Sarah Dowdey wrote in How Smells Work, “A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people’s moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain’s limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it’s sometimes called the “emotional brain,” smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously.” Click on sniff to read the entire article.
What is the best smell of Christmas {or winter} for you?
The beauty and scent of fresh evergreens has long been a tradition for the holidays. These hearty branches are an easy way to bring the beauty of nature into our homes as it becomes cooler outdoors {for many of us}. I grew up in the PNW, and love the scents of our beautiful evergreens, but, I must admit, the fragrance of these tree’s eastern relations, the Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir have always triggered a more intense feeling of the authentic, traditional scent of Christmas for me.
I’m so excited to announce that you may be able to experience this fresh, woody scent very soon, because the GreenValley Christmas Tree Company has offered to send a fresh Fraser Fir wreath to a lucky Splendid Market winner.
Details for the giveaway are at the bottom of this post, please, enter often, but enter soon, we will have a random drawing on Wednesday, 12/14, so the wreath can be shipped to the winner in time for the holidays.
I was able to order a box of Fraser Fir branches to be shipped to me, and oh my, they did make my house merry. Along with other greens and holly, they freshened my collection of blue and white export porcelain.
And they were the perfect frame for my budding Amaryllis.
I also used them to make my favorite holiday bouquets. I love the combination of deep green branches paired with fragrant white Casablanca lilies during the winter months. To make these bouquets, I filled the vases with evergreen branches, and then arranged stems of Casablanca Lilies into this base. Next, I filled in the space around the flowers with more boughs of greenery and holly making the arrangements look taller and fuller. These bouquets look great inside
and out and they usually last for weeks. If the blooms of the lilies fade, just replace them with fresh stems.
Okay, let’s get this giveaway started! Complete any, and/or all of the following steps to get your name in the hat, the more steps you take, the more times your name will be entered:
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Subscribe to Splendid Market {if you are already a subscriber, leave a comment and let me know}. To subscribe, enter your email address in the box in the top right corner of this page.
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Get a friend to subscribe to Splendid Market {and let me know who your friend/s is/are.}
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“Like” Splendid Market on Facebook {you can click on the “like” icon in the column to the right, middle of the page}.
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Follow Splendid Market on Twitter {see “follow me” in the column to the right}.
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Blog, twitter or facebook about the giveaway and leave a comment or send me an email to let me know.
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I am sniffing a fragrant Fraser fir bough as I write this and I’m so excited to be able to share this fabulous scent with one of you! Just imagine that fresh whiff as you open the box! I hope it conjures many marvelous memories for you.
Bon chance!
Oh Emily .. I already subscribe, post, comment and love Splendid Market and was just feeling like a wreath might be just what my door needs
xo Tova
I subscribed to Splendid Market 🙂
your tablescape is so beautiful! I won't be here for Christmas, but if I was I would be entering! Have a great day, Barbara
lovely…. i was out of town this past weekend… thank you for your invite… xx
Gorgeous arrangements!!! Following you, Emily.
Your blue and white looks so gorgeous decked for the holidays! I love Fraser fir — it has been our family choice for a Christmas tree for as long as I can remember. This year's is especially beautiful and fragrant. The air in our home is spiked with a heady cocktail of fir and other greens, narcissus blooms and Diptyque Pomander candle. Heaven!
Hi Emily,
So fun getting caught up on all of your posts…loved your Thanksgiving floral arrangements…vicariously spending time at the Ranch…can relate to those prickly pears…I got my stickers out with duct tape and then elmer's glue…and the Christmas greens in your blue and white export looks amazing. Hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season. All the best!
Jermaine
Emily – I am a subscriber and have my fingers crossed to be the winner! Our tree is finally decorated and the door is not – yet. 🙂 Cheers!
I just tweeted (as LuckyBodi) about the give away!
By all means please count me in! Would love to win a gorgeous wreath and I am so with you on the smell…..the best ever! Can I just say that your blue and whites filled with the evergreens are STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL….WOW!!!!!!!! Love what you did, fabulous!!
Your house is looking beautifully festive!! Love the blue and white!! I will pop over later to read the article – I know that smell is the sense most linked to memory!
Now I know what I want for Christmas – more blue and white china. I am in awe.
Subscribed to your blog! Great giveaway, Emily.
Teresa
xoxo
Followed on Twitter!
Teresa
xoxo
Liked on Facebook!
Teresa
xoxo
Posted on my Facebook page!
Teresa
xoxo
Tweeted about this giveaway!
Teresa
xoxo