Sometimes, when the house is quiet and I can’t hear cars on the road outside anymore, I like to write letters by candlelight. My thoughts are clearest when all I can hear are the sounds of my fountain pen running along the paper, leaving behind silky black trails of ink. Have you listened to your handwriting lately?
There is one candle I’ve really taken to for this important task. It has two wicks, gives off just enough light and has a fragrance that is decidedly not artificial smelling.
And, this is, to date, the only candle my husband has expressed a liking for.
I’m going to share with you specifics on this candle because it really is outstanding. It’s made by a company called Cranberry Harbor Naturals. The candle in this post is Lavender and it uses the true essential oil of lavender. If you have smelled lavender candles before and not been impressed with the scent, it was probably fragrance oil (synthetic) instead of an essential oil. They smell different, believe me.
Lavender is used often in aromatherapy. It’s calming and can help you sleep and wind down. I find it’s the perfect compliment to a stack of unanswered letters.
This particular candle is their 18oz. Whisper Jar. It uses organic wax and pthalate-free cotton wicks (I have asthma issues and this candle did not bother me at all). The estimated burn time on their website is 65-80 hours and mine has burned at least that much and I still have about an inch left to go.
As you can see in the photos, I’ve really used this candle before writing this post.
The lavender scent gently fills the room–I’m impressed with the scent throw. Sometimes it’s harder to get a good scent throw with essential oils vs. fragrance oils, but somehow they do it.
I have also used this candle to melt my sealing wax. I am able to just lay my sealing wax melter across the top. Because it has two wicks, it melts quicker. You can see some of my sealing wax that dripped on the edge of the candle. ;)
Here’s their website: http://www.cranberryharborcandles.com/first_2.html
So there you have it, my favorite letter-writing candle.
I’m curious, do any of you ‘set the mood’ when you write letters? I would love to hear about it.
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Hello! My name is Cole. Simplicity Embellished is my special place. I talk a lot about writing letters, etegami, gardening and yoga. Please sign up for Sunday Tea (comes to you via email), subscribe using your feed reader of choice and don't hesitate to say hello on Twitter or Facebook either.
Hmm, reminds me of a book I read about proprioceptive writing years ago. The idea of the book was to write with a candle going as well as baroque music. Thanks for the candle tip — gotta love a worthwhile candle!
I LOVE Cranberry Harbor Candles. I live all the way in Oklahoma and just got my shipment in today. They are the greatest little independent candle company in this mass production world. You are right – the scent throw and the burnability is amazing. I haven’t tried a Lavendar one. But I will now. Also – if you haven’t tried their potpourri it is beautiful in appearance and smells amazing. It has a decorator element to it that I haven’t seen in other potpourri’s. I love that their products are all natural and small business.
This sounds wonderful, Nikki! (The writing by candlelight and the candle!)
I often find myself setting the letter-writing scene with music. Sometimes a certain song reminds me of a time, place or person and I try to jot down exactly what I remember and then incorporate it into a note or letter. I sometimes wonder what fun it would be if we all had a “soundtrack” to our lives. You may remember episodes of Ally McBeal where she would give herself a ‘theme song’, I have at times consciously changed my moods by applying music that makes me feel vibrant and moved. A variation of the theme.