I’ve always wanted a life-size “wire man” sculpture, but their prices go only from extravagant to super extravagant. In the meantime, I’ve collected the entire Doodles® wire family (woman, man, dog, cat) and a bike—and now, apparently, they have a new design: a tandem bike. Well, it’s nearing time for a holiday wish list… I digress, and I haven’t even started yet.

This year, my Halloween decoration is a dressed-up wire woman holding a wilted rose. She is wearing a miniskirt, but that is only because I ran out of ribbon to upcycle. I’m working with what I’ve got here. Her “male” counterpart is busy guarding perfumes in a small display case.

I do have a few ghosts following me around—traces of aromachemicals that I can smell after I’ve finished experimenting and gone to another room. Isobutyl quinoline (IBQ, or Pyralone), for example. A strong leather note with gasoline overtones, it keeps persisting in phantom whiffs even after I’ve put it away. Some of the animalic ingredients do the same. You may invoke them at will, but bidding them disappear is another matter altogether.

Happy Halloween, everyone!