It's the first weekend of July, and day 2 of the dog days of summer. Saturday is Independence Day in the US, Sunday is National Graham Cracker Day, and Monday is National Fried Chicken Day. (And coming up: Donatella on Thursday the 9th, the summer reading poll on Saturday the 11th.)
We're celebrating it all with our usual open thread poll.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, your favorite fragrance for July weather, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is blue bang [cropped] by Graham Dean at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’ve been going through my Shiseidos this week, so today I am in Murasaki, a green floral. My bottle is apparently the “original” formula, in the dark reddish-purple bottle. I have always found green scents to be especially appropriate in summer, as they feel refreshing.
No special plans for today, other than watching the fireworks tonight. Our town’s fireworks display is not nearly as spectacular as those in the big cities, but we can get a good view by walking just a quarter mile to the park down the street, where we like to stand on the fishing pier at the edge of the pond so we can see the reflections in the water as well as the display in the sky. The city has promised that this year’s display will be “bigger than ever” so here’s hoping for a good show.
Meanwhile, I am baking a chocolate cake for the church potluck tomorrow. I use the Hershey’s recipe which has gone under several names over the years but currently is “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. It has been on the back of the tin of Hershey’s cocoa, and is the only chocolate cake recipe I have baked for the last 40 years. It is simple, easy, mixes in one bowl, seems to be foolproof, and is just about the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Ina Garten’s chocolate cake recipe is essentially a minor variation on the Hershey’s recipe.
This morning I’m in Brandt Everveil, a sample that either I ordered or was included in a Lucky Scent package. Its opening blast was promising, but it shrank down to a pleasant, nondescript green scent in no time. It’s nice, but not nice enough to pursue further. Pretty name though, and the bottle label (more like a plaque) is gorgeous.