I am very lucky, granted a lot of my luck I’ve created through perseverance but sometimes I get a good ol’ dose of the old fashioned kind where it seems to materialize from the ether and I have to pinch myself because I can’t believe my good fortune. A few months ago a series of odd coincidences happened, I mentioned to my best friend that I wanted to start working with fragrance again, she in turn mentioned Sarah Horowitz whom she worked with briefly, (Sarah is the indie perfumer’s perfumer), a woman whom I have worshiped from afar for what is going on a decade.  My friend said Sarah was so nice and I should call her.  Call her?  That would be the equivalent  of a fledgling fashion designer saying she liked a pair of Louboutin’s and a friend suggesting that she call Mr. Louboutin. Not going to happen.  I decided to check out Sarah’s site and found out to my sheer delight that she was teaching classes!  At that first click I hadn’t worked with fragrances for nearly three years because I knew how strongly scent and memory are linked and I didn’t want to create something that would remind me of my former job where I worked in a windowless converted broom closet for umpteen hours a day.  The timing was perfect because I was finally pardoned by the job Gods and able to leave and see the sun again. I signed up for class.

I didn’t realize until I took the class how much I missed my olfactory experimenting.  Some people that read my former Blahg may know that I am a parfumer and want to know why I would take a beginning perfumery class?  First, if you had the opportunity to take a class from someone you truly admired wouldn’t you?  I also reveled in being around other individuals that loved scents.  It was like being dropped off an exotic land where everyone understands your strange language and peccadillo’s–sublime.  Are you going to leave Sarah’s level one class and be a  world class perfumer? I am sure she has had some prodigy’s but I don’t think that is the goal, it’s an introduction to the world of perfumery, the opportunity to play, meet like minded individuals and have access to one of the great indie perfumer’s in the world. Since the class I have not stopped working on formula’s, it’s very relaxing for me and perfumery makes me work on the one thing I am not so great at–patience.  Lucky for me patience is something that I can work on, thus improving my ‘luck’ tenfold.

I don’t know about you but this image makes Monday this much more special, no? Is this really an animal or is it just another impostor?  I’m not sure but it sure is cute.  I love me a little white pup (?) in a top hat, ‘stache and monocle, you?

As promised I am going to suggest another documentary, this time it is Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. The above image is not a parrot but you may not realize this but there is a lack of complementary parrot images befitting this blog–a Lear parakeet will have to do. Back to the doc, of course it had a couple things immediately going for it in my book–my favorite American city + animals. The happy ending was an unexpected bonus (I hope that’s not giving it away). Since it’s Friday I thought perhaps you may want to find a film to watch over the weekend, this has my vote.  I don’t watch much television and don’t have the stomach for reality TV (I can go visit my family when I am in need of outlandish escapades) so I suppose a documentary fills that voyeuristic void for me, it’s usually a guiltless pleasure and I rarely wish I hadn’t wasted my time on one. 

Have a fabulous weekend, I shall be thinking of you and I can’t wait to show you what cuteness I have uncovered for Monday!

When I grow up I want to be Scandinavian, is that too much to ask for?  If you check out who I follow on Blogger it seems like I am stalking Scandinavian’s left and right.  I am even enamored with those of Scandinavian descent such as the effortlessly beautiful and talented Jenny Gordy of Wikstenmade.  There’s a creativity that is marked by an ability to edit and restrain, so only the most subtle and beautiful is manifested in the final product.  I come from a long line of maximalist so it seems only right that I should turn up my nose to the more is more  adage and long for less (it’s what most kids do try something different form their kin). I think of collections as a sort of maximalism that I don’t partake in but when you see them laid out like the images above by Kontur Kontur you can’t help but eschew any notions of max or mini and just embrace the pretty.  Sigh.

It’s been a sad time in the world and I hope that instead of bringing on a collective depression it brings about great change and rallies people to feel more proactive. Every person has the ability to make a difference.  

The Fancy told me Saturday that Knut the famed Berlin Zoo polar bear that I had featured on my Blahg + blog more times than I can remember passed away.  I had one of those heart sinking feelings and almost got pulled down a hole of despair when I decided that now is not the time to feel sorry for myself and what I can’t do for baby polar bears and nations affected by disasters but what I can do.  I can make sure that I am thankful for what I have (love, a roof over my head, running water, food) and I can make sure that the ones I love know that I do.  I hope on this Monday that you make it a point to share your love with someone, it can be as easy as a smile, a sincere thank you or just a hug, it is what we all have to give and how we can band together when it seems like everything else is out of our control.  So with that I bid you a fine Monday and if no one else tells you today, know that I think you are amazing, special, creative, smart, funny, beautiful and I love and appreciate you.