In betwixt and in between …

The featured pic (sorry, not great) is of swans on the estuary. Migration time is starting. For me too.

I’m offline till next week (ie, 19 October; writing this Friday). Maybe I’ll have internet Monday; maybe it will be later in the week. In any case I move back into the house on Tuesday. It’s turning out to be one of those stressful moves. I’m wearing Tauer Perfumes LE Orris from 2006 as it’s incredibly grounding. I focus on it below, after I’ve had a rant (apologies).

So, rant… The house isn’t finished. Went in on Thursday with project manager (so glad I used a PM as I know jack about building issues) and no one was there but us. Place is a mess. Kitchen isn’t finished (see pic – what look like draw pulls is plumbers’ tape to show placement; dishwasher and fridge sitting in middle of room; no cabinet door handles installed; and I seem to have only one set of instructions for the five electricals – washer/dryer, dishwasher, oven, stove top; what have the guys done with them????).

They’ve installed the wrong bathroom sink and the wrong shower system.

Oh, and they cracked the windowsill on one window.

Waiting to hear back on what they’ll be doing over next four days.

I have to move back as my lease runs out here.

Oh, and the car died yesterday. The garage guy seems to think it’s a reasonably easy fix and won’t cost the earth, but just when I really need wheels I may not have them till next week.

So, yes, cheery I am, as Yoda would say.

On to Orris. I pulled this out of the box (the bottle has about five more sprays, I think) as I was looking for something that would be totally grounding and make me breathe fully. It is definitely doing that.

I love Orris. Like the Cezanne candle which has disappeared I wish I had bought three bottles.

This is not a ‘pretty’ perfume. It is incredibly rooty and woody. I don’t recall it ever going sweet through its development. The iris isn’t cold like SL Iris Silver Mists. It’s more towards something that was dug up, dried and mixed with some magical ingredients. As it develops it gets a slightly rubbery aspect which is actually quite compelling.

Notes include cinnamon, black pepper, grapefruit, rose, orris root and sandalwood. I can imagine that on some people this leaned sour, but it doesn’t do it on me. Just that rooty, woody thing, with a whisper of flower and fruity accords. So perfect for this stressful time.

Back to eating ginger biscuits and corn cakes, and drinking ginger tea, doing laundry, and doing last bits of packing. I haven’t had a holiday in more than a year (which I expect is the case for many of us) so unpacking and eating takeaway from the gourmet supermarket once moved in will constitute my time off .

Anyone sampled Orris? What did you think?

  • Portia says:

    BLOODY HELL!
    All the hugs and calm thoughts.
    Good luck Cinnamon,
    Portia xx

  • Ariel says:

    Contractors, ugh. May the Orris be with you longer than expected- it sounds really lovely.

  • Jennifer S says:

    Oh no. That is most stressful and gee. Why something can’t get done right in the first place is beyond me. The carpenters adage…measure twice, cut once…would’ve worked here…”yes..hi. just calling to double check the bathroom fixtures we have are the ones we discussed”….can’t get any easier than that!
    At least your car may be an easy fix I hope!

  • Dina C. says:

    Cinnamon, I’m so sorry the builders have botched things up at the house house and left you wondering when and how things will get done! How stressful. As if anyone on planet Earth needs more stress this year. Sending up prayers that all is resolved ASAP and your move goes smoothly. Love the floor tiles in your new kitchen. I haven’t tried Orris, but it does sound very good. Your description reminds me a bit of Le Labo Iris 39, which is a really rooty, earthy iris. Might go put some on now.

  • Musette says:

    oh, honeydoll! I dunno if it will help but ‘been there, done that’. I spend the bulk of my days in construction support and… well, ‘been there, done that’ – my favorite Personal experience was when the guys installed the bathroom sink (back when wall sinks were A Thing) and forgot to put the steel backing. The GC said ‘well – just don’t lean on it or have sex on it – it should be okay’. LOLOL! no.
    I’m wondering what your PM has been doing, as this is his/her ENTIRE JOB (just an fyi on this) – he/she should’ve been walking through this LONG before you and he/she walked through (again, I do this for a living, so I know the job-drill).

    It’ll get fixed in the end – but you might want to lean on your PM a bit. HARD.

    xoxo

    • Musette says:

      btw – I didn’t answer your Tauer question – no, I have not tried this but it sounds STUNNING! I love orris root Iris perfumes; Patty got me hooked with Xerjoff’s Irisss and I haven’t ever looked back! xoxoxo

    • March says:

      This too. If I were PM and I’d showed up with my client and that was a surprise to me, I’m not doing my job.

  • Neva says:

    Oh no, the story with the house is really irritating. I can imagine your disappointment. The last time I had repairs done in my apartment, one of the bar stools was broken afterwards 🙁
    I’ve only recently discovered my love for orris in perfumes and I like reading the descriptions of it because it’s hard to describe except “rooty”. Your “magical ingredients” made me curious about Orris. Good you have found your comfort scent in this stressful situation.

  • March says:

    Oh no! I hope everything gets sorted, we’re rooting for you!

  • Tara C says:

    I am gutted that I missed out on Orris, somehow it passed me by. I love iris and find it very grounding as well. So sorry about the state of your house! I am moving in four days as well so you have my sympathies. Hope it gets sorted asap.