March 03, 2023
What We’ve Been Up To: March
In our warehouse, we have two giant 2,000 lb wax melters named Patty and Tuna. Across from them runs a 60 ft conveyor with a heat lamp for smoothing candle tops called Melton John. This — the naming — all started back in 2013 when I purchased a 50 lb wax melter (Rosie) with the money from my first ever “big PO”.
Naming machines — or more commonly cars, or plants — isn’t just a cute way to personify the things we share space with. It also means that we take better care of them by bestowing the honor of a name — we are elevating them to a “character in our life”, which changes the way we interact with them and allows us to appreciate them more.
At this time of year, the company is busy with our annual Bounce Back week, where we recover from the holiday season (aka Candle Season). Candle making can be a messy, waxy affair, so the team cleans out nooks and crannies to make sure everything is running smoothly. They rearrange their space to get a new viewpoint for the year and optimize workflow. Caring for your space is a way you show respect for your home, your workspace, and the people that inhabit it.
During this time we typically unearth some old materials or supplies and see how we can put them to use. My mantra is “if you have it, use it”. Be a conscious consumer. Buy things you love and then use them — don’t just let them sit in a cabinet. I have a massive collection of incense, which is why I’m burning it every morning. I take a second to watch the meandering, painterly puff of smoke (my camera roll is full of videos of this moment). It’s a moment where my space feels alive — I’m changing the energy of the space, changing the way it smells, and giving myself a second to chill before being swept away by the current of the day.
I’ll leave you to it with some recommendations for atmosphere curation this month:
Product: Lately I’ve been loving our Teakwood & Tobacco hand soap. If you’re near one of the shops, I highly recommend creating your own fragrance blend by combining equal parts of Swell and Teakwood & Tobacco. Tom is a big fan of the soap because he works on his bike all the time and says that it’s the only soap that truly gets the grime off.
Music: Joy Division. From 2004-2007 I was in a ~mood~ and listened to Joy Division 70% of the time (other 30% was old school honky tonk). I recently got back into it by listening to the Spotify Radio of my favorite of the moment JD song, Isolation (Live at Birmingham University version, turn it all the way up to feel it in your bones starting at 1:26)
Watching: Pamela Anderson’s Y2K Cribs tour. Not my style at all, but I remember watching this one when it came out and a few things stuck with me: the b&w photos she took of her kids, that outdoor bath with a chandelier, and how she’s so intentional about surrounding herself with things she collected and loved, like her vintage champagne glasses
Journal Prompt: Write about your life like it’s the plot summary of a movie.
Over ‘n out,
Kristen
Naming machines — or more commonly cars, or plants — isn’t just a cute way to personify the things we share space with. It also means that we take better care of them by bestowing the honor of a name — we are elevating them to a “character in our life”, which changes the way we interact with them and allows us to appreciate them more.
At this time of year, the company is busy with our annual Bounce Back week, where we recover from the holiday season (aka Candle Season). Candle making can be a messy, waxy affair, so the team cleans out nooks and crannies to make sure everything is running smoothly. They rearrange their space to get a new viewpoint for the year and optimize workflow. Caring for your space is a way you show respect for your home, your workspace, and the people that inhabit it.
During this time we typically unearth some old materials or supplies and see how we can put them to use. My mantra is “if you have it, use it”. Be a conscious consumer. Buy things you love and then use them — don’t just let them sit in a cabinet. I have a massive collection of incense, which is why I’m burning it every morning. I take a second to watch the meandering, painterly puff of smoke (my camera roll is full of videos of this moment). It’s a moment where my space feels alive — I’m changing the energy of the space, changing the way it smells, and giving myself a second to chill before being swept away by the current of the day.
I’ll leave you to it with some recommendations for atmosphere curation this month:
Product: Lately I’ve been loving our Teakwood & Tobacco hand soap. If you’re near one of the shops, I highly recommend creating your own fragrance blend by combining equal parts of Swell and Teakwood & Tobacco. Tom is a big fan of the soap because he works on his bike all the time and says that it’s the only soap that truly gets the grime off.
Music: Joy Division. From 2004-2007 I was in a ~mood~ and listened to Joy Division 70% of the time (other 30% was old school honky tonk). I recently got back into it by listening to the Spotify Radio of my favorite of the moment JD song, Isolation (Live at Birmingham University version, turn it all the way up to feel it in your bones starting at 1:26)
Watching: Pamela Anderson’s Y2K Cribs tour. Not my style at all, but I remember watching this one when it came out and a few things stuck with me: the b&w photos she took of her kids, that outdoor bath with a chandelier, and how she’s so intentional about surrounding herself with things she collected and loved, like her vintage champagne glasses
Journal Prompt: Write about your life like it’s the plot summary of a movie.
Over ‘n out,
Kristen