let's start a fire

Up until recently, I have had a strong aversion to candles.  Sure I think they're pretty when they're lit and sometimes they're even pretty when they aren't lit, but the candle experience was ruined for me when I was younger. One year my mom decided to tell people that I really liked candles and people just couldn't stop themselves from giving me more and more candles.  I hand candles on my dresser, on my bed side table, on my desk, lined on the shelves in my closet - SO many candles.  I even turned a little pyro for a while and burned candles for 10 hours a day just to try and get rid of them (so what if I also melted pen lids and other plastic things in the baby flames?).  So since 10th grade or so, I have not wanted candles in my bedroom/dorm room/kitchen/living room/any room.  Well, there was the summer and winter I worked at Bath and Body Works and got sucked back into candles, but that was just one weak moment.

But ever since I did a little extra Christmas shopping at Target and walked away with not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, but 6 whole candles, I have been a candle-burning fiend.  I have already gone through 2 votives and just about one whole pillar candle.  I just can't stop myself.  So in the spirit of candles, here are some snazzy ones I wouldn't mind having around:

First up, pretty candles in pretty glass holders.  I want lots of these Sydney Hale Co. candles because there are so many scents that sound just delightful.  And the holder on the right is meant to be hung, so just picture how pretty that could be.

1) Terrain: Vintage Cordial Candle

2) Sydney Hale Company: Mint + Geranium

3) CB2: Whirly Hanging Chandelier

Next, we have pretty candles in tins/ceramic/mercury glass "jars."  I love all of these a whole lot.  In fact, I'll probably be driving to Anthropologie this weekend to check and see if the collared candle is there because it's backordered online - and it's on sale, which is always my favorite.  PS: that first candle is just a candle that someone melted into an old jello mold.  I wish I was cool enough to come up with things like that.

1) Etsy: Vintage Jello Mold Candle in Lemon Verbena

2) Anthropologie: Days Gone By Candles

3) Anthropologie: Haberdasher's Collar Candle, Two Sons

4) Anthropologie: Scintillating Basin Candle

If you thought you were getting out of this without a mention of an elephant, clearly you haven't been following along.  But also, a candle that has a beautiful vintage feeling print combined with a scent called "tea leaf" pretty much screams my name.  And this set of three Oceanic pillar candles are so darn sassy I can't help but smile when I look at them.

1) Skeem: 3-Wick, Migration, Tea Leaf

2) CSN: Blissliving Home Elephant Candle in Metallic Silver

3) Skeem: Pillars, Oceanic

Is there a part of me that hopes I get a candle or two for Christmas?  Maybe.  Is there a part of me that's terrified of getting seven candles for Christmas?  Definitely.  But I think I'm ready to face that fear head on.  Next fear on the list: the dark (which oddly enough, I just realized candles would really help that one out!  Funny how things work out).