Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is NOT Friday, June 30, when I should have posted. I got distracted by an unexpectedly long eye doctor’s appointment that morning, and then some unexpected work tasks in the afternoon, and I forgot to post! We’re living through a massive heatwave here in the Southeast, so I’ve also been very busy watering my many plants, garden beds, and vegetable garden. Plants that need special attention are my David Austin roses, most of which I grow in large pots because I don’t have great locations for roses elsewhere in my garden, and because our front terrace gets the most sun plus air circulation. They flourish in the pots but they have to be watered daily during hot weather. Totally worth it, as they are so lovely and smell wonderful!

Speaking of roses, Portia Turbo and I will be posting again tomorrow in our regular collaboration “Notes on Notes”, and the note we’ve chosen is — rose. Whether you like or loathe rose fragrances, please drop by and comment (nicely) here and on Australian Perfume Junkies once we’ve posted!

PSA: Penhaligon’s USA is having its summer sale; several really nice ones are on sale, including one of my favorites, Juniper Sling, and I snagged a discovery set of eight of the “Portraits” fragrances. At least one will probably make an appearance in tomorrow’s “Notes on Notes.”

Yesterday I went to a fashion exhibit I’ve been meaning to visit for months now. It is a collection of couture by Madame Grès, of Cabochard fame, owned by the late Azzedine Alaïa in his personal collection, covering decades from the 1930s to the 1980s. The exhibit displayed about 70 dresses and other outfits — for a sometime sewist like me, they were just stupendous; the designs and workmanship were astonishing.

Four weeks from tomorrow will be my last day at work! My workplace is having a retirement reception for me, and I’m looking forward to that and then having the rest of the summer off. Usually I’ve only had two weeks of vacation each summer. TBH, I look back over the 18+ years I’ve been in that job, and I’m stunned that I persisted through so many challenges — everything from students in severe crises to vicious academic politics, without any of the job protection most faculty have (I’m staff), all while raising three children. The youngest was three years old when I started that job. I couldn’t have done it without my very supportive, loving husband, who kept me sane when the job did its best to undermine sanity.

How is your summer going? Any particular adventures had or expected?