Thanksgiving in the USA marks the beginning of the Holiday Season, hustle, bustle, a time for family and friends whether they are close to home or far away. For perfume bloggers, it is also a time for reflection as we wrap up the year in fragrance.  We are thankful for so much in our lives, no matter what obstacles we face we strive to persevere. Fragrance makes us happy and brings us closer to each other even during the darkest hours. Here are some thoughts on and acknowledgements of people who ar important to us  in the realm of scent outside of ÇaFleureBon.

"I am thankful for the influence and guidance of my former mentor, Horst Rechelbacher who founded Aveda. His vision of a plant-based society remains foremost in my approach to perfumery, life and spirituality. Our exchanges of botanical wisdom as well as a secret love of dirty jokes provide both serious instruction and warm humanity. Beyond recognition, his gift was one of employment, empowerment and a deep understanding of Earth stewardship.  “Good Planets are Hard to Find”-Einsof, Contributor

"I am thankful for much in my life, but in the scented world I am grateful for  Michelyn Camen (who I know I shouldn't be thanking in our own article, but hey…)  Michelyn has given me the chance to write regularly about perfume, so I can combine two of my great passions in one go.  She's been an incredible mentor to me as well. I'm also very grateful for Barbara Herman, author of Scent and Subversion, who befriended me after her book was published, and we've been buddies ever since.  Without these two women, I wouldn't have come as far as I have in the fragrance community.  I will always be grateful for their friendship and continued support". –Steve Johnson, Contributor

"Like Steve, special women in the perfume community come to mind. The first is Liz Moores, founder of Papillon Perfumery. Since I first reviewed her debut three fragrances she has become a good friend, my mentor and my cheerleader. She is so supportive of my mission to forward my career, she's always full of good advice and she's helped me out on several occasions when I've needed to know about certain notes in fragrance. She's an admirable, driven woman and I can only aspire to her levels of creativity and determination. The second are Oxana & Ruth at Bloom Perfumery in London. I tend to get most of my perfume samples from them and we collaborated on a feature for Love My Dress. Since then I have also been lucky enough to work with them on several East London magazine articles. They have introduced me to scents I would never have known about and learn to be open to just about everything".-Susie Baird, Contributor

I am thankful for the distillers who continue to produce beautiful aromatics on which so many perfumes are based. Especially new ingredients such as co-distillations and ancient ones like the sandalwood attars. –Elise Pearlstine, Editor

"Despite writing extensively on perfumery and its various olfactory denizens, I am in reality somewhat of a recluse from the actual hurly burly world of scented PR, events etc. I don’t make friends easily, those I have I value like silence. As far as perfumery goes, I will be always be grateful for the continued friendship and support of Mr E, my friend, colleague and scented partner in crime. His knowledge is encyclopedic, technical knowhow second to none and his opinions fiercely forthright. He reads my work and together we create prose and scent as 'Les Deux Garçons'. We look to the future as perfumer and writer. Without his tough and committed views, my approach to perfume would be a little more indecisive and out of focus".  –The Silver Fox, Sr Editor

"In 2009, I was urged by two people to start ÇaFleureBon. In a twitter exchange, Robin of Now Smell This wrote “why don’t you start your own blog” as I had been writing for years for others.  My husband, then my boyfriend, encouraged me to follow my vision to create a scented salon, where perfumers, writers, artists and lovers of fragrance from all over the world, would never feel intimidated and always be comfortable. He gave this site its name, which in formal French means This  Smells Good.  Thank you to the contributors and editors, past and present for all they have given and continue to give. I have been privileged to work with remarkable talent and moreover, remarkable people.  Thank you to the generosity of the many, many perfumers and perfumeries that offer daily fragrance draws, something that really hadn’t been done in the past. Finally, thank you to the readers; those who have been with us from the first post by Michel Roudnitska  in March of 2010 to the ever growing number of new readers who are discovering the Art of perfumery. Your loyalty and appreciation means the world to me."–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at ÇaFleureBon.