Best of 2009 Round Robin

I have always liked reading other Perfumistas Best of lists and today I get to do my own.  Many thanks to Elena at Perfume Shrine for inviting me and encouraging all of us to include all of our miscellaneous Bests! 

Best Design Revelation: Alexander Calder's Jewelry

Best things I made in 2009: a pair of earrings, a ring, patent leather shoes, and medieval booties.

Best culinary discovery: Persian/Iranian cooking -- great for perfume lovers!  I get to grind saffron, rose petals, cardamom with a mortar and pestle, and use other aromatics, herbs and fruits (pomegranate!) to make amazing food.

Best gifts of 2009: Two Global knives, and the Calder Jewelry book.  The global knives turn cutting and slicing into a transcendent experience, and the Calder book blows my mind every time I look at it.  The originality, form, movement, and dimensionality of his wearable pieces are unlike anything else ever made.  It makes the William Blake quote "the more personal, the more universal" come to life.  Gives hope to all of us making wearable design, especially me ; )

Best books I read in 2009:  Jane Eyre and White Noise by Don DeLillo.  One is an incredibly written story about the emotional reality of a woman finding her way in the world on her own, living on her wits and her merits, keeping her values, independence, and sense of herself intact, the other is the ultimate contemporary farce.  These two books represent opposite sides of the spectrum of literature as well as how I think, no wonder I get confused sometimes!  

Best Beauty tips: Glittery eyelids for all occasions, "pretty" lipsticks, and Philosophy Microdelivery Peel.

I opened up a new avenue of perfume interest this year, expanding my repetoire from a great love of what are mysteriously called "Oriental" and spice and woods based scents to cooler ones, including more appreciation of some contemporary scents, as I am a diehard Vintage Addict.

My perfume loves of 2009:  Ormonde Jayne Woman & Ta'if, Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon (I know I'm alone on this one!), Robert Piguet Vintage Visa, Pascal Morabito Or Black, CDG 8 88, Vintage Estee Lauder Private Collection and Azuree, Vintage Givenchy L'Interdit, Histoire de Parfums 1725 (Casanova), Parfums d'Empire Eau Suave, and any Aqua Admirabilis I can get my hands on, including Maison Kurkdjean and DSH. 

Perfume house to explore more fully in 2010: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz -- I met her in LA at a personal appearance, and became totally enamoured of her and her whole enterprise.

Here's wishing a fragrant and fulfilling 2010 to all of you!

Check out these other blogs for more Bests --

http://1000fragrances.blogspot.com/

http://ayalasmellyblog.blogspot.com/

http://bittergracenotes.blogspot.com/

http://qwendy.typepad.com/shoescakeperfume/

http://www.eiderdownpress.com/Perfume_Journal.html

http://www.scenthive.com

http://olfactarama.blogspot.com/

http://journal.illuminatedperfume.com/

http://arosebeyondthethames.blogspot.com/

http://thenonblonde.blogspot.com/

http://underthecupola.blogspot.com/

http://sonomascent.wordpress.com/

http://www.savvythinker.com
http://alliam-aredhead.blogspot.com/
http://scelfleah.blogspot.com/
http://ismellthereforeiam.blogspot.com

Comments

[Scent Hive]

Wendy, I do love OJ's Taif as well. Fantastic post my dear!!

Happy New Year,
Trish

[ScentScelf]

2009 isn't over yet...and now I have another "nice moments of" to add to my list: you coming back to posting! :)

Oh, that Calder jewelry...it is something wonderful, no? I have a pair of earrings that many have called Calder or Calder-like...they aren't, but they do have that spirit of form and movement...and I love them. Have had them for ZOIKS! almost twenty years now, a testament for searching out quality/thoughtful handmade items.

On the note of cooler scents...I am enjoying L'Eau d'Hiver recently...as an oriental &/or vintage appreciating person myself, I feel an extra affinity for your recent "move." A secret handshake shout out to your mention of Azuree, too... :)

Happy New Year!

[Abigail]

My dearest, you are most definitely NOT ALONE in your love of MH Geranium Bourbon. It's gorgeous stuff. I wear it loads in the summer :-)
Happy New Year to you!

[Qwendy]

Scentself (or as I somehow think of you ScentELF), my year is complete, I thought Id lost you due to my slothful blogging habits! So glad you know and love Calder and Vintage and Azuree too, consider your secret handshake squared! HNY XOXOXO Qw

[Qwendy]

Thanks for stopping by Trish, its always a pleasure! Happy snowy New Year to you, XOXO Qw

[Qwendy]

Abigail, its good to know Im not alone, thanks for letting me know! Living in only semi-cool climes, sometimes I drench myself in Geranium Bourbon just for an LA Winter lift! HNY and see you next year (I still love saying that)!

[Suzanne]

Ooh, another Pascal Morabito Or Black lover -- yay!

I'm half afraid to try the vintage version of Robert Piguet Visa, as it might ruin my love for the current incarnation. It's probably heavenly, isn't it? Oy...don't even tell me.

[Rose]

another Geranium Bourbon fan here! Great list- I will look up those books- they sound very interesting. Happy New Year.

[Qwendy]

Oh, there you are, I knew I saw you somewhere, the comment/reply thing on Typepad has gotten a bit indirect for my ADD ; ) YES -- OR BLACK, what a treasure! Dont worry about Old Visa ruining New Visa for you, they really have nothing in common! Want a sample???? Fragrantly yours for 2010!

[Qwendy]

Oh Suzanne, no worries about the Old Visa killing your love for the NEW one, they have very little in common!
Yours in Or Black and much more for 2010, thanks for coming by!

[Qwendy]

Rose, so happy you came by, I wish we could go over to Miller Harris and try the teas!!!!! All the best of everything to you in 2010!

[perfumeshrine]

My dear Wendy,

what a delightfully wonderful post!! I am sitting here reading your most elegant perfume list and nodding my head in approval, so many lovely choices there, vintage and modern alike. (love the OJs and many others).
And isn't DSH a delightful person to talk to? :-)

Not to mention Persian cooking is a field close to my heart.

Thanks for participating so wonderfully and much admiration for the lovely avater picture too!

[Qwendy]

Helg, thanks so much for coming by, and your most kind words, they mean a lot coming from YOU! I plan to call DSH to see if I can get some insight into her process especially regarding her more classical perfumes, having become infatuated by her renditon of Aqua Admiriablis fromthe 18th Century. Heres wishing you more of everything 2010 !