This heat, it’s ridiculous. We’re well on our way to the hottest summer on record, yes? If not there already? When we’re hitting the triple digits on multiple days, and I take a walk at 9pm and it’s still in the low 90s, something is seriously wrong with this picture. This afternoon we were treated to some rollicking weather in the form of local downdrafts, and there are trees down and traffic lights out all over, with the resulting accidents you’d expect, because here in Washington, D.C. (motto: “I’m far more important than you are”) nobody treats the malfunctioning lights at intersections as four-way stops. I had to go out for 20 minutes and saw three car accidents.
If you can’t take the heat you break out the gazpacho and lemonade, supplemented by regular trips to the library. I now know everything I need to know about Scandinavia, reading all these thrillers. I’m sure it’s like forming your impressions of the American south by reading Faulkner and Carl Hiaasen, or Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend, to mention one of the most surreal, disturbing books that has ever wormed itself into my brain and refused to leave – it’s a hybrid of To Kill a Mockingbird and Deliverance.
Tuesday I head to Santa Fe, along with Diva and Enigma, who were both born there. We’ve rented a casita near the Plaza, and my plan is to eat as much green chile as humanly possible (breakfast burritos! Enchiladas!), take some hikes in the forest, and have a hot tub and a massage. Or three. Yeah, I know. Aim high. Can I mention the food again? How much I miss the food? And the mountains? And … all the rest of it?
Oh, wait … this is a perfume blog? Okay, I know, but in this kind of weather I just can’t do any serious evaluation. I’m blaming brain melt. All my impressions are thrown totally off by the heat. I put a temporary moratorium on stanky white flowers and have been alternating between two extremes: my fridge-chilled bottle of 4711 (I know some of you do this with Jean Nate), and … Bal a Versailles. Which I think I have finally decided I love most in the heat, even more than in the winter. Bal is one of those fragrances that IMO any scent-curious person should try, there’s always a million of them on eBay, it’s been in production since the Second Ice Age or thereabouts. The parfum is more refined and a hair sweeter at the top; first the flowers, and then the resiny incense. If you want the 3-D skank experience, I recommend the white-ceramic-bottled EDC, here’s a link to one on eBay. Bal was launched in 1962, and the notes are rosemary, cassia, jasmine, neroli, bergamot, Bulgarian rose, lemon, sandalwood, patchouli, orris, vetiver, ylang, lily of the valley, tolu balsam, amber, musk, benzoin, civet, vanilla, cedar and resins. Uh. Let me repeat that last bit: tolu balsam, amber, musk, benzoin, civet, vanilla, cedar and resins. Is your mouth watering? It should be. Bal on my skin is mostly base — the bottom end of the tonal register.
Bal a Versailles is the ultimate old-lady perfume, antithetical to all things clean, modern, edible — the laundry musks, the cupcake scents. It’s perfect. (It’s also perfect on a man.) Bal a Versailles isn’t going to win you any friends at Sephora or Macy’s. Bal’s more in the neighborhood of vintage Rochas Femme, or vintage Scandal, only it speaks with a quieter voice. Bal is the sort of perfume that sidles up to you at a party, offers you a nice glass of punch, and then leans in when you least expect it and whispers into your ear, something so filthy you blush and cast your eyes around the room, wondering if anyone’s noticed. So go get a teeny tiny vintage parfum on the ‘bay. Or the smutty, civet-rich EDC. Or heck, get both. Layer them. You can thank me later.
image: there’s no image because I was looking for one of Bal a Versailles, maybe a nice vintage ad, and I wound up somehow confronted with the famous YSL M7 ad with nekkid Samuel de Cubber, you should google that one if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just NOT AT WORK, and then … and then … time passed and I somehow found myself on this website that discusses the, uh, intact status of various famous men — athletes, actors, etc. With pictures to confirm, when available. ::hides face in shame:: I have no idea how that happened. The internets, they are so random.
I bought a bottle of BaV parfum a few days ago. Still waiting for it to arrive. Thanks for the delightfully coinciding review :)
Gosh, it’s gorgeous! Love it! Will be looking out for the EDC to layer it with now. I’ve never tried Rochas Femme, so I guess I’ll add it to my list to look out for ;)
Hey, so glad you like it! And vintage vs. new Rochas Femme are quite the different animals — the animalic one being vintage. The new one’s quite wonderfully sweaty, if you’re into that sort of thing.
LOL I gotta find that unspeakable web site of which you speak…..
I ADORE Bal a Versailles in any weather, must remember to wear it on the next super hot day! I have a Jeroboam size bottle so I can spalsh away with glee.
My summer reading: The Sabbathday River by Jean Hanff Korelitz – a mystery set in Vermont, my home state, so I can get a little nostalgia in with my murders. :)
Hey, somebody added a link further up there. And a Jeroboam bottle sounds pretty great!
I’ve got nothing on perfume in this weather. Wearing Hermes Eau de Merveilles today, but it thankfully is not nearly as hot here in Philly now as it was this weekend. My goodness. I went for a literal 15 block bike ride to Macy’s while the car was in the shop on Saturday and was literally dripping on arrival. Blech.
Not even a little related to perfume, but if you’re up to renting a movie that will make you chilly, go rent yourself “Let the Right One In.” Swedish vampire movie, that is less about the vampires than a love story between two kids. BUT it is set in snowy Sweden, and is wonderful, and chilling. Just speaking of it makes me want to go Netflix it again.
THANKS! I watched this movie this week on Netflix! They have it on instant play on the computer — SOO CREEPY and really sweet at the same time, which was an odd combo.
Oh, I just noticed the Blame Louise tag, so I was inspired to grab my Bals ; )
I assumed that my white lacy bottle was the EDC, not having worn it in a while, so I sprayed liberally. Oops-it’s the PdT, and my bedroom now has a bevy of unmannerly civets running about.
I tried calming them with a dab of the parfum. No luck. It’s out of control here.
I wonder how this’ll play at the gym this morning?
Kisses to you and the girls ; )
I bought a purse yesterday at the flea market which I’m also blaming on you.
Oooh, can’t wait to see it ; )
Miss you : )
(flower emoticon)
are you going to 10,000 waves? my favorite!!!
one april it snowed, and i got to soak in the hot tub, then get out to eat snow off the trees! awesome!
I love the waves. Sadly, looks like we won’t be visiting this year. Did drive by several times, though.
PS It was always snowing in April when we lived here. DROVE ME NUTS.
You’re right that Bal a Versailles smells fantastic on a man. It certainly smells fantastic on this one. In fact, thinking back, it might have been Bal that began my apparently lifelong addiction to thick, heavy, animalic orientals. I had a small bottle in a hinge-lidded box (I love that it seems to have been released in dozens of different sizes over the years) in the early eighties, and I still remember how purely spectacular it was. In fact, it’s been a while: maybe I should try to hunt some down.
I do not think I would wear it in this heat, though. Heavy oriental scent plus hot weather equals not so good, for me. It’s why I’m jonesing for autumn.
There’s something about this heat, though, that dries Bal out. I mean, I hear you on the heavy oriental aversion, but I swear it works, at least on me, sort of in the incense-y way that, say, Avignon works. It actually cools me off. And I saw a couple of those hinge-lidded parfum boxes on eBay, not sure if they’re the same, they’re really nice looking.
Oh, you’re not the only one–other people have told me that the really dark heavy things can work in the summer heat. But I hate heat and even sunlight (really): I’d stay indoors for three seasons out of four if I could (excepting only the fall), and orientals just suffocate me when it’s hot out. Last Monday it was cool enough in the morning to wear Ambre Sultan (I showered it off before the day heated up and replaced it with Herba Fresca), but I’m not counting on many more cool mornings before September.
There’s SO MUCH Bal a Versaille on eBay! The square hinged box on the first page is the one I had, the quarter-ounce of extrait. Do I need some more? Can I afford not to?
I saw that hinged bottle! I was thinking that was the one you must have had. Wonder if you bought it? 😕
Hope your trip is wonderful and the nights are cool! I’m wearing a lot of citrus (feels right for me), kicking the dogs out into the back yard during the day and taking them for long slow walks at night. Never knew 82 degrees and humid would feel so wonderful.
I happily came back home to the land of Carl Hiassen last week after a week in NYC. Heat? I’ll take my slapped-with-a-wet-sheet Florida heat any day over a New York City subway platform. Carter (and all you New Yorkers), how on earth do you do it? I ^:)^ to you, and this is from a girl who went two Florida summers with an un-airconditioned car.
My PdN eaux and a few incense scents have been keeping me going this summer, but I’m counting the days until I can bring back my favorite orientals.
March, I hope you have wonderful trip, and Erin, wishing you the very best!
Last day here. 🙁 Details to tend to… we’ve had a great time. I hope it’s less miserable back east, I haven’t even looked.
I got tired of wearing Paris every day in the heatwave, so I started switching off to Dans tes Bras and Amouage Opus II and III. Maybe tomorrow I’ll go for the Bal–though I’ve got the parfum so have not experienced the full skanky.
Have a wonderful time on your trip.Happy nomming.
Francesca: what do you think of the Opus fragrances?
I like Opus II and III very much. II is a surprising blast of lavender (surprising because when I simply sniffed the sample bottle, I got a lot of rose). After the lavender, on me it morphed into a really spicy rose, like good potpourri.
III on me is mainly a rich dark violet and aromatic wood.
I to me smelled like stale bubblegum as packaged with a baseball card.
…. so Opus I, is that in a bad way? 😕
😉
I hope you’re surviving up there. NYC is getting slammed too.
Ah, Bal a Versailles and Southwestern Tex Mex — sounds like a dream! :-) I fell in love with Bal a Versailles cologne when a college roommate of mine had a bottle. I’d never smelled anything like it before, and I’ve never been without it since. I had no idea what I was smelling — or that the cologne was the skankier version — but I always knew I loved it!
Eat some chiles for me!
I have eaten so much chile it’s sick. Washed down with plenty of tequila.
Enjoy your trip – looking forward to hearing the report!
I’ve been wearing Shalimar Light frequently these hot days, and also craving both L’Heure Bleu parfum and the original Victoria scent from VSecret, back when they were Classy rather than Slutty. Victoria has terrible topnotes now, smelling like chlorine and hairspray and maple syrup for half an hour before settling into the most refined floral chypre – I am just going to have to get up earlier and apply before leaving the house. And I’ll have to drag L’HB out of the “out of season” cabinet…
Mmmmm, chlorine and hairspray! Include me out! And LHB is always interesting in the summer.
Well that Samuel de Cubber photo isn’t making me feel any cooler.
As for the heat, it has gone way past light, cool, fresh scents, hasn’t it? I’ve been wearing Shalimar to bed and the other day, I accidentally layered coconut oil and Fracas- and i liked it. Apologies to the other patrons of the library.
Maybe I’ll continue in the same vein and break out some Faulkner. If you can’t beat the heat, pour a glass of sweet tea and immerse yourself in it.
Shalimar at night in the heat is perfect.
I ran across a whole page of nudie photos googling him and that ad — who knew YSL did all those racy ads? Or maybe it was Tom Ford. Anyway…
Well Bal has always been my favorite, even though it has a lot more company now. I discovered it in the mid/late 70’s. Ever notice that some men love and others hate it? The ones who hate it — no matter how out-there they seem at 25 or whatever — are going to turn into prudish old gasbags by the time they’re 40. (This is not a scientific survey, btw.)
Last week our AC quit. Blown capacitor. It was 88 degrees in my house. Why not just go to a movie or a mall, you say? Because I had to wait for the HVAC guy. You know, one of those between 9 and 5 things. Showed up at 1, changed the part, 2 hours later the new one blew. After 24 hours of this I was literally sick. It finally did get fixed though. Last night it was 100 at 6 pm and that’s not unusual at all this summer.
My tuberose gave up the ghost in all of this. One bloom, smelled pretty, dried up.
Oh Santa Fe, one of my most favorite places in the world! Please have a sopapilla for me with lots of honey, too. If you happen into the Loretta Chapel, gaze at the staircase for me and wonder. And please, a stop at the O’Keefe museum as I’ve been but once and long to go again.
We used to joke about bringing back a load of piñon in a trailer to burn in our fireplace. In the fall, a crisp clear day and the smell of burning piñon…mmmmmm.
As for the Bal, maybe. I usually steer clear of anything with civet. Scary stuff. And I don’t need to google. Followed a link a while back and and WHOA.
Enjoy!
I will likely be doing all these things, dragging the girls along. And while you can’t really replicate the burning pinon in the fireplace, I have some cheesy pinon incense from Jackalope that comes surprisingly close.
I forgot about that discussion some months back….thought I had booked marked the site but it probably got lost when the old laptop crashed. Was so happy to get back documents and pictures that I never even thought about all of my bookmarks until it was too late.
Off to check on that….and get packing!
Well, the Cedar light has the cedar stuff. My pinon incense is such a joke to look at, it looks like a little fake adobe for the burner. Someone got it for me as a gag gift! But it smells great.
I used to have one of those – they are cheesy, aren’t they? 8-|
but the incense does smell goooood.
xo >-)
Bal, eh? I have a mini somewhere and will dig it out this morning, just for research purposes. I honestly can’t remember how it smells on me.
Have a wonderful all girl vacation! Non stop green chiles sounds great; I have about 5 varieties in the garden producing like crazy. :x
Oh, in the garden! And I love chile roasting season …. mmm, that smell.
I would promise to think enviously of you tomorrow – so close to the foot soak tub at Ten Thousand Waves, huevos motulenos, margaritas at the Shed, shopping at the Rainbow Man! – but I have my own big day tomorrow. To my dismay, my babe is apparently in frank breech (bum wedged down), fat, and stuck up under my rib, on either uterine septum or the cord. Like Macduff, the wee one will be tomorrow from mother’s womb untimely (okay 1 week early) ripped. I’m very disappointed, as I delivered MJ naturally/lengthily/excrutiatingly, and was oddly determined to do that again, but now have endured weeks of pressure from fanatically risk-adverse OBs. If you don’t mind, were you sectioned with the twins? Anybody with any advice for somebody reluctantly undergoing their first surgical procedure? Can I wear a loud but soothing perfume into the OR?
So, I will look forward to your tales of the Land of Enchantment when I return – safe trip, my friend. I imagine it will actually be cooler in SF than in Washington this time of year. What perfumes are you taking? I hope the girls love it…
Having had a C-section with my youngest, I kept focusing on the fact he was finally in my arms, he was healthy, and his head was beautifully shaped because he hadn’t been squeezed down a birth canal! That kept the disappointment at bay as it had to be about him and not me given the issues we had.
Having had my gallbladder removed about 12 years before his birth, I was pleasantly surprised that I was only uncomfortable with the C-section vs. in severe pain with the gallbladder. Give yourself the OK to take it easy the first week or two.
Best wishes and can’t wait to hear about the new “wee one”!
Oh, good luck, Erin! Do focus on getting A Baby No Matter What, because that’s what is important. I had two very difficult labors followed by c-sections, and then baby #3 came right down the baby highway, 5 hours start to finish. I was astounded at how *easy* that one was, compared to the first two, but honestly I think that the surgery following hours and hours of labor was what wiped me out. If you’re not going through the labor part you may recover fairly quickly from the c-section. My thoughts will be with you, and we can’t wait to hear about the little one.
I was not in any position to want perfume when I had my c-sections, but when I had laparoscopic outpatient gallbladder surgery a few years ago I was warned against wearing not only perfume and makeup but deodorant, too. I’d check to see if your SO can bring in a scented hanky or something – you can smell it, but it can be removed if it’s distracting your OB team.
Sweetie!!!
Best thoughts and wishes. Everything will be Just Fine, YOU will be JUST FINE and so will Baby!
I would go into this with something really simple – my vote would be for Guerlain’s Imperiale simply because I like it and it’s neutral enough to support you in pain or pleasure.
Get back here asap and let us know What’s What (yeah, right – like you will have time, what with a new baby and C-sec recovery – but we are greedy here at the Posse)
All love and good thoughts for you and the Baby,
xoxoxo >-)
Oh, good luck and best wishes!
The twinnies were delivered by C-section five weeks early after an untimely car accident /:) but we were all fine, no NICU or anything, they were large. Frankly, my OB had already been resisting attempting a delivery, because of positioning issues — I’m sure there’s a name for it but they were like little yin/yang symbols, curled together head to tail, with Buckethead in breech position, although they might have shifted.
Seconding Mals. (And I delivered both the girls naturally). Frustrations with medical intervention aside, the goal here is a healthy baby, and I hope you won’t feel like you missed out on anything. I was awake for the C-section (is everyone? no idea), and it was no big deal. Cheese wasn’t there, but there were plenty of other people!!!
Crap, hit submit too soon. Also adding my thoughts and best wishes, I am excited for you!
Aw, Erin, rats…but as has been already said, but bears repeating: Healthy Baby, Healthy Mom. First up. And the only thing that really matters. You’ve been woman-hear-you-roar; now you can be mom-who-can-but-does-what-is-best.
I like the idea of a hankie soused with your favorite scent. Heck, bring a couple. In separate Ziploc bags, natch.
Best of luck; my thoughts are with you.
Thanks to all for the well wishes! I am doing this with the health of babe in mind, and your stories are very encouraging, as always. March, your reassurance is particularly welcome: post-MVA, spouseless section for twins at 8 months… talk about not going as planned! I hope your trip is wonderful and memorable for you and the girls. Everyone, I will be back soon to report on the style of baby (version with front spout or no) and thanks again for your thoughts…
The hot weather has me alternating white florals with animalic and/or oakmossy scents. I’m even wearing my civet/costus/castoreum-laced favorites to work. And yes, Bal edc was in rotation last week. Nobody complained. They were all hiding in their offices with fans blowing and the lights out, I think. Because of the crappy AC, not the Bal a Versailles, which actually went fairly soft and sweet on me, and not too growl-y.
As for Karl Hiassen representing Florida? I’ll take it! I’ve had family down there for as long as I can remember (at least in the winter) and it’s the state that I love to love/hate. Hiassen’s version is all right by me.
Welll…… Hiassen does represent Florida, sorta. I mean, you can see where he’s going with that. We looked at moving to Florida for about ten minutes. I couldn’t take the lack of seasons, even though I’m not wild for winter.
I hope your power’s on today!
Carl Hiassen is Florida in the best possible way, imo. He’ll be there long after the Vice Boys and CSI have been vaporized out of our consciousness.
xo >-)
I’m a John D. MacDonald/Travis McGee gal myself. He’s the one who started it all, down there on the Busted Flush.
oooh! The Busted Flush! I always loved that boat…
xo >-)
Funny some of us are on a retro groove during this too-hot summer. I’ve been wearing a lot of Irma Shorell’s recreations of Bakir (love it!), Replique (green, love it!), and Cannes (I think it’s the recipe for Deneuve, it’s a little leathery, love it!). Even my fume-o-phobic sisters are having fun with these. Who would have thought??
And don’t tell me how ghackish and hot DC is–I must move back there someday…!
Oh! I do like –okay, I think love– Deneuve. And my teensy tinsy itty bitty micro mini won’t so for exploring a full out affair. Methinks I should check out the Shorell.
Oh, I should try that Bakir! I have heard it’s great. And the Deneuve dupe. I was sad to see I think they’ve done away with their Chaos dupe.
Yeah, I bought a massive bottle of Anarchy when he discontinued it. It’s my favorite winter comfort scent.
Have a wonderful time in Sante Fe (or as you say-Fanta Se!) I spent a summer in NM and can still imagine the taste of that green chile, the beauty of all surrounds, and the smell of the walking storms and pine forests. Yipeeee!
Bal is the Queen. I only have the parfum, and while I don’t think I can wear her now, I do love her.
Hugs and safe trip ; )
Fanta Se. I am totally unprepared, what is wrong with me? I need to do laundry, pack, go get a couple things, and here I sit. And yes, I am very, very much looking forward to getting on that plane and smelling all those smells!
When I am an old lady I’m going to do a “Bal” as you described, smutty and civet-y! Maybe this is the true meaning of cougar.
Funnily enough I had a bit of a go of Bal a V. yesterday after spreading chook-poo around the garden. Too much poo. Had to have a shower and re-boot with Narciso Rodriguez Essence. Love your descriptions.
Laughing at your Bal story yesterday and the rebooting with NR. I have had to do such things myself!
Sometimes I think our brains go on a theme all day, rather like the nose equivalent of ear-worms.
Bal….neat. Maybe I’ll try that tomorrow. It is the ultimate old lady isn’t it? I had a friend try it and that was her response. Although she said “Bette Davis”, which, hey, can’t be all bad. “But you are, Blanche! YOU ARE!”
I wear it. I love it. I have the EdT and if the EDC has more skank than that, God help us. Also, I’ll be needing it.
The EDC is cheap and plentiful and the woman who gave me my bottle says, here, you take it, it smells like @ss. And it does, sorta, although YMMV.
Blergh. Yuck heat. Glad it hasn’t melted your sense of humor, or your sharp “pen.” :)
Note re: Scandinavia: Summer days quite long and beautiful and you end up in a fugue state, hopefully happy. Winter nights are long and cold and you end up…writing crime fiction? Sometimes with vampires?? ;) The market is hot for Scandinavian thrillers; if you’ve got the right address and a reasonable draft, seems like you’ll get hired. Fortunately, there’s a lot of good ones out there.
And I generally don’t believe zombies walk the streets of Stockholm.
So you’re rocking the Bal, are you? The one that…what was it you said…speaks in a “quieter voice”? Heh. Heh hee. Hee hee hee. On me, it’s like you give me the Courtney Cox role in that Springsteen video, but then things suddenly morphy and it’s his royal purple highness Prince that is pulling me up on stage, and he’s having me perform “Darling Nikki” with him. No, wait, you’re right; it’s quieter. I’m asking Wendy if the water is warm yet.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Your trip to Santa Fe sounds marvelous. You’ve made clear in various writings how connected you feel; do you feel like you’ll be noting how connected your girls feel? To the place, I mean? I know so many people who seem to maintain a permanent umbilical to the place…their eyes get a certain look when they speak of being there, no matter where they are when they are saying it.
Enjoy the food, the water, the smell of the air, however the days come to you. Safe and happy travels!
I actually wonder if I’d get depressed in the summer, with the sun up all the time, I’d find it very disorienting. Regarding the winter: no wonder they drink like fish. I would never survive. Never.
Interesting question regarding Santa Fe. It’s a special place to/for me, and I want (am hoping?) to help the girls maintain that sense of connection. That they could go there if they wanted to. Having said that, it’s unclear to me whether it speaks to them the same way, and that’s okay.
In Alaska, by the time it got to February, we were all doing really “interesting” home improvement projects, like painting the living room bright magenta, or stringing Christmas lights all over the bathrooms, or anything to CHEER UP! I hated late winter in Alaska. In summer, everyone’s kind of manic in a good way, hiking and hunting and fishing for 36-hour stretches. It’s weird, I’ll tell you.
I AM STILL NOT PACKING. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.
Really, I think I’d wind up in some sort of mental health crisis — a mania in the summer. And the winter, as I said … not made of sturdy enough stuff.
You sound like one of my sisters, March! 30 minutes before the plane takes off, she’s still at home, packing, jumping up and down on the suitcases, shouting, “Zip, darn you!!” But by some miracle she always makes her flights. I’m at the security checkpoint 3 hours early, fretting that I didn’t get there soon enough…. ;-)
Yeah, you’ve got to let ’em find their own places. I have mine, and have exposed them plenty to one of them, but only one of them has taken strongly to it. We shall have to see where the other, younger, one ends up feeling connected. Neither feel connected to our current location, for better or worse.
Funny, I grew up a kind of vagabond, and fully intended to establish a “home base” for them. Hopefully, that feeling has been delivered, if not geographic coordinates.
FWIW, I very much remember seeing both my mother and my mother in “their” places, and being impressed (as in, it was impressed upon me) by the effect it had on them. The positive effect. It was clear that neither of THEM resided in their comfortable place. It was good to see them happy in that way. Hey, wait a minute…
Again, enjoy. Enjoy, enjoy.
You seem to have
circumcisedcutexcised some details from your account.Have a wonderful time in NM.
xx
I love you so much. You have no idea. The funniest part of the site was where they state the obvious, which is: most men outside the US who aren’t Jewish or (some?) Arabic countries are uncut. Apparently.
Thanks, here I am … not packing.
link???
here ya go…
http://www.circumstitions.com/Famous5a.html
I found that site ages ago, while I was particularly bored at work. I was all, ‘Jensen Ackles? How do they KNOW that, and where is the pic?!? Please?’
(Answer: he was seen skinnydipping, and sadly, no pic exists. Not online anyway…):d
I’ve been hearing about the Big Heat over there acrost the pond, and I feel for you. Here in london, if it gets above 80 they start talking about a heatwave. 90 degrees is rare. On the downside, airconditioning is by no means universal here. But still, it’s bearable.
Hmmm, cologne in the fridge? I might try that with my Le Labo Bergamote, my scent of choice for the summer. I haven’t tried switching it up with any skankmonsters, though I was taken by the skank of the new Tuca Tuca (Gorilla perfumes, makers of Lush). But it’s violet, and I’ve found that’s a step too far for me in summer.
I wonder if we have been reading the same thrillers, LOL…
Have a wonderful time in Santa Fe. Please, in between the breakfast burritos and the enchiladas, eat some carne adovada for me.
Lessee …. Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbo, Somebody Somethingdottir (Iceland, natch), Arnaldur Indridason (ditto), remind me not to go to Iceland. And the Karin Fossum ones in Norway were wonderful.
Okay, okay, if I HAVE to, I’ll eat some carne adovada. Big sacrifice, just for you. 😉
I just finished “Black Seconds,” which was one of two Karin Fossum books at my library & really enjoyed it–I had never heard of her until I read about her here. The Icelandic ones sound like they might be a little too dark for me, though (& I like dark). Have a great time on your trip! :)
I read Jar City and another one, by the same Icelandic author, half the book is him looking for his pregnant daughter, who’s a heroin addict and a prostitute. It was like being hit with a hammer, and THAT was the plot-break from the dark murder stuff.
Black Seconds was I think the first one I read. I think her books are more literary first and thriller second?
Yep, we’re mostly reading the same stuff. Mankell is my favorite. I don’t know Jo Nesbo, will have to go find some.
That M7 ad……I remember that…….
(I refuse to use the drool emoticon. It’s wildly insufficient, let’s just say).
I’ve been stanking up the place with vintage Femme in our own swelter (not as bad as yours and it’s actually sort of cool here tonight, bless you Mother Nature) but I’m in the either/or camp as well – doing a lot of Marc Jacobs Lemon as well as Guerlain Imp, which is great for heat-induced headaches.
We will not discuss your pending gustatory situation – envy is a sin and I’ve got enough purgatory points as it is. But I’m going to do some virtual green chiles chow-down, okay?
Safe trabbles.
xoxoxo >-)
See, you’re doing the same thing! MJ Lemon or Femme.
I’ve been talking about nothing but the food with the girls, who keep looking at me funny. That food does nothing for them, I’m sure they’ll be eating burgers and fries.
>:)
Food blasphemers!
Get thee behind me (and gimme your burrito!)
xo >-)
I love that you read Carl Hiaasen..
Of course along the same line one could judge New England by reading Stephen King of LA by reading Jackie Collins…
I’ve heard it’s godawful back there all over. Friends on the CT shore who insisted for years that there was no need for Central AC there have bought window units and spent hours at the movies.
Carl Hiaasen’s a freak, in the best way. And I’m laughing because I almost used Stephen King (I just typed Stephen Kink, btw) as the example you did!
It’s cooler today. I hope everything’s fixed up and ready to go for our flight tomorrow, there are still widespread power outages.