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Portia
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Hey there APJ Crew,
I really dreamed that this week would be a slow one. BLOODY HELL! Quite the opposite. What a week. Even got a three night holiday to Tasmania in with Jin, Kath and Alice.
Scent Diary: 25.11- 1.12.2019
Monday 25:
Jin woke me. Off to Aquarobics. It was fun. First photo is a fence hedge of Star Jasmine on the way into the Sydney Olympic water Park. Smells heavenly in the mornings.
SOTMorning: Calypso by Robert Piguet
Home and clothes washing, dusting, bathroom cleaning. Things are getting OLD here. The sheet tore while taking it off the couch (so the dogs can sit with us). This Bath Sheet is the last surviving piece from a set that Mum bought me as a leaving home gift in 1986. It has been in almost constant use for all those years and I think it’s reached its last wash. One more week of use and it can go to its rest. It’s nearly T Shirt fabric thin in the middle and the edges are falling apart. Sentimentality has given it probably two or three more years of use than it should have had.
TRIVIA Q&A.
It’s 2.30pm and the carpet’s vacuumed and tiles washed, clothes washing finished and hung.
I’m nearly finished the TRVIA Q&A as well. Today has been very productive.
SOTAfternoon: New Tradition by ETRO
RIGHTO! Finished TRIVIA Q&A before 6pm. House done.
Making me laugh today
Got ready.
SOTEvening: Vintage Shalimar extrait by Guerlain. PHWOAR!!
Grabbed a bus and train to meet Jin and his friend YoonMi for dinner.
I thought it was just dinner but Jin had to do a little electrical work before we went. SHIT! I was SO hungry.
We had Chicken and Vegetables Korean BarBQ! It was delicious. I forgot to take pics, sorry.
Home. I’m bushed. Time for bed.
SOTBed: Eau My Soul by 4160 Tuesdays
Tuesday 26:
Jin fell asleep on the couch and I slept like dead people till 9am. HEAVEN!
SOTMorning: Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations
There were dumplings for breakfast and fresh squeezed orange juice (yeah, he puts it in an old OJ bottle). I feel so loved and spoiled.
Paid a bunch of bills. Finalised my Australian Christmas Card send out. Got the TRIVIA stuff together.
BATHTIME!
Got gorgeous and went to work.
SOTEvening: Divine EdP by Divine perfume. Had two lovely, out of the blue compliments on it too. Aldehydic floral done so beautifully.
Came home, got cleaned up.
Went grocery shopping. I should NEVER be let in there alone. Bought all the nuts, yoghurt, rice crackers and cheese. Grabbed little tomatoes, strawberries and a bunch of other stuff.
GRIMM! on Netflix.
SHIT! It’s 4am!!
SOTBed: Bohea Boheme by Mona di Orio. Weird assed green thing that has a hit of tomato leaf and some other green thing. It’s so beautiful but also slightly off kilter. LOVE IT!
Wednesday 27:
Up early.
It’s weird having the dogs away. I still get myself up in time to feed and walk them.
SOTMorning: Sancti by Liquides Imaginaires. A lovely soft incense that billows around me for hours.
Went to the Post Office to send my Australian Christmas Cards. PHEW! All done. There are packages there but I didn’t want to lug them all day.
Bus & train to town.
This is what the walk to Barangaroo looks like. Breathtaking on this perfectly blue day.
Arriving 30 minutes early at Barangaroo I texted my buddy Craig. He came down for a cuppa and chat but I forgot to take a photo. SOZ!
Tim joined us. He was my original catch up date. So much to talk about and we might have given each other some Xmas cheer.
Alice and Seb then came and met me. We walked around the corner and had lunch. VERY healthy bowl of chicken and veg.
For context Seb was the guy I was in love with directly before Jin. Isn’t he a honey? and amusing.
After lunch Alice went upstairs to work. Seb and I walked to Martin Place where he works. It was a really nice stroll in perfect weather. We had YEARS of catching up to do.
Evie works two doors up so we had ourselves a coffee and catch up too.
Train and bus home.
Popped into the Post Office to collect packages. YAY! Both for me. One pack had a pre-loved original bottle of Eau de Gloire by Parfum d’Empire that I bought from a friend on the FB Sale Docs.
Here are the new AussieBum undies I bought. The yellow and red pairs for NYE and NYDay. This is the first time in years that I’ve bought undies that aren’t in the black/blue/green colourways. I keep it like that so I only have one wash to do of them while on holidays. MUCH simpler. It’s nice to have some crazy colour back in my life though.
Home. Already done 7.5k steps!! Collapse.
Had an hour nap
SOTEvening: Midnight Oud by Juliette Has A Gun. Still one of my favourite rose/oudh combos.
Off to work at Greystanes Inn. It was a really good night. Loads of teams and laughs.
Home.
SOTNight: Eau de Gloire by Parfum d’Empire. So good.
Thursday 28:
I slept really poorly last night. No reason. Nothing running through my head. Kept waking up with a dry mouth and needed to wee. Shit, I’m old. Ha ha ha ha.
Jin was up and about making breakfast by the time I surfaced but instead of breakfast I stuck with coffee.
Watered all the plants. Emptied the bins. Packed up my backpack. Locked windows and doors.
Had a quick half bath.
SOTDay: Scent by Costume National
Jin and I are off to Tasmania today. TinaG won a couple of nights accommodation and gave them to us. SO COOL!
Bus & train to the airport.
Our flight was delayed by an hour or so. Thank everything we have cards for the lounge and could chill out there for a couple of hours with free food & drink and comfy leather lounges looking out over the airport. Very chill.
Arrived in Launceston, grabbed our hire car and headed out for Hobart. It’s a 2-3 hour drive and the skies were incredible, looked like a watercolour.
We had to stop on the way so I could do a wee. I’m looking at the tree I’m weeing on and thinking of a Cezanne painting that we had seen in the AGNSW exhibition of some treasures from St Petersburg Hermitage. Here they both are. I’m so glad that they are really similar and that I’m not going crazy.
Jin took me out for Italian! YUM! We shared garlic bread, pizza and pasta. SO YUMMY! I took a photo of the garlic bread to make Kath jealous and then forgot to take any of the real food.
Afterwards we hit Woolworths and grabbed some supplies, including tomorrow nights dinner.
Home. BED!
Friday 29:
Slept fitfully but well. We finally got out of bed around 9.30am. I diid a shit job of toast, ham and fried eggs. It was OK but not the delicious and grand breakfast I’d envisioned.
SOTDay: White Queen by 4160 Tuesdays. Jin wore MKK by Serge Lutens.
Jin drove us up to the Hobart Lookout on Mount Nelson at Signal Point. Wonderful views and the old Signallers Cottage has been turned into a cafe with a fabulous view. Very romantic.
We headed out to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. First we saw the countries only dedicated exhibition of the awful way the British treated out indigenous people. So shameful, I found myself crying in sympathy. It’s an open sore we seem unable or unwilling to help heal. There were also cases full of stuffed Tasmanian fauna, many extinct. My favourite is the Turbo Chicken, thinking it should become the new mascot of Turbo Trivia.
Here are Jin and my portraits of each other on the amazing spiral staircase in the gallery. That’s me at the very top, against the louvre lined skylight.
Then we met our tour guide Judith who captured us and took us on a riveting journey through the building and history of Tasmania (Hobart centric), all the way from the Dutch, French and British explorers to modern day in and outside the museum. Then she took a second tour into the gallery where we met an old friend John Glover, one of the earliest moved to Tasmanian painters who really tried to show the indigenous people as they were and our countryside as best he could. It’s a very interesting clash of cultures. This is a Bunny painting that I particularly love.
Afterwards we went across the road to the marina pier and had lunch with a view.
Home and napped a bit. Did some computer catching up.
Jin snoozed on the couch.
Went to the airport to grab Alice & Kath! YAY!
On the way home we saw a sign that the lights had now spelled how WE say this brand. Ha Ha Ha Ha ha!!
Saturday 30:
Up bright and early. We all showered and dressed.
SOTDay: White Queen by 4160 Tuesdays
Out to Salamanca Markets where we first brunched and then wandered the markets. So many fabulous things that I forgot to take many photos. We had a fantastic time though.
MONA Museum of Old and New Art was our next stop. Slightly annoyingly, they don’t have tours. You get a self drive tour iPod thing. It’s incredibly frustrating to not be given at least a small road map of the artists intent and I found myself riveted with the pieces but with no knowledgable response to them. VERY frustrating. So much incredible art and I won’t go back there again.
It was really exciting to see a Niki de Saint Phalle Black Nana among the works. I was able to give the guys a little run down on her and her art. That was cool.
We ended up down at the restaurant having a little brain restorative respite. It was so gorgeous and peaceful.
Then we drove up to Launceston to our beautiful old farmhouse turned Guest House. The roses were in full bloom and outstanding. Many of them with fabulous fragrances and heftily fed but more or less left to grow wild. No filter or colour grooming used here.
The four of us headed into town and had one of the best Indian meals of our lives. Spectacular food. Then we wandered around the docks of the marina and nearby parkland to settle our overfilled tummies. PERFECT night to be out with my besties.
Sunday 1:
Up and breakfasted with the girls.
SOTMorning: White Queen by 4160 Tuesdays THUNK
They had a later flight so we drove, filled the petrol in and returned the Hire Car.
Homeward bound on the 9.30am flight back to Sydney.
Train to Parramatta
Jin bought us Thai Food for lunch
Bus home.
STRAIGHT into a bath for me. Cleaned, shaved and readied for work tonight.
SOTEvening: Nuda by Nasomatto
Charlie brought the dogs to Austral Bowling Club after work tonight. Boy are they glad to see me and then to be home. YAY!
Franco from LuckyScent got in touch. He’d like to offer the Australia Perfume Junkies from all over the world 15% off on Cyber Monday. Get together with a couple of mates to share postage!
LuckyScent Cyber Monday Promo Code: CYBERAPJ
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
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Those yellow undies!!!!! Love em!!!
Jealous of your travels to Tasmania. If I am not mistaken there is a breathtaking lavender farm there.
I have been avoiding Black Friday/ Cyber Monday shopping but the APJ discount code broke my resolve. I will take a peek after.
Had a short work week due to the holidays and had the company of my minis AND furry granddaughter who turns seven next weekend.
Wore Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia mostly all week but did a palate cleanse with Green Tea and work my patched up Mistral Patchouli to my Wednesday night yoga class.
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Well the one and only thing I would have remotely considered does not qualify for 15’/. off . The Universe is telling me something 😂
Today I am layering all three- Green Tea, Vintage Gardenia and Mistral Patchouli and I smell REALLY good.
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Hey Brigitte!
I’m now terrified of wearing the bright undies. HA! In fear of being the old guy who hasn’t realised.
Yes, the lavender farm is amazing. We have been there before and the smell is unbelievable, even when it’s not full flowering time.
You’re wearing lovely frags and WOO HOO! Saved a bundle in the ales by now buying! YAY!
Portia xx
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Porta- I say WEAR those undies with pride! You are never too old.
Still playing Lotto every once in a while so that I can come visit you and we will go to the lavender farm together!
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HA! Will do. They are washed and dry now. Top of the undies drawer.
Fingers crossed for at least 15 million for you.
Hugs,
Portia xx
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What a fun week Portia. Rainbow undies! Cezzane tree! Turbo chicken! Spiral staircase portraits!
I wonder if you could cut your mum’s towel down to tea towels or flannels? I’m very sentimental too.
I went a bit mad on clothes and jewellery this Cyber Week. A pair of DMs were excluded from the offer but I bought them too anyway.
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Hi there Tara,
Yeah, the towel is really disintegrating. I don’t think it’s even going to get another use. Sad face…..
YAY for shopping the good shit in the sales. I hope your purchases bring you joy.
Portia xx
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Is a Turbo chicken really a thing? I love him and want one! My next dog will be called Turbo I think. I have also just become a volunteer dog walker with a mob called Poops, Pets of Older Persons. We help out if people can’t walk any more or get their pets to the vet etc. so I get to meet new dogs and new people. Winning!
PS you were spot on with the tree painting.
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Jackie b, I love your volunteer dog walking for Poops, incredibly kind and fulfilling to help out people and dogs.
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Hey JackieB,
YES! A Turbo Chocken is really a thing. Apparently it is utterly inedible, probably the thing that saved it from extinction. Lucky buggers, unlike so much else from Tasmania.
Good luck with your pooches, that will be such good karma.
Thanks. Yeah, the painting and tree are a good match. I was totally chuffed.
Portia xx
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What a fun packed fab week for you and Jin. You were right about the Cezanne tree.You have some lovely friends. XX
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Thanks Matty,
Yes, my friends are amazing. So freaking lucky to be surrounded by so many good people.
Portia xx
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Fabulous week, love the photos! Turbo chicken is hilarious. 🙂 Thanks to you and APJ for the code, that’s awfully nice of them. I’ve been busy this week (for me) with US Thanksgiving preparations and festivities, so I’m taking it easy for now.
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YAY TaraC,
Enjoy the LuckyScent code. 15% is a big deal from them.
I’m so glad everyone is loving the Turbo Chicken. Me too
P{portia xx
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Thank you for taking us on your Tazmania vacation Portia! Your week was incredible fragrant, and you were spot on with the Cezzane tree. Incredible really!
It was a very short work week with Denver snow storm on Tuesday which shut the city down, and Thanksgiving holiday. My sister and husband stopped by on their trek from Canada to Arizona for the winter, and we went to a Lodge for a couple day stay and fantastic Thanksgiving celebration buffet. No cooking or cleaning, but sadly no leftovers. I’ve worn Dior Hypnotic Poison, JD Duality, and Maria Santa Novella Melograno the most this week.
Thank you for the Luckyscent discount! I’ve already made a purchase on Friday for my sister; She Is Signature Scent Baccarat Rouge 540, and I bought her the hair mist for Christmas. I’ll take a peek tomorrow and see if I can find my gift to self from husband (it’s much better if he doesn’t shop for me lol!)
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Hey Kathleen,
Welcome. That tree, I still look at the pic in wonder.
You are always so social. love that you pack heaps into your week too.
OH YES! Don’t let him shop for you. Choose it yourself. With a 15% discount he’ll be thrilled,
Portia xx
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What a wonderful week. You lucky ducks. I just had a thought, you should ask Jin to create a new chicken dish and call it Turbo Chicken. It would be a Thing😉 You certainly got out stepping this week. It must be a bit chilly in Tas, got your coats on. And you were spot on with the tree. Busy week here at work, and went down south to see my daughter’s show. The Smallies were very surprised to see us. She wanted us to stay there for a few days. Awww. We couldn’t though, had to be back for work next day. Had family visiting again this weekend. They’ve just left and I’m now installed on the couch catching up with this here family😃 Didn’t buy a single thing on Black Friday despite the hundreds of emails offering me all sorts. I’m still not sure what I’m buying myself from my hubby. Could it be possible that I’ve reached peak perfume? I wish I could show you all a pic of the view from my window . The sunset is stunning this evening. The colours in the sky are really something else. Have a good week everybody.
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HA HA HA HA HA Cassieflower,
It WOULD be a thing. I might even do that.
You’ve been busy too.Nice of you to do fly by surprise visits.
Congratulations on your No Buy over the weekend. Not peak perfume, just a rest stop to get ready for the next onslaught.
Damnit! A pic option would be excellent.
Portia xx
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Oh yeah, I love the pic of 2009 and 2019😂 Not sure which one is more disconcerting.
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Fantastic week, Portia! Wonderful pictures! Love your red and yellow undies! Those roses are amazing! Wishing everyone a great December!
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Hi there PL67,
Aren’t those roses freaking amazing? There were so many pics I couldn’t upload them all but there are some more on my Instagram.
You too. Happiest December beautiful,
Portia xx
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I did a big Yves Rocher shop online on Friday, as there are no stores around here. A friend in Montreal did a recce on my behalf and said the snowflake-based le bath stuff was pretty nice, so I went with that and did a general stock-up. Fragrancebuy had really good sales and I got backup bottles of Bendelirious (is it really being discontinued?) and travel sized Baccarat Rouge 540, and trying a travel size of Cuir Cuba Intense by Nicolai. I thought that would be it, but now I heard Niche Essence is having a big sample sale on Monday. Wishing everyone a beautifully-scented week…
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Hiya AnnieA,
I LOVE Yves Rocher. we don’t have it here in Australia so whenever I’m overseas I grab a few things. Such excellent fragrances in their products and really affordable.
OOOOH! Good shopping! I’ve not heard of Fragrancebuy. you rate them?
Portia xx
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Hiya Portia,
They have a pretty good selection and prices, although their Rare Gems section can be mystifying – I mean, Yardley and Justin Bieber? Their within-Canada shipping’s fast, but maybe someone else could speak to their overseas service…?
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Ah, thanks AnnieA.
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As soon as I read Tasmania my mind jumped to watching the Tasmanian Devil on the Looney Tunes cartoon when I was young. Ah yes. My mind works in mysterious ways 🙄. Sure sounds like you had a good time.
Another thing I can’t stop thinking/dreaming about. Those breakfast dumplings! They look incredibly delicious. It’s been a while since I ate them and now have a terrible craving.
On other matters, have you stopped dying your beard entirely? I for one, am in favour! A rather distinguished look you’re sporting there, Portia. I can’t quite picture a grey bearded drag queen though. On the other hand, it is beautifully trimmed!
I’ve had a busy and tiring week. Almost ready to wrap up one of the three projects I have on the go. It can’t come a moment too soon. I’m fed up of working on the weekends as well.
A bright spot in the week was the arrival of the PPP! Yay. A very thoughtful one indeed. I’m wearing Tonka Imperiale for the third day running and love it to pieces. Warm, comforting and perfect. I’ll be posting about the others. I plan on wearing Fève Délicieuse tomorrow.
I’m pooped now, saying adios and see you next week.
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My doofus mind also went to Looney Tunes 🙃🙃
Feve Delicieuse is amazing. You will be wanting that in full bottle too 😁
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Hey Marcella,
Those poor Tasmanian Devils have had a dreadful cancer run through them. They’ve saved a few and are doing breeding programs all over Australia in zoos to get the numbers back up. It’s so sad.
BREAKFAST DUMPLINGS are so yummy. Jin buys the frozen packs mostly. Quick and delicious in soup, steamed or fried.
The beard. OK. Jin and Scotty staged an intervention. They told me I had started to look ridiculous and desperate and it was time to cut the dying out. So now I mascara it when in drag. MESSY as F*%K but the look still works.
Yay for finishing a gig and getting your PPP. Glad the new scents are working for you.
Yeah, thanks for the update. You rest.
Portia xx
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Wow Portia, reading that made me dizzy. How wonderful to pack as much as you do into a day!! Mind you, I don’t ever seem to stop either. Love you, Aunty T xxxxxxx ✈🌸💚🎉
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You’ll be running around like a blue arsed fly with me next week Aunty Tracey,
Portia x
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I think I would feel compelled to respect Shalimar due to its heritage rather than be actually impressed if edp or edt were the only formulas I had smelled. However, extrait version is another thing. It is really rich and beautiful.
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Interesting Fazal,
Yeah, the extract is really special. I love the brazen throw of the EdT and the smooth polish of the EdP too. Have you tried the modern EdC? I love that too,
Portia xx
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I have not tried modern edc but vintage only. In fact, I did not even know Guerlain still makes shalimar edc. I thought they had stopped making them in 2000s.
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hiya, Portia! popping in late to say I thoroughly enjoy your weekly diary.The photos of you and Jin at top and bottom of that staircase are stunning. So beautiful, you should have them framed and hang them in your home! Love seeing how much you two love each other. 😀 Have a fabulous week. ALSO: Nasomatto bottles caps are the BEST!
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The Tocca bottle caps are very similar, really nice and heavy. Love them X
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