...I have been enjoying the scent of Annick Goutal "Quel Amour!"Yes, I can smell again!!!! :D

...NSku:I have to say that all of you that post such artistic pictures of your perfumes have inspired me to do a better job with mine. I probably won't take down my first postings, even tho they look so "meh" to me now..but won't get around to more photos til later. I know when I do, I'll take much more care in composition based on the inspiration I've received and the example set by youse guys here at Parfumo!!My first year here, I had no camera, so the quality of my images is quite poor, since they were all taken with the eye of my netbook. I've decided to leave them up anyway, since they record my first year here and The Emperor's participation, too! :)

...Dulcemio:Sherapop:How do you feel about Merrick? I just ordered it at Amazon. It contains sweet potatoes and blueberries, but the ratings are stellar from the customers, all of whom are concerned to avoid grains...Have you tried it? Pray tell! :idea:I'm not sure about Merrick, but I've avoided it for some reason. I just googled and saw some reports of mold in their canned food and pets getting sick on it. I am going to my favorite pet supply store tonight and I'll ask my gurus, they know their stuff. I'll get back to you.I ordered a bag of the dry food. I'll inspect it scrupulously before feeding it to The Emperor! Those reports do not bode well... Fortunately, amazon has excellent customer service, so if there are any concerns whatsoever, they'll issue a full refund... :?

...Dulcemio:Grain-free brands of pet food that I (and my cats) like:ORIJEN (super high quality kibble)STELLA AND CHEWEY (I use their freeze-dried raw)NATURE'S VARIETY (I use the frozen raw duck and chicken of this brand, have also used the grain-free kibble)LOTUS (I use the grain-free kibble)I'm not a big fan of canned food, because it's the most processed and cooked, so the least "alive," but grain-free canned is better than non grain-free. In canned I have used WELLNESS AND WERUVA.Please note that these will not likely be available at big pet chains or supermarkets, but they are well-established brands nonetheless. You just need to go on their websites to see where to purchase in your area.Also please note, yes, these brands are more expensive than Friskies and Purina, but, (1) animals need and eat much less of these foods because they are richer in protein and nutrients, so the cost difference is a wash. And (2) more importantly, the money and stress you will save yourself not dealing with chronic health problems makes it more than a wash.BTW, the prescription food my old vet had my tomcat on not only didn't cure his bladder crystals, it made him sick. They were suggesting a surgery where they snip off the top section of his urethra! Thank GOD I found grain-free!!!How do you feel about Merrick? I just ordered it at Amazon. It contains sweet potatoes and blueberries, but the ratings are stellar from the customers, all of whom are concerned to avoid grains...Have you tried it? Pray tell! :idea:

...Cryptic:I hope this shows up.I have been wondering:How in the world does someone process the theft of someone else's lunch? Do they tell themselves that it might be theirs????? :roll:

...Dulcemio:Grain-free brands of pet food that I (and my cats) like:ORIJEN (super high quality kibble)STELLA AND CHEWEY (I use their freeze-dried raw)NATURE'S VARIETY (I use the frozen raw duck and chicken of this brand, have also used the grain-free kibble)LOTUS (I use the grain-free kibble)I'm not a big fan of canned food, because it's the most processed and cooked, so the least "alive," but grain-free canned is better than non grain-free. In canned I have used WELLNESS AND WERUVA.Please note that these will not likely be available at big pet chains or supermarkets, but they are well-established brands nonetheless. You just need to go on their websites to see where to purchase in your area.Also please note, yes, these brands are more expensive than Friskies and Purina, but, (1) animals need and eat much less of these foods because they are richer in protein and nutrients, so the cost difference is a wash. And (2) more importantly, the money and stress you will save yourself not dealing with chronic health problems makes it more than a wash.BTW, the prescription food my old vet had my tomcat on not only didn't cure his bladder crystals, it made him sick. They were suggesting a surgery where they snip off the top section of his urethra! Thank GOD I found grain-free!!!I'm sold--that's it! Thank you so much for all of this helpful information. I even started already this afternoon by giving The Emperor Trader Joe's tuna for cats, which contains not a speck of grain! :D

...Dulcemio:Shera,NO GRAINS! Including brown rice. I know it's healthy for humans, but it's absolutely not for cats.As the holistic DVM said who prescribed grain-free to my cat about 8 or 9 years ago, feral cats never, EVER raid rice paddies or corn fields. Whole grains = good for humansWhole grains = wreak havoc on feline organsI will repeat the following a million times if it helps even just one kitty to be free of chronic health problems:My now 18-year old tomcat had recurring and life threatening health problems (liver failure and crystals in his bladder) for a few years from the age of around 9 to 11 - there were many lengthy hospital stays, lots of pain and worry. The old vet had given up trying to fix him and put him on a low dose of prednizone to try to extend his life a little, which she didn't expect to be long.I switched him to grain-free, and after a month of solid improvement I scrapped the prednizone, and here we are 8 or 9 years later and he's never been back to the vet except for a routine checkup every now and then. And as you know, 8 or 9 years is a long time in a cat's life. Proof, meet pudding.Not all grain-free is created equal though, so be careful! What USED TO BE an excellent brand (Innova Evo) was bought by Procter & Gamble and almost immediately began making pets sick. DO NOT GO NEAR ANYTHING BY THAT COMPANY. I'll be happy to tell you which ones I've used if you want me to.I've actually moved on to the even more biologically appropriate RAW diet (still grain-free). I get frozen raw (it's handled differently from raw meat meant for humans, and the freezing process eliminates all dangers from bacteria or parasites). All my three cats love it and thrive on it. And the 18-year old is doing great.BTW, my grandma got herself off insulin by changing her diet, and she lived to 98.Thank you so much, Dulcemio for all of this advice. Are grains even in small amounts (like the tenth ingredient on the can) really going to harm The Emperor? Oh my. Well, at least much of his food right now is the straight tuna variety, which contains NO grains. Plus, as I said, many of his meals are straight chicken--no grains there! Maybe if I switch completely over to NO GRAINS AT ALL then The Emperor's diabetes will subside... Good idea!BTW: I agree with you about P&G: stay far, far away. For me, that means their perfume, too, sad to say. :cry:

...Dulcemio:Shera,Is the Emperor on grain-free food? Several years back both of my older cats went from chubby and squishy round the middle to fit and lean after I changed them to grain-free. (Not to mention clearing up some serious health problems in one of them, which I've talked about ad nauseum.) It positively impacts diabetes as well.Not entirely grain free, but definitely high protein, and the grains in blends are usually stuff like brown rice. I often prepare homemade cat food, which is just braised chicken breast chopped finely, and when I buy cans, I always make sure that the first two ingredients are real meat: tuna, chicken, liver, beef, white fish, etc.--not grain or "meat by-products" which I believe is stuff like horse hooves and other scraps from rendering factories (yuck!).I found a new variety containing garden greens, which he adores. It also contains corn bran--of all things, and he no longer has a weight problem, perhaps because of that, but I do still have to give him insulin shots twice a day. I also give him methylcobalamin (B12) to counteract his neuropathy, but he had a stroke, and so has limited back leg mobility. We do physical therapy before every meal.So, as you can see, it's really true: I am his Chief of Staff!!! :)

...Gmmcnair:I have been buried in work lately. I have also been trying to stay away from any threads that represent temptation to buy for me here. My vet bill was $700 and worth it...my little girly is doing well. Get to see her today....I have missed her and her brother so much.Health care for our fine friends is frighteningly expensive--if only I were diabetic, instead of The Emperor! Well, I am happy that Fergie is doing well! The perfume sacrifice you have made is noble! :D

...I have been looking like thishttps://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKNvPjyVdbBLJxdMl7j5FfgbU3o0AdUmFf96FAJ8zy-jb4IlIX

...Cincy:I have been wondering if we should insure Shera's nose.That's so sweet of you, Cincy! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooo

...Dlane1953:I've been hoping that Sherapop recovers quickly!Thank you darling Diane! I have echinacea tea and Theraflu, so I'll be back in fine form soon. In the meantime, The Emperor gets to enjoy 24/7 on site companionship. :wink:

...I have been sneezing! I have the worst cold: all of my muscles ache, and my nose has been running like a faucet. I'm wearing all-natural perfume today. No reviews--I'm incompetent in my current state! :(

...Thank you! That little preposition means a lot! :oops:

...Sorry to be retarded (or am I just old?), but I thought that Back in Black was an AC-DC song! :roll:

...Dulcemio:"Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself."Mark TwainAll the more incisive after the recent gun legislation fiasco...(NRA whores) :x

...DutchSniffer:One of the first full bottles I thought to decant for give-away samples, is about the clumsiest in existence for that purpose: Mauboussin with a top you turn 90° to open it. I love the "Mauboussin" bottles. Too bad we don't need paperweights anymore--that is what they are best suited for! :wink:

...Digindirt:I have been using a syringe to decant the Gucci.Please provide more details! Do you have a long syringe? Where did you buy it? I am constantly struggling with difficult decanting challenges... :roll:

...Dolby:Oh, and the "house" is Procter & Gamblegood one, Dolbster :P

...Yes, of course, you're right Dolby: that's basically the bottom line of all of James Bond. What was I thinking? Perhaps that by the twenty-first century something might change? :roll: