that part of the country. I’m just looking for peace, quiet, shopping when I wanna, 85 degrees or less and low humidity. 🥵 Does anyone have suggestions? I’m kinda serious.
I’m in JM Tangy Rhubarb today. The bottle is labeled cologne, so I lot track of the number of sprays after 12. Happily reeking!
I got engaged in Maine, during August and it was incredibly cold.
New England is a box of chocolates! Block Island is nice, you can avoid the touristy areas and they have some really nice B&BS. Farm to table before it was a thing. Martha’s Vineyard has quiet areas and perfume shops. 😉 I could go on, but come visit! July is ruthless these years, so I’d avoid that month.
Cold in August? Wow! Block Island sounds lovely. Thanks for the suggestions!
New Jersey is humid well into October, so I think that despite a lot of great things to do and see here, it doesn’t fit your criteria. But Vermont might…
Yep, looking to get away from the pea soup level humidity…
Maine in the summer is wonderful, imho. Portand is a great small city, and there are lots of other lovely places, depending on what you want. Bar Harbor is great fun — very much a family summer resort town, with lots to do. I like the areas between Portland and Brunswick, there are lots of inns and B&Bs. And lobster!! Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are also fun, and there’s some fun shopping.
New Hampshire is also a great summer destination with many beautiful lakes and also some seashore. Wolfeboro is another fun little family summer resort town, on Lake Winnepesaukee, with cute shops, boat rides, ice cream, nature trails, etc. And if you like lakes, Vermont is great and so are some of the lakes in upstate NY: Finger Lakes region, Adirondacks, Lake George (nice shops too). I hope you find somewhere great to go with just your husband!
Thanks for the suggestions, OH! I’ve been interested in the Finger Lakes are off and on; the wine I’ve had from the area is pretty spectacular.
I second Portland…great fun in the summer, and you can take the ferry to Peaks Island if the weather is warm.
Northern Michigan by the lake ( pick one!) Is beautiful and serine.
That sound like just what I need. 😊
I’m a big Michigan fan, but there are killer mosquitoes up north in the summer!
They are also in south Michigan now 🦟 for the past two summers — not sure if there’s some kind of ecological imbalance going on??
Killer in NE, too. Literally, killed my neighbor. We have some weird bugs and ticks in my area.
We’re now getting into more wintry weather, it had to come after a lovely autumn. When I say winter, I know it’s nothing compared to the winters many of you have, but it still feels cold to me 🙂
I have no definite plans for summer holidays yet, but we will going to a wedding in January, one of my beloved’s nieces is getting married to her long-time boyfriend.
One of his other nieces has just had her third baby, so we’re getting to be quite practiced at being great uncle and aunt.
Perfume-wise, I can still smell last night’s dab of Cuir Noir. I like a lot of the Armani Privé line, but this one isn’t exciting. It’s not very cuir or noir, more sweet and rich. Very pleasant, but not FB-worthy to my nose.
Cuir Noir isn’t exciting to me either, but I find it a pleasant easy wear.
Seriously, we need to rent grand kids or great – nieces / nephews. We are ready but my sisters and I all had kids late in life, so we’re going to have a loooong wait.
We’re not going on vacation this year because HOUSE!!! Jungle Gardenia today and now I think all my smelly things are packed (barring a random sample under something or in a bag I haven’t used in a while). 5 boxes worth of perfumes and essential oils! Grand Chalet will be the first perfume I order after I move, probably in a week or two after I’ve unpacked
HOUSE is super exciting. I hope the move goes smoothly!
I am looking forward to my decant of Grand Chalet from AnnE’s split which is probably here already as I have unopened packages.
I knew I ‘d find something so I wouldn’t be scentless which turned out to be a sample of Gardenia Batik. Summer fave anyway so that worked out
Huzzah for the HOUSE!
No vacation for me this year; I never really go anywhere these days, and honestly can’t remember the last time I had gone away. Maybe, 25-ish years it’s been now? since I last went on a proper vacation.
SOTD: Do Son. I do not know what I was expecting with this scent, but I was quite pleasantly surprised by the little blast of gardenia I got, lovely for this warm weather.
That is a long time without a vacation!
Got some of madtowngirl’s blue skies and gentle breezes today. Temps are in the low 80’s (degrees F), and there was just one little puffy white cloud in sight. So nice!
I was talking with my brother recently about some of the family vacations we took way back when. I remember our trip to California, with stops at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, plus a jaunt to a beach. The Main Street Electrical Parade was a highlight of the Disney stop. (It also tells you how long ago I went.) The sand was burning hot, and the Pacific Ocean was so cold!
Best perfume for that recollection is the smell of old-school Coppertone.
SOTD = back in Timbuktu again today.
HA, we made that trip to California when I was little, to visit cousins. I don’t remember that parade but I remember thinking Disneyland was a miracle.
There was also a trip to visit cousins included in our grand tour of California. And I distinctly remember my brother chasing pigeons down Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
We were squished into a little white Datsun pickup with a camper shell on the bed for that trip. Even though my brother and I were little kids, it was a tight squeeze for the 4 of us in the cab. Anyone else remember Datsun?
Oh yes, I remember!
We had that same trip to Disneyland! And I distinctly remember the Electric Parade, certainly a highlight for me as well! Good times back then.
There was a Chinese Dragon in the parade we saw, and it was heading right towards us! My brother decided that he wasn’t a fan of that at all, and tried climbing up my Dad’s leg to get away.
As a kid our summer holidays were always centred around Christmas as that was when schools were closed and businesses often shut down for a two week period. We always went tramping ( hiking ), usually multi day long journeys. At night we would stop in rudimentary huts made from corrugated iron with a fireplace at one end. These huts had no running water or power but usually had a sink, a couple of sack bunk beds, a pile of firewood, mouse droppings everywhere, and just one small window. The toilet would be a long drop off in the trees. But often these huts were in glorious locations: by mountain tarns, or beside swift running creeks, or in clearings surrounded by dense bush. At night you would hear weka and kiwi and the mice scuttling about. The fire would heat the place and make it cosy. Some of the huts were remote and would only get 10 or 15 visitors a year. Because it was Christmas my dad would always carry – and this amazes me – a Christmas cake. Probably 2kg of rich fruit cake with extra marzipan icing, buttter icing and royal icing. We had one piece each after dinner, and would sit outside looking at the mountains, watching the sun light the tops and the valleys settle into gloomy darkness. Wearing Rahat Loukhoum for memories of those cakes and the incredibly happy childhood.
https://www.remotehuts.co.nz/top-waitaha-hut.html#:~:text=Top%20Waitaha%20Hut%20is%20located,Evans%20massif.
One of my favourites
What an awfully nice thing for your dad to do, lugging that extra weight around so you could have Christmas cake.
I stayed in a hostel once where the mice were eating the soap in the bathroom. That is as close as I’d care mice to get to me while I’m sleeping. Did you feel them running across you at night?
I have had mice run over me but nothing truly awful, and no rats. I would be beside myself if I had to be in rural Australia during one of their mouse plagues.
Those huts look gorgeous. Isolated as heck, but that sounds divine.
What amazing memories! Your childhood holidays sound like heaven.
And Rahat Loukhum! I love the scent of Turkish delight but I have never come across the Serge Lutens one- seems quite difficult to find. I may splurge in a FB of Keiko Mecheri instead before they decide to discontinue it. Wondering if they smell similar?
I have the smaller (30ml) black refillable version of Rahat Loukhoum but have never tried Keith Mecheri. I also like Louve which is not as sweet or full as RL but delicious.
Sounds wonderful, except the mice. :-0.
What a wonderful memory, that looks like heaven to me. (But yeah, the mice not so much)
I just wanted to say thank you for these responses to this post-I found all of them so touching. I always read NST and the comments, and it’s always good, but today’s responses were just really special. I’m off to Halifax to see the interactive Van Gogh exhibit. I love yoga, and Manuka made some really special mats, with the works of Van gogh on them, to speak of the importance of mental health. Manuka stressed the Van Gogh kept trying, asking for help, working-he didn’t give up. It’s a really beautiful idea. Wearing Dans Tes Bras tonight, which is the scent that most matches my skin. Think i’ll wear Eau d’hadrian tomorrow because that’s been a part of my life for more than 25 years. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I enjoyed all the comments.
Best regards,
Carole
I’ve been really touched by the comments today too.
Have a great time at the exhibit!
I have a Manuka mat and it’s great. I hope you have a fabulous time in Halifax!
You smell great. Love my Manuka mats too.
SOTD was Mem, after someone suggested it yesterday. It was comforting for a day of crazy running around — getting the kid to running club, then an orchestra performance that overlapped with her (probably last ever) piano recital, so we had to request that she be late in the program.
Vacations — oh, so many places I want to go! I’d say I want to go back and hike across Switzerland again, but then, I DID that (we’ve been back and we’ll go again). I was reminded by reading here that Newfoundland is on the list (we’ve never managed to get there, though much of my spouse’s family is from there, a few generations back).
What I would really like to do, but never have the time for, is something like Deva mentioned. When I was 12, my father drove us on an epic trip around the U.S. West — Black Hills, Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon north and south, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain NP, and home to the Midwest. (Bless him; this was six months after my mother died, and he should not have had to deal alone with the level of animosity between my sister and me in a small space for that long.) Both of my parents also did versions of this trip in the early ’60s with their parents. I’d like to take Ockeghem Tween either on a version of this trip, or on a drive across Canada. But! It takes more time than I have in vacation.
Anyway, this year I’m just going to be happy with our long-delayed trip to Southern Africa. (I’m NOT complaining!)
I feel for your dad. Teenage girl bad vibes can be so awful. The trip sounds incredible – my parents took us on that trip (in multiple stages) when I was young and gas prices were lower. Also, the Canadian dollar was equal in exchange to the US dollar.
Yeah, a moody tween + a 10-year-old, both of whom loathe each other, is not a good recipe for sharing lots of space in an Astro minivan every day. Do I have strong memories of my sister repeatedly kicking my seatbelt when I sat in the front because she knew it annoyed me? Yep. Do I also have amazing memories of seeing some cool places with my family? Also, yep. Bless my father for taking that on; it was a big assignment to do alone.
Rocky Mountain National Park is so crowded now, since it is close to Denver and the rest of the Front Range. There’s been talk about restricted entry to it for a few years. Not sure if anything has come of it.
Oh dear. I haven’t been since then (1985). Sad to hear that. It was beautiful then.
My summer vacation will be a week in Halifax, reuniting with my much-missed family.
I ordered a sample of Un Air de Bretagne thinking it would be a great scent for the trip. No no no – oh, it was so terrible on my skin. (Smelled fine on my husband.). I’ll probably take decants of Eau des Merveilles and Bois Farine.
My SOTD was De Los Santos. Got my hair cut and had a great, relaxing day. The weather here is just perfect, and I’m savoring it before it gets really hot again.
We’re haircut twins!
Glad that you are finally able to visit with your family, sistine!
Sweet to visit family!
Just the shampoo alone is heaven with a haircut. You must feel great!
Whoo hoo for a haircut and getting together with your family!
I haven’t planned anything yet, but I would love to go back to Galicia in Spain sometime soon. I have the best memories of my childhood running through the rocks brimming with sea life and picking berries. Sometimes I’d spend hours just looking at a small pond in low tide to spot the variety of little crabs, tiny prawns and colourful rock inhabiting fishes.
I’m wearing Shade from Lush today which I got this weekend in a small 30 ml bottle (glad they keep making these). It’s really lovely, the dry down smells of benzoin and soft white woods more than frankincense to me.
I like Shade a lot too and agree with your description.
Shade is lovely, very smooth and quite understated for Lush. I also have the solid version which I would not recommend. It doesn’t carry the scent of the juice so it’s better to pay for a small bottle.
LUSH’s Shade sounds wonderful! I will have to give it a sniff if I can.
Yet another dark rainy day, I am feeling desperate. Wish I was rich so I could jet myself off to some sunny location. One thing is for sure, I’m leaving here at the end of the summer and never coming back. Wearing le Parfum du 68 and dreaming of sunnier days ahead.
It’s chilly and gray here today, socked in foggy. I think I’ll make popcorn and watch an old movie later on.
So sorry cazaubon! That sounds like me in February.
That’s exactly what it feels like!
Yup that’s me too. I’m so happy that you have an escape plan
Constant rain really saps the spirit. Hope your road trip is bathed in sun.
It’s not just the rain, it’s also the desperation of trying to sell this hated house. Buying and selling real estate feels like the third circle of hell. It took us six months to sell the condo in Montreal and we had to sell it for less than it was really worth just to unload it. Same is happening with this house. I feel very burned on real estate and will never buy another house. At least the condo we could just lock the door and leave…
I think I need to get a realtors license if I ever have to move again.
Sorry you’ve been burned so badly.
If it can be a consolation, the weather is not great in Montréal either. It is windy and cold. Not at all spring!! I hope it gets better this week!!
But you have already had at least one heat wave, and I check the weather in Montreal daily – you have had far more sun than we have.
I’ve been here in K. for over 20 years and have never seen such an awful Spring. It’s supposedly this La Nina cycle that we can’t seem to get out of.
Usually by now it’s in the mid 20’s consistently day and night. And typically we have more sun than we can handle. Sorry that you are feeling so down. Sending you some hugs!
Thanks for the hugs, the stress and the rain and the difficulty selling the house are making life feel unbearable.
That is one consolation and a great perspective.
Trying to send the sun your way!
Thanks for the good vibes, they worked! The clouds parted and we got a couple of hours of sunlight this evening.
That’s awesome!
So sorry about the real estate woes. We’re 12 years in with this townhouse here and I don’t think we’ll ever leave until we downsize; it’s not the Canadian dream to stay in such a small place but it is very typical in Germany where I’ve spent a lot of time, so I’ve been trying to feel comfortable with that. At any rate, once we have some extra money, it’s going to make more sense to buy a vacation home than to waste money on the premium for a free-standing house in this city.
I do think we have a couple of days of sun coming! At any rate, if I don’t have to swelter in 37 degree heat this year, I’ll be happy. (Looking at the bright side, I guess.)
I am wearing une Rose de Kandahar.
I am planning a trip to Armenia and Istanbul this summer. It’s been so long I haven’t been .
My favourite summer vacation would be Monterosso (Cinque Terre) in Italy.
How wonderful, and you smell great!
I’m envious of all the good food you will be eating ❤️
You smell wonderful!
Istanbul! Jealous. What a wonderful city.
I will be going to a family reunion in coastal South Carolina. I have never been there before. We will be driving. On vacation, I tend to take a bunch of samples and test them out. But if I were picking a bottle for the trip, I would take Bronze Goddess.
No other trips planned for the high summer. Now that our kids are adults, husband and I plan trips in September, trying to avoid the worst of the crowds. I am thinking of going to New York, Finger Lakes region or maybe Niagara Falls.
I have always wanted to go to Wyoming. I would also like to go to Santa Fe – we spent a night there on a drive to Colorado and meant to return but haven’t.
I was sick yesterday after taking my 4th COVID shot Friday, had a terrible headache, nausea, chills and myalgias and spent most of the day in bed. I felt compelled to get the 4th shot since there seems to be another wave of COVID infection and I also want to be protected for my trip to the coast in July. As much as I appreciate having the mRNA vaccines, I am hoping for an alternative just because each dose makes me so sick.
I wore Escentric Molecule 04 yesterday and today I wore nothing.
Hope today is better.
I just scheduled my appointment for my 4th shot, next week. I figure it’ll knock me out for a couple of days, that seems to be the pattern. Glad to have the shots tho.
Feel better soon!
Wishing you a quick recovery.
Now is the time for you and your husband. How exciting!