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Growing up, food was central to our family. The act of preparing & receiving a meal, even a simple one, was an act of affection. Gatherings still center around a table full of home cooked dishes.

But it wasn't always that simple. Though my parents both worked diligently, we also experienced scarcity. I remember my dad telling me that he once had to sell a pair of our dining chairs for us to afford that month's milk & groceries.

Though it's not that way anymore, I am humbled to acknowledge that those days weren't that far behind us - and also not in the realm of impossibility in front of us. 

For January 2021, Lulumiére donated to Feeding America. During this pandemic, food banks everywhere are being stretched thin. Thanks to your support, we were able to collectively donate 2500 meals to individuals & families in need. 

Grateful for you,

Linda

Hello friends,

Thank you for your interest & support in the products that I craft for Lulumière. I truly enjoy putting out things like candles & shower steamers out into the world. Because they bring me light, joy & a reminder to take deep breaths, I hope they do the same for you.

Because of your support, I can and want to do more. I was recently inspired by Lauren at the Making Good Podcast. She believes that we can use the resources we already have to make a difference in our communities & in the world. I have to agree.

Each month, a 5% portion of my proceeds will go toward charity. Maybe from an accounting standpoint, it might not make sense to donate in a time of a pandemic. But I believe in abundance. To me, there is always enough to share something. 

Here are the charities I will be donating to for the remainder of 2020. 

August: Girl Scouts of Western Washington

September: Red Cross Western Wildfire Relief Fund

October: Food Lifeline

November: Ayame Kai Guild

December: Seattle Humane Society

Take care,

Linda

Hello friends!

Keeping touch while keeping a responsible radius doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as sending a text message that includes a fun old photo. It might be a phone call to a loved one in the generation or two above you. Maybe it is mailing a letter or cheery card, since you have everything you need on hand (plus you'll finally get to use up all those pretty stickers). It can also be a practical gift that reminds someone that you've thought of them.

Today, I'm going to highlight some of my very favorite candles that I personally love sending + some occasions to go along with them.  

• Canceled spring wedding? Send warm wishes with an Aloha candle! It has all the tropical vacation vibes & it smells like joy.
• Miss your morning catch-up time over coffee? This all natural candle will transform any space into a personal coffee house. 
• Know someone who is having a hard time being alone? Send a note of solidarity along with a soothing Lavender & Eucalyptus candle.
• Birthday dinner suddenly postponed? Bookmark it by sending a Sangria candle and include a note with your thoughtful birthday toast.
• Wish you could hug your faraway mum or grandmother?  Gift her a gorgeous Peony or Rose candle that she can smile about for weeks on end.
• Family dinner put on hold? Send a springy Limonata candle that can brighten up your favorite homey kitchen.
• Missing Seattle right now? Ease a bout of homesickness with some fresh woodiness via my year-round favorite Northwest candle.

Complimentary shipping & an option for a gift note at check out will make it easier for you turn your thoughtfulness into something that can be enjoyed over & over again. Cheers!

Hello! With many of us adjusting to the idea of extended time in our homes, I've decided to make my own space a little bit cleaner, brighter, freshened up. So what does the owner of candle studio choose for her own home? 

Here are some of my favorite Lulumière candle scents for the next few months.

In the main living space for day, I like something woodsy like Balsam & Cedar. It is grounding, calming and doesn't overpower the home while I work & the kids learn. Northwest or Currant are my other favorites as we ease into spring.

In the evening, the heart of my home needs to unwind & calm down. For me, it's an easy choice with Lavender & Eucalyptus. It is soothing + signals my body that we are heading toward a resting stage. If you don't like lavender, I might suggest something soothing but light like Bergamot & Tangerine.

Finally, being at home all day means a lot more time in the kitchen. Whether it is making extra meals or washing more dishes than usual, I like to make these tasks as enjoyable as possible. Lighting either Lemon & Rosemary or Limonata are an easy way to bring joy into my kitchen, while making it smell bright & clean!

If you are having trouble narrowing down what scent you'd like to add into your space, send me a message - I'd love to help!

When it comes to autumn & winter home fragrance, lighting a candle makes perfect sense. A tiny bit of heat from the candle helps to warm up fragrance notes, while a flicker of light adds cozy ambience.

• Sugar & spice & everything nice. Traditional spices like cinnamon & clove are likely the first thoughts that come to mind when thinking about classic holiday scents. There is something nostalgic about combinations like Orange & Clove or Chai & Cinnamon. They work great in kitchen spaces because holiday meals tend to be heavier & windows stay closed. Lighting a candle is a lovely way to clear that air. Try lighting your candles after dinner, when washing the dishes in the kitchen or in the living space for post-meal unwinding. It is a modern take on simmering orange peels & cloves over the stove.

• Farm to table. This year, I drew much of my inspiration from crisp, fresh fruits. One of the best parts of living in the Pacific Northwest is enjoying new apple crops popping up in autumn. An ode to our harvest season is the Cider candle, with fresh apple & light spice notes. Then as colder months approach, I love Currant as our candle of the season. With a pine wood accord, the tart red currant is holiday perfection.

• Home among the trees. No winter fragrance collection would be complete without an ode to the outdoors. Fallen leaves, bare branches, crisp woods... bringing the outdoors inside through candle fragrance is a lovely way to connect our senses to nature. From the Essential Collection, Balsam & Cedar is a classic woodsy candle, while Woods & Winter combines the forest with a hint of smoke & spice. And, if tree type scents aren't typically your thing but you want to try one, the Winter signature candle is a customer favorite year after year for good reason.

This season, I'd say, "Try something you and try something new." Pick a scent you are pretty sure you'd like, then pick one you have been interested in but aren't totally sure about. Lighting a fresh candle can really bring a new vibe into your space. Cheers!

As with clothing fashion, there are trends in home decor - including scent. Fragrance for the home has evolved over the years from strong vanilla type scents in the 80's to spiced potpourris in the 90's to linen/laundry perfumes in the 2000's and now back to a more nature-inspired home.

For 2019 Spring + Summer, we have set aside our cozy holiday candles for a season-appropriate refresh in our newly "Tidied Up" homes.

Here's a look at 3 big trends in home fragrance for Spring + Summer:

1. Citrus. It's no surprise that citrus would top this list. While it might be an obvious choice, there are good reasons for it. Citrus fruits like lemons, lime & oranges have long been a symbol of a clean space. Not only does citrus evoke clean, it truly is a powerful cleaning agent and has been used since before the days of Method or even Pine-Sol. From our Signature Collection, one of our newest candles, Limonata, captures that joyful feeling well. It is infused with lemon essential oil, but with just a hint of creamy sweetness & a touch of herbal verbena for balance. From the Essential Collection, we are instantly drawn to Grapefruit & Bergamot. The combination of light, bright Grapefruit citrus along with soothing, green Bergamot fruit, commonly used in Earl Grey tea, is natural perfection.
2. Herbs. And ode to all things green & earthy. If citrus is that clean, crisp scent working in the top notes, think of herbs as rounding out the middle section of our scent palette. Food plants like thyme, rosemary, mint, basil & tarragon have a familiar aroma that instantly bring us outdoors. On their own, they can lean towards being just a grassy garden. But paired with a pretty floral or a tart citrus, these herbs are grounding & soothing. From the Essential line, our standout for Spring is the Lemon & Rosemary candle. Rosemary essential oil has that familiar rosemary freshness but is also slightly camphorous, like eucalyptus. Blended together with lemon, and it is beautifully uplifting & clean.
3. Mood. While food-related scents will forever appeal to the masses, there is something to be said for a unisex, musky statement for your space. This trend is embraced by the current generations, who understand scent as an layer of decor. We're talking notes of leather, oud, sandalwood & musk. While it might not be for gourmand candle lovers, we've done it the Lulumière way this season with Tabac. And no, it doesn't smell like an old cigarette. Think rich amber, green tobacco leaves & a hint of smokey maple. It's the one to light in the evening, just a bit before your guests come over.

Whichever scent profile you are most drawn to, we love this season for updating your home scent collection. Cheers!

The area is buzzing over the UW Husky Football team making it to the Rose Bowl! To celebrate, we are giving away a free VEQUE nail polish in Fantome (whitish purple), Bisous (a pinkish plum) or Soiree (a dark blue purple) + your choice of mini candle.

We love VEQUE for so many reasons. First, they are 9-free. That means they are without the 9 of the most harmful toxins found in most every nail polish. There are some 3-free or rarely a 5-free polish, but a 9-free polish is pretty special. Also, their brushes are amazing! They help apply each coat as if it were a gel manicure, but so much easier on + off. Their colors are spectacular. Whether you like your nails au naturale or dark & moody, VEQUE has you covered. Finally, VEQUE is local & handmade, which means that each bottle is crafted to perfection. Found in J Crew stores nationwide, Lulumière is honored to partner with VEQUE in this giveaway.

These gifts are free with purchase of any two (2) full sized candles site wide. Just mention which of the polishes you'd like at check out, or reply to the confirmation email with your choice and you are all set! If you don't mention your preference, we will be happy to pick for you!

Let's go Dawgs!

If you are reading this article, it is because you are interested in my artisan made candles. Thank you! It tells me that you value the quality that comes with freshly made, small-batch products. Whether it is soaps or cookies or candles, I tend to think that they are better when made by a person who really enjoys what they are doing.

And when it comes to making candles, I gotta tell you, I really dig it. It is far & away my favorite part of the job. Like, when I come back from vacation, I literally can't wait to start melting some wax & get going on my pour list. [My pour list is the plan I have for each pitcher of wax I work with.]

It is truly therapeutic & joyful for me to pour my candles. So much so, that I am the only one who has ever poured a Lulumière candle. And by my estimation, I've poured thousands of candles. Thousands! Every single candle that has a Lulumière sticker on it? Yeah, I poured that. And it was fun.

Each season, I think a lot about what feelings, scents & ideas I want to bring into my collection. I also take some candles out if they don't make sense for the upcoming months, which also takes much consideration.

My main driver is usually the home - what's happening outside & what's going on indoors.

These days on my morning walk, it's all about the trees. They are changing colors and just might be nature's showstopper. The air is also different. It's crisp & cool & super clean.

As far as home life, we've started bringing out the squishy blankets & are having conversations about upcoming holidays. We've traded iced tea for hot tea and sweaters for tank tops.

I hope you connect with my newest seasonal offerings. I think they complement my mainstays well but add that nostalgia that we look for at the end of the year.

For my Signature Collection, I brought in crisp Cider, warm Eggnog & woodsy Winter candles.

The Essential Collection has spicy Chai & Cinnamon, a clean Wintergreen & Cypress and comforting Orange & Clove.

Please enjoy & as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers!

Many thanks to The Seattle Times for featuring Lulumière candles, both in print via their Sunday paper edition, and also on Monday online in their article highlighting locally made items for fall decor.

The featured item was my Coffee & Vanilla candle. It's from my Essential Collection that uses only... well, the essentials. All of the candles from this line use just 100% essential oils for scent. That means the air will be lightly fragranced and totally pure, without any fragrances or perfumes (or headaches!) The wick is cotton + paper, totally lead free. And finally, renewable, US grown soy wax as the vehicle for all of this goodness.

The Coffee & Vanilla candle in particular, is totally a nod to our Pacific Northwest lifestyle. Rainy indoor days, the art of caffeination & our generally easy going pace. It smells just like a bag of whole bean coffee with just the slightest hint of vanilla.

Thanks to each of you who stopped by to visit at this summer's Urban Craft Uprising show. I feel privileged to have met your smiling faces, see your sweet pups & babies and also connect with some super dope makers. Thank you for your support and kind words. It reminds me why I do this fun, crazy, slow, beautiful thing I do.

And it is always nice being in the company of folks who know what it takes to do what we love. Did you shop around? These people are pro! I'm truly truly inspired by these humans who are amazingly good at what they do.

So, yes, I am giddy about all the good stuff from these fine cats:

Jonboy Caramels - lime caramels + fleur de sel caramels

Honeyberry Studios - succulent notebook + llama card

Carter & Rose - air plant hangers

Seawitch Botanicals - natural tinted lip balm

Shoji Note - punny animal greeting cards

SodaWax - natural deodorant

Seagrape Body - natural bar soap

Amber Leaders Designs - mid century modern art greeting card

WISH I had bought:

Bodhi Swag - cocoon wrap

Forest Ceramic - rad mug

Slow Loris - printed tee