Gwen's blog

^{Green violet-ear hummingbird from Panama - Wikimedia Commons, by Mdf, 2008}

I’m on holiday in Paris right now. It’s been a great trip so far. We’ve heard some great jazz, had some fabulous food and, of course, I’ve been stocking up on perfumes to bring back home so Kay and I can write about them.

^{Original Aedes de Venustus store, Christopher St. NYC - perfumeniche.com}

This spring marks the sixth birthday of perfumeniche and since we are celebrating with a contest which centres on besties, I’ve been thinking about my bestie, Kay, and our friendship, our shared passion for fragrance and this blog.

^{Rose pivoine/Rose peony - perfumeniche.com}

Spring is a transitional time of year. We come out of hibernation, shed our winter clothes and our winter ways with spring cleaning, spring colours, spring foods and smells lead the way to summer living.

Dear Diary,

Kitchen reno – Day 1

The kitchen reno begins! Old kitchen gone – no stove, no sink. Pots, pans, dishes - everything packed safely away from dust and dirt. Workmen come and go all day. Banging, drilling, pounding. We’ve set up camp in the basement and cook off a hotplate, drink wine from jars and shiver with the shared excitement of how great the new kitchen will be when it’s done.

Dear Diary,

Kitchen reno – Day 8

^{BAT perfume - zoologist perfumes.com}

Last December Victor Wong, founder and creative director of Zoologist Perfumes, and I met up for coffee. Victor is soft-spoken, smart and very knowledgeable about perfume, so I really enjoy spending time with him.

^{Poster for Jean Cocteau movie "La Belle et la B}ête", 1946 - Wikipedia

perfumeniche.com - viola odorata

^{Mimosa or Acacia dealbata, 10x magnification- Wikimedia Commons - by Aelwyn, 2008}

Well, I've been bugged. I'm feeling poorly, down for the count, off the grid, so to speak. In short, I've got the flu.

My energies are focused on fighting this thing - ginger tea with lemon and honey is going to be what I'm sniffing all day long.

So no post today, but Kay and I will be back on Wednesday March 9 with our regular Nose-to-Nose conversation.

Gwen