So many great scents, so many amazing memories, but the Shelterrific team agrees: this comment by Krista really got to us. It’s not only a wonderful smell, it’s a great memory. Congratulations, Krista — you win the year of free soaps from Barely Native!

Here’s Krista’s winning comment:

My favorite scent is tomatoes on the vine. It reminds me of my childhood. I grew up in Southwest Detroit and although we must have been surrounded by violence all I can recall is love. My whole family lived in the same neighborhood and one of my very favorite things was to pick cucumbers and tomatoes with my Mamaw and Papaw. Mamaw always knew they were ready by smelling the vines. We would wash them in the garden and eat them, still warm from the sun, with salt and basil. Papaw has since passed away and everyone has moved to their own areas of Michigan to escape Detroit’s devastation. It hurts me to visit the city, to see what it’s turned into now, but I realize that the houses didn’t make it home. I moved to New York City about 4 months ago and have experienced more than a few pangs of homesickness but all I have to do is go to the market and hold my nose up to the fruit to feel close to home again.

The contest inspired us to talk about our favorite scents. Mine is the smell of an approaching summer thunderstorm — I’m hoping to get one when I travel back to Ohio next week. (We may get a lot of rain in Seattle, but it never smells the way it did in the Midwest.) Paola T. says that one of hers is “the indescribable scent of hot pine trees — reminds me of so many vacations in Italy and Greece. It is the scent of happiness.”

Feel free to share more of your scent memories here. And many thanks again to Barely Native — be sure to check out the wonderful, affordable selection of organic, all-natural soaps. Lots of amazing scents (Citrus Spice, Caribbean Lavender, Peppermint Leaf…) to be sure. –Mary T.