Hey all, I’m kind of burnt out. The Christmas celebration was 4 days and nights of stuff. It was fun but it was also a lot. We did it putposefully chill but still, so much in such a short time. It’s about 36C/97F and quite humid. Beautiful weather for short walks in the daytime and longer ones after dark with Paris.
Jin is, as always, the highlight of all adventures. I can’t even tell you how freaking adorable he is. So good with people, funny, charming and only very rarely a brat. We spent quite a bit of couch time watching The Hunger Games and other assorted movies. After he went to bed I watched the three seasons of Jack Ryan, excellent fun. Also, his Roast Pork Belly and Crackling this year were so freaking good.
Limbo Week
Now we are in that super weird Limbo Week between Xmas and NYE. Today we basically did nothing. Ate, watched TV, I have been catching up on some blogging that needs completing (like this).
My most worn fragrance over the Christmas period was Rahele by Neela Vermeire Creations. It is so beautiful. Osmanthus and leather with some bells and whistles. Bloody good shit. If you liked it, loved it but didn’t purchase, or if you have only a few ml in your current bottle I have it on very good authority that it’s on the chopping block. Yes, I bought backups.
So that’s it. Got nothing else. Enjoy the last few days of 2022. I hope your 2023 is full of the good stufff and very little of the other.
Tell me your plans, resolutions, hopes and dreams.
I love to chat with you all so much. It’s you lot that keep me blogging far past my use by date.
Hugs,
Portia xx
Undina's Looking Glass 
May 2023 bring health, happiness & peace to all. This year I also ask that all politicians across the world be served a huge scoop of humility, common sense & kindness!
Limbo week is still something of a novelty to DH & I. After years of working both during the holidays & between them, this schlumpy time never happened for us. No midwinter rest built in to our work schedules! To make up for this we used to try to get a week in the Canary Islands or Southern Spain in January. A much needed dose of vitamin D, sunshine, warmth & good cheer.
My Limbo scents will be the ones I’ve worn over Christmas. Papillon Hera & Guerlain Shalimar Millisime Tonka.
I thunked my first sample of the challenge you set. My first sample of Hera is now drained to the very last drop. Thankfully I planned ahead & got another, hopefully this will last until I can afford a full bottle
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How exciting for you to have this Limbo Week now Alityke. Have you made any plans, big or small?
Nice frag choices and congratulations on your Thunk. It’s such a satisfying noise as the empty hits the trash can, eh?
Portia xx
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DH doesn’t really get back to his usual self until a full 2 weeks after his chemo, he should start picking up from NY Day so no plans. Got eldest son & his gf coming over for 12th night to celebrate DH’s birthday. He’s requested a Chinese takeaway! We have one nearby that knocks salt & pepper dishes out the park & the eldest craves it, so no cooking for me.
Hope you & Jin have a great NYE celebration, always feels a bit “Back to the Future” knowing my friends & family in Australia & NZ will be in a different year to us.
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Woo Hoo for local Chinese take away. MY FAVOURITE FOOD!
Jin and I will both be working NYE. Hopefully after Jin will hit the clubs with the bears of Sydney. I’ll call him about 30 seconds into the new year from the party I’ll be hosting.
HA! Yes, it’s weird we are so ahead of you all. He He he.
Portia xx
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I have been craving light and airy so this week I will wear Fresh White Musk (cheap as chips but smells like niche…I wore it when we did the posse online meet when you laughed at my NY accent-LOL), All That Matters (NOT cheap as chips but a gift from one of my gfs..it reminds me a lot of SHT’s Perfect Veil which I wore decades ago when her company was called Creative Scentualizations) and Omnia Crystalline which pops in the cold.
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OHH! Interesting line up Brigitte. Soz for laughing at your accent. Having known you forever I’d never added the accent into the equation.
You have any Limbo Week plans?
Portia xx
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LOL!!! Zero plans….which is how I roll these days :)
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YAY! Enjoy the freedom
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Ooohhh, I’ll have to revisit my collection of Omnia perfumes. I have Crystalline as well as a few others from that collection. For some reason, haven’t been gravitating towards wearing them for a while but given we’re having some cold weather now, I’ll have to check out Crystalline.
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I wore it today in the cold as I went for a walk. It’s gorgeous. I happen to like citrus in the winter. And the heavy hitters in the summer heat when they can really bloom on my very dry skin.
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I’m busy preparing my trip to Montréal on the 7th to move into my new flat. Somewhat anxious about it but hoping all goes well. Pretty quiet here otherwise, last social engagement was completed yesterday, whew. I’m hoping 2023 will be calm and happy, unlike the last three years which have been unrelenting stress and turmoil. My chosen theme word for the year is contentment. I have so much, I want to focus on just appreciating that and giving back.
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TaraC, good luck with the move and hope the new place brings you a centre and peace.
Enjoy the quiet,
Portia xx
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Will be enjoying a rainy-ish week in the SF Bay Area, where both Undina and I live. The next couple of days will be filled with binge tv watching and putting away Christmas decorations, then heading to my dad’s house in Healdsburg (wine country) to celebrate New Year’s. Hoping that 2023 will bring better health, especially for my vSO who had 4 different stints in hospital. Wishing all the best for a happy and safe New Year’s to all Undina’s readers and guest bloggers.
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Hey Juli,
OOOH! Enjoy the wine country, Jin’s favourite. we always come home with a couple of cases.
Wishing your VSO a good recovery too.
Portia x
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Portia, does Neela have anything else on the chopping block besides Rahele? I’m thinking about buying Niral but no budget right now.
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Pichola and Rahele were the two TaraC.
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I’m going to my sister’s house today for lunch. Nothing else planned for limbo time. I’m quite happy to slob on the couch watching tv and reading blogs X
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Matty! You are my spirit animal.
Portia xx
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I spent Christening Eve & Day in Pichola. Can’t believe it’s for the chop😯 We had a few very hectic days, just got home yesterday evening and I had to get started on the laundry to avoid a mountain building. Then hit the couch and watched Back to the Future which I haven’t watched in years. Daughter and the Smallies arriving later so got to get myself moving (still in my jammies). Will have a few days of chilling before NYE party with our friends. It’s great to be back to ‘normal’ this year. Lucky that you and Jin have a few days off together to do everything or nothing. Wishing you all the good things for 2023. Thanks for the heads-up on the Neela plans. Might have to take action, and soon.
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Go get em Cassieflower, I’m so glad you are wearing your Pichola. So beautiful.
Hope you have a nice relax, even with the fam and an excellent New Year.
Portia xx
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It’s my vacation week, so I don’t think about it as a limbo week :) Since it’s a staycation, I’m just going about my house chores.
We had a wonderful 3-day celebration for Christmas with different friends at there and our places. For the New Year we’ll be getting with friends as well. I haven’t decided yet what perfume I’ll wear. Most likely, it’ll be either OJ Ta’if or Amouage Ubar.
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OOOHHHHH! Amouage Bar is one of my faves. I’m going to grab it out now for NYE. It’s so good in the heat too.
Happy New Year my friend.
HUG
Portia xx
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Hi Portia, Do you know anyplace to buy Rahele in Australia?
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Hi Cynthia,
LKNU were the Aussie stockists, not sure now.
FragranceNet has Mohur, Pichola and Trayee. They could be the last LKNU stock.
Portia xx
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Make sure you go to the US site.
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I’m coming to Australia for three months, starting next week. I checked the LKNU site and Rahelle is sold out. Maybe your story put a run on remaining stock!
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Woo Hoo! Where are you going to be in Oz Cynthia?
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Limbo week has gone by very fast! Catching up a Britbox show Absentia, which is wild, and reading Celeste Ng’s new book, along with “Lucy by the Sea” by Elizabeth Strout. I’ve loved all her books so far, especially the Lucy Barton and the Olive Kittredge ones.
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Woo Hoo RR! That sounds like a perfect Limbo Week.
Happy New Year.
Portia xx
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