The number above – that’s the tax deduction 30 Serges (Exports and Exclusives), plus about 100 more miscellaneous fragrances and other items will get you if you donate them to charity.

How do I know this? I found out about 2 weeks ago, finally, what my wonderful aunt did with my perfume collection and some other items I was forbidden to retrieve from her house. Now, I guess you can say I have “closure” of the situation since she threw me out over a year ago.

I’m usually not one to air dirty laundry, but since I’ve been through so much over the past few years, I thought, what the hell. I’ve lost everything so I literally have nothing left to lose.

The problem is, finding out that my treasured collection is gone forever has put me off fragrance. This is worse than going off meds or having a run of bad luck. Right now, I just don’t care what I smell like or what anything smells like. I even pitched what  few bottles that did manage to make it out of her house; I just couldn’t stand looking at them anymore.

So, for now, I bid you all adieu. I have no desire to smell anything and I don’t know when I will again. I know my attitude sounds defeatist and it’s allowing evil to triumph over good, but I am too exhausted, emotionally and physically, to keep fighting. The only thing I can hope for is that my aunt will receive some sort of karmic retribution for all the crap she’s pulled on me over the past couple of years. You know the saying: what goes around, comes around. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

I hope to see you all again before too long.

**Thanks to everyone who commented. I’ve always appreciated the love and support I’ve found here – now more than ever. I will be back. Oh, yes – I will be back!**

Sorry to disappoint yet again, but I’m over a barrel as far as posting goes. Bear with me, hang in there and I’ll be back. I promise.

Throwing some relaxing,settling, cooling vibes your way, Nava!

In the meantime, I’ll jump in (the Jumping Musette!) and tell y’all about my perfume choice for the meeting – and some other stuff:

1. Everything is 10 hours away from my home and business.  Everything. 

2. Everything in the Great Plains is (right now) This Color.  Shortly to be This Color…… then this.…then they shut the gates to the on-ramps on the Interstates, going out for milk is taking your life in your hands….and it’s still 10 hours away from my home and business.

3. I wore vintage Diorling for the 10 hour drive.  Ultra-exquisite but at the end of the night, trying to get some sleep …I kept smelling… coffee?  Is that even possible?

4. Our new strategic partner (and his team) is so fabulous it makes my stomach hurt.  That alone was worth the 10 hour drive.

5. El O got binked by a Statie for speeding.  I made him laugh.  We got off with a warning. Of course, the Statie was a dead-ringer for Wilford Brimley and those guys LOOOOOVE me (El O is a Wilford).  The ways of the Wilfords are mysterious, indeed. Had he looked like The Rock, that Statie would’ve fined us, but good.  Alas.  Unless he had a soft spot for ladies who look like his mom.  sigh.

6. It’s Official:  I can no longer drive at night.  My vision, never the best, is now totally off-the-chain-and-gone.  In-town is okay but Interstate?  Out in the middle of nowhere?  Ain’t happening.  It’s  been coming on for the past few years and it’s not the worst thing in the world but it is a bit disconcerting. And it makes me sad.  Even vintage Mitsouko can’t help me see the curves on I-80 at 11pm.  Sigh

7.  Did I mention I LOVE our new strategic partner?  Perhaps LOVE is not the right word.  ADORE.  Yeah, that’s better.

I WORE CUIR DE RUSSIE FOR THE  MEETING!  Good thing, too.  It had that ‘cool’ element – and it was just what was needed.  Luckily I was forewarned, right before we set out, as to the interesting approach this company takes, so I was able to just sit there and take notes.  And sniff my CdR.

On the way back from the blessedly-brief meeting, we came upon this little melon market – we were right at the edge of mid-central NE, where it starts to become The Great Plains and the topography starts to undergo some radical changes.  Lots of cattle (El O bowed to them in thanks for the excellent steak he ate the night before.  I think they just run out back and yank one out of the pasture or something)…anyhoo, there are these cool little ‘melon farms’.  I dunno if they are ONLY melon farms but the place was dotted with a lot of these melon-centric farms.  Our melon season is finished so it was delightful to find fresh cantaloupe and watermelons…and the coolest gourds and squashes in intriguing colors and shapes.  Dusky blues and grey/greens, stripes, purples with yellow splotches, like a vintage Dior ballgown, rich reds with cool lacework (I”m sure it’s called something specific but it’s 11:45p and I have no idea what ‘that’ is.  If you are a squashaholic (squashophile?) chime in!  Really great!

Fairfield IA still has great Indian food.  And Radiance Dairy.  Best cream on earth.  Truly.   It’s worth the 2 hr drive.  Hey, at least it’s not TEN!

xoxoxo and thank you all SO much for helping me make a perfume choice!  It was perfect!

Just when I thought it was safe to go sticking my snout in fragrances again… I have a cold. DAMN! So, that means I got nuthin’ this week. Here’s hoping I’ll be back on track for next Friday.

In the meantime, I’m guzzling tea and snuggling with the cat.

Have a great weekend!

FINALLY – Nava sits down and actually reviews a couple of fragrances; about bloody time, right?

For your olfactory pleasure, I have another talented Canadian natural perfumer I must introduce you all to: Jessica September Buchanan of 1000 Flowers.

Jessica is currently located in the “wilderness” of Western Canada, otherwise known as British Columbia, where lately, if you’re not careful, you might make the acquaintance of a bear while cruising through the drive-thru at Tim Hortons. Yes, bears; I’m not referring to Hugh “The Bear” from “Ice Road Truckers”.

Jessica’s background in essential oils and clinical aromatherapy lead her to France, where she studied at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. After graduating and interning at two well-known perfume houses, Jessica set up her own shop and has introduced two very impressive scents, which I’ve had samples of since late July. I’ve been waiting for my nose to recover from my medication “mishap”, and now I can tell all of you that the schnoz is back in top form and rarin’ to go.

Réglisse Noir (Black Licorice): For many, licorice scents are a tough sell because I don’t think a lot of us want to spend our days smelling like a bag of Nibs. There are, however, some artful licorice scents out there: Hermessence Brin de Reglisse, an amalgamation of black licorice and lavender, and Eau de Reglisse by Caron. There was a scent by the cosmetics company Hard Candy available about 10 years ago that was heavy on the black licorice, but alas, it now resides on the island of discontinued scents.

Jessica’s Réglisse Noir is the most complex black licorice scent I’ve ever smelled; it is comprised of white pepper, ozone, mint, shiso leaf, star anise, ginger, licorice, cocoa, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver and musk. It is spicy, warm and slightly masculine; the patchouli and vetiver in the drydown keep it from becoming cloying, and the star anise and ginger in the middle give it a nice tang. This is not a foody scent, but one that you’ll want to snuggle into like a favorite blanket on a chilly night. I’m glad I held off on road-testing it until the weather cooled off a bit; this is definitely a cool-weather comfort scent if ever there was one.

Fleur N°1: OK, all my vintage Jezebels out there (you know who you are) – listen up: You HAVE to try this one. I’m no expert by any stretch, but this scent is proof that Jessica aced her classes at the Grasse Institute. This masterpiece screams ladylike; think Parisian ladies who lunch, Jackie O and Elizabeth Taylor artfully combined and dabbed on the pulse points. The notes are narcissus, orris root, white magnolia, hyacinth, moss, the forest in Spring, new baby leaves, wild violets in the sunshine, melting snow and cool wet earth. My skin pulls out a lot of moss, cool wet earth and the fruity-duskiness of orris and magnolia. I’ll admit that I feel a bit like a cross between Dame Edna and Queen Elizabeth in this one; I’m not one for ladylike floral, but it is breathtaking. To my nose, it is reminiscent of Creed Spring Flower; another scent I appreciate, but would never wear. If I go back far enough in my olfactory memory bank, I can almost smell the Emeraude coming out of my mother’s closet.

I have to say, the realm of social media has given me a greater appreciation of the talent of perfumers like Jessica. The materials they work with and the artful compositions they create are just a joy to behold. They ply their trade without the benefit of glossy ad campaigns and behemoth cosmetic companies investing millions in product development. These scents are a labor of love, and it shows. Just one sniff is all it takes to get hooked. I’ve willingly been dragged off…

Right now, you can snag 15 ml of Réglisse Noir on Jessica’s Web site for $23.00. It’s regularly $45. Fleur N°1 is also on sale for $41.25 for 15 ml. Yes, they are a bit more expensive than traditional fragrances; they are made with natural and organic materials. And well worth it, I might add.

I gotta admit it peeps, after the past few weeks I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend of doing absolutely nothing. I’m tapped as far as a review for today, but next week, I’ll be raring to go with something.

I bought the September issues of Vogue and Allure the other day and was pretty disappointed in them. Not a scent strip to be had in my copies, not to mention not much worth reading. Anyone else feel the same?

I hope all the east coasters who were affected by hurricane Irene are returning to business as usual. I’m glad most of us got through the worst of the storm minimally scathed.

Enjoy this last holiday weekend of summer; post your plans, post the fragrances you plan to wear, or whatever you’d like.

Have a wonderful long weekend!