Scent Diary: 6.8 – 12.8.2018

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

.

Portia

.

Hey there APJ Crew,

Jin and I are back living together. We had the kids by themselves, they left yesterday, and I know it’s hard to believe but I have NO COMPLAINTS! They were not perfect, who is?, but they were respectful, tidy and very low maintenance. I also like the people they are turning into. Now that their English is conversational life is much easier. My Korean is still about 20 words, so obviously I’m not helping matters.

Scent Diary: 6.8 – 12.8.2018

Monday 6:

Up early and cooked breakfast for the kids & Jin. They are off for a SCUBA diving adventure three hours south. Hopefully they will be doing a dive with the seals there. Very exciting stuff. Here they are standing on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

SOTDay: Vint-ish Guerlain Jicky EdT

Went to see Anna Maria and Johnny on my way to collect the dogs and we had a cuppa. Then Anna Maria and I picked up the pooches. Boy were they happy to see me. Back to Anna Maria’s where Jinx & Paris got to play a bit with Milo, their dog. We had Meat Pies and Peas! YUMMY! Lunch of champions. Forgot to take any photos, sorry.

COMPUTER! Catching up.

SOTComputing: Lolita Lempicka EdP. It floats effortlessly over the Jicky remnants.

Trivia Q&A. I’m trying to focus but my head’s everywhere tonight. Got the Jackpot questions and the Games done and organised the base of the Q&A but I think bed is the answer.

SOTBed: Nirmal by Laboratorio Olfactivo. The carroty iris and violet with amber base work well over the last gasps of my other fragrances today. I probably should have worn this to do my Q&A. Lavishly encrusted with cold, unlit incense this iris beauty is gorgeous.

Tuesday 7:

Up early and finished Q&A. Forgot to send it to the girls and got some frantic calls later in the day. My head seems to be elsewhere.

Scotty came today for Office Day. I’m almost caught up now. PHEW! Loads of parcels in and out today, banking, communicating, heaps accomplished.

SOTDay: Alahine by Teo Cabanel

Spent some afternoon time answering comments on the blog. We have the best community here. So many conversations are going on and it’s like sitting at a big dinner table. My heart is full of all the love in the APJroom.

SOTWork: Vint-ish Guerlain Mitsouko EdP

WOW! I smelled HUGE tonight at work. Maybe the extra couple of spritzes as I left the house were unnecessary. It was wonderful though. Full night for the club too 74 players including Jin and the kids who only stayed for dinner.

I’m home and really sad that CHANEL Australia has DCd the CHANEL No 18 EdP 75ml. BUM! Did you read Val the Cookie Queen’s post on it this week?

Wednesday 8:

Woke up so early this morning, grabbed Paris and we slept on the couch together.

For lunch Jin cooked us a BarBQ. Korean Style Meats and Aussie Sausages served with Potato salad and Kimchi. The kids loved it and so did we.

My Boucheron Trouble Legere had been sadly unloved for ages so I grabbed it out and wore it to the movies to see Incredibles II (Yeah, Incredibles was good but not great).

Then I went to work in it and it’s still powering away happily after all that.

Hit the couch and watching more LIMITLESS.

Thursday 9:

Woke up late. Fed & walked the dogs in beautiful winter sunshine.

SOTDay: Vintage Hermès Caleche. Who doesn’t love an aldehydic floral? This beat up old bottle was a gift from Michael Edwards when he was having a clear out. Every time I wear it his gentlemanly manner and friendliness comes to mind.

I have armloads of shit to do but instead I’m watching Limitless and fart arising around on the computer. COME ON! I’ve earned a big fat hairy day off. Jin’s at work, the kids are out gallivanting and I’m in my pyjamas drinking copious amounts of instant coffee and watching TV. HEAVEN!

Gave the house a VERY quick go over: vacuum and bathroom sink. Got the RISSOLE meat made up. Jin’s going to grab some extra potatoes for mash and I’ve got peas and gravy. WOO HOO! Dinner tonight is going to be yum.

There were six for dinner. Jin, TinaG, Sindy (Neice), Daniel (Nephew), Jacob (young Korean man who works at the local grocery who wants to improve his English) and me. We had Rissoles, Mash Potato and Peas with Onion Gravy. Dessert was two different types of Melon. Lots of chatter and laughter. We could see Jacob struggling but managed to include him in the evening and he joined in at times too.

SORRY! I was having such a good time I forgot to take photos.

TinaG, Jacob and I sniffed some new perfume arrivals before we realised it was 11pm and a school night.

After they left I watched more Limitless.

SOTEvening: Vintage Mitsouko Extrait. It’s a new arrival and I wanted to make sure it’s the real deal. It SO is.

Friday 10:

SOTDay: Methaldone by Aether.
I’m really enjoying this outrageous synthetic conglomeration. Like the fizz of electricity in a smoky room but also warm and cozy sweetness. Full of contradiction and interest.

Jin walked the dogs with me this morning. Cool, sunshiny day and the dogs love it when we take them together.

It’s the kids last full day in Sydney. Jin is cooking them breakfast.

Collected my friend Wendy. We had a shopping day. She needed a new phone and some groceries. We bumped into our mate Liz at the shops and had some brunch. It was excellent.

This may have arrived this week. I’m so excited to have a bottle. Suede Osmanthe is bloody gorgeous. Pierre Guillaume at his finest.

Coffee date with my girlfriend Linda to celebrate her birthday. It’s always nice catching up with her. SO MANY stories to share.

Tonight Jin was working so I offered the kids their choice of food, Chinese or KFC. They were also offered the chance to do whatever they wanted on the night. Anything legal in Sydney, up to them. All they wanted was KFC and lazing around the house. QED! They ate like refugee children, I thought they were going to choke. Apparently there is no KFC in their part of  Slovakia, Zlina. You have no idea how much they put away. I thought I’d bought enough for leftovers for Jin and I tomorrow. NOPE! All gone.

Don’t tell them I said this but they have been excellent guests this year. Can’t wait to have them back.

Watching Limitless

SOTBed: Niki de Saint Phalle

Saturday 11:

The kids flight was 7.30am. That meant a 3am wakeup. I was surprisingly sad to see them go. Relieved as well but with a big helping of sad.

Jin and I came back and slept. We earned it. Basically one full month of non stop action and excitement. The Scent Diary may get pretty humdrum for a couple of weeks. I’m going into recovery mode lock down.

Wearing a frag that gets almost zero attention on the boards and blogs and also very little around here. Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’ere is a very pretty, lightly warmed white floral that hints at the suntan lotion craze of the naughties. It came with a lid and a spritzer but no cap, which makes it look like a Tester. This bottle has been in my collection for years and you can see how little it gets used. Today in the cool warmth of Sydney winter it fits perfectly.

Tonight I’m out with Kath and Alice to the Sydney Opera House to see something. I’m sure they told me but I’ve completely forgotten. There will be details later.

Sunday 12:

Fed and walked the dogs in a daze. Jumped in the car and met Kath for Pedi Day. I’m giving my nails a rest this winter so zero colour but I love having the girls cut and shape, clean and scrape. After we went and visited her Mum & Dad which was fun.

Home and in the bath. Shaved but did not colour my beard, it’s going to have to wait till Tuesday.

SOTDay: UÈRMÌ – UR±SILK
I smell almost nothing from the notes list but this stuff is really lovely. It it obviously 21st century niche but different to anything else I’ve smelled. UR±SILK takes a while to finish its opening woodsy thing and once that calms down a coconutty fig emerges which makes my nose think the wood is sandalwood and hints of a wet cardboard leaning iris. All underscored by some standard issue niche base. I’m not complaining, it works very well for me. This came as a GWP with the latest FiF order and I love it.

Work was excellent tonight. We had two newish teams and the regulars. Sunday nights is really special to me. I get to hang with Anna-Maria & Johnny that you know and a bunch of other people that I adore.

Home now, I’ve walked the dogs, made a cuppa and respritzed UR±SILK. It’s feeling VERY FB worthy. Maybe my next FiF order.

 

It’s YOUR turn. What’s happening in your world?

Did you do anything Fragrant, Fun, Friends, Family or even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

78 thoughts on “Scent Diary: 6.8 – 12.8.2018”

  1. My heart is full of love for YOU for bringing APJ back! and I agree there are so many wonderful people to chat with here…my favorite place to be! Given all the headaches you have had we all really do appreciate that you were willing to resurrect this special place 🙂

    Your niece and nephew are gorgeous!!! and I am so glad that they were good guests! I think teenagers often get a bad rap and I am always happy to hear when someone has something good to say.

    I LOVE this idea that you invited the local Korean grocer to your dinner table in order practice his English…that is so Portia (love how I turned your name into a verb???)

    On my end I have been just spraying lavishly and thunking empty bottles into the garbage….to be clear, I am NOT doing this because I don’t like these fragrances but rather because I am tired of hoarding and want to just enjoy what I have in this lifetime (plus, these are mostly new to me so I have no real emotional attachment to them and they have not been claimed by the mini Marzipans up to this point).

    Yesterday the mini Marzipans went to a Korean restaurant in our neck of the woods to celebrate my youngest’s birthday (funny how your youngins craved KFC whereas mine insisted on Korean…they told me that the food was excellent!!!). Mr. Marzipan and I grabbed a quick bit at our local Indian place- an all you can eat buffet (three full plates for me, plus dessert, plus a Chai tea) and then headed to store to quickly pick up a cake. One of his bday presents was a Jo Malone Lime, Basil & Mandarin soap which came with a free gift of travel spray of Myhrr & Tonka and a sample of Blackberry & Bay.

    Last full weekend with my middle one before she heads to university for the first time….:( The older one will be there with her so I feel less anxious about it.

    Like

    • and why do my comments always look so shorter in the “leave a reply” box but then look like I have diarrhea of the mouth when the comment gets posted? I promise to be more succinct next time 😦

      Like

    • AAANDDD the older two told me that their illiterate mom messed up..using your name Portia as an adjective, NOT a verb…

      Like

    • I achieved a thunk in your honour the other day–well, more of a “tink” with a largeish sample of Unum Lavs drained–with that pause halfway through the spritzing and then the “wotthehell” continuation…

      Like

      • No matter how small the size it counts as a THUNK (also if you give it away! Or someone takes it away…which is often the case chez Marzipan!)

        Like

        • giving them away counts? ahhh…in that case: thunk! (4/5th bottle of CDG2 to a friend), THUNK! (100ml of timbuktu to the nibling), thunkety-thunk-thunk a cascade of travel sprays and samples to sister and nibling…) fly, my pretties, bring some loveliness to people who will use and enjoy you!

          Like

          • of course it does count!!!! You are culling your collection one way or another….and it should give you loads of joy knowing that someone else is really loving your lovelies 🙂

            Like

      • Portia- I have no favorite dish….I literally eat everything that is in front of me!!!! They had six main courses (lamb, chicken, dahl, cabbage,fish and the coconut veggie) three different rices (lemon, veggie and basmati) tandori chicken, a pancake dish, a doughy thing with chickpeas, nan bread, all sorts of dips to go with the nan, and three different desserts (coconut mousse, mango mousse and rice pudding). I ate three full plates because I wanted to try everything and I also sampled all three desserts. It was a feast! Mr. Marzipan says “where do you put it all?????”

        Like

  2. As usual, Portia, you have a week crammed with stuff 😅 You will probably hit the wall now after a period of frantic activity, so just go with it and veg if you need to. I am so jealous of your new PG, think I might need to hunt down a decant.
    I’ve had another busy week filled with gallivanting and fun with my friends so today is my first day to catch up on some housework and a bit of vegging in front of the TV. Had the exterior of our house painted and it’s looking very sharp indeed, happy with the result but a lot lighter in the pocket. Oh well, suck it up like a big girl. Had a guy with a big truck collect some scrap metal from out the back this morning too, so the house tidy-up continues apace.

    Like

    • enjoy your vegging time! I am doing the same for now…have resurrected my rudimentary knitting while watching TV. However, if it doesn’t rain I will head out later to mow the lawn.

      Like

      • I don’t DO lawns, I seem to have missed out on the gardening gene. My mother would be unimpressed with my lack of a green finger. I like watching gardening programmes, though so does that count? My neighbours are mowing theirs right now and the smell is wafting in my window. One of my favourite smells.

        Like

        • I don’t have a green thumb either. But I am very good with both the push mower and riding lawn mower! In fact I will go so far as to say that out of all of us who mow the lawn I am the most exact-LOL!

          Like

          • The Gap Clothing Company used to sell a fragrance called Grass. Dirt cheap at four ounces for twelve USD. It had a cult following but they still d/c it. They brought it back around 2014 but it had been reformulated (definitely NOT the same). My friend tells me bottles show up on ebay upwards of 200 USD.

            Like

  4. How fantastic to have such good guests–and to have your space back again, together.

    A low key week here–the second half grumbling back and forth between headaches and two migraines and the bad dreams that go with them. They are far more frequent than I am happy to deal with right now, and eat too much time. But I subsided into a cozy heap of cats and Dorothy L. Sayers novels, so, I’ll live.

    Brighter spots: loving my vivid pinks/magenta/marshmallow/blackcurrant hair that I brightened up last Sunday in a surprisingly successful home-brew attempt. Helps that there is phenomenally good bleach and lightening work underneath, which gives it the most amazing variation in tone, even if I was unhappy with my colourist’s last colouring-in job. Not his fault–bad brief from me, I think. Churning through some of the nitty gritty of my research productively when I can brain and/or look at screens. Small cat is gradually progressing to occasional lap sitting, and madame superfloof is mostly tolerating me trying to deal with her outbreak of matting. Avoiding most of the Festivals madness–that level of crowd does my head in. Loving the rain and cool air.

    Like

  5. You definitely deserve and need to have a recovery week, Portia. You’ve turned your life upside down for others for a whole month. I have no doubt it will be as interesting to read about as this one, just in a different way. Big hug!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Darling, I LOVE reading about your life. So many friends, so much love. I am beavering away over here, been on a few construction sites this past few weeks, also getting heatstroke working in the garden. Other than that, just livin’ life, baby. Livin’ life.

    xoxoxo

    Like

  7. Have a good rest and hermit for a while! Pretty quiet week, just lots of baking for birthday parties. Then another rash of houseguests coming in Tuesday for a week. I will be ready to rest and hermit after that myself. Good news is the bestly heat and humidity have broken after six weeks of hell. Hope it doesn’t come back!

    Like

  8. What a great week you’ve had, Portia!, you truly are indefatigable! Hope you’ll have a nice calm few weeks with Jin (or not too calm, it’s up to you).

    My week was pretty quiet: work, watching films, cleaning up the house & throwing out the trash. The one thing that’s been vexing me is that I’m still waiting for a few packages I should’ve got a lot sooner 😦 It seems counterproductive that even internal mail first goes to Moscow and then proceeds to its destination. I’m getting a bit more pissed off every day but I hope it’s worth the wait.

    Almost forgot (not that it’s a big deal, though): today I helped my mum to preserve a few litres of tomato juice (for borsch).

    Like

      • Thank you, Saffy! I do hope the packages will arrive on the same day, it’s the least they can do to atone for keeping me waiting 🙂

        Soup is an important part of a Russian dinner (some people even have it for lunch), borsch being one of the favourite ones (btw, it beats me why there’s an additional “t” in the name, no one in Russia pronounces it like “borscht”). I can cook it l, of course, – after all, I come from a lineage of the Cossack warriors, – but I rarely do as it takes more than an hour.

        Like

    • Borsch…I need to retry that now that I am an adult. Are there any other Russian foods that you recommend? We enjoy eating all sorts of foods from different cultures but Russian is one that has escaped us….which is odd, given that my DNA testing says I am part Russian 🙂

      Like

      • The Internet has failed me today: first it ate my comment, now it sent you the one about Indian food in the wrong thread 😔 Sorry for the miscommunication, Brigitte. Anyway, I’ve always avoided eating fish and meat so I can’t really tell you what’s good in that department but what I’d recommend you to try is pastry: blinis, pirogis and my favourite: Easter pastry! And then there’s this crazy salad we call “Olivier” but it’s known as the Russian salad. It might seem strange but it’s an essential part of any New Year party for every Russian. When you get to try our national cuisine, please keep in mind: if you’re not impressed then they’ve cooked it wrong 😉

        PS So you’re part Russian? Wowsers!

        Like

          • Yes, Saffy, potatoes, eggs, green peas, pickles, meat or sausage and a lot of mayonnaise. Every family alters the recipe (some people put fresh apple, onion, carrot or even fresh cucumber, yikes!) that’s why I prefer to make it myself.

            Like

        • Pastries I love!!! and I have eaten pirogis and blinis before but not homemade. I am going to have to seek out a really good Russian restaurant…I am a two hour train ride from NYC so I am sure I could find one there. I would like to experience authentic Russian food.

          My dad’s grandfather was adopted but we suspected there was Russian. DNA testing confirmed that 🙂 .

          Like

          • I’ll be looking forward to hearing about your experience, hope you’ll like it.

            The roads of life are fascinating, aren’t they? It’s actually a good thing that your great-grandfather left Russia, the 20th century wasn’t kind to my people.

            Like

  9. My week has been happy perfume -wise. ‘Life- wise’, though ,not so.
    Happy news first….I’ve found the perfume blend I made in June, is quite ‘pleasant’. I received a compliment at work yesterday, from a colleague who NEVER EVER comments about my fragrances. I wore Grey Flannel on my arms/wrists, and Equinox Bloom on my neck. She liked the GF and was very surprised I was wearing a scent aimed at men. Now for the unhappy news; my shoulder is hurting due to my workload, my TV has gone to EWaste heaven, and our rental property has a few issues which will cost a few moulah to fix.

    Like

  10. Lots of interesting perfumes for you this week Ms P, Suede Osmanthe sounds yum. My week was cold and rainy and spent in the hydrotherapy pool getting my smashed up knee ready for work in September.
    Yesterday was a stinky day, in a BAD way…one dog hoovering up ibis poo and the other found human poo up at our community garden. What is WRONG with people??

    Like

  11. So gross isn’t it? There was a young man sleeping out at one time, he refused all help and turns up now and then. Poor thing, it has been so cold here!

    Like

Comments are closed.