The scent of Maine (hint: it's not lobstah)

All this rain has me thinking of Maine...

Photo by Anne McClain for MCMC Fragrances

There are several specific places in the world that feel magical to me. New Zealand was one of the first places that spoiled me day after day with sheer amazement of the natural beauty that abounded everywhere. The Amalfi Coast of Italy made me squeal at every turn as we Vespa-ed around the gorgeous (and steep!) mountainous seaside. Cape Cod feels like home and nostalgia and happiness wrapped into neat summer packages. And the coast of Maine to me sings of relaxation, fresh air, and the sea.


My aunt owns a house near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, that is all at once beautiful, inspiring and creaky (it is over 100 years old, after all). The cheery blue ceiling of the huge wraparound porch beckons you to relax the moment you walk in. The back looks out onto the water, and the sounds of seagulls and lobstermen conjure up classic American novels and old whaling stories. I love it there.


We don't get up to Maine very often due to work, schedules, etc., but I just read about a possible new lifeline - it's a perfume called "Maine." It's made with sage, seaweed, beach plum and pine. I wonder if they were able to bottle the crisp sea air.

Originally spotted on A Cup of Jo.

Night driving / still sleeping

Peeps. Since I didn't get in until 3am last night (no, I wasn't partying it up; I was doing this) and didn't get to bed until even later, I am currently trying to catch up on some much-needed sleep before I have to run off to work. I will hopefully be able to post something later this evening, but for now, I am either napping or working. So tired. (It was worth it though.)

I will leave you with this in the meantime:

Last night, driving home at 3am on my scooter, I was actually able to notice all the smells throughout town. During the day I never get this sensation, and I certainly don't get to breathe it in that way when driving in the car (even if the windows are down).

Luckily, this ain't no NYC, so the smells weren't too bad - it was really more the smell of the bay breeze, a neighbor's plants and flowers, or trees in different parts of town. It was so nice to absorb the slightly chilly air as I zipped home, alone on the road and with no headlights in sight.

However, I did smell one particularly heinous tree - I believe some call it, ahem, a "semen tree"? My friend Jess thinks it's a ginkgo tree. Whatever it is, it's nasty. Luckily, not much farther downtown, the smell of azaleas, magnolias and even roses wafted up as I zoomed by. I love the oncoming spring/summer.

Photo 1 via coco + kelley; photo 2 by Kentaroo Tryman for Johner Images.

Be back soon! xoxo, sleepy girl.

I smell like a cupcake...

...and I like it.

B bought me Pink Sugar perfume as a gift and I've been walking around smelling like a cookie ever since then. I don't care if that officially makes me a 13-year-old; it smells so good!

Besides, the only other scent I've ever worn - Bobbi Brown beach - kept making people ask if I just put on tanning lotion. Does cupcake beat sunblock in your book?

Photo love

"It rained outside, so we camped inside" Chanters House, Devon, England, 2002 by Tim Walker

These pictures have me mesmerized. I've been champing at the bit to post these since the minute I saw them. The colors in that first photo are so gorgeously vibrant (especially against the sedately brown library) and the others are so fabulously whimsical. But overall, as fanciful as some of them may be, they all have a stunning classic and elegant quality about them.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Tim Walker photos for you to peruse:






And remember this ad for Miss Dior Cherie?:



C'est tres magnifique!

Beachy and bright

This photo series is so summery. For me, it instantly sends me back to the beach: the sounds (crashing waves, seagulls, kids playing), its smells (sunscreen, hot dogs, fried clams, salty sea air) and the visuals too (bathing suits, the surf and all things sunny and bright). What a happy little trip. Photos from Morgane on Lookbook, via Oh Joy!

H2O de parfum

I'm not a huge perfumer wearer. I've only ever used two perfumes: Bobbi Brown Beach, which everyone said smelled like suntan lotion, and Aquolina Pink Sugar, but people kept saying they smelled cupcakes when I walked by. I don't know how Tous H2O smells, but its packaging is gorgeous. Can you imagine this sitting on a vanity, reflecting light through the blue facets? So pretty.

Being billed as an "eco-chic" perfume, the bottle is made from 25% recycled glass and is 100% recyclable. Also, the cardboard packaging is made from materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Intermón Oxfam, a program which helps provide drinking water to communities in need.

The fragrance itself is "an aquatic fragrance...and features organic alcohol with notes of organic lemon, organic lavender, rose, jasmine, mandarin, cedar, white amber and Australian sandalwood from sustainable development." Lovely design and intention. If it smells as good as it looks and aims to do, I'd be happy to replace my previous beachy/sweet scents for one that does good.