“So long, farewell …… I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye … ” Rodgers and Hammerstein.

/ cookie queen

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Dearest APJ

Just over six years ago I met Portia in a café in Vienna.  He had posted on APJ that he would touring Europe and that if anyone wanted to meet up with him then cool.  As fate would have it, Vienna was a part of his trip.  Most of you readers know the story.

There is no doubt in my mind that we knew each other in a former life.   This did not feel like a first meeting.  During the course of our non-stop chatter I asked jokingly if he wanted me to write a post or two on APJ.  He said sure, twice a month, alternate Tuesdays.  Boom.  I became Cookie Queen on the spot, and we went and bought a bottle of Coromandel to cement the deal.

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VIENNA 2014

It would not be an exaggeration to say that blind date changed my life.  From meeting Vero to having my radio show, and so much in-between.  I have covered a lot of it in my years of blogging.  I am me, Portia is she, and we pretend nothing.  We are in real life as we are in our posts, except louder.   And that has been the key to the wonderful community that Portia founded here on APJ.   It brought out the real in everyone.

I could blab on forever, sobbing into my Shalimar but no!  A time to build up, a time to break down.   Shit happens and we need to make way for more.

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LONDON 2018

I thank you all for the love shown to me, for helping me to become the person that I am now.  Perfume is the link, but never the whole story.   I am not sad that I won’t be writing about perfume so much, I lost a part of that joy when Vero died.  Not the pleasure of fragrance, but the desire to really write about it.  Moving onto working with Hiram Green will be next thing and that really excites me.  Once a junkie, always a junkie huh?

I am not gone.  I will still be writing my Strange Tales on A Bottled Rose, and staying  perfume themed on my Instagram @armadilloscookiequeen.    And if you have time you can tune into my live radio shows, first and third Fridays of the month.  The livestream link is always in my Instagram bio.

I thank my family for putting up with me.  For sniffing my wrists a million times, for patiently accepting the amount of time it actually took to prepare and write a post.  For  ignoring my tears and tantrums and screaming about deadlines.

Portia.  I love you.

Ciao APJ.

Goodbye Bussis.

CQ. 

I do have one more Tuesday in February and I have never missed a deadline and have no intention of doing so now.  I am gonna dig out a bunch of my favourite photos and just post them.  xxx 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

65 thoughts on ““So long, farewell …… I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye … ” Rodgers and Hammerstein.”

    • I am already soooo excited to work with Hiram. Of course we stay in touch with Instagram,, which let´s face it, is where most of the action is at the moment anyway. Sad as I am to see APJ come to an end, it was time. It has been the best 8 years of my life, no joke, and certainly the most life changing. xxxx

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  3. Lovely farewell post, Val.
    You and Portia are an unstoppable pair and I thank everything that APJ brought us all together.
    Since it was mentioned last time, I always look in the mirror of that wonderful pic to see Hannah and Jin 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  5. WAAAAAAAAAAAH! Sobbing like a child.
    Val, what a team we have made.
    It doesn’t end here.
    See you face to face in Vienna in November. Meet you at Cafe Mozart. I might even wear my grandpa jumper.
    Thank you. For everything, everywhere, every time.
    I love you Val.
    Portia xxx

    Liked by 3 people

  6. Val, I always enjoyed your lively posts. Thanks you! You will be missed! Wishing you the best in your future endeavors. See you in the perfume land!

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    • I am not really going anywhere tbh! Drop in on A Bottled Rose and Instagram. THANK YOU!! For being a faithful and supportive member of the APJ crew. It has been nothing but a pleasure —

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  7. Beautiful tribute, Val. You and the entire APJ crew will be missed. Portia really does have a way of bringing out the real in everyone.
    Good luck with all your future endeavors
    ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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    • We are merely scattered my dear. And not even that. Portia and I are cojoined queens, where you find one you will find the other! You were and are an integral part of our crew. xxxxx

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  9. Sobs. So glad I got to know you all. I hope we can keep in touch. What are you doing with Hiram Green? His perfumes are my unicorns. I am dying to have a bottle of each. I have Slowdive but want the others.

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    • Here Gina – have a tissue. I do believe you are the über-perfume junkie. 🙂 I am working the Esxence in Milan with Hiram in April. I do love his work, and marvel at the way he stands out in a sea of mediocrity. His work is very unique and that becomes a more and more difficult thing to achieve. I want Slowdive too. Drop in on Instagram at least over the show period in April. I will post stories from the days with Hiram. You are a star – thanks for being around here. xxxxx

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  10. Lovely pics of you both together. Thank you for all your writing. Love what you say it wasn’t the first time you meet. APJ will be missed but sometimes we have to move on, working for Hiram is a nice way to continúe with Perfume. XxEsperanza

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  11. Thanks Val for all the fun and weirdness you’ve brought to APJ. I know I’ll be seeing you around elsewhere on the interwebs! Jelly of all the fun you’ll be having with Hiram Green. You have the best hair. 🙂

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    • I feel very sure we will meet in real life sometime in the future TaraC. Whether in California or Europe, I do not know, but it needs to happen. ❤ Well- thanks for the hair compliment! Hahahahahaha. OCD pure. We will sure keep in touch. xxxx

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  12. Thank you for this beautiful tribute, Val! I refuse to think of it as a goodbye, so I’ll just say “see you on A Bottled Rose”. I’m glad that I stubled upon APJ two years, – I’ve no idea how I got here, must have been fate. Love you both! XX

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  13. Val it has been a blast here. Thanks for entertaining us with your weird and wonderful tales. APJ has been a great playground and I’ll miss it but realise that life has to move forward. And how fabulous that you’ve made some friends irl as a direct result of it. Who’d have seen that happening? Have a great time working with Hiram and see you on A Bottled Rose. Tara the boss of you and Portia, does she know what’s in store?😂

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    • Tara? She thinks she does. It has been a playground hasn’t it? So much fun, and yet there were serious moments too. Especially in the comments. I have loved every second. But it ran its course. And we are all the richer for it. Hang on in there cassieflower. Mwah. xxxx

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  14. Hi Val,

    I found my love of perfume and all of you a few years ago during a bad patch and I can’t tell you how much it has helped me to have something to love and entertain that has nothing to do with the rest of my life. I mean, it’s a constant part of my life now, but in a way that’s grounded and visceral in a way what I do for a living is not. And I *don’t* try to write about it, which is a relief for me. I am very grateful for those of you who have and do, but also for pics and news, which I’ll get still!

    Many many thanks to you and to Portia!

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    • You are more than welcome!! APJ has got me through several bad patches too if I am honest. It is/was something so disconnected from my family and young adult children challenges, that it was a refuge. Not always! Sometimes it was a looming deadline when I had no idea what to write!! We will most certainly stay in touch, most everyone I hope! Hugs. xxxxx

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  15. What a touching valedictory post. It has been great knowing you both on- and offline, and reading your sassy, spot on reviews. You are a breath of fresh air in the blogosphere and a true one off, as is P!

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    • Well Fazal, that is EXACTLY it. Thanks a lot. For everything, for all the interaction, and for being a part of the APJ jigsaw puzzle. would not have been complete without you. You around on Instagram?? xxxx

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      • I am not on any other social media besides Facebook. Rants against Trump, climate deniers, and other conservative zombie ideas on Facebook alone consumes lot of energy ..hahhaha

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  18. Glad to have met you in real life when you were in New York, Val. Life goes on no matter the venue and I am happy that you will continue with your perfumed life. You do you and stay weird 😍!

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    • One of my biggest regrets about the meeting up in New York is that I am always mega nervous the first time when meeting people, and that I did not talk enough to you. It needs to be corrected and I need to get back to NYC. We will stay updated with our social media activities for sure! ❤

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  22. Dearest Val I know it’s not a goodbye even if it feels like it a little. I also think you know that whatever we should call on-line blog relationships the one I have with you is much valued and enjoyed! Thank you very much for your thoughtful and fun contributions to the perfume junkies, this labour of love must sometimes been a labour of ‘het uit je tenen halen’ as we say here in the Lowlands. You started with the Sound of Music so I think I can quote an other Julie Andrews SoM: when God (Goddess, Life, life, the universe, chance, take your pick) closes a door s/he/it opens a window. And maybe Portia and yourself should think about writing a book (nothing too ambitious), Wisdom, fragrance and fun from two Queens. Xxxx

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    • Oh that is so reciprocated Hamamelis! We have only to meet and that will be complete! And we will. We live comparably close compared to say, Australia. 😉 I wanna turn my Strange Tales into a book of sorts, but yeah — Portia? Do you hear that? We need to talk! Heading for the window ….. lots and lots of love. xxxxx

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  23. I will miss your posts on APJ Val, I appreciate your stories and fragrance input very much. I understand the need for you and Portia to make room in your lives for new pursuits. I’ll continue to follow and read your tales on A Bottled Rose. I forever thank you for your inspiration to blind buy Chanel 1957, I admire your selective taste in perfume and trust your recommendations. I also bought HG Lustre based on your recommendation. I look forward to reading about your work with Hiram Green at Exsence. xoxo

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    • I love 1957 as much now as I did then. More probably. Trusting recommendations? No pressure then. 😫 We will of course stay in touch. Hiram has a gorgeous sounding new one on the way. So stay tuned ! It has been an absolute pleasure. ❤️

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  24. I will miss you LOADS. There’s something unique about the acceptance and welcome you always get with APJ. Even if I only drop in from time to time, a seat is always ready for me and a cup of tea is poured. Val, it’s been my pleasure to meet you and I hope to again, and Portia, I expect a bear hug the day we meet, which will happen for sure my darling! xxxxx

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  25. Lots of love to you, Val. How lucky are we to have APJ in our lives – definitely made the world richer, happier, and more closely connected. So many laughs and such wonderful friendships.
    xxxxxxx TinaG

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  26. Wishing you much joy and sunshine in your journey. I have only recently joined APJ but have loved your posts. Those pics say all you need to say about the friendship you treasure with Portia. May the force always be with you xxx Alexandra

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