image courtesy of Wikipedia

Recently, I took a whirlwind trip to New York City to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, and we had a wonderful time. It was a nice departure from the usual birthday party and it got me thinking about birthday traditions. I did a little research on this annual event and found some pretty interesting origins and cultural variations in tradition.

Did you know that birthday parties may have started in Europe as a way to protect the celebrant from evil spirits? People believed that you were more vulnerable to being attacked by evil spirits on your birthday, so all your family and friends would make it their purpose to surround you all day in order to keep you safe. There are so many beautiful birthday traditions all over the world, and in case someone you love has a birthday coming up, I’ll give you a few of my favorites. Why not try something new?

Brazil: In Brazil you pull on the Birthday Boy/Girl’s earlobe for every year they have been alive, and sometimes once more for good luck. Ouch!

Canada: You grease the celebrant’s nose with butter or margarine, this way they are too slippery for the bad spirits to catch. This tradition has it’s origin in Scotland.

Denmark: A flag is flown outside the house to designate that someone in the household has a birthday that day. For children, parents place the child’s presents around their bed so that is the first thing they see when they get up in the morning.

England: A Fortune Cake is made, which is a regular cake with small symbolic tokens baked into it. If someone get’s a coin in their slice of cake, then they are destined to be rich.

Korea: On a child’s first birthday, she/he is placed in front of a table of foods and objects, such as a string, brushes, ink and money. Whatever the child chooses from the table determines his/her fortune. Food represents that they will never know hunger, the string represents longevity, money represents riches and the brush and ink represent intelligence.

South Africa: On a person’s 21st birthday, their parents give them a key. This key symbolizes the young person’s readiness to unlock the door to their future.

Sweden: Traditionally, Swedish children are served breakfast in bed. Parents surprise the children by singing a traditional Swedish birthday song and bringing a birthday breakfast and gifts to the birthday child. The breakfast typically includes a hot roll with a candle in it and a beverage.

Vietnam: In Vietnam, everyone’s birthday is celebrated on New Year’s Day!

So, what do you think? Have you been inspired to switch up any of your usual birthday traditions & if so, where will you start?

Image courtesy of angeladalinger.tumblr.com

We turn to nature for candle inspiration often and are always looking for ways to bring the outdoors into our home. With an obvious weakness for botanicals, we fell for these sweet illustrations of potted plants and flowers by German illustrator Angela Dalinger. The 28-year-old illustrator and painter makes her own books and prints and makes them available on her online store. Check out some of the other illustrations and photographs on her tumblr for a nice dose of fresh energy.

image courtesy of annies-eats

When I was in elementary school I used to stay up late the night before Valentine’s Day writing valentines to all my friends and licking all those horrible tasting envelopes. Now that I have my own kids, I do my best to spare them the hand cramps and the bad taste in their mouths. So, the night before Valentine’s Day we make cupcakes for all of their friends, because although everyone has a secret fondness for ‘Sweethearts’, nothing says “I love you” like Red Velvet! I came across this wonderful recipe on www.marthastewart.com, enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

Note

Makes 24 cupcakes. Gel-paste food color is much more concentrated than the supermarket liquid variety; if you substitute the liquid, you may need to add an entire bottle (1.5 ounces) to achieve the desired shade.

One goal I set for myself in 2013 was to be more active. I’ve been setting aside time to fit in some yoga, go for long walks, and ride bikes with the kids when the weather permits. One activity I’ve been hearing a lot about is SoulCycle which apparently has a cult following in NYC, though it isn’t yet available here in Indiana. Have any of you tried it?

Besides the rigorous workout, I love how they incorporate candles into their workouts as an energizing tool and thought I’d bring some of that into my own at-home sessions. Our new Grapefruit candle is perfect for people who workout at home and want to set a motivational mood, or for people who just like the inviting scent of a citrus candle. A beguiling scent, this grapefruit candle offers a fresh infusion of citrus with spicy bottom notes of ginger and green wood. Would you incorporate candles into your workouts? I’ve really been enjoying it!

If you’d like to give it a try, you can purchase our new Grapefruit candle, here.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve teamed with Terrain on three limited edition candles and packaging. We’re so excited about this romantic trio and wanted to make sure you knew all about them!

New Bulgarian Rose: Inspired by the blooming fields of Bulgaria’s Rose Valley, this candle brings home the fresh scents of rose, black currant, and green leaves.

New Wildflower: Inspired by wild blooms on the Texas prairie, this fresh, floral candle brings home the scents of spring.

New Lily of the Valley: Inspired by delicate, bell-shaped Lily of the Valley, this refreshing candle blooms with notes of hyacinth and jasmine.

Combining natural soy wax, lead-free cotton wicks, and pure scents, Linnea’s Lights clean-burning candles are carefully hand-poured in small batches. Each candle retails for $30. Shop the collection today and bring home a very unique bouquet!

Image courtesy of holistichealingny.com

Aromatherapy and essential oils are experiencing a real Renaissance. The other day I was having lunch with my friend, and she told me about an aromatherapy class she was taking. By virtue of my profession, I have been interested in the meanings and properties of scents for many years, but I was excited to know that my friend and others were starting to develop an interest in a subject I am so curious about.

The history of fragrance is very interesting and it began with the burning of wood and leaves in ancient times. Neolithic man realized that some firewood, like Cedar and Cyprus, did more than provide them with warmth and sustenance, it also filled the air with a rich redolent scent. The origin of our word perfume hints at this discovery, as it comes from the Latin per fumum, meaning “through smoke”.

I love feeling connected to this rich history through my craft and thought I’d share a little bit of this background with my lovely readers. In ancient times, essential oils and aromas had many purposes; they were used in medicinal healing, food, religious ceremonies and as aphrodisiacs. I think much of this is still true today, and is certainly something I keep in mind while creating new blends for our candles. The demand for these precious oils and scents established a long distance trade, as the oils were not only relatively easy to transport but sometimes more even valuable than gold and jewels. One could say that the map of the world might be very different if human beings had not cultivated their passion for fragrance.

Image courtesy of DesignSponge

We have been thinking a lot about our New Year’s Resolutions, as we mentioned last week, and have been focusing on incorporating good habits into our daily routines in the new year. One idea we loved came courtesy of one of our favorite blogs, Design*Sponge: meditation.

Have you ever tried it? Admittedly it’s difficult to find the time as a mother and an entrepreneur, but the benefits might outweigh any temporary inconvenience. Amy Azzarito had some helpful thoughts for creating a meditation space at home, and was even kind enough to include our very own Hearth candle into the inspiration board!

Of course, you don’t need to buy anything to start a mediation practice. But it can be helpful to have a space dedicated to meditation when you’re trying to quiet your mind. Creating a meditation space is about tapping into what centers you, so it should be completely personal. If you do decide you want to create a meditation space, check out the blog post for a few starters!

Image courtesy of One Kings Lane

We are thrilled to be a part of another fabulous sale with our friends at One Kings Lane. Scoop up some of our favorite candles at incredible prices: from Tuscan Fig & warming Chai Tea to Hearth & Winter Spice, there is something to warm every nook and corner of your home.

Does the new year have you decorating a new space or redecorating an old one? Finishing off that room is easier than you think. Fresh white candles, crisp coffee table books, shimmering silver frames—these thoughtful accents round out a room with texture, scale, and ambiance. No matter your style, this collection gives you the look you’ve always wanted. Promise.

Shop the collection here for a limited time only!

Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulin's, 1941; Image courtesy of mnn.com

This time of year is big on introspection. I like to spend time thinking about the past year focusing on the highlights and, without being too hard on myself, thinking about where there was room for improvement and allowing that to inform my New Years Resolutions.

While coming up with a list of my own, I stumbled across this charming New Years Rulin’s list from 1941 written by American folk legend Woody Guthrie. I loved reading through his full list on a great blog called Lists of Note, which you can check out here.

The results of my own brainstorming session lack illustration, but I think they will carry me into 2013 with motivation, great to keep in mind both professionally and personally. Would you like to hear them?

My 2013 Resolutions are:

Be Healthy

Be Optimistic

Stay Focused

Remember What’s Important!

Happy New Year to all of you, our wonderful supporters. We love and appreciate each and every one of you. Stay tuned for big things in 2013!

Image courtesy of Karen Adams Designs

With holiday party season now in full swing, we’re always on the lookout for tips and tricks to help keep entertaining fun and stress-free. We were delighted, then, when we received Gwyneth Paltrow’s beautiful GOOP newsletter last week and floored when we saw our very own Cashmere candle staring back at us! We are honored and humbled and just beyond excited to have caught Gwyneth’s keen eye.

In addition to make us blush, the newsletter was chock full of helpful notes to keep the holiday crazy to a minimum. I love the idea of printing menus on bespoke papers, and using the ease of cleanup after a paper plate pizza party as an excuse to order in the night before the main event? Genius!

This particular newsletter is our recommended reading of the week. It was inspiring and productive all at once.

You can find our Cashmere candle with our friends at: Terrain, Candles Off Main, ABC Home, and many other fine retailers.

How are you planning on ringing in the holidays this year?