My Odorific Old House
Submitted by Steve on Mon, 12/03/2007 - 10:50pm.
I'll be posting a new series of articles on stained glass construction in a few weeks. I purchased some new ($$!) stained glass design software from Dragonfly, Glass 2000 Professional, to help me complete the half-dozen stained glass projects I've got on my plate. So I'll post a review of that as well.
I'm gonna change gears and show a bit of my feminine side. I like fragrant houses. I spent my early years living in a small town in Japan, where my mother became a passionate connoisseur of oriental incense. She often had a subtle fragrance burning in the house long after we moved back to the States.
For me, a fragrant house smells like home. Since I moved out on my own, I've usually had a cone of incense burning, mostly temple fragrances. It beats smelling the dogs' microwaved breakfast all day.
After moving to Brooklyn I found myself estranged from my Manhattan oriental incense supplier. I tried buying it online but the stuff I was getting smelled more like a brothel or a hippy crash pad than the earthier stuff I liked.
On an early trip to Nantucket, Karen and I visited a fragrance store where the owner turned me on to something called essential oils and a device called an oil burner. While I still prefer the smokier fragrance of Japanese incense, oil lasts a lot longer. After feeding the dogs in the morning, I pour a 1/4 ounce or so into the burner and it's good for the whole day. Here's a shot of the burner.
Another cool thing about essential and fragrant oils (there's a difference: essential oils are extracted from natural sources; fragrant oils are made chemically) is that you can create your own blends. Some days I want a woodsy fragrance, other days I want a Christmasy smell. Here are a few of the scents I have stashed behind the kitchen sink:
Most of these are essential oils like pine, clove, cedar and other spices. But a few are fragrant, like Victorian Christmas.
I usually pick up these oils wholesale from two online sources:
http://www.soyandscent.com
http://www.wellingtonfragrance.com
Buying oils online is a bit of a crap shoot. The names only give you a general indication. For instance, "cranberry" can have a light, fruity aroma or it can stink like cheap candy. It's like going into a wine store without knowing the labels you like. Some stores offer one-ounce samplers where, chances are, you'll find one or two you like.
I'm gonna change gears and show a bit of my feminine side. I like fragrant houses. I spent my early years living in a small town in Japan, where my mother became a passionate connoisseur of oriental incense. She often had a subtle fragrance burning in the house long after we moved back to the States.
For me, a fragrant house smells like home. Since I moved out on my own, I've usually had a cone of incense burning, mostly temple fragrances. It beats smelling the dogs' microwaved breakfast all day.
After moving to Brooklyn I found myself estranged from my Manhattan oriental incense supplier. I tried buying it online but the stuff I was getting smelled more like a brothel or a hippy crash pad than the earthier stuff I liked.
On an early trip to Nantucket, Karen and I visited a fragrance store where the owner turned me on to something called essential oils and a device called an oil burner. While I still prefer the smokier fragrance of Japanese incense, oil lasts a lot longer. After feeding the dogs in the morning, I pour a 1/4 ounce or so into the burner and it's good for the whole day. Here's a shot of the burner.
Another cool thing about essential and fragrant oils (there's a difference: essential oils are extracted from natural sources; fragrant oils are made chemically) is that you can create your own blends. Some days I want a woodsy fragrance, other days I want a Christmasy smell. Here are a few of the scents I have stashed behind the kitchen sink:
Most of these are essential oils like pine, clove, cedar and other spices. But a few are fragrant, like Victorian Christmas.
I usually pick up these oils wholesale from two online sources:
http://www.soyandscent.com
http://www.wellingtonfragrance.com
Buying oils online is a bit of a crap shoot. The names only give you a general indication. For instance, "cranberry" can have a light, fruity aroma or it can stink like cheap candy. It's like going into a wine store without knowing the labels you like. Some stores offer one-ounce samplers where, chances are, you'll find one or two you like.
smelly things
Have you ever tried out the Muslim stores on Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Hill area? They sell lots of oils and incense. We used to get our stuff from them. :)