Guest Post from Brie in New York
An Ode to Friendship
Photo: Brittany
As I have gotten older I”ve reached the conclusion that the true blessings in my life are the intangibles: love of my family and the wonderful friendships I have forged over the years. This post was inspired by the friendships I have formed with fragrant comrades across the world. Please come join me in my fantastic voyage across the globe through the world wide web.
For over forty years fragrance has been a daily part of my life. All the while very few close to me have completely understood my obsession. Imagine my utter delight when I discovered perfume blogs several years ago: a place to meet up with eccentric perfume obsessed individuals such as myself.
My first stop was the cottage of Barbara Herman-the lyrical writer of Yesterdays Perfume. This shy, reticent woman stood on Barbara’s doorstep for over a year too afraid to leave a comment, lest I be ridiculed by all the knowledgeable perfumistas. When finally I did let my voice be heard Barbara walked me over to the palatial mansion of CaFleureBon which to this day I will always consider to be my first home. Michelyn brought me to the Viennese room, via her blogroll, where I met Olfactoria who invited me to travel with her. And what an adventure it was!
Our first stop is a lush Japanese garden where The Black Narcissus resides. His poetic musings make me laugh and cry. On we go to the NYC kitchen of BaconBiscuit212 where we gorge on Niki’s spicy bacon nougats, violet lollipops and lavender marshmallows. Fully satiated we head south to the lands down under and party hard with Portia and all her fun loving friends . A stop over to New Zealand for cooking peppery food and time travel with my favorite Fragrant Man.
Back to Europe for some perfume blending with a young Irishman who is wise beyond his years. Then off to London for high tea with the dashing and debonaire Mr. Dandy. Finally, back to the States to visit Undina who busily crunches perfume statistics whilst Rusty’s orange paw picks our SOT Evening. Last stop is at the House of Kafkaesque where I snuggle with the Hairy German whilst Kafka pontificates on history,literature and perfume.
After this long and exhausting trip around the world Olfactoria is already planning our trip for tomorrow: Michael in London, Ines in Croatia, and Lanier in my home country. I make us a pot of tea and raise my tea cup in gratitude to all these prolific writers who fragrance my world on a daily basis.
Barbara, Michelyn, Birgit, Neil, Daisy, Portia, Jordan, Liam, Mr. Dandy, Julia and Kafka – I thank you!
Photo: Brittany
And since my mantra will always be perfume, like love and friendship, is meant to be shared I am offering up 8 vials of discontinued/limited edition fragrances from the ecclectic collection of my three children and myself as follows:
Victoria from Victoria’s Secret
Adolpho
Womanswear from Alexander Julian
Egyptian Bergamot Rose from Pacifica
Avalon Juniper from Pacifica
The Artist from the GAP
Un Jardin de Soliel from the limited edition series of Escada
Huit et Huit (an all natural essential oil blend inspired by Jordan River)
Also included will be a sampling of 8 teas in the hope that you will enjoy a cup whilst leisurely perusing these wonderful websites.
Gift Recipients announced April month end, mailed to wherever you are tonight in the Fragrant Universe.
To be eligible for this draw please comment on whether or not friendships have ever developed from your online blogging/commenting.
Further Reading
Brie in Love
Brie in Sydney
Brie in Vienna
Brie in New York
The Fragrant Man 
Hi Brie, I have developed several friendships through people reading my blog and from reading/commenting on other’s blogs. Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels was one of the first fragrance blogs I found. I’m glad to have found yours.
P.S. I have yet to write a post about fragrance, but I’m trying to build up my courage to do it. 🙂
Bearded One, email please via contact page above. A beard oil story is coming up. You can write it or I can interview you along with some of our brothers from the Middle East where perfumed beard care includes beard sillage.
And please do consider writing a post….I am such a techno-imbecile but Jordan walked me through it all…and if you are indeed a fragrant man then your first post should surely be on this blog 🙂 !!!
James-
I am honored to have met you (and again it is thanks to Birgit!). Your stories inspire me and I am looking forward to many more posts on your blog!
Thank you so very much, Brie. I appreciate your encouragement even as we have just met. (Hugs) And it would be fun to write a review for this blog. I look forward to it.
You are the sweetest, Brigitte. It’s been such a pleasure sharing perfume, opinions, stories, memories, anecdotes, and even photos! The obsession continues…
Barbara-
Barbara-you were the very first blog I ever visited…the very first comment I ever made was on your blog…and here you are, commenting on my post! I am floored 🙂 !! For those of you who don’t know Barbara is coming out with a book on perfume in the Fall of 2013 and knowing what a fantastic writer she is it is sure to be an incredible read. Maybe Jordan will interview her at some future date?
Thank you Barbara for stopping by!
xxoo
I have made quite a few friends in the Fragrant Universe. Perfume people are amazing. I have been overwhelmed by how kind and generous most of them are.
Wow, you’re giving away a sample of Victoria. I regret using up my bottle years ago. How was I to know that they would ever discontinue it?
Poodle- my favorite perfume celebrity! Yes, I am giving away a sample of Victoria (can you believe it?) Many perfumistas don’t know how glorious it is (given what is currently available in the VS stores) so I wanted to share what I have left with all of you guys!
If I had a bottle of that I’d hang on to it for dear life. Compared to the garbage they sell at VS now it is hard to believe they once had good fragrances. Actually they used to have nice quality lingerie too back in the day.
Celebrity! Lol. I’ll be sure to include you in my memoirs and I’ll get you a signed copy when they’re released. 😉
I am now laughing hysterically at 5:30 am with hubby giving me dirty looks! I expect that signed copy!
and agreed, Victoria was such a gorgeous ambery rose….I think I went through about 7 bottles of it!
Brigitte, it’s been a pleasure sharing thoughts about our perfume loves and more. What a great vehicle perfume has been in forging these friendships!
I know…it has been amazing…when considering that years ago (prior to blogging) all of my friends found my perfume obsession a bit too odd for their tastes! and here I am now surrounded by all of you perfumaniacs :D!!
Brie, you’re so sweet – thank you.
Over the years I’ve formed several friendships through the online communities, not only perfume-related ones. Some of those moved from the virtual world into the real one and we stay friends years after we stopped participating in common online activities.
Hi Undina!
I am hoping one day to meet some of my fragrant friends. I left a comment on AJP that it would be wonderful if NYC hosted a perfume convention and all perfumers/bloggers/commenters from around the world would come together for a very long, “scent”-sational weekend!
Anyone up for organizing this 🙂 ??
OOPs! Meant to say APJ (Australian Perfume Junkies). This is what happens when I type at 4 am!!!
I’m honored that I have been of help on your journey through Perfumeland, Brigitte! I can only echo your sentiments, the people here are wonderful and I consider myself lucky having met so many good friends through perfume blogging.
Birgit,
You know you inspired this story!!!! I have met so many wonderful writers on OT thanks to the warm and inviting nature of your blog I now consider many my friends 🙂 !!
Thank you kindly for the nice words Brie!That’s very sweet of you 🙂
Liam-
I meant what I said…you are wise beyond your years ! I wish I would have had your wisdom and positive outlook in life when I was younger…life would have been so much easier 🙂 !!! Keep blending, my friend, as I expect to one day see a perfume with your name on it !
Thank you for including me in such wonderful company! 🙂
I found some incredible friends in our fragrant community, some I was lucky to meet in real life, some I will soon meet in real life and some I probably will never meet but couldn’t imagine my life without them anymore.
But of course you are included, Ines! Agreed on what you said…even if I never meet some of my fragrant friends in real life my life is richer having been given the chance to befriend them 🙂 !!
I have met some of the loveliest, most generous, talented, intelligent, charming, and amusing fragrance friends online, some of whom I’ve actually met in person, but most are online. It has made me addicted to the internet but I don’t regret the time spent.
Oh Lilybelle, I know exactly what you mean! My children complain to me that I am hogging up their computer time ! But surely there are much worse things we could be addicted to, right? I still don’t have Facebook and literally just got a Twitter account (which I know NOTHING about and am trying to figure out!). I am sure that will add more time online-LOL!
I loved this post, far before I ever got to the mention of the Hairy German (who would adore you SO much)! There was such warmth, kindness and honesty behind all of it. I think the thing that made me the happiest though was to have you become a columnist and to share all your many gifts with the rest of us, perfume-related or not. I’m utterly THRILLED you’re going to be writing for Jordan and Portia’s blog.
As for friendships via the internet, some of my closest friends were met that way and, to me, it’s as though they are just a doorstep away even though many are thousands of miles away. I’m glad I’ve had the chance to add some perfume friends to that list. 🙂 xoxox
Kafka,
Thank you for your kind words. I am honored to be able to call you my friend. And despite my fear of dogs that weigh more than I do 🙂 I know that I would love a real life cuddle from the Hairy German!
Thank you for the draw. I’ve made lots of fragrant friends on the internet. Perfume appreciation by it’s nature is very inward looking, and it’s great to have friends who understand and share.
Also, I’m totally excited to see Womanswear in the draw. That was such
a signature scent of mine (back when it was in production), that my kids still think of me whenever they see my empty bottles.
It would be marvelous to have another bottle, to bring back the memories (and that’s what it’s all about, right?)
Wow, Sassa! Very few people know about Womanswear! it’s a beauty and one of the few fragrances that my husband likes! It is also extremely difficult to find nowadays…
You are entered in the draw! and yes, for me as well, perfume is all about memories!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dearest Brie
Another wonderful post.
The Dandy is blushing a pillar box red to be included in such company and described as debonair..
Too much for one afternoon – I may need to lie down i a darkened room!
Might I take this opportunity to say how glad I am that you did take the plunge and started to contribute so wholeheartedly and warm heartedly to all the blogs.
Your comments are always generous, well informed and incredibly welcome… as indeed is your new entry into the world of blogging.
Please do keep doing what you’re doing as you do it so well.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
dear Mr. Dandy,
And now it is I who is blushing! Thank you for your kind words. But I must give credit where credit is due- to my good friends (Jordan and Portia) who encouraged me to contribute to the world of blogging and who support me in every way imaginable. How blessed I am to have such wonderful friends as you all are :D!!
Oh dear Brigitte,
I met YOU on my fragrant journey:)
I’ve met wonderful generous and kind souls on this journey.
Oh the places you will go….
dearest Felicia,
You were the first commenter I befriended on my fragrant journey…and you gifted me with your friendship (as well as a multitude of samples I never would have acquired on my own 😀 !!). I look forward to many more fragrant journeys with you, my friend!
I am very fortunate to have met wonderful, caring people via blogging! Yourself obviously included! And I feel particularly lucky to call those people my friends. Thank you for this very gracious post, Brie.
Daisy-
Meeting you was absolutely delicious 🙂 !! And I can’t wait until we meet in person!
Me too!
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Well here I am fashionably late to the party…Oh alright Horribly late! But I must say this was a perfectly lovely post Brie and I am honored to be mentioned among so many Classic Stars for the stratosphere!
Yes I have made some incredibly wonderful friends from this experiences in blogging about perfume. (You know who you are and I just adore each of you and thank God that we met.) Thank you Brie and Jordan this was a really touching post.
Lanier!
You are not late at all….and I am thrilled that you have stopped by! And it is thanks to Jordan (and his spikenard post that you participated in) that I am now enjoying YOUR blog!
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