SotD Tuesday 22 December

L'Heure Bleue - Guerlain

Rochas Tocade

In honor of my friend Xmen ......

Mitsouko !

Good morning. I've not been around properly for a while, and I feel bad for not joining in more. I've a bit of a cold, but luckily it's not affecting my sense of smell, so I've another few drops of my Amaranthine sample on. I love it, and it's on my list to buy next year.

My SOTD is Christian Dior Fahrenheit Absolute.

Courreges Empreinte -- my package from this one e-tailer has arrived. So far so good, but I will write more about it on the dedicated thread as the day progresses.

Did not you love it on the Jay Leno show last night: ""President Obama spends ONE day in Copenhagen speaking about the global warming, and the problem is resolved!" -- seems like almost everybody got some white stuff from the sky and will be enjoying a White Christmas. We are expecting the most of our snow tomorrow.

Brielle -- your remark "what speaks about Christmas more than Chinese food" made me laugh outloud -- I am a fan of yours and Far Eastern cuisines. The closest Chinese place is 20 miles away and I do not know how good they are, we will try them out one of these days.

We are about done sniffing in our December Round of Blind Sniff -- I bet it was exhausting for our sniffers too!

Still dealing with the cold... Today I'm wearing comfort and class in a bottle Profumum's Santalum.

Brielle, Twolf et. al.: Chinese food and movies for Christmas! YES!!!!!!!!!!

Santalum notes: Sandalwood, myrrh, cinnamon.

Wearing the remnants of Monday's 31 Rue Cambon as I contemplate going to bed. I've been sitting up with one of my kitties because he has an upset tummy. He seems to enjoy sitting on my computer as I type this. Hopefully he will feel all the way better very soon.

Take care, all.

Good morning!

Amouage Jubilation 25 again.

I love this stuff!

All the snow has melted here; it went from -16°C to +12°C within three days - not exactly easy on the organism either. Well, so much for a the white Christmas I had so been hoping for. Ah well, there's always next year.

Spending the day in Après L'Ondée from my darling Brielle. Merci encore, ma chère. Such a beautiful scent.

I have an early appointment with my Rheumatologist this morning. I'm treating his office to the great smell of Success Is A Job In NY!

Have a great day, everyone!

SL Chergui for my last day of work until the new year.

Good morning to all. Caron L'Anarchiste today

Slept in vintage Balmain Ivoire last night...and, even though it was only the edt, I still smelled rather nice when I woke up at 5. (Why did no one warn me that turning 40 meant I'd suddenly not be able to sleep?)

I am currently LOVING myself in a tiny dab of vintage Miss Dior edt (thank you, generous friend!) as I bustle about with last-minute Christmas preparations. It truly is heavenly...the only downside is that I'm slowed down a little bit by my constant need to sniff my own wrist!

Hello, angels ;-)

Wafting well this am !

Lots of cooking today; as J is home, more visitors chez nous.
[That is OK, because from Friday- Monday again, I'm doing the free-the-Christians workthing..my choice.]
Lots of new moms w/ Xmas needs- I don't need it off, anymore ;-)

Wearing either AL Ambre Antique, Habit Rouge extrait, or Nuit de Noel parfum...
Indecision is the root of mental illness, LOL ;-)

Be well, all who ail.

Cooking here too Chaya. I'm trying out Nigella Lawson's
Rocky Road recipe - very fattening, but irresistible (chocolate,
butter, golden syrup, glace cherries, Amarretti biscuits, marshmallows
and nuts.) I am smelling good in Obsession.

Hi everyone! Following our dear potiron's lead in Apres l'Ondee but can't smell it all as I went a little nuts with the festive holiday room spray....hehe.

Chaya, what is free-the-Christian's workthing?

Last minute booze shopping with, of course, our little boy :-)

Hi, Pip, it's good to see you again! Hope you're feeling better soon.
Kewart, that recipe sounds so good it ought to be illegal!!
Chayale, you're such a doll to pinch hit for the Christmas revelers! Please give J a big smooch from me, won't you?

Wearing Attrape-Coeur today. Too beautiful for words, this one.

Enjoy the day, all!

C&E Evelyn, an old favorite, to help me deal with the insanity of this week (which includes daughter's birthday and a visit to her pediatrician.)

Wearing Guerlain Attrape-Coeur after all the discussion I've read. I'm not a big fan of vanilla fragrances but this one (wouldn't ya know) captured my interest. It's vanilla but more complex, plus it's a "good", what I'd call bourbon, vanilla...rich.
It's still bitterly cold here. I can't wrap my head around packing bathing suits & shorts but that's what I need to do. Stan says it's in the 80's in St. Croix. Yeah, baby!

I wore Amber 411 (from a swap with Pelle) as my bedtime scent. Woke up in a cloud of soft vanilla, the dry down of the Amber 411 and a little kitten snuggled under the covers. So sweet!

Ah so many last minute details to attend to. I seem to work best under fire so this is how I do it every year

Younger dd making gold and silver paper foil origami swans to decorate the table for Christmas eve, I'm getting the flowers this aft. And the final stocking stuffers for both girls. And wrapping...then groceries. Good thing no one is buying houses this time of year

Dim Sum on boxing day is a tradition with us- YUMMY

Loving my Royal Ceylan, the ginger is so energizing! Happy holiday organizing of all kinds to everyone!

TF Black Orchid Voile de Fleur AGAIN!!!! Can't get tired of the stuff...

vintage Vol de Nuit parfum....wow, is this beautiful

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune. I do understand that it's a love it or hate it fragrance for many BN's. At first applying this, I always get the sharp grafefruit first, then it smells like mosquito spray for a bit (others describe it as a pee smell), and then, at least on me, it dries to a soft citrusy vanilla. I love it!

Hello! We made it down to Florida one day before the big snow storm hit. Thank goodness we left when we did. It's been on the cool side here...hopefully it will start to warm up a bit today.

I'm wearing Dior's Escale a Portofino from a decant this morning, which I like and want to love, but I don't think it will entice me away from my go-to citrus, Eau d'Hadrien. We're getting ready for Christmas here. We're making roast goose this year for a Christmas Eve dinner party. Christmas Day, we're going to someone else's house. I still haven't made the pralines yet from Evangeline's recipe. I brought my pecans (pe-cahns, ) so maybe I'll attempt them today if it's not humid.

I hope everyone is well and snug and cozy and smelling fine wherever you are.

Penhaligon's Cornubia, today: very feminine. And I'm off work till January 8th! I can't believe it!

Scent Two: Laurel by Monocle x Comme des Garcons

Burberry London for Men

alba, rockin'! I want to be off work till Jan. 8! You lucky, lucky girl! Enjoy your vacay.

((((RHM))))

lilybelle, we were in Florida last Dec. as the cold front was moving south and we did not pack accordingly. Somehow I couldn't picture myself walking around the sunshine state in a wool peacoat, now I know better! I hope it warms up for you.

Roberto, Coconut, and Mystic, you all smell snarf-worthy, please don't mind me....

Nuit de Noel



Later, gators, stay warm and stay safe!

Chanel No. 19

In the weirdly and wonderful Inhale today. Maybe do Exhale later, just to balance it out right.

Looks like our family Christmas will be post-poned until the week of Jan 8th, when my son will be able to fly home. Better late than never! My hubby and I will be spending a nice, quiet day in front of the TV and fire Friday. Sounds like a romantic day in the making to me!

I did do a baking marathon, made 4 different huge batches of cookies: Scottish shortbread, Mamaw's Gingersnaps (my great grandma's recipe), Mrs. Field's choc chip, and chewy peanut butters. I am cookied out!

Hello, People!

Smelling fine, thank you very much, in a first wearing of Creed Aubepine Acacia, 3x's left cheek, 3x's right cheek.

I just get so peeved that you battle aches, Shades. Of course, I'd rather none of you get the cold or flu either. Think if I stomp my feet I'll get my way?

Been running some Hulu in the background while working. Have you animal-lovers seen this funny trailer? (Relatedly, DH trapped the feral kitty yesterday, so it spent the night with a full belly in a warm kennel.)
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Joining Potiron and Lovethescents in Apres l'Ondee today. Applied lightly, as I'm going to visit two friends who are very ill.

For me this is an objectively beautiful fragrance, but I'm gradually learning that heliotrope is probably not my thing.

So many wonderful smells here today...cookies...Apres l'Ondee, too! Must try the Amaranthine one of these days.

Big hug to Haunani on the day ahead (((((peace & strength to you, my dear H))))

SOTD is a couple of spritzes from my new bottle of YR Fleur de Noel. I find the topnotes to be somewhat similar to L'Eau d'Hiver...and strikingly similar to P&J Blanc. It quickly becomes sweeter than the latter. I think it's also easier to wear than Blanc, which can be quite "heavy" on me.

Fleur de Noel does not have a lot of staying power, which just means that I should prepare a little spray vial that I can carry with me or leave in my desk here at work, right? Really not bad at all...a nice "blind buy"...and really quite nice that it costs so little, too.

Ambre Sultan for me today - and yesterday - I'm having a love affair with it at the moment. Mmm....

I must say that I love a man in no. 19.

I have been wearing Angel this week. Lightly applied, she is delivering what I need right now. Never say never!

Hubby and I got a fat little round Christmas tree yesterday, though late in the season for us, and the kids and I had fun decorating it last night. My daughter named the tree "Charlie"

SotE is Iris Ganache which is inspiring me to make some chocolate truffles tomorrow. Have a wonderful night everyone!

Hi all!

So much cooking going on!

After this last weekend's 20 pounds of baked ziti (argh - I'll be dreaming ziti nightmares for weeks!), I've managed to volunteer for much lighter duties. For our potluck at work, we drew straws and I ended up making fruit salad (woo hoo - something simple). I did a quick mix of crisp fuyu persimmons, bosc pears, and fuji apple in a simple dressing of white balsamic and mango juice, with a secret dash of pepper to brighten things up and a pinch of edible gold flakes just to make it over the top. Simple and done in 10 minutes!

For Christmas, we're doing osso buco with risotto and a parsley/pinenut salsa verde. It sounds difficult, but mostly involves stirring and waiting. I'll bring the leftover gold to throw in a salad (hey, it's Christmas!)

Our Christmas morning tradition is rolling our own dungeoness crab California rolls, so we're doing our part for non-traditional holiday food, too.

My heart goes out to the non-Christmas-celebrators, too. It must get tiresome. Enjoy your Chinese food and have some sesame chicken for me! For years, I couldn't get away from school or jobs to celebrate Thanksgiving, and the only place open near me was always my local falafel shop, so I still have fond memories of eating falafel while the rest of America feasted. It actually felt a bit fun and rebellious...

Thank goodness we don't all believe the same things and celebrate the same holidays. It keeps things interesting. And delicious.

Wow, apparently I'm feeling chatty today...

As for my SOTD, now that the 3x3 Blind Sniff is over (for those who haven't tried, it's quite difficult...but fun!), I think it's time for me to start another perfume house marathon. Leaving for work this morning, I absentmindedly sprayed Un Jardin Apres La Mousson, so I'll use that as an excuse to pick Hermes!

GAH. I want to eat at rogalal's house! Sadly, I'm on the East Coast, so not going to happen....but, my dad lives out in Walnut Creek, even on your side of the bay! I'm so mooching your food on my next visit!

Dreaming of osso buco while bathed in Miss Dior.....

Geo Trumper Bay Rum tonight

Egoiste Platinum by Chanel
Gary

I wore Cinnabar today. Last day of work before the holidays! Yee haw!

Sampling Joy EDT now...wondering what the parfum is like...

Hello lovies, happy that i was able to make you chuckle Twolfie and ComDiva. It is true though, when my friend asked what we should have yesterday to celebrate our "pre-holiday get together" the first thing that popped into both of our minds was; Chinese from PF Changs. So yummy. Poor Twolf, 20 miles to the nearest Chinese food, that would be unbearable; even in France the Chinese restaurant was only a short walk from the house.
Unfortunately on Christmas day i will not be enjoying Chinese, i am making dinner for 8 at the new house; glazed ham, glazed raisins and carots, haricort vert, turnip, the work never ends.

PippedyDee, hope you feel well soon.

Kewert, i just love Nigella, that recipe sounds amazing, i will look it up in a moment.

Chaya, you are such an angel, a hard working one too. Kisses, my little rugelach, i could just eat you up.

Ma pauvre petite Potiron, you may not have snow, but at least you smell delicious. Enjoy!

Leesee, i hope kitty feels well soon, poor thing.

Yay Quarry, the feral kitty is safe.

Haunani, hope your friends will be well soon.

Alba, enjoy your holiday vacation.

Today i wore Cologne pour le Soir thanks to a darling BNer and it was just as lovely during the day, made me feel all cozy. Especially as i went around dropping off Christmas gifts and bringing good cheer to all. It also put me in a lovely mood as i was making the first of 3 Bûche de Noël .

SotE is Je Reviens, which is an absolutely glorious creation, why this is not still a top selling scent is beyond my comprehension. I hope i will always have a bottle of this, i love it.

Love and hugs to all my bunnies...stay warm and cozy

Thank you, Brielle.

Love by RL

Hello everybody!!
All this talk about delicious food is making me hungry
It is getting colder (for us) here in Southern California. This morning it was 50F when I went to work around 8:30.

I went to a party tonight after work. It was nice to see good friends and meet some new people.
I wore Andy Warhol Silver Factory by Bond #9 and it lasted all day. I did not need to re-aply!

Happy trails to those traveling!