Let’s Take a Survey

This is a post about how this is another post that is not about perfume.

I’m laying my cards on the table here.  I’m not going to pretend that maybe you haven’t noticed yet that I’m running a little dry in the perfume department.  But since this is allegedly a perfume blog, and since the idea of writing these posts without bringing to your attention – or reviewing – some fabulous find, old or new, is causing me a fair amount of discomfort, hey.  At least I’ll put on my hairshirt today and admit it.  (The hairshirt, if it existed, would be freshly washed in that Aqua Universalis laundry scent from Maison Francis Kurkdjian.)

I am spending a lot less time online.  I can waste time online like nobody’s business, but at some point comes the realization that my butt’s starting to resemble my comfy, sadly-discontinued rolling desk chair from IKEA, which I think was called Traktor.  (Here’s an image I swiped off eBay, does anyone remember it?)  Anyhow, for time-suck reduction purposes I’ve more or less abandoned my FaceBook account and placed a temporary moratorium on eBay.  I’m halfway through my impulse-buy of ten days of hot yoga for ten bucks (what could be better in August in Washington?) and getting out and doing stuff with – oh, those things!  Things one through four – the kids!  Thing one’s doing the yoga with me.  Today we took Hecate and Buckethead for the first time to the elusive, wildly under-promoted BrickFair out in East Jesus Chantilly at the Dulles Expo Center, billed as “the largest LEGO fan festival in the U.S.,” which…. can I just say?  How fricking amazing it was?

I am not particularly interested in Legos, except in terms of trying to keep them off the damn floor all over the house because they hurt like hell if you step on them barefoot in the dark.  I threaten to vacuum them all up periodically.  (I mostly buy them by the random bucketful on eBay, since those kits are like $80 or more).  The Dullas Expo Center was full of people who are somewhere between my knees and my chest in height.  If Legos themselves do not seem, technically, to have a smell, the giant expo hall certainly did, and I will leave it to your imagination.  (Okay – blend of sweat, sunscreen, heatlamp, plastic, electrical component, ozone, hot pretzel and random whiff of poopy diaper.)  However, BrickFair has the greatest sound ever – it’s a cavernous space filled with bazillions of little Lego bricks being assembled and whacked together in all their various displays – and the gentle click-snapping of a bazillion Lego bricks is – no, seriously – an excellent sound.  It’s ebullient and oddly soothing, simultaneously.  BrickFair has competition categories (e.g., Castle, Battlefield, Bionicle, Motorized, etc.) but no age categories – so there’s stuff there built by eight-year-olds and their grandparents.  I spent 20 minutes talking to a neat 15-year-old kid from California who’d built a great LOTR battlefield scene, and almost half an hour watching the Giant Robotic Lego Chess Game.  I would have loved to see the Lego Robot Sudden-Death Jousting but couldn’t shove enough rugrats out of my way to get a clear view.  Next year, maybe.  My kids had fun, but they didn’t have any more fun than I did.  Hot tip – wear something easy to find!   I loved the group of six boys wearing matching striped lime-green shirts.  I lost the Cheese and the twins for almost an hour.  Here’s the sad way my brain works:  oh, I’ll just look for the middle-aged white guy in the tee shirt with the two seven-year olds, how hard could that be? Uh.  Well… next year I’m painting everyone’s heads electric blue or something similar.

So, I am wearing perfume (although not to yoga, or the kids’ doctor, dentist or ortho checkups, or the speech therapist’s office.)   I’m wearing Eau de Merveilles, I think my bottle’s gotten skankier than it used to be?  I swear.  More cumin-y.  The temperature’s moderated, so I tried some Worth Courtesan, but it wasn’t love.  I’ve been pulling random bottles off the shelf with deliberate lack of thought and spraying them on, pretending I’ve never smelled them before, and just … enjoying them for the day.  Or until I scrub.  Whichever comes first.  (I admit: I have not worn Rush, Addict, Opium or Poison recently.  It just seems too cruel to those around me.)

So here we are, folks.  What should I do?  I have no desire or interest in giving the blog up (the Posse is, and remains, my favorite time-suck online.)   But what am I going to do if I can’t offer you some new perfumey inspiration?  When I started this in 2006 (?) I did it because it was supposed to be fun, and it is fun, but me guilt-tripping myself for not having a decent post featuring something new and wonderful/wretched, that part’s got to stop.   There isn’t a single scent in my regular rotation that I haven’t blogged on at least once, and I’m not going to repeat myself over and over.

It’s August, half of you are probably at the beach.  What do the rest of you think we should do about this no-new-perfume-inspiration situation?

image: I can’t find my camera connector cord, so here’s an image from (I believe) BrickFair 2009, from this website if you’d like to see some more amazing construction.  If you click on the image on here it should enlarge, btw.

  • Dionne says:

    I know I’m near the end of a long list of voices letting you know how much we love the blog – even those of us relatively new to the scene – but I have a confession to make: Perfume reviews are not the primary reason you’re at the top of my blog list. It’s because I. LAUGH. MY. ASS. OFF. HERE.

    I mean, even the comment section can have me spewing pop on the screen. Lo jack for the twins? Profanity-laced yoga mantras? Where else can you get that?

    And I’d love to see some of those “best of” lists. I tried going back to the beginning and reading EVERYTHING, but soon discovered I couldn’t do it and still have a life away from the internet. Consider it a public service for the new kids. :)

  • Somerville Metro Man says:

    Let me chime in that you should write about whatever moves you and makes you want to sit in front of your keyboard and pound out 500-1000 words.
    Really life is too short for you to turn something you like into a chore.
    I do also think this is symptomatic of August. This is the month where not a lot happens but it leads to September which always seems to be jampacked and gets me flying through the end of the year.
    A final thought for you is I think many of us come to Perfume Posse to hear your voices and speaking for myself you can write about whatever you want because I’m sure you will iikely make me smile and that is a rare gift.

  • LindaB says:

    I’m late to the party here since I was on a birthday mini-vacation! I completely understand needing a break from the computer world and at least once a week I try to give myself one computer-free day. Doesn’t always work but even if I can spend 3/4 of the day offline, it feels good. I have two young children and I know that I neglect them sometimes for silly things like Facebook–not going to let that continue.
    That being said, I love this blog and it is one of the few that I return to religiously. Please, feel free to write about ANYTHING! I know I’ll read it. We perfume freaks are sensuous people–all the senses. Let’s talk about things we like to touch, see, hear and when we get back around to it, smell. Why not? xoxo

  • Write about anything. Just write. I’ll read your comments on Cheezeburger. Now that I’m writing the book, I try to stay away from the computer–but wait, I write the book on the computer. Well, you can see the dilemma. I depend on your sheer good sense to know what to try and what you avoid. You keep me sane. How scary is that?

  • rockinruby says:

    What?! STILL no damned smiley emoticon friends? Sheesh.

  • rockinruby says:

    Dear March,

    Write about perfume. Only perfume. And nuthin’ but perfume. Now.

    Get crackin’, sistah.

    HA! :d

  • Susan says:

    I’ve just recently started reading your blog and can’t wait to get to the computer every night! I thoroughly enjoy everything you talk about (not just perfumes). I love your sarcasm and calling your husband the Cheese. I love reading about your trips and what you buy. I love the little tips that come out as an aside. Your references to products, companies, and websites are all very useful. Just babble on about anything, skip a day or two, whatever you feel like doing.

    It’s cuz it’s just too damn hot out!!

  • tammy says:

    Austenfan reminds me that there is a Legoland in SoCal…down near San Diego. If you’re ever out this way….San Diego is a great family vacation spot.

  • Austenfan says:

    Agree with the other comments in that I don’t mind what you write about. I tend to skip the make-up posts but really loved the New-Mexico ones. ( I spent half a year in Arizona 20 years ago, never crossed over the border to NM, but lots of people told me it was wonderful. I imagine the scenery to be somewhat similar to A.).
    I think most people seriously interested in perfume get tired of the never ending stream of new releases.
    Apart from that; I think you are very witty. You rarely fail to make me laugh.

    Did you know that in Denmark there is a Legoland? I went there as a twelve-year old. They have copied well known sites ( like say the Eiffel Tower) and rebuilt them in Lego. It’s still there. I passed a Lego-driving test there. All I remember was that the car was too small. At 12 I was almost as tall as I am today and my legs didn’t fit in the car anymore.

  • Nina Z says:

    I identify with you! (I’ve been writing a novel for two years, and lately I’ve been running out of steam–though I am not–do you hear me?–NOT–going to give up).

    But sometimes the hardest part about writing is coming up with ideas. So what if you asked your readers for suggestions for topics? People could ask you questions (or interview you) or could toss out ideas like: what is the worst perfume mistake you ever made, or what is your favorite perfume fantasy, or, do you have a perfume you love just for the memories it evokes but not for how it smells, or, well, you get the idea. I bet at least some of the questions and/or topics would be new to you and would spark your interest.

  • Kim says:

    Agree with the general consensus and looking forward to whatever you decide to write about. But would add that I love reading about how your love of your favourite perfumes has changed/ grown so would love to read even a third or fourth review / commentary on the same perfume – different season, different venue, just a sudden rewakening? Or a brief note on any of these inserted into a ‘life’ post. Cuz isn’t that really the way we ‘live’ our perfume anyways?

  • Tiara says:

    Gosh, I’m late checking in (actually had a life today) and I felt sad as I read the blog entry. But after reading all of the comments I felt more cheerful and may I just add, “Yes, what they all said!”

    I have a hard time remembering what you told me about a particular perfume, but I DO remember you writing about this past winter, the neighbors and the kindness of your husband. And the post about your child who can pet bees (along with a photo). That fabulous sweater you received as gift. The stories about your mother-in-law and how she touched your life. And how much fun it was to read about the meet-up at your house with other DC’ers. I could go on and on.

    I came for the perfume, but I stay because of the writing. You’ve made a difference in my life!

    • March says:

      Okay, I’ll do some best-of links and I think we’re going to rejigger the schedule a bit, maybe. And also, I can’t believe what some of you remember!

  • Daisy says:

    hmmm…bit of a pattern developing here. I agree with EVERYONE —I enjoy all your posts, especially the non-perfume ones. Perfume reviews are everywhere. Good, engaging writing is a little tougher to find and that’s why we all come here. Write about whatever moves you, whenever you are moved to write it…we’ll show up to read.
    I think August is a tough month for most everyone, like Mals and others mentioned; now would be a good time to re-post some classics, the “Best-of” essays (for those of us who haven’t been around from the beginning). A few guest writers might help take the pressure off for a while as well. Just don’t leave us completely.

  • Rappleyea says:

    The stew post was a classic!

    • Rappleyea says:

      Ack! Sorry, that was supposed to go above.

      But while I’m here, I’ll just say, if it’s supposed to be fun, I had a LOT of fun today! Loved the Lego post. Who’da guessed?

      I do have to offer one correction though – take it from someone who spent several years just west of you outside of Berryville, VA in Clarke Co. Chantilly is NOT East Jesus! It’s still practically in the city. ;)

      • mals86 says:

        HEY. Berryville is bigger than where I live…

        • tammy says:

          Is where you live bigger than (population) 28? /:)

        • Rappleyea says:

          Hehehehee…. and I think Berryville has grown a lot since I lived there. The DC developers used to joke about the folks in Clarke Co. manning the mountain with guns and grenades! But I do miss my view of the Blue Ridge mountains!

      • March says:

        It’s all relative. Cheese was like, WHERE are we going?!? I had to get the map out, wah wah… and for other people it’s a trip to the corner store.

  • Wendi says:

    I love the honesty! I think everyone is entitled to go through perfume slumps as often as they want. There is a line at the end of the Perfume 101 and 201 blogs that says something like “if you start obsessing you need a new hobby” …surely this applies to blogging about perfume vs. blogging about life! We all clearly enjoy both, so don’t beat yourself up over it.

    If you are really looking to jump back into the perfume stuff though, I have a suggestion: put a survey out there and ask what everyone’s favorite new discovery has been, and work your way through those. I discovered nearly all of my favorite perfumes through extras sent in MUA swaps… sometimes other people turn up with exactly what you’ve been looking for!

    Anyway, “stress is for tests and teenager-raising, not perfume”, right????? =D

  • Christine says:

    I love this site, and I especially love your voice here. Seriously write about whatever you want. I love the perfume posts, but love the makeup and nail polish posts just as much even if I never did find or buy my perfect red lipstick.

  • Fragrant Witch says:

    Hi March, I have been lurking here for a while having discovered you through NST (where I have also recently de-lurked ) and I love all of your posts. The perfume, makeup, sunglasses, general life – I look forward to reading it all. I think it gives a great insight into you and gives shape to the person writing the perfume reviews. I also feel that it helps us to learn a bit about why you like what you like! So I join the chorus- relax and just be you.

  • Kate says:

    My first reaction there was NOOOOOOOOO!I do hate it when a blog I love stops.
    Tammy summed it up perfectly when she said she initially came for the perfume, but loves all the other stuff just as much. It’s like when you bond with someone over a shared love of gardening (or lego..)and then that friendship broadens out; when you like someone’s views about one thing (or perhaps just how they get over those views), you tend to want to hear what they have to say about other stuff too. So don’t stop. You would be much missed.

  • minette says:

    well, since i enjoy your “life” posts as much if not more than your perfume posts, just keep writing about your life if you’re not inspired to write about scent.

    i lost the urge to blog about perfume back in december, and i don’t know if it will ever return… in the meantime, though, i have launched a side business and enjoyed life… so sometimes it’s just about going with the flow.

    i do hope you keep writing, though. you are my favorite “voice” on this site, and since you live near one of my best friends, i love getting glimpses of life up there from you. xxx, minette

    • March says:

      At least now, reading these comments, I don’t feel guilty any more, which is HUGE. You have no idea. So, okay. We’ll keep it going. Just what happened today is why: because it makes me very happy. @};-

  • Aparatchick says:

    I’m singing with the rest of the choir: Write about whatever interests you. A friend of mine is an editor; she says that the mark of a wonderful writer is the ability to make any subject interesting. You’ve got that down, March.

    I love coming here to read whatever is posted. So whether it’s you blogging about stew recipes or your front porch, or Lee blogging about his garden, or Nava blogging about her move to Canada, or Patty blogging about what to paint her kitchen walls – it’s all good.

    I love the idea some commenters have suggested of running “Best of” posts. There are some classics here that many have probably not seen and they deserve to be read (or re-read!).

    • sweetlife says:

      See, now I totally remember that stew post! And I made the stew, too. It was fabulous. I still make it.

      Again. Not. About. Perfume.

      And a third vote for a best-of week! :x

    • March says:

      I will have to take a survey for “Best Of” posts. Of course our search feature is so crappy, y’all will have to come up with some general details and I’ll find it.

      And thanks for the kind words. Really. I’m reading through these getting teary. In a good way.

  • Michelle Smith says:

    I think you do a wonderful job..but I agree that reviewing scents is a way too crowded field!I often get a huge headache going through all the information on many blogs and while I find them informative just figuring out what is where is frequently discouraging.

    I believe that one should write what they love…when it becomes a “burden” then it is time for a new subject or a new slant on the subject. Your story about your children was very fun to read and if that brings you happiness then that is what you should do.

    I applaud you for being honest and admitting that you feel you have exhausted your subject. That just means that there may be a whole new subject for you.

    In the end there is no sense in writing about perfume if it stresses you out! I am a complete perfume addict but I confess that ,as I mentioned earlier, with some exceptions, reading the blogs is just too much information for me to process and many of my fellow perfume friends concur.

    You were and are a pioneer in the perfume blog field and that is fantastic..I will wait to see what you will do next with anticipation and truly warm wishes for choosing whatever brings you happiness and NO STRESS

    Michelle

    • March says:

      Okay, that was really a sweet note. And let me make clear: I don’t feel like I’m “over” perfume in any way. I’m still wearing it and enjoying it. And I am actually ENJOYING wearing it and enjoying it. But right this second I have nothing on the horizon in that department to blog about, so today’s comments made me feel great.

  • mals86 says:

    The last time this came up, I was the poopyhead complaining about makeup posts rather than perfume posts on weekdays.

    And I still don’t dig posts on makeup – *anybody’s* blog posts on makeup – because they seem to be All About the Product. If I want a product review on a particular makeup item (it’s not common; I’ve probably gone looking for that sort of thing maybe twice in the last five years), I want a straight-up boring “it works like this” kind of review of that item only. I’m just not a makeup gal.

    But the kitchen-sink kind of blog posts that show up here on the Posse? LOVE THEM. They’re not about Product, they’re about Life. You want to tell me stories about, for example, your mother’s lipstick ritual in the car, or your girls’ lipstick swaps, or the disastrous time you and your college roommate tried to learn the lipstick-between-the-boobs trick from The Breakfast Club, I’ll read them with great pleasure. Branch out, babe…

    I notice that my own blog posts over the last week or so have concerned themselves with the canning of tomatoes, family reunions, and my husband’s dangerously boneheaded acrobatics involving a pallet, a bucket of soapy water, and a John Deere 4240 tractor (don’t ask).

    On a practical note, I for one would love some Best-Of posts from the past, having missed them the first time around.

    • March says:

      Eh, well, my general guess is my makeup posts don’t have the utter feel of shill to them, except to the extent that I get so darned excited when I find a great new color! And I like those kitchen-sink stories best too.

      See, I don’t even know what the Best Of would be. I’ll have to ask.

      • mals86 says:

        Oh, no, no shill. I don’t really enjoy even very factual makeup posts like Gaia’s, which are chock-full of good stuff I’d want to know IF I were interested in whatever she’s reporting on, like texture and flakability and cost. Those are what I’d call “good makeup posts,” and yet… no chemistry.

        In other words, it’s not you, it’s me. And I’m whining again. Sorry sorry.

        You could call for suggestions concerning the Best Of. A favorite of mine was that one about summer storms from last year, and I also loved the one about your MIL and her Chloe. (Oh dear, I’m getting verklemft and I didn’t even go back and reread them.)

        • March says:

          You’re not WHINING. You’re answering a question I asked. And it now looks to me like we could talk about almost anything in here and all the usual suspects would emerge from under, uh, from the ether and chat!

          Okay, I’ll do a best of.

      • sweetlife says:

        I gave you a my list, above.

  • Mimi Gardenia says:

    Well I love this blog though I lurk more often than not. I read it every day . I feel the ennui too. There is so much choice sometimes,so much and instead of being interested , I am bleh .Oh well, keep up the good work here, the non perfume posts are wonderful ones too . :)

  • grizzlesnort says:

    one of your minority (male) readers here who reads everything you folks write EXCEPT make up and naile etc. That holds no interest for me whatsoever, sorry, BUT everything else, yes. Your story about the guy with the bad midlife crisis car was priceless. We know you have more.

    • March says:

      But what about MALE makeup and nail polish? That manly nail stuff with no shine, called Steel Stud or something … and, like, manscaping updates.

      No?

      Okay. I could probably come up with some more stories featuring the charming natives. My face burns when I admit I used the actual word “d-bag” unabbreviated in the car today — one of those words I loathe and have forbidden my 16yo from using.

  • DinaC says:

    In my book, August is the most dreaded month of the whole year. I hate the heat and humidity. I hate the dry, freezing cold A/C indoors. There’s no pleasing me, temperature-wise. Plus, by this time in the summer, I’m sick of the kids hanging around the house. That classic Staples commercial with the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” made me laugh till I cried when it first came out. I can’t get them back into school fast enough by the time August rolls around. So, I’d say you have a bad case of “AUGUST” on your hands.

    Remember last winter, when the seven-foot snow drifts made us feel like we were cracking up and going bonkers? This is the summer equivalent. I just keep thinking, “This Too Shall Pass.”

    I love your writing, March, and would be seriously bummed if you stopped writing altogether. It would be like arriving at Hogwarts only to find out that all the best teachers, like Professor McGonagall, were retiring. I just began my perfume hobby/passion three years ago, so I’m still learning, still reading, still full of enthusiasm.

    Everything you, Patty, Lee and Nava write is fresh and amazing to me. But I have to admit, that I really love the non-perfume anecdotes and glimpses into your personal lives. Love the nail polish, lipstick, the glasses frames, the stories about food, pets, kids, gardens, trips, scarves, sunglasses, clothes…just life in general. So, I say, write as the Muse inspires you. Know that you have devoted readers and friends here who will gladly keep reading.

    My son is a Lego Brickmaster fiend, so he would have loved that Lego Expo, too, had we known about it. His bedroom has enormous shelves all along one wall that are crowded with his buildings, creations, etc. It’s one of the few toys that he still puts down on his wish list every year.

    Hang in there, March! September is coming. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. :-)

    • Musette says:

      That Staples spot was the highlight of the season!

      =))

      xo >-)

      • mals86 says:

        Oh, I love that one!

        I have dug my (short) fingernails into the kitchen island and am Hanging On Until School Starts… fifteen more days, fifteen more days…

        Just fifteen days…

  • Nava says:

    Geez, just when I’ve finally made peace with Social Media and have embraced the idea of earning a living by writing web content, you’ve sucked the helium out of all my balloons. Thanks March!! :d

    Sounds to me like you’ve got a case of the Dog Day Blues (my own term). I’ll join in with the rest of the group by saying – write about what moves you; perfume, whatever. You are not a perfume reviewer – you are an effective communicator. And if we didn’t like it, we wouldn’t read it. So there…!:x

  • Dusan says:

    What Mighty Musette and everyone else said. Seriously, write about whatever you want and whenever you feel like it. It’s not like the blog is going to wither away into oblivion if you guys skip a day or six. The last thing we/you need is this lovely 4-year (wow!) thang becoming a dreaded chore or pressure.
    That said, the day you stop blogging about ANYTHING is the day I stop reading perfume blogs. Just sayin’.

  • Mindy says:

    It’s okay with me if you write about other things than perfume. Sometimes I just read for the enjoyment of the writing.

  • Natalie says:

    Honestly, for hard-core perfume news, I read NST. I come here for the wildly entertaining mixed bag of randomness! So if for a time it’s more about perfume and if for another time it’s more about other stuff, that’s just fine by me.

    P.S. Tell Hecate I dyed my hair hot pink — REALLY hot, and all over, no namby-pamby highlights — and it looks freaking fantastic.

  • donanicola says:

    You owe us nothing March! In the last 4 years you (and Patty and Lee and Nava) have entranced us all with your writing which you volunteered to do because of a passion for the subject. If the passion is burning less brightly I think we can all relate. Take a break, or write about something else but only if you feel like it.

  • sweetlife says:

    Well. I think you already know how I feel about your writing. And how much I would miss it if you stopped. So adding my voice to the chorus there.

    But here are a couple more ideas about how to go on:

    1) Why not a Week of No Perfume challenge (ulp) where we all refresh our noses and report in on what else we can smell and what our favorites smell like when we come back to them? I did this unintentionally awhile ago and was really startled by how vivid the first perfume I sprayed on after the break was…

    2)It’s AUGUST, lady! How about some re-runs? Seriously, one of the advantages of having given us so many really gorgeous posts over the past four years should be that you occasionally get to do a best-of week, especially when you’ve gathered new readers as you go. And I can think of two or three off the top of my head that I’d like to nominate (Holy Week 2007, Diva Rocks the Red Dress, and I don’t remember the title, but the one about your mother-in-law and her see-through dress, and hey, do you see what these posts have in common? NOT ABOUT PERFUME.)

    3)How about another one of those swap challenges, where we send you something random and gorgeous that we feel might inspire you to write? At the very least, you’d feel the love and be able to report on what you got in the mail…

    4)Or, you know. You could just take the rest of the summer off. Rest until you feel the itch. To write. And to be read. And to chat. Because I feel pretty sure that you will…

    I’ll stop, but let me know if you need more!

    Mwah!

    • london says:

      I second the swap idea. I remember the one where you all guessed what the others had sent you. That was fun (for the reader anyway). Personally I would very much miss your perfume posts but I would also be the last person to want you to write if you had lost the joy. I also have the summertime blues combined with the endless stuffy nose of pregnancy that means I can’t smell much of anything anyway, not to mention a need to save money, all of which has resulted in my not having bought a single perfume this year. I have found that I want to pare down my collection rather than increase it. But even that has been quite interesting to think about. If the house burned down, which ones would I really rush out to repurchase and which would I let go?

  • Marsha says:

    Hey March: I initially came here to read about perfume, but lately I come mostly to see what you’ve written, whether it is about perfume or not. I love your Random Sunday posts. If you want to stop and take some time for yourself, please do so. But I think that enough people have said that we just love hearing about you and your family. You are an incredible writer.

  • rosarita says:

    Darling March, I love your writing. Write about anything and just when you want to. Hey, it’s August, moving into the end of a particularly frustrating and over heated summer. Soon the kids will be back to school, a brisk breeze will blow and perfume may start to feel interesting again. Or not. No big deal either way, just stop feeling guilty. :x

  • SilviaFunkly says:

    No pressure dear March, write about something else or don’t write at all if that is what you feel like.

    There should be no rules, not in this anyway. If you wanted to take a break, us readers would understand and wouldn’t forget you(every so often I still go on Aromascope to check if Ina is back and she hasn’t blogged in years!).

    We all look forward to our daily Posse fix whatever the subject, but it would be awful for us to make you feel that you HAVE to write in any way.

  • Olfacta says:

    Oh Lord no, please don’t stop!

    Leave the thinly disguised press releases up to others. Perfume is a springboard to everything else in the world. Yours always sounds interesting. You’re such a witty writer.

    BTW I’m in the same boat lately, the late-summer blog doldrums. It’s the heat. All of us on the East coast are just sort of worn out.

  • Melissa says:

    I look forward to and love your posts, no matter what subject you choose. As others have commented, the proliferation of fragrance blogs over the past few years has been tremendous, so we have a great selection to choose from. Perfume reviews, the history of fragrances, a bit of chemistry 101 for those of us who haven’t thought about it since college and witty banter-it’s all there!

    But I always look forward to Monday and Wednesday morning. I’m spending less time online too, so I don’t always comment. But unless my day is really busy, I make time to read what you write.

    Oh, and isn’t Chantilly (which is where I work) technically out in West Jesus from whence you come? As opposed to where I live, which is further South in Nowheresville, VA. (I would have used a more “colorful” descriptor, but I hesitated. Legos. Family blog, y’know?)

  • Daseined says:

    Dear March, I always enjoy your posts regardless of topic. I have been taking a break from perfume over the last couple months as I am going through some transitions and it does feel a bit strange, but it is refreshing. I believe that time away from the things and people you love are necessary and enrich the experiences that you share with them.

    There seems among several of my favorite perfume blogs to be a common thread of ennui when faced with the overwhelming number of new releases and I completely understand that. In my professional life the same overwhelming number of publications makes staying abreast of the field difficult even with electronic tools to filter them. Making choices about how to allocate my personal and professional time and efforts has become a daily chore. I hope you choose to continue writing about whatever is on your mind, fragrance related or otherwise. I enjoy your voice and like many others here, despite mostly lurking, feel like I’ve known you for years and would miss hearing from you.

  • Kathleen says:

    It’s summertime. I’ve noticed that some of the other bloggers are suffering from the same ennui. I think you should not concern yourself with what you are or are not “supposed” to be writing. Write about what you want, soon enough, something perfumey, will, once again, inspire.

  • Fiordiligi says:

    Dear March, as everyone else has already said, you write so beautifully that we love to read whatever grabs you, really we do. Equally, if it becomes a chore, please don’t feel you have to write anything. Guest writers would be a great idea too.

    Now, you need to see a TV show from the UK: James May’s Boys Toys (or something like that). In one episode he built an entire house of Lego, including a lego loo, cooker, bed, computer – it was completely brilliant! The kids would love it but so would you and The Big Cheese.

    I’m afraid we all spend far too much time glued to our computer screens……

  • Louise says:

    I am always glad to read what you right-including today’s post.

    First, Legos rock! I know how Buckethead loves his bricks, and shared the fascination with my son when he was younger. I didn’t like playing with many of his toys, but boy oh boy, I loved the Legos ; ) A middle plus aged neighbor also had a room reserved for his constructions, and they were our own local shrine.

    As to perfume, well it’s taking a helluva scent to interest me much now. I have a lovely collection, but will only add a few rareties or very special new scents to it. Many days I am not wearing scent at all, or only at home. I will likely cycle back to wearing perfume more in colder weather, and when back at work, but I think my earlier mad passion is simply done. I will remain interested in the tremendous new perfumes you may choose to present to us in your lovely style.

    And so wonderful to get offline. I got a whopper bill from my mobile internet provider from last month-overages. And I’ve now redirected into a number of books, cooking, outdoors action.

    So write-on, baby-just as the spirit moves you!

    • Louise says:

      The first wrong “right” was unintentional, but maybe heartfelt? The latter wrong “write” was heartfelt for sure and intentional. And they let me teach kids. Ha!

  • Tamara *J says:

    It’s going around alot,
    this lack of passion, a burn-out.
    I feel like that and I don’t even write about it.

    Take your time! We can’t take it with us right?
    Come back when your ready, as you can read , your wanted and needed but life is happening and whether you feel like it’s time wasted or time well spent, it’s up to you.
    I love when you write and when you admit that your tired- we all feel that way from time to time,
    I feel that way about perfume, my marriage, my children even.
    It’s OK.
    It really is baby! Everything comes around.
    Be well and take care of yourself and your life first.

    Oh yeaaaaaaah-

    it ain’t easy being cheesy!

    Love, Tamara

  • Jillie says:

    Like everyone else, I feel you write so well that it would be wrong if we were not treated to your beautiful essays. In fact I said something along these lines a few weeks ago after reading another of your amazing pieces, then accidentally deleted it and couldn’t bear to do it all over again! In it I asked if you have ever written/are writing/will write a book, because you conjure things so vividly. So – continue writing on any subject, as we will enjoy whatever you write. But I particularly would like more on food.

    And as for the perfume ennui, well I guess it’s happening to quite a few of us right now. My prescription is that we give our noses a rest, and I reckon it won’t be too long before we start wanting to breathe the ‘fumes again. And I reckon all those conmpanies all over the world should just STOP churning them out, day after day – it’s true overload and I can feel our poor brains getting frazzled by the enormity of the number of releases.

    So, lovely March, here’s to you and thank you for all the joy you’ve given us.

  • Annelie says:

    I´ll still be coming here no matter what you wrote about, even though perfumes are my main reason for coming here. You´re a lovely writer no matter what subject you chose and I think we all have a life besides of perfumes…

  • cinnamon says:

    March,

    Please don’t go. I’m with Carter: write about whatever you want. Some of it may include fragrance or smells (ie, not necessarily perfume), but I, for one, am happy to read about life, lego and makeup, etc, and would miss your posts very much if you were to stop writing.

    • March says:

      Thanks very much. I enjoy the blogging and am glad to hear so many people are basically fine with the, uh, broader focus.

  • ula says:

    Hi March, in fact, I’ve been wondering, haven’t seen you much online lately :) But hey, I think that’s the way it should be! You know, living your life online isn’t as much fun in the long run and I think the real life stuff is the right way to go.
    And that thing with you being bored with perfume? Oh well, I think everyone is entitled to be bored/fed up/in the rut with the stuff they’re doing and love. That said, I don’t think all your writing needs to necessarily evolve around perfume. I for myself enjoy very much reading other stuff from you as well and hope you won’t give it up entirely.
    btw, lego is amazing, last week they had a lego exhibition in a mall and wow, all the stuff that can be built from the tiny blocks, stuff like crocodiles, giant turtles, people, cars…wonderful!

    • March says:

      The curved things you can build with lego astonish me… although now I totally get the devotion. And don’t worry, I haven’t fallen out of love with perfume, just with all my one-night-stands with every new thing that drifts down the road! 😉

  • Masha says:

    Well, your post got me to thinking this morning while I was cleaning the house/doing paperwork/reworking my filing system. Back when the Posse began, there were only 3 or 4 perfume blogs. Now, a whopping (HA!) 4 years later, I count around 50 blogs that involve perfumery in Western languages, and I’m guessing, probably about 20 more in Chinese/Hindi/other languages I have no fonts for, so I can’t search for them. Lotta perfume blogs. We have 1,000 new releases each year, and of those, about 100 are interesting/gorgeous/foul enough to write about. So, just counting the 50 blogs I can find, each blogger can choose 2 new, interesting releases to write about each year, and that’s it, we’re done! Our work is finished. In reality, of course, practically all the bloggers write about the same handful of scents, because –we love House X, Nose X, flower/spice X, or whatever. So a “hot” scent is easily covered by more than 10 bloggers, mas o menos. Wow! Some blogs, like the one I guest for (PST) has responded by specializing, we mostly do indie/niche now. Grain de Musc is exclusively French. Another only covers vintage. And so on. There’s really no reason for anyone to write about anything that isn’t particularly compelling to them. The field is crowded, and so the pressure is off! So no worries, take a break, specialize, sub-specialize, write about something totally different, it’s really up to us at this point.

    And I’m not telling my kids about the Brickfest because they’ll insist on moving to DC immediately!

    • March says:

      We’ve been talking about you elsewhere, did you feel your ears burning? There are a lot of people who like the Majmua, so you are blessed forever on that one. One question — my majmua + beeswax = dark earwaxy looking stuff, why is yours so white?!?

      And you’re right about everything else you said … I’m going to take the pressure off myself and stop worrying.

      BrickFair 2011, babe! Washington DC! August!

      • Masha says:

        There are different grades of beeswax, from whitened (I’m not sure how they do that), to brown. Depends on the bees, and how much treatment the wax gets, sounds like you got the most natural grade! Must smell yummy. And hey, if we’re living in DC next year, we will definitely see you at the BrickFair!

  • Illdone says:

    Hello March and everyone else!
    I understand the feeling of being a bit borred or fed up (temporary!!) with perfume. To my experience you need to take a leave of scents all together for a few days (couple a weeks??)Doesn’t mean that the rest of your life isn’t worth writting or talking about, I for one love to read about it all.
    To give a little boost to us all, as the weather is bizarre in Europe, in my case Belgium that is ; not cold but not really summer-y either, I’m burning some little mirre rocks in my kitchen right now. My sister spent a few weeks in Ethiopie and I urged her to bring back some of those grey-ish little mirre pebbles to burn.They’re indispensable in Ethiopie for their coffee ceremonies. Now the whole kitchen smells like Annick Goutals Myrrhe Ardente is being burnt. Really yummy, can’t wait for the fall as its perhaps the more appropriate season for this kind of cosy fumes. I still got about a pound of pebbles left. Anyhow there will always be someone who is passionate about something to smell. Don’t think we’ll ever run out of inspiration totally. Will you please keep posting I really enjoy your findings and life alltogheter! :)

    • March says:

      Oh, I love the idea of the burning myrrh pebbles! And we’re getting ready for another heat wave while you are chilling!

    • nozknoz says:

      Oh, there’s NOTHING like the incense they use in coffee ceremonies! SIGH!!

    • Mary says:

      Illdone– the myrrh pebbles sound yummy, but if you are using a charcoal brazier to burn them, please do be cautious of the CO2 . . .:)>-

  • nancy says:

    I have always loved reading your posts, whether they are strictly perfume related or not. Some of my favorites have been the nail polish series and the lipstick searches, and lately, I have this urge now to visit Santa Fe. Why don’t you write about whatever you want, whenever you want? To keep the perfume part moving along, have you considered taking applications for guest posts? I’m fussy, mind you, I don’t want a post that says: OMG I LOVE THIS PERFUME EVERYONE STOPS ME AND ASKS ME WHAT I’M WEARING AND IT SMELLS JUST LIKE FRUIT!!! I know there are a number of readers on this site who could some excellent reviews–why not tap into their expertise and give yourself a break? Just don’t go away forever!

    • March says:

      ZOMG I CAN TOTALLY RELATE TO THE DIMWITTED FANGIRL SQUEE!!!! NONE OF THOSE ON HERE!!!! Well, occasionally, but nobody’s PAYING me for it. Also you need to go to Santa Fe.

      Actually the perfume reviews that make me laugh are the “how do I attract men” ones. Gurl, dab on some vanilla extract and unbutton the top button on your shirt.

  • carter says:

    You should write about whatever you want to write about and we can read or not read. Who here is going to tell you to write about perfume if you’re not feeling it?

  • Mary says:

    You are a wonderful writer, March. I’m with Tom, write what you want. If you were to branch out into perfume fiction, so that there would be a non-creepy, life affirming fragrance oriented read (contrast with “Perfume,” which was creepy) I would read it online and buy the hard cover. Just an idea. If you are bored with the review format, you can still write about other aspects of fragrance. Or you can write about Legos. I’m helping my boy build his clone trooper turnbo tank, which he earned as a good behavior reward. Legos are zen.

    • March says:

      LEGOs are zen. What a great concept. You know, I was all prepared to shoot myself with a tranquilizer dart out there. But it wasn’t like that at all. There is definitely something about the cubes…

      This is my pleasure writing right now, and I don’t want to give it up. So I am breathing this huge sigh of relief having come out of the closet, so to speak.

      • Lee says:

        Yeah, I’m glad you’re showing us your you. Others (i.e. me) gave up a long time ago at once a week (and now every other) – I don’t know how you’ve done it for so long. Props, sugar.

        • March says:

          Well, I’m really hiring people to write these for me … you can tell by the uneven quality. Or, wait, no, the uneven quality is totally my fault. 😡

  • Mooche says:

    .. Hey – a Posse sticks together – Right?

  • Mooche says:

    I enjoy this blog, regardless of what is being written about. I always read the new post, but I don’t think it has to be everyday. Maybe switch to weekends only for a change.

  • tmp00 says:

    Write about what you want to write about. I mean I love perfume but I love your posts on other things as well. I mean I only post once a week and sometimes it’s like “Oh $hit, I have to find something”. Hence the many trips to ScentBar.

    Write about lotions or LEGO, we’ll read on.. :d

  • Ms. Christian says:

    Burn out. I know about that.

    How about recipes, gardening talk, fashion experiments, adventures with essential oils and attars, shoe loves, wonderful books and the occasional perfume post? How about more guest posters for perfume reviews-new or old perfumes?

    I have major love for the way you and Lee see the world and write and as I said in a post a few weeks ago, either one of you could write about dog crap or Elmer’s glue and I’d happily read it.

    You have touched my heart, made me laugh, made me reflect, made me weep with recognition-and most of those times were not perfume posts.

    Please don’t go away.

    • March says:

      …. but do you think I could write about dog crap AND Elmer’s glue? In any meaningful way? I’ll try to work it into a post. Or not. Now fate’s going to present me with a new Hugo Boss fragrance that makes me think of those items.

      And also, thanks. For the kind words. Not going away.

      • Shelley says:

        :) I like this assignment…

      • Ms. Christian says:

        I KNOW you could write about dog crap AND Elmer’s glue and make people think about both in ways they’d never considered. Even if you weren’t attempting humor, I’d be delighted to read it.

        My life is not so wonderful right now for a variety of (unshared) reasons, but when you write, when Lee writes, I see things differently and well-you get what I’m sayin’.

    • Daisy says:

      hmm…a post about dog crap AND elmer’s glue….there was the time my dog ate some elmer’s but it all seemed to come out okay…in the end. If you did write a post about it, it might not be “meaningful” but I bet it’d be entertaining.

      • March says:

        god that was disgusting, you just made me choke on my wine, laughing.

        • Daisy says:

          oh, sorry for causing a disgusted choke-fest……my dog is a lab, she’s an omnivore in EVERY sense of the word, nuff said. ;-)

          • March says:

            yeah, we had a lab mix in New Mexico who ate the most awful things — carcasses, etc., and was fine. He ate an entire chocolate cake once (I didn’t know chocolate was poisonous for dogs!) but he was fine. He looked at us like …. whut? 8-|

  • nozknoz says:

    March, I have gotten a great deal of enjoyment and insight from your posts over the last ten months that I have been reading regularly, so I’m very glad you don’t want to give it up! As a random example, I would never have heard of, let alone tried, the Majmua attar if you hadn’t written about it. I find it deeply satisfying in a different way from classical perfumes, so my life is richer as a result of your networking, experience, energy and writing skills. I also appreciate the mix of life and perfume in your posts, and your interaction with commenters. Will give further thought to what I’ve been wondering about perfume and see if I have any ideas. Meanwhile, thanks for what you do here! @};-

    • March says:

      Hey! Look at all the 😡 on here!

      And the majmua, man, that was Perfume Luck. We need to credit Masha for that. I am wearing it right now. BTW my weird technique of smooshing it into that honey cake I bought from Second Bloom in Santa Fe worked out really well. It’s not the most elegant looking thing, but it smells grreat.

      • nozknoz says:

        As with karma, we make our own Perfume Luck, March, and you’ve generated a mountain of Perfume Luck that you share with all of us!

        I looked up the honey cakes, but they seem to be scented, so I’m wondering which scent works with the Majmua?

        • March says:

          Okay, it doesn’t seem to be listed, but they make them, since I’m sitting right here looking at it. It is literally called “Honey Cake” and is not on their list — it’s one of those round metal tins, a moisturizing bar for dry skin, 2 ozs. My guess is it’s new? and if you ask them they’d cough one up.

  • Musette says:

    I think you should relax.

    You worry way too much.

    Is there a rule there has to be a new post every day? And it certainly doesn’t have to be about perfume all the time. I doubt any of us will be going anywhere if there are gaps or if you write about lutefisk. Last time I looked this was supposed to be fun – both for the reader and the writer. Go enjoy your kids for awhile! I’m going to put in a full day’s work tomorrow, sans Internets – heck, I might even talk with some folks face to face! 😮

    xo >-)

    those Legos look awesome!

    • March says:

      Ya think?

      Me, worry too much? And here I was, worrying about the responses while I was at Yoga. I kept forgetting my mantra, which is “empty cup.” Probably self-explanatory. It’s better than my last mantra, which was, “this f’ing sucks.”

      I have to find a mobile dog groomer, argue with the library, keep track of the Twins (WHERE IS TWIN LO-JACK? I WOULD BUY), pool, milk, ortho.

      • carter says:

        Personally I’m loving “this f’ing sucks.” Very cleansing.

        • March says:

          Yeah, but it’s awkward when I say it out loud.

          Somehow I’m thinking you and I could destroy any yoga class in less than five minutes. You’d probably spill your damn gin or something.

      • Shelley says:

        Ah, forget the child lo-jack. I need one for my glasses. Make that four for all the pairs of reading glasses that were supposed to make locating easy.

        • March says:

          hahahaha!!!!!!! That’s the CHEEESE! I mock him b/c I don’t need them (yet.) He has, like, 150 pairs. They’re like cockroaches all over the house, the cars…. what cracks me up is he buys them in bulk and never looks at the frames, so sometimes they’re really girly — pink, purple, polka dots…

      • Daisy says:

        I was thinking just the other day how useful it would be to have kids “chipped” like you can do with pets….only with tracking and GPS…..The CEO was looking at me like I was insane! I just shrugged and said “well, you’d always be able to find them” to which he responded “that’s what milk cartons are for” —-yes, I smacked him up-side the head. (milk cartons! Indeed!)

        • carter says:

          I know someone who is clicker training her kid.

        • March says:

          Well, what about those invisible fences?

          (Man, where is whistling guy when I need him?)

          Carter, is this what you’re referring to?

          No, seriously, if we can microchip our pets… of course I don’t think those are tracking, more ID. But if we can track a BMW etc.

    • March says:

      Tammy and I think you should give us a painting. Just FYI.

  • tammy says:

    God I hate my avatar.

    • March says:

      Your avatar makes me laugh. I swear, I’d change it if I could. Maybe it’s Fate telling you to sign up for a gravatar? All I can say is, if I did it, it can’t be that difficult, I’m terrible at that stuff.

      • tammy says:

        I thought I HAD signed up for gravatar! I wonder if I need to sign in each time, or if this is what they’ve stuck me with? I’ll check again.

        I want one of Musette’s paintings for my avatar. (And for my home!)

        • March says:

          Me too. Let’s ask her!!

          In the meantime … I am completely useless. Re-sign up? Clear your cache? Blow your nose and stand on one foot?

    • Daisy says:

      I think your avataar is funny….mine looks like a squished alien tomato with digestive issues. And I do have a gravataar!

  • tammy says:

    I’m sure I am not alone when I say that yes, I came here initially for the perfume, but have come to love the non-perfume posts every bit as much.

    Love hearing about all y’alls lives, kids, vacations, handbags, whatever.

    If I can come here and lust after Lee, surely you can talk about Legos and BrickFair, which sounds awesome!

    And I am in awe of your ability to give up the time-suck that is cyberspace. I need to do the same. Except for the Posse, of course!

    • March says:

      Here I am! Back from yoga! My sickest yoga fantasy is that someday I will get my heels to the floor in downward facing dog.

      Also if you want Lee, you will have to take a number. You will be in line somewhere behind me, btw.

      • Lee says:

        pfooeey!

      • Rappleyea says:

        Gawd – you just made my day! May I be obnoxious and say, my heels DO touch the floor in DFD? But I’m lemming getting my old body into one of those really hard Ashtanga poses….

        • March says:

          yeah yeah yeah. The girl next to me shot up in her backbend like they were paying her for it. I’m the cow with the block. But as I keep reminding myself, it’s not a competition… [-( which works about 90% of the time.