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I enjoyed this writeup by Lee Wallick in the Spring/Summer ’09 issue of Man About Town. I’m glad that one of my favorite scents was finally recognized as it should be.

For the amount of fragrances poured onto the consumer landscape, there are surprisingly few that actually strike the right balance. Terre d’Hermès is precisely one of those. Granted, it’s not new but its exquisitely crafted blend of bitter, bespoke sparkling citrus, matte mineral (gunflint), the vegetal and, of course, earthiness rise vertically above the rest.

Legendary alchemist and in-house perfumer for Hermès, Jean-Claude Ellena describes his creation as one that “belongs to a rather abstract family of olfactory expression, one which rests on an allusive and contemporary view. I’m not describing a landscape. I’m not expressing an actual material. I’m transposing feelings.” And yet, for all its seeming complexity, the scent is in many ways absolute – much like many of its wearers.

His inspiration started with a journey through the elements, but takes in touches of bodies after lovemaking. “I like putting something human into perfume. Nowadays, a lot of perfumes smell clean, as if they were at war with the smells around us,” he explains. This is a fragrance for a man with ambition and creative vision but whose feet are firmly on the ground. But most importantly, it’s for a man who can seduce. “Terre d’Hermès was made for seduction,” Ellena concludes. “That’s what makes perfume a wonderful human invention.”

Obsessed. I use this as a perfume for myself as well as my room. Best birthday present ever.

The Garden Club members do things with plants and flowers you wouldn’t think possible. For the jewelry category, seeds become pearls and blossoms become gems to create incredible arrangements to rival Harry Winston. Also on view are flower arrangements—like living sculptures (pictured is last year’s first award winner), horticulture and photography, along with classes in each of those categories. Special exhibits will reveal Nä Kïhäpai Pua Ali‘i (the Gardens of the Ali‘i) and Continuing to Plant for a Better Future.

I’m not sure if I’d go so far as to compare them to Winston but they definitely were extraordinary. My favorite piece was in the jewelry category (which basically meant they were small plants arranged within a lopsided, ring-like pot as to resemble a necklace or lei) and used what had to be the tiniest and subdued plants in the same shade of green. It consisted of pennywort, fairy moss, dwarf papyrus, umbrella grass, and water lilies. Together they created such a subtle beauty that trumped its outlandish counterparts. More photos of the plants after the cut.

Tim Hamilton has yet to disappoint me with the five or so menswear collections he has under his belt. This offering for next fall is relatively demure in palette but rich with texture and charm. Lots of covetable pieces here. I love the sheeny, long hoodies in navy and black under matte jackets and the quirky floral and fur-lined trenches. The front-zip suede and leather boots in different lengths are amazing. I definitely need to  find a similar pair because lawd knows I can’t afford Hamilton’s (ridiculous) price-points. This is such a boyfriend collection (aka what you would want your boyfriend to dress in).

Miharayasuhiro

Gorgeous pieces, gorgeously styled. There is absolutely everything I could ever want to wear for any occasion during Fall and Winter in this collection. However, we don’t have much of a Fall or Winter so… yeah. Utilitarian, somewhat militaristic, and earthy, the garments seem to have already been lived in, infused with purpose and antiquity. Billowing jackets, knit cardigans, and suit jackets with bows at the waist were highlights for me.

It is a curious emotion, this certain homesickness I have in mind. With Americans, it is a national trait, as native to us as the roller-coaster or the jukebox. It is no simple longing for the home town or country of our birth. The emotion is Janus-faced: we are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.

Caron Mcculers, The Mortgaged Heart

Note: I have decided to create mini five-song playlists throughout the month. I’m hoping that they’ll have some underlying theme. The songs and descriptions will always be located under the cut. Enjoy!

01. Antony & the Johnsons – Spiralling (I Am a Bird Now, 2005)

02. Joanna Newsom – Sawdust and Diamonds Live at Bottletree 2008 (Ys, 2006)

03. Destroyer – Your Blood (Destroyer’s Rubies, 2006)

04. The National – Daughters of the SoHo Riots (Alligator, 2005)

05. Sufjan Stevens – The Predatory Wasp… (Illinois, 2005)

My family and I moved to Hawai‘i in latter half of 2005. Still in my awkward, fresh-out-of-high-school phase and knowing one person on Oahu, I was frequently wandering around by myself discovering.. discovering. These artists and songs formed my musical canon and still find their way back into the nuances of my days. This Easter I spent most of the time (contentedly) alone and I couldn’t help but recall and miss that period.

Last Saturday, Kim and I saw Jenny Lewis perform at Pipeline Cafe. I was totally not expecting to love her as much as I did, especially after the weird tracks on Acid Tongue, but, okay, this bitch worked it out. In her all-white ensemble, backed by a cute band, her voice was just as stunning as it is on recorded tracks. I was glad she played some Rilo Kiley songs and was ecstatic when she covered Love Hurts by the Everly Brothers. As a bonus, my hottie World Religions TA from freshman year was standing in front of me! There’s his head and ‘stache in the picture… Creepy, I know. I recorded Silver Lining and Love Hurts. Videos after the cut.

Okay, I’m just going to blame this lack of posting on a hike I took during the last week of March. I got dreadfully sick the day afterward and have been lazy ever since I was back to normal. It was a beautiful trek, don’t get me wrong, but I wish the sign that indicated a 3.5 mile hike actually meant 3.5 miles and not 350 miles… There was literally no end as we traversed the spine of this mountain ridge for almost five hours. It just got a lot more damp, sweaty, and cold. It did, however, allow for a lot of Twilight roleplay, let me tell you. More photos of the hike after the cut.