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Portia
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Hello APJ,
Another year has passed us by. A decade is coming to a close. There has been joy, pain, highs and lows, wins and learning. What a roller coaster the last 10 years has been, even the last 12 months.ย Believe me, I know I’m one of the luckiest people on earth. It’s been so much more sunshine than pain.
Thank you for all of it. What a ride.
No matter who you are or how you’re doing we are so glad that you are a part of the Australian Perfume Junkies family. Contributors, commenters, lurkers and perfume lovers everywhere. We salute and embrace you and wish you prosperity, chances, choices and a little bit of good luck as you head into the 20s.
Wearing Shalimar by Guerlain. Vintage extrait and Ode de la Vanille Shal-lemur.
Tonight I’m hanging with Kath & Alice while Jin works. We are at home on the couch, eating enormous amounts of food, watching TV and enjoying the laziest New Year Celebration ever.
Whatever you do, stay safe, treat yourself and those around you with respect even if they’re annoying as fuck. Have a wonderful end to 2019 and a 2020 in which you can be proud of yourself.
What’s everyone else smelling like right now?
Portia xx
Happy New Year Portia! ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
Like you, I will be at home with family, warching tv, eating, chatting and waiting until midnight to welcome a new year and a new decade with a glass of champagne. We also have our grapes, lentil soup and red/ yellow undies ready for later tonight, you never know….. ๐ . I will be wearing Guerlain Encense Mythique D’Orient.
Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, peaceful, adventurous and fragrant 2020!
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Happy New year ๐๐ enjoy all of your beautiful traditions!!
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And I am wearing red undies!!!
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And I am wearing none. When I say commando, I really mean it โบ๏ธ. I am, however in a fresh pair of really thick flannel PJs. Iโm quite the sight for this NYE. Unwashed and very messy hair, hacking my lungs up and wearing three pair of socks. Can you spell glamorous? ๐
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Ugh!! That’s God awful ๐ก Hopefully tomorrow things will take a turn for the better!!!!
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Well, they best turn soon or my first visit of the new year will be to the doctor. Still have this blasted fever and now my chest hurts. No bloody wonder from all this coughing ๐
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Yes I agree. If you don’t feel better tomorrow head to the doctor!
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Only you! How I have missed your wit. ๐
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๐๐
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I still didnโt find any yellow undies ๐ Maybe Iโll see some for next year. I do have red though, no shortage of red.
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Wishing my entire APJ family a very happy new year!!! I am wearing vintage no 22 EDT right now. In all likelihood will be passed out in bed by 7 pm lol ๐.
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And now I am wearing Iris Ganache
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Wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous, stress-free, calm, peaceful and lucky New Year ๐พ๐ฅ
Of course, all of those things may not happen, but I can be sure of one thing – you will smell beautifully! I big kiss for our Pickles from my kitties.
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Thank you, love.
Pickles sends kisses back to your fur babies too ๐ป๐
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And wishing all those lovely sentiments to you as well ๐
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Happily accepted!
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Happy new year to all of you….
I am wearing Felanilla now and will likely switch to Ambre Russe for Champagne this evening
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Happy New year ๐๐
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Happy Mew Year Tanja! I love Felanilla, and of course any perfume smells great after a few glasses of champagne ๐ฅ
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Mew Year, lol. Must have my cats on my mind ๐ป
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๐๐ป
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Dearest Portia I started using your phrase of ‘pergolating instead of procrastinating’ some years ago, and now I will add more Portia speak: to treat myself and others with respect even in they’re (I am…) as annoying as fuck. Ha! Thank you for your voice, and thank everyone here for theirs too, unheard or not.
I have been wearing a lot of Lustre, Liquid Dreams, Calling All Angels and now Cuir de Lancome. Forgot how gorgeous it is. We watched the Boy who harnessed the Wind, sad and hopeful, and the two Popes, which offers some redemption in view of what is and has been very wrong in the Catholic church. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are impressive. Quiet evening with husband and dog safely inside, in the Netherlands the fireworks are irresponsibly crazy and everywhere. Animals,birds and wildlife suffer, and sensitive humans too. Trying to respect those who perpetuate this ridiculous ritual, even though it is annoying as fuck!
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Loved your post Hamamelis! You and I must be somehow psychically connected. Your comments are almost identical to what I was going to write…..and still will ๐
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Then we must meet up some time!
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Youโre in The Netherlands?
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Yes! And are you in the US?
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No, Iโm in Canada – Montreal. However, if we could turn back the clock 60 years we could have met in Oster Park. I was born in Amsterdam.
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Ha, to be born in Amsterdam in 1960! I was born close to Rotterdam, and I don’t live close to Amsterdam now (in the Dutch sense of space that is), but my father lives there. We have plans to travel more in the coming years, when -hopefully- our business allows us to. We visited the Canadian West Coast about 15 years ago (absolutely loved it), and we hope to visit Quebec at some point.
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If you ever visit Montreal, ring my doorbell! Weโll have koffie en gebakjes ๐
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Thank you! That would be lovely. And maybe poutine…? In Dutch: patatje oorlog.
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Hahaha! Of course! If poutine is on your wish list, youโll have it. Iโm more of a sweet lover. I made Gevulde Speculaas for Sinterklass on Dec. 5th. First time. And it brought back such wonderful memories.
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H and M-
I thoroughly enjoyed this entire conversation. Plus, it made me very hungry ๐
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For gebakjes? Poutine? Or both? Silly question. Itโs Mrs. Marzipan – both, of course!
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Yes, everything!!!
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At work until 5:00 when the public library closes. Then stop at gas station, grocery store to get bananas & bread, head home to the swamp before drunks get out on road. Will not make it awake to midnight, but hubby usually wakes me to “see the ball drop”. Wearing the very soft & comforting Bourbon French Musk Oil today.
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Enjoy your relaxing evening. I too will be asleep before midnight.
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Portia, you are a treasure! Iโm so grateful for being part of this lively community and to you for being our host. You are incredibly refreshing in this day of political correctness gone awry. So yes, I agree, letโs treat ourselves and others with respect, even when they are โannoying as fuckโ. Words to live by!
Iโm going to try to wear vintage Shalimar perfume. It is traditionally both my Christmas Eve and New Yearโs Eve scent. However, we were planning on going out to a comedy club to catch a special NYE show with friends. Weโve done this the past several years and had a riot. The comedy acts were raunchy but smart. Iโm still too bloody sick to go. I probably wonโt even be able to stay awake much past ten. So slothing on the sofa will be it for me.
I wish you, Jin and all my delightful APJ friends a terrific new year and a brand spanking new decade. All shiny and filled with hope. Of course, there will be the usual triumphs and disasters, but I hope that the wins outweigh the losses by a great margin, and that we grow and learn through the downs. My cousin and I, when we were young, would always give each other a rabbitโs foot for good luck on NYE, so, Iโll send you all a virtual rabbitโs foot hoping that a bit of luck comes your way. Party on….happily and safely ๐พ๐ฅ
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Thank you for the rabbit’s foot! Slothing on the sofa is a favourite pastime for me even though I very rarely do so. Being forced to by illness makes it much less fun but I hope you will enjoy it nevertheless.
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Thank you Hamamelis ๐ฅ
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I will be slothing in bed with Pickles. We will be sloth twins ๐
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Charming couple ๐
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But of course ๐๐คฃ
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Thank you Portia for this fun and supportive forum! Since weโve met in person I can hear your voice in my head when you write, which makes it even more fun. :-). Looking forward to a better 2020, determined to start off in a positive frame of mind. A coworker used to have a sign over her desk that said, Change your attitude, change your life. That will be my watchword for the year.
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You met Portia in person?? I am so jealous lol ๐ I would love to meet all of you in person, actually…an APJ IRL moment.
One of my favorite quotes…think it was Wayne Dyer-
Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.
My mantra for 2020-
” I am the rock in the stream with all the chaos flowing around me”
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Yes, it was back around 6-7 years ago I think, Patty White of the Perfume Posse blog organized a Los Angeles Sniffapalooza thing, and Portia was the illustrious MC. It was big fun as you can imagine. ๐
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Ooo!! I remember reading about that!!!
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Happy New Year! I hope 2020 will bring many happy moments and a more predictable, safe and peaceful world. I love this space with such a sense of community and humour!
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Wishing you lots of good health in 2020.
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Thank you! Iโm so eager to get more mobile and be able to travel more easily. Just now my whole body feels heavy, but I guess thatโs mainly due to last nights cava and champagne!
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Well that’s a good reason to not feel 100 percent lol ๐
Hope you enjoyed it!!
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Yes, we had an enjoyable evening! And lightly sugared cloudberries to end the dinner, picked up north by a friend who joined in our celebration last night. Itโs the kind of berries you love or hate, and for me they are closely linked with celebration, just like some types of almond cake.
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Lightly sugared cloudberries sound delicious!!
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I know that feeling exactly today. Hope you make big strides this year.
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Happy New Year to everyone. Wishing us all love and luck and wonderful new adventures.
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Same to you, Maya.
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Hear hear๐๐ผ
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Happy New Year, Portia, Jin and the APJ Family!!!!!! I am still in bed but am going to wear The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry with Poesie Messe de Minuit for the holiday. Cranberry and pine. Spending it with my mom at her house in our jammies. We plan to watch the music shows and ball drop, eat our munchie traditional foods and do some crafts. Blessings to all!
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Sounds cozy. Best wishes for the New Year! ๐พ๐ฅ๐ฅณ
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Blessings to you too!!!
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I arrived in Canberra last night to visit the Ancient Ones. It was very smoky and the fireworks were cancelled. There is a bushfire this morning in the next suburb over, and there is a pall of smoke covering everything. Will keep an eye on my mother as she has been wheezing a lot.
The whole East coast seems to be burning, terrifying.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe new year xxx
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Itโs beyond horrible what is happening there. Gut-wrenching. I hope the New Year brings relief with buckets of rain.
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Yessss, bucketloads!
Rain dance please!
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๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป This will have to do!
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๐๐ง๏ธ๐ง๏ธ๐ง๏ธ
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Your emoji line-up was perfect. Mine was merely a pathetic attempt. I forgot the rain part ๐
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And the funny thing is I didn’t see yours until after mine was posted!!
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Great minds, and all that ๐ง . Ha! Betcha didnโt think of using the brain emoji?
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You funny!!
Now I need to find that emoji brain…
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Yay! Me funny lol
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๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
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For a sick woman youโre doing a lot of yap๐
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Haha! Thatโs cuz Iโm bored to tears ๐
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Any better today?
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Nah ๐ท
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Thatโs hanging around too long. You need a doctorโs intervention now!
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So Iโve been told ๐
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I hope that fire inferno stops! And I hope the smoke doesnโt cause permanent health damage for your mother.
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I am so sorry about these horrendous fires. It must be a shattering experience , I can’t imagine that kind of relentless stress. Wishing all those affected fortitude and resilience.
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Thank you Hamamelis!
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Happy New Year, everyone! We are having a low key party with a group of โparentโ friends that we met when my son started elementary school. Iโm wearing Olympic Orchids Amber-Labdanum oil topped with DSH Dark Moon. So amber-labdanum-red wine-chocolate. Delicious!
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Happy NewYear MMK! Wishing you health, prosperity, happiness and peace ๐พ๐ฅ
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Happy New year! Your fragrance combo sounds divine.
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Happy New Year to everyone. I do expect 2020 to be better than 2019 ๐
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Happy New year, Fazal!!!
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I like your optimism! Youโre not โwishingโ for a better 2029, youโre โexpectingโ it ๐๐ฅ๐พ
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Hey!! You just bumped us up by nine years lol ๐
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I was looking into my crystal ball ๐
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Iโll go one better: I demand it.
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Oooo. Tough lady. Throwing down the gauntlet. Remind me not to get in your bad books ๐ฌ
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I made a commitment yesterday to starting the year as a more patient person. And i was in a church and all when I made this commitment. Broken straight away, Iโm going to burn in hell๐
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Yep. I was going to say โgood luck with thatโ ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
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Yehiknowwww, said it myself too.
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yeah cassieflower, being nice does not pay anymore.
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marcellavmiller and Brigitte, lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..I spent all my life wishing for good things in the New Year and it has not worked out well most of the time. So I am changing my strategy. Maybe if I am a little assertive, I can intimidate the universe into doing things I expect!
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Love this attitude!!! Go Fazal!!
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Happy New Year Portia, Jin, and all APJ friends! Wishing you all a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous year and decade.
I always appreciate your kindness and words of wisdom Portia. Love the plan of treating all with respect despite the annoyances and differences. I’m also praying for buckets of rain and relief of the fires in Australia.
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Happy New year!!!!!!
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Sssaake๐ก my third attempt today. WordPress hates me so much. I commented this morning and nada happening. Iโm on my way home from gallivanting around Brussels, lighter In my wallet and heavier round my middle. Enjoyed every second. Great food, oceans of alcohol and my bestest friends. Couldnโt ask for more. I know Iโm lucky. And appreciate it. My scents of the past few days were Iris Poudre yesterday, Hypnotic Poison today, TF Vanille Fatale on Sunday. No recollection of Monday.
Wishing all the APJ family the very best this year. Lots of you are dealing with crap and hopefully it has gone down the sewers. You all are the best bunch to hang with. And I can get away with being a bit naughty. I am the annoying as F person๐คช so thanks for putting up with me. Warm wishes to the super duper Jin, long may he cook crispy pork.
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Cassie, we luvs ya!! No censuring needed. ๐๐๐
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I donโt bloody believe it๐ก WordPress has swallowed my three comments!!! Maybe itโs censoring me, talking bull$h!t.
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๐๐๐Funny. Not funny? Sorry for laughing. Not sorry ๐๐๐
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Ha, wait til WordPress turns on you๐
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๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ Iโve made my peace with WordPress. Untouchable. Thatโs what I am ๐
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And now two pop up at once.
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Happy New Year, everyone!
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Hey, you crazy cats! May 2020 bring you all everything you need to make this world more sharing, caring and giving. We need more of it than ever.
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Oh
My
God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate!!!! I have missed you ๐ฉ๐คฃ๐ฌ
So many times you have popped in my head because of fragrances and random thoughts! For example, I recently received a roller ball of Fresh Scents by Terri called Zoe…you and only a handful of folks know this brand.
Hope you are well..and a very happy 2020 to you ๐๐๐๐
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Kate, we missed you! How you doing?
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Dear Portia,
I wish you and all your loved ones a happy, healthy and prosperous decade. โค๏ธ
Dear APJ family, thank you for your company: I donโt get to participate too often, but I smile a lot reading your comments and conversations. Warmest wishes to all of you.
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Undina,
This blog would LITERALLY not be here without you. Thank you for being our supporter, family member and friend.
We love you.
All the good shit to you for the whole decade of the 2020s and beyond.
Portia xx
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Happy New Year all! And especially Portia for running this blog ๐
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