Every month our community votes for a favorite, and our top fan september 2011 shows why: Ryan Kelley writes about candles the way other people write about old friends.
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Guest Post by Ryan Patrick Kelley
Our Facebook Top Fan for September 2011 as rated by Booshaka
So, here I am…blogging! It feels strange to finally blog about one of the things I love most in the world: LUXURY CANDLES!
I have been a candle enthusiast since I was a young boy. Something about the combination of the flame and the wax working together to birth fragrance has always enchanted me.
I can’t even begin to convey the troubles I put my parents through with all of my candle-lighting shenanigans at such a young age. Let’s not go into details about the time I almost burned the house down. Note to parents: Always supervise your kids if they light candles!! ALWAYS!! I was also probably one of the only 11 year old boys who wanted scented candles for his birthday and holiday gifts. As you can imagine, my parent’s pretty much had no idea what to do with me!
But, my love for scents and fine fragrances has always been something that I have embraced wholeheartedly. I can remember buying Voluspa when they first launched over ten years ago and falling head-over-heels in love with their candles. I had an instant connection with the line and still, to this day, continue to embrace each collection that they come out with. Macaron, Santiago Huckleberry and Ambre Lumiere are staples in my household.
I have had the pleasure of experiencing candle lines that have ranged from the uber-pricey to the super affordable and with each candle I have learned a little more about myself. I just turned the big 3-0 and I feel that with that leap in age I have become a lot more decisive about what I do and DON’T like in life. That goes for candles too. I have my favorite brands and I have brands that I don’t care for.
Candles Off Main provides such an amazing range of products and a tremendous social movement that has brought so many fellow scent-lovers together. I am happy to say that through Candles Off Main I have created friendships that go beyond wicks and wax. I have bonded with people and have had some of the most fun & totally WACKY online experiences you could imagine through the various contests and topics Dave & Sue have generously provided for us all.
I am so happy to have had a chance to blog a little about myself and what I love about fragrance.
My 3 Favorite Products at CandlesOffMain.com:
Voluspa 12 oz. Macaron Candle
This scent is pure comfort for me. There is nothing quite like it. The warm throw on this is like nothing I have ever really experienced. It lifts me up and calms me down all at the same time. I love the sweetness of the cookie fragrance. It makes my space feel like walking right into a trendy French bakery. All the fresh, warm baked goods wafting through the air. This is just pure deliciousness. There are no words to truly explain how much I adore this candle. It is so beyond amazing to me. I always want to take a bite out of it when I am burning it. Pure YUM. 🙂
Nest Wild Oats & Bourbon Candle
Laura Slatkin has crafted such an original scent with this candle. There is something so special about this blend. Whenever I burn it I feel enveloped in luxury. The scent is like nothing I had ever experienced prior to my first encounter with it. The ginger melding together with the bourbon and oats intertwine and make this a hearty, sweet, 100% unique scent that is truly decadent. I can’t rave enough about the throw on Nest fragrances either. They fill a room unlike no other candle on the market. This scent is amazing. Perfect for the cooler fall months but truly a scent you could have filling your home year-round. I adore this scent.
Modern Alchemy Dia De Los Muertos Candle
I have been burning this scent for the last few days before going to bed. It never fails to evoke a sensuality to the room when I light it. I love the sexiness of this blend. I would have never believed that marigold and frankincense could come together and create such a seductive, dark, mysterious scent. The vessels for the Historical line are exquisite. I can’t get myself to throw them out. The frosted glass with the hand made etchings of various historical based elements are amazing. Dia De Los Muertos gives us echoes of a day meant for the dead yet I can’t help but feel an immense amount of life and beauty from this scent. It’s certainly something worth living for. Love it.
A fan since childhood
The top fan September 2011 story begins with a boy who asked for scented candles at eleven. That is rare, and a little funny, but it is also what a real enthusiast looks like. Interest comes first and the shopping follows.
His staples, Macaron, Santiago Huckleberry and Ambre Lumiere, tell you he likes both sweetness and depth.
Our top fan September 2011 is proof that you can love candles at any age. He asked for them as gifts when other boys asked for toys.
Why the top fan September 2011 story matters
We named our top fan September 2011 as rated by Booshaka, which ranks activity on our Facebook page. The ranking is a bit of fun, but the person at the top is usually someone who shows up, comments and cheers other people on.
What I notice most is the community side. He says he made friendships that go beyond wicks and wax, and that is what keeps a blog like ours going. Contests, silly questions and long comment threads bring strangers together.
You can also read his earlier winning piece in our Linnea’s Light contest write-up.
The top fan September 2011 post is a guest piece, and he wrote it himself. That is why it sounds like a friend talking.
Being top fan September 2011 is a title, but for Ryan it is just an excuse to share his love of candles.
The safety note we all need
He jokes about nearly burning the house down as a child, and then adds the line I would underline: always supervise children around candles. Keep a flame within sight, keep it away from curtains, and snuff it before you leave the room.
The Wikipedia article on candles covers the history, but common sense does the rest. Whatever you think of the top fan September 2011 title, he earned it by being kind and curious. For another fan’s picks, see Caitlin Feener’s three favorites.
Our top fan September 2011 gives the right advice: always supervise kids around flames. Read it twice if you have children at home.
Thank you to our top fan September 2011 for the honesty, the humor and the reminder.
If you are curious who held the title next, check the October feature. For the top fan September 2011 and his earlier piece, the contest write-up is a good companion.
That, in short, is top fan september 2011, and I stand by it.
Come back and tell us how top fan september 2011 worked for you.
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