Hiccups, Perfume and a Winner

/ Sandra

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Sandra

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Hiya APJ! Anybody smell anything wonderful recently?

First things first, the winner of the Neela Vermeire Creations sample pack is AnnieA. Congratulations! Please get in touch with Portia with your address at portia (_) turbo (@) yahoo (.) com (.) au so that I can get your package out to you.

Hiccups, Perfume and a Winner

Stress?! Did somebody say STRESS? I am not one for coping well with stress so I have decided to call it hiccups. I am a creature of habit and when I get thrown a curveball or two or twelve, I start to fall apart.

Dealing with hiccups is one of my life’s lessons that I can’t seem to grasp. With my age I have picked up a few tricks here and there to get me through the times but on the whole I still need to learn how to cope. First and foremost I use meditation with sensory aides such as incense or florals. Music is surprisingly calming and centering. Obviously, perfume also helps me out. But sometimes doing something completely uncharacteristic for me is also helpful. For example, a friend suggested that we go to the movies while the kids were in school. Never, in my life would I have thought that that could be a possible guilty pleasure. But it was perfect because I did not need to book a babysitter and I could actually see a movie that was not for children.

Recently, to make me more frazzled my sniffer has failed me miserably by giving me sinusitis for weeks now. I am missing out on smelling all the good things but winning by missing out on sniffing all the foul smells.

In trying to actually be able to smell something, I have been spritzing a heck of a lot of I Miss Violet by The Different Company in hopes of getting a whiff of beautiful osmanthus or subtle leather at different times during the day when my sinuses show me that they can indeed cooperate. We have had a couple of warm humid days here and I Miss Violet has even proven comment worthy from two people.

At night to calm all of my senses I usually need a light spritz of something. During these last two weeks I have been spraying the bed with a little bit of Fatal Charme from the Xerjoff Join the Club Collection. Because I love the soft delicate powdery drydown more than opening I give my bed a spritz or two in the morning after making the bed and am gently lulled to sleep at night when the scent has calmed down.

Remember I mentioned we were having warm humid days? Well … the skies opened up on 5 September and left me with a flooded cellar! In the last 21 months of living in Rotterdam I have only had to deal with a small puddle of water or two in the cellar. This time was different – I waded through about 2 centimeters of water which I know does not seem like much, but trust me it is a lot. Thankfully I am truly blessed with super kind neighbors who came over and showed me how to vacuum up the water. Who knew?! Such a handy piece of equipment. My son thought this whole episode was a hoot and loved having an excuse to not do his homework.

In addition to all of the above, my comfort zone will be challenged even further as of mid September when I start teaching English conversation to adults at my son’s school. As there will be both a beginner and an intermediate class, I have been wondering how best to set up a course plan. Being an introvert I will be second guessing my decision to take on this challenge until it starts.

This is where I get on my knees begging for your guidance in what to wear on the first day of class. Should I be polite and wear nothing? Should I be discreet and wear something that sits close to the skin? Can I be myself and wear something that comforts and calms me? Should I go with a favorite of mine, Ashoka? Or should I be daring and try out a sample?

(The pictures were taken during and after the rains in Rotterdam.)

Until next time.

Kisses,

Sandra xo

32 thoughts on “Hiccups, Perfume and a Winner”

  1. I vote for choosing something that reflects who you are. In this instance if you need something calming then go for it. Heading forward I would suggest perfumes that you personally enjoy. Teaching is partially theatrics as well. If you can’t maintain the classroom’s interest you’re not likely to impart much knowledge. So let your personality and personal sense of style shine through! I think you will find being yourself much less draining than trying to modify your behaviour to fit any pre conceived concept. Have fun with your new job! I’m slightly envious with you living in Holland. I was born in Amsterdam and have not visited in ages!

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    • Hi Marcellavmiller, thank you so much for your insight and your positive outlook. I will definitely be myself as I cannot imagine all the effort I must put in to be otherwise. I am truly blessed with being able to live in the Netherlands. I hope you can visit soon. Sandra xo

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  3. I absolutely would wear something centering and calming to put you in a confident state of mind. Best of luck with the class!

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  4. I’d wear whatever feels most comfortable. I am introverted and absolutely hated teaching (did a short stint of English teaching), wishing you a better experience than I had. Sorry about the flooded cellar, that is a big worry.

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    • Oh no TaraC! I am so sorry to hear about your experience. I will wait to see what happens next week when we start to really work before I have any thouggts on teaching. Flooded cellars are part of the package deal here I suppose. 😅
      Sandra xo

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  6. Sorry to hear that you’ve been shaken out of your comfort zone lately. I’m sure it’ll all be great soon enough. As for your dilemma, I’d say: wear anything that makes you feel powerful. You’ve aptly called Ashoka your armour, so it might be the best choice. I know I choose Shalimar or Miss Dior whenever in need for some moral support.

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  10. Sandra, I’m so proud of you for going for it and teaching English classes! That is amazing and will be incredibly good for you and your students. I also say wear a perfume that you love like Ashoka. You’ll be fabulous.

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    • Hi Tara, thank you so much for the words of encouragement. Ashoka is a great perfume to wear in such situations. Everyone was kind and eager to learn which makes me more comfortable.
      Sandra xo

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