The Spirit of Scent~The Proust Effect

From the book “Welcome Home” by Melissa Placzek

page 96

“But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more immaterial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.”

Marcel Proust, in Swann’s Way, “Remembrance of Things Past” 1913

There’s an interesting phenomenon called “The Proust Effect” that I came across while doing research for a psychology class. What it is is simply memories and emotions being prompted into recollection through the power of scent. Example: Picture yourself walking down a city street and as you pass a bakery the scent of chocolate chip cookies overwhelms you. Immediately you feel as though you’ve been transported back in time to your grandmother’s kitchen. The scent of the cookies actually brings tears to your eyes because you miss your grandmother. This is the Proust Effect in action.

Ever since this pshych lesson I’ve been applying this little trick in my own life to create a sort of “scrapbook of scents.” I do this whenever I travel or know I’m about to experience something new. This is so fun, and one of my favorite things to do. It’s surprising how it keeps the memory of certain experiences, places, and people alive.

Maybe you’d like to try this? The next time you’re planning a vacation select a new perfume scent that is unlike anything you’ve ever worn before. DO NOT wear this new perfume until you arrive at your vacation destination. While on this vacation make sure you wear the perfume every day. When you return home, don’t wear the scent for at least two weeks. Then, the next time you smell the perfume it will be like being transported back to where you were vacationing. The scent of this special perfume will remind you of this place forever. I promise, this really works!

Anytime I want to escape, my perfume bottles serve as a sort of time machine. When I wear “Summer Hill” by Crabtree & Evelyn I am on Nantucket Island. When I wear “Rapture” by Victoria’s Secret it’s my wedding day again. When I wear “Pleaseures Exotic” by Estee Lauder I’m being a beach bum in Florida and touring Magic Kingdom with my family, and “Beachy” by Lilly Pulitzer transports me to the beautiful Island of Maui Hawaii. You get the idea. I can’t wait to bring this new scent, “Red Cherie” by Thymes, on a new adventure so I can add to my scent library.

Red Cherie by Thymes

Red Cherie Bath Salts

Red Cherie Body Scrub

Red Cherie

Do you have a favorite perfume or cologne that reminds you of a special place or time?

XO,

Melissa

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To view more about Astronomical Clocks click here.

Dark Rosated Blend is also an amazing resource for all of my favorite steampunk stuff!

~Melissa

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Improv Everywhere?

You’re in for a treat!

Happy Weekend,

M

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I ordered this book by Jeanne Bayol…

source…my favorite gypsy blog…

and here’s an authentic gypsy cabbage roll recipe…

What’s inspiring you today?

~Melissa

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Enjoy Cupcakes Trailer

Enjoy Cupcakes!

(Photos by Jose Villa)

Watch this cute video about their business…

Here’s a list of cupcake flavors… like spumoni, cocoa cola, cinnamon bun, and strawberry lemonade!

And here’s a link to Amber Joy Vander Vliet’s Blog…my new favorite source of inspiration!

~Melissa

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The Steampunk style makes me happy and a little bit giddy.

What is Steampunk? LOVE this definition.

As defined by Wikipedia…

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era Britain^{[citation needed]} — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage‘s Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.

Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

(source)

This is my favorite steampunk site. I would love to own a steampunk greenhouse!

An awesome book about the steampunk style.

Steampunk Decorating.

Steampunk fashion…

Steampunk crafts and fun projects!

Steampunk Treehouse…

Steampunk WALLPAPER

Beautifully decorated steampunk house.

Sci-Fi novels turned into steampunk movies !

Another interesting site on the subject… and another…

And a list of steampunk links…

and even more steampunk here!

I LOVE Steampunk Magazine!

and who wouldn’t want a…

steampunk iPod?

~Melissa

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Here are my 6 favorite summer scents:

Summer Hill by Crabtree & Evelyn

This perfume will forever remind me of the east coast. Strolling the streets of Boston, and touring Nantucket Island…

A light and airy fragrance captures a perfect summer day in a warm white floral blend of summer grasses, field lilies, wild flowers and orchard fruits

Wish-Sugared Pastille by Lollia

This scent reminds me of a shopping day with my girl Jana.

A Burst of Italian Bergamot, notes of Cinnamon and Pepper, Rice Flower, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang, sheer Amber Woods and Vanilla Bean

Imagine by Lollia

Jeff surprised me with a little bottle of this and I’m almost out… I may have to treat myself to the larger bottle.

A floral fragrance impression of the most beautiful day imaginable. Flowering Willow & Lotus float in, then flutter away, a trace of Orchid on their wings. Breezy Rice Flower and warm Coconut Milk mix with dew drop notes of Mandarin & Jasmine petals. Not a cloud in sight: a sun dappled, sophisticated scent

Beachy by Lilly Pulitzer

This is my Maui scent. Hawaii in a bottle…

A fresh, joyful and intoxicating perfume, which offers water melon, sunny citruses and sea breeze aromas in the very opening, while the heart is enriched with jasmine flowers, tiare and frangipani. The base includes salt crystals, golden amber and sweet vanilla.

Pleasures Exotic by Estee Lauder

This is the perfume I chose before taking a vacation with the family to Orlando. I love how perfume has the power to transport me to my favorite places!

Let this tropical delight tempt you with its sparkling blend of exotic fruits and flowers shimmering in the air around you. It’s a seductive fusion of Mango Passion Fruit Cocktail, juicy Citrus Fruits and watery Lychee combined with Island Bamboo Flowers, Orange blossom and dewy Bougainvillea Vine.

Heely’s Sel Marin

My newest, favorite summer scent…

Both breezy and aquatic, Sel Marin perfectly captures an early summer’s day spent at a quiet cove, a place absent of all fruity tropical oil smells and distractions when the only thing to concentrate on is the refreshing water, the soft sand and the salty sea air. A fleeting note of lemon opens this perfume only to be overtaken by a gentle wind carrying hints from the woods towering above the sea cliffs. The drift woods of cedar and birch dry in the blazing sun while vetiver and seaweed blend earth and ocean. Effortless and relaxing, Sel Marin is the perfect cure-all for a rainy day and a natural complement to a day spent walking in the sand.

What are your favorite summer scents?

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and they make carpets out of real flowers!

The carpets are modeled after actual medieval carpet designs

Aren’t they beautiful?

~Melissa

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An underwater mermaid show in Florida!

Weeki Wachee!

~Melissa

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Who doesn’t love a food cart?

check out this link, and this  link for more details.

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