yep, it's july

Over the past month I have not been inspired to blog about anything. At times I thought that I was "feelin' it" and sat down to the computer; but then ... nuthin'. I've tried not to read too much into it, beyond the fact that I just haven't had much to say. Now that I think about it, the sage words of one of my favorite professors/colleagues here at the university come to mind: "Sometimes Americans talk too much. We don't know when to just sit back and listen." Maybe that's what I've been doing ... listening?

HA! Whatever. I can try to paint myself as some introspectively hindered soul ... but the bottomline is much less esoteric: I've been hot, tired, and burnt out.

Until today!

There's nothing like a good ol' Yankee Candle email to pull me out of the summer doldrums! Today's Yankee Candle offering brought me dangerously close to fall--if for only a brief moment.

A few new fragrances for this fall ....

Nature's Paintbrush

A perfect autumn day captured in radiant, aromatic strokes of brisk air, spicy wood

s and warm musk.

Pumpkin Buttercream

Buttercream gets a spicy twist . . . a traditional recipe of pumpkin, vanilla, cinn

amon, and clove.

Over the River

A cool and calm stroll by the river . . . watery green notes with hints of sage, amber and oak.

recycled beer bottle tealight holders

Must. Have.

Aren't these the perfect mix of sultry & sweet?

From the stylish genius that is My Sparrow ... my forever most fave shopping spot on the interweb:

croc(s)

Crocodile Cubes from India Rose ... because a girl can never have too much faux animal skin and flickering illumination.

Crocodile embossed candles from totally sustainable beeswax blend. Each candle is a 3" cube & comes in sets of 3, in a handmade paper box. This is the perfect gift for yourself. Scented in cempaka, wild fig/pomegranate, bamboo, coffee, grape & guava

Love these.

yankee candle : : new spring sniffs

Just released from my fave, Yankee Candle . . . a sneak peak/smell at spring:

Pineapple Cilantro
Drift Away
Tahitian Tiare Flower
Beautiful DayEarly Sunrise

big bottle wine hurricanes

I'm not sure what I love most about these beautifully dramatic hurricanes from NapaStyle--their over-the-top size, their gorgeous color, the warmth they exude, or the fact that I am now compelled to go pour a large glass of cab.

OK. I'm back.

Feeling like these beauties are alive and beckoning to me, "Let's toast autumn!"

I am really wanting ....

glow in the dark

Like most people, I'm a huge candle aficionado--I never can seem to get enough. So "The Magic of Candlelight: 39 ways to glow beautifully throughout the year" article in Real Simple Magazine is right up my waxy alley. A few of my favorite inspirations from the piece:

Light the way up a spiral staircase with simple glass candle-holders

Transform small pumpkins and gourds into candlesticks (just hollow out the center and add white tapers) for a Halloween or Thanksgiving display

Add a merry note to a staircase by lining it with leaf-and-berry-adorned takes on luminarias

Lend a glow to a backyard bash by arranging tea lights in tiny hurricane lamps and terra-cotta pots clustered in groups

Nothing gives guests a warmer welcome ... than candles illuminating their pathway

A quick way to transform an everyday table: Cover a shallow tray or platter with a dozen pillar candles of varying sizes and diameters

and down poured the night rain ....

It's cool and wet here in College Station on this first-Thursday-of-fall night.

As I type, a fantastic smelling roast (thank you, ABC Dragoo -- you inspired me, and I'm drooling in anticipation!) is braising in the oven.

The latest fall Yankee Candles are burning all around.

Thursday night college football on ESPN is alive and well on the TV.

My Boodles Gin with orange juice -- currently in hand -- is bringing a much-needed sense of warmth and relaxation to an overly-frazzled psyche. Temporarily, anyway, all dissertation thoughts are pushed back into the farthest recesses of my mind.

Sometimes you just have to sit back and count your blessings. And I am blessed.

yankee candle : : new fall fragrances

I am forever bringing home different candles; but the more brands and varieties I try, the more I become convinced that nothing beats Yankee Candle--in terms of scent, burn evenness, selection, and longevity. They're truly in a league of their own. Each year Yankee's Buy One, Get One Free large jar sale provides me with a boxful of happy--more so than just about any other candle-induced joy.

Until now!

I could hardly contain my glee when I saw that Yankee Candle is debuting eight new fall fragrances. Since I live for autumn, this sits well with me.

Here are a few that I'm dying to test out on my sniffer:

what i have in common with charlize theron & will smith

Illume Candles.

ILLUME is known for its vibrant home fragrances which have a loyal celebrity following including Madonna, Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Colin Farrell and Christina Aguilera. Illume can be found in more than 4,500 specialty retail and department stores internationally, including Bloomingdale’s and Anthropologie.

ILLUME's pillar candles are known for being the very best. Our pillars have a very high fragrance load. For this reason, a small amount of fragrance migrates to the surface of the candle and sometimes stains the packing paper. This characteristic will not effect the candle's performance.

I bought a couple this weekend at jim.n.i in Historic Downtown Bryan. Their aroma is out of this world. Talk about intense. They don't burn as evenly as Yankees; but these natural oil candles give off a scent that makes you want to weep.

I bought two: Bamboo & Agave and Pomegranate. Here they are, burning in my home sweet home:


Illume candles and a glass of wine: This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.