Happiness & Light (Escada's Sexy Graffiti)

*Currently Listening: "Time" by Ben Folds
*Current Fragrance: Escada's Sexy Graffiti 2011

I'd like to think of myself like a cat. I've had several different lives, but I'm not up to nine yet, so I guess I'm not close to going to that Big Litter Box in the Sky. They are as follows: 1) B.N.C. "Before North Carolina, 2) L.N.C. "Lovely North Carolina", 3) B.T.T. "Back to Texas", & 4) S.U.T.B. "Shipped Up to Boston". This entry focuses on Life #2 "Lovely North Carolina"; hence the Ben Folds... (I think of this time in my life...it totally gets this theme song...)

So, I sort of "ran away from home" to live in North Carolina. But truthfully for as stressful as it was on all parties involved it was THE biggest and THE smartest decision I made in my life. It truly changed the trajectory of my life. Had I not slipped the bonds of SETX in the middle of the night (only to return two years later with my tail semi-tucked between my legs to finish my undergrad and get my Master's - but I'm sure there's a few fragrances that can spawn that entry), my relationship with my husband would have never progressed to the point to where he actually became my husband, and I would have most likely stayed in SETX, and gotten a job as a band director, and been miserable with myself as well as making my students and everyone around me miserable. (I feel that I should clarify; I have MANY dear friends who are band director's and do a FANTASTIC job at it. I know myself too well to know that that is NOT me. One on one, in the private lesson setting, I'm outstanding. Full band environment....NO!)

I always regard my time in North Carolina with a sense of wonder. It was my first REAL taste of completely being my own person. I remember feeling so free and so happy. Life was very carefree. I moved up there with a suitcase and a duffel bag in early January, got a job, an apartment, a cat, rented furniture (yes, in that order), Al and I got engaged in late March/early April and were married in August. This all started happening pretty much exactly ten years ago.

After a brief stint working for the Sierra Club, then selling jewelry at Sears, my job settled as being the person who reconciled the same Sears store's funds on a daily basis. It was 56 steps from my office to the Norsdstrom in the same mall. (And just a quick right once you got in the door to the store's fragrance counter, which was my break-time happy place.)

My now husband had figured out that I was a little fragrance obsessed, and my wedding gift was a bottle of Escada's Sexy Graffiti, along with this beautiful atomizer.

Aren't I pretty?

Sexy Graffiti celebrated Escada's 10th Anniversary of their seasonal perfumes. Each summer, I sniff their summer offering, sometimes buying it, but it's never quite "right". To me Sexy Graffiti smells like happiness and light. My skin and my nose really likes raspberries, and they pop on me in Sexy Graffiti. Over the years, the bottle was emptied as much as I rationed it out, Al would try to recreate the fragrance for me through several modes, but while INCREDIBLY sweet, it wasn't the same. I think the saddest was during one of our many moves from apartment to apartment (we're on apartment 5 of our marriage), the original bottle was lost.

Fast forward to this past Christmas. Al and I exchanged gifts early on Christmas Eve morning. He had my gifts in an order to open up. I should point out now, that I knew I was getting something that I hadn't asked for. (I know most of you are thinking, "oh, that's sweet!" I should point out, that for some reason, I'm not a fan of surprises. Want to make me cross with you? Come up to me and say, "I've got a surprise for you!!" I. Just. Don't. Like. It.!) However, my husband may have excluded himself from my I Hate Surprises Land with this gift....

I opening it up, and was SO excited I hugged the box and cried. SERIOUSLY, yes...hugged the box and cried! While trying to find me a bottle of the 2002 Sexy Graffiti, he came across the fact that it had be re-released in 2011. Although there have been a few tweaks in the 2011 version, the blueberry and musk of the original are missing, it STILL smells like happiness and light to me. My skin pops the raspberry and lily of the valley. Granted there's always a similarity in all of Escada's summer releases, but this one is just special to me, proving further the strong emotional power of fragrance. None of the other full bottles I own are really close to Sexy Graffiti or any "red fruity floral fragrances" for that matter, and I don't really go looking for anything close to it. This one's special to me for very special reasons, it gets its' own little beloved place in my perfume world; and the husband gets promoted to Rock Star Status for finding this one for me! (For that, he gets a "rock star" version of our song!)

Since I smell and feel like happiness and light, it's time for a giveaway! Up for grabs a 4ml deluxe sample of Escada's Taj Sunset (first draw) and a sample vile of Badgley Mischka (second draw). I wanted to keep with the wedding/bridal theme, and digging through my sample vial's and couldn't find anything Vera Wang.

Sign up for the giveaway, you know you want to win one of us! (Disclosure - we were acquired as samples with Sephora.com orders.

So, to sign up, comment below, like my facebook link to the post, re-tweet the link to the post... I'll keep the entry period open for a week, until 1/13/12.

I'll end this entry with a question: what is the scent that conjures your happiest memory? Share in the comments....

*Currently Listening: "Not the Same" by Ben Folds