Spring is definitely in swing, and if you’re a shutterbug like me, you have your camera handy.  The winter may have been very mild this year, but it seems like the shroud is lifted.  Mother nature is just showing off now.  The air is finely scented with the aroma of freshly cut grass, and delicate blooms. Perfume-like honesuckle is already out… and soon will come my favorite, roses.  If it were possible to create a fragrance that embodied spring, it would include a whimsical medley of flowers, daffodils and lillies, pansies and honeysuckle, and all of the other seasonal varieties.  This fragrance would also contain the delicate rays of the sun, not strong enough yet to burn, but just gently warm and nurture. It would contain childrens laughter, and all of the magic of spring.  So remember to enjoy it, because summer is just around the corner!  Keep the bug spray and tanning lotion close, and the barbecue grill closer.

No, this isn’t a castle in Europe somewhere.. it’s right here in North Carolina.  It is an amazing place to explore… a lot of the rooms are open for visitation, even though they don’t allow pictures inside.  If you are anywhere near the area, I would highly recommend a tour at this estate.  Recently I went to the Biltmore house and took some pictures, as you can see… and daydreamed about what it might be like to live there, or more specifically work there- back when it was a private home, and not just a local attraction.

The rooms are exquisite.. decorated with elaborate furniture and ornate tapestries… and if you’re lucky enough as I was to visit around christmas time- it’s even more highly decorated.  Adorned with lots of poinsettas and christmas trees that sparkled like jewels, it is truly a sight to see.

But the part that aroused my interest the most, were the areas that were less decorated.. the wing of the house that the servants called their home.  I’m not sure how many bodies were staffed there to do tasks like cleaning and cooking and maintaining the lavish gardens when it was a residence.  The servants had their own gathering area in which to eat, seperate from the family. The rooms for them were almost cavern like, simple.. not nearly as fancy as the much larger rooms upstairs.  But I got the feeling that they were still very well taken care of.  There are other points of interest too, a large pool.. a bowling lane, a small gym I believe, and what I lovingly refer to as the ‘halloween room’.. the room in the basement where a lot of historical pictures are on display, and the walls are amusingly painted by children in an almost Tim Burton fashion.

This is a great place.. its like a museum, but unlike most museums where you sense long dead things that  are only bones on display.. this is a museum of the not so distant past.. and the dining hall almost looks as if the residents might return at any moment to gather at the table for a banquet. Or the staff might be gathering in their own dining area, enjoying a meal after a day of work around the estate.  Above all its a home.  And for a brief time while you visit, you feel like a guest, or a friend of the family.

Few dates in history are so potent and prominent in the mind of most people that.. they remember exactly where they were when they heard the news.  The assassination of JFK, and more recently the tragedy of the day that will always be remembered as September the 11th.  It brings out something in all of us, a sense of patriotism, of loss, and many other deep emotions.. especially to those who lost lives of family and friends on that day.  And it is moving.. all over the news all day, the memorials to the fallen.. the lost.. the remembered.  It unites us all as a country, and as a family.

It is unfortunate though, that it takes a horrible act of violence to make a difference… a devastating setback to let us take a step forward in action. So many tragedies on the news these days.. and most of the time it takes a death for us to stand up, to say this is enough.  Maybe the best way to remember, is to take actions and say this will never happen again.

found picture at:  http://nightshadebooks.com/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=prev&topic=15&page=1747

It’s the end of summer… the days are getting shorter, kids are back in school, vacation time is over.. here at the haus too! That means back to business, in more ways than one. We say a fond farewell to the long languid days… by remembering the myriad aromas associated with this hot and humid time of year.  The clean smell of the air, well.. depending on where you live can come with a bit of burning asphalt, crisp clean mountains, or the beach.  The scents of the tropics, mixed fruits, coconuts, and the familiar aroma of sunscreen or suntan lotion.   The smell of a neighbor having a barbecue… various toasted beasts… burgers and hot dogs… yumm.  Its a grand party here… the last big fling before the dull winter sets in. But things are always busy and buzzing around here!

It seems like vampires are all over the entertainment industry these days, along with other supernatural beings. As a matter of fact, a certain show featuring vamps is returning this weekend.. something I won’t be missing (true blood). What is the allure of the undead? The mystery that pulls you in… and makes you bend your neck… and never want to leave? More relative to this site… what scent would embody a vampire? Or what scent would they wear?

I imagine it like this. something that smells very faintly of earth or dirt, with a hint of death (mold).. I’m not sure how that would transfer into fragrance though. So we will skip over that one. It has to be blood. A hint of sea salt or a salty smell… maybe a dash of a wine, something red for certain… a lover that has had a bit too much to drink. Then something a bit wild, a musk perhaps.. maybe even patchouli.. an old favorite. And top it off with a sweet note, possibly a floral. Night blooming jasmine, or gardenia, something more exotic than a simple rose.

Maybe the allure that vampires hold over us is their age, the things they’ve seen over their long canvas of years that surpasses anything you or I might witness in our lives… or even generations of lives. And the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger… there must be a lot of strength in something that cannot die. And surely mankind’s obsession with youth and looking young would make living in a coffin for the rest of your life… a small price to pay to stay pretty. Youth is beauty, and sadly beauty… much like fragrance… fades with time.

http://yourbestwedding.blogspot.com/2008/09/flowergirl-at-wedding-with-french-braid.html

The days are getting longer, and finally warmer.  Small buds are blooming all over, and the image in my mind is of a small girl, picking flowers.  The scent in the air is light and floral… daisy chains and peonies.  The world is waking from its winter slumber, and the weather is improving… and you can almost see summer peeking out around the corner.

Now a few thoughts about the time change… why do we do it? Why do we bother to turn the clocks backwards and forwards?  I’ve read a few opinions. Some claim it was done to conserve energy, others say it was so that the workers on the farm could squeeze an extra hour of work out of the day, take advantage of the extra light.  I don’t really mind.. it’s comforting to think that pretty soon, it will be staying light outside until 8pm or even later. Why not make the most out of every day!

After a winter like the one we’ve had, I’m sure that I’m not the only one with cabin fever.  I HATE having to stay inside because of the cold, or because the icy roads and snow making driving treacherous.  Especially when you’re single and don’t have anyone to snuggle up to, being trapped inside is no fun at all, fireplace or not.

I see the picture that I took of this lovely rose… and I imagine it as a tiny little green dot, suspended in the earth- awaiting the time for it to emerge.  It’s having cabin fever now, too.  It can feel the ground around it, dead and cold for so long now, finally start to thaw and get warm.  Now it can feel that heat from the sun penetrating the soil, and the rose wants to shake free from its cold prison and welcome the sun.

I think we all feel the same way. And it’s evident when you walk out the door, and into the fresh air.  It even feels like spring a bit now… today was the first day that we opened up the windows in the house, since the shroud of winter fell.  The icy grip of winter is slowly starting to thaw, and small buds are starting to show on the trees, trees that even just weeks ago looked dead.  Trees in the winter are a bit creepy looking, long gray fingers clawing up towards the sky… but now they look more alive.  Some plants are even showing buds, and small dots of color can be seen already.  I just hope that winter is finally gone, and that the beauty that is now sheepishly peeping out, will be in its full glory in a few more weeks.

e-card found at http://www.valentinesdaycards.net/love_7a.html

Valentine’s day can be great, as long as you’re not single.  It’s one of my favorite holidays (for candy)… and it gives us the chance to show the ones we love how much we really care.  Although there is a lot of marketing for the holiday- by candy,flower, fragrance  and jewelrycompanies… it is a holiday that you don’t want to forget… and how could you with the bombardment of advertising thrown at you on a daily basis?

The scents found on this day…. the faint aroma of chocolate, maybe even cherry and vanilla, the whiff of an expensive perfume.. and the hard to ignore allure of a dozen roses.  Or for the more exotic taste- orchids or some other beautiful bloom.

Now that I think about it.. all of my favorite things (candy and flowers and the man I love) are all wrapped up and waiting for me on this day.  And maybe at the end of that perfect day… a relaxing bath in flower petal- scented water,  in a tub surrounded by candles, and a scented oil massage.  What could be better than that?

Photo by a talented friend, Orlando Emannuelli

Trying to recall the scents of when I was a child…  I guess the smell that comes to mind first is baby powder.  Every time I smell baby powder, it brings to mind soothing images, innocence… much better and simpler times.  I’m not sure if I ever wore perfume as a child,  maybe because I was still learning, and not ready to focus on such things… when the world outside was still left to explore!  That’s the thing I love  about kids… their openness, curiosity, and acceptance.

I picture myself as a small girl.. putting on play lipstick and makeup…. playing dress up.  I think most of the  ’perfumes’ I used back then were calgon body sprays… usually light floral ones.  I’ve always had a fondness for rose and vanilla- those are always my go-to choices.  Sometimes when I spray my bottle of obsession on my wrists, I still feel like its a bit too ‘old’ for me.  It has that slightly powder undertone that a lot of the ones favored by older ladies.

I think the best years of our lives are as children.  I don’t remember a lot of those years, maybe I’m trying to make up for that now by living them over!  I don’t think childhood ever has to end.  Maybe there is a happy medium… keeping that child-like wonder, but still being a responsible adult!  I hope that is possible.  Maybe that is the key to living forever, never letting that inner child die.