Page 141 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2020

the brain to another. But our sense of smell gives us immediate information. Is there danger nearby or are we safe? If we perceive we are safe, then our brain moves on to new sights and scents.
Scientists suggest that we are 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over something we touch or see. Each of us can bring to mind scents from of our childhood, the fragrance of a ripe tomato picked from the garden or the perfume of a grandmother wrapping us in a goodbye hug. Good autobiographical memories reduce stress and can make us feel better.
new recipe with a spice you had to go purchase because you didn’t have it
in the pantry, and bam, you will smell your house. Your nose will pick up the scent long before you discover mold
or mildew! And if the dog or cat have misbehaved, you will know. When our home smells good we enjoy being there even more.
There are a multitude of ways to bring fresh scents into the home these days
but sometimes good old-fashioned ways of doing things work best. Once the humidity slackens nothing takes the place of opening a window to enjoy the breezes
daylight wanes earlier each evening, light your favorite candle or a few tapers and dine by candlelight. It’s almost time to carve the Jack-O- Lanterns. After Halloween is gone, make a pumpkin pie to honor ole scary Jack but just go buy a can of pumpkin, getting rid of the stringy seeds just isn’t worth the
story and photo by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage
We learn smells very quickly and after we have decided how to deal with a scent, we ignore it. It’s called olfactory adaption – nose-blindness. That is why we cannot smell the unique scents of our own home. Not until the environment in our home changes can we pick up a scent. Try a
and the scents that oat in. Cut some
of summer’s last blooms and enjoy their sweet fragrance. Do a little fall cleaning to prepare for the upcoming holidays and bring out the vinegar and lemons. Create good smells by cooking some of your family’s favorite recipes. And as the
e ort. Better still, pour yourself a cup of pumpkin avored co ee and think about all the fall fun you had as a child. Let that inspire you to create fragrant memories for your family so they can revisit home in their minds every time the calendar says its fall.
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net October 2020 | 141