Tropical Holiday: Candle of the Month

I am one of those people who are not a fan of early holiday decorating...

BUT I am on board with early shopping so that I can avoid the crowds. And if I can steer clear of the mall all together at holiday time I am totally down with that. But that means shopping early so that everything makes it to me in time to wrap and keep safe under the tree till the big day.

The start of November is when I try to tackle my list online and get it done, so I've been checking out my options and decided to play it safe and order multiples of a few of my favourite things as stocking stuffers for my favourite people. I totally sound like the less exciting, and much lower budget Oprah LOL.

A long time favourite item is my trusty Rosie Jane candles, so I was thrilled to hear she did a holiday set this year!

A tropical holiday set with little hand sketched pineapples on the glasses, and the cutest box that shows why pineapples are a sign of good hospitality.

So, sorry for the spoilers people I am giving these to! I just can't keep a good secret.

(and I, of course, gifted myself a set for good measure like any good elf would)

February Candle of the Month

I have been meaning to try this months candle for a little while now. It is by Feest, a Vancouver based company which makes my Canadian pride alarm sound off! Their candles have an understated elegance and simplicity, every scent is pure white wax in a simple german canning jar.

 

I bought mine locally at Plum Home + Design, but they are also online at Bespoke. 

The scents are all very sophisticated and unique, but not over powering or fake smelling. I chose the Soothing scent, which is a blend of tahitian vanilla, bergamot and Japanese peppermint. 

 

I love that each and every candle is hand poured. Candles are such a joy for me, and supporting a business that does things the 'old fashioned' way just make me enjoy this one a little more. 

 

I plan to put the jar to work for me as a vase as soon as this candle runs out, but I sure hope that isn't too soon.

January Candle of the Month

Nothing equates with a Canadian winter in my mind more than Bay stripes. Something about the old wooly jackets and blankets just says warmth and comfort to me during these frigid days of winter.

So the most appropriate candle for January could only be a Hudson's Bay candle (on sale right now for $15!)

It doesn't hurt that it couldn't fit into our living room black and white scheme any better either.

 

I chose the scent Fresh Air, but there are a couple other good ones available. This is a soft, gentle scent and not at all overpowering. 

 

Nothing beats the warm glow of a candle on a chilly winter night!

Have a happy, warm Wednesday.

November Candle of the Month

 

I know it is the season of apple cider/pumpkin spice and all that jazz, but you know what? I miss Summer! I've been juggling so much these past few weeks that it feels like I barely turned my head around and it went from Summer to early Winter...

I am going to pretend it's Summer for a few moments again with my November candle of the month: Tilly by Rosie Jane. 

 

Oh My Gosh, this candle is by far one of the most fragrant, beautiful candles I've ever enjoyed burning (coming from a candle addict, that is high praise! Well Done Rosie Jane!!). It is a fruity bouquet, filled with the scents of grapefruit, pineapple and gardenia. And I love that it's named after her daughter Matilda.

 

The candle is a little more money than I would usually spend ($38 here) but is has already lasted me well over a month (60 hours burn time) and like I mentioned, SUPER fragrant. In fact, they recommend burning it no longer than 2 hours at a time because it has such a high fragrance oil content. 

 

I actually fell in love with this scent so much that I have decided to deem it my personal fragrance. I don't think I've bought a bottle of perfume for myself in over 10 years, and am almost out of the last one Sean bought for me. But I am not really a perfume kind of girl anyway, and this roll on oil feels much more natural to me. Maybe it's because it's an oil and doesn't have that sharp alcohol smell perfumes usually have. 

Have you been burning a delightful candle lately? I'm curious to hear whether anyone else out there is still dreaming of flowers and fruits instead of pumpkins and caramel apples...

September Candle of the Month

 

Once the weather starts to feel like it has made the shift to Fall I find myself missing the ambiance of candles. 

Somehow a burning candle just makes a house feel like a home.

This month I bought a scent called Taporo from the L.Florem line from Voluspa.

The scent is hard to pinpoint, specially as the line claims to blend 20 oils per scent. But some of the highlights are lime blossoms and leaf, green mandarin rind, cassis and white strawberry. 

 

I would sum it up by saying it smells heavenly! So of course I ordered two...

 

The delicate glass jar is just a bonus. I always clean them out and save them for everything from flower arrangements to holding craft supplies, there is never a shortage of things to use a pretty jar for.

 

I hope your Monday is a sweet as these candles!

Candle of the Month

 

I am so happy to finally do another Candle of the Month post! With so much on my plate the last post wasn't since November, which is shocking because these are really my favorite posts.

Spring is starting to bloom up here in Edmonton. The first shrub in our yard to flower every year is this pretty pink number. You may have seen these branches make a cameo from time to time in springs past. I just can't help myself from chopping the whole bush down to fill every room every year. My friend Megan was kind enough to notify me it is double flowering plum, so now I can hopefully find a few more and give this poor guy a rest. 

The only catch is that while it is a beautiful, lush flower it really doesn't have any scent. So until my lilac trees start producing I will keep burning candles!

 

This month's candle is a really refreshing scent. It is the Green Tea Sage soy candle from Target. It is a big, 3 wick candle and so far seems to be a really clean burn (no soot, or discoloration of wax as it burns). 

 

I think I got it on sale for around $10, but it was regularly only $12 so either way really really well priced.

The scent is very light and while it does cover a pretty good area when lit, it was definitely not the potency or range that I seem to get from a Voluspa, Aquiesse or other high end candles. But that was fine for me because in the Spring you don't really want an over powering scent, I'd rather open up some windows with the arrival of warm weather.

 

It seems to be the perfect kitchen candle. I never cook a hearty meal and not light a candle after to help clear the air.

Interested in what my previous picks have been? Check them all out here.

November Candle of the Month

I know I missed October's Candle of the Month post, but I promise that November's is a goodie! I debated on going with a traditional Fall fragrance (something with spice, apple, pumpkin, musk), but in the end I let my nose guide me.

I should have packed a little pouch of smelling salts or coffee beans or something because I smelled at least 30 candles and I can confirm everything smells the same after the third or fourth one. 

But one scent stood out of the batch and not surprisingly, it is a Voluspa candle. I have yet to smell one of their scents I don't like really. 

The scent is a new one called Mokara. 

 While it does have a distinct floral base there is a slight something under the surface that does feel warm, and homey. The main notes of the scent are Mokara orchid, white lily and spring moss.

 It's probably the moss that gives it the earthy quality I was craving.

I love a good candle on a Fall afternoon. It seems to be especially gloomy in our neck of the woods lately but a little candle light makes it all worth it. 

The candle runs $18-$22 and has 80 hrs of burn time, which should keep me warm and fuzzy inside for most of the month. 

What scent are you burning for November?

September Candle of the Month

I know it still isn't officially here for a couple days, but I am in full Fall mode. I was on the hunt for a good Fall candle, preferably something new instead of the usual apple/pumpkin scents I gravitate to this time of year. I had no idea what I wanted, but as soon as I smelt this candle I KNEW this was my new favorite smell!

You know how they always tell you that your perfume/cologne lasts longer during the day if you layer it with the body wash and lotion too? I did the home version of that at Lexington, using candles all the same scent throughout the house and adding two wallflowers of the same scent and honestly, the house smelt heavenly. So for Fall I am doing the same here.

The easiest way to get the layered effect is just go somewhere that offers a variety of products in the same smells (obviously! hehe). There are a lot of nice, expensive lines that I adore (think Jo Malone or Diptyque) that have fragrance and candle combinations, but the most recognized and affordable is Bath and Body Works. And that is where I loaded up on my new staple: Mahogany Teakwood.  This smell will appeal to shopaholics because it  smells EXACTLY like Abercrombie and Fitch. You know the smell! It is a musky, cologne like scent.

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Right now the big 3 wick candles are 'buy one, get one free', so basically $10 each. I get a lot of life out of these candles so that is a steal!

Is your house smelling like Fall already too, or are you enjoying the last few moments of Summer?

August Candle Of The Month and My Instagram Idea

This month I am enjoying a big, three wick candle from Calvin Klein. The scent is so fresh and lively, even for a floral.

The scent is called Petal and is described as "dewy garden petals and the essence of fresh cut stems, infused with hints of cassis and sheer musk". I remember the days when everyone and their brother used to douse themselves in CKone... later on it was CKbe. There was a reason everyone was crazy over that scent: Calvin Klein is great at fragrance! I still love nearly all his perfumes and a whiff of CKone will transport me instantly back to high school memories.

Petal seems to be another of his fragrances that smell timeless and I am kind of shocked it isn't a ladies perfume!

Unlit this thing is better than a reed diffuser! It isn't too powerful up close, instead managing to spread through the whole room evenly. When it is lit, watch out! This thing will have the whole house smelling like a romantic garden took root inside.

 

Simplicity is another Calvin Klein trademark. And this unadorned, modest glass holder feels both delicate and timeless. 

I was a little worried that the wicks were too clustered together, but the flame on this candle stays very low and steady from the time you light it until you blow it out hours later. I really find this interesting, specially the gentle glow it gives instead of lighting up that corner of the room.

 

Are there any other crazies out there burning candles when it is 30+ degrees Celsius? Please tell me I am not alone!!

Also, I have a fun Instagram announcement! Wren likes to take my phone and snap a million pictures throughout our day (she is a born blogger, documenting EVERYTHING), so I thought it would be fun to share one or two, then a wonderful reader named Evie suggested we all do it on Fridays. If you have a little person who love photography or uses your phone or camera regularly please share tomorrow and every Friday on! We will be tagging all the photos #littlekidswithcameras 

I don't see anyone else using the tag so if you search under that it will strictly be us! It is a fun way to see things through the eyes of our littlest friends.

Candle of the Month

In honor of my new blog layout, I thought I would color coordinate the Candle(s) of the month for July!

 

This month's candles are from a new-to-me brand called Aquiesse. I discovered them on a trip to Indigo book store, but I am thoroughly hooked now. EVERY.SINGLE.SCENT was beyond dreamy and super fragrant. I was a little shy on the prices, but I get so much enjoyment from my candles that I am willing to give something new and seemingly well made a chance.

 

And I am so happy I did. The scents I chose are Island Frangipani (the bigger one on the left) and Ginger Mango.

 

The bigger candle is 10oz and has 100 hrs of burn time. The smaller is 5oz and gets 50 hrs. Both are 100% soy candles.

 

If you love Voluspa candles for their sweet, strong aromas you will adore Aquiesse for the same reasons. 

 

I love the classic, simple glass jars they come in. I like to use the lids as bases to add extra protection between my furniture and the candle. Sometimes it is best to let the simplicity of a burning candle take center stage instead of a unique or trendy container.

I also like that as they burn they melt quickly. I think the secret to getting maximum fragrance is how a candle burns, and in my experience the ones that 'puddle' tend to be much stronger and fill the house with scent much better. And these guys are puddlers!

I usually like to burn my candles daily, but these are so fabulous that I may just savor them a little longer since my budget probably won't allow me another one for a little while.

Any other Aquiesse lovers out there? What candle have you been digging lately?

If you are looking for more candle recommendations check out my previous reviews 

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