September 2012 Newsletter

Greetings Dear Purrfumery Friends!

I am settling in after a relaxing vacation with Gary that reminded us of our hippie days. We didn’t have a plan; we just packed up the car and threw caution to the wind, savoring the freedom of not knowing where we would end up. We used to travel this way years ago – back when I was driving my Volkswagen hippie van decked out with my grandmother’s antique floral chintz curtains that I sewed. That van was gorgeous! One time we lived in it for six months, traveling from California to British Columbia and zig zagging all the way to New Jersey and back. We still have the best memories of that trip of a lifetime! Did you take any fun trips this summer, my dear Purrfumery friends? I’d love to hear about them sometime, so drop me a line!

See You in LA!

Attention, Los Angeles Purrfumery friends! We are hitting the road again this month for the Los Angeles edition of Taste TV’s Artisan Fragrance Salon at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. We can’t wait to visit with you in person and share our newest perfumes and products – and special treats, of course! The salon features artisan and luxury perfumers from Los Angeles, San Francisco and more, and your tickets are good for the adjacent Chocolate Salon, too! Perfume and chocolate together – what could be more fun? Perfume lovers will find a dazzling array of perfumes – you may even decide to get a super-early start on your holiday shopping! Tickets won’t be sold at the door, so get them while they last!

A Gift for YOU! Fleur de Caramel Sample with all September Orders

My Purrfumery friends are really excited about Fleur de Caramel, my newest parfum and eau de parfum! I just made a new batch of both and will send you a free sample of this gorgeous, utterly scrumptious perfume with your September orders. Fleur de Caramel is really something special, my dear Purrfumery friends, from its warm caramel accord to the gorgeous notes of frangipani, tuberose, red mandarin, butterfly lily and rare Tamil Nadu Sandalwood… It lasts a really long time for a natural perfume, too – almost 24 hours – and I love the caramel dry down. I love the smell in the morning! We want to thank Beth Schreibman Gehring and Ida Meister for their reviews of Fleur de Caramel – we are thrilled to see their comments in The Perfume Magazine and Fragrantica! What I loved most about the reviews is that both Beth and Ida talked about the EXPERIENCE of wearing Velvet & Sweet Pea’s perfumes. Beth said she loved the sensuality and bewitching deliciousness of our perfumes and packaging, and Ida talked about being transported to another place with the scent of Fleur de Caramel. Wow! Comments like these are amazing because I’ve always believed that perfumes were meant to be experienced, not just dabbed on, and that scent can whisk us away to another world or change our state of mind for a while. I love when people talk about how they feel when they wear Velvet & Sweet Pea’s perfumes because that’s what it’s all about! There is a deeper message in every bottle of my perfumes and Beth and Ida both touched on that in their reviews. I am honored and grateful! Thanks so much Beth and Ida!

A Visit with Living Legend Jeanne Rose

In August, Jeanne Rose, an educator, herbalist and a living legend of aromatherapy emailed me and asked me to speak to her class in San Francisco. I had a great time visiting with her students – I met people from all corners of the world. It was also a lot of fun sharing the story of my Purrfumery and talking about how I create my perfumes and products. Jeanne is an amazing artist of herbalism – her books are among my favorite reference manuals. She has written 22 books, including one of my favorites, “375 Essential Oils & Hydrosols.” If you are interested in aromatherapy and blending essential oils, check out her courses and many books. Thank you, Jeanne! Your classes sound incredible!

Purrfumery Garden Delights

I love to hang out in the garden just as the seasons are starting to change. As summer turns to fall, the datura is gorgeous with its huge white flowers. Datura is most fragrant in the evening, so I like to step out when the sun goes down and enjoy this very special and intoxicating plant. (It helps that it’s right next to the hot tub!) Our cestrum nocturnum, or night-blooming jasmine, is also delightful in September, and the roses are beautiful in every color. The crepe myrtles and lavender are so happy, and the bees! This has been a great bee year! We look forward to the honey harvest next month! All my scented pelargoniums are flowering and they smell just absolutely beautiful. I’d love you to come see me, my dear Purrfumery friends! Give me a call or send an email and we’ll put something on the calendar. Until next time... Peace, love, purrfume, and kitty cats, ~XOXO, Laurie