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Portia
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Hi There APJ,
Scent Diary 10.4 – 16.4.17
Monday 10:
It’s 3am and I just got a call from Jin who has travelled with the family to Vienna to board a flight to South Korea with our sister in law’s ashes. Korean Air was able to find seats for them all on a flight today at extremely short notice. From Incheon Airport they will take two trains to get to Jin’s hometown near Busan in the south. The rest of his family and hers will all meet at the station and tomorrow there will be a service.
Below is a photo of us all together a month ago in Zilina, Slovakia. Our sister in law making the peace sign. How can this smart, funny, beautiful and sweet woman be gone? We are the wreckage left behind. So sad.
So now I’m wide awake and I have a LOT of Lolita Lempicka EdP on. I reek of it because when I got home and got out of drag I resprayed myself heavily. I’m not bored but I think I’d like to add some extra nuance so I’m going with Mon Guerlain. I think it’s basic lavender/toffee/cake batter will play nicely beside the LLs Fizzy Drink. Yeah, I bought it. No, I don’t hate it but I do feel it’s a pretty close fit to Oriental Brulant if you trade out citrus for lavender. The bottle is wonderful though, perfect packaging. I’m expecting Mon Guerlain Noir in a black version next.
Today was a complete write off. Slept. Spoke to Jin and a couple of mates.
Tonight I got up and did some blogging, about to write Trivia Q&A. My mind is mush, doing the best I can. Ate the last of my Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup. Suddenly I am alive.
Tuesday 11:
4.30am and I’ve just finished this weeks Trivia Q&A. I know it sounds late but I particularly like to work at this time in the night. My brain gets this weird late night focus and things that would take forever in the day time take half the time and I do a better job of it too. My Trivia Q&A scent tonight was Amoureuse by Parfums DelRae, freakiest damn lily I ever smelled. So good and beautiful, it’s thick and ropey with this amazingly dense floatiness. This is my second bottle, if anyone has one they’re not loving let me know, I’ll buy it.
Spent today doing office work with Scott before getting ready for work. Wore Palissander d’Or by Aedes de Venustus woodsy deliciousness through the day.
Then for work I wore vintage Nina EdT by Nina Ricci. Smelled unbelievably fabulous through work and kept getting lavish huffs of myself. Weirdly, no one noticed it at all.
Wednesday 12:
Today was the birthday of one of my most loved, enduring friendships. We lived together in the late 80s- early 90s and have remained constant buddies through continental changes, marriages, divorces, kids and all sorts of excitement. I made her wedding dress, TinaG and I are godparents to her beautiful son and fortuitously she happened to be in Sydney for her birthday this year so a small core of her family and close buddies congregated at our place in Parramatta for lunch. Loads of laughs, champagne, food, tea, baklava and the warmth of hanging with wonderful people were the order of the day. TinaG & I went shopping together for the party.
Jin is coming home today from South Korea. Getting on the plane. Will be home by midday tomorrow. I’m so happy that I’m getting a bit emotional.
Thursday 13:
Jin arrived home. He is tired and wretched. He basically lay on the lounge like Camille all day snoozing on & off. He gets a couple of days of this before he goes back to work. He is so worn out that he has refused to meet friends or go anywhere.
Wearing Umbra by Ramon Monegal during the day.
Got ALL the bought and gifted bottles from the Europe 2017 holiday out and took a pic today, did a post about it. Kind of made myself sick at my own gluttony.
For work I wore Burberry Brit Woman EdP & Extrait. I smelled bloody gorgeous. So good I then respritzed before bed.
Friday 14:
Woke up with a stinking sinus headache. OMG! I feel like my heads left hand side is about to explode. So instead of perfume I decided to scent the house with Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Soup. Smells really good. Hope it tastes so yummy when cooked.
OK so my headache persisted till 4pm when I could take it no more and took some pain relief tablets. It’s so rare for me to get such a monumental ouch headache that I usually can ride them out but not today. Blessed relief.
Wearing Etat Libre d’Orange: You Or Someone Like You made with Chandler Burr. Yeah, kooky and fun, very ELdO. Review to come.
Saturday 15:
Bloody Hell! It’s 4.30am, I’m for bed. A quadruple chest spritz of Jacomo Silences PdT and I’m off. NIGHT!
Today we are off to get our dogs back home from the kennels. Jin and I didn’t wan’t to collect them because they really do have a master each and we were worried that Jinx would be upset without Jin home. I’m pretty excited to have them home. I wore my vintage Miss Dior EdT today, perfect warm autumn day fragrance.
Went over to my BFF Kath’s house. She was minding a beautiful ginger cat called Mango for a friend of a friend while he moved to Melbourne from Sydney. Anyway, this asshole gets to Melbourne and tells Kath she should keep him or send him to the pound. So now she is looking for a new home for Mango, sadly she is highly allergic to cats or she’d keep him. What is it with some people, imagine leaving your fur baby like that?
Anyone in Sydney want a gorgeous, people and other pet friendly, house trained, healthy, inside cat. Not to be let outside. He had a car accident a while back so his face is a little lopsided but otherwise heaven. Softest little purr I ever heard.
Perfect Easter Saturday night. Sushi Train dinner with Jin who is still way too tired to be photographed, walked the dogs, hit the blogs and now a sky high bubble bath in the Bath and Body Works Anti-Stress bubbles and a cuppa in my Free Parking mug that I got for Christmas. This is about as comfortably happy as I get, blissful evening.
After the bath and in honour of meeting Mango today I wore my super spectacular pussy cat socks. Fragrance provided by my sample of Rose Omeyyade by Atelier des Ors. A very interesting gourmand, fruity rose backed by a deep and mysterious creamy oriental oud base. Clever and beautiful.
Sunday 16:
Happy Easter to those who celebrate.
Jin & I only slept till about 7.30am. For a treat I went and brought the dogs in and we all slotted around the bed for another hour. Jin manages to snore like a steam train even with the dogs on board. I love the sound, it soothes me and I feel so relaxed with it.
L’Eau d’Ambre by L’Artisan Perfumeur today. Smells great! Mine is the older bottle but the new one smells good too.
Today is also Jin’s first time seeing our mates since his return. We are having Yum-Cha and then seeing BFF Kath’s parents. I’ve made them some of my Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Soup.
Done. Now I’m going to be a lazy sloth.
So what did you all get up to this week? Smell anything new or go back to an old favourite? What about Easter? Do anything for that?
Portia xxx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Glad to hear your family is back together again, hope Jin is feeling OK.
I also love bringing the dogs in for a sleep in, draped over the bed, so comforting.
PS that little ginger boy is a honey, hope he finds a real person to take him.
Xxx
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Hey JackieB,
Jin is feeling rested and ready to go back to work tomorrow.
Yeah, pets are amazing, aren’t they? So much work but so worth it.
Portia xx
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I’m glad Jin is back to you safely and that your pups are home and healthy. My condolences to you all for your loss. I meant to comment the other day that I loved your post on his perfumes. It was so sweet that I teared up reading it.
A pox on Mango’s former owner. May he suffer horrible dental problems and embarrassing intestinal problems until the end of his days. I can’t imagine giving up one of my fur-kids.
Hope your Easter was good. Mr. Minion has the flu so we bowed out of the usual family gathering and are spending the day in our jammies. The cats are ecstatic that we’ve decided to loaf around just for them 😉 I would be making cauliflower soup had I read your post in time to get to the store. Haven’t made any in ages and now I’m really craving it. My spouse only eats soup when he’s sick and I could eat it every day, so I really feel like I’m missing an opportunity.
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Hi there MikasMinion,
So glad to have him home. Yeah, I was missing him pretty bad when I wrote that Memory Scents post.
Yeah, can’t believe he’d leave such a wonderful cat behind. Madness.
How lucky are your fur babies, they got you all day.
Jin doesn’t really like the way I make soup because the texture is so different to the way the Koreans make it. He has a bowl when I first make it, just to make me happy, but then I eat it alone. I also make enough to give to some older friends and relatives because that way I know they’re getting some fresh vegetables and a hearty meal they don’t have to produce themselves. I could eat soup every day too.
Portia xx
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Yesterday, my bottle of Silences arrived. How weirdly wonderful! I went to bed in it last night. Today is Annick Goutal Heure Exquise. Happy Easter, Portia and Jin!!!
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Hey Gina,
How fabulous is Silences? What a stunner, and still so affordable.
Portia xx
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Glad Jin is home now. Perhaps he can start to heal. 💚 I love little Mango’s face-he’s endearing. I’d take him (Jasper needs a playmate) but I’m too far away. Hope you and Jin have a lovely Easter. And Gina, I’m going to wear Huere Exquise also!
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Hi there Claudia,
Yeah, it will be tender for a long while yet. Glad he’s home too.
Mango is a honey, Jin & I had to really talk ourselves down from taking him.
You are going to smell fabulous.
Portia xx
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I don’t like people who abandon their pets. Hope poor Mango finds a good home where he will be appreciated and loved. He is a beautiful little guy.
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Yeah,
You understate perfectly Ingrid. we think he might already have found a new home.
Portia xx
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I am so sorry for your loss and sending prayers to you and Jin’s family. Hope Jin is feeling better and glad that got back home to you and the pups safely! God Bless!
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Hi there Nella,
Thanks. Yeah, Jin is back almost to his normal self. Jin with a shadow. We’ll just love him till he learns to bear the pain.
Portia xx
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Jin is home, that is good news. He has had a traumatic couple weeks. Sending love and prayers to Jin and family and you Portia xx
Love the pussy socks, your weekly scent diary and glad that doggies are home. Cute cat I hope he finds a good home soon. 💕💝
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Hey Anna-Maria,
Yeah, glad to have my poor, tired, broken boy back. The healing begins.
How freaking fun are those cat socks? Love them.
Missing you this week. see you next Sunday.
Portia xx
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Best wishes to you and Jin; hopefully you bounce back from your loss soon.
My week in scent went like this: Musc Ravageur, 1697, Les Nuits d’Hadrien, Intense Cafe, Journey Man, and Interlude Man. I enjoyed all of these other than the Goutal, which might end up being moved on.
Mostly the usual Easter activities for me. I completed a 17 km fund-raising walk on Good Friday, which I was very happy about. Sunday I had my son around for lunch, for which I cooked roast leg of lamb with masses of vegies: carrot, parsnip, potatoes, celeriac, beetroot, beans and minted peas. Followed by apple crumble slice for dessert. Yum. Had Koko Black easter eggs for afternoon tea and now probably need to do another 17 km walk to get rid of it all.
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Hey Greg,
Funny you didn’t like Les Nuits d’hadrian, I am underwhelmed by it too. Everything else looks like a heavy hitters dream.
Lucky son getting the full shebang for lunch. I hope you guys had a good time.
Portia x
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Wow, that looks like a vintage Silences. So hard to come by around here. One of my all time favorites along with Chanel No.19.
I’m glad Jin is back and you have the dogs back too. Take care you two. You and Jin have been through a lot emotionally. My thoughts and love go out to you both.
Mango is a handsome boy. If I lived in Australia, I’d take him, even if the Dear Husband would say, “Another cat?”
Dear Daughter came by for the day. Got her to clear out some more stuff from her old room. Made lamb with a pistachio, caper, olive tapenade and a side of english peas, snap peas, snow peas and pea sprouts for Easter dinner.
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Hey there Tatiana,
Yes, vintage Silences. the oakmoss is rich and furry.
Thanks, all love accepted gratefully and returned with smooches.
WOW! Dinner sounds amazing. That tapenade! Fancy and yum. Sadly Jin is not a lamb fan, he’s trying to train himself to like it and if it’s done Syrian style he will eat it but usually not. That tapenade could help turn the corner, I’m going to have a go at it.
Portia xx
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Dear Portia,
The picture of Jin’s family is so painful and sad – everybody is so beautiful (the kids are older than I pictured) and happy in a way that has doubtless changed. Welcome home to Jin, and I know you and Jinx will take good care of him. If love can’t heal all wounds, at least it can make them more bearable. I don’t love all my scars, but they are better than the initial open gash ;).
I have a cat on my lap and a dog curled up next to me as I type – I can imagine life without the early morning walk but not without them. And since the early morning walk is part and parcel of this life with pets, I have made my peace with it (mostly). Now I have to move them to go shower. Mango is delightfully asymmetric and a pox on his former owner. I hope he finds a worthy home and adapts well.
Hugs and love xxoo — Molly
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I’m glad you and Jin are reunited with your beautiful dogs. Soon life will be back to normal and that’s good after all the excitement.
Mango is such a beautiful cat. How could someone leave him behind? Some people are really crap. I hope he’ll find a good new home.
I love your pictures, as always, especially the bathtub view and the kitty socks 🙂
Easter is behind us. As usual it was about meeting family and friends and eating and drinking. I need a holiday from eating right now but there’s still so much food left, sigh…
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Dear Portia,
Loved reading this post though almost cried a couple of times (I’m SO sorry for what Jin, his family and you are going through!). Big hug!
I can’t imagine leaving a cat who lived with you like that! One should be a very… “special” person to do that. I hope the cat will find a new loving home soon.
I’m still in the process of wearing all of my “Desert Island” (top 20) perfumes from one of my recent posts – so nothing new, but I enjoy my tried favorites every day.
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Hey Undina,
Yeah, the family has a plate full of grief right now. Jin is amazing, resilient and strong but he is hurting bad. I’m here though.
Can you believe people? Mango is the sweetest honey. Currently one of our mates has taken him on trial. I think they’ll be an excellent fit.
Wearing the Desert Island Favourites is such luxury. I hope they are giving you joy.
Portia xxx
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I am happy to see Jin home and healing after such a difficult time, seeing the family photo it is hard to imagine the pain his SIL must have been hiding in her heart. So sad.
Love your Scent Diaries, I should start keeping track of what I wear, I have so many perfumes and feel like most of them are neglected. I do love Palissandre d’Or and wear it often though!
It is still very cool here in Canada so I’m enjoying my orientals – Mitzah for me today.
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Hey TaraC,
I’m so happy to have him home too. Yeah, poor girl, poor family. We are all rocked.
So glad you love the scent diaries. They are really cathartic to write too.
Palissander d’Or is a super cool frag and MITZAH! I’m wearing it tomorrow in your honour.
Portia xx
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