I have never planted seeds before because I am not a very patient person and waiting for the little green shoots to rise above the ground was just too much for me. But this year, I thought I would give it a try. I thought it would be a good metaphor for me to plant something and watch it grow, much as I have many times, planted thoughts, dreams and affirmations and watched many of them become a reality.
And so in the Spring of this year, I planted my garden. I chose many types of flowers and among them, Morning Glories. Within a month, many of the other flowers were bursting through the earth, but not the Morning Glories.
Each morning I would run outside to check on them and nothing, nothing for several weeks more. I was about to give up on them. I was sure that they just did not ?take? so to speak. And then one day, it happened! They had broken through the earth and were starting to climb. And climb and climb and climb they did....with their big beautiful heart shaped leaves.
And so the saga continued, nothing for weeks and weeks and weeks but more and more beautiful leaves. And I thought to myself, ?Well, leaves are nice, but that is all I will probably get at this point.? And then one fine and glorious morning, there it was, the most beautiful sky-blue morning glory I have ever seen!!! It seemed like a miracle to me. I had waited over 3 months for this one delicate, funnel-shaped flower to show up and now here it was, in all its splendor.
It reminded me of just how many times I had waited in life for something I had longed for and how incredible it felt when it finally arrived and also how many times, that I had wanted to throw in the towel and just give up.
But I wasn't prepared for what was to happen next with these little flowers and I was surprised and deeply saddened by it.
Roses and geraniums and daisies and most other flowers bloom and stay around for a while but not Morning Glories. Morning Glories open themselves up to the world, in the morning, in all of their glory, hence the name Morning Glory.
And if you look closely at them, you will see how extraordinary they are both in colour and texture and that in their centre is a kind of golden light that shines from within.
But here is the hard part...
At the end of the day, they turn a most beautiful shade of lavender, and then close up, wither and die. They live for only one day and then they are gone. I cannot tell you how much this saddened me and what a profound effect this little flower had upon my life. I kept thinking how sad to be so beautiful and live for only one day. And then I suddenly realized what a gift they were.
You see it doesn't matter how long your life is. It only matters that you were here, in all your glory, that you opened up completely and let your light shine and that you brought joy to those who came into contact with you. That's what matters to the morning glory and that's what really matters to all of us.
The morning glories make me appreciate every new day now, in a way I didn't before. Each evening I go and visit with them knowing those particular ones won't be here tomorrow, new ones will take their place. If we knew when we woke up in the morning, that we only had that one day to really live, life would be very different indeed for many of us.
Now, each morning I give thanks that I have been given the gift of another day in all its glory. We can learn from all of life if we remain open to the beauty that is all around us. And nature can be one of our greatest teachers.
What a profound lesson from such a simple flower.
...Thank you, my sweet little morning glories!
Judging by the perfume counter, you'd think they knew a lot. Celebrity fragrances are big on the perfume market right now, hot and getting hotter. So are they good fragrance choices?
Some people figure it's just a marketing gambit and walk away. Others would argue that a celebrity would likely only endorse a product they liked, so perhaps it's more like a "seal of approval." And who knows more about glamour than some of the folks who attach their names to perfume bottles?
The role a celebrity plays in developing a fragrance varies a lot from product to product and celebrity to celebrity. Some celebrities play a very active role in developing a fragrance, others just have approval rights and let a team of experts work out a fragrance that's marketable. Sarah Jessica Parker allegedly obsessed over her fragrance as it was in the works and Brittney Spears reportedly had some input on the bottle and packaging design of her scent Curious.
It's hard to say if that is true or part of the marketing spin on these products. Most right-thinking celebrities do not endorse products lightly (even if some do it frequently). But is the endorsement deal based on love or money?
The perfume industry has been a moneymaker for the last, say, 18 centuries. Individual perfumes make money based on the extent to which sales can offset research and production. Since a very fine perfume may be sold for years--generations even--a classic perfume can make its manufacturer a great deal of money over time. But not all perfumes become classics.
The idea of a "person behind the fragrance" is nothing new. Perhaps Coco Chanel created that mystique when she unveiled Chanel No. 5, a perfume she did not invent and marketed by a company she was involved with. However, Coco Chanel quickly became Chanel No. 5's "persona" which was a boon both to her own career and legend as well as the perfume (it's been around since 1923).
Designers have always had fragrances. From Christian Dior to Paco Rabanne, from Calvin Klein to Vera Wang, it's almost obligatory for a design house to have a perfume. Even luxury brands (not designers) have signature scents: Tiffany, Coach, Burberry.
Expanding that sphere to celebrities--the new American royalty--was a logical leap. At first, famous women merely served as spokespeople for the perfume. Today, they are more likely to have their name on the bottle than on the ad.
But should you buy them? Celebrity fragrances tend to be produced by the major perfume houses, so you should expect to get a high-quality product. Celebrities also make sure there is some glamour and appeal in the packaging and promotion, so the perfume will likely have some of that mystique rub off on it. In other words, it's probably worth a whiff.
But should you buy celebrity perfumes as gifts? Should you add them to your collection? That depends on what type of perfume lover will wind up with the celebrity scent.
Among the men and women of fragrance, there are really only three types of perfume fan.
The first is the person who is enamored of America's celebrity culture. This includes lots of young men and women, particularly those who are big fans of specific celebrities. They love celebrity perfumes. If you don't know what to give that person who adores Celine Dion, a celebrity fragrance is a great idea.
The second type of person of fragrance is the one who has very specific ideas about fragrance. Perhaps they have a signature scent or they have just made up their minds that they hate Dior but love Givenchy or some other quirky thing. These are the equivalent of people who don't like the vegetable to touch the meat on their dinner plate; they are finicky. This kind of person is bright, articulate, confident, and has all of these virtues to excess, to the point that you sometimes wish she might harbor an occasional secret opinion. I suspect Ann Coulter is in this mix. If you buy a fragrance gift for such a person, be sure to find out what they like. In all probability, they do not like celebrity perfumes because, quite frankly, they dislike the cult of celebrities.
There is a reason for this, of course. Celebrity scents have to be made to appeal to a lot of people, but not everybody adores scents that have "mass appeal." To do that, you have to create scents that have the least ability to offend people. Bottom line, you end up with fragrances that most people like but few people love. The second type of person finicky, and finicky people are hard to shop for.
The third and final person of fragrance is the true perfumista, the person who wears a lot of perfume and knows about them. This is a more free-spirited individual who is, paradoxically, the least likely to be a perfume snob. Perfumistas will wear drug-store perfume, providing they like it. These perfume lovers will wear scents that they like (but don't adore) and they educate their nose and senses to the point that they have very broad tastes and can appreciate a wide range of fragrances.
For them, every scent is judged on its own merit. They probably own some pretty eclectic fragrances and they might very well enjoy a celebrity fragrance.
Generally speaking, people who have claimed a celebrity fragrance as their personal favorite (like the lady at work who loves White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor), who are young and still sweetly impressionable, or those who adore specific celebrities are ideal candidates for celebrity fragrances. So are people who have sort of broad tastes for fragrance and seem open-minded about trying new things.
Should you check out the celebrity fragrances at the perfume counter? Absolutely! You may even find some that you really like.
Both Veronica Hay & Joanna Mclaughlin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Veronica Hay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Religion, self improvement and motivation and Fitness. Veronica Hay is an inspirational writer. Her work inspires others to be more of who they really are. Telephone: 403-245-6815 Email: veronicahay@telus.net Subscribe to Veronica's Daily Insights & Inspirations at the following link.. Veronica Hay's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Joanna Mclaughlin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mothers Day, Perfumes and Social Issues. Want to know more about perfume? To learn more and get a free Perfume Profile, zip on over to