Hi Y'all!
For those of you who do not know me and
how I ventured into candle-making, here is our origin story. I am a
Mom of 3 ages 29, 21, & 17 and a bonus mom of 5 ages 35 thru 29.
I am also a Wife and Candle-maker.
My love for burning candles go way back
to 1997 in New York. Between being a Mom, Partner, and working
Full-Time, my schedule was pretty hectic for at least 5-6 days out of
the week. There was very little me-time. I was a licensed
Cosmetologist working in the banking industry. Everyday was the same
routine. Get up in the morning, get me and my first child (who was 2
years old) dressed, drop him off to daycare, and go to work. Leave
work, run errands, pick him up from daycare, go home, clean the
kitchen from the night before because I was too tired, make a home
cooked dinner, bathe, lay clothes out, pack the baby bag for the next
day and get ready for bed. Then in the morning, it was repeated all
over again. Saturdays were for family time and my Son's kid
activities.
I needed just a little something to
help me focus on settling down some. Go go go lets you run on
adrenaline. But when it is time to sit still and rest it was and is
still difficult. I started buying those tall unscented paraffin
prayer candles that were in the grocery store. I began lighting those
candles every single night when I came home. Just as soon as I walked
through the door, that candle was getting lit. It became a ritual for
me because it signified that my day was coming to a close. It was
time to slow down, relax, and prepare for a good nights sleep.
As time went on, I began to buy scented
paraffin candles from the stores. Depending where I got them from
they didn't give off a strong enough scent for me. I could hardly
smell anything from these candles. I could have just kept burning the
unscented ones, cause there was not much of a difference.
Fast forward a bit, it was
approximately the year 2003. During the previous few years, there
were some family losses, and due to some medical issues, I was no
longer working Full-time. This transition became a challenge for me,
because I was not used to being still. I was now restricted in many
parts of my life. I desperately needed something to relax me and help
me cope. So, I began to really take a serious interest in candles. It
was just something about watching the flickering flame and pleasant
smell (on occasion) that was very soothing to me.
Before I knew it, I was in the local
craft store buying a candle-making kit. I figured, I am a bit crafty
I can probably make the kind of candle that I actually want. I made
my first batch of candles from the kit and I was hooked!!. I don't
know if you remember dial-up internet with AOL. Ok I'm telling my age
now, LOL. Yes, I searched the internet by dial-up and found lots of
information about candle-making. I printed out documents and made a
binder with all my information about wicks and such. I was now making
candles for myself that smelled good and uplifted my spirits. A
couple of my friends persuaded me to sell a few because they really
liked how they smelled. I was fortunate enough to live close by a
candle wax manufacturer who helped me out a great deal. The salesman
at the time introduced me to vegetable waxes. He sent plenty of
different vegetable waxes for me to test out. I even dropped off some
of my finished products to their office for show and tell. He really
gave me lots of insight into candle-making from a manufacturers
perspective.
I found a new hobby that allowed me to
feed my creative bug, was fun to do, and it gave me another purpose.
Back then there was no where near the amount of candle-makers there
are today. Candle fever had not hit just yet. I had such fun making
glass jar candles, votive candles, pie desert candles. The pie
candles even came in a bakery box. I enjoyed making candles for a few
local Day Care Centers who needed some fundraising products. In
2004, we moved here to PA. Over the years, we have made lots of
candles in so many different scents.
We have taken a few breaks from
candle-making. But then we always come back. I think once you have
love for the craft, it never goes away. Even if you only make some for
yourself. Although, I am no longer in the Cosmetology field , we
still love to make people feel better about themselves. We are just
doing it in a different way. Candles are not just candles to us. They
represent rituals, relief, relaxation, energy, focus, and they even
make the room smell great. That's a win win! We enjoy sharing our
love for candles with you. It is so rewarding to know that some of
our candles may bring you joy by reminding you of the smells of your
favorite coffee shop. Or the scent of your Grandma's refreshing tall
glass of iced tea. Every candle we make is made from the heart with
intention to help brighten up the space your in.
So, there it is our candle-making
origin story. We hope telling our story helps you get to know us
better. If you ever have any questions about us or our products, just
drop us an email, or a DM on Facebook/Instagram and we would be happy
to answer them for you.
Thank you for taking time to get to
know us.
:) Your Artisanal Scent Designer-Sonya
from Dixon Candle and Bath LLC
