All I Need are The Reindeer!

Oh!  And maybe a white wig,

a red dress and 

a few other distinguishing

items to be completely 

like Mrs. Claus.

I'm pretty sure that a good 

man like Mr. Claus

has an even better woman

helping him....

don'tcha think?

And so,
I feel a bit like her today

as I will continue the deliveries of

bags and bags of candles that have been 

gathering in our dining room.

The dining room which no longer 

has a table in the center.  

It has been pushed to the far end in 

favor of floor space.

By Tuesday evening every 

large group will have their orders

and then they will be scurrying to 

get things out before the magical 

Christmas hour.

There is joy in the knowledge that

many people will receive my candles

on Christmas day.

Gifts...a symbol of

one amazing gift come 

to earth on Christmas Day.

Here's hoping they will 

enjoy them!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

"Mrs. Claus"

over and out!

I Have Homemaker ADD Today....

It started at 5:30  this morning when the 

chickens were going absolutely bonkers 

out there.

I was convinced that the resident fox was 

tormenting them again and got up and 

ran out to give him the "what for!".

However, there was no fox.

It was an empty waterer

that had their feathers all in a 

fluff.  Good Grief!

Well, actually I am thankful that they 

tell us such things.

Sometimes they go through it so quickly....

and it has been hot lately.

My funny girl, Mabel, came into the 

box and chattered away at me....

pointing out the empty waterer.

Love that hen.

By the way, 

we have five chicks in the nursery.

We removed a hen and set her up

to raise them until they are big enough

to stand up to the rooster.

That rooster is a bugger!

I've seen him intentionally step on 

the chicks....no more, big guy!!

No more!

I decided, since it was early, to 

peek out the front window and see

who might be playing in the field across 

the street.

There were five or six deer out there.

Some fawns and Mommas.

The fawns were playing together...

chasing each other and bounding about.

So fun!

Well, anyway so the hens

had me awake and the dogs 

were up early. 

Up and out with belly aches.

Someone....(me)....had given them

too much table food.

Oops!

I've been cleaning up messes

over the past 18 hours so when they were 

eager to get outside and then were quite

busy with making themselves feel better 

I started weeding my perennial bed.

Now I thought I would just pull a few weeds.

Then one thing led to another and I did the whole bed.

Wow!  Did it need it!

I also took out most of the mallow as the 

Japanese beetles were attacking it and it 

was looking rather ugly.

While I was out there pulling weeds I saw that 

they launched two hot air balloons today.

I'm going to show some of Chelsea's Photos soon.

But for this post I have included pictures I took 

yesterday at Longwood Gardens.  We took a 

quick trip over there yesterday afternoon.

It was nice to be there again.

It had been too long.

I came inside and decided to pay the bills.

Got that done....

Decided to start some wash....

Started that....

Found some coupons for Costco....

Cut those out.

It is 8:11 am and I am trying to decide which 

direction to head in next.

I have a whole host of things on my 

"to do" list for today.

Good thing I got a head start!

Here's the tentative list:

Four loads of laundry

Scrub bathroom and kitchen floors.

Get groceries

Make 5 hot chocolate mugs

Make 2 new bowl candles

Vacuum

Dust

Nap!

What are you up to today?

Hopefully you are able to focus......

F.O.C.U.S

Young Helpers Make it Fun...and other chatter!

On Saturday Warren, Mike and Jeremiah
had some work to do at our church.
I stopped by to make the bulletins and
found this...



Cracks me up.

Jeremiah's little guys were being all
the help they could be.



Climbing up and down the ladder to the
crawl space and chattering away...nonstop.



So cute, I tell you!

As for today...
I had intended to head over to Longwood
Gardens this morning, but it is pouring
rain. So... I guess I will head over to
the church again and do some painting.

There is never a loss for things to do.

I'll also be making up a second web candle
order. Thank You, Ladies, for placing these
orders. I hope you will love your candles!!

If you haven't looked yet, I do hope you'll
stop over at my candle blog. I encourage
orders by the dozen because it is your best
value and originally I thought it would be
easier to ship this way. However, I am very
happy to sell you candles by the piece. Just
email me for price quotes with shipping.

I have a candle delivery to make to my Amish
friend, Rachel. She is a very faithful
customer and I always look forward to her
orders. This means I get to visit at her
home and see the new plants and gardens in
progress. Rachel is a lot like my Mikey.
She loves plants of all kinds and, as she is
single, works at a large plant farm.
Soon enough, I imagine, Rachel will get
married and settle in a home of her own
with little ones to care for.


Hope your day is bright...
even if you, like us, are faced
with liquid sunshine.

See You Soon...

I am working a bit over
at the Candle Website.

I had some orders to fill
so I am taking advantage of
having candles to photograph.

Bit by bit I will have more
on that site.

Taking this kind of
photo is definitely not
my strength. Just know that
these look better in person.
I will keep working at it and
will improve, I promise.

I also added seven new fragrances
to the list:
Wildflowers
Caramel Apple
Coconut
Cucumber Mint
Grandma's Kitchen
and my favorite...Orange Clove.

I have melted wax waiting for
me...see you later!

Have a great day!

Craft Shows

They are unique.

It is community.

Every show is different but
with comforting similarities.

Today I am at a Resort's Fall Fest.

This year I have chosen to do just
two craft shows.

It is just too much work.
Almost like setting up a store
each time.

But, I love the atmosphere and cannot
seem to stop going.

The vendors come in with an eye to each
other's booth, checking out the competition
before opening up to complete friendliness.

Of course, we are all intent on getting our
wares shown in their best light in only an
hour's time. So this could be an explanation...

However, without fail, as the day nears noon
the vendors begin to become friendly. There
is chatting...and offers to "cover" for someone
as they take their breaks.

It is community.

We are in it together.

If the day is going well much laughter is
heard.

A hard, low sales day will bring grumbles and
complaints against the organizers. This makes
me shudder because sometimes things just happen.

Sometimes it is no one's fault.

I love the customers. Watching them
come and go. I know who will buy almost
before they reach the table. There is
something about the way their face lights
up when they see the candles.

There is a flicker of interest.
They come and some have to touch.
Others are afraid to.
We encourage touching.
It is like a little dance of
acquaintance.
Sniffing, of the candles, is also highly encouraged.
When one touches and sniffs it is
hard to walk away. One of those
candles will demand to be taken home.
They just do.

Well,
I am almost packed and ready to go.

There is a shelter to build when we get there
to keep the sun off the candles...this has me
nerved up. I am not good with these things and
really hope there is enough time to do this and
get a very nice display in order.

I found some Coke-a-Cola pillows to add to the display
featuring our Cola candles. I have wanted to have
something to attract attention to them, because when
people smell them...they want them.


My business partner, Beverly, will join me for the day.
She is all but done with the business after moving
into a Retirement Community, but I twisted her arm
into coming today...for old time's sake.

We will have a great time.

The weather is perfect and I am excited to
get moving on this day.

Blessings!

Becky K.

Candle Orders

As I have been busy doing other things
the candle orders have been coming in.

Here is my candle to do list:

1 Apple Cinnamon Tea- for my friend Judy

1 large hurricane cinnamon bun (tan) - send to Vanessa in Missouri

1 Apple Cinnamon jar - for my Mother-in-law

1 Mulberry Spice 8 oz jar refill - from the Christmas fundraiser

1 10 oz - Scent unknown - for a current fundraiser

3 assorted glassware refills from my Amish Friends

Anybody want to place an order while I am making these?
Price is 50 cents per ounce, (soy or gel) plus $1 for the container. So you choose the size you want and add a dollar. US Shipping is a flat $5 for the first piece then $2 each after that in the same order. That is the easiest. Sometimes I'll win...most times you win... on the shipping. International shipping will be actual cost.

I have 8 oz or 12 oz canning style jars...metal daisy lids...New, cute Labels...Thanks Miss Paula!


9 oz hexagon jars with silver daisy lids...


8 oz frosted bulb jars...not the love tag...unless you ask for it...I have new tags. They are a surprise...think more Victorian.


16 oz frosted terrace jars - no picture yet...but it has 2 wicks


teacups - flat $15 each - unless you send me your favorite cup and then it is 50 cents per ounce. If I choose the cup the design will vary.


coke glasses - flat $5.00 each


..and more...need a quantity for retail? We have special rates for that...

Have a great day!

We are eating out tonight at a tourist stop, Good and Plenty. They offer great specials on the off season. It is Chelsea's fav! They serve family style and lots of it. Self control...I'll be telling myself that I should have this... all day, today.

Candle Making...

I have been MIA in the kitchen making Valentine Themed Candles. Oh, is this fun!
My goal is to create products that are frilly and pretty.

This is what I have come up with so far...

Peach Colored Victorian Rose Scented votive inside this pretty vase. I have two of these and I can just see them on my seller's table. They will be so pretty.

Then there is this:

It is so much prettier and cuter in person. An Apple Cinnamon Soy candle in Gorham Cut Crystal Votive. Then this is tucked into a precious little cardboard bag and finished off with a handwritten tag and raffia bow.

Peachy Victorian Rose appears again here:


And an Apple Cinnamon in an Apple jar with lid:

There are more...but I guess I have spent enough time here..if I intend to get these completed and to my seller this evening.

Blessings on you and yours today.

The Show on Saturday

We enjoyed doing the show on Saturday. The location was great. I should have gotten more pictures of the surroundings but I just snapped a few as we were setting up and then it got busy. It was a very good day. This was the first time Willow Valley Resorts has tried anything like this so there were only about 17 vendors. But they had the Fire Company out with the Smoke House and Fire Trucks, there were tethered hot air balloon rides and scarecrow making, gingerbread boy decorating and pumpkin painting. The guests really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We had to carry our bins of candles quite a ways to our position beside the pond. We were told we would have shade but as often happens this proved to be wrong. I searched for another way to say that...but wrong is the only way. We ended up mid afternoon with melted candles and had to move to another spot and had sold enough by that point to consolidate to just one table....thankfully!

Here are the pictures I snapped while we set up.

See the Christmas Pitchers?

They are all gone.

I have to check our container storage to see if we

have any more to make up.

The rooster candle is gone too...along with our last coke. Thankfully we have plenty of supplies to make more coke candles because they are one of our biggest sellers. Our customers say they can "smell" the fizz! They also love the ice cubes that we put in them. One prior customer was at our stand as a man was debating the purchase of this coke candle. She told him about her daughter's coke candle that has never been lit but keeps her daughter's room smelling sweet all of the time.

I really debated putting any Christmas items out in October on a 86 degree day but I am glad we did.

This is my friend, Beverly, who makes the candles with me.

We walked up this pathway with bin after bin of candles. I was so hot before we even started!

But isn't it beautiful??

Well, I need to check on the kids and see if they are hard at work yet...I have my doubts. Hope you enjoyed the quick pics of the show. We did a simplified set-up because of the outdoor location and it did not seem to hurt sales at all. It was so nice to have repeat customers so happy to find us. We also made many new friends who are from other parts of the state or neighboring states. They asked for our web address so you never know...

Have a great Day!