Roma

I've worn the same perfume since 1989.

My Granny had her own company and would decorate tables in the 70's and 80's.  Decorate and make them beautiful.  Not a table cloth.  Not a table "arrangement".  But, "table skirting" and tops.

The entrepreneur gene runs in the family.

In 1989, she did a "job" for Neiman Marcus department store.  She did a lot of work for them.  They would do things right.

In the gift bags for the event, they would include products from the store.  New lines.  New happenings. New products to try.  She was given several bags to take home.  She gave me one.

She gave me a gift bag that changed my life.

There was a bottle of perfume in the gift bag.  Not a sample size, but a FULL bottle of perfume.  There might have even been other bottles of perfume in there.

It was in a rosey orange box.  The bottle itself looked like a Greek column.  It was a "spicy orange" kind of color.

I remember spraying it on for the very first time in my grandparents living room.  It was nice.  I wasn't sure I liked it though.  I had liked sweet perfumes.  Love's Baby Soft.  Ralph "Lauren".  Obsession by Calvin Klein

Oh, wait.  Obsession might have been a bit "spicy" in scent.  Spicy, by cinnamon.

Maybe "Obsession" was later.  But I think it was before.

But I wasn't sure if I liked Roma or I "didn't like" Roma.  But I started wearing it.

I'm a girl from Texas.  You don't leave the house without your lipstick on and your perfume.  

THEN, some guy (and I had always thought guys don't notice things) tells me I smell nice.  And, well, that was it.

The only place you could get Roma, by Lauren Biogiatti, was at Neiman's.  (And a side note here, I can't afford to shop at Neiman's - for you non-Dallas people - it's like shopping at well, I don't know what.  I don't shop).

Carolyn and I became roommates the following year.  We use to call it "The Boy Perfume".  Every. SINGLE. Time.  We wore it, some guy would say "You smell nice".

We wore it all the time.  We never quit wearing it.

I tried once, when I was still married, to find a "new perfume".  A scent that said "this is me!".  I experimented.  I quit wearing Roma.

But, truly, it was Roma that found me.

I remember going back to wearing Roma.  (Yes, I'm still the type of girl - even though I wear my running clothes everyday - I'm clean and have my Roma on).

That was probably about 16 years ago.

It's harder to find now.  They quit making it.  Neiman's doesn't carry it.  You have to find it in a random perfume shop.  An airport duty free shop.  Or a drug store in Germany.  Or Long Beach too.

The compliment "You smell good" still makes my heart swell.  In fact, one guy I've known for years, hugged me. Took a breath and said, "You smell like you".

I wear it everyday.  Every time I spray it on, it makes me smile.

We will one day have a very sad day - when I can't find it any more.

But today, it still makes us all smile.....