Vanilla Noir is the next new scent in our Linnea’s Lights Fall lineup and we are so excited to share it with you. Vanilla is such a classic and comforting smell bringing me back to when I was growing up and helping mom bake in the kitchen. Over the years though, I’ve come to understand the complexity of the vanilla bean and it was important to me as we developed our first vanilla candle to keep it sophisticated, sensual and dynamic.

Vanilla has long been one of western civilizations’ most essential flavors, first discovered by Central Native Americans. Our new Vanilla Noir candle is infused with creamy and exotic Madagascar bourbon vanilla, intertwined with soft woods and musk… the perfect finishing touch in any home.

Available for purchase, Fall 2012. What does Vanilla remind you of?

Summer is fantastic, isn’t it? The sun, the outdoors, it’s all great, but I have to say there’s something beautiful about the cooler months. During Fall and into the holiday season my home becomes my sanctuary. I live for the hours when I’m free to curl up on the couch and let the warmth of the fireplace engulf me. The smell of the embers are so enticing and relaxing. It seems to lure the rest of my family away from their rooms and down the stairs to the comfy couch and me. That scent is home to me.

With my new few posts here on the blog, I wanted to give you a closer look at each new candle we’ll be rolling out in the coming months. Production is in full swing here and the studio smells divine!

This fall Linnea’s Lights is introducing a new scent named Hearth. For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature. On brisk nights, find comfort in hearth and home. The candle’s scent will linger throughout your whole house creating a loving and warm environment. Smoky & captivating cedar wood is kindled with sweet amber and leather accords to welcome you.

Available for purchase, Fall 2012. Which season do you look forward to most?

Image courtesy of geotravellers.com

Linnea’s Lights is an American company through and through so like most of you, we’re beyond excited for the upcoming Olympics and filled with pride for our country.

It’s so awe-inspiring to watch these skilled athletes who have trained their whole lives hoping for a chance at victory. Personally, my favorite summer events to watch are track & field, swimming and gymnastics. I also love seeing the kids cheer on their favorite athletes and remember back to when I was young and how the Winter Olympics Figure Skating events inspired me to take up lessons at the local rink.

The games have become so much more that just an athletic event. The Opening Ceremony is a true spectacle and I never know what to expect. The games are also a source of pride and community, something our team at Linnea’s Lights relates to completely. For the next few weeks, you’ll find me wearing my red, white, and blue around the studio proudly!

What’s your favorite sport to watch during the Olympics?

At Linnea’s Lights we put so much heart and time into each individual candle and the scent that accompanies it that it makes us so happy when we finally get to share our new creations with the public. We were thrilled to have the chance to tease our new candles at The Markoff Group’s Holidays in July preview event. This year we showcased our newest Fall/Holiday 2012 scents: Hearth, Holiday Spice, and Vanilla Noir.

Each candle is unique, and puts a fun twist on everyone’s favorite seasonal scents. The welcoming scent of Hearth entices you with its smoky and captivating cedar wood that is kindled with sweet amber and leather. Holiday Spice has a warming aroma that makes you want to spend your nights tucked beside the glow of its warm regal blend. We’re also introducing a spin on a classic vanilla with Vanilla Noir, a creamy and exotic Madagascar bourbon vanilla, intertwined with soft woods and musk.

We can’t wait till the holidays and hope you celebrate yours with a new Linnea’s Lights candle.

NEW! Hearth ~ For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature. On brisk nights, find comfort in hearth and home.

NEW! Holiday Spice ~ Pomegranate, tart cranberry, spicy clove with a touch of warm cinnamon & white spices. Holiday Spice will also be available as part of the limited-edition Holiday Gift Set along with Forest Fir and Winter mini votives.

NEW! Vanilla Noir ~ Vanilla has long been one of western civilizations’ most essential flavors, first discovered by Central American Indians.

Stay tuned here and we’ll let you know just as soon as these become available for purchase. What do you think of the new scents and which ones will you be bringing home?

Image courtesy of wdrb.com

The heat wave has not let up by us, so we’ve been trying to get to the local pool with the kids as much as possible. I’ve also been making ice-cold lemonade and keeping temps down indoors with A/C and a mix of my favorite Linnea’s Lights Summer-inspired White Coral, Ocean, & Sea Salt candles close at hand. Chill out at home with candles like these or for something clean & fresh, our Garden Mint candle is also a favorite. Available from Oliver’s Twist.

How are you all holding up in this heat?

To buy: http://www.oliverstwistllc.com/category/Candles/c57pg

image courtesty of bonappetit.com

I love the look of this red, white and “blue” Blackberry Salad, don’t you? I found this easy Bon Appetit recipe through one of my new favorite sites, SousStyle, and thought it would be perfect for our upcoming Fourth of July festivities. I’m so looking forward to watching the local fireworks show with the family, enjoying some barbeque and trying these out!

image courtesy of snoringscholar.com

We had the pleasure of speaking with AMEX Open Forum about our experience making a mother-daughter business work. As you can imagine, this topic is close to our heart and something we think about every single day. It’s also quite personal, but we’d love to share our experience and some advice with you, our wonderful readers.

Many of you are yourselves small business owners and whether you work alone, with a family member or with close friends, the challenge is pretty universal. The important thing is that we’ve all built something we’re proud of and when that goes well, this fulfillment brings us even closer to the ones we love.

We’d love to hear about your own experiences with working closely with family and friends. Any advice you’d like to impart? Tweet us your thoughts @LinneasLights or visit our Facebook page to continue the conversation.

image courtesy of marthastewart.com

With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, I always find myself scrambling for ideas up to the last minute. Does the same thing happen to you?

One sweet idea is giving him something homemade, made with love. For my husband, I love the idea of my daughter and I baking the cute sugar cookies pictured above together, and found this easy enough recipe from Martha Stewart.

Since you’re probably here though as a fan of ours (lucky us!), did you know we have a pretty new masculine candle, Vetiver? Earthy, rugged and altogether masculine with notes of vetiver, light musk and ozone. It’s actually one of my favorites as well, so now you can share your passion with the man in your life!

Check our site for a list local retailers if you want to pick this up near you, though we recommend calling first to make sure it’s in stock!

Here’s to a wonderful Father’s Day and spending a beautiful day with the ones we love.

Image courtesy of burpee.com, via Gigi Guerra's Pinterest

Have you all been as sucked in by the Pinterest craze as we have? Once we started, it was like falling down the rabbit hole! So much inspiration, and truly something for everyone. We’re still learning the ropes and would love to hear from you with things you’d like to see more of from us. More behind the scenes? More candle beauty shots? More pure inspiration? Let us know via Twitter @LinneasLights, and we’ll do our best to feed your cravings.

In the meantime, we wanted to share some of the Pinterest accounts we’ve come across recently that always brighten our day:

Madewell creative Gigi Guerra has style we admire: http://pinterest.com/gooberish/

And some of our favorite bloggers:

http://pinterest.com/ohjoy/?d

http://pinterest.com/cocokelley/

http://pinterest.com/manrepeller/

http://pinterest.com/caseykettleson/

Who else should we be getting to know? Can’t wait to hear from you and in the meantime, here’s a little love from us: http://pinterest.com/linneaslights/

Image courtesy of terrain

We are thrilled to let you know about our newest creation, a private Linnea’s Lights pour of Hydrangea in two colors of a custom clay pot (blue & purple). We created a letterpressed seeded cover to plant inside the vessel once the candle is finished and this special candle is now available exclusively at terrain.

Inspired by the early summer garden and poured especially for terrain, this candle boasts the scent of hydrangeas in bloom, mingled with fragrant lily of the valley and fresh, green notes. Nestled in a pretty clay pot, each candle includes a paper tag studded with wildflower seeds to plant once the wax has burned through. Combining natural soy wax, lead-free cotton wicks, and pure scents, Linnea’s Lights clean-burning candles are carefully hand-poured in small batches.

Get yours here now!