Fragrance: Jasmine and more.

There is no shortage of backroads in Osage County. A person like me with no sense of direction could probably get lost. Thank goodness for GPS. A lot of guys make a living driving hundreds of miles a day working on or checking the oil wells. 

I call this graphic Solitude. It's up to the beholder to decide if that truck runs and if the oil well still is working or not. It's entirely possible the truck runs just fine, and the oil is still pumping. 

Out here, you may be the only one for miles around. Just you and the sound of the wind and the squeak of the oil wells working 24/7. 

At my house at night, if I'm outside walking the dog, when nothing else is making a sound except for the occasional coyote or hoot of an owl, I can hear one of the oil pumps about half a mile away. It's almost like you're the only one in the world awake and you're getting a glimpse of the secret world of the creatures of the night including a sentient oil pump that works no matter the time or weather. 

Solitude does not have to mean lonely. Because out here, you never really feel alone. And in truth, you're not, for God is everywhere. 

But it is somewhat a luxury. How many people get to have such solitude? I lived in China for a year, and the sheer number of people there was astounding. It was shoulder-to-shoulder, night or day. Personal space was not a thing. When I came home, it was like I was seeing everything with new eyes and hearing everything with new ears. The silence was deafening at times, the darkness was darker, and the crickets were extremely loud. And the solitude was extremely welcome, along with the lack of constant voices chattering.

So many other things are competing for our time and attention and sometimes even drain our time. Sometimes you have to stop everything and make time wait for you. Out here, things move slower, and all of that noise in my head ceases to exist. Give yourself permission to steal some time away for yourself. To just be. To breathe, to think, to pray. And to listen. 

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.