Well!  And how’s that for a post title.

First, the RAOK winners –  I wish I could send everybody something, you were all so kind about sharing your thoughts for the New Year.  But I did invoke The Bruno and his spirit came down and guided random.org to pick Janet in California and tfk31  (and btw, sweetie, it’s gonna be Just Fine.  One foot in front of the other).  

gmail your ol’ evilauntieanita and give me your deets, both of you.  I will send you some fun things.

Okay!  Recap of San Francisco:

I ….I was SO freakin’ SICK!  I thought I’d beaten that crud that filled up my lungs and my sinuses but travel beat me like I stole something!!!.   I had a great time nonetheless, including the time spent with my beloved hypochondriac cousin who, when I asked for a general tour of her area, took me on a tour of her doctors’ offices.  Her MANY doctors’ offices.  Can’t make that stuff up!  I was enchanted.  Another friend’s  fairytale home in the Oakland Hills, so full of love and laughter and warmth.   You know That House.  The one where you walk in, it’s a mess, with dishes in the sink, dogs running around and stuff all over the place.  And you could just sit down, have a cup of tea and stay forever.  Yeah. That House.  Something Really Special,  That House.

My sweet Brooke.  In the midst of her insane schedule and very palpable loss of a good friend, she found time to take me to Grace Cathedral to see the ribbon installation, Graced with Light.  I’ve loved Grace Cathedral since I was 12 years old and my father brought home the LP of Vince Guaraldi’s Mass performed there.  It was the embodiment of everything magical that was San Francisco and remains so to this day.   Alas, I was so feverish that I ended up falling asleep in the pew, like a vagrant.  Oh, well.   It’s a pretty special place to pass out in.

Saturday was the Gathering of Friends and before any of you congratulate me on the success of this Event, let me tell you:  I had very little to do with it, beyond instigating the auction.  Brooke took care of everything – and good thing, too, since Hey!  Guess what?  Sick.  I spent about an hour there before I realized that my place was in bed, not recreating the San Francisco portions of ‘Contagion’.  I think everybody had a good time, though, even though it was a bittersweet affair and I enjoyed meeting so many new friends and reconnecting with some old pals, as well.

New Friend:  Bruno Fazzolari.  Met his gorgeous self at Tigerlily.  Okay, here’s the thing:  Bruno is GORGEOUS.  But he’s more than just a pretty face.  There is a quiet inner glow to the man that surpasses any physical beauty (and that is saying something, lemmetellya).  I found myself just…..unwinding….settling down….had I not been so skritchy with the sick I suspect I could’ve sat on a sofa and chatted with him for hours, he is that calming and cool.  And he is a damn good perfumer.  I’d heard of his work but it had never been on my radar.  Then Antonia (owner of the adorable Tigerlily) had me sniff Au Dela, his salty take on neroli and jasmine.  Absolutely stunning!  Donna Hathaway rocked the daylights out of Monserrat, which is a lovely green/osmanthus combination with a sparkly bit of grapefruit.  It’s just so damn PRETTY!   Perfumisti (especially those newer to the club) often dismiss the notion of ‘pretty’ but I aver that a) there’s a lot to be said for a pretty scent and b) it’s way harder than you might think to create a pretty scent that is also interesting (which is why there is a lot of pretty dreck out there).  Bruno’s scents balance ‘pretty’ and ‘interesting’ very nicely.  The couple I’ve sampled are evocative of Bruno himself – an obviously gorgeous surface with complexities of character that flash, tantilizingly, just below.

SF Artisan Salon

But don’t take my word for it – I’ve got samples of Au Dela and Monserrat to share with you.  Drop a comment letting me know what scent you think of when you think ‘pretty’.   There’s a cute little pibble that visits here every morning – I’ll ask her to hit random and pick someone to sample the gorgeous Brunos!