Fragrance: Wisteria, Lemon, Violet, Sage, and more.

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18

Home is such a small word for a place that means so much. To me, home is a safe refuge, a sanctuary, a sacred space. Home does not depend on the size of the house or even the location. I'm blessed to live exactly where I want to be and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Our house is small, but it is full of love, contentment and peace. 

I've lived in many places over the years. I am a native Oklahoman, but I have also lived in Louisiana, Arkansas, and even China for a year. I've also visited Pakistan and Mexico for a few months. But Dorothy was truly correct when she said, "There's no place like home." 

It used to be easy for me to hop on a plane and go far away from home for long periods of time. But now, I don't want to be anywhere else but home, and this is the only place that has ever felt like home to me. That's what home is supposed to feel like. 

Safety, security, comfort, peace, harmony, and the feeling that everything is right in your world. 

I walk around our land in the evenings, checking all of the animals, and talking with God. And I look at the beauty of nature all around me and am grateful, knowing how blessed we are.

Home is the things you can count on. I find comfort in routine. Here, I know when we begin to see the purple dead nettle, spring is near. I know that when the dandelions come up, spring has arrived. When the crickets and frogs sing at night, it won't be long before the cicadas start their chorus. Soon, the grass will be green and velvety soft beneath my bare feet. When the heat is almost unbearable, it's time for the Hibiscus and then the Naked Ladies to bloom. We hope for rain rather than drought, so that we can be sure to have enough hay for the winter. We wish we could bottle days like this to save some of the 100 degree heat for later in the year.  When the air begins to have an almost audible change and the atmosphere shifts, fall is near and it will be time for the Asian beetle invasion. Fried potatoes taste better when cooked with the back door open and smell of food mixes with the fragrance of the fresh breeze coming through. Days of color and warmth quickly change as the leaves drop. Christmas will not likely be white, but we know January and February can be brutal. This means breaking ice, carrying water, and hoping the goats won't give birth again during a blizzard or ice storm. If they do, it means a lot of extra work and worry, and leaving the rest to God.

But somehow we make it through it, one day at a time, and with a grateful heart, we hope to keep doing it all over again as long as God wills.

I hope Heaven is this wonderful. 

This listing is for one votive candle. Fits in standard glass votive candle holder. 

About my candles:

Burn time: Approximately 10 hours, most likely longer. I recommend burning no more than 4 hours at a time.

Candle is made with my own special blend of paraffin and soy waxes. There are many types of paraffins as well as soys, and I have been making candles for four years and have tried many different types and combinations of waxes. This is my own secret combination that I prefer above all others. Paraffin is hard, and has a higher burning temperature than soy. This means that a paraffin-only candle will burn slowly, and the wax may pool and drown the wick out or make your candle burn unevenly. A soy-only candle will burn quickly because the wax is so soft. It is also very difficult to de-mold soy-only candles from molds. The paraffin wax I use has a high melting temperature, and the soy adds a creaminess for smoother melting and wax flow. So you get the best of both worlds with my candles. 

I use wax-coated zinc core wicks, which burn cleaner and longer than other types of wicks. The zinc core causes the flame to burn cooler, which makes your candle last longer, and it is ideal for waxes that have a lower melting point. Your flame won’t go crazy and make the glass too hot, which can cause potential breaks. It also has added rigidity to make it stand up straight. With some other wicks, if the candle melts too fast and you have a lot of melted wax in your votive cup, the wick can lean or slump, which can cause the glass to get too hot and break.  If the wick is too large, the candle will burn too quickly, If the wick is too small, it will burn too slow and not melt all the way to the edge, causing the wick to drown out. Plain cotton wicks burn too hot and too fast, which sometimes can make a candle go out because the wick gets much too short to continue burning. 

About my candle fragrances: I have been blending essential oils for over eleven years, and all of my candle fragrances are my own unique creation. I do not use pre-blended fragrance oils, and I use only the highest quality essential oils in my blends. I have tried many brands over the years, and not all essential oils are created equal. Almost like music, fragrance can trigger emotions, memories, and take us to another place and time. It can help us with clarity, courage, and calmness. Our sense of smell is almost as important as our other senses of sight, hearing, and taste. I have a very sensitive nose, and I feel that creating fragrance is an art form, and I hope my God-given talents and creativity will help transport you to a place of beauty, hope, love, and peace where you feel that anything is possible. 

*Never leave a burning candle unattended. Burn only in a safe place on a stable surface, away from curtains, drafts, pets, or children. Mind the surface on which you set your glass candle holder, as the glass can potentially get extremely hot. If the glass is hot, so is the surface/furniture underneath. Safety first, and always use common sense and an abundance of caution when burning candles. 

Tip: add a splash of water (a water bottle cap full, approximately) to the bottom of your votive holder before placing candle in holder. If the water goes beyond halfway up the outside of the candle, it's too much. But adding a little water makes for a cleaner disposal of candle remnants upon completion, with less cleaning needed for your candle holder. It is best to let your candle burn for at least 1-2 hours before extinguishing. otherwise, if the wax has not had a chance to melt all the way to the edge, it may gutter upon relighting. If your flame becomes too tall, blow out your candle and trim your wick before relighting. (Your wick has already been trimmed to the appropriate length when I make the candle, and it will be ready to light when you get it home.)

Note: My candles are produced in small batches for the best quality. They are not mass-produced and will not all look exactly alike. They are highly fragranced, containing a generous amount of my essential oil blends. They are hand-poured, and as such variations or slight differences in appearance / color are naturally bound to occur. Each one comes shrink-wrapped, which protects your candle as well as preserves the beauty and fragrance of the candle.

Legal Disclaimer: I am not responsible for how responsible you are in burning your candle or where / how you choose to use it and claim no liability for any damage or injury. A warning label is placed on the bottom of each candle. Remove the label before burning.