Monday, June 21: I’m going to stop bothering to note the weather. We’re into summer now, and it’s basically going to be the same every day: hot. And humid. Except when it rains, and then it will be wet and hot and humid. Of course, it hasn’t rained enough recently, and the grass is getting crunchy, and the wasps are proliferating. Urgh. SOTD: Vamp a NY, which I love for being a big flirty happy tuberose-vanilla party. Complicated it’s not. Pretty, it is. Where’s my tropical-floral-print cotton sundress?
Taz’ baseball team lost their tournament game. They’re done. It’s over. Thank goodness, now we can start eating dinner at home every night like normal human beings. (Okay, fine, I know plenty of people don’t do that. I mean, normal for us.)
Tuesday, June 22: The CEO and guys have made 340 bales of hay over the past few days – about 70% of an average year’s usage. And this is just the first cutting! They’ll make more in August. These are big bales, too – 6 feet 3 inches in diameter. They dwarf me. Gaze went with his dad and helped bale for awhile. He’s not quite tall enough to reach the foot pedals on the tractor, so he sat on The CEO’s lap and just steered. The CEO says that it’s a tricky thing to keep the bale even, so that you don’t wind up with lopsided bales that fall apart when you try to move them – but that Gaze is really, really good at it.
SOTD: Vamp a NY again. Despite my short attention span and despite wearing it for several days in a row, I still like it. At bedtime it was gone but I still wanted tuberose, so sprayed a bit of TF Voile de Fleur. Mmm.
Wednesday, June 23: DANGIT DANGIT DANGIT. My laptop “lost” my review of Vamp a NY (which I wore again today), which was to be posted this morning. AAAARGGGHH! I had to go to work with it dangling; only managed to retrieve the file and get the review up on the blog by 11 pm. Shoot.
I think Bookworm’s having fun with this PE-class camp thing she’s doing. Besides basic health, physical fitness tests, and some basic classroom Driver’s Ed, they’ve gone whitewater rafting at the New River Gorge in WV; canoeing on the river; bowling; waterskiing and other water sports at the Boy Scout camp on the lake; and today they went spelunking. I had not known that there was a cave within a mile of our house, although it shouldn’t have surprised me: most of the local geology is highly karstic. Limestone Rock + Underground Water Makes Caves, Duh. On our farm alone, 610 acres, there are no fewer than three sinkholes, one big enough to swallow a tractor (if you were stupid enough to try to drive a tractor in there). In any case, she came home utterly covered in mud today, and smiling.
Thursday, June 24: I could have happily worn Vamp a NY again, but decided to wear a sample. Picked Frederic Malle Lys Mediterranee, which is lovely. I am always surprised by how aquatic it is. The effect is very Sitting on a Windy Mediterranean Seaside Stone Terrace, Surrounded by White Lilies. That’s an enviable place to be, even if it is only in my mind. Is it wrong of me to prefer Donna Karan Gold, which evokes the heady summer blast of my very own stargazer lilies wafting past me as I sit on the front porch swing watching the sunset? My wallet is happy with my choice.
Oh! Great news – I just won an advance sample of Tauer Perfumes’ Une Rose Vermeille, which I understand to be the next in Andy Tauer’s Memorables line after Une Rose Chypree, which I liked very much. It was a random drawing from among commenters on his blog, but I asked Andy if I could review it here and he said, “No problem – just explain how you got your sample.” So. There’s that to look forward to. It sounds great, by the way – red raspberry (I know some of you are covering your ears, but c’mon, it’s Tauer – I can’t imagine fruity mall blah in a Tauer), rose, vanilla, sandalwood, violet. Sounds soooo pretty.
Went to sleep wearing a teeny spritz of Teo Cabanel Alahine. I love that stuff.
Friday, June 25: In a hurry this morning, I grabbed Mariella Burani for a quick spritz. It’s such a great wallpaper scent. The more often I wear it, the more often I smell musk in it – a pleasant, quiet musk that doesn’t smell too laundry detergent. Yesterday I uncapped my sample of Serge Lutens Clair de Musc, and in it I found – my mother, of all things. Of course there is a lot of musk in Chanel No. 5 – but now I’m wondering if she also wore something like Jovan Musk Oil from time to time. I should call her and ask. (I should call her and just chat, I don’t do that often enough.)
Saturday, June 26: At the risk of repeating myself once too often, it’s hot. SOTD: Welll… nothing, really. After bringing in the fifth load of laundry from the clothesline, all sweaty, I grabbed my decant of 4711 out of the fridge and spritzed the back of my neck, in the hopes that it would cool me off. It did, but I still don’t like it. Luckily, it disappeared within half an hour. (And the clothes smell great.) Went to pick up The CEO from where he and Taz had been mowing a hayfield, and they’d picked me some tiger lilies and Queen Anne’s Lace, wasn’t that sweet of them? They know I love those side-of-the-road specials.
True story: the flowers at my parents’ wedding, 45 years ago today, consisted of armfuls and Mason jars full of Queen Anne’s Lace, picked from every roadside and vacant lot my grandmother and the bridesmaids could get to. They couldn’t afford anything else. The life lesson, of course, is that when you can find beauty in the most commonplace things, love lasts. Congrats, Mom and Dad.
Sunday, June 27: A momentous occasion – the first-ever unsolicited compliment on my perfume from Taz. He hugged me and then exclaimed, “Oh, you smell nice! I like that one.” The scent? Parfums DelRae Coup de Foudre. Taz has good taste. Review coming sometime this week.
Top image: My Grandmother’s Perfume Bottle Collection from SourCherries at flickr. Lower image is New River Gorge Bridge from Wikimedia Commons.
Muse in Wooden Shoes 
A couple of quick responses– Reading a book about *Extreme* caving called “Journey to the Center of the Earth”– makes me curious about tipping one small toe into a verrrrry small cave. Sounds like where you are would be perfect to try that.
And this is how out of it I am– you are scooping me on the new DelRae Roth creation!! I’ve been wondering why no one has gotten around to using the name “Coup de Foudre” yet– it is a phrase crying out to be used as a perfume name.
Nice to get the summer update. Cheers!
HI RITA!! Missed you. (I do pop by your WIDTSTWT blog from time to time but haven’t commented.) Extreme caving sounds sort of… scary. I think they made the kids wear helmets in the caves – there was one very close, and then another one down close to the river, maybe 12-13 miles from the house, so I haven’t made plans to go cave-exploring on my own any time soon. Also, Tom Sawyer made a big impression on me, so I’m not going anywhere near the cave without a big flashlight and three extra sets of batteries. (Chicken.) Tell you what – you come for a visit, and we’ll go into the cave.
Have you smelled the CdF yet? I jumped in on a split, is how I got some – but isn’t P DelRae located not far from you? I like it very much and am wearing it over several days before I review. The name, Coup de Foudre – it made me think immediately of The Godfather, you know, when Michael has killed the cop and fled to Sicily, and he meets Apollonia there, falling instantly in love with her, and the peasants call that phenomenon “the thunderbolt.”
Hey Mals,
I cannot wait for your reviews on Tauer’s new scent and Del Rae’s one.
I like how you think about roses and look forward to this!
I love Alahine too and I dig the Montale Aoud Queen Rose’s and White Aoud.
I also love Parfum Sacre and just got two vintage ones, the EDT and EDP.
(gotta love the web)
Mals, you also made me interested in the J.has a gun Citizen Queen, wonder how that will smell to me?
I have to try it soon.
I have been lemming U.R.C. like nobodie’s buisness especially after a crazy FB UNSNIFFED (cringe worthy I know) purchase of something that of course I ended up liking but not loving.
I don’t know what came over me.
So to fleabay it goes and hopefully I can get what I should have got in the first place.
I knew I should have bought U.R.C. , I am so sorry I didn’t.
Don’t you hate that?
have a wonderful day and can you tell I love and follow your blog?
Well I do.
Ok enough weirdo rambling!
~T
Hi, Tamara! Glad you’ve been visiting – and thanks for the comment. So you’re a rose fan too? I love a lot of those you mentioned – Parfum Sacre is so so so gorgeous, and the Montale oud-rose things are very nice too. I love Citizen Queen, and I don’t know why it makes me have such naughty thoughts, I just enjoy it. I know everyone doesn’t perceive it as being as sexy as I think it is.
I don’t know why I didn’t feel I needed to buy any Une Rose Chypree. It’s gorgeous. It’s a real, serious Perfume, and it smells wonderful, but it didn’t seize my heart in both hands, so I didn’t buy any. (What did you buy unsniffed that you now think is a mistake? We want to know…)
OH! and my little envelope from Tauer came today! That was fast. Even sweeter – it came in one of those cute little square tins, with four other samples as well as the Rose Vermeille. Two I’d already tried (Incense Rose and URC), but had not smelled either Orange Star or Le Maroc pour Elle. Based on the notes, I’m doubtful that I’ll like Orange Star, and didn’t care much for Incense Rose, but someone might. Since Andy was so generous, I think I might do a drawing for those two.
I have been fascinated by spelunking ever since The Fantastic Five did it in the second book. (Did you read them when you were a kid? Kind of Nancy Drew meets Encyclopedia Brown meets The Goonies? But they were cool? I think?? Fun books for kids. Anyway…)
Of course not a problem you prefer DK Gold. I might just feel that way because *I* prefer DK Gold, but I like to think I’ve a more open mind than that…
Taz may just have prompted a lemming. At least, a sample lemming. Going to have to find some of that Coup and see how it plays with me.
Hats off to Queen Anne’s Lace. Thanks for the warming of the heart, something that is welcome no matter what the weather. 🙂
Fantastic Five, Fantastic Five… memory search comes back empty. I read all the Nancy Drews, and most of the Hardy Boys, and Five Children and It, and pretty much everything I could find at the library. I don’t remember The Fantastic Five. Hmm. Taking Bookworm to the library this afternoon, though… I’m not above reading children’s books.
Coup is very nice. (I keep wanting to say more in the comments, and then realizing that if I do, I won’t have much of a review.)
And I love that story about my parents’ wedding – I never see Queen Anne’s Lace without thinking of how even the smallest things are glorified by love. Sigh.
Hello I’m a first time visiter to your blog; I found you through Ari at Scents of Self. I think I’m going to have a ball reading through your past posts.
The story of your parents wedding was beautiful; finding love in little things is such a simple and sadly underused concept.
Hi, Stef! Glad you stopped by, and hope you enjoy my ramblings…
I do love that story and its message. If I had gotten married later in the year instead of early May, I’d have wanted Queen Anne’s Lace as a tribute. Tis a gift to be simple.
Hi honey,
Yes I never used to be but I became a fan of the rose,
but not so much by herself for she needs to be in a great supporting cast if you know what I mean?
I didn’t think that I needed Une Rose Chypree either but it kept coming back to me when I would smell my sample box and I longed to put it on again, it just smells so fabulously vintage and yet it’s not and it lasts for dayssssssss.
I love how the drydown turns to powder on me which I also used to not embrace.
I’m sure that the small size and huge price deterred me too.
In the end I caved to- (drumroll please)
Keiko Mecheri’s Loukham Eau Poudree’.
Oh dear.
One tiny spritz on my hand and it became very clear to me that I was a dumb ass for buying it unsniffed.
I do not know for the life of me why I want to smell like Turkish Delights but I do and it was so sad for me.
I love roses , I love honey, what’s the deal?
I think I like the idea of it more I guess.
I love M.Micallef’s Rose Aoud, that’s some delicious juice! Plus the hubby likes it too which can be a factor sometimes, not always though!
So much $$ and a huge bottle also stop me in my tracks.
And now I want to try C.Q. but I have no buisness at all lemming for something new.
Until I can sell this KM I won’t be doing any of my online buying. I hope someone else will love it.
But it was a painful lesson.
(whatta dumb ass) ;D
Ooooooo a drawing? for U.R.C. AND Incense Rose?
Yummmy! I didn’t like Orange Star or Reverie but I heart Le Maroc pour elle ,she’s very pretty as she’s
another rose themed scent in my mind.
I can’t wait for your reviews Mals, I hope I don’t love them.
Being frugal where fragrance is concerned is so difficult.
ha.
( you also turned me onto ‘that slut Tocade’ but I love vintage Femme Rochas much more, if Tocade is a lil’ slut then Femme is a whore.
Me likey her.
~T
“Being frugal where fragrance is concerned is so difficult.” Yep, exactly. Although I have won two – no, three – sample giveaways from different sites in the last three months. And I seem to have been buying decants of stuff I really like lately, and that helps. And ebay secondhand… I have YET to actually go and pay full retail price for a full bottle of something, but the little things do add up.
I have actually bought bottles of things unsniffed and regretted it, but they were all pretty cheap, and I haven’t hated any of them. It was, like your situation, a case of “I like this, but now I wish I’d saved my money for a bottle of XXX expensive stuff.” Live and learn…
I think I will do a drawing for Incense Rose and Orange Star, and hang on to the little bit of URC – that will be two samples for me, and it’s so potent, that amount will keep me going for some time! You’re right, it’s powerful stuff and almost vintage in its feel.
You know, Tocade isn’t really all that slutty – she’s just, um, overly friendly. And I still haven’t met vintage Femme although I think I shall have to someday.
Hi Mals! Love the story about your parents’ wedding. Queen Anne’s Lace is a lovely flower, even if it is all over the place (on the east coast at least – none of that out here in SD). I can relate as I am getting married in August and being shocked by the costs of everything. Ours will be a decidedly Low Budget Affair, in our backyard and I’m trying to think of where I can find some cheap cut flowers for a bouquet instead of going to a florist. Not much in the way of roadside flowers here so I’ll have to see which farmer’s markets are open around that time!
And thank you again for the samples! Sporting the Kenzo Eau De Fleur de Magnolia today. While it doesn’t seem very magnolia-ish to me, I like it very much. I got more citrus and tea, which I checked online and I’m not crazy – lots of others commented on lemon and tea. Unfortunately, it is a bit fleeting. Probably would last longer with a spritz. Thanks!
Hi, J! Congrats on the wedding – the important part, of course, is the promises, rather than the party or the decorations. Many, many wishes for a happy life together. (I’m sure you can find something beautiful at the farmer’s market for your bouquet.)
The Kenzo’s very nice, but like you say, not very magnolia. Even sprayed it’s quite light. Glad you enjoyed, though.
Thanks! I am hoping for some dark red dahlias – we’ll see. We’re lucky to have so many farmer’s markets here in each little neighborhood – there’s probably 2 every day I could probably get to within 30 minutes.
Great post! I was raised on a farm and drove tractor to help my father, grandfather and uncles haul hay. This memory was renewed through your writing today. Always enjoy your ‘Scent Diary.’
Hi, J! Glad the post brought up some happy memories for you… hay is such a lovely, lovely smell. Where was your farm – I think you’re on the west coast, right?
Scent Diary is great fun to write.