I am a candle maker. I am a girl boss. I am a mama. Those things are not separate to me, in fact, they perfectly merge into my simplest, happiest life.
My first baby girl was born with a cleft lip and palate. I think the shock of her birth really forced me to reflect on what was important in my life, at the time I was traveling the world as a TV producer and on-air host for a television show called "Footnote". Navy, my daughter, turned my world upside down in a really beautiful way. Her birth forced me to pause and be still with her as we worked through her treatment, surgery and ultimately her healing. In the process, I slowly found candles again. Something I had loved as a child, the art of candle making. It was a great way to center myself, re-align with my own spiritual journey and make something safe and beautiful for my family.
The first candle I ever poured was a Christmas gift for my grandma Ferne when I was 14. We used to shop in this tiny market called the Haymarket in Lincoln Nebraska, long before I ever lived here. We would purchase fancy handmade votives from a local tea shop. Then we’d spend the afternoon laughing and drinking tea in a tiny café and eating these funny little cucumber sandwiches.
My grandma loved candles and Christmas. But mostly Christmas. It was her favorite. Her house always smelled a little like cinnamon no matter the month. I lost my sweet little ferne a few years ago. And I think in my mourning and loss for her I reached back to my roots and began pouring candles again more steadily. Exactly one month after I kissed her goodbye. The first candle I poured was cinnamon. Grandma always encouraged my adventures and nurtured my whimsy. In a way, I think she always will.
Slowly I began to make them for friends and a close friend encouraged me to try selling them. That was three years ago and we are now in 60+ small curated boutiques all across the country. Staying small batch, hand poured and close to our origin we are slowly growing our brand and meeting new folks that believe in safe, natural products for their homes that also bring an element of style to their modernly curated spaces.
Our main mission is to create beautifully imperfect hand made products for the modern home. Our second mission is to create a space of collaboration and an independent work ethic for a team of incredible women seeking to work differently.
Between my experiences with Navy and my sweet Ferne I realized that to find a balance of work and play and care and love was the ultimate goal. I had created that for myself with this tiny brand and as we started to grow, I looked towards others that think with a similar perspective. Women that have these beautiful dreams and lives and in this little space we encourage each other. We collaborate and push each other and we laugh. We laugh a lot.
I feel very grateful to be living this simple perfect dream and sharing it with those around me that also find beauty in small curated dreams.
Thanks for being a part of this story with us! I love hearing all of your stories as you share with me the memories our candles evoke within you! So many hugs my dears!
xoxo.
alicia*