Candles

I really like candles. I like to have them burning while I'm writing. But I'm very particular about my candles. They cannot smell like food. None of this "spice cookie" or vanilla or whatever. I detest anything that smells like something I might want to eat without it being something I can, in fact, eat. (So this rule also goes for body lotions.)

The best candles I ever had were a gift from someone on a film set. (Long story short, it didn't occur to me until long after the fact that maybe the guy who gave them to me might, you know, like me or something? Marcel, wherever you are: thank you.) These candles were "fresh cut grass" scent made by a company called Chubbies. Do they exist any more? Could I possibly find more of these candles?

The old standbys are, of course, Yankee Candles. I do love their "blue hydrangea." But I'm trying to branch out a bit and discover a few other brands instead of going back to the same things again and again.

At Michael's today I found a brand called Ashland but I didn't like the way any of them smelled. The one I'm trying out now is Nature's Wick in "tranquil waters" scent. It smells great without being too cloying and it seems to burn pretty evenly, but it makes a funny noise. Yes, that's right. It crackles and buzzes, I suppose because of the wooden wick. I haven't decided yet how I feel about that.

I've discovered that most of the scents I enjoy come in white or light blue for whatever reason. Sometimes beige. I like deep, rich colors, but the scents for which those colors are typically featured aren't my cup of tea, so to speak. Cranberry? Uh, no. And I generally steer clear of anything that will make my office smell like a Christmas Tree store. But I am getting a little tired of all the blue and white, despite how serene it makes things. Hmm.

Someone once gave me a Yankee Candle that was some kind of thunderstorm scent? It was quite nice, actually, and a darker color than the ones I usually gravitate toward. Maybe I could find more like that.

Anyone out there have suggestions for candles?