I was a devoted home-party candle connosieur. Then one day, my sister gave me a soy candle that I loved. The scent was better than the big-name company's candles, and I was hooked. I just had to know how to get more!

Well, several of my favorite scents were discontinued. What now? Answer: make my own. So, while I took a 3-year hiatus from my career as an ICU RN to raise my small kiddos, I began to experiment with making (large batches) of my own candles. Only, paraffin didn't make sense with small ones in the house, so soy wax is what I chose to work with. Viola! Wonderfully scented candles that are also better for my indoor air.

My son was a borderline-asthmatic as a young child, and soy candles did not affect his breathing! I soon moved on to natural linen/room sprays to cut down on more indoor chemicals. Later, I developed my hand-made shea butter lotions due to my daughter having some very dry skin.

I'm back at work full-time now. I work at a busy St Louis hospital and I work weekends, but I also make time to get out to about 1 or 2 local Indie-style festivals and craft fairs a year. My family members all have their own favorite scents. When I burn certain smells, I hear things like, "that reminds me of the cabin in Wisconsin", or "that smells like Myrtle Beach." (I always take candles & sprays on vacation, so my kids are remembering them!) Scent is so powerful, I just love making my home smell like, well, home. I hope you'll give my scents a try, too.