An archive of the posts I made while running Sonoma Scent Studio from 2004 until 2018.
Here’s a picture of some fall hydrangea blossoms. I cut them to bring in before a much-needed rainstorm here in northern CA. If all goes well, my plan is to put samples back up for sale late next week and bottles the following week. I’ll post again next week about that. Still working on the…
I’m making progress on all fronts here (dishwasher installation is in progress at this moment, I’m researching medical insurance, we’re hosting some family visits etc). I’m working on Amber Incense in my spare moments. I’m very appreciative to see that Robin included Incense Pure on her fall 2014 incense list yesterday along with some other…
I wanted to give an update on my plans for the shopping cart — I would like to put it up before the end of October. I know that’s not very specific, but I’ll give more updates as I go. We have family visiting both next week and the following week, and I have a…
Just a quick note to say that I put the drop-down menus for pricing back up so people can browse the prices again. I’ve had requests for the pricing so that people can plot orders. I did not put the Add To Cart buttons back up yet but will do that later this fall. SSS…
We’re starting to batch some scents to build up enough inventory to put the cart up this fall, and I’m trying to finish the first mod of the amber incense. I really like where this new formula is going. I’m in the mood for all naturals these days, and this scent is hitting the spot…
My Japanese Maple trees think it is fall already — their leaves are turning bright shades of red. Although I love the beautiful fall season here, I am always sad to see summer go. The grape harvest is just beginning, and soon we will be hearing the rumble of the large gondola trucks traveling down…
You’ve probably heard that Napa, CA had a rather large (6.0) earthquake last night, waking people up at 3:20 in the morning with shaking, damage, and power outages. It woke us up in Sonoma too, with quite a bit of shaking and rolling. My cottage is on stilts on a hillside, so the swaying can…
We’re trying a new zucchini seed this year developed especially for container growing, and the plants are great — giant decorative foliage with abundant zucchini tucked into the center of the bush. The variety is called Astia and is sold by Renee’s Garden seeds. If you need to grow your veggies in pots, this is…
I wanted to check in and give a few updates and links. The picture at left is an armoire that my parents no longer needed, and it fits perfectly in my bedroom. I’ve been organizing the cottage this summer, so the armoire is a welcome addition. (The walls are actually a muted gray-green, but the…
Tonight for some reason an email was just sent out with old posts. Usually an email is only sent when I make a new post. I’ve never had a random email sent out before in all these years. I apologize — I did not request that email of old posts to be sent. It must…
For those who may have missed it, I wanted to give a link to an update on Basenotes about the Petition against the proposed legislation in the EU slated to ban and restrict more ingredients next year. The petition has garnered over 2500 signatures so far. Signatures are still being collected, so you can sign…
I have taken the shopping cart down for a summer break. I need to do some physical therapy and can’t do it when the cart is up. Summer is the best time to do this because it is my slower season, partly because people take vacations and partly because my most popular scents are best…
You can join a drawing for a 17 ml bottle of Jour Ensoleille on Cafleurebon. Steve of The Scented Hound wrote a review with beautiful imagery, appropriate for this May holiday weekend. The draw will be open for a few days, so head on over to leave a comment if you’d like to join. I’d…
I’ll put the shopping cart buttons back up on Monday, May 5th. Turn-around time on orders may be a tad longer next week but we’ll catch up as quickly as we can. Hope all those going to Sniffa this weekend have a great time!
I wanted to thank Steve and Gaia for their beautiful reviews of the new Yin & Ylang on The Scented Hound and The Non-Blonde. Also thank you to Mark for including Cocoa Sandalwood on his list of favorite sandalwood scents. Mark is also writing an in-depth series on musk ingredients, starting with this post on…
Nancy Knows posted a beautiful review of Yin & Ylang today on Cafleurebon, and they are hosting a drawing for a 17 ml bottle. You can head over to enter the drawing between now and Monday the 21st. The winners are announced on Cafleurebon a few days after the drawing ends, so be sure to…
I wanted to wish those who celebrate a happy holiday weekend. My brother and his family will be visiting; I’ve not seen them since Thanksgiving, so it’ll be nice to catch up. Spring has sprung here! The roses and pink jasmine are blooming, the sun is shining, green strawberries are starting to ripen, and birds…
Yin & Ylang is reviewed today on Now Smell This. Thanks so much, Jessica! Also, Tabac Aurea was enthusiastically reviewed by robes08 on Youtube. The Tabac Aurea part comes in at 23:09 but the video has a lot of fun reviews in it. Thank you, Marc-André! Samples and 5 ml of Yin & Ylang have…
In collaboration with Cafleurebon blog I am announcing a new scent today, a floral called Yin & Ylang. Michelyn Camen, Editor In Chief of Cafleurebon, had contacted me with the idea for this scent about a year ago, and I’m happy that it is now done! The notes are bergamot, blood orange, soft aldehydes, beeswax…
New Scent: The new floral scent is done and I am scaling up, making larger batches. I’ll put the webpage for the new scent online in one week. Samples will be available then, and bottles will be available shortly thereafter. This is the floral scent that I have mentioned a few times here, though I’ve…