Easter 2022: The Origin Story of Provision Scents by Sherri Sebastian + Sweet Giveaway

 

Easter in the 1970s

 Perfumer Sherri Sebastian  as a young girl during Easter and today 

Have you ever had that sinking feeling…? of seeing someone else get credit for something you created or discovered first? I remember the first time I experienced that feeling. It was Easter Sunday 1974, and I was at church with my grandmother.  It was a beautiful spring day, and after the service I joined the other children there for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  There were many brightly colored eggs hidden throughout the yard, but the ultimate goal was to find the one and only golden egg.

First United Presbyterian Church of Rennerdale, where the Easter egg hunt took place.

As we lined up waiting for it to begin I could feel the excitement building around me. When the person in charge yelled “Ready, set, GO!” everyone took off running in all directions on a mission to find the golden egg. Everyone, that is, except me. Momentarily frozen by the commotion, I began slowly walking out to the middle of the lawn. Even back then, I had a strong desire for calm, beautiful environments.  As the other children frantically searched for the golden egg I was transfixed by the perfectly manicured lawn with its vivid green grass, bordered with bright yellow daffodils. Then I looked up. Lo and behold, there it was—the precious golden egg— delicately balanced on the branch of a tree overhead. I remember having the sensation that someone was staring at me. I quickly turned to see a young boy with his gaze fixed upon me, then watched as he retraced my own gaze all the way up to my prized discovery. Before I could move he ran to the tree, climbed it, and grabbed the golden egg.  Within minutes, he was claiming the chocolate Easter bunny prize.

 

Easter Lilies

 Easter Lilies from Sherri’s garden 4/15/2022

My stomach sank as I watched him celebrate his victory. “Did no one see what just happened?” I thought to myself. He won because of my observation. Doesn’t that count for something? Since he was able to quickly climb the tree and get the egg before me, he won fair and square according the the rules. But I saw it first. On the way home I wrestled with my upset and refused my grandmother’s offer to buy me a chocolate bunny as a consolation. It’s such a silly childhood story in a way, but it underscores the importance of persistence and pressing on in the face of defeat. It also impressed upon me the importance guarding my heart and my ideas, and the value of right timing.

Golden Eggs on Provision packaging designed by Edward Leida

I’d virtually forgotten about that incident until a few years ago, when I was developing my brand PROVISION. I chose this name with the mission of providing exceptional products from a professional perspective. For the logo and packaging, I commissioned a well-known NYC designer, Edward Leida.  He was the VP Design Director at Barneys New York for many years and his work is absolutely stunning.  I gave him full creative rein, providing no marketing direction other than the name and that it would be a collection luxurious basics.  I’ll never forget the day when he called and said, “Are you sitting down in front of your computer?” He was ready to show me his concept, explaining that he’d tried many ideas, but only one kept coming back to him.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the file to see a golden egg on the screen! I had never shared my childhood story with Edward so it was true synchronicity that he proposed a golden egg to be part of my new logo and packaging design.  The symbolic nature of an egg perfectly matched my vision for creating products complete in their purpose. Ones that performed and transformed the senses.

Today, it still moves me when I think about how all of this came together.  And it makes me glad to know that with perseverance and passion anyone can get their golden egg.

—Sherri Sebastian, Contributing Editor for Notes from The Lab and Perfumer of Provision Scents

 

Easter chocolate bunnies

Connection Lip Rescue by PROVISION and Chocolate Easter Bunny Sarris (photo credit sarriscandies.com)

Thanks to Provision Scents and perfumer Sherri Sebastian there is a draw for a USA registered CaFleureBon reader (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid) for a chance to win a full size of Connection Lip rescue  from Provision, and a chocolate Bunny from Sarris Candies in the USA only  To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Sherri’s origin story, and if you have any Easter egg hun memories. Draw closes 4/19/2022

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Happy Easter (and Passover) to all who celebrate!

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10 comments

  • joetelegram says:

    Happy Easter!

    Thank you Sherri Sebastian for your story! I have had similar experiences. There really is something that wells up in the human heart when we experience injustice or unfairness first hand. And when these things happen to you as an adolescent, they can be quite traumatizing. As a father, this reminds me that I need to protect my son from these sorts of complicated “injustices” for as long as I can. But alas, I fear the world is chalk full of these and they are unavoidable. There goes my optimism! Haha …

    But maybe I am missing the point of “Provision Scents”, generally speaking. The bumps and bruises along the way shape us. We shouldn’t let challenges or old wounds prevent us from walking and staying positive, knowing that on the other side of the tragedy or setback comes what we really need anyway.

    This year we’ll hide Easter eggs around the yard, and we’ll be mindful of our little Jack, as well as the neighborhood children. We’ll make sure that every kid gets a belly full of Easter candy. We’ll also hold onto a sincere hope that the magic of Easter doesn’t run out too soon, at least not on our account.

    Thank you “Provision Scents”, especially perfumer Sherri Sebastian for the touching narrative and meaningful offering. As always, thank you to Michelyn Camen, editor in chief @ cafleurebon.com for the opportunity.

    Joseph O’Brien–Roseburg, Oregon (USA)

    Username: joetelegram
    Instagram: @joetelegram

  • Tracy Wilson says:

    I love how your designer came up with the golden egg idea. It was meant to be!

    I remember doing egg hunts in the yard… with real eggs… and finding one or two that we missed a month or two later. Lol… Those were the days!

  • mdellaroc says:

    How wonderful that you had learned such an important lesson, but after all this time and all that patience you got your golden egg! In maryland

  • drjedi says:

    Wow what an incredible story by Sherri Sebastian on finally getting credited for the golden egg that she found first, albeit in a way different from what she had expected. Isn’t it funny how we remember incidents, good and bad, from our childhood so vividly, especially when they insult our sense of fair play. Sherri’s story is that of hope and a resurrection of sorts, perfect for today, Easter Sunday. May all be blessed with such happy endings, even if they come late in the game. Appreciate your lovely stories and writings, especially this one by Sherri Sebastian. Thanks for the draw too. Have a Happy and joyful Easter Sunday. From USA.

  • Torax says:

    I enjoyed so Much Sherris story because it showed how innocent children are and their early sense of justice.
    I have a couple stories from when I was a child and had to find the chocolate eggs in church. The one I remember the most is when I had in my basket 5 chocolate eggs and this one kid, who was bigger and stronger, took all of them from me when nobody saw. I couldn’t say or do anything because I remember I was so afraid of him.
    Now, I wouldn’t permit something similar happens to me, even if that means I get beaten or something like that.
    I live in the USA

  • xoe says:

    I love how bittersweet Sherri’s story is. So often, Easter can become treacly. My most formative Easter memory is of hunting eggs with my cousins. One of them was a real bully and every year would push the smaller kids out of the way. This particular year, we were waiting at the sliding glass door to run out into the back yard. He was playing with the cord to the drapes while we were waiting. When we were given the go-ahead, we ran and the cord had wrapped around his neck. He snapped back. He was fine. No injuries. But, he didn’t get the most eggs that year. I am in the US

  • Brian says:

    I know what this is like in regards to when Sherri asks “Have you ever had that sinking feeling…? of seeing someone else get credit for something you created or discovered first?”. However, I know that when I was a child, I often borrowed ideas from others and used them as my own.

    I enjoyed Easter egg hunts when I was a child. One year we didn’t find one of the real eggs which we used, but it was found the year after that and it was rotten: it hadn’t decomposed yet. I’d love to try Sherri’s product and have the chocolate too. I live in the U.S.A.

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Wonderful article Sherri! What I enjoyed about Sherri’s origin story is it’s emphasis on the importance of persistence and pressing on in the face of defeat – a concept I can certainly identify with as vitally important now of all times in these trying times. A perfume that encompasses this concept sounds perfectly lovely right now.

    My Easter egg hunt memories are much more pleasant than Sherri’s – of childhood romps in the grass, the scents of wildflowers, and finding precious treasures of junk food, a very rare treat for me with two hyper health conscious parents. I live in the US.

  • sherri sebastian says:

    Thank you everyone for your comments and for sharing your stories as well. Wow, who knew that something as seemingly fun and innocent as an Easter egg hunt could end up providing so many lessons in retrospect?!

    And I agree that it’s the inevitable challenges we all face along the way that help form who we are, giving us the greatest opportunities to grow and reach our full potential.

    And remaining humble in the face of both defeat and success, to me is the true path to victory.

    Thank you again everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Easter celebration.

  • wallygator88 says:

    THank you for the great story Sherri and the wonderful Easter gift.

    There is a lot of meaning in this story and how it has shaped Sherri. I also appreciated her vulnerability in sharing this story with us.

    I alas do not have any Easter Egg stories.

    Cheers from WI, USA