A Nigel update…
Most of you already know this, but for those who may be visiting from other blogs, I thought I’d share our good news. Nigel’s been cleared to go back to 100% weight bearing on his right leg. He had some subsidence with the stem of the implant. The surgeon believes it probably happened the very first time he stood up, but they wanted to err on the side of caution. So, now it’s back to building up that muscle, massaging the incision site to reduce scar tissue build up, and getting back to life! Thank you to all of you for your positive messages, vibes, prayers, thoughts, etc. We both really appreciate it! Oh, and his left hip isn’t as bad as his right one was so that surgery won’t be until after the first of the year.
Global writing challenge…
Last year, I joined the wonderful women from Is This Mutton, MK’s Adventures in Style, Deb’s World, Grownup Glamour, and Frugal Fashion Shopper for a global writing challenge. Later, Suzy from Suzy Turner, and Leslie from Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After, and I joined in on the fun permanently! Sue has decided to cut back on blogging, but don’t despair! Rosie Amber is joining us! Penny has a full plate at the moment and isn’t joining us this month. Jill chose this month’s theme. This is one of my favorite posts to write and to read! On top of the wonderfully different opinions and thoughts, the writing itself is wonderful! I hope you’ll visit all of these blogs because you are going to be amazed at, not only the diversity of the ideas, but the stories of each person. There’s also a link party at the end of this post!
If you want to participate…
I borrowed this listing from Deb as she’d already done the work (thanks, Debbie)! If you’d like to join in, we post on the third Thursday of the month. You can link up with me, Gail or Debbie.
- October: Schooldays (Penny)
- November: Confidence (Gail)
- December: Going Green (Rosie)
Anosmia…
Many, many years ago, I was nose blind for a long time. Nose blindness, or anosmia, is usually caused by exposure to the same scent for a long time. Think about the last time you put on perfume. The scent seemed to disappear after a bit, but others may remark upon it. You don’t smell it, but the scent is still there. That’s nose blindness. For many people, this is a short-term thing. For me, it lasted years due to nasal allergies, I think.
Treatment for me…
Imagine not being able to smell your favorite perfume, bread baking, or your favorite flower. That was life for me. No matter how hard I inhaled, or how closely I held something to my nose, I could not smell it at all. I sought help from an allergist and discovered I was allergic to mold and trees. So, any time a tree is doing something, I’m fairly miserable. That includes budding as well as losing leaves. And, oh, when the farmers run the soy beans, I’m in bad shape. After enduring injections for a year or two, I decided they really weren’t doing anything for me. But, I continued to use prescription nasal sprays. When I dealt with my nasal allergies, suddenly, the world of smell opened up to me. Now, just a disclaimer: If you suffer from anosmia, nasal sprays may not be the ticket to a world of smell. Talk to your physician about it. I do know many people (including my oldest) lost their sense of smell due to Covid. He gets little whiffs from time to time, but he hasn’t really been able to smell anything since 2021. Poor kid!
Hyperbole much…
I know I frequently write rather hyperbolically, but I have to tell you, my friends, being able to smell again was one of the best things to happen to me. I had worried about the house catching fire and not being able to smell the smoke and get my babies out of the house in time. I missed smelling flowers, perfumes, and just about everything. Once I started the allergy therapies, my anosmia disappeared and has never returned. So, with that background, here are some of my favorite things.
First…
I love the smell of just about anything baking. While I’m the first to admit I’m a terrible cook, I’m a decent baker. Not much beats the smell of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven unless it’s the smell of pineapple upside down cake! Or, what about the smell of a really good lasagna (OK, it can even be a frozen grocery store version)? There’s just something so cozy about that smell, right? I don’t discriminate between savory or sweet when it comes to the smell of baking. Well, I might have to rule out baking liver…my mom always fried it…do you even bake liver? I don’t even mind the smell of burnt things because, Heaven knows, I’ve smelled quite a bit of that, too (told you I’m a terrible cook)!
Maybe a little controversial…
Another smell that holds me spellbound is the smell of candles. You probably won’t be surprised to discover my favorites are usually floral, but I also like underlying notes of citrus and woods. My favorite Bath & Body Works candle is probably “Leaves.” I like to burn several candles at one time. My favorite combination is “Leaves” with “Black Pepper Bergamot,” which is currently not for sale. Therefore, I am hoarding it! I generally will add in some kind of apple-based scent with the fall candles. I also love to light up several of the Christmas scents at the same time. In the spring, it’s “Lilac,” “Rose Water & Ivy,” as well as “Honeysuckle.” I also know Bath & Body Works has come under some scrutiny for the ingredients in their products, but I’m not throwing out those candles! They cost me lots of $$$$!
A little history…
What about perfumes, you say? Well, I have a long history with perfumes that I’ve loved and lost over the years. My first love was “Sweet Honesty” by Avon. It appears that it really isn’t available in the US even though it appears on the website. Surprise! The middle note is rose! Nigel’s favorite perfume was Emeraude. Now, I’m really dating myself, aren’t I? Would you believe it was introduced in 1921, and you can still buy it? Nigel bought me this set of different sizes for Christmas one year. I never did wear it all and haven’t worn it since. The next scent I can remember was Anais Anais. It’s top notes are floral. I wore it for years. Then, I made the mistake of wearing it when I was pregnant with my daughter. I never wore it again…just like I can’t eat buttered white bread with bologna sandwiches! The smell of Anais Anais makes me nauseous just like the thought of those sandwiches!
Getting there…
Nigel’s go-to Christmas present was always a bottle of perfume. The next scent he discovered was “Pleasures” by Estee Lauder. It’s another perfume heavily based in florals: lilies, white peonies, and jasmine. This perfume instantly transports me to Washington, DC! I wore it there on a trip in December with Nigel’s oldest brother’s family. He liked it so much he bought it for his wife. Then, Nigel worked his way through the many different perfumes at the Estee Lauder counter! Luckily, he never bought me “Beautiful” because it doesn’t smell beautiful on me! Finally, Nigel discovered Jo Malone. I love Jo Malone and have worked my way through several bottles of it. Once I splurged on a Wisteria based bottle. I still have it, and it still smells beautiful. I know perfumes have expiration dates, but none of mine seem to have that problem. My absolute favorite perfume is “Red Roses,” of course.
Finally…
I’ve also discovered Jo Malone perfumes trigger that nose blindness really quickly. Sales associates have told me I need to layer it over a body crème. That’s when I discovered the Jo Malone body crèmes. They are spendy; I’m not going to lie. But, a little goes a long, long way. My favorite of these is “Grapefruit” which seems to be on hiatus. I was always told it was their best seller so I’m hoping it’s a supply kinda thing. I can get it in the hand cream, but the body crème is so, so much better. It lasts all day and easily mixes with any scent (or body crème) you add to it. That means, when I run out of my perfumes, I’m just sticking with the body crèmes because you get the added benefit of softer hands and body! What are my favorite scents? I really like “Wood Sage and Sea Salt” which is a unisex scent, but it layers beautifully with many more floral scents, or you can wear it alone. I also love “Nectarine Blossom & Honey,” “Wild Bluebell,” “Orange Blossom,” and “English Pear and Freesia.” Like the perfume, my all-time favorite is “Red Roses.”
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I guess this would have also worked for last month’s “Splurge” theme for Ageless Style. But, I have learned, over time, that quality usually is worth the extra money. And, I worked hard to reach this point in my life when I can wear the perfumes and crèmes I love. There were so many other scents I could have shared…like the smell of a woodfire, wet dog, and clean sheets. But, you can only take so much of me blathering on and on, right? So, can we talk? Have you ever heard of or had anosmia? What are some of your favorite smells? Are you a good cook (if so, send recipes, STAT)? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
What others are saying…
Suzy “Suzy shares her Favourite Things, from morning coffee and cuddles with her pets to travel adventures, cozy nights in, and creative pursuits like YouTube videos.” Find her over at www.suzyturner.com.
Mary Katherine “has SO many favorite things, she had a hard time narrowing down to a few to talk about, but see what she chose at https://mksadventure.com/.”
Gail from Is This Mutton “has a passion for lux stationery and fountain pens. Strange, considering she can’t read her own writing.”
Debbie “What’s something that’s a favourite of yours? In this post I update an earlier post summarising my favourite decades and how the next one is going so far.”
Jill from Grown Up Glamour says, “My summary is a bit of an eclectic mix of my favourite things from gardens and old roses, books of many genres and a few fashion bits and friendships.”
Leslie writes, “LIFE is full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows and unexpected hiccups that catch us off-guard. But through it all, some things remain consistent. My favorite things.”
Rosie “tells us about her love for walking and recalls 5 different walks from her recent holiday in Cornwall.”
And, now, it’s your turn!
If you’d like to link up your Personal Style posts, you may link up here or at Gail’s or Debbie’s blogs!
I don’t wear perfume very often but I do love a good scented body lotion; some of them I can even smell on myself the next day! I don’t like most floral scents though since they tend to overwhelm my sense of smell but I like ones that are coconutty, vanilla, or even pumpkin spice/caramel (sounds and probably is weird as a body lotion but I love them!).
I stopped wearing perfume when I was teaching because the bees would buzz me when I had recess duty. I just never got back into the habit of wearing perfume. But, body cremes serve two purposes…smelling good and moisturizing! We are total opposites on our smells! Coconut reminds me of tanning beds!
Thanks, Joanne!
I am so pleased your sense of smell returned after your treatment. I can not imagine how frustrating that must have been for you . I remember being told my grandmother had no sense of smell but I have no idea of the cause.
Well done on making up for lost time with your collection of scented candles and good perfumes.
Pleased to hear Nigel is doing well.
Thanks, Jill! Nigel is doing much better but has a ways to go yet. You know, I spent about a decade not being able to smell, and it was gradual as it came on. But, once it was back, I was thrilled to smell things again! I love smelling my David Austin roses. When we were planning the small garden we have, I told the landscaper I wanted roses that smelled like real roses. She suggested David Austin. I now have room for one more. I’m trying to decide which one I want!
I am so happy to hear that Nigel is doing better and hoping he feels relieved and encouraged. Getting back to life has to feel so good!
I had no idea anosmia was a thing! Honestly, I cannot imagine not being able to smell, bless your heart Marsha! I have heard of people who lost their sense of taste after having covid, ugh.
What a Jo Malone collection! I love her scents and have sampled them but never purchased.
xo,
Kellyann
Thank you, Kellyann! We have a bit to go, but, at least, he’s on the mend. I actually had never heard of anosmia until I wrote this post, but I figured it had to have a name! I’m so glad I finally was able to smell again after about a decade or so. Jo Malone perfume became Mike’s go-to Christmas gift once he discovered it! But, he hasn’t bought me any in years, nor have I. The body cremes are so much better. The hand creams are OK, but they’re not near as good as the body cremes. They do last a very long time as you only need a little bit.
So pleased to hear that Nigel has improved enough to weight-bear – long may that improvement continue. And so interesting about your anosmia – must have been such a challenge. We’ve recently had Covid and both of us have suffered some kind of disturbance with our sense of smell. Btw, I don’t really like floral scents but love woody scents – sandalwood especially. And I remember Anais Anais very well! Great post Marsha!
Thanks, Penny! I think it’s going to be even more of an up hill climb as he’s so down about the amount of muscle he’s lost. I keep telling him it will come back. But, at least we’re getting there. I really hadn’t noticed the anosmia for a few years, and then it hit me I couldn’t smell a single thing (which was kinda nice when it came to diapers). I’m really glad I got it back, though. I love woody scents, too, but I would definitely mix them with a floral scent! I kept that bottle of Anais Anais for years, hoping to wear it again because I’d once loved it. But, I just couldn’t ever wear it.
Oh what a lovely scented post! I was in town this morning meeting a friend and was early so I had a little place at a fragrance counter – came out smelling a real mix! I like ocean style scents or citrus ones. Years ago a friend introduced my to Estee Lauder’s White Linen, did you ever try that one? Now a days I like CK One and the Ocean Musk that I splurged on this morning.
Hmmm…I think I’ve smelled White Linen, but I never owned any of it. I did have something with Silver and Gold in the name. The bottles had either a silver or a gold ring around the tops. I do like citrus scents as well as ocean scents. I bought Mike one that I just loved (so did many other people out in public who would stop and ask what he was wearing). It was by Dolce & Gabbana, but I haven’t ever been able to find it again. It definitely had citrus notes in it. The Light Blue they have out now is not the same. I should have saved the bottle!
Thanks, Rosie!
Anosmia sounds terrible, so glad you got over it. I loved reading about the candles and scents. I went through quite a few Estee Lauder fragrances including White Linen and Cinnabar. I prefer lighter floral now. Very keen on some of the Jo Malone’s. I save the body lotion layering for special outings.
Thanks, Gail! It really was bad when the kids were babies as I really did worry about the house catching fire and not knowing it. Of course, this was back in the days before smoke detectors were required in homes. I also wore Estee Lauder perfumes called Silver and Gold. They may have had additional words to them. The only one I couldn’t wear at all was Beautiful. I do love Jo Malone, but it has been years since I’ve bought any perfume as the body cremes are so much better. And, a little goes a long, long way!
Wow. The things I learn from you.
I had to snicker because at first, the fact you need to layer the perfume over the lotion—sounds like an upsell to me, haha. Except maybe it will help me.
Because I’ve finally transitioned to all non-toxic perfumes and they don’t seem to last long. So maybe I”ll try this,
XOOX
Jodie
Always the teacher, right? It does sound like an upsell, doesn’t it? And, I never really noticed any change when I did it. But, the body creme really does last a long, long time!
Thanks, Jodie!
How interesting! My brother couldn’t smell anything for quite a while, but once he started dupixent he got his smell back! I love smelling scent so that would be so hard fo rme. Glad your husband is doing well!
That’s really interesting, Laura. Is he on it for nasal issues? I’m glad he got his sense of smell back. It’s not something you necessarily miss all the time, but when it comes back, you’re thrilled!
Thanks, Laura!
Gosh, Marsha, that must’ve been awful, not being able to smell anything. Scents can trigger so many memories, right? Like you said with Anais Anais lol! My sister used to wear that one. Michael loves Jo Malone, his favourite was something to do with pomegranate. Have you tried that? It’s not my cuppa tea to wear but it smells nice on him. One of my favourites just happens to be ridiculously expensive, it’s Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc, it’s absolutely gorgeous!! I don’t wear it often, because of the price lol! We discovered a fabulous perfume shop in London a few years ago and I think we might have stumbled across it in New York too. It’s called Penhaligon’s. Do you know it? They have the most sublime fragrances in there, and the decor in the shop is beautiful! Michael bought a bottle of Empressa for me and I adore it. It’s very special! Apparently it’s peach, vanilla and blood orange, which I wouldn’t have thought I’d like but I do! I’ve just had another look at their website and they’ve got some new ones which I really want to try…. but again…very expensive!!
Fabulous post, Marsha! I’m so happy to hear your other half is doing well and also that you no longer suffer from asnomia (did I spell that right LOL?_
Big hugs
Suzy xx
Thanks, Suzy! I really used to like Anais Anais, but there’s no way, even today, I could wear it. Is the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir? I think there’s another one that comes in a dark bottle (which means it’s more expensive, of course). I do like it, but it’s a little heavy for me. I think it is gorgeous on a guy. My youngest likes a Tom Ford scent, but I can’t think of the name of it. I bought him some for Christmas one year, but he doesn’t wear it often as he doesn’t want to run out of it! I haven’t heard of Penhaligon’s. Indianapolis may be a big city, but it’s in the middle of a podunky state! Peach, vanilla, and blood orange sounds delicious! The good perfumes do seem to be expensive, right?
Honestly, until I wrote this post, I didn’t know there was a name for not being able to smell. And, thank you for the compliments!
I love Jo Malone fragrances as well! I got an advent calendar one year from my hubby and I have tons of small eau de toilettes by them. I didn’t know anything about nasal blindness until I read this. Good to hear that Nigel is almost 100%
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I’ve gotten a small gift box of the fragrances. But, now, I’m just devoted to the cremes! They last longer and make your skin feel good, too!
Oh I love this post. I love to read things like this, and write them as well! Having nose blindness or not being able to smell sounds horrible!! I know someone who went through that after Covid and I felt terrible. They eventually regained their sense of smell but after many months. I am glad that you are able to smell your favorite fragrances. I am very much a scent person too. I love candles but Billy is a big baby and won’t let me use them too often. (this is a good natured argument that has lasted us twenty years lol). We were both talking the other day about how it has been years since we have bought our favorite perfumes and colognes. I used to wear Estee Lauder’s Tuscany Per Donna, which I probably would still love, and he was a Bulgari man. I love scents like sandalwood and amber and patchouli, little hippy that I am.
I am also so glad to hear about Nigel! That is awesome news!!
Thanks, Erin! He has good days, but then he seems to have a bad day. I guess that’s to be expected, right?
I have always thought it would be fun to have a group of bloggers write about their signature fragrance and then readers could go to Dillards or Macy’s and see what Gail smells like, what Marsha smells like, and then go to Walmart and see what Leslie smells like!! Ha!! I am so glad yu sense of smell has returned. Those painful shots were worth it.
I lost my sense of smell with Covid. Not for long but it was very strange for the short time that it lasted. I think I realized it had happened right away because sense of smell is important to me.
I think my first perfume was something rose-scented from Avon. Now I like woodsy fragrances. I like Bergamot and Mahogany Teakwood, both kind of masculine scents. Did you try the Bridgerton collection when it came out in the spring? I fell in love with one of the fragrances, bought a brand new bottle of lotion for our trip to the beach only to have it confiscated by TSA. I thought we were somehow kind of over the 3 ounce limit. Silly me.
Anxious to get out my fall decorations and start burning our Pumpkin Pecan Waffle 3-wicker. Have to talk PC into dragging all that junk out of the garage. Probably need a good bribe.
Hahaha!!! That’s a fun thought! My poor son had Covid in late 2020 or early 2021 and can just barely smell some things. He could almost smell the mulch we laid down last week, but I almost wonder if that wasn’t smell memory. Hmmm…I wonder what that Avon perfume was. My mom’s BFF was an Avon lady! I do like those scents…Bath and Body Works? I haven’t been in a store for a couple of years. If you saw my candle stash, you’d understand why! It almost seems like TSA varies from airport to airport. We didn’t have to remove our shoes, but we couldn’t have anything in our pockets. I’d forgotten my carry on had my baggie of 3 oz stuff, but they said we didn’t have to remove anything from carry ons, either.
I really want to decorate for fall, but my house is just all torn up with furniture pushed this way and that so Mike can get through with his wheelchair when he’s really tired and can’t/won’t use his walker. Most of my fall decor is in the attic, and I don’t want to bother my kids with helping me get it down. I’m not sure I have enough in me to bribe them right now!
Thanks, Leslie!
I lost my smell to Covid in 2021 and it slowly came back. It took almost two years for it come back fully. For the longest time I had what I can simply only call the Covid smell. It’s a mix of rotten food, sewage and something like burnt rubber. Slowly my taste came back – a lot of people forget when you can’t smell you also can’t taste. Now I seem to smell things that aren’t there for some reason. Not sure if this from my nasal issues that I have so bad much of the time of left over from Covid. I’m guessing it is sinus issues since many years ago I went to a chiropractor and he did some massages at the back of my head and I was able to smell better than I ever had been able to before. Nasal strips help me sleep and smell better now too.
After I lost my smell and taste with Covid I ended up with parasomia for about a year, maybe a little less. I probably spelled that wrong but what that involved was my tastes being mixed up to the point some foods tasted rotten. Things like onions, garlic and sweet peppers were out. They tasted horrible and still aren’t normal for me. Peanut butter – a staple for me tasted awful for months. My son and I suffered in the same way and we actually lost our ability to taste peanut butter normally on the same day. It tasted like literal garbage to us. I hated that it hit him so hard. He already had food issues. For months all he could eat were bologna sandwiches with relish so he could taste something.
As for perfumes… my mom was always sensitive to perfume smells and I am as well so she always wore only Emeraude.
I wondered about the taste/smell connection. If my son lost his sense of taste, it must not have been for very long. I have also heard of lots of people who experience the same as you…food that tastes just wrong and smells of burnt rubber. I hope you’re both much better now. What a coincidence your mom wore Emeraude. Does she still?
Thanks, Lisa!
She still likes the emeraude and yes our taste and smell got better but mine is sometimes still a bit off.
This is great Marsha. I’ve not been a huge perfume wearer for quite some time, it’s because when I worked in the prison system as a Teacher/Manager one of the things they didn’t allow us to wear was perfume. I know it seems strange but I can understand the logic. Nose blindness doens’t sound like much fun at all! Another great Tell Us About prompt – always fun to see what everyone comes up with for the topic.
Thanks, Debbie! I can understand that. I didn’t wear perfume lots of time when I was teaching because the bees liked it so much during recess duty! I was so glad when I regained my sense of smell after all those years. I do love these prompts because we seem to always have such different responses!
Really interesting – I have to say, I love that your husband chooses your perfume. That’s really thoughtful. I unfortunately like discontinued one so I scour websites of warehouse sales….ha. I also still don’t really get how Covid takes away smell completely (I’m not doubting it, I don’t understand how it does it). I am pretty sure it goes for the weakest organ, and for me it was liver not lungs and my current problems I’m sure are from Covid a year or so ago. I just don’t get how it shuts off the brain receptor for smell. (I want to check out this body creme too, but maybe a sample!) Love Grapefruit.
Thank you, Lydia! It was a tradition for many years, but he hasn’t bought me any for a bit now. I just don’t wear it as much now that I’ve discovered the body creme. Unfortunately, they don’t have Grapefruit in the body creme, but it is available in the hand lotion. It’s the same scent, but the creme is more luxurious.
I’m so sorry you’re experiencing problems from Covid. I have a couple of friends with long Covid. It is weird how that virus effected different people in different ways.