In this moment of doom and gloom with articles about whether the US slipping into a recession appearing in every paper / magazine / blog, and visible signs of a slowdown are everywhere around us, little by little I am realizing that this constant hammering of hard luck stories -- homes in foreclosure, jobs losses, families being displaced -- all of this is effecting my own general state of well being.
I need a happy pill.
Now, I know that at the end of the day, happiness is an inside job. I can choose to be happy, I can choose to be grateful, but sometimes, when it feels dreadfully impossible to summon all of this abundance from within, sometimes, it's more fun (and better for the economy) to go out and buy happiness. And so for those of you, who can derive real 'feel good' pleasure from that perfect little something...this article is for you.
I have always been a firm believer in the power of scent. I always keep a scented candle at my desk. It's a bit of beauty that, aside from emitting a wonderful fragrance that always calms me, grounds me - in part because it is so incongruous with the facts and figures and analysis on pieces of paper all around me. After experimenting with many brands starting at the low end of the price scale all the way to the top, I have found a perfect scented candle.
Years ago, my exploration started with Votivo candles. While I loved their scents, I didn't love the headaches they gave me when I burned them, or the excessively black tail of smoke emitted from the flame. I learned this has something to do with low grade wax and petrol used in making them. I tried several others in this price range, but the results were the same. I tried Jo Malone candles (mandarin) which have a very clean burn, and a wonderful, not-too-powerful scent, but my wallet got burned out by the price ($75 at Saks) so I moved on and found the most perfect scented candle in the market.
Diptyque. They retail for between $48 to $55 per candle - yes, this is a real luxury, but well worth it. Their scents are more subtle and beautiful than most, they burn extremely clean and very long. It is not unusual for a Diptyque candle to last me a month at my desk, burned several days a week. I have tried (and loved) Violette, Figuer, Panopax. Last week I purchased Thé (French for tea), which is so far my favorite. In the US they have limited distribution, but I've purchased them at Bergdorf Goodman and Jeffreys in New York City.
This is also a moment for big statement jewelry, and last week I saw the perfect necklace. I was visiting Aurelie Biderman in her Paris showroom. I buy her line of jewelry for our ADAM boutique in NYC, and fell in love with her elemental, soulful collection inspired by the sea. She has created the perfect necklace of a single sea urchin pin wrapped in gold thread at the neck, hanging from a delicate gold chain, retailing for $300. Aurelie's jewelry is designed and handmade in Paris. She sells to Colette in Paris, Montagne Market on Avenue Montagne in Paris, and here in the US at ADAM in New York City. I am scooping one up for myself.
Never forget, a happy heart needs happy feet, and happy feet need happy shoes. I have found just the pair to shed the blahs from your soul and your wardrobe. I have tried them with a black skinny cropped pant and lightweight black trench and they are sheer perfection. Gucci red Spring Summer wedges with a peep toe. My splurge on this pair of shoes makes me happy every time I put them on.
And lastly, a random act of kindness toward someone can have lasting effects for me for days. One of my favorite things is to drop personal notes to friends I don't often see. Sometimes I include an article I've read which would be of interest to them. For this, I love personalized stationery. My stationery is ivory with beige letters and a matching beige envelope liner, but I've recently gone back to the drawing board and using my same plate from the calligrapher. I switched up the color of the paper, and the font from serious and elegant to fun. So now, I send notes according to the spirit of the message, and my dear friends get happy messages on happy paper.
So with my Diptyque candle burning, my happy feet tapping under my desk, and a smile on my face, I feel positively, wickedly, and abundantly invincible.