It's Official: Chicago L'Artisan to host us May 26!!!

[Tigrushka, Grant? May we put a sticky on this please?]


Every Basenotes member is invited to share in the fun. Just one requirement: I need a real head count now so manager Charla Mason can accommodate our numbers accordingly. If our population grows to a certain size, we may need to split into groups so, say, 12 can do lunch while 12 are getting the royal treatment at L'Artisan, and then the groups would switch off. Once we know how many are coming, I'll post actual times.

Even though I asked if they'd like to charge something to cover goodie bags for all us, Charla insisted that we will be gifted with something at no cost :wave:. Additionally, I asked if she could recommend where we could dine and not be obnoxious as a fanatically fragranced group, she replied:

There is a great Italian restaurant in the building - Tucci Benucch 312-266-2500. I spoke to Katie Unger - she is very helpful. She is holding the garden space - touch base with her right away - you should confirm with her by may 1st. There is a minimum amount for food and beverage. There are two rooms - I recommend the garden area - it is a great space and it is a little less expensive.

Your "To Do" List:
1) RSVP in this thread by Friday, April 20 (a few stragglers may be accommodated).
2) Make up some kind of nametag for yourself to wear that day. Ideally it would bear your first name, your Basenotes username and a picture of your avatar.
3) Make a list of frags you want to test (print out your whole BN wardrobe for a complete reference).
4) Bring various denominations of cash so paying for lunch will be less complicated.
5) After the event, send a thank-you note to Charla and staff so Basenoters are well thought of by industry people and so we'll always be welcome back.

You May Want to Take Along:
~ Extra samples and decants to give/swap with others during lunch.
~ A shirt that exposes lots of arm space for testing.
~ Wipes to wash off forearms as necessary (see Robin's skin-cleaning advice at NowSmellThis).

If you're thinking of making a L'Artisan purchase in the near future, please consider doing so at this event so BNers are occasionally recognized as consumers (not just sample-suckers ). Besides, don't you want a souvenir of this auspicious coming together?

AH, CHICAGO ... just selected as the next host city to the Olympics ... the third-largest city in the U.S. ... home to a boodle of fragrance sources:


Here are two maps that will help you navigate "The Magnificent Mile," as Chicago's shopping corridor is known. (Map 1) (Interactive, Map 2)

Chicago has a great mass-transit system. I plan to take the train from Milwaukee and a bus from Union Station to Michigan Avenue. Buses move between these points every few minutes, and a ride is just $4. Learn more online at RTA.

One last thing to note: This is not a Basenotes- or Grant-sanctified event. It's just the hair-brain scheme of one frag hag who would love to see the faces of those great personalities found here at Basenotes. However, since we will, for intents and purposes, represent the face of Basenotes while in the L'Artisan boutique, I expect all of us to reflect respectfully on Grant's enterprise. Understood? Good!

You are counted, MFfan.

I forgot to remind everyone to PACK YOUR CAMERA!

Great idea!!! How about the week after? Those who go will have tried more scents, toddled home with free goodies and possible purchases, and we'll be able to discuss more fully.

Counting the responses here and a couple of others, this is the current group likely to go (some are "maybes"):

Quarry, Mr. Quarry, PaulG, MFFan, IndieGuy, Kotori, et_emergo, JaneBrkn, NattyGold, FlowerLady (from POL), LisaLaw (ebay seller), Aramanis, AZSmells, plus my client's wife and her mom (both of whom are/were perfume models for department store frags). Our population is small enough that we can stay together as one group.

I'm hoping for a few more RSVPs by Friday (or thereabouts). Next week I'm going to approach some of the other stores and ask whether we might be able to get a discount that weekend if we whisper the phrase "Chicago Scent Me." That way attendees can shop at their leisure and enjoy a few more perks.

I'm excited to see more RSVPs!

I've just received Tucci Benucch's menu. Their coordinator, Katie Unger, says their Sun Room seats 25 people. We're nearing 20 attendees now. If we go substantially over 25, we'll eat in two shifts. Otherwise, it'd be the most fun to dine as one group even if L'Artisan has to process us in waves and we have to entertain ourselves waiting around. There ARE other things to do at 900 N. Michigan in between times--like press your nose up against the window of the Lalique shop.

Note the price for the luncheon. If you choose to save $25+ to put toward fragrances and brownbag a PB&J instead, no one would think less of you (maybe respect your perfume dedication more!). Again, please bring various denominations of cash to make bill-settling less insane.

Katie has not asked me to ask your menu preferences at this time, nor has she asked for any $$ upfront. Perhaps when I get back to her with our exact number and time of day (to be worked out in coordination with Charla at L'Artisan) I'll need everybody to provide further feedback. Please stay tuned to this thread. Thanks!

Welcome, Michelle. All you need to know has been or will be posted in this thread. Just bring a happy attitude and be yourself.

We're all attending in order to learn and smell something new. I knew absolutely nothing about fragrances 2-1/2 years ago. Further, rest assured no one will be less fashion conscious, more out of shape, or has inherited a lousier complexion than I. So everybody should feel very good about themselves. I turn 52 on the day we meet, so if you're a youngster, you can call me "Mom" the way my daughters' high school friends used to.

That's sooo cool!

We seem to be at 22. (AZSmells--are you a maybe?) Since the restaurant can seat 25 in the room they'll reserve for us, 25 would seem to make a good cut-off number (unless some of you know you don't want to waste precious nose time by consuming lunch???). Next week I'll contact our hosts and tell them 25 (just in case we pick up some stragglers). If you're on the list below and find that you simply can't make it, please let me know. Next I'm going to concentrate on finding out whether any other shops will offer us perks.

1) Quarry
2) MFfan310
3) MFfan dad
4) Paul G
5) Nattygold
6) Indie_Guy
7) et_emergo
8) Kotori
9) JaneBrkn (MUA)
10) FlowerLady (POL)
11) PrincessCaro (POL)
12) Aramanis (POL)
13) LisaLaw (MUA)
14) Ubuandibeme
15) Ubuandibeme's guest
16) Cindyhtl
17) Michelle_gale
18) Manicboy
19) Manicboy g-friend
20) Quarry's client's wife
21) Quarry's client's wife's guest
22) High_Tech_Radiance

Welcome, welcome to the latest confirmees. I'll post a schedule once I confer with L'Artisan and the restaurant next week. The scheduled portion of this event will be exclusive to Saturday, but if I can get some other frag counters to extend perks to members of our group throughout the weekend, it'd be super. We're going to have to break into groups for at least the L'Artisan portion because they can't accommodate a single mob. I'll continue to post details in this thread as they develop.

Here's the latest list:

1) Quarry
2) MFfan310
3) MFfan dad
4) Paul G
5) Nattygold
6) Indie_Guy
7) et_emergo
8) Kotori
9) JaneBrkn (MUA)
10) MacAmy (MUA)
11) PrincessCaro (POL)
12) Aramanis (POL)
13) LisaLaw (MUA)
14) Ubuandibeme
15) Ubuandibeme's guest
16) Cindyhtl
17) Michelle_gale
18) Manicboy
19) Manicboy g-friend
20) Quarry's client's wife
21) Quarry's client's wife's guest
22) High_Tech_Radiance
23) Snakesandladders
24) S&L's wife
25) Trioxin
26) The Refined One (POL)
27) TRO's guest
And Jam's a maybe.

I'll miss the rest of you not being there--especially you, Vijay, sincerely.

Trioxin--can't catch a train? I'd never drive to Chicago. Big cluckin' chicken here. Hey, why'd the chicken cross the road? To get to Chicago Scent Me!
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Welcome to Basenotes, dali67 (aka MacAmy).

There are so many bells, whistles, buttons to learn at a new site. Don't worry if it takes a bit to try them all out and get the hang of things.

1) Quarry
2) MFfan310
3) MFfan dad
4) Paul G
5) Nattygold
6) Indie_Guy
7) et_emergo
8) Kotori
9) dali67
10) PrincessCaro
11) Aramanis
12) LisaLaw
13) LisaLaw's guest
14) Ubuandibeme
15) Ubuandibeme's guest
16) Cindyhtl
17) Michelle_gale
18) Manicboy
19) Manicboy g-friend
20) Quarry's client's wife
21) Quarry's client's wife's guest
22) High_Tech_Radiance
23) Snakesandladders
24) S&L's wife
25) Trioxin
26) The Refined One
27) TRO's guest
28) Lauermar
29) Lauermar's daughter
And Jam's a maybe.

Had one cancellation and a couple more additions. By Tuesday I'll be giving the final count to L'Artisan and the restaurant. I guess I'll tell them 30!

I'm now working with the Italian restaurant that's in the same building as L'Artisan. They want me to make selections from the menu I posted earlier in this thread. I think I'll just tell them to give us the most popular items from each category, but avoiding anything too garlicky since smell is of the essence for us. I'll drop the dessert option to save us calories, money and time.

Since we'll have a room to ourselves, we can take this opportunity to really be ourselves and give away or swap whatever any of us chooses to take along. (You don't have to do this, I'm just going to do a little housecleaning myself.)

Please respond with a YES or NO to joining us for lunch so I can give Tucci Benucch a final number. I'm not sure if they will ask me for my charge card number or something to hold the spot for us, so I'd appreciate your certainty. THANKS!

Doing some recordkeeping now to keep all my ducks in a row. Proofread and tell me if I've erred.

21 "yes" lunch responses:
Quarry (Joy)
Quarry's guests (Nikki & mom)
LisaLaw (Lisa)
Aramanis (Michael)
Lauermar (Mary)
Mary's daughter
The Refined One (Tambri)
Tambri's friend (Beth)
dali67 (Mac Amy)
MF Fan
MF Fan's dad
Ubuandibeme (June)
Ubu friend
Cindyhtl
Hightechradiance
Snakesandladders (Chris)
Snake's wife
Indieguy
Michelle Gale
gingele (Amy)

1 "no thanks":
Trioxin

Awaiting:
Paul G
et_emergo
Kotori---UPDATE: Yes (that makes 22 yeses)
manicboy & girlfriend
nattygold
PrincessCaro (Caroline)

MENU NOTE: If you prefer the vegetarian entree of eggplant parmesan, please let me know, otherwise we'll be getting chicken parmesan for the main course. I'll choose the least garlicky options for the remaining items and opt out of the dessert. Katie also offered the option of flowers on the tables, but I told her we were saving our noses for bottled fragrances .

Here's something else to think about ...
Don't answer this question yet, cuz things are still up in the air, but think about whether you have a preference for being amongst the half of the group who does L'Artisan before or after lunch. I'm waiting to hear back from L'Artisan about how early they can receive us. Then, I'm going to call another fragrance store to see if they would alternately receive the other half of our group before and after lunch AND provide some perks (fingers crossed for C.O. Bigelow's since they carry niche frags). I know that Paul G has tickets for a game later that day, so he'd probably prefer to be in the pre-lunch L'Artisan group. Some of you may be traveling a greater distance and would rather count on the after-lunch L'Artisan time.

Stay tuned ...

I believe our schedule will be: At 10 a.m. half of our group will go to L'Artisan and half to Bigelow's, at 12 noon we will all meet to eat, and then by 2 p.m. each half-group will switch off to the visit the other shop. Bigelow will be giving us sample products but not providing a "program" as L'Artisan will, so you should have ample time to sample what you like at Bigelow's and the other fragrance sources shown in bold below.


*The following fragrances are listed at bigelowchemists.com: Acqua di Parma (Blu Mediterraneo, Arancia di Capri, Fico di Amalfi, Sicilian Almond, Tuscan Cypress, Classic Fragrance, Collezione Barbiere, Colonia Assoluta, Colonia Iris Nobile, Lavanda, Profumo), Carthusia (Aria di Capri, Carthusia Uomo, Fiori di Capri, IO "Capri", Ligea "La Sirena", Mediterraneo, Numero Uno, Via Camerelle), Comptoir Sud Pacifique, (Exotic Fruits, Island Vanilla, Rain Forest, Spice Route, Sun Waters, Tropical Garden), Diptyque (Do Son, Eau D'Elide, Eau de Lierre, Eau Lente, Jardin Clos, L'Autre, L'eau, L'Ombre dans L'eau, L'Eau Trois, Ofresia, Olene, Opone, Oyeda, Philosykos, Tam Dao Virgilio), GEO F. Trumper (Almond, Coconut, Limes, Rose, Sandalwood, Violets), i Profumi di Firenze (Acqua di Firenze, Ambra del Nepal, Caterina de Medici, Costa Mediterranea, Florentia 24, Melograno Selvatico, Tabacco, Talco Delicato, The Verde, Vaniglia del Madagascar, Zenzero), Miller Harris (Citron Citron, Coeur de Fleur, Feuille de Tabac, Figue Amère, Fleur du Matin, Fleur Oriental, Noix de Tubéreuse, Tangerine Vert, Terre de Bois), Tocca (Florence, Stella, Touch).

There's a new L'Artisan offering: L'Eau de Jatamansi

Read about it at Lucky Scent.
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We have 20 confirmed for lunch. My two guests can't make it at all that day, and the following have not responded regarding lunch:

Paul G
et_emergo
manicboy & girlfriend
nattygold
PrincessCaro (Caroline)--May 5 update: "Yes," on all counts!

Awww. High Tech Radiance had to honor another commitment.

Since we have restaurant reservations for 25, that means the next 5 people to speak up can still be a part of our big day--even if you didn't sign up at all earlier. The actual cost of the lunch will be $26.66 (which includes all taxes and gratuities).

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The days are flying by, and soon we'll be inhaling Chicago. Have you composed your "must sniff" list yet? I plan to smell as much as I can, but these are top priority:


What's on your must-sniff list?

Argghhh! Get those plane tickets moved up (pretend you're on "The Amazing Race"). Of course you're welcome, with fragrant open arms.

Here are two maps that will help you navigate "The Magnificent Mile," as Chicago's shopping corridor is known. (Map 1) (Interactive, Map 2)

Here's a link to mass-transmit options: RTA.