Just Because Its So Pretty!

      Ah, look what arrived. Beautiful isn't it? I just love the feel of these old bottles. This one is app. 3 1/2" tall by 2 3/4" wide and app. 1 1/2" deep.

   I'm so intrigued. I can detect, very faintly, that "Guerlain" note. Lovely!

I'm a Sucker for a "Stucker".

   Well, I did it again. I've gone and purchased another "stucker". That's my pet word for a perfume bottle with a stopper that is wedged in tight as all get out!
   Now I don't ever look at myself  in the mirror and say "Hey, you're a real glutton for intense aggravation aren't you?" No, I do not do that.... but I might have to start. I prefer to call myself an optimist. You know, all that "hope springs eternal" sort of stuff. But guess I'll just have to admit that I have a small masochistic streak when it comes to vintage perfume bottles. And maybe a few other things.... but I digress.
   Just let me see or hear the words "glass stopper stuck" and my attention is THERE! Drawn in like a fly to a cow pile.  Hmmm, a more pleasant way to express that would be in order. Its as if a gauntlet has been thrown down right in front of me and I'm more than willing to scoop it up and attempt to meet the challenge and emerge victorious! (Well, that is if the price is right. I still have that pirate heart. hahaha)  
   Anyway, the initial posting said "unidentified perfume with stuck stopper". So they had me on two counts. The label was worn enough so the name of the fragrance couldn't easily be deciphered, but it clearly stated Guerlain. OH! BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!!!  I love a mystery and one from that renowned and hallowed House of fragrance was too good to NOT buy!  (Plus it was really, really cheap.)
   It was almost a disappointment when the seller contacted me and said she had figured out the name, Rue de la Paix. But hey, that meant I could start trying to research the notes, when it was created, how long it was produced, etc..  That way, when it arrives I can focus entirely on trying to open it!  chuckle    Will post updates on my efforts!
    The photo above is of the three bottles that have managed to resist my every attempt at opening them. They are such beauties. They have caused me so much apprehension, aggravation and just plain FEAR. hahahaha    Each is my little preciousssssss.   On the left is Camot Soir. I can find out nothing about this one. Not yet anyway!   In the center is an unidentified Chanel. Lovely isn't she? I can detect, very faintly, a beautifully sweet fragrance. On the right is Chypre by de Bertalot. c 1915 ? The front label fell off the first time I put it in the refrigerator in an attempt to open it. Have it tucked safely away. From what I can find out this bottle has an interesting bit in perfume history! All the more reason NOT to break it!!!
   So here I am. Waiting for that Guerlain to arrive. Waiting to see if it joins my three lovelies here... or if I get to enjoy that fragrance from the Past. I remain ever hopeful. And that's how it should be!

Fragrance is my Therapy right now!

   Goodness, its been a while since I've been able to get back to the blog. Went through the whole Winter season unable to wear much in the way of perfumes because I spend so much time at my mother's home. She has Parkinson's and Dementia, so either my brother or myself have to stay close to her. She doesn't mind perfume, as long as it isn't REAL strong. ( That's more than half of my stash! hahaha) My brother on the other hand, can't stand fragrance! And since he lives with Mom...... well, you get the picture. No perfume during the day.
   But when I return home for the evening, one of the first things I do is head for the perfume cabinet. Its therapy for me! Shifts my focus away from the unpleasant aspects of caretaking. And believe me, there are quite a few of those!  Fragrance is so healing to the Spirit! Of course, there are those times when I not only put on perfume.... I also take out one of my belly dance belts and maybe even one of my favorite hats...... and sway and shimmy around while my dogs and cats look askance at me. They should be used to their Mama acting weird sometimes. I'll do whatever it takes to break up the negative energy that tries to cling onto me!!!    Those little bells help to chip away at it, like old plaster! Then I grab my broom and SWEEP IT OUT the door!   Shimmy, shimmy, sweep. Shimmy, shimmy, sweep. Shoulder rolls, twirls, shimmy, shimmy.... and sweep, sweep, sweep!!!!     If its really bad, I smudge myself before I come into my home. Yep, I keep everything handy! Oh! And don't forget some incense for the house too!
   Even if I do find myself "down", I REFUSE to stay that way for very long! There is no sense in wasting my time and life energy that way.  And yes, I've used my slightly warped sense of logic in "rewarding" myself after a particularly rough day. (Especially after Mom's latest hospital stay... I don't ever want to revisit that first evening in my head again! Emotional torture. UGH!)   Suffice it to say, I have a couple of new vintage perfumes (actually more than that) and a hat or two. Trust me, I DESERVE them!   chuckle

My Little Present for Myself!

   I just love it when the postman brings packages. Especially when I know whats in it.... and it smells GOOD!!  I decided to celebrate the arrival of 2014 with a little present from myself from Mermade Arts. I needed new tongs and wanted to try the tripod... so I just added a few little tiny extras.
   First of all, opening a package from Mermade is a joy in itself! Colorful wrapping, lovely packaging and the smell.........!!!

   See, not too much! I couldn't wait to sniff the Oman Honey Frankincense. She described it as being "more woody and balsamic than most". Its luscious! I want MORE!!!  chuckle
   The Salome is an Aloeswood Bakhoor from Cambodia. I can tell that I'm going to like this one.
Veil has a base of Arabic Aloeswood Bakhoor, then she added Oman Frankincense and Somalian Myrrh. Also Rose oil and delicate little rose petals. My grandchildren and I just kept going back and sniffing this one!
   Gomme. Dominica Tree Gum. I've been very curious about this.  I really like the turpentine smell when I opened the jar. What can I say, I love the scent of pine pitch too! Gomme is supposed to burn sweet ~ I'll be finding out soon.
   A sample of Pan's Earth. The info says that "this is sex in the woods". Come on! With a description like that, who wouldn't want to try it?!
   Also a sample of Wildwood. I took one sniff and told myself I was going to get more of this as soon as possible. Its a forest. Seriously... its smells like being deep in a forest. Fantastic! (I'm planning an altar for global reforestation. This would be an awesome choice for workings!)     Ingredients listed are Hougary Green and Black Frankincense, Copal Blanco, Pinion pine resin, Cedar tips, Himalayan Juniper, Grand Fir, Fir and White Spruce Balsam and Western Cedar oil.
   There are several other incenses that I want to try. Heck, I want to try them all. I really like the site too. It has a lot of helpful information if you don't know how to use certain tools and tips for burning the incenses themselves. I wholeheartedly recommend a peak around!
   http://www.mermadearts.com/index.php

   Coco proved, once again, that she has a discriminating nose when it comes to fragrance. But... she also has teeth and kept wanting to chew on my pouch of Honey Frankincense!!!  Perhaps she heard about the health benefits attributed to this resin? But I'm not so sure that they mean that you masticate it! chuckle         So into my cabinet it goes for safekeeping!

2013 is almost Gone!

  

   Well, tomorrow is the last day of 2013. Amazing! What the heck happened to this year anyway???       That aside, I'm still in a state of sensory overload from the holiday season. If I don't smell another cookie, cake or candy for a month or so ~ I might recover.  The scent of evergreens  (one of my favorites) was in short supply around here. Very few Yule trees for sale this year. And they looked pretty rough. Something about a disease affecting them and making them dry out rapidly. What a shame!
    Went back on the no-buy quite a while back. And I had been doing really well. (pat self on back)  Then saw a small bottle of  Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose Jasmin. For $4.!  Lovely fragrance. Reminds me of some perfume oil I used to get many, many years ago. Nice incense vibe to it.
    My after-Yule present to myself was a very small shopping spree at Mermade Arts. Got one of her tripods for placing over the lit charcoal. Never tried that before.  Purchasing a new electric heater will have to wait a bit longer!
    The relatively new metaphysical store down at the corner carries a little bit of incense. What a lifesaver that was at Christmas! Guess what my daughter got as a gift? hahaha        Am trying a couple of scents from the HEM corp..   Sandal King and Horus Eye.  Sweet, but nice. They also carry a "Seven Chakra" incense by the same company. There are seven packages containing 5 incense sticks each. Of course, the fragrances are supposed to match up with the corresponding chakra. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to use them. Guess it would be good if I asked at the shop where I got them! hahaha   Did I forget to mention that I have a case of the brain-fog because of all the sugar I've been ingesting! And I swear its affecting my sense of smell!!!  NOT in a good way either.
    Oh goodness.... just realized how late it is. Had better run and try to get some sleep. Haven't heard much this evening, but tomorrow night my neighbors will be setting off loads of fireworks..... and I will be up most of the night reassuring my dogs and cats!   Remember to keep your pets safe and as calm as possible. Good luck to all the fur parents out there!!

Fragrant Silk....

Straight from the thrift shop. So light and ethereal.

   I just love bopping over to the Hospice thrift shop down at the corner. Its a change of scenery and pace. Occasionally I find absolutely nothing...... other times I hit the motherload!  It really doesn't matter because the important part is the treasure hunt.  But every once in a while I come across something that truly intrigues me. Today it was a scarf. It wasn't a color I'd normally be drawn to. The design is nice enough, but nothing of special interest. Soft silk... that's a plus in my mind, not a definite reason for purchasing.  
   This one just had a "feel" about it. As I ran it through and over my hands and forearms I got the mental image of a woman. Small to medium height and built. Dressed in a very classic and stylish manner. Tailored dress, heels (sensible heels, mind you!), perfectly coiffed hair, simple and elegant gold jewelry, purse on her arm and this scarf around her neck. A breeze is blowing gently as she walks through a European style plaza. Theres salt water nearby, I can smell it in the air. A Mediterranean vacation perhaps?  Nice lady, I like her. Has a warm and kind vibe around her.   I wonder if she donated this or if her family did. I can't get a clear I impression about it. Seems I've all ready got an emotional investment in this gal! She had such a loving heart.     (Hmm, that just came out in the past tense. Maybe that answers my query.)
    Anyway, at some point I realized I was smelling just the faintest hint of perfume. And a lovely one at that! Oh my, its the scarf. She had good taste in fragrance as well. It has a Chanel vibe to it. Oh, by the skirts of the Great Mother!!! I do believe its vintage COCO!   hahaha   No wonder I like this lady so much! A kindred soul! 
   I keep sniffing and I think that there may be another perfume as well. Over time they have blended into the silk fibers. I get an image of scarves folded neatly and layered in a dresser drawer. What a magnificent fragrance it creates! 
   Yes, this is one of those intimate little vignettes in life that I cherish. I may not know the name of the woman who wore this scarf, but I've been graced with sharing just a moment of a memory of her..... and its been a very comforting feeling. Its like reaching out delicately into the Universe and feeling someone else's fingertips gently touch mine.   A reassurance that these physical bodies of ours are only fleeting, but our true Self lives on.

Ambre Sultan. Nice for Protection.

   While speaking to a friend on the phone about protective fragrances and my need for them, especially at that particular time, I spotted this on the internet. (Which I was cruising at the same time I was talking.... I admit it!) Anyway, it caught my attention because the amber in perfumes is actually composed of resins and oils, some of which have the exact energetic properties I was seeking.  And I think many of us can appreciate how something will just "pop" up out of seemingly nowhere when we need it the most. So it was with Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens.   And it was less than half the regular price!    So glad I decided to go for it.
    I just ADORE the opening. The first 30 to 40 minutes are my kind of magickal potion, Resins, herbs and spices. All dancing around a sacred fire, weaving in and out. For a time it creates an underlying scent of tobacco.... lets send those prayers up! There is an incense note present that resonates waaaay back in my memory file! (I wonder which lifetime its from?) And one of the unnamed resins just HAS to be my beloved breuzinho! Here its burning as a sacred offering. Billowing clouds of smoke rising to embrace the breezes. And that wonderful tang of burnt resin on the altar stone. Oh, how I wish this stage of Ambre Sultan's development could last forever. But all things change. It transmutes to a warm glowing ember of fragrant myrrh and vanilla laden amber. Earthy, yet etheric as it dries down closer and closer to the skin. Wondrous.
     It lasts for many hours.... quietly. That's what you want when you're seeking protection, especially if you are "out and about". There is nothing "weird" about this that would make people question why you're wearing it.
    Its those opening notes that help fortify my defenses. They seem to purge my energy field of unwanted and negative particles. Then it morphs into this lovely and discreet perfume. What more could one ask for?
    Note: This one is quite unisex.

Ambre Sultan  by Serge Lutens                   2000

Notes:  Coriander, Sandalwood, Bay leaf, Patchouli, Angelica, Resins, Myrrh, Amber, Oregano, Myrtle, Benzoin, Vanilla.