Ode to Shalimar by Guerlain

Orange Extract

Big Pink Eraser

Loose Face Powder

Musty Attic

New Brown Carpet

Cardboard Box

Worn Oxford Shoes

Photo from stsfragrance.com

The Big Red One

Good news on the home furnishing front!

B-man on the Big Red One, smiling on the inside

After looking high and low, B-man and I have fallen in love with a red leather sectional for our living room.  

We're not sure it will work.  It's probably too big for the space and it's...red.  Still, we love it, and the absurdity of it all has us both a bit squealy (that's the furniture equivalent of twirly, if you were wondering).

But I guess a leather couch means I am no longer a vegan like I was back in the day. 

That one day.  

Well, most of one day.

We considered the same sectional in black (actually, it's called tobacco), thinking it would be a bit safer.  But that just seems so heavy, so predictable and manly-man.  Like the first step toward antlers on the wall and a bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. 

With its head still attached.

Hell to the No.

Before Inner Critic gets all, 'where's my high horse,'  let me just describe for you, in detail, the furniture we've been living with for almost 20 years. 

It's beige.

B-man and I made a secret pact (with one of our typically uncoordinated high fives) to De-Beige, Break Out Of Our Rut, Think Outside The Box and Shake Things Up.

To help with this process, B-man created a mini living room - to scale - with mini paper furniture (also to scale).  That way, we can see if the sectional fits and also play with our paper tables, lamps and other stuff to find the right configuration.

It's fun living with a creative math geek.

We really hope it works.  If a big-ass, raspberry red leather curved sectional doesn't make us fugitives from Beige Lock-down, what on earth will?

Picture taken by Furniture Guy with B-man's new Droid

In Perfume and In Life: Hold Out for the Masterpiece

Lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed by the massive volume of perfume releases, sometimes from the same perfume house.  All are made common when clumped together with others undistinguished.

Should a masterpiece occur among them, it appears almost accidental, and its impact is greatly diminished through a thoughtless introduction.

Of course, perfume and life often mirror each other, so I've been pondering quality over quantity as it relates to other parts of life.

In my work, for example, I take great pains to hire the smartest, most passionate and driven people I can find.  Almost without exception, these personalities need coaching around creating a thoughtful pace, because they want to change the world overnight and truly believe this is possible.

Which is precisely why I hired them in the first place.

Nevertheless, I encourage them to take time - build time into their daily calendars - simply to think.  Just because they have the ability to multi-task and complete a number of projects quickly, is all that activity really making the impact they want? 

Rather than simply Doing A Lot, I ask them to pay close attention to their human surroundings, then fully assess their department, the organization, the national climate and their own world view.  Only then are they ready to thoughtfully accomplish something extraordinary. Something that has never been done before. 

Something that could change the world.

To all perfume houses, I offer the same advice.  

Instead of overwhelming your audience with release after release, simply because you can, take a deep breath.  Reign in the marketing impulse and focus on quality over quantity. 

Hold out for the masterpiece.

Picture from vangoghgallery.com

Cherry Bomb Killer Perfume

Two new perfumes were sent my way, courtesy of Maria McElroy and Alexis Karl.  I have sampled them both and offer my thoughts and impressions.  

You should know by now that I am incapable of serious perfume reviews.

Truth or Dare:  My first thought, upon application, was that one could dissolve a cherry lifesaver in water, add a bit of baby powder, rub the concoction on one's skin and create the same aroma. 

Fortunately, as it develops, Truth or Dare gains a bit of floral freshness, still retaining it's sweet, cherry beginning.  In the end, however,  the freshness subsides and I am left with the life saver/baby powder drydown.

Rebel Angel:  This one is somewhat more complex.  A geranium vibe intervenes from the beginning, adding an earthiness to the top notes.  

As RA develops, it becomes more gourmand and takes on a 'cakey' quality.  After an hour, I find myself wondering what's making me crave Belgian waffles. 

Ah, it's Rebel Angel.

Both Truth or Dare and Rebel Angel are obviously created for a very young audience.  They have moderate sillage and staying power (Rebel Angel lasts longer than Truth or Dare on my skin).  

With their naughty names, I expected a bit more edginess.  In reality, both are virginal and ladylike.  Almost old fashioned.

Perhaps even in perfume, history repeats itself.

Perfume + Carpet = Twirling

Paige on the new carpet by the fireplace

Our carpet was finally installed this morning!  It's amazing how much difference this makes in the look and feel of the room.  

Honestly, I'm kind of 'twirly' about it.

Now, we need to re-furnish the rooms, but I want to Scarlett O'Hara that one.  It's too much to take in all at once.

The real problem is that I can be incredibly cheap. 

My cheapness plays out in avoiding, ignoring and denying the need until something absolutely must be replaced (especially clothing, but almost anything).  

This drives B-man nuts, and he shakes his head in disbelief when I shop for an entire day, bring home nothing (because I 'cheap out') then spend the evening telling him about what I should have bought.

He says, 'Why didn't you buy it and try it on at home?'  'You can always take it back if you don't want it.' 

Like that ever crossed my mind.

On the other hand, I think nothing of dropping $150 on a perfume that I Absolutely Must Have.  This doesn't phase me at all. 

Because perfume is a staple.

Which brings me to my next point:  I placed another order. 

In my defense, after receiving multiple offers of 10% off Already Discounted Prices, I received a coupon for 15% off from Parfum 1.

Wear me down...jeez.

So I ordered the following:

Habanita (Molinard)

Ombre Rose (Jean Charles Brosseau)

Le Parfum (Sonia Rykiel)

Dirt (Demeter)

And yes, I'm already tracking the shipping.  Delivery is scheduled for the 13th.  Six days of anticipation, reading reviews and envisioning the rapture upon receiving the package. 

I guess you could call it 'virtual twirling'.

Picture my own.

Feminist Vegan Wannabe Sunday

Yesterday was spent in multi-media trolling.

Like, the whole day.

First, perfume blogs, then raw food/vegan blogs.  Inner Critic scoffs because I'm not into raw foods and I'm no vegan. Thinking he can just bite me, I spend time making a grocery list of things like flax seed, almond milk and tofu.  

I scroll down one particular site that promises photographs of the delicious vegan meals of the blogger.  Apparently, she has never watched Rachael Ray and learned that You Eat With Your Eyes First. 

Every plate looks like dog shit over greens.  

I kid you not. 

Feeling squeamish, I move on to feminist blogs and take a trip down memory lane to my first year of graduate school when I quit shaving - everything - as a silent protest against the feminine ideal.  

B-man never said anything at the time, and I thought I was the Hot Hairy One.  But one night, years later, as I was thinking back and regaling him with my feminist chutzpah, he interrupted me with, 'um...could you not do that again?'

Suddenly bored with blog trolling, I decide to watch The Hurt Locker.  This movie suits my dark and rogue-ish mood perfectly.  It is followed by four back-to-back episodes of In Treatment.

That has to mean something.

As a  psychotherapist (I almost said 'former,' but the urge to diagnose and analyze never goes away), I love this show and watch it with alternate cringing (a real therapist would never say that!) and envy (damn, I wish I would have said that!).

All this time, B-man is downstairs busting his hump, preparing our rooms for new carpet.  The carpet that was ordered two f-ing weeks ago.  He's painting, moving furniture and re-assembling our weight equipment.

Occasionally, I mosey downstairs, stand with a swayback, scratch my stomach and say, in my best redneck voice, 'wot yi doin' now?'  Actually, I'm not all that interested in what he's doing, I just need a break from eating potato chips, gruyere and ginger snaps.

Hmm.  If not for the gruyere, yesterday could have been my first day as a vegan.

Picture from fotosearch.com

Seeking Advice

Today is a Thinking Day and I'm coming to you, my readers, for advice.

Last weekend, as I published the 100th post of this blog, I also decided to make some adjustments to my profile and my blog title.  

These changes are the direct result of asking myself this central question:

How do I expand my blog into non-perfume areas, and continue to attract new readers, without alienating my core audience?

My life - like everyone's - is full of interesting, frustrating, life-changing moments, and I want to write about those, too.  

Maintaining more than one blog is not an option.  Plus, I like the idea of everything coming together under one umbrella.

My lust for smelling life (and perfume) will continue for as long as I breathe.  At the same time, I'm interested in broadening the dialogue among us and allowing this blog, and its content, to expand.

Most of you have been blogging much longer than I, so perhaps you have asked yourself this question at one time or another and come to conclusions of your own.

Therefore, I invite you to openly share your thoughts, opinions and advice.

Picture from wordpress.com