Midnight At The Seven Gables

Midnight at the Seven Gables, like all of my scents is mostly inspired by there mere act of living, and smelling the air, haha. It sounds so mundane, but as you know, scent is a powerful thing, and its memory lingers. This scent came from a trip that I took to Salem Massachusetts a few years ago. It was dark, and my boyfriend and I walked Derby Street, then took a turn at the seven gables to wander the area between the ocean and the house. If you’ve ever visited this place you know how magical it is— standing there “conceived in the grotesqueness of a Gothic fancy” as Hawthorne described. Its large chestnut tree loomed, as if taking on the role of his Pyncheon family’s giant oak. The house is dark, and even darker at night, only outlined by a few spotlights. So on this night, and in this place, a perfect October moment occurred. We stood staring up at this huge dark house against the backdrop of a black starless sky— heard the sound of the waves from the ocean in the harbor across the street, and the faint footsteps and laughter in the distance echoing. Then the wind picked up, bringing with it the dying breath of leaves, sweet candied apples, woodsmoke, and the lively scents of Essex Street. There it danced, practically punching me in the nose, mixing with the old wooden house, salty ocean, and perhaps even the ghost of Hawthorne himself— stinking of tobacco, ink, and old parchment that held the words to his timeless novel. It was great, and I’ll never forget it. And now I guess, I definitely won’t since this scent reminds me so much of it So the scent: sandalwood, warm stewed apples, an old cedar chest, the faintest hint of ocean salt mingling with forest, the sweetness of leather bound books, a fragrant cigar(the nice smelling kind), and October(you know that smell!)