SPOOKY PERFUMES FOR HALLOWEEN
It’s spoOoOky season and you’re in luck because there are a ton of October worthy scents out there. Here are some of my favorites!
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE
It was a dreary day in Charm City when a typesetter from the Baltimore Sun discovered an incoherent, delirious man close to death in the gutter outside of a public house called Gunner’s Hall. The typesetter recognized the man at once, for it was Edgar Allan Poe, the famed poet and author.
WHY ARE WITCHES ASSOCIATED WITH HALLOWEEN?
As with many festivals and traditions, Halloween can trace its roots back to the Druids – the Celtic peoples who lived in Ireland more than a millennia ago.
SOME GEMS FROM THE HELLSCAPE THAT WAS 2020
At the beginning of this year I was not shy about saying how excited I was for the Roaring 2020s. LOL. Pandemic! Cancer! Being in the same space as my husband, child, and mother-in-law 24/7 for 10 months! It.was.a.lot.
Shockingly however, there were some bright spots. I have had two major personal crises in my life: a steep anxiety spiral a few years ago, and breast cancer this year. What I learned from both is that even when things are horrible and unbearable, I will still find things that bring me joy and things that make me laugh. Here is a list of those things from this year.
8 HISTORICAL HOLIDAY BOOKS TO READ THIS WINTER
At the beginning of 2020 I was so excited for the start of the year and the start of the new decade. LOL. Between the pandemic, election chaos, and freaking cancer I am very ready to curl up with a good low-stakes book with plenty of holiday magic.
Below I’ve got 11 book ideas for you to close out 2020 with maximum coziness. Eight of the books are historical, the other three are set in the modern era but are also fun. Please note that many of the books on here are romance-y and I make ZERO apologies.
VICTORIAN MOURNING JEWELRY & VICTORIAN JEWELRY HISTORY
When Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria's grief was so profound that not only did she have her servants lay out Albert's clothes every morning after his death, but she only wore black until her own death in 1901. Unwittingly, she started the craze for what was popularly dubbed, mourning jewelry. Items such as necklaces, rings, brooches, and bracelets that contained jet were all the rage.
7 NEW HISTORICAL FICTIONS FOR FALL
Who would have thought we’d still be in quarantine 7 months on?! I certainly didn’t. But Fall, my power season, has come round once again and even though all my time is spent in doors now, I am ready to get cozy!
Not only are there some really fun books that I’m looking forward to reading, but I randomly had an idea for a novel that I’m very excited to get started writing. All I’m going to tell you about it now is that it will be a Victorian romance novel with lots of science and adventure. Maybe one day it can join the other books on my yearly list and you’ll read it. For now though, here’s what I can’t wait to read:
THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF MARY SEACOLE IN MANY LANDS
I recently received a request: to cover more of the many positive stories about historical people of color. The requester also had a perfect first candidate: Mary Seacole! In honor of Mary Seacole (who died on the 14th of May in 1881), and in honor of the nurses on the frontline of the current pandemic, today we’re going to look at her incredible life.
BEHIND THE PERFUME: MARY SHELLEY'S UNHALLOWED ART
Mary died on February 1 1851. Her son Percy Florence was there at her side. When Percy Florence died in 1889, he was buried with the ashes of his father’s heart.
BEHIND THE COLOGNE: DHARMA BUM
Iconoclast. Pioneer of the Beat Generation. Catholic. Dharma Bum. Just a few descriptors that comprise the complicated identity of one of the 20th Century's most famous writers, Jack Kerouac.
THE VOODOO QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS
Mardi Gras is upon us. For this installment of the Behind the Perfume series, we'll be visiting one of New Orleans' most famous residents. This is part of a series of posts on the historical figures that are the inspiration for Immortal Perfumes. For more historical figures, check out the rest of the series.
BEHIND THE PERFUME: MADAME MOUSTACHE
Frontier life was no picnic – especially not for women. In the Old West, if a woman was to survive she had to have a certain level of luck, charm, and resourcefulness. Enter Eleonore Alphonsine Dumont; also known as Madame Moustache.
HOW TO MAKE SOLID PERFUME
Making solid perfume is incredibly easy and fun! Once you get the process down, it only takes about 15 minutes and you're left with endless gift possibilities. You can put your perfume in a locket, compact, tin, pocket watch...seriously, any kind of small compartment will do.
HOW TO MAKE PERFUME: EAU DE PARFUM
Eau de Parfum is probably what you're used to wearing. Instead of using a carrier of Jojoba like we used in our perfume oil, Eau de Parfum has alcohol and is what you buy at most stores. It's that friendly little spray bottle that you can carry in your purse and spritz on throughout the day
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PERFUME OIL
DIY perfume is super easy! This handy guide from Immortal Perfumes will take you through how to make your own perfume oil at home. You will be a potions master in no time!