AJ and I have been friends ever since we attended the same school for Kindergarten and 1st grade. Growing up, he would ride his bike to my house and we swam at the same pool. I had the biggest crush on him, but we never dated. Over the years we went on our separate paths and didn’t see each other much after middle school. But that’s what Facebook is for – to stay connected with old friends.

My path led me to Italy during college and then back home where I got married, had my daughters, and started working at a specialty gift boutique. I had a passion for smell goods; pretty/sparkly things; and holiday decor. During covid, my life fell apart. I was 37yo, getting divorced, living with my parents, and the boutique closed. During that time I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I spent a lot of time alone reflecting, writing, focusing on self care, and burning A LOT of candles. I decided that “one day” I wanted to start my own candle company and I spent a lot of time brainstorming and getting excited. But that excitement quickly waned when my parents called it a “harebrained idea” and my new dream deflated and I put it to the side. Finally, I got back on my feet and moved out into my own place with my daughters. 

About a year later, I received a random direct message on Facebook from AJ. A simple “Happy Mother’s Day” message led to an hours-long text exchange catching up. I had seen his posts pop up on my feed over the years and knew he was divorced with his own kids. It was easy to continue the friendship that started during childhood. 

As our relationship deepened, I told AJ that “one day” I wanted to start a candle company. He didn’t think it was a “harebrained” idea. Instead, he asked what was stopping me and did I have a timeframe for “one day”? After having this discussion, he arranged an entire day of candle making classes for us to attend together. As we got into the car that morning, he asked if I was ready for “the first day of my new life”.  

My “one day” has finally arrived and I am truly loving living my passion and creating these hand-poured, luxury candles with my oldest and bestest friend. We’re just lighting up the world one candle at a time.