Friday 28 October 2011

Bonkers Is Two This Week! (And Giving Away Two Samples of Bottega Veneta EDP)

Yes, a quick look at the archives reveals that Tuesday 25th was the second anniversary of Bonkers about Perfume. When I tentatively wrote my very first post here, I little thought that there would be another 262 along to join it.

I had toyed with the idea of writing some kind of thoughtful retrospective piece to mark the occasion, but when Tuesday came I was mad busy getting tax stuff together for my accountant and packing to come away to Switzerland for a few days, so that idea went out the window - for the moment at least. So here I am instead three days later, writing this from a Starbuck’s in Basel, one of those rare establishments offering a uniquely appealing combination of tea made to my exacting prescription (because they leave you to make it yourself, basically) and complimentary Internet access. Actually, I haven’t quite trained the staff here to leave room for milk, but that is a small point.

Come to think of it, I did celebrate my second anniversary – though it wasn’t planned that way – by buying another fridge for my perfumes. A suitable one came up on Ebay last week within easy pick up distance, and I knew I had to move fast. Before I left I just had time to spread my collection between the two fridges in a very loose “summer / winter” sort of a way, and there was an audible sight of relief (no, not just the new fridge whirring, really) from the bottles as they found themselves with room to breathe – and to flex their bows and ribbons where applicable.

I will also celebrate the two year mark by offering a sample of Bottega Veneta (which I reviewed the other week) to two readers drawn at random out of suitable receptacle. Their names, I mean, not the readers themselves. And you can live anywhere to be eligible! Just leave a comment (with the exception of those persistent spammers on whose annoying account I have had to bring back the captcha rigmarole) to be entered in the draw, which will close at noon GMT on Monday 31st. A comment about anything really – why you are keen to try Bottega Veneta, what you would like to see on Bonkers in the coming year, whether you still don’t mind my not being as overtly interactive as other bloggers (now there’s a mouthful!), whether you would like to see a thoughtful retrospective at some point, haha - anything really.

Coming up next - airport sniffing and meeting the Swiss perfumistas (again!)


Photo of Bottega Veneta advertisement from fragrantica.com, other photo my own

41 comments:

Stephanie Gauthier-Bujold said...

I would love to try the perfume. Thank you for your review on Suddenly Madame Glamour!

Asali said...

Congrats on your 2nd blogoversary:-) No need to enter me, since I have a sample already.

Nancy said...

Pick me! Pick me! After finding a cure for cancer, solving Fermat's last theorem, winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the National Book Award, I need a little sniffing break.

Nancy H.

PS Congratulations on your second anniversary.

Alexis said...

Congrats on your 2nd anniversary! I would love to win a sample of the Bottega Veneta EDP. I'm curious about a fragrance from such an esteemed fashion house.

Ari said...

Happy 2nd birthday Bonkers about Perfume!!! I have no requests, it is already such a pleasure to read your hilarious posts.

Anonymous said...

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!
I love Bonkers just as it is, although I would have expected a moving tear-jerker of a retrospective and sincerely hope you are working on one for the next anniversary at the very least! :)

No need to enter me in the draw, I have a bottle.

Anonymous said...

2nd anniversary of the blog! Congratulations, and just keep doing what you're doing anyway to keep me reading:-)

Enjoy some Swiss choc to celebrate, perhaps?

cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh

Eva S said...

I just recently found your blog and I'm hoping you'll have many more anniversaries! I would love to try this perfume, all the positive reviews have really whetted my appetite but I fear it will be a long time before it makes an appearance in northern Sweden or I find an excuse to escape the fast-approaching winter...

Vanessa said...

Hi Ms Bubu,

Thanks to you too for helping to spread the word about Suddenly Madame Glamour, or "Sub Machine Gun" perfume as another reader, Nicole, so fetchingly dubbed it.

You're in the draw!

Vanessa said...

Hi Asali,

Appreciate your good wishes - "blogoversary" is a good word for it. We do after all have "blogosphere" and "fumiverse". : - )

Vanessa said...

Hi Nancy H,

A more deserving case couldn't be imagined... And if you are the Nancy H I think you might be, wasn't it also your birthday not so long ago?

And even if it wasn't, I think we should go ahead and toss it in there anyway. Your birthday's this year at least. ; - )

Vanessa said...

Hi Alexis,

Thanks for the congrats - it is a very fine fragrance by any standards, I'd say. You are in the draw!

Vanessa said...

Hi Ari,

Thanks for the good wishes, and I must say that for my money your own blog is one of the funniest in Perfumeland!

Vanessa said...

Hi Olfactoria,

I haven't given up on the idea of a retrospective, possibly over my life as a perfume wearer prior to becoming a perfumista, rather than looking back at "the life" of Bonkers itself. Would try not to jerk tears if possible - well, not *sad* ones, anyway!

You are indeed the happy owner of a bottle of BV... I saw my first bottle in-store in the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich today, next door to Elie Saab. They had conveniently merchandised some of my favourites together...

I also saw my first Bottega Veneta shop, further along the street. I would have gone in had it not been such a whistlestop visit.

Vanessa said...

Hi Anna,

Thanks for the congrats and for your dedicated support of Bonkers!

I treated myself to some hot chestnuts today but have been eyeing up the chocolate too - it is only a question of time before I make my move... : - )

You're in the draw! (As is everyone who hasn't specifically said they don't need to be entered.)

Vanessa said...

Hi Eva S,

Am glad you found your way to Bonkers and sorry that northern Sweden is not better served with perfumeries. I have not been further north than Ed, which isn't very north at all, really. The likes of NK in Stockholm will have Bottega Veneta in no doubt, but that could be as far away from you as Spain from the UK! (Okay, I am a bit shaky on the exact distances concerned, but Sweden looks LONG.)

So good luck in the draw - there are two chances at least, and the odds are considerably better than the National Lottery. : - )

Nancy said...

Thank you, Vanessa. I am who you think I am (at least I *think* I am who I am) and had my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

lovethescents said...

Happy anniversary!!!! I love your blog. Did you know that? :-i

I must retry BV. I tried it when I was congested so didn't give it a fair trial.

Undina said...

Happy Blogoversary!

I enjoy reading your posts, I love that you share your travel experiences with us - as well as your perfume findings. I admire your methodical approach to everything (and I'm still laughing every time I hear a word "paprika"). Keep all of that coming!

No need entering me into the draw, I have a sample already.

Anonymous said...

My first response upon opening this post was "Two fridges!!" or, a la Bonkers, "First Fridge Finds Friend, Frees 'Fumes".

Happy 2nd Anniversary/Blogoversary! I'm with Ari -- don't change a thing.

As for the Bottega Veneta, do please enter me into the draw. I'm always interested in leather notes, or in this case a beautiful suede. And perhaps, while wearing it, I can imagine I have won the lottery and buy one of those lovely woven leather bags.

-- Lindaloo

Irina said...

happy anniversary
I love your travel reports
I would be happy to try "Bottega" since it gets such good reviews
thanks and enjoy the sniffa...

olenska said...

No need to enter me; just stopping by to wish you a very happy blogoversary and to wish for many more of them. :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! And here's to many more. :)

Also no need to enter me in the draw, as I finally prized a sample from a local SA.

Vanessa said...

Hi Nancy,

It was the "H" that led to my hunch it was you...

Vanessa said...

Hi lovethescents,

I did get the impression you were also lovetheblog, as it happens, and thanks for your support since the start! You have been a major enabler of my perfume hobby and the instigator of character-building overseas shopping missions!

Vanessa said...

Hi Undina,

Thanks for your good wishes. I think we are kindred spirits on the methodical research front!, and I was pleased to discover your blog in the second year of Bonkers. I like the way you weave personal experiences and memories into your perfume-themed posts and your recent post on jealousy really struck a chord! : - )

Vanessa said...

Hi Lindaloo,

I swear you should be writing my titles! One day, when the alliterative muse finally bites the dust, as surely it must (that was assonance at least), I will formally engage your help.

You are in the draw and as you say, if you win - and the odds are excellent - you can at least smell like a very classy bag. : - )

Vanessa said...

Hi Irina,

Thanks and good luck in the draw! All the reviews I have read of BV have been favourable so there's a fair chance you'll like it too.

The Swiss sniffa continues apace - on my third day and doing much better than usual on the sample-scoring front. It may be a winning combination of asking outright and a good coat.

Vanessa said...

Hi Olenska,

Thanks very much! Yours is another fine blog I discovered in the past year. I will always associate you with your mid-mid-mid-mid Atlantic location. Or something like that... : - )

Vanessa said...

Hi anotherperfumeblog,

Thanks for the congrats - yours is anotherfineperfumeblog I came across this year! And well done for extracting a sample of this from an SA.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Bonkers!!

May you continue to write about perfume and your wonderfully bonkers road trips for many years to come :D

Lyubov said...

Happy Anniversary!
I am keen on sampling Bottega Veneta because it is not yet available in my country but it seems that everyone of my fellow perfume enthusiasts here tried it...How come I didn't? Well, I'm busy doing my Ph.D. and haven't flown abroad recently...Sadly...Thanks for the draw!
On the other hand, I'd like to read more about something precious you found in your friend's home, or in your Grandma's closet or in a place you didn't ever think you would find such treasure!

Bradamante said...

Congratulations! Really happy with your blog, perfum and great fun, what else could one wish for?
And I'm very very curious about the Bottega Veneta - read such good stuff about it. O, wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the first time I finally won something on a fragrance blog...

Vanessa said...

Hi Candy Perfume Boy!

Thanks for your support of Bonkers - we have known each other a while, but I am delighted you are also blogging now. Your reviews are some of the most comprehensive (and sumptuously illustrated!) in the blogosphere.

Vanessa said...

Hi Lyubov,

Thanks for coming through and good luck in the draw! You sound another deserving case if you can't get Bottega Veneta readily where you live.

That's an interesting suggestion for a post too, and although I barely knew my own grandma (who'd be about 130 now if she were still around), a friend recently sent me an interesting miniature that belonged to her own grandmother and I am planning to do a post on that. By chance it connects with my own (very sketchy) "perfume past" before becoming a serious fan of fragrance.

Vanessa said...

Hi Bradamante,

Thanks very much and you're in the draw. Very reasonable odds as I say - fingers crossed that this time you will be lucky!

Tara said...

Many congratulations on Bonkers 2nd anniversary - and your new fridge - V!

I love the way you put so much of yourself and your adventures into your blog. Your posts are always entertaining as well as interesting and the reports from your road trips are always a good read. Keep up the good work V!

P.S. No need to enter me in the draw thanks, as I have just today hit "Buy It Now" on a bottle on Ebay, yay!

Suzanne said...

Heartiest congratulations on your two years of very entertaining blogging, Vanessa. I feel like I should be singing and snapping my fingers to that old Roger Miller tune, "King of the Road" (though the lyrics aren't at all fitting, so I should probably pick a different tune) because I've been amazed by all of your travel adventures and thrilled to come along on the ride.

No need to enter me in the draw. Just wanted to wish you another great year ahead.

Vanessa said...

Hi Suzanne,

Thanks very much for your lovely comment - "King of the Road" would certainly make a good driving tune all right!

And you would have been just in time for the draw as it happens, but I realise that a lot of people have tried this already.

Have a few travel & sniffing posts coming up shortly now I'm back from my trip to Switzerland. : - )

Ines said...

I am so sorry to be late!
I wanted to comment when this was posted but didn't have time and now I'm seriously late.
Anyway, happy blog birthday dear Vanessa! :)

And I hope your trip is going well. :)

Vanessa said...

Hi Ines,

Thanks for your kind wishes, and being late is no problem. I always say that I will accept birthday presents up to six months after the event, after which they become early ones for the following year.

Anniversary greetings within a week or so are well within normal parameters. ; - ) ; - )