Tag Archives: I’ve been thinking

My New year’s resolutions

Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume January 11, 2016 Comments: 15

(not that they usually do me any good, I just basically follow my own way 😉 )

But, I woke up today with all the possibilities for this year clear in my head and with a strong urge to make them happen. Who knows, maybe now when I write them down, some of them actually happen. 🙂 I.E. I make them happen. 😉

1. Write more. Especially about perfume (there are many great perfumes I’ve tried lately that I want to write about).

2. Get organized – I have this feeling that if I get my different parts of my life better organized, it would make me faster when doing something and less stressed when I’m in a hurry

3. De-clutter all aspects of my life. I really feel I have too much stuff. Yes, I love shopping (I’m a true consumerist) but I would enjoy my stuff more if it didn’t get lost among all other stuff. 🙂

4. Figure out what is it that I want to do. Really want to do.

5. Do more yoga. Or pilates. It goes extremely well with running. And does wonders for my lower back.

6. Relax. I’m a really tense person who wants everything right now. I realized I have a problem enjoying the moment so I want to learn how to do that. Or just be more aware of it so I can enjoy life more. There’s no hurry. 😉

7. Keep on running. Ok, that’s nothing new but running helps me in so many ways that I just want to keep on doing it.

It’s that time of year (again)

Book review, I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume, Zagreb June 2, 2015 Comments: 6

When the linden trees are blooming in Zagreb. 🙂

I’ve been debating with myself if I should post about it (again) but walking the streets of Zgareb the last few days in the summer sun (it feels so warm) and smelling the lazy, sweet, seductive smell of the linden flowers, I just can’t help myself but share it. linden

It will last for a week, maybe two and the smell will be gone and I’ll forget again how many linden trees are in Zagreb and how wonderful it smells when they bloom.

Plus, they always make me think of my childhood. I just realized that they bloom close to the end of the school year. No wonder my memories of that smell are so positive. 😉

Spring-y thoughts

Croatia, I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume April 21, 2015 Comments: 17

It is finally real spring here. It’s warm, everything is blooming and the sun shines for most of the day (and it’s day most of the day – no more early night).

People tend to ask what is your favorite season. And even though I really love them all, I think spring is slightly my favorite. It always feels like I’m waking from hibernation, I have more energy and I have will to do many things so days just fill up with fun activities. It seems everyone is more in the mood to be friendly and go out more.

I, for one, feel enthusiastic again about all the things I love doing. It seems I prefer doing them in the light of day. 😉

Perfume (and smell)-wise I’ve been wearing Shalimar Parfum Initial quite a lot lately (thanks to Birgit’s sale). I’m also waiting for the air to get fragrant as it’s spring but not much has been happening in that regard. The best I could smell was dewy grass and warm, wet sidewalks (we did have our share of rain lately).

But I know only days from now the air will be fragrant and it will just keep on getting better as spring gets in full bloom.

I’ll finish today with some photos I took on Sunday while at a friend’s barbecue (outside the city).

DSC_0584 DSC_0588 DSC_0589

Tired of feeling guilty

I've been thinking, World of Perfume April 9, 2015 Comments: 14

My post yesterday got me thinking how I feel guilty for not writing more. I keep saying (almost promising) to myself and my readers I’ll write more but then life takes over and I’m busy, or tired, or don’t feel any inspiration to write, sometimes what I want to say feels stupid so it never gets published and times just passes.guilty

And I keep making myself feel guilty for not living up to self-imposed obligations that really have no reason to be there in the first place. Making myself feel guilty over things I love doing will only do the opposite, create a negative reaction to them.

So today I decided I will not make myself feel guilty over anything. 🙂 And I’m not going to say failure is not an option here because that would again imply that I have to do it otherwise I would feel guilty. See how easy it is for me to get into that vicious circle?!

And this guilt doesn’t only cover writing. It covers many things I’d like to do in my regular life, run more, get out more, read more, do more. But, a day only has 24 hours, and what with sleeping and working, free time is limited.

So feeling guilty for not being able to put it all into that little time slot I have is basically ridiculous. The stuff you do for yourself, in your free time, should make you feel good all the time.

Therefore, I refuse to feel guilty over  things that make me happy just because I can’t find the time or energy to do them as often as I’d like. I should be happy I can do them.dr seuss

I AM happy there is time in my life to do them, however rare or often it happens.

Do you ever feel guilty for not doing everything you think you should?

Happy International Women’s Day!

I've been thinking, World of Perfume March 8, 2015 Comments: 7

Interestingly enough, it’s one of those days that are no longer celebrated in Croatia, ever since we came out of socialism at the end of 80s.

I wonder what that says about capitalism we live in today…

But that’s not a topic for a day like today.

I didn’t talk much about the strange year I had last year but one thing was very obvious – all the female support I received. Women are great!

I’m very happy to be one and I do feel that female  strength and solidarity need to be celebrated so I’m wishing you all a very happy day today!

May it be filled with sunshine and flowers! (carnations used to be the symbol of that day way back when I was a child)

karanfil2

heroinm

 

Quick update

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume February 24, 2015 Comments: 10

Time flies and I have no good excuses for why I am not writing. I could come up with excuses but really, when you want to write, you find the time. So, yes, no good excuses (as I do want to write). writing

I do promise though to try and manage my time more efficiently and therefore find the time to write when I am not dead on my feet (that ought to help).

 

In the meantime I almost passed my driver’s exam yesterday. 🙂 Hopefully that means I’ll do it the next time round. Honestly, getting a driver’s license in Croatia is a rather long and a bit difficult process (just to warn you if it ever crosses your mind) so I’m hoping in my case it will be all over soon.

Perfume-wise, I discovered an old decant of Donna Karan’s Chaos and sprayed it one day to remember what it smelled like and completely fell in love. That said, the decant is empty so if anyone has any they’d like to share, please think of me. 🙂

(I’m pretty sure it’s the “new” version as I sincerely doubt I got my hands on the “old” one)

 

P.S. You can imagine how strange my life is at the moment when I can’t find the time to read?!

2014 – the year of life

I've been thinking, World of Perfume December 31, 2014 Comments: 20

I find it funny that for the last few years I complained about how my years, generally looking, weren’t all that good. And that was true. They could be described as “meh” at best.

And then, 2014 came. I have no better words to describe it except – it was the year where life decided to teach me some lessons.

The most important being, you cannot stand still. You cannot think this is the way your life is and that’s it. If you don’t move from a place where you are standing still, life will move you. And that might not be the nicest of moves.

It has been a difficult year for me but I decided to see it as a life lesson and that has helped me immensely in putting things into perspective. I mean, it is always your choices that bring you into situations so it only makes sense when stuff goes wrong, you take a good, long look at what it was that brought you there.

In any case, the life lesson has been hard but necessary and I am grateful for it.

But the thing I am most grateful for is my friends. There are so many sayings about friends but really, when sh*t hits the fan, you will know who your friends are.

I feel really awful saying this, but I really didn’t expect so much loving support from everywhere. It did make me cry a few times just out of sheer appreciation and happiness.

So to all my friends wherever you are (and you are everywhere) – a big thank you and I love you all. You made my year amazingly bountiful. 🙂

Now on to my personal life lessons. 🙂

There are only two actually – being brave and patient. Brave in saying what it is that I want and living my life the way I want to, and patient not to expect things to happen this instant (I’m still working on that). 😉

I have no particular expectations of 2015. Everything works out great when I stop expecting things and just live and enjoy the experiences life provides. Sure, there are things I’d like to make happen in the coming year (writing more being one of them) but we’ll see what happens. Life has opened a door into a bright future for me but didn’t let me know what awaits there.

So I’ll be patient and brave and see for myself.

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year and hopefully we will all, at one point, be able to raise a glass of champagne together. 🙂

champagne_toast

Woohoo!! It’s amber time!

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume December 29, 2014 Comments: 6

And vanilla and oud. 🙂 But amber is the note that first comes to mind  when it’s cold outside.

That said, this morning I wanted to celebrate this wonderful sunny and wGolden amber close up backlit shows crystalshite day (the snow is still unmelted) with Ambre Sultan, only to not be able to find my decant. So I decided to put Ambre Precieux on. I’m very happy with that choice. If I smell a waft from afar (and not on my turtleneck), I catch what I would call a flowery hint. It’s basically wonderful.

And amber fits perfectly with this cold weather, it just makes you feel warm all over by smelling it.

My other ambery choices will include MdO Ambre, Ambra Nobile by Nobile 1942 and Le Labo Labdanum 18.

With a special mention of Caravelle Epicee, which I don’t actually count among ambers but theoretically it is, so it goes on the list. I mean, there are so many other things going on in there that saying it’s an amber perfume doesn’t do it justice.

I still find that to be one of the best winter perfumes ever. At least for me. It hits all my spicy, warm, gourmand-y buttons. Plus, it smells really sexy.

P.S. That was my first ever perfume review. 🙂

 

Perfume thoughts

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume December 8, 2014 Comments: 11

I had coffee yesterday with some of Zagreb perfumistas. That is always cause for smelling more perfumes and as we met opposite Top (niche perfumery), of course I tried some perfumes prior to seeing them.

The things is, I am either too sensitive to those synthetic (white?) musks or the whole industry is going down the drain.

I sprayed two perfumes on my arms yesterday, Xerjoff Al Khatt and Byredo Mojave  Ghost.

Honestly, I thought both were great and enjoyed smelling them. Al Khatt doesn’t really smell like a straight-in-the-nose oud but is rather easy and lovable and Mojave Ghost is cool, if I would describe it in one word.

The problem with both is that they end up in synthetic muskiness and are therefore completely unwearable for me.

I really can’t tell if I am too sensitive to those molecules but honestly, I don’t really care. I hate the fact that so many expensive perfumes end up smelling like that. Aside the fact that they are expensive, they really use some expensive ingredients so adding those synthetic musks is like a punch in the nose for me after enjoying the beginning. 😦

I just wish everyone would find some better alternative on how to keep perfumes lasting.

I’m not gone just a bit MIA

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume July 20, 2014 Comments: 32

Dear readers, I feel like last couple of years all I do is plan on writing more and it always seems like I write less. 🙂

I don’t really have a good explanation why that happens as I have many perfumes in my queue I would love to write about, it just seems that life has some other plans that unfortunately intervene in the meantime. Life is usually unpredictable like that. 😉nev1

The last few months have been rather tumultuous when it comes to my life, what with the quantity of work I had to do, what with separation from my long-term boyfriend, and then finally with enrolling to get my driver’s licence. And that is just the three largest things that come to mind.

As none of that is finished yet, I am sincerely hoping I organize my time and mind in a manner that allows me to write (and smell) more.

That said, I will be finally getting some well deserved peace of mind and rest when my vacation starts on the 30th (of July). Luckily, that is not far away.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some general perfume thoughts I’ve been having lately:

  • I’m not really happy with the new L’Artisans even though they are Duchafour’s work
  • I am rather happy though with Cologne du Maghreb and finally understand Andy’s idea of spraying your body with a lot of cologne, works like magic! 🙂
  • The Scented Hound sent some amazing perfumes for me to try (and I did), now all I need is to give them more time and write about them
  • The longer I’m in this perfume world, the more I am starting to lean towards old style perfumery – French classics are taking over my heart
  • Helped by the new Coco Chanel biography I’m reading (well, I just started) – I have a feeling it will be a good one
  • Also, I really, really want to find an old version of Chanel 5 (see previous bullet) 🙂
  • And Paris has been on my mind lately for several reasons, perfumes, Coco Chanel and I’m re-reading Angelique, La Marquise des Anges after I saw the new movie (beats me why it got such bad reviews…)

 

P.S. The picture is of the weather we have once a week here (give or take a few days). It’s also a bit what my life has been like lately. Which is why I loved this Portia’s post where she hid a little gem of a sentence in about loving yourself.

Life is about to get better and more fragrant!

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