Hey, babydolls!
This is going to be sort of brief because I am BEAT! I’ve been in the garden, doing Spring Cleaning, for the past 2 weekends (and, to be honest, most evenings until dark). Up and down all 1/3 acre, in uneven terrain, clearing beds & planting lettuces, scooting under Japanese Willows to lay waste to the bindweed that is determined to lay waste to the Japanese Willows, feeding lilies, etc etc etc
lookit my cute little lettuces!
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‘So what?’ you ask. ‘What’s the big deal? You always do that’ well, yeah. Except this year I really didn’t think I would be able. My wonky sacrum and the neuropathy in my left foot really was holding me hostage.
Until Chicago.
Lemmetellya about Missy March – that li’l Missy has a Fitbit. And she didn’t come to Chicago to sit around. And so we were on Boul Mich. And the subway. And Lincoln Square. And omgwherearewenow? Etc Etc Etc. Our average day – Av.Er.Age. – 11K steps. March. Does. Not. Play. In the old days I wouldn’t have given it a thought but this past 6 months …..y’know?
I don’t think I’d done 11k steps TOTAL since my hurt.
But! We figured out that 11K a day somehow kept the hurt away! Who knew! And I’ve been walking ever since!
So. One of the walks was over to Barneys (where she made the Fred Flintstone connection the moment she saw the Fred’s restaurant sign. That I’ve only walked past oh, I dunno….1000 times? I am SLOW). Anyhoo, we went downstairs (via elevator – stairs DOWN still are a bit dicey), chatted with the beautiful Kristina (Malle) and then played Perfumes with Trillion. I adore Trillion. He has this….thing…he’s like a bubbly little Buddhist monk! So charming, so gentle (his perfume lines are ‘under his care’ – isn’t that delightful? I miss people like Trillion. They do not exist where I currently exist. Alas.) Anyhoo, I wasn’t really in the perfume frame of mind but he gently persisted – and like so many gentle people, he is almost impossible to refuse. That, my dears, is what they mean when they say ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’ – when Trillion presents a bottle in the palms of the hands, as if he is offering me a precious jewel. Or a lotus blossom. …..y’know? Oh, all right!
And that, my dears, is how I was introduced to Atelier Bloem. 
sometimes the meek decide to share Heaven with you, while they are busy inheriting the earth. So, thank you to Trillion. Atelier Bloem finds its inspiration in Amsterdam’s vaunted floating flower market. I’ve been there – if it’s part of the inheritance it might be time for me to look into this ‘meek’ thing 😉
All 6 scents are light, airy and slightly vegetal, with an intriguing metallic finish in the rootier scents. I am very much in love with Extraordinary Tulip & Nieuw Amsterdam. Nieuw Amsterdam brought to mind the first time I smelled Annick Goutal’s Noel room spray, which March sprayed in her closet. It has that same elusive florist’s chiller vibe that is so joyous in Noel, with the added metallic zing! to keep it interesting all the way through the drydown. I started with a tiny little smile, then it evolved into a big grin – it’s a lot of fun, in an understated, elegant way.
And guess what? It’s about to get a whole lot more fun for one of you! Trillion (oh, I do miss you) gave me carded samples of all 6-beautiful-6 scents! Yep! And guess what else? The carded samples haz the NOTES! on there! Yep! I think I’m loving this House. Drop me a line, let me know something/anything fun that’s going on in your world – doesn’t have to involve dirt (though that is my version of fun, weirdo that I am). The Girl would love to poke a pawnail at randomdotorg and pick a winner.
The entire line is available at Barneys – from Trillion (tell him I said I miss him) $195/100ml, which is practically the New Free.
Retirement last year means that I can devote time to a major front garden overhaul this spring. Weather in Atlanta has been perfect for planting–cool and rainy. My autumn ferns look like shrubs!
The downside of retirement–less income means careful perfume budgeting. But worth it for la dolce vita. Please enter me in the giveaway!
A sudden change in temperature means a lot of flowers are in bloom at once. Love to see the rhododendrons in bloom already. Would love to try something new and understated! See, I put on Zoologist Panda in moderation, 3 small sprays and was told by a family member it was unbearable. Noontime Petals from a sample wasn’t met with approval either, so now I’ll use the fig scent from 100 Bon until I’m back home on Monday!
Thanks for the introduction to a new perfume house that’s new to me. I have three large gardens and have been working quite hard to make something of them. I love the fragrance of lilies so I’ve planted them year after year and they’ve really spread. I’m also enlarging my herb gardens.Please enter me in the giveaway. Thank you.
I’ve been commando a lot lately since I got my first job as a nurse!! I come home at the end of a long shift, have a scented shower, and fall into bed (sometimes with a little spritz of something to send me off to sleep). So not a lot of fun stuff but a lot of learning and a lot of being on my feet–I feel for you getting all those steps in! Last summer was brutal to my tomatoes so I think I’ll take a break from growing anything this year.
I wish I could grow a garden but between having no yard and a veritable black thumb, it just isn’t going to happen.
On the fun side of things, today is the first day after a most dreadful job ended and the future is shining bright with possibilities so…yay!!
Hey honeybun I hope you are still doing a lot of walking! What a fun trip.
No need to add me to the draw, but I wish I’d been there!
Lovely little lettuces! We are in a rainy week here in suburban Philly. Yesterday on the way home from work there was such a storm brewing it looked like Kansas before Dorothy got to Oz.Had to pull in my hanging baskets. I love flowers and just planted gladiolas for the first time, fingers crossed. As for fun, going to a wedding on the beach in NC in June.
I love fragrances, but have noticed that I am actually about to finish several bottles. I can’t even remember the last time I did. I’d love to try the fragrances you described. Please enter me in draw, Thanks.
I’m in California clearing ten acres of “burn” and planting where and when I can. Got some tomato seeds in late, and onions, peppers to follow for salsa later. My artichokes are keeping me very happy this spring– and I love all things beautifully scented, whether from the ground our a lovely bottle.
Love giveaways! Maybe walking will help my arm pain. Beautiful scents help.
Lovely story! And what a great way to get introduced to Nieuw Amsterdam. I had heard about them, and would love to try them out. I was at a Dutch fair 2 weeks ago where a lot of Dutch folks were celebrating ‘Kings Day’ – Koningsdag. And they had those syrup waffels (stroopwafels), the mini-pancakes (poffertjes) and a bunch of other Dutch specialties. But no Nieuw Amsterdam in sight 🙁
Namaste to you and Trillion, and thank you for the opportunity!
Hmmm… recently attended several days of Brimfield flea market, which is always very fun! Youngest son (and BFF) is moving back home for the summer from school, which will be great in and of itself, and also takes the burden of lawn moving off of moi : )
These perfumes sound fabulous! Thanks for the heads up.. hoping they will show up at STC, if they’re not already available there. Will check in with them later today.
Glad your back is better – keep walking!
Nothing great to report here. Texas is moving from too warm for flowers to too hot for any living thing. I did manage to get some reporting done and have kept the squirrels ASAP from the tomatoes thus far, so I guess that’s something.
Well, I’m teaching a super-condensed mini-semester ( a three credit 45 hour class shoved into 11 days) so that’s not really fun. But I’m going to PARIS next month! And that’s way more than fun!
I am originally from Chicago now in California. I love the springtime but miss the tulips, sprouting everywhere. they don’t grow so well here. Maybe a beautiful new spring scent! Thank you for the chance to will.
There isn’t anything fun at all. Well–I guess I’m doing a show on Saturday. That should be fun, though right now it’s mostly just stress.
I’m thrilled that walking is the way to keep the hurt away 🙂 I love walking. I have a neuroma right now, and walking extensively seems to aggravate it. Hopefully that’ll change in the next few months!
We have a little patch of garden in our back yard that we neglect shamefully, but I am still hopeful for some cucumbers, tomatoes and squash if we get enough well-timed rain. I am bad in that I enjoy planting, but then am lazy about the upkeep.
Look at your cute li’l bebeh lettuces!!! I finally got the problem areas of the yard dug out so I can put in a proper garden — bee/hummingbird garden by the garage, vegetable/herb in the sunny end. No grand Dutch tulips, but I transplanted some iris to the front, and took the opportunity to sniff the root.
I need a Fitbit. One that zaps me when I’ve been sitting too long. My tulips are blooming now, it’s been a long wait.
Off to a conference next month so I hauled out the dopp lit to make sure the shampoo etc. were all there. Have been thinking about which samples and decants to include and most will be of the Subliminally Pretty variety. Will pop in a wild card choice or two just in case.
I went on a daylong trip to Amish Country in Ohio with a perfume friend that I met in Fragrantica from Pennsylvania. We had a blast and found treasures. That was Saturday. Sunday, I took mom to a buffet lunch then to Plant Nite to make our own terrariums. So fun. We have plastic dinosaurs in ours. LOL. Tonight, if no rain, I am going on a trail ride with my horse after work. Life can be good!
My dahlias are growing fast and my first flower opened today! Perfume and dahlias are my economic downfall. But so beautiful!
So glad your sciatica is better!
In Chicago, but just visiting with my son and grandsons.
I was out spreading fertilizer on my rose and lilac plants. Also had to hack back one of my rose climbers, I swear it’s sole purpose is to snag me as I walk by. DH mowed and got over 15k steps today. So happy it’s not snowing here now.
Props to you and I know if I tried to plant little lettuces or ANYTHING for that matter I’d end up with more problems than I started with. Ha! And I really think my Fitbit is defective. Yah. For some reason it won’t register any number over 4895…..hmm
I grow flowers, flowers, and more flowers. This spring everything is coming up early and blooming early. It’s beautiful and fragrant. That’s part of the reason I love floral perfumes – they are springtime when everything comes alive again. This makes me sound rather pagan. 😉
Seems Chicago was good for you in more ways that one. You keep walking girl. And I could not resist someone like Trillian either. Gentleness is too rare.
My daughter was in the Middle East on her deployment. She brought me Al Haramain Noora and Oud Maknoon by Swiss Arabian. They both smell wonderful and unlike anything I’ve ever worn! Such a sweetheart
Well. I lurve perfume. I grow heirloom tomatoes and tomatillos. I stroke my 4 kitties a lot cuz I lurve them too. I have been reading Perfume Posse for a long long time. This is possible because I am now in early (!) 60’s. I am Dutch. Born and bred in Amsterdam. The Dutch are renowned for their horticultural abilities. Think tulips, potatoes and amazing endive.
If my countrymen would become skilled perfumers as well, I for one would celebrate!
11K steps…I wonder if 10K would have done the same. 10,500?! Been doing yard clean up here as well and working to get the annual pots planted. We jumped from winter to summer, jumping right past spring. 90 degrees today – UGH.
“$195/100ml, which is practically the New Free.” Isn’t that the truth! My fun starts on Fri. when me and 2 GFs head to the dessert where the only scent will be chlorine and cocktails! Maybe I’ll find something fun at Cabazon! Happy Spring!!
Well, it is my birthday…and I wore Portrait of a Lady in the record-breaking heat, so there!