“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”| My Candle Story

This candle collection has been in the works for two years now. I remember the night I sat at my mom’s dinner table, talking with our show producer, and she asked what my five-year plan looked like. One of my goals was to have my own candle collection. I LOVE candles, the glow, the look, and the aroma of a good candle. Before every home reveal I always light a candle. It instantly turns a house into a home. I light a candle every single evening when I walk through my own door. After a long hard day, it helps me to wind down, relax, and know I am home.

The comfort of a candle is powerful in my opinion, and that is why it was so important to bring that particular item into my collection at HGD.

I wanted to start with two different scents (spring/summer and fall/winter) and it was important for them to tell my story every time they were lit. I worked hard for them to reflect the seasons of life we go through, not throwing out a pumpkin latte scent just because it’s Fall. I wanted something meaningful that shared how I was growing in that particular season. I spent hours and hours testing scents and combinations and paying attention to every detail of the aromas I was drawn to throughout my day. My sweet friend helped me design the label for this candle that was hand drawn with such detail and perfection. It made it that much more special that she was apart of that.

I ordered fifty candles, not knowing the reaction this candle would have, and we completely sold out within a week of opening the store. As each candle sold, people were curious as to where this came from, what scents were in it, what was the “name” of this candle? Honestly, I particularly named this candle because I wasn’t ready to. With everything I do for HGD, I want it to be very intentional, thought out, and prayed upon. Each day I would try to think a title to give it and nothing was connecting. I needed to feel all my hard work and thought that was put into these candles. One night I woke around three in the morning with two words in my head.., “harvest” and “bloom”. I had no idea what these words meant. I assumed they were names for my candle that I had been wracking my brain for, and praying for something to come to me, but beyond those words.. nothing else came to me.

About a month later I was listening to my daily sermon and this particular one was talking about harvest season. As I was listened, I began to hear it from a different perspective. I was hearing it from that night I woke with those two words in my head. You see, these candles were planned long before they were available in my shop. They were planted in my path long before I even knew why a candle had so much meaning to me. Getting these candles ready for you to harvest did not happen overnight. They were soul searched, researched, thought of, worked for, and a lot of work was done by many different people. Just as a farmer prepares for the harvest, I have prepared for this business of mine. For many, Autumn is a time of harvest and gathering the fields. For me it’s a time of sowing. Growing in my work, planting seeds of what’s to come and growing within myself so that I may fruitfully bloom later.

The candles are simply an expression of that. Will they change? Probably. The look, the labels, the scent, they will grow with me, but the meaning will always remain the same. They are a reflection of the seasons I have experienced. The things God had sown within me long ago is multiplying before my eyes and I can see the fruits of my labor bloom with something as small as a candle.

I hope you enjoy these candles and many more to come. But mostly, I hope they provide the inspiration you need to re-light the fire in you that may have been dimmed. God’s harvest is within your next season, so bloom with grace.