Friday, November 16, 2012

Candles, finally

I approach scented candles with caution. I like to have one around so I can light it after I clean the house (apparently this is an almost universal reaction?) but I don't want candles cluttering up my space and that puts some pressure on me to pick exactly the right scent. I'd been candle-less for a couple months because I couldn't make a decision.

fig and jasmine
{fig and jasmine}

I stopped at Patchwork a few weekends ago to see my talented cousin and ended up buying two candles from this shop. I have the teakwood and tobacco in my bathroom and the fig and jasmine in the living room. They're both excellent and about 1/3 of the price of the high end ones I was considering.

teakwood and tobacco
{teakwood and tobacco}

I'm just glad I don't have to think about candles for a while.

23 comments:

  1. I have a nearly identical pineapple! What do you use yours for? I put loose change in mine.

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    1. How funny! We use ours for change too (laundry quarters specifically).

      I saw the same brass pineapple in a TV show recently, or maybe a movie, but now I'm blanking on what it was...

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  2. I like to burn candles CONSTANTLY and in as many rooms as possible.

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  3. I always have candles burning, and I'm constantly looking for new scents. I honestly would buy this just for the gorgeous amber glass holder!

    Alyssa
    The Glossy Life

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  4. Ugh, I wish I had your simplicity! My husband is OBSESSED with Yankee Candle and we literally have an entire shelf in our linen closet allotted for them. At any given point we have at least a couple out...crazy. Love the sound (smell?) of yours!

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  5. Ooh, great recommendations! My favorite candle of all time is Havana by Archipelago - it's totally worth the price. I also want to try the Campfire candle by Catbird.

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    1. I've heard such good things about the Catbird candles, but I'm so hesitant to buy candles without smelling them first. Scents are tricky.

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  6. Thanks for posting this! I had my eye on a $36 one from KOBO but I couldn't justify the price right now.

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  7. Anything with fig is amazing in my book. I'm still on the look out for reasonably priced/aesthetically pleasing/subtle scented candles.

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  8. I agree, I avoid clutter so I tend to put candles away unless they're in use. I love to eat by candlelight, it's one of those things that can make an ordinary weekday meal seem special. I never though of burning candles after cleaning but that does seem like the more satisfying end to a cleaning session.

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  9. wow, your cousin's stuff looks fantastic (and her site is really lovely as well) - i'll have to keep her in mind for hostess gifts for holiday parties!

    we have a weird candle situation: i get LOTS of them from work (holiday swaps are MURDER here, because all of the things female coworkers would normally typically give - home stuff, bath stuff, gourmet food, various lady-indulgences - are freebies, so you look like a cheapo if you gift something like that), so i have a hard time justifying candle purchases. that said, i can't control the work-candle population, so we end up with some nice stuff and some real stinkers. your two picks are precisely what we'd go for, and the price point is good for someone who already has a closet full of jars - thanks for the rec!

    (the solution to the gift dilemma described above, incidentally, is alcohol or gift cards. those always find homes.)

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    1. Her stuff is really good. The pine nut brittle in particular gets hoarded in our family.

      I will always envy your freebie situation.

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  10. Ahh, thanks so much for the feature, Rachel! I'm so glad you like your candles. Truth be told, those are two of my favorite scents right now. :D

    PS - LOVE those pics of the candles in action.

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    1. Thanks, Kristen! I'm glad we stumbled on your booth!

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  11. Would you say that the candles are pretty fragrant or more subtle? I use candles after cleaning, too + they help set up a cozy atmosphere in cold weather; these look really nice.

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    1. I'd say they are a nice middle ground. They don't scent the house when they aren't lit (you know how some candles are SO strong that they do that?) but they fill a room fairly quickly once lit and they do leave a light after fragrance. Our house smells ever so faintly of the fig and jasmine when I walk in the door, but I'm not even sure anyone else would pick up on it.

      That said, I only light them for an hour or two every few days. If you had them burning all the time they would put out a lot more scent!

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  12. I l-o-v-e that pineapple! I love diptyque candles in Baies and Mimosa but they are soo expensive so only light them on special occasions,

    http://www.theclosetguide.blogspot.co.uk/

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  13. I read this post, and I think it was just 5 minutes after that that I hopped over to Etsy and bought a couple of those candles. I love the jars, the typography and the fact that they are 'purer' than so many other candles out there. Scents are indeed tricky when not sampled in person, but I'm willing to take a gamble on these particular ones.

    By the way I've been reading your blog for several months now, but this is my first comment. Keep up the lovely writing & photography!

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    1. Thanks, Julie! I hope you love them as much as I do.

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  14. I'm very curious about the teakwood and tobacco,I might have to buy one to see!

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  15. Just bought two thanks to your post!!! Teakwood and tobacco and Lavander. Kristen and her candles are amazing :) I think everyone should buy at least one, probably more. I mean, come on, how cute is her packaging!!

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  16. Shut up. My mom has had that exact same pineapple for like 20 years. Also would like some fancy candles but I am so picky about how they smell.

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  17. i've read your blog for a couple of years now and i enjoy your posts. you write how i feel sometimes and it's always good to know that someone thinks the same way you do. after reading this post, i ordered three candles (your two + a spruce) because i KNOW they'll be perfect for me - great packaging and prices. thank you for the wonderful ideas!

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