PSA: our next swapmeet will be on Saturday, 23 September.
Meanwhile, it's Labor Day weekend in the US. We're marking the holiday with our same old open thread poll, with extra lazy — I'll be back on Tuesday. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you are finding most relaxing lately, what you're planning to buy at a Labor Day sale (and feel free to share any coupons or deals), whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Cliff Side beach umbrela copy [cropped] by Don Fleming at flickr; some rights reserved.
And I meant to add…RIP Jimmy Buffet
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/02/1197419502/jimmy-buffett-margaritaville-dies
I am sad about that. Saw him at Red Rocks in Colorado back in the early 80s. So great.
Merkel skin cancer, just learned, which I’d never even heard of.
For the farmers market this morning Aerin Rose de Grasse Joyful Bloom. I am sure it’s there but I don’t smell a thing. Perfect for the market actually.
Books I picked up from the library are La femme de gilles, The garden of evening mists, and I bought at my local Cornerbookstore Tom Lake.
Today I will make sauce now that the San Marzano tomatoes are in season. But first I will thumb through the WSJ magazine as Jennifer Aniston is on the cover and I really love her and can’t wait for the next season of The Morning Show.
Perfume for later on today will be something with rose.
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed Tom Lake.
Good! I have heard good things
I really like Ann Patchett.
Me too!
L’Artisan Parfumeur Vanilia today. I love that it doesn’t smell like vanilla, exactly, or at least not the usual sweet cupcakey vanilla: it has some sharp edges and some earthy floral notes. It has depth and complexity.
FINALLY got into Lush without the crowds, and was underwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s a supply-chain problem or if they were so popular when they opened a month ago that a lot of things sold out, but the pickings are pretty slim. A dozen different body-spray testers but only two of the bottles actually available for sale. Almost no fragrances, either. Disappointing.
Did you buy anything ?
Nothing there I wanted to buy. I’m not much into bath products (except the occasional shower gel), I’d never use any of their skincare (too highly scented), and they don’t sell much else that interests me, just the actual fragrances, which were severely lacking. Their lip balms are nice, particularly Rose Lollipop, but I’m all stocked up on that sort of thing.
That is often how it is at my local(ish) Lush.
I’m still lazing in bed, surfing and drinking iced coffee, waiting for a fresh peach scone to finish baking. I’m about to read the local free paper that will list all the events this weekend. Our area is filled with festivities. My husband went to hear a great local band at a nearby resort last night…sounds like most of the town was there drinking and dancing next to the water. I was being lazy and stayed home.
It’s a bit overcast right now, and I’m thinking a rose scent is in order after I shower. Ta’if? Maybe Stella McCartney. Maybe a layer.
RIP Jimmy Buffett. He was close friends with my first boss after I got out of college, so I spoke with him when answering the phone and met him once when he came into the office. A sweet guy.
We head back tonight to the semi-outdoor theater to see a play. Looking forward to it.
Radar looked stormy across the middle of the state, hope it steers clear of you!
Either scent is good and I bet they would be great layered together.
I am in a rose mood too
Your post gave me the taste
After Thursday night’s insomnia, I slept like a rock last night!
It’s another gorgeous morning here, but I can hear the “heat bugs” already and we are in another heat alert for the next 4 days. I’m in Biarritz, which is perfect, and I’m down about the last 5 mls.
I swapped out my perfume tray yesterday in anticipation of fall. Along with my regulars, out came Chanel 31RC, Coco, Box of Eels, Coromandel, Cuir de Russie, Dame BFMV, Vanille 44, MFK BR540, Musc Ravageur, Narciso, Calypso St Barth Lea (which seems to be evaporating before my very eyes😩), Samsara and Shalimar MVP. I can see where my house allegiance lies.
Several of them are decants that I’d like to use up before they evaporate and then I’m trying not to buy anymore. I’d much rather buy samples or decamples to try before I buy. If you missed out on MVP when it was released 2 years ago, keep your 👀 peeled during the upcoming splitmeet.😉
Great fragrances for fall. I am not quite ready to get mine out yet, but probably in the next few weeks they will find their way out.
Thanks! Yeah, we certainly don’t feel like fall here today but I know how quickly it can change. It’s fun the change things around too.😀
Every time you do a perfume tray I think I might do one. It’s hard though because I don’t really have room for a tray.
I used to keep just a couple of my favorites out and then we were at IKEA a few years ago and I spotted a ceramic tray that I thought would be perfect. It does take up a lot of room, but I really like looking at it.😊
I still have a box of perfumes in a box from my move! I need to get it sorted since I know there are many goodies in there…
Always fun to find goodies you might’ve forgotten about!😀
I am always interested in some MVP so count me in now. Not trying to cut in line, just saying!!
Excellent! See you in October!😀
I have a perfume tray too and put out about 10 bottles in spring/summer and then that same amount for fall/winter. All 20 are my most frequently used ones. The others are kept in baskets under my bathroom sink to take out if I want them.
Nice. That’s what I aspire to, less decants and more bottles of my favorites. I keep the out of rotation ones in the top drawer of the same dresser so they are in easy reach.
Wearing Coco Mademoiselle Intense today and facing a busy day at work. On Thursday, I ate a bunch of junk food and pet all kinds of critters at the fair. Still paying for all the junk food but it was so good.
Glad you enjoyed the fair, Dawn!
I am wearing White Cube today and doing yard work. Ugh. There’s a tree limb overhanging the roof that must come down before cold weather sets in, and some tidying of bushes that have overgrown. I may as well do it today, tomorrow I’m going to an outdoor arts fair.
Smelling great in White Cube! I had a dream last week that I was wearing it and could smell it in the dream.
Cool that you can smell things in dreams! I am not sure I ever have!
Lazy,quiet weekend over here.The weather has been awesome and looking forward to the first Spring rains!
SOTD!
Sale Gosse from Frederic Malle.Fun fragrance and I enjoy the lingering soapy neroli note!
I need a neroli showergel,any recs?
Have a fun Labor day weekend everyone!Enjoy the last of the white-pants days…haha!🤗✌🏻🌹
I will wear white pants even after Labor Day!
And I’m certain you’ll pull it off spectacularly!😉✌🏻
😘😘😘
Sale Gosse is attractively packaged–is it refreshing?
One of Chanel’s shower gels has neroli, not sure whether it’s neroli-forward:
https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/102810/paris-biarritz-les-eaux-de-chanel-hair-and-body-shower-gel/
Thanks!I shall try this one for sure!
Sale Gosse is more perfumey than refreshing I’d say.Still very well done.
I forgot to post a PSA. New London Pharmacy in NYC has a 20% off sale this weekend. Code is LABOR23. I’ve purchased from them in the past.
Nice, thanks LizzieB!
Quiet day here; putting the house back in order after having house guests this week.
In ‘finishing stuff’ mode lately. Husband has nearly finished the back deck remodel, and I ordered the shades for the new pergola yesterday. I finally got some new shelves for the home office, so I’m working on rearranging the office storage. I ask you, considering there seem to be a million storage bins for sale in the world, why is it so hard to find bins of just the right dimensions??
We’re having instant fall here. Wednesday it was hot and smoky out; Thursday cool and smoky; Friday and today, cool, overcast, and even a bit of rain. The cat was very perturbed at the sound of rain on the roof, apparently it’s been so long he’s forgotten that sound.
SOTD is Hermes Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate. I haven’t worn it all summer but it’s hitting the spot today.
I’ve been looking for bathroom storage baskets and haven’t found anything I like.
SOTD = Hiram Green Arbole Arbole
I can’t remember the last time I wore a Hiram Green. Today, it just hit the spot!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwsvsFAxHve/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Maybe I misread but I remember wondering how much foreign currency to bring. My last out of the U.S. trip was to Mexico City in December 2019 – January 2020 and it was with the Newark Museum (which no longer has the program, BTW). Anyway, I was wondering how much to bring in cash because we all “know” credit is king/queen. In any car, I landed on the idea of pegging the cash to the cost of a McDonald’s Big Mac and that is what I did – I ended up converting for 200 Mexican Pesos knowing that I can always convert for more and / or use my credit card. That was a looooong time ago … I am looking forward to a cruise June 2024 to Norway and Iceland for which I haven’t yet booked the airfare because the airline itinerary is still strange.
My nephew and his family just returned from Norway. They were going to include Iceland but yes, the itenerary was strange. So they went to Ireland after Norway.
That makes sense!
I’m so excited for your trip!
Me too!
Not much longer now before your departure…
I love Arbolé, it’s one of the only fragrances where I tried the sample and immediately went online to order a bottle. Your cruise sounds wonderful! We are talking about going to Scandinavia with our young adult kids next summer, but it won’t be a full cruise. Gonna save those for when it’s just me and my husband! I’m very excited about taking the famous Flam Railway in Norway.
Slept so hard last night. I got my flu shot yesterday -wowie is my arm sore and swollen.
We have a drizzle out which is of course because I got my car washed on Wednesday. In southern California. In September.
Ordered samples from Luckyscent including DS & Durga deep dark Vanilla.
SOTD will be le labo Vanille 44 and two Tylenol for this arm.
Last year’s flu shot really got my arm. I still have to get this year’s.
Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Deep Dark Vanilla.
I will report as soon as it arrives. Maybe by Friday.
Yes, the over 65 flu shot is a doozy.
At the pool during our Wisconsin wedding weekend getaway. May not wear fragrance today as our son, daughter in law and grandson (3 months) now are here and I will be holding him off and on. Would have been just a spritz of No. 5 L’Eau. Beautiful and warm today as madtowngirl said. Happy weekend, all.
Hope you are having a great time!
Hope your weekend has been and continues to be a fun one with family and friends💕
I spritzed on a bit of Prada Amber (the men’s version) this morning, wondering where lucasai has been hiding lately, and the scent has all but disappeared already. We’re having a kind of last-hurrah hot day today, and then the weather forecast looks a lot like fall … which is A-okay with me!
It’s bizarre! I’ve been thinking about him lately too because I found a card from him when I was cleaning.
I was kind of wondering whatever happened to Bear too. Also, was thinking of Marjorie Rose.
And sistine.
Just for grins I checked out Lucasai’s blog recently. He seems to have called it quits on writing about perfume.
Last time I saw sistine here, she was on a Perfume No Buy, and wanting to avoid temptation by coming here to comment.
I occasionally see lucasai posting on IG but he’s gone longer and longer between posts (and / or Sories).
Another sunny day here, it really does suddenly feel like spring . I’m sure we’ll have a few more southerly blasts over the next couple of months, but winter is over.
We’ll be heading out soon for a long walk in the sun, and I’ll celebrate spring with Annick Goutal’s Le Chèvrefeuille.
That is a beautiful fragrance. I wore Ninfeo Mio recently and wondered why I don’t wear this more often
Oh. I should get out my bottle of Ninfeo Mio to wear in this upcoming week of heat.
You smell wonderful! One of my favorite fragrances.
Gorgeousness…you smelled great yesterday!
Slowly recovering from an awful cough/chest congestion/laryngitis. Not COVID. I had negative tests 3 days in a row. Not flu either. Have been throwing the kitchen sink at it medicine-wise. Have been living on Hall’s honey-lemon and my ribs are now really sore. Unfortunately, since my work involves a lot of talking, so that has exacerbated things. I’m glad for a few days to rest my voice. Haven’t really felt like wearing any fragrance, but might try something soft and vanillic tonight. Or just live vicariously through all of you.
Wondering if anyone has gotten to smell the new Guerlain Tobacco Honey and how it smells compared to things like Tobacco Vanille and Back to Black.
I hope you feel better soon!
So sorry you’re feeling like crud, but good that it’s not covid at least. Here’s to a quick recovery!
My SA gave me a blotter of Tobacco Honey pre-release and it was very honey-heavy (a good thing imo) but not sweet. It’s been on my mind ever since…
Forgot to type: I hope you feel better soon!!
Sorry you have been so sick, hope you get some relief soon.
Poor you! I will get to sniff Tobacco Honey on the 15th and will report back.
Hope you feel much better soon. I’m doing my large sample purchase…
Let me know if you decide to split!
I will 👍
Would also happily join in a split for Tobacco Honey if you do one please.
Will you be getting any/all 😉 of the new Extraits? Part of hopes they are all exceptional and part of me doesn’t due to cost. ehaeheh 😅
I sure will with the Tobacco Honey.
I need to up my sniffing / reading game as I was not aware of the extraits 😱.
Thank you for all the get-well wishes, everyone!
I have today and tomorrow off but will be working on Labor Day. I went to the mall and bought some BBW shower gel and lotion. They are having a good sale today and I had a coupon. I got 6 items for $22.00 not bad. My big score was at the grocery store where the hamburger was $1.99 a pound. Woo-hoo!
My sotd is TF Eau de Soliel Blanc. I haven’t worn it much this summer. I think I might try and thunk it this month.
The thrill of the thunk!
Happy thunking
I hit up the B&BW sale too, got more pumpkin stuff (lotions & shower gel).
I bought Coco Paradise and Cherry Merlot and Apple Honey lotion and shower gels.
Black Cherry Merlot is a favorite at our house.
I really like the male-targeted fragrances at BBW. And I was slap happy when I found they now have scented soaps. The bar I got has lasted a long time.
I like their soaps too. They keep their shape well.
More eco-friendly as well. Are they drying compared to the shower gels?
I do not find the soaps drying. I think they are similar to the shower creams as far as moisture.
That’s nice to know- I am trying to go back to bars, cut down on plastics, you know? I have found a bar shampoo I like a lot, still searching for a complimentary bar conditioner. The one I have leaves my hair a little too fluffy!
I’m envious of your hamburger find!
Yes! It’s only a labor day special so I stocked up the best I could.
Great that you had a bonanza end of week sales bonus!
I am very pleased to have gotten some great deals!
Yay for the perfume thunk AND that incredible price on hamburger meat! I haven’t seen a price like it since before the pandemic.
Creed’s Virgin Island Water reminds me of Jimmy Buffet. RIP. No exciting perfume revelations here, but I’m enjoying Le Labo’s Mandarin Shower Gel, which has been just what I need to cool off during this hot sticky summer.
Yes, perfect match for Jimmy Buffet!
I am very grateful this Labor Day weekend to be staying in my husband’s friend’s new house on San Juan Island with a beautiful view of the sound.
I am thinking, however, that I never should have shown him my perfume fort because he requested that we refrain from wearing fragrance while we’re here. And being the magnanimus person that I am, I will refrain from telling him that I completely understand why he would prefer the smell of fresh, off gassing formaldehyde to, let’s say, the aldehydes in Chanel No 5 or White Linen😇
SOTW is Commando☹️
Disclaimer: The friend in question is a dear friend and we joke about these things together😊💕
I was envious until I saw the mention of off-gassing formaldehyde. So new a house that it still has “new house smell”? 🤪
It’s not a good smell. I think No 5 (or any of my other fragrances) would smell better!
But…at least you’re on San Juan Island! It’s been a year and half or so since we were last at the Labs there. It’s beautiful — enjoy and get outside and away from the formaldehyde!
Absolutely! The San Juan Islands are one of my favorite places on earth😊
Hopefully the weather is nice enough to open all the windows and sit outside? I admit I get annoyed with people who are fine with all manner of noxious cleaning products and other chemical odors and yet they complain about perfume. Feh.
It is and we’ve got a nice cross breeze going☀️
And obviously it’s subjective but I think I wear GOOD perfume to boot!
You and me both!
Can’t agree more!!!!
I think those odors really ARE health risks, compared to perfume.
Totally!
Also commando today with perfume although I’m enjoying the soft scent of Dove Rice Milk body wash and soap after my shower. (Enabler baubles for PL67!)
Yesterday’s cp was so fun to read with everyone’s creative fragrance choices! Bravo!
I love a good smelling soap
I’ve been on the lookout for that soap.
I found it at W*lmart. Happy shopping!
Adding to my shopping list!
I will keep that Dove in mind the next time I need something for my shower.
Commando except for slathering myself in coconut oil Post-shower (that was hours and hours ago, so scent is gone). Got a new monitor for my laptop and it is just enough larger than the old one to allow me to work on two documents side by side; small victories. Otherwise trying to catch up on lesson and assignment planning. Also just finished knitting a summer-weight cardigan, in cotton, for Grandbaby Skal.
LTSG’s comment reminds me that I’ve not worn Ninfeo Mio at all this summer. We are looking at a week of sharply higher temps (but not unbearable in the way others have been having), and it will be a good choice.
First official week of classes suggests that our first-year students are terrific; having a “normal” senior year of high school (and a semi- normal junior year) seems to have done much to facilitate pre-pandemic patterns of socialization and maturation. This is good.
I will wear Ninfeo Mio this week too since it’s looking like summer temps are not leaving and I feel like NM blooms nicely in the heat
What good news about the new students! I’m very glad to hear that. And now, what about the AI paper writers?
Yay for small victories AND terrific students!
Happy weekend!
SOTD is EL Blushing Sands. Smokey vetiver and a hint of sweetness. I got the Small Wonders discovery set. The mini 4ml bottles are sprays!
Thank you for all the well wishing messages on Thursday. Typhoon had passed and me and the doggo are safe. This morning we were out in the garden with her watching me pick lemon and limes. (We did not lose a single fruit to the strong wind and rain!)
Glad you stayed safe!
Ditto!
Glad you escaped unscathed!
Whew! Glad you and the pup are safe.
Great news, that you and your dog are safe!
Still tired from two very busy days. Thought I would sleep well last night but no, awake at 3am again. Immediately took a CBD gummy and went back to bed. Still feeling tired and cranky, but hoping a large amount of black tea will help with that. I’m wearing Dior Rouge Trafalgar in anticipation of a multiple day heat wave. Fortunately after that it drops down to 20C and nice fall weather.
Sorry about the crap sleep cazaubon!
Did better last night. 🙂 Hot as blazes here today though, will likely fire up the air conditioner.
Last night was my crap sleep night. I had some chocolate, so I can’t blame any but myself. Here’s to a better night tonight. 😴
We hit low 90s again today. But not as humid as it could have been, so thankful for that.
Sorry to hear about the craptastic night of sleep.
I miss the days when good sleep was so easily taken for granted. Not anymore, alas!
Commando today for some cleaning and exercise and an unfortunately large amount of office work I didn’t finish.
I wore Gritti Gossip Night for my sample Saturday yesterday. I am going through gourmand vanillas lately. So far, I think I like Jovoy Fire At Will the best but Killian Love Don’t Be Shy is also quite good. Lots of candidates for 2024 purchases.
Still terribly hot here, 100. What we really need is rain.
Wishing a restful Labor Day weekend to everyone.
Yay for your Vanilla Quest! 🙂 I have a sample of Gossip Night and need to revisit it.
I love Fire At Will and LDBS too although I prefer LDBS Extreme probably. I also have not sniffed the newish LDBS eau fraiche either.
If Kanuka is reading- I am reading…garden of evening mists
Chanel Gardenia SOTD
I missed posting on the CP day but very much enjoyed everyone’s posts. It was an unusually creative bunch and so interesting to read about people’s work and how they interpreted it in fragrance. I was busy with getting my monthly bone building shots at the hospital and by coincidence two friends were there, one for tests and one for PT, so I spent time visiting them also. Those shots hurt so much they put me out of sorts and my arms (I get one in each upper arm) are still sore. Now soon I have to get my second shingles shot and dread that.
Anyway on a happy note I’m wearing Chanel #19 from the last swap meet and feel I am wafting something luxurious around the house for the kitties to enjoy! Our hot weather continues but there’s some hope of rain, which we desperately need for the poor plants and trees outside.
You smell lovely and those are some lucky kitties😊
Aww happy kitties 😊 You smell wonderful in No 19. Hope all goes well with the second shingles vaccine. A good friend of mine had the first one Friday and it knocked her for a loop. The bone density shots sound so painful.
Thank you. I went ahead and had the Covid booster in one arm and Shingrix in the other arm and the shingles one was definitely worse and more swollen. And yes, the bone density shots do hurt a lot but I have a very kind nice nurse and we both know that if we chatter away while she administers them, the pain is lessened by distraction. So we do just that and it helps so much and is fun! This was my 10th one and only two more to go. I don’t want to discourage older people from trying these because they supposedly will help a lot. And in fact, I had a very bad fall at my aunt’s house last month in Michigan, flat out onto her hardwood kitchen floor, and nothing broke! So that is apparent progress from a year ago!
Wow, it’s good to know they’re working!
Good to hear your experience with the shots. Sounds like the one I convinced my mom’s doctor to start her on after she had a sternum fracture with what my dad said was relatively minor trauma. I’m cringing that it’s probably painful for her as well, but hopefully prevents other fractures.
It’s called Evenity. Please give her my best and tell her that in my case, at least, it seems to be worth it, given what has happened. Another friend who got the Prolia shots also had a bad fall from her front porch down a few steps and she, just like me, was kind of surprised and grateful to find that although she had some cuts and bruises, she didn’t get any broken bones!
Whoa. Impressive.
Those bone building shots sound simultaneously horrifying (scared of needles) and wonderful (no broken bones). Probably something to consider sometime down the road.
Wearing no 22 extrait today and on my way to visit my grandmother in memory care. Pulled out my pearls because it goes with no 22.
Sephora has a deal going on through Friday. You get 500 points when you spend $75. There are a couple face creams I am eyeing since winter is on it’s way.
The extrait must smell divine!
Pearls and No 22 were made for each other!
How is your grandmother doing? I hope it’s a good place. My mother is also in memory care. It’s a hard stage of life. It is good of you to go visit her.
yay for extrait and pearls!
Hope that you and your Grandmother had a lovely visit yesterday.
It’s a very hot windy day and I’m feeling fresh in Zoologist Cow. Our boat plans fell through so it’s a lazy afternoon in the air conditioning. I’m fine with it.
Do you find it nice & milky?
Nope just green and pretty.
Thank you for everyone’s well wishes yesterday. Feeling a bit better. Have found that if I just keep sipping water and hydrating like crazy, I cough a lot less. So I’m in the bathroom pretty often, but it’s worth it. SOTD is LVEB Iris Absolue from a sample.
Glad you’re on the mend😊
Thank you!
I wore my sample the other day and received a random compliment at the pharmacy!
Good to hear you are feeling a bit better.
Thank you!
I wonder if you might have (or had) RSV? I know it’s getting to be more of a threat. There are tests and a vaccine for it now and I plan to go get the vaccine soon. (It affects older persons more.)
It’s certainly possible. The one thing I didn’t get tested for. I’m recommending the vaccine to my patients, but I’m still a few years too young for it.
My husband and I decided we are going to get the RSV, COVID and Influenza all this fall. I think we will stagger the times, but it is worth it as far as I am concerned.
Glad you are feeing better too. How do you like the Absolue? I have not tried that one. I am somewhat anti-fig but not sure how discernible it is.
You can pick up the iris best in the beginning, but it’s not dominant. I don’t really smell the fig. It still may be a little too sweet to buy a bottle, but I’m going to enjoy my two samples I got from the very nice SA.
Glad to hear that you are feeling somewhat better today.
Thank you!
Hot day here, maybe the last blast of summer this week. Wearing TRNP Violet Firefly and getting caught up on reading, bathing the dog, & generally lounging at home.
A quiet lounge day for a lot of people, with mild chore-doing in between
*Love* the perfume name “Violet Firefly”! 😍
I love it too. Smells like faintly leathery violets. 🙂
‘faintly leathery violets’ makes me think of Jolie Madame.
I’m in Blood Oranges today. We’re having a barbecue down in the courtyard…there’s one grill at each end of the space. It’s a “bring your own everything” kind of soirée, very low key. I’m bringing recipes and some ingredients for foil packets and am kind of excited about it, to be honest. 🥩
Most relaxing fragrance as of late has been Blood Oranges and Mure et Musc EdT. MeM is so easy to wear and I got a nice compliment on it too. I’m not as much of a fan of the Extreme version. It’s a little too much.
I hope everyone who celebrates has a safe and fun Labor Day!
I do have Mure et Musc Extreme and love it! It never seems very strong to me. Your double BBQ sounds nice. It’s fun to have activities with other people around on the holidays. I’m keeping busy by practicing my cat watercolor paintings!
Another hot day. Planning on having a picnic with my mom on her covered deck for lunch, then it’s back home in the air conditioning and my usual mountain of laundry.
Wearing CK One.
A laundry day for many of us…
Three loads here!
Doing a lot of kitchen labor this Labor Day weekend, since there’s so much garden produce to deal with, plus armloads more coming in from generous friends. Yesterday I made pinquito beans, minestrone with lots of our summer squashes, a huge batch of pesto, and spiced pear and beaujolais jam out of the 15 pounds of heirloom pears I hiked out of an ancient orchard on Saturday. Today it’s rhubarb/rose/ginger compote and a batch of meatballs will be happening later.
Since I have the Meters cranked up on the stereo, I’m in Eau de Magnolia. I know this one catches a lot of flak for not being magnolia-y enough, but even though it’s buried under bushels of lemons, it’s so in there to my nose, and captures that odd, soapy-astringent scent-texture that Magnolia grandiflora blossoms have.
Wow, you are VERY productive in the kitchen! Please, Ma’am, what time will dinner be? (Or more importantly, what time is DESSERT?)
Haha! If only y’all just lived down the street! And now, having made rhubarb compote, I’m realizing I also need to make vanilla custard sauce to go with it. Putting my feets up for the moment, though, and whew.
Agree w/ Calypso…you have cooked up a delicious storm!
I shall have to revisit Eau de Magnolia but I think I get mostly magnolia from it. 🤷♀️
Wow, what an amazing feast you have made today!
I’m back in Biarritz, and that’s a thunk. It’s another scorcher here today. We set a record yesterday at 94.🥵 So glad we are not helping with college move in, since it was 99 in my daughters old college town yesterday! Glad to stay hunkered down in the house in the ac.
Today the girls and I are headed out to lunch then going to see the Barbie movie. Our last summer ladies day before madtownteen heads back to school tomorrow, senior year.🥺
Stay safe and cool everyone!
Possible record high temps here, too, this week. I haven’t heard anything for sure about that yet. 🥵🔥
It’s supposed to get up to 104 with the humidex here today! Needless to say we are at home with the shades pulled down lying under the fans…
Hope you all had a blast!
Originally I read that as you were actually in Biarritz. 🙂 That said, I think Biarritz probably fills the same hole as PdN L’eau à la Folie for me. (Though sadly discontinued.) I should probably try Biarritz; I have a lot of Chanel holes given my sniffing has always been a bit more indie.
Hi, I have put on Fils de Dieu today but am just not feeling its spicy warmth and so may not replenish after my shower later on. I made some pesto yesterday since I had a package of basil going to waste; it has walnuts since I didn’t have pine nuts on hand. Later I’m going to cook a pot of fresh spaghetti (that is, the spaghetti is fresh-made not dried), and slather it in pesto and call that dinner! Meanwhile I’ve been working hard on improving my cat water-color paintings by combining them with some colored pencil drawings. I like how they’re coming out. We are FINALLY going to get some very badly needed rain–I just hope it’s more than a dribble. You can see the trees drying up and getting crinkly brown leaves outside. 🙁
Yum…save me a plate of pesto please! 🙂
I’ve been doing my pesto with walnuts for years, and love it that way. I also love that you can slather basically *anything* with pesto and call it dinner!
Hurray for getting some much longed for rain!
Sounds delish. I’ve used toasted pecans in my pesto for a few years with good results.
Sampling Private Mood Vanille Et Cognac today…sweet and spicy amber which reminds me of Angels’ Share so far in the opening.
My brother is at Trader Joe’s right now and sending me pics of seasonal pumpkin stuff. 🎃 …Apple & Pumpkin hand pies for example. 😋
Have we had a contest of oddest pumpkin spice item? So far my vote has been for PS Spam…!
I think I’ve seen some pumpkin spice pet food.
Last year I heard about Pumpkin Spice brake pads. Pretty sure that was a spoof!
I ordered the Pumpkin Waffles lotion from B&BW. 🙂
I am due for a TJ’s run!
Feeling glad I’m in Canada, where the pumpkin spice force is less strong. (That said, I went to a work social week before last and one of the people I was talking to brought up that her daughter works for Starbucks and they were releasing pumpkin spice lattes early this year.)
I can’t do that much pumpkin spice. I love TJ’s, but can do without the pumpkin spice. I know I’m in the minority. I like my coffee straight or with milk but not with flavours.
In order to stay in a summer mood and by a warm and bright day I sprayed Guerlain AA Ylang Vanille, I always regretted that this one is not in the permanent collection and tonight I mixed the sweet Clean Skin with the fruity Liz Earle Essence No 9 and it’s quite delicious.
@A, my actual response is below….
It’s a beauty and I am lucky to have it in my collection. Oddly, I generally only wear it to bed, although it undoubtedly likes a sunny day too.
Oh yes, it shines in warm weather, I can also see it being comforting in bed.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyCY_Rrb0n/?igshid=MmU2YjMzNjRlOQ==
This was just hilarious to me!!
SOTD!
CARON Pour un Homme
Lavender heaven!
XO’s
Oh my goodness, thanks for the belly laugh! That may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen a cat do!
That’s hilarious! Thanks for the laugh!
ZOMG, naughty kitty!
Hilarious!🤣
Just opened my last box of rusks today, sniff… must place another bulk order, but since I’m flying back to CA in two months and the shipping here in Canada is $$$ I’m going to ration what I have, since I don’t want my stock sitting around going stale all winter. Thinking of you and wishing you a lovely spring!
#VERYBADCAT
It’s stinking hot here today! 95 degrees, and probably the hottest day of the year so far. It seems that this summer was cooler and wetter than usual, despite some very early hot days back in April, May, and June.
Teflon kitty is acting like her usual self today. But she is still going to the vet tomorrow. I made the appointment Saturday morning when things were still not looking right, and it’s too late to cancel now. She will NOT be a happy camper!
Had a wonderful get together with a friend I hadn’t seen in several months yesterday. We had an early dinner at a local brewpub chain, plus we exchanged Xmas 2022 gifts. (Yeah, there’s been some serious procrastination with that.)
Laundry today. It beats being outside in the hot & humid!
SOTD = commando, except for Korres Guava Body Butter on my shins. I thunked the Bliss Lemon & Sage Body Butter over the weekend. Not sure if I will replace it.
Stinking hot here too!
Nice you got out with your friend. Good luck at the Vet tomorrow!
I hope that we will stay in touch. She is the friend who was rather upset about the impending split between me and Mr. Jalapeno. She still is, I think.
I need to remember to give Teflon her “happy drug” a few hours before the vet appointment. She will be less upset that way.
That’s always the hard part in a split. Sorry to hear you’re navigating that.
And I’m glad to hear Teflon Kitty is back to normal-ish.
Same weather here. Glad to hear Teflon is feeling better!
Yeah, it’s definitely a relief to see Tef not throwing up all over the place. She had a rough week.
Glad your kitty is feeling better. It’s work keeping up with old friends, but worth the effort.
Thanks Sapphire!
So happy that Teflon is doing a good Teflon.
Thank you!
I’m at work and grumpy because of course some people didn’t show up.
I’m wearing TF Eau de Soliel Blanc again. I plan on wearing it until it’s thunked, so probably 3 more days. I also plan on spraying some on my daughter before school. Speaking of school.. starting tomorrow the bus is coming a half hour earlier for pickup. 6:30 a.m!
Ack, that’s an early bus ride!
What the what? 6:30 is very early!
Wow! 1) That you have a bus…I wish we had something other than a public transit bus my kid won’t take because having Dad drive her is faster and easier, except when he isn’t here. 2) 6:30 a.m.! When we were in Germany there was a special public transit bus from our neighbourhood to where my kid’s foreigner program was (and, fortunately, most of the top-level high schools in the city), and it left at 7:20 a.m…but then, school started at 8 a.m., something I’ve never seen in North America.
TL;DR: That’s crazy early!
RIP Steve Harwell, singer for the band Smash Mouth. Anyone else remember the song “All Star”?
Oh dang! He was young. I do remember All Star. May he Rest In Peace.
Definitely a bummer.
I still hear it on the radio.
Very sad.
I was shocked when I heard that he had entered hospice care late last night.
I remember that other song they had…Walking on the Sun? (It wasn’t really my thing, I was hardcore female / riot grrrl in the ’90s.) I saw the reports and yeah…just several years older than I am. Sigh. At least he left music that people remember and love, though.
A lazy Labor Day. Perfect weather 72 in SoCal.
My stucco person came and restuccoed my yard area.
My toiletries and medicines are packed for trip – hate that part.
My laundry is done
My donations are sent.
My bills are mostly paid😎
My 15 pound loss mark was hit yesterday.
Sunfruit again today, it’s such a delightful end of summer find with no coconut beachy vibes. That was a younger me.
I guess everything was a younger me.
Congratulations on all of the milestones!
Very late post, some random things. I got all my laundry caught up, and my kitchen clean, more or less, as I see other people did also.
Also knitting projects sorted out so I can actually say I have WIP’s, not just a mess of yarn and mismatched needles in a bag. Going to try to finish some things here!
Also, SAKs is showing some lovely new Diptyque candles for eye-popping prices. A couple of the scents sound right up my alley, but not going there…if anyone indulges, I would love to see a review…