Top Notes

tatine booth at the new york international gift fair august 2011

2011-10-15T15:13:00.001-05:00

Margo + Denile at Locanda Verde

Margo + The Beautiful Dana from dbO Home walking through Soho

Salad on the Terrace at DeNiro's Locanda Verde


The ever charming, sweet and funny Michale + Simon of West Third Brand-best booth mates ever!

Empire State of Mind

2011-08-11T20:45:00.001-05:00

Off to New York in the morning to start set up of my booth for the trade show.
Denile flew from Italy to New York today to help me, can't wait to see her tomorrow!!!!!

I Will

2011-07-31T17:49:00.000-05:00

It's killin' me, Paul McCartney is in Chicago tonight playing outside at Wrigley Field. I couldn't get tickets, so I will listen to The Beatles and Wings on my deck this evening, sipping a glass of bubbles under the summer sun toasting Sir Paul....wishing so bad my sister Denile was here. Well, she is in a way...always with me in spirit. The long and winding road can't stop the feeling deep inside, oh yeah~


MAYBE I'M AMAZED

A shot I took of graffiti on the wall outside Paul's London home on Cavendish

Paul's House

Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will.

For if I ever saw you
I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart.

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know, I will
I will.

Margo Breznik The Beatles

Bron Yr Aur

2011-07-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this candle....................

BRON YR AUR
notes; stone cottage in the Welsh countryside. rain drops + moss. as we walk down country lanes in a landscape where magic fills the air.

Bron Yr Aur Cottage

Robert Plant + Jimmy Page walking near Bron Yr Aur

For me, this is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. It inspired this candle.

tatine MotoCicletta

2011-07-17T18:18:00.001-05:00

What inspired my Foundry collection..............

FOUNDRY Materialized from my love of industrial warehouses, design, and objet', vintage motorcycles and the men who ride them, and of course, Rock n' Roll. I admire history and craftsmanship in old buildings + things, how they were made and how they work. The collection reflects heavyweight found objects, completely handmade and re purposed in recycled glassware with vintage motorcycle racing numbers. The thick recycled chip board box includes a copper grommet and leather pull. The fragrances have a darker more masculine edge and many are made using only ancient blends of pure essential oils. The collection evokes the old world feeling of hand crafted hard labor, love and passion, love and light.

Signing off on the art at the printer.....

Jimmy Page

The Yardbirds with Jimmy Page

Margo Breznik Tatine Candles

When you're ridin' motorcycle baby......

I smell rubber, and I soon discover, that you're gone for good...

Also inspired by the Wapping Project in London;

CRANK IT!!

Fulfillment + Lead Time for Handmade Products- Jimmy Page V. Foundry

2011-07-16T18:37:00.006-05:00

As the creator behind tatine candles, I have come to understand and appreciate craftsmanship, true handmade arts and supporting the small independent artisans. When I was one of 2,500 people lucky enough to snag a copy of Jimmy Page's gorgeous gold tipped, leather, hand bound, signed, limited edition book, this was cause for celebration! I ordered the book and paid for it in full in August to guarantee it. The publishing house in the U.K. needed to know that all the work and thought going into it was paid for in advance. The book was supposed to arrive 2 months later, then got pushed to a Christmas release, then pushed even further into the next year. All told, the book took almost 7 months to arrive.

I popped open a bottle of champagne, overjoyed to be unwrapping this gem. Totally worth the wait, I appreciated each page as I turned it and read all that Jimmy had to say and admired each and every picture and caption. Taking off the felt jacket that protects the leather, unveiling the golden secret Jimmy Page ZoSo emblem.

So excited that the books cover dons one my all time favorite pictures of Jimmy!

While I was impatient for the books release, I appreciated the thought, the heart and soul that went into it and final result of how it made me feel to own it. The publishers informed us that they wanted Jimmy to personally hand pick more photographs from his already curated collection. This also meant more writing for Jimmy, and more design layout and handwork for the publisher before it went off to be hand bound. So we the fans, had to patiently wait. [I did find other geeked out fans such as myself who posted their own unveling of the book on youtube!]

The Led Zeppelin

This is the wording on my Founry packaging, and it rings true. I won best of show for this product in New York this past January, only to learn the initial promised release of the product to my customers, now had to be pushed back two more months due to issues with the glass makers.

The product was conceptualized and designed the previous year. Rushing samples to show at market. Toiling over each and every element. Finding just the right motorcycle gears, the right weight of packing that was recycled. The glassware, the leather. Choosing the wrap colors, imprint color, writing all the text, designing and layout then formulating the scents and then onto custom designing the glassware.

In the research and development of my products I always make sure the packaging has recycled content, I always shoot for 100% but won't sacrifice style if I can't get it to be quite 100%. This product is special in that the glassware is also 100% recycled, therein lies the hold up. The glassware is handmade and problems with the kilns held up production on the other end before my crate of glass could hit the water and be shipped to me.

The extension of two months turned into another two months, then the glassware finally arrived, and had to go into production to be custom tinted to my specifications and each glass decorated with a different bin number, or motorcycle racing number. Samples had to be sent back and forth over and over until I approved them.

This meant many trips to my Letterpress printer to proof designs and approve vegetable ink colors on my stock. Glass shipped back and forth for approval. A trip to the leather tannery was also in order to pick out scrap hides to be cut into strips that would become the leather pulls on each box. Before the boxes could go up on the letterpress they were sent off to have the antique grommets put on the lids that the leather pulls would go through.

Each box is completely hand made from start to finish. The concept was in my head and designed and collaborated with perfection by the darling Becki, my beloved designer. The dieline is custom made for me to house my glassware specifically and is cut on a wood and rubber die made for me.

The recycled chip board is prepared with the green paper I chose and then put up on the vintage letterpress to be decorated. After which plates are changed by hand to match each bin number to the glass that goes inside each box. The boxes arrive flat to my studio and are completely put together by hand, leather pulls and all. The candles are then made by hand, cured, wrapped in butcher paper, decorated with a sticker and butcher string, nestled into the box and case packed for my customers.

my stock on the letterpress.

Tatine's Foundry Die.

The glassware before and after decoration. I went back and forth about 15 times until the colors were done right.

Foundry plates up on the press.

All told it took nearly 7 months for the end result, which is actually just arriving to my studio this week! Then all the candles still have to be hand made, hand packed and and had shipped. We put each and every box together ourselves and string the leather pulls by hand on each box let alone all the production that goes into making the candle iteself. I am anxious to re-launch this product and send it off into the world. It took months upon months to research, develop, design, create and approve the end product. Winning the award after pouring my heart and soul into it was extremely fulfilling. I have been distraught to disappoint all my customers who placed orders at market that are still waiting so long to receive it. Sometimes it's just completely out of my hands and I have to wait for each material component to be handmade on the other end.

I hope everyone who gets it feels as I did about receiving Jimmy's book. Worth the wait for a unique custom hand made product.

tatine foundry collection wins best of show in new york city

Don't Stand So Close To Me

2011-07-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhh my youth! I can't help it, I love this video! I saw The Police, gosh was it in 1982!? I think so, with the English Beat and Bow Wow Wow opening, Apline Valley, outdoor concert, gotta love it!

Lunch with tatine

2011-07-12T18:13:00.001-05:00

Once a month in the tatine production studio the staff sits down to have lunch together. The staff that is of 3 total, myself, and my two employees Trevor and Miriam. We each take turns making lunch for each other and it proves to be a welcomed and lovely break from the hard labor of all the hand work that goes on here on a daily basis. This past Friday was Trevor's lunch day. Trevor is a talented cook with great taste and a vast interest in food. Here he is in the tatine kitchen!

Trevor is a cook at Mana, as well as a tatine employee. Mana is oddly enough, housed in the old tatine storefront. They took the space over after I closed up shop to go wholesale and did a beautiful much needed renovation to the space. It's funny that he came to work for me through channels of working in my old store space, call it karma, or destiny? Anyway, Trevor made a lovely lunch for us! We sat down on a hot summer afternoon to Spanish gazpacho, beat, cucumber, watermelon + apple stacked salad with raspberry lime vinaigrette topped with danish blue cheese, and herb butter ham baguettes with lavender and sage! Sooooooo good!

Although he doesn't want anyone to know, he does smile!

Prove It All Night

2011-07-10T10:09:00.002-05:00

Everybody's got a hunger, a hunger they can't resist,
There's so much that you want, you deserve much more than this,
But if dreams came true, oh, wouldn't that be nice,
But this ain't no dream we're living through tonight,
Girl, you want it, you take it, you pay the price.

tatine candles in tokyo

2011-07-07T15:11:00.002-05:00

I am proud to announce that my tisane collection can now be found at Tomorrowland in Tokyo Japan!

The Tisane Collection was inspired by places I have visited in reality or in my dreams. Trying to capture a mere moment, a feeling, a season, a gray sky, falling leaves, English trees, rain soaked concrete, walking the neighborhoods of London with my sister in October. The scents themselves are abstract, very personal and based on scent memory of a place and of an experience. Each doesn't blatantly tell you what you "should" be smelling, but is a mere suggestion of aromas. Scent as a story, meant to delight and move you with a sense of personal connection and surprise. Each is mingled with rock and roll, favorite places and the emotions connected to them. May you create your own each time you burn them.

Stars in the sky

2011-07-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

92 degrees in Chicago today, I am currently sitting on my deck under a sliver of the moon shinning over me, and of course, one of my candles lit flickering inside a vintage blue hurricane next to the glow of my Mac lap top. We can't see stars in the city and it makes me yearn to be on the deck of my sister Denile's cottage in Northern Wisconsin. Whispering pines swaying in the breeze under a starry filled sky. I want to decorate her cottage, in fact I dream of it. I would definitely furnish the bedrooms with these Pendleton pillows and blankets with a rustic meets modern cozy feel. Here are some of my favorites...love the styling of the barnwood bed and hotel blanket.

Lucky, lucky me, the original Pendleton Woolen Mills Home Store in Oregon carries my candles! I love their enthusiasm for my work and I'm going to have to get a few of those pillows and blankets this winter! Tatine on display at Pendleton;

Tatine Candles Are Here At Last!

Oh my gosh! We are so excited to finally have our shipment of Tatine Candles in the store now. If you are not yet familiar with Tatine, you are going to die when you smell these incredible candles.

Tatine Candles are hand-crafted by Margo, a music loving artist with amazing style in her warehouse loft in Chicago.

Her newest line is the Tisane votive candles and they retail for $14 each, which is a great price. They come in the nicest recycled glass votives. I can't decide which scent I like the best, they are all sooo good. Field of Grass is a subtle scent of fresh cut grass and daisies...love.

Oh, but then there is Love That Burns, a mix of earth, rose and lemons. Sigh!

And Bron Yr Aur seems to be custom designed for Portland, a mix of raindrops and moss.

But St. John's Wood is amazing too! How Margo managed to make a candle smell so much like a smoldering fire, I have no idea. This one is chimney smoke, vines and brick walls in a glass (her words, not mine!).

Then there is Holland Park with the scent of leaves, rain and the musky moon.

Her Pure Beeswax candles are so nice, too. They don't smell overly beeswaxy (is that a word?). These come in Mandarin Red, Lavender Barreme, Lemon Sage, Orange Sanguine and Citron Vert

Next is her restaurant themed collection of Ambient candles. Three cubes in glass votives. Crushed Mint is like smelling a fresh mojito. Lemon verbena mixed with deep woods blueberry.

Flume

2011-07-05T22:24:00.001-05:00

Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she's the moon.....

Adorn me with your love.....

2011-07-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love Love Adorned!
tatine love on display in new york city.......

THIS JUST IN AT LOVE ADORNED: These handmade soy based candles are more than just a pretty package. According to Vincent, they are the best smelling candles he has ever sniffed, and that’s saying a lot. He prefers Forest Floor, which actually does transport you right into a shady, pine covered grove of trees. My favorite is Tomato Leaf, but there are so many options it takes a trip in to decide for yourself. Also be sure to check out tatines Led Zeppelin inspired line of votives while you’re here.

all you need is love,

all together now!

all you need is love,

all you need is love, love,

love is all you need.....

Because

2011-07-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhhhhhh

Because the world is round it turns me on

Because the world is round....

aaaaaahhhhhh
Because the wind is high it blows my mind
Because the wind is high......

aaaaaaaahhhh

Love is all, love is new

love is all, love is you

Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry

Because the sky is blue.......

aaaaaaaahhhh.............

tatine custom candles for blue hill at stone barns

2011-07-05T19:17:00.001-05:00

Another custom tatine product for the fantastic Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Upstate New York.....

It's A Black Keys Summer...

2011-06-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

The Lengths

tatine custom candles for blue hill at stone bars

2011-05-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

I proudly present, a custom candle created for blue hill in collaboration with dbO home, for a one of a kind hand crafted candle. After use the vessels double as a vase. I am thrilled to have collaborated with Dana from dbO for a truly unique one of a kind 100% hand crafted candle. Each is unique, totally based on human touch all the way through to the final results. A true artisan product! Beautiful when lit............More production photos below.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns Center is a working four-season farm, restaurant and educational center just 30 miles north of New York City. Part of their mission is to create a consciousness about the effect of everyday food choices.

Sourcing from the surrounding fields and pasture, as well as other local farms, Blue Hill at Stone Barns highlights the abundant resources of the Hudson Valley. There are no menus at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Instead, guests are presented with a list of over a hundred ingredients, updated daily, which contains the best offerings from the field and market. I am so proud they looked to me to help create their candle line.

Miriam carefully pours our fragrant red currant blend into hundreds of hand made vessels.

finished vessels ready to be wrapped and shipped to blue hill

tatine custom honey pots for terrain

2011-04-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

I created two new spring fragrance blends for terrains garden store this April. Each scent was poured into a vintage style tumbler topped with a bee bonnet and retro office hang tag. They enticingly resemble pots of deep golden honey or honey mustard! Thus the name!

Dogwood- Flowering dogwood blooms with a hint of woodsiness and soft undertones of plumeria and musk.

Orange Blossom- Crisp Orange and blossoming olive leaf infused with grass accords and fresh ozone. Hints of lily and muget mingle with oakmoss for a intense spring orange blossom aroma.

tatine brand new tisane collection launches for spring!

2011-04-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

They Say It's Your Birthday

2011-02-25T15:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Favorite Beatle George!!

Dreaming My Dreams

2011-02-21T23:09:00.000-06:00

Marianne Faithful....

Last Child

2011-02-14T17:55:00.000-06:00

I just couldn't resist posting this great picture of Steven Tyler and Carly Simon backstage in New York City 1979. Love her clothes, love their hair!

Snow

2011-02-14T17:47:00.000-06:00

The snow falls on Chicago.....

And keeps falling.......

And my sister leaves for Rome....my niece and I sadly watch the beautiful, silent snowfall knowing Denile is flying far away from us.....she just left hours ago, and we miss her terribly....oh how I hate goodbyes.

Tatine wins Best of Show for it's New Foundry Collection!

2011-02-10T21:15:00.000-06:00

After pouring every waking breathing moment into creating this new candle line, I was so incredibly proud to win Best of Show in New York for it!

Tatine Named ‘Best of Show’ at Winter 2011 Market

NEW YORK, NY, February 1, 2011… Six companies were presented with Best New Product Awards yesterday at EX•TRACTS®, with Tatine receiving “Best of Show” honors for its Foundry collection of scented candles.
Winners and finalists in each category are selected by trade and consumer editors based on innovative design creative use of materials/construction and use of new materials/technology. BEST OF SHOW: Tatine (Chicago, IL) for Foundry, a collection of candles in five unique fragrances with packaging reminiscent of vintage-modern found objects from a motorcycle foundry. The handmade soy and bee wax blends in recycled glass and paper create an allure of industrial tones mixed with the romance of candle light.

A day of Joy and The Band of Joy

2011-02-07T09:02:00.002-06:00

The trade show opened at 9am and a steady flow of buyers kept us busy and occupied through the 9 hour day on the selling floor. My new lines were well received, I was so exited to debut them, and also scared. It's both frightening and exhilarating to release and show a new product that I created and poured my entire being into. To tell it's story and watch people's reactions to the new fragrance blends I created. I hoped with all of me that people would love them, and with a sigh of relief, they did!


My sister and I in Lucy B's booth [Lucy in the center!]

New sweet friends were made at market this year. Sets of sisters pictured from left to right are Gale Mayron, Melanie Mayron, my sister Denile and myself. Recognize anyone here???

They were kindred spirits with great products at market. Gale Mayrons company Jao Ltd. had this fantastically packaged line of outdoor scents which brought me back to my retro Northern Wisconsin roots growing up. Melanie's Good Baby company has an equally vintage feel to it's packaging and both sisters have an interesting story tie in with their father. I was overjoyed to hear Melanie tell me she is a huge fan of my candles and that she has been purchasing them from one of my accounts in Los Angles Ok Store.
After the show closed Sunday my sister and I dashed out the door to the Beacon Theater to see the Fantastic Robert Plant and his Band of Joy, 8th row center seats! Kelsey Grammer was quickly ushered in just before the show started. He is currently on broadway and the Beacon Theatre is near the play he is currently in. The real star here though, is ROBERT PLANT!

Not only is the Beacon Theatre beautiful, but Robert was beautiful and the music was beautiful.

Robert Plant continues to amaze me with his style, class and taste. Of course the Led Zeppelin tunes he did were great to hear live also, he does such an interesting different rendition of them. If you are a fan at all, he is not to be missed live. He is truly passionate about what he does and it shows, he really enjoys it and continues to educate himself in music history. What a great evening! What a great man!!

Day 3 Tatine Booth set up New York International Gift Fair

2011-02-06T12:43:00.001-06:00

First stop 28th Street flower district. I had the flower scheme in my head color wise, I knew I wanted pinks and whites for the booth to contrast with the stark plain and simple kraft colors I had going for the walls and the crates. I was dreaming of bouquets of light pink peonies for spring, but we overslept and didn't get there till 9am, so the peonies left on the shelves were in terrible shape at the wholesale market. I love, love, love peonies. oh well.....

In the end, it didn't matter, I gazed upon some bunches of Anemones which I also adore! These also had to be really examined due to their high cost. Six bundles of Anemones racking up a total of $177.00 and that was the wholesale cost! But I had to have them! They were perfect for the booth. The light creamy off white with a hint of pink under the delicate petals and the purple black centers were the perfect fit for the booth and the display I had planned the flowers for. In tall vases that look like lab glass, 15 of 'em to be exact. Lined up in a "heavy-metal" vintage office bin I bought for the booth display. Just two stems per vase. Needless to say, the Anemones stopped people in their tracks, they couldn't believe they were real, so my choice in the end was a good one!

Back in the cab to Javits with bundles of Anemones, dying for a coffee! Trevor was kind enough to stand in the line 45 people deep at Javits to get the fuel we needed to begin setting up our displays. The day before the show is always crazy inside Javits. Humongous crates, piles of boxes, fork lifts, pallets and hardware fill the isles making it difficult to even get to your booth. The place is abuzz of loud noises, talking, Union workers, carpenters, drills buzzing and hammers pounding, and music cranked from several booths [including mine]. It's always fun to see the friends we have made at market each time we arrive. My dear sweet friend Dana from dbO Home, Jess from dbO Home, Christina, Jane and John from 80 Acres and the darling Lucy B from Lucy B. Cosmetics. It's great to embrace all these people, swap stories and help each other get through this long trade show! Time to put the final touches on the booth so we can head out to dinner.....

Everything must be just so...every detail attended to meticulously, everything in it's place.

My booth sign, spray painted on squares of sandpaper.

The booth is staged! Off to DBGB Kitchen with the dbO girls, Denile + Trevor. Then back to the hotel for a good nights rest, the show opens the next day..........

Day 2 Setting Up the Tatine Booth NYC

2011-02-05T17:40:00.000-06:00

Our slushy wintry day in New York began with a caffè latte downtown at French Roast on West 11th. I'm glad I kept my coat zipped up. Isaac Mizrahi came in and sat near my sister and I. I was previously having a trauma in the hotel about the way my shirt looked on me! He would have told me to change!

After a little downtown window shopping we met Trevor at Locanda Verde for lunch, who just arrived from Chicago to help with the booth set up. From the moment I walked in I knew I was going to love it. I love the rustic modern style and the menu sounded fantastico, and was!

I always love the mixture of textures and history to a place.

Mixing metals with wood and concrete, tiles with burlap and velvets.

I loved the Sheep’s Milk Ricotta with sea salt and herbs drizzled in great quality olive oil with crusty bread. I could live on that! I also had the Winter Salad of bitter greens, bosc pear, hazelnuts and smoked speck.

The visit played double duty as the restaurant is in Robert De Niro's Greenwich Hotel, so we all went to see my candles there and to meet the buyer.

My candles for sale in the spa and lit in the spa! My green glass was also to be found lit in the lobby of the hotel.


The lantern lit pool in the hotels spa. A true piece of tranquil heaven.

It was hard to leave but we had to cab it down to Javits center to make sure our freight arrived and our booth was in order. Thank god our freight made it in time with the winter storms, but naturally, there was a lot to contend with once inside the convention center.

Unpacking the crates, setting up tables, unpacking the merch, arranging electric and organizing the booth begins.

After several hours of this we leave to go to ABC Home to see the Tatine candle displays in several sections on the first floor and some of the upper floors.

From ABC we head down to the lower east side to one of my favorite restaurants that I visit each time I'm in New York--

Prune is cozy, tiny..., a classic New York place to me with an interesting menu. I still can't get the fresh garden peas with honeycomb off my mind since my last visit over the summer. My sister and I dream of them! I love that they cook with fresh seasonal ingredients. It seems as though there are a couple Chicago transplants working there as well. Each time I call to reserve on my cell phone I get that friendly voice that recognizes the 312!

Shortly after digging into our prawns and shaved celery salad with warm blue cheese toasts with cold glasses of Prosecco, Frances McDormand and her husband Joel Coen came in with another couple. Naturally, with the place being so small they were seated quite near us. I personally LOVE her, and my sister and I were just talking about her the day before.

The skate was fantastic, and my sister and I shared the roasted cauliflower with fried capers and aioli. Celebrating a good set up day and great meals in NYC with Denile + Trevor.

Time to head back to the hotel, gotta call it an early night! Big day Saturday prettying up the booth. Early morning going to the Chelsea flower markets for fresh flowers in the booth-gotta get there early before they are all picked over. ALWAYS FRESH FLOWERS, never fake.......!

Flight to New York Gift Show Cancelled....

2011-02-05T11:14:00.000-06:00

The West Village, New York City

After sitting at O'Hare for hours watching flight after flight to New York City cancel, we gave up on the notion that we would be leaving Chicago to begin the long work week ahead in New York. I was very disappointed to be missing meetings with Anthropologie and Terrain in Philadelphia, and to tour and be inspired by their offices. But they were under a blizzard. So we wheeled our bags back home and took the opportunity to rest up for the busy week ahead, and crossed our fingers to be able to fly out the next day. Fortunately, our flight was operating the next day so off we went.....New York City was quite pretty under a blanket of snow. Here is the West Village, one of my favorite areas, the tree branches heavy with snow were so beautiful.

Empire State of Mind

2011-01-25T21:18:00.000-06:00

Off to New York early tomorrow morning for the New York International gift show.


All my candle collections and booth props packed up for freight pick up earlier this week.

It is with much hope and anxiety that my newly designed collections are well received [and the snow storms coming don't affect our travel!]

Let It Be.....

2011-01-02T11:46:00.002-06:00

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I say goodbye to my beloved kitty Lester [named after London's Leicester Square].

He left this sweet earth on New Years day...., I am brokenhearted, but he is now at peace, and that's a good thing. He was the best kitty ever, such a playful spirit and cool little soul. He rocked my world for 19 years with his giant loving personality and unconditional love. It was a painful, tearful goodbye in the ER yesterday, so hard to let him go. I know he is happy though and in a better place now that is free of pain. In kitty heaven doing his favorite things, playing with meece, beating up his sisters, diggin' on the cat nip, smiling + meowing a ton [I'm sure he's talking to everyone!] and eating his favorite thing on the planet, McDonalds hamburgers! He had a great, long, happy life, was very much loved and got to groove to tons of great music through it all. He was my angel kitty, bless his little heart~ I miss him dearly......

Winter

2010-12-28T22:26:00.002-06:00

I can't help but think of the gorgeous Stones song Winter. This is one my top 10 Stones songs for sure. Listening to it in the truck while driving along snowy Wisconsin interstate highways to visit my parents for Christmas, added to the already lovely scenery. Long stretches of fields layered in white snow and rows and rows of pine trees on my parents property. The silence is beautiful. Oh it's good to get out of the city sometimes and revive ones soul.....


Wisconsin Winter

Margo Breznik of tatine candles

Margo Breznik owner of tatine candles Wish I could capture the way it smells here....

Sometimes I wanna.... burn a candle for ya ........

Happy Christmas from Tatine!

2010-12-25T09:15:00.000-06:00

What joy to wake up to a blanket of snow covering Chicago on Christmas day! Beautiful!

I hope you all have a rockin' Christmas!

It's only Rock 'n Roll (But I like it)

2010-12-20T20:16:00.002-06:00


Margo outside 102 Edith Grove in London, where Mick and Keith lived when they started the Stones "But what can a poor boy do, except to sing for a rock n roll band, 'cause in sleepy London town there's just no place for a street fighting man, no-"

Recently I met my beloved sister and partner in crime in London. Not only looking for inspiration and ideas for a new candle line I am developing- BUT- to tour some landmarks of some of our favorite English rock n rollers and of course, to See Robert Plant and the band of Joy perform live for the BBC!!! Of course, we revisited Jimmy Page's gorgeous home and strolled the most beautiful Holland Park situated behind his back gate. We Sipped champagne in the dark candlelit Gore Hotel bar underneath photos of the famous Rolling Stones custard pie fight, where the photos for Beggars Banquet were shot while listening to "No Expecations" on our pods. We also visited the site were Jimi Hendrix died near Notting Hill and visited a Gallery showing his photographs in honor of his death 40 years ago. We also had to revisit St. Johns Wood to walk by Paul McCartney's house and Abbey Road Studios. I also can't resist visiting certain rock n roll shops to stock up on t-shirts to wear to work, and well, everywhere!

Margo Breznik tatine candles

Margo Breznik owner of tatine candles


Margo standing where Jimi Hendrix Died in London

tatine candles expressly made for Robert De Niro's Greenwich Hotel

2010-12-20T19:22:00.002-06:00

I am so proud to have my Hana Yuzu fragrance be a part of the signature scent for Robert De Niro's gorgeous Greenwich Hotel in New York. You can smell the aroma coming from the spa and we happily provided these custom gift sets for their Vip's for the Holiday Seasons and gift sets for sale at the hotel.

Margo making batches of Hana Yuzu Ambient Candles for the Greenwich Hotel

Margo Breznik

Margo, Merry Ambient Making in the studio!

Margo Breznik

Tatine Candles at Madewell/JCrew

2010-12-20T09:52:00.000-06:00

Tis The Seaons of Enchantment Tatine at Anthropologie

2010-12-20T09:49:00.001-06:00

Tatine Candles for Isabella Blow and Anthropologie Book Launch Event

2010-11-12T17:37:00.000-06:00

Tatine created a special limited edition custom Tuberose candle for Anthropologie, for the late Isabella Blow book launch event at Anthropologies Rockefeller Center Store November 4th 2010........... For more info and photos of the event, check out Anthropologies Facebook Page!

The National

2010-10-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

“High Violet” by The National has been playing in the tatine studio, in my loft, in my car, and streaming into my ears through my ipod skull candy headphones on and off for the last few months since it's release this past May. I really can’t get enough of it. It's beautiful, it's own little world, sometimes odd lyrics but always moving and painting pictures. It's heartfelt and personal, youthful and filled with yearning and atmosphere. It should be a part of your collection. Check them out!

Tatine Candles @ Flora in Portland Oregon

2010-10-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

The lovely Jewelie at Flora in Portland Oregon sent me some shots of my candles on display in her boutique.
It thrills me when my accounts are excited to have my candles and send me photos of them in their stores! I love to be able to see where they live after they leave my studio....

The XX

2010-10-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

I recently scored 4th row seats the The XX at the gorgeous old Chicago Theater, and took my niece Claire for a fun evening out. Before the show we enjoyed apps and wine at Girl and The Goat -artfully created by Stepahnie Izard who won top chef a few seasons back, I LOVED the decor, style, service and food.

The show was really atmospheric, spare and moody. What a beautiful evening....and what great stuff to work to in the studio.

You Say Goodbye And I Say Hello....

2010-10-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

Tatine bids adieu to Kerry as she jets off to a new life in Northern California, and to Claire-my beloved niece, who is beginning her full time Culinary Arts degree. I miss you both!!! Your personalities fill a room in the best way!

As hard as it is to say goodbye to people who have come to work for me, I am lucky to have found yet another great soul to join the tatine studio, and welcome Miriam!!! She joins myself, Trevor and my ever so helpful friend Amy! We work hard, but we always laugh and find reason to enjoy!

The Kings of Leon

2010-10-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

On the pod...in the studio, in the car, with dinner, with friends, with a glass of wine!

Tatine Ambient Table Candle Collection wins Packaging Design Award at the New York International Gift Show

2010-10-10T15:18:00.001-05:00

I created this bespoke product for a beloved client and launched it to the public at the New York Gift show in August. It got rave reviews and many orders were taken for the collection. The award was the icing on the cake!

Ambient Hand crafted candles with a subtle, aromatic gesture for the table.
inspired by the DaDa art movement, created to evoke an atmospheric, visual or unobtrusive quality. Inside each 100% recycled letter pressed package, sits 3 2oz square votives. Each votive is capped with gorgeously letterpress printed lids wrapped in thin wire. Industrial vintage office style clasp closure attached to the front of each package. Each box contains 3 of the same subtly scented candle. White soy/bee blend.

Tatine Booth at New York International Gift Fair August 2010

2010-10-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

Production + Lead Time - Supply + Demand

2010-07-29T18:23:00.000-05:00

Never in my wildest dreams when I started making candles in my pantry at home 14 years ago, did I think I would receive and send out orders of my candles via semi! This truck is backed up at my dock delivering 8,000 pieces of my candle glass for the Fall + Winter holiday season.
Last Fall I filled a semi with 18 pallets of candles, over 8,146 lbs of tatine candles that all shipped to one account, all hand made by me.
Hundreds of cartons of my glassware which is custom made for me, to my specifications, was unloaded off this semi last week. The people that make the glassware for me had broken kilns for 3 months, leaving me with a huge amount of lag time and pending orders. Stress!!!!

At last, production begins again! HOWEVER....I stress, that every single element of what I do is completely hand made. My packaging is letterpress printed and comes to me flat, so each and every inner box and outer designed box has to be put together by hand.

Candle glass is set up by hand and each and every piece is then tabbed and hand wicked [inset of Trevor setting up Garden + Forest Infusions glassware]. I then begin to hand blend fragrances into each batch and hand pouring begins.

There is a 24 to 48 hour cure time between each batch-and candles get topped off the next day. Once ready, the glass is cleaned again, wicks get clipped and bottoms labels are applied. They are then placed into their packaging and get case packed for orders. Then..... it begins all over again....

With the New York Gift show just around the corner, cooler months ahead and large orders coming in, I often employ several people to help me keep things on track and get orders out in a timely manner. But again, its' a delicate balance, as each element is hand made, it takes time and patience to lovingly produce my candles, lots of extra time vs. a product that is mass produced in a factory. I find most of my customers are happy to wait for something special.

Joey putting candles in their inner boxes....

Amy in action, assembling and case packing....

the boys hard at work! [all the while talking about rock n' roll!]

Lead times are in place for a reason, generally 4 to 6 weeks to complete an order and ship it. Sometimes I am waiting for packaging to be printed, sometimes I'm waiting for glassware to be delivered or a fragrance to be made for me. Our process is also very laborious but it is very special indeed, with green packaging, natural waxes and in house custom blended fragrances, my candles are made fresh and don't sit on shelves for months on end. I am a stickler for detail and am so proud of the end result of each and every candle I make and ship. Everything sent out of my studio was touched by a human hand.

I also have to try and keep enough materials + supplies on hand in the studio to fill the orders, in anticipation of what might get ordered.....I never know until the orders come in and the supplies are very costly. This is a tiny cottage industry, there is no large bankroll here! I currently have 1 employee, Trevor Erb, who has returned from the South to pick up the reigns again, and help me keep things rolling smoothly along here. I get extra help from family and friends thankfully and generally work 60 to 70 hours a week myself. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I am so incredibly grateful for all the boutiques that appreciate what I do and continue to re-order my candles for their stores. I thank them for their patience with the process and am genuinely touched that they love my work. For a list of stores that carry my candles, please visit my STOCKISTS page off my web site. Now......, back to pouring more candles!

Tatine Ambient Collection on Oh Joy Blog!

2010-06-23T22:23:00.002-05:00

Spotted on Oh Joy!
...love these fresh indoor/outdoor table candles by Tatine for Terrain...in crushed mint and lemon verbena...perfect for backyard lounging all summer long...

New!! Tatine Ambient Collection

2010-06-23T20:46:00.002-05:00

I am very proud to share a sneak peek of a new product that I developed, called Ambient. Ambient Table Candles are subtly scented so as not to interfere with food smells during dinner. Place on your table or throughout the house to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This collection will be up on my web site shortly, and I will be taking it to market for it's first debut at the New York International Gift Fair this coming August. Please take a look!!

AMBIENT COLLECTION

Ambient

Hand crafted candles with a subtle, aromatic gesture for the table.

Inspired by the DaDa art movement, created to evoke an atmospheric, visual or unobtrusive quality. Inside each 100% recycled letter pressed package, sits 3, 2oz square votives with an approximate burn time of 15 hours each! Each votive is capped with gorgeously letterpress printed lids wrapped in thin wire. Industrial vintage office style clasp closure attached to the front of each package.

Each box contains 3 of the same subtly scented candle. White soy/bee blend.

in; sets of 3 of-
set of lemon verbena
set of crushed mint
set of lime cilantro
set of unscented

Available to order now! Wholesale accounts can contact Margo for pricing and case pack requirements! Get your orders in before Market!

Sights and Smells

2010-06-06T16:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I took a drive up to Evanston Illinois. Only about 12 miles north of where I live in the city of Chicago. I wanted to visit one of my favorite shops up there and just get out of my neighborhood for an afternoon and take a long walk listening to music on my itouch. We have been having extremely rainy and muggy weather which brought out all sorts of amazing earthy smells along my walk. I could smell greens, tiny lilacs and spring flowers in the air. Green aromas mixed with the rain, fresh cut grass and lake Michigan, I wish I could bottle it! I came upon this bench along the lakefront with this plaque, which of course I had to photograph being a Beatles fan.

The rain also brought out smells of lavender in the air, so I had to purchase a big potted lavender plant today to put out on my city deck. I run my hands along it's stems and the rosemary stems I planted, it smells so good! I am lucky to live in such a beautiful city with the lakefront providing added scenery and Chicago has such a fantastic skyline. We have such a great mix of architecture and Evanston has something we don't see alot of in the city, and that's alleys, old looking alleys, small town looking alleys with grass growing and trees lining them, kids playing basketball, and I imagine, kick the can at night, which my friend Amy reminded me of this memory just the other day. I loved kick the can as a kid!

I also love trees, I have a thing for trees and photographed many trees along my walk.....what a lovely afternoon.

tatine displays

2010-06-05T18:04:00.001-05:00

One thing I really miss about having my store is doing the displays, styling my shop and changing over the look for each season. I loved setting the tone, playing great music in the shop for atmosphere and lighting tons of candles in the store within the displays for added mood. I was always so excited to get a delivery of something new that I found for my shop on a recent buying trip. I have had a couple requests recently to post some shots of my old store, so here is it, in a few incarnations, a smattering of the tatine store that I owned and that thrived for 7 years in Chicago.

I also miss walking the shows as a buyer, being on the other side, which I did for seven years until I decided to close my store and go wholesale only. I never knew how just hard it was to be a vendor at market, being a buyer is much easier than being a vendor at the trade shows. You really put yourself out there and open yourself up to a world of comments both negative and positive when what you are showing is 100% hand made. I decided to close my store before the economy crashed, [thankfully] or I wouldn't be where I am today. It took a good long year after closing to get back on my feet and redesign all my packaging. I never would have had the time to design packaging while running the shop, doing the buying and hand making over 100 different fragrant candles for my shop at the time. It was a risk to close, but a risk that paid off in the end. I dream of opening another shop again someday, or should I say I fancy the thought. I love to style and design and decorate. But for now, I do it at home and style my little trade show booth for each show I do in New York and always look for new inspiration for my booth and my product.

Playlist

2010-05-10T20:24:00.001-05:00

I am always digging around for new music. Looking for bands I don't know about and should, and am always watching and listening for new songs from bands I already love, or, I am rediscovering and revisiting old songs I need to download that conjure up mood and memories. I always have music flowing in the studio to inspire me through my days in production, and it's flowing into my ears through my ipod as I walk or work out. I choose based on my mood each day. Lately, I can't seem to get enough of the DRIVE BY TRUCKERS . I have been downloading several songs off of each of their 16 or so albums, finding great tracks and really loving the slower tunes with the pedal steel as well as many of the raucous tunes.

I am also loving the new lp from WHITE HINTERLAND. I guess I give my age away because I still say lp or record. But the new release KARIOS is really good, great to walk to and work to in the studio.

The Iron Horse Hotel

2010-05-02T13:35:00.003-05:00

Just returned from a stay at the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee. So close to Chicago, it was an easy + great get away this weekend! It's nice to go back and visit where I'm from and lived for 20 years. I have been gone from Wisconsin for about 24 years now, alot has changed- so it's fun to go back and explore. The Iron Horse is in a 100 year old downtown warehouse, which of course, really attracts me. It is also a motorcycle friendly hotel situated near the Harley Davidson Museum. Sadly, we heard this weekend, that Harley may be considering leaving Wisconsin, needing to make huge financial cutbacks being forced to possible outsourcing of work for the company. The hotel does provide motorcycle rentals and back road riding packages. I linked this fairly new hotel to my blog when I started blogging about 2 years ago because I loved the bar and all the gorgeous seating areas. I have visited the bar and the lobby before but this was my first time actually staying at the hotel. It is absolutely fantastic! I am in LOVE with the design, and it very much reminds me of my shop when I had it and the type of vendors I used to purchase from on my buying trips for my store. It's a great mix of industrial + vintage design, but it has a sense of warmth to it, with candles lit all over, velveteen pillows and antique rugs. It has echoed my own style and how I like to decorate my own loft as well.

Bon Voyage

2010-04-24T21:12:00.001-05:00

This week I said goodbye to my employee Ryan Harding, with a celebratory [for him!] after work send off! Ryan has worked for me for the last year and assisted in getting some huge orders out of the studio. He is relocating to his home base of Minnesota and is heading out on tour with his band this summer, which I wholeheartedly support. He was a great employee with a really great sense of humor, loyalty, support, hard work and drive- and is a big music lover to boot, so we got on quite well. It's a rare thing to find someone that you can work with really, really well and have a bond and strong mutual respect for. I wish you all the best Ryan, you will be missed!

Sun, sun, sun here it comes

2010-04-21T12:46:00.002-05:00

The weather has been perfect the past few days and I decided to document my walk to work through historical Wicker park and the Ukranian Village in Chicago. The air smells sweet right now, [for the city] you can actually smell the plants and blooms when you walk by them, I love that. The lilacs are blooming now and I always have to stop and smell them, oh how I wish they lasted indoors in vases. I pass by beautiful graystone walk ups and mansions on gorgeous tree lined streets. I love old iron garden gates and the blooming trees that have falling petals gently floating down from their branches, I love the sidewalks riddled with petals and greens. I had to photograph the one with all the fallen pink blooms on the path, it felt so magical. The sun was shinning and temps were in the low 60's, perfect! I had to stop and close my eyes while listening to the sweet harmonies of the Beatles on my ipod...........Here comes the sun, and I say, it's alright....

Tatine, Kentucky Derby + Hudson Home

2010-04-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

This past Friday I got a phone call from one of my new accounts that placed an order off the New York Gift show. I answered the phone to an enthusiastic Andrew Hudson, calling simply to tell me how much he loved my candles for his new store Hudson Home, and to thank me for getting them there in time for their launch and the Derby in May. Now who does that!? Calls just to thank people!!!? What a sweet man and what a gorgeous new shop about to open in Louisville. Andrew was kind enough to email some shots of my new Seasons of Enchantment line is his new shop. They look amazing! Good luck with your new venture Andrew and I hope your horse wins!!

Possibility

2010-04-07T00:56:00.002-05:00

I have been listening to Lykke Li Lately. She is a very young Swedish girl with a beautiful roster of songs. Inspiration comes from so many places, many unexpected. I am never closed off from it, especially from music. Youtube doesn't allow embedding this video but if you click this link, it will take you to one of her beautiful haunting songs, and this cool black and white video shot in the studio. She reminds me a little of Stevie here. I keep waking up with this song in my head. Totally worth a listen and a view, click this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMeOllo_Vo

Tatine Candles at Terrain

2010-03-26T11:57:00.001-05:00

I was thrilled to find these pictures in my in-box via my sweet friend Becki, sent to her by a friend who visited the gorgeous Terrain Garden store recently. Here is my new Seasons of Enchantment candle collection on display at Terrain in Glen Mills PA. What a gorgeous store and an even more enticing display, it thrills me to see!

In the Studio with Tatine

2010-03-21T17:18:00.004-05:00

I recently relocated to a new production studio, just down the hall from my old one. The ceiling broke open and the sky began raining, in so I had no choice, but to quickly shift to a new loft work space.
While I lost my downtown view, and my recording studio space, I gained a bigger work space, my own bathroom and my own, albeit ugly, 70's kitchen, it's my own! I am also happy to have double doors on this space. Makes it so much easier to get pallets in and out of the studio for shipping and receiving.

This studio faces west so it is sun filled and cheerful and my office is quite big which is an added bonus. I spend so much time in the studio, and while it is an industrial loft space, meant for the kind of work I do all day, I had to decorate it a little. With rock memorabilia from my days in the music biz, and some rock collectibles I won on ebay over the years. It's nothing like the look my shop had, or my home, but I wanted to make it a cheerful and visually stimulating place to be for myself and for people that work for me. Each tenant leaves a mark on these spaces when they move out, like the golden painted brick walls. Would not have been my choice, but I left it, in the end, it has grown on me a little. Come inside, see my production studio photos, taken over several sunny days with rays streaming into the space.......

MAIN PRODUCTION ROOM-

MY OFFICE

MY 70'S KITCHEN...ALL THAT'S MISSING ARE THE AVOCADO APPLIANCES!

Pictured is Sherri from RR#1. She stopped in to see my new studio, talk business, about my old retail days and music, and of course, have a cold drink! She is my longest term customer, her shop, RR#1 has been carrying my candles for 10 years!

Me- making candles over several warm sun filled days in the studio;

MY EMPLOYEES

Ryan- Musician, Cook, tatine employee!

Miss Nicole- Artist, Beatles, LZ + Mats fan,
tatine employee!

Goodbye, Alex Chilton

2010-03-21T12:07:00.003-05:00

Sad news hit the music industry this week when we learned that Alex Chilton died of a heart attack at 59. An indie cult music hero who in my opinion wrote such great love songs for his band Big Star in the 70's about young love, lost love and the yearning for love.

Quote "his relationship with music was all about analysis, wherein he gave each separate element of a song its rightful due." His delivery was real, some of the songs were sad and hopeful at the same time. "Walk you home", "Goodbye", "I'm in love With a Girl", and a long time personal favorite of mine- "Oh Dana", I love this song!!! I also love the early pop punk style of "Hangin Out" and "Don't Lie to Me", great guitars on don't lie to me! For those who don't him, he was in the Box Tops and wrote the hit "The Letter"-still a great song, some of you must remember AM radio!? He went on to influence so many bands, one of my old faves, The Replacements.
Give these a listen.....so great... the first link is to the beautiful song "thirteen" oooh, the joys music brings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pte3Jg-2Ax4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD9mCp8SifM

Tatine Candle Packaging at Luxe Pack New York City

2010-03-20T15:32:00.002-05:00

I just granted permission yesterday to one of my suppliers that I source packaging materials from, for the use of my "Le Vieux Monde Collection" in their booth for the Luxe Pack Luxury Goods Packaging Exhibition in New York City this May. They loved the way I used their materials for this line, the beautifully designed boxes and details.

While this collection is no longer available, I am very proud of it still, it was a labor of love to create. This collection was close to my heart and was very luxury indeed. Beautifully designed [thank you Becki!] and totally inspired by Led Zeppelin, Sofia Copolla's Marie Antoinette as well as my sister Denile. Each candle was infused with near 10 different fragrant oils, and included a romantic descriptive card inside with each aphrodisiac the oils I chose would enhance [or hope to enhance!] Each box was lovingly designed to match the glassware and told a beautiful story. When lit, the candles had a soft, romantic, shadowy quality with the images on the glass subtly glowing. One of my accounts told me they have a few left and have now displayed them as collectors items! I wish I had had them in my hand when I saw Jimmy Page in London, I would have loved to give the collection to him. I can so see the Cathedral Spire lit in his Melbury Road Tower House home.

Now and Then....

2010-03-20T10:50:00.001-05:00

A nice little bit of press just came out that I was included in as a former boutique owner in Chicago. A"now and then" article about Chicago shop owners that closed their doors in the last 5 years, where are they now?.......[snippet below]

Then-2001-2007 For seven years, Breznik divided her time between researching and buying handmade home decor and European bath and body products for her Wicker Park shop and churning out about a hundred varieties of scented candles. By the end, “I just didn’t want to do it anymore,” she says. “I wanted to go to the other side.”

Now -2007-current After repackaging and rebranding her line of candles, also called Tatine, Breznik places a heavy emphasis on keeping everything green: The candles are soy and beeswax blends, the glassware comes from 40 percent recycled materials, and the packaging is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Working out of a loft on Hubbard Street, she keeps herself busy. She has more than 60 accounts nationwide, including a few big hitters (she produced 30,000 individual candles by hand for Anthropologie alone this past fall). Not to mention, she has a few custom lines for a few stores in the works. “I spend almost every waking moment creating something new in my head,” Breznik says.

Amazin'

2010-03-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Listening to Erykah Badu in the studio today. This is a woman who never ceases to be interesting or to inspire. She is absolutely her own person and totally strays from the norm both musically and visually. I love the influence of old soul and jazz on her first two records which have some amazingly sensual tracks, and the influence of The Roots and Wu Tang on later records. She is also very lucky to have been with Andre' 3000 and Common! Rock on Erykah!

On a night like this....

2010-03-18T21:22:00.002-05:00

60 Degrees in Chicago on a March day, oh how wonderful! I weave my way home from work walking through part of historical Wicker Park, taking in the gorgeous gray stone mansions. On this loveliest of evenings, so enjoying my walk, The Beatles "I Will" flowing into my ears via my ipod, I came upon this mansion, with trees in the front lit up by white lights. "I Will" came on the moment I happened upon the sparkling trees. It stopped me in my tracks, it felt so magical against our brilliant deep blue evening sky, the sky that stays a deep eerie blue due to the city scape constantly lighting it. Never mind that we can't see stars in the big city, this was brilliant, the gray stone was beautiful, and Paul McCartney was singing about how much and how long he has loved me, and that he would love me forever! A girl can dream can't she!? Outside of his London home, people scribed just these things on the brick wall, which I saw and photographed in England this past Fall, you can see it on my web site, "I love Paul", "Paul Forever"....."Will I wait a lonely lifetime, if you want me to, I will"

Spring Forward

2010-03-14T16:02:00.007-05:00

I spend a lot of my time on the computer between hand making my candles all day, researching + developing for tatine, in front of it, around it, near it, walking by it and checking it all day. A lot of my business correspondence is channeld through it, so It's always on at home and always on in my studio. While such a great tool, it's always good to get a break from it [I'm trying!] The past week has been an exciting one though, and I have been rather glued, waiting and anticipating the emails from my designer on a new line I am developing. We communicate back and forth all day long, yes to this, change that, that's perfect, take that out, this won't work, why don't we try this etc...We are under the gun of a deadline so I go back and forth to the computer all day and all evening long, often times not putting it to sleep until midnight, just trying to get one more thing accomplished if possible. I open these design documents with nervous knots as they unveil artwork that came from my head and is now appearing in front of me, on the page. Oh, I love it! Next step, getting bottles and bottles of fragrance oils in to concoct some great new Spring scents, I love this part too. We have been having some amazing weather here in Chicago and I have been taking the opportunity to walk to and from work as often as possible [6 miles a day!] to take in the unveiling of Spring, be away from my computer and just happily walk listening to my ipod, getting fragrance inspirations smelling the fresh air, rain soaked branches, buds and grasses starting to appear, the chirping birds, great tunes in my ears, and enjoying the sunshine after a long winter....

Prized Posession

2010-03-02T22:25:00.002-06:00

Jimmy Page 1977

This last year was the busiest to date for my growing company. I decided early on, that a reward for the hard work and hundreds of logged hours in the studio, was going to be to treat myself to a real piece of art for my home. My first purchase of real art. This was/is a big deal to me, it felt surreal. I purchased a Neil Preston photograph, the real deal, a fine art rock and roll photograph of some FINE rock and roll, a REAL photograph from a gallery in New York city, of Jimmy Page. I just got it framed in an ever so slightly ornate matte black frame with gallery glass [the frame style suited the character study I thought!] The shot I have uploaded here [which includes a glare from my flash], does not in anyway, depict the true beauty of the photograph itself in person, which is haunting, romantic and ethereal. It is a moment, a great moment on stage and Neil really captured a haunting darkness and brilliant use of light in a live performance. I wish I knew what was happening there, what song they just did, and why wasn't I there!!! [prob. because I was a tween!] It leans on my fireplace mantle for now, until I find the right spot for it. But it is, oh so prized to me! I want more fine art rock photographs in my house for sure.

tatine at work

2010-03-02T20:49:00.000-06:00

I am currently developing a bespoke product for an esteemed client of mine. It takes a great deal of research and development, which often happens in the evenings at home. I spend them in front of the computer as well as my weekends bringing the concept to life. I often need to do it away from the many distractions in my production studio. So when I get home from work, I am still working. At least the fire is lit, music is streaming and I am eating dinner in my pajamas! I love this part of what I do. I find it incredibly fulfilling and so creative. I completely throw myself into it, live it, dream it, breath it and lay awake in bed thinking about all the elements of it. Any product I develop comes totally from my heart and soul and I become quite attached to it, as it is a reflection of me and my influences. It's so personal to me. I can't wait to get the finished product of this one in my hands! And Thank goodness for leftovers from our dinner party! Makes evening work so pleasant.

I also took the left over ingredients from Gordon Ramsay's cream cheese and smoked salmon croque monsieur appetizers and made them into full on sandwiches, so good! Popped in the broiler for a few seconds. How great to come home and and just re-heat stuff, and thank goodness for that wine business husband of mine! It is a pleasant way to work in the evenings I must say! Now to warm up that apple crumble and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream......

Dinner with Ina Garten, Gordon Ramsay, dbO Home and Friends!

2010-03-02T00:41:00.003-06:00

Since I clock so many hours in my production studio, I am trying something new, to stay away from the computer on Sunday's [sans downloading music or making pod lists] to have a life and start cooking again! I love to cook, and feel I have lost my touch in the kitchen. I "cook" candles all day long, stirring, blending, pouring, measuring and mixing up fragrances into small batches all day, that the last thing I feel like doing when I get home at 8 or 9 pm is cooking. My husband works equally long hours at the wine shop he owns, so we always wind up eating really late, so planning is essential, and doesn't happen enough and we opt for pizza or quick burgers or some kind of take out way too often. I love good food though, and the joy that making it brings. My husband loves to cook and we try so hard to plan, we have to force ourselves to take the time. I want nothing more than to eat tasty, healthy home cooked foods after a long day, and pizza and burgers too! Nothing like a great burger! Plus, my husband and I have been totally rehabbing our kitchen since November 09 and we wanted to use it for once. While it's still not done and the stools I ordered haven't arrived yet, shreds of dry wall and conduit hang, scraps of wood and cracked tiles and holes in the walls, we had a gathering. I was also so in the mood for Spring branches, we got these Quince branches from Larkspur, one of my great local accounts.

I cooked all day, listened to some baroque and cello music, I love the sadness of the cello. I happily chopped and tasted as I went along, literally as the birds chirped on the deck, because I just put seed out for them so Lester, our city dwelling cat could watch them and make that funny clicking sound cats make!

The dinner started with chilled Prosecco and apps. courtesy of the new Gordon Ramsay cookbooks I just got. Served on this gorgeous hand made plate from dbO home.

We drank Prosecco from these Moroccan glasses I bought from this great little Moroccan shop in Rome that my sister took me to, I just love these glasses!

I was excited to set the plates and bowls on our new custom concrete counter for the dinner [despite the hodge podge of mismatched stools at all different heights]

A beautiful array of bowls I got at, what else, dbO Home! I love Dana's work, rustic modern, it went perfectly with the Rosemary White Bean Soup and Baby Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, compliments of Ina Garten [whom I just told I loved when I saw her in New York!]

I also set out three different dry salty cheeses with plum quince paste, Spanish almonds and crusty Italian bread on fruitwood boards.

Of course the loft was totally candlelit courtesy of myself [tatine] The pod list flowed with a mix of Zeppelin, Beatles, Bowie [all Ziggy Stardust] , Chocolate Watchband, Dylan, good heavy Dub, Velvet Underground, original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, vintage Blues and a little Bad Company for some high school reminiscing!

For dessert was Ina Garten's classic old fashioned Apple Crumble, served warm with vanilla ice cream and a pinch of coarse sea salt. I sort of burnt the top of mine a little, oh well, it still tasted good and all night I dreamt of having it with my coffee in the morning!

tatine is inspired by....

2010-02-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

This gorgeous London interior [found on notcot]. What a great mix of old world and modern design. I love the walls and the mantle. I would love to entertain here, have a great dinner party or occasion! What a spectacular room to style for an event, a conversation piece in itself-I would love to get my hands on it. All candlelit with beeswax, serve cold glasses of great champagne, have blossoming spring branches and vintage tea roses in silver cups everywhere. Playing would be; Led Zeppelins Physical Graffiti. The space just calls for it!

Where High Design Meets Handmade

2010-02-27T11:51:00.001-06:00

I finally broke down and splurged on subscriptions to 2 of my favorite

home design magazines. Elle Decor UK and Australian Vogue for Home.

When I arrived home from work last night I was so excited to open my mailbox

and see a big envelope that said ROYAL MAIL on it! This thrills me to no end!

I clumsily ripped into it on the elevator up to my loft-I couldn't wait, and saw it was the new March 2010 Elle Decor, my first issue! When I saw the lead tag "The New Modern, It's where high design meets the handmade" my heart started to race! The rest of the mail, bills, solicitations etc. fell to the floor and still with my winter coat on I had to take a peek inside while Lester meowed for his dinner. I saw a quick gander of Belle Robinson inside, who owns The Shop at Bluebird on the King's road in London where I just was! [photos posted to my site already of her shop- See London trip!] and my heart started to flutter even faster. Then a skip to another section and I saw one page of Claire Baslers Parisian studio where she paints large scale floral panels. This made me rush to get settled in for the evening so I could look at this properly! I LOVE seeing inside artists studios, love it!!

I rushed around and quickly fed Lester, my 17 year old diabetic kitty, gave him his evening injection, put my pajamas on and made a quick pasta with garlic, olive oil, pancetta and fresh Parmesan-poured a glass of wine, lit a candle [of course] and sat at my new concrete island to devour this issue, and my pasta. I love Claire's studio! What an amazing space to work and live in and to be surrounded by all those blooms and all that light. I tear shots of her studio out each time I run across them and have one up in my studio in fact, from a few years ago.

I, in fact, just relocated to a larger loft studio for my candle production over the last week. Snow on the roof starting pouring into my studio like buckets of rain, buckets of tears. It was a crazy week of resetting up my production in the midst of a mass amount of orders off the NY Gift Show. Blessing in dusguise? I think so. It's a great loft work space, bigger, with it's own kitchen, bathroom and office space that faces West for full sun.

Loves Claire's kitchen, and of course her furry companion! I dream of a production studio attached to my home, someday perhaps. I also dream of getting my candles into the Shop at Bluebird in London! I love what they said in Elle Decor about the handmade, "contemporary objects with soul" it's so how I feel about my own work as each and every candle that leaves my studio was touch by and made by me. I love that kind of unique human quality in the handmade.

tatine candles wins 3 packaging design awards!

2010-02-21T14:50:00.004-06:00

I am so thrilled to report that my Garden + Forest Infusions candle collection has won it's second design award in the last 5 months! I won best packaging at the New York International Gift Fair and now the line has won an Addy design award with the American Advertising Federation. The Garden line was re-branded last year because I wanted to re-style the entire look of the collection. The philosophy was to have as much recycled content as possible without sacrificing style or design. This took a lot of legwork. It was painstakingly researched to be as green and responsible as possible. Over time, it was carefully and lovingly developed and restyled in my vision. The packaging is unique in that it carries FSC Certification. It is sourced from well managed forests with responsible social, economic and ecological concerns. The gorgeous wood grain stock has recycled wood and fibers and is created using hydro electric energy from a mill that uses water to create it's electric power. The inner box is from 100% recycled materials and the design is letterpress printed using vegetable based inks.
The glassware has 40% recycled content.

My Rustique Pure Beeswax Bistro Cubes have also won an Addy design award!

This package design comes from 100% recycled materials and is letterpress printed using vegetable inks. Paired with the pure beeswax handcrafted candles, this product is as green as it gets! The Bistro cubes were a top 50 pick in the Bon Appetit holiday gift guide. They look amazing on John Derian plates btw!

The New York International Gift Show Jan 2010

2010-02-07T16:45:00.001-06:00

This was quite a show! Filled with celebrity sightings! Richard Gere walked by my booth [wish he'd had come in!] Phoebe Kates and Ina Garten [The Barefoot Contessa] Love her! While not a celebrity at all, we saw an Anthony Kiedis look alike dining at DBGB on the Bowery one night. And, while waiting to board our flight home at Laguardia, we saw Snoop Dog strutting right on by all cocky surrounded by his posse! Funny thing is, we also saw him in Dublin of all places, coming out of a Footlocker with a bag of McDonalds! When in Dublin..go to McDonalds???!!

This had to be my best show yet. I found the buyers to be in good spirits and positive comments flowed. I took many re-orders and picked up a lot of new accounts and met with some very prestigious shops and buyers. Each and every buyer that comes to my booth is important to me and it's great to reconnect with already established accounts again and to meet new buyers in person. So many of them are such sweet and kind people who always compliment and encourage my work. I am always touched by this and their gracious comments. It makes what I do worthwhile.

It also helps to have my sister by my side. She has done 4 shows with me now and knows inside out how to work these large conventions, let alone being so freaking fun to be with! She keeps me sane during these wild gift show days! It's also fun to reconnect with other vendors you make friends with at the show and only see twice a year in the strange land that is the gift show, learning little tib bits about their lives each time you see them again.

Of course it's always great meeting up with Dana from dbO home. A music business veteran like myself [in a previous life I worked in the music biz for 10 years] we meet up after market to try little West Village restaurants drinking wine, sharing food, discussing the show and inevitably moving on to juicy music discussions!

The show was more crowded than last August, a good sign of a turn in the economy, more vendors, more buyers and alot more international folks stopping by which is great.

My sister and I were happy to discover SEVERAL Led Zeppelin fans visiting the booth this time! Not only were Led Zeppelin playing on the pod dock in my booth, but Jimmy Page is on the card I pass out in the booth- which started many a discussion and made for some very memorable connections at the show with some really great buyers! What a great unexpected thing!

I did manage to slip out of the booth and head over to Pier 94 to visit some of my old vendors from when I had a shop and walked the show. I saw this very inspiring display below-

I also stopped at Peddlars Home Design, Design Workshop and the Canvas booth-which KILLS me! It is filled with gorgeous things hand made by artisans. I wish I'd snapped a few photos at Canvas, but here is the Peddlars booth with things I admired. Hmmm, is another shop in my future.......? One can never tell.

Getting out of the Javits center was difficult let alone finding time to do something fun in NYC. My sister and I ventured up to the Dakota to pay tribute to John + Yoko. While there are pictures all over the web of the building, there is nothing like seeing it in person.

It is quite striking, quite a beautiful piece of architecture. We were awash with a feeling of sadness standing near the gates where John was shot.

We finished the day by crossing and standing at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Here are our feet, on a freezing January day in NYC. On top of it, my sister had come down with the flu and STILL managed to do the show with me. She is a trooper! No wonder she's my best friend and comrade in arms!

Tatine launches new web site!

2010-02-07T15:50:00.000-06:00

My web site crashed over the holidays [twas a blessing in disguise]....we shut the whole old shebang down and created a brand new site that was a total reflection of my vision and my brand. It was so much fun to create and the collaboration was smooth sailing all the way. When it launched I jumped up and down and clapped my hands! At last, a site that was me! It feels great that we have revamped all my products and now my site to match my dreams and visions. The decision to no longer sell retail online through my own site was a tough choice though. However, I have a lot of wonderful stockists that carry my candles nationwide, so please look to them now through my site to purchase my lines. Check it out, and watch for little fun/interesting changes over the next year and as the seasons change...... http://www.tatinecandles.com/

The Seasons Of Enchantment

2010-02-07T15:03:00.002-06:00

Tatine- new Spring Launch 2010!

The Seasons of Enchantment

test proof

I love the research and development aspect of my job. I LOVE the creative process. I am so lucky to have found a designer who "gets me". Our collaborations are ones of joy and excitement. She brings what is in my head to life and there is nothing more exciting than seeing the final product in my hands. She listens and understands me and lets all my thoughts, visions and dreams flow out of me and go on and on until we have nailed it! My advice is to never work with anyone who doesn't respect you or won't let you be who you are, for that's what my work is to me, it's PERSONAL, a total self expression.

I love the changing seasons so I felt the need to create something grounded and beautiful with earthy fragrances reflecting each season. The design is inspired by the old German Botanical charts keeping a simple and somewhat plain landscape on the white wood grain stock [which in part is the star of the package]. I toiled over the pantone colors for weeks on end. It was so hard to pin down just the right color tones I wanted to see so I visited my printer to see dry downs several times. I am incredibly close to the entire development of what I am creating and want to see it "just so!"

In my work, I try to be as "green" as possible without sacrificing style or fragrance choices.
My packaging all contains recycled content, I won't produce anything without a % of it.

I have all these product and design ideas constantly flowing through my mind and I just love the process. I want to constantly be creating and I am fortunate to have a wonderful collaboration process now and we have done some great things together. I go to my designer with strong ideas of what I want. As we work on a project, it morphs and changes leaving no detail behind or untouched. I love the small unexpected details in design. They are expressions from inside, from my heart and add a special touch to my work.

The line is so new I carried it on the flight with me to New York to debut in my booth! We literally finished up the final details on the eve of my leaving Chicago.
I unveiled The Seasons of Enchantment line at the New York International Gift Fair this past weekend, launching 6 new fragrances. FOREST FLOOR being the talk of my booth for it's uniquely earthy aromas that truly capture the fragrant earth. Imagine you have just planted your garden and a spring rain falls soaking the black garden soil. Truly romantic. Musically, this design was inspired by Led Zeppelins "The Rain Song."

The line did very, very well at the show and will begin to start shipping out to retailers in about 4 weeks. Please visit my STOCKISTS page to buy them from online retailers or to find a boutique in your state that may be carrying the line.

light, relax, enjoy!

LONDON + The Magical Mystery Tour

2010-02-06T18:09:00.007-06:00

Upon leaving for London this past October, I had begun developing a new line to launch for the New York show to debut Jan. 2010. Ideas were swirling in my head and I knew I would find a lot of inspiration in London. I had also begun to develop my new web site with my designers and we began the process of the mood board which I found terribly exciting. My husband and I were also to embark on a kitchen re-design but I wanted to wait until I got back from London as I knew, so much would influence me there, and it did, for all these projects. I am an Anglophile, and have been traveling to London for over 20 years, had my wedding anniversary there and try to get back there as often as possible. My dream would be to keep my loft in Chicago and buy a flat in London and divide my time between these two places- and of course open a fabulous shop in London! [One can dream right?.....] I was excited about this trip on so many levels! First of course to be hanging with my sister in this amazing city, then...embarking on our rock and roll journey and soaking up all I knew would influence me to bring back and infuse into my work and my loft.

A little research goes a long way. I wanted to find the best coffee in London and was so pleased to find our charming hotel within walking distance to Fernandez and Wells and what a lovely walk it was. We even strolled by Paul McCartney's Office [no sightings though]. I loved the simplicity of the long narrow space, brick walls painted stark white, washed wooden stools, toast and raspberry jam, clotted cream and THE best coffee. Simple, no half decaf, frappaccino mochachino latte easy foam 2 pumps of sugar free hazelnut syrup land. Just simple gorgeous creamy lattes made to perfection served in white cups.

The next day I awoke under a heavy spell of Vertigo, it was awful!! But I forged ahead and boarded the train to Liverpool seeing only my feet all the way there. [I couldn't lift my head up off the table on the train until we arrived at Lime Street Station I was so dizzy].

"And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore".....

We did a mini Beatles tour, as this was just a "day trip" and what fun we had! Later that evening,

we saw a Led Zeppelin cover band at the cavern club!

We stayed at the Hard Days Night Hotel, which was basically, a glorified Holiday Inn with Beatles photos everywhere. What a shame, this COULD be amazing and I would love to get my hands on a redesign of this concept!

At any rate, I saw George Harrison's childhood home. Being my favorite Beatle, this was a thrill.

----Jimmy Page----

We journeyed back to London the next day and after a calm and lovely lunch at the hotel, we took an extremely long walk through London with a plan to see Jimmy Page's 19th century home. The walk itself was amazing. We strolled gorgeous cobbled mews and winding tree lined streets on a lovely October day making our way to his address, stumbling on gorgeous street after gorgeous street wishing that flat was ours or this flat was ours, and that we owned flats across from each other. Autumn is my favorite season, the weather was perfect, leaves crunching underfoot, and as we turned the corner to his street, it was breathtaking, so beautiful. Home after home on this winding road, simply lovely. Once we set our eyes on Tower House, I became nervous inside. Jimmy's home, built by William Burges, the 19th century architect is a historical landmark, and is the only one not open to the public-[obviously] it is stunning to say the least.

We thought he no longer occupied the house so we lingered, discussing Led Zeppelin and musing about Jimmy. After snapping dozens and dozens of pictures, contemplating how well the style of the house suited Mr. James Patrick, the lights inside shining faintly through the deep gorgeous stained glass windows were turned off, and as we were about to walk away- something pulled me to stay- when moments later, Jimmy walked out the door!! I froze, I choked, we were in total shock and decided not to say anything or approach him. I have a tremendous amount of admiration for him, he is my favorite musician by far and wide, of all time! Of course I regret it now! A once in a lifetime opportunity missed????!! Or, perhaps, not speaking to your idols is best, keeping the fantasy of who they are to you alive and well!? [No....I totally regret it!, esp. cuz I had my camera in my hand and I absolutely love him, I adore him and his work!] However.....as we watched him walk out the door of his gorgeous home, his very young daughter was with him. She was happily playing and hopped down each step out their front door, gleefully spending the day with her papa, who just so happens to be JIMMY PAGE! We shyly watched him walk away but did get a glance of him checking us out with the classic Page pursed lips. He took her by the hand, which of course I found endearing and they walked up the beautiful road towards the High Street. My sister and I made a snap judgment that perhaps it would be too intrusive on his personal life seeing he was with his daughter, to say something to him. So we opted not to try and speak to him. If he were alone, I can say we def. would have! But what does one say? Undoubtedly something moronic would have come out of my mouth in my unexpected state of shock to see him that close, in his world, my favorite musician, and he looked so good!

I imagine the perfect moment when I am feeling cool, calm and collected and I bump into Jimmy Page again [uh-huh], [looking my best of course!] having a lively and intelligent conversation with this guitar player, "the" guitar player in my book. Upon reflection of his life and the life he has lead, who he is, a kind polite English Gentleman, we still probably could have spoke to him, at least said hi..why oh why didn't we say hi!? I regret it to this day.....There he goes, walking away from us...I took an idiotic picture of him that is so small, I didn't zoom in because I was, well, shell shocked! Oh what a house, what a day! Oh what a magical moment with my sister, what a sighting indeed, Jimmy with his silver hair, black leather Jacket, scarf and jeans + black t shirt....two Zeppelin girls in London. I'll never forget it.

We journeyed to a wine bar to discuss this most magical sighting and enjoy some French food and wine.

The next day was a beautiful sun filled perfect Fall day. We went to see Abbey Road studios and Paul McCartney's home on Cavendish Avenue. Walking around St. Johns Wood proved to be another magical neighborhood, as Magical as Jimmy's, filled with inspiration.

We headed to St.John Bread + Wine, I simply had to see inside the old Smokehouse factory turned bakery/restaurant/wine bar. I also had to buy their small white ashtrays with the anatomy of a pig on it to use as little appetizer trays or for olives or salted butters. We then journeyed past the new Anthropologie store yet to open, that had my candles inside, and went to the shops at Bluebird, this was a great shop, so inspiring- also stopping off for some hand made salted caramels along the way.

From this trip my new candle line was born [infused with Zeppelin]-the concept of my web site

was in the forefront of my mind influenced by London and music and the design of our kitchen rehab was developed.

Long, Long, Long

2010-02-06T16:27:00.000-06:00

It's been a long, long, long time....

Woke up with songs from the Beatles White Album in my head today...not bad. It has been so long since I posted I don't really know where to begin. So much has occured in the last 5 months, my company has kept me incredibly busy.

Since my last posting I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary by traveling down to Austin to see my husbands band play. He has been going down there to play South by Southwest for nearly 18 years so we booked a really nice room at the Hotel San Jose. What a great hotel, great design, great room, with a huge picture of John Lennon framed in our suite, fantastic! Some hotel shots below.....

Upon my return from Texas I was busy making candles for a mass amount of holiday orders that came in, along with producing another 3,000 candles by hand for Anthropologie.

I worked the next 30 days straight, then.....flew to London to meet my sister for a little rock n roll holiday! That trip was absolutely magical and warrants it's own posting!

Tatine Candles Spotted in.......

2009-09-24T19:12:00.003-05:00

Beautiful displays abound
What joy!

Bow Street Flowers Sommerville Ma

The Blissful Canton Ohio

Taken By The Sky

2009-09-05T17:18:00.004-05:00

Inspired by..............
I love the changing of the seasons, I find it enchanting. I love how the sky changes, especially when a late summer sky turns to fall, it's my favorite time of year-and you can see and feel the change. I am dreaming. I am researching and developing my next product to launch in January 2010. I find Stevie Nicks incredibly inspiring to this new line. I also love the feel of the Neko Case video for Maybe Sparrow, as well as her gorgeously strong voice. I can't wait to see how the new line unfolds, what a great time to be creating it, what great inspirations are these! For me.............Dreams unwind, loves a state of mind....

Tatine candles Rustique Collection at ABC Home New York

2009-08-23T15:16:00.006-05:00

No trip to New York is complete for me, without a visit to ABC Home. I can't believe I am a part of such a beautiful, amazing, striking and inspiring store. I feel so lucky to have my candles there. The ABC buyers come to visit me in my booth each time I do the New York show and they are all incredibly nice, kind and gracious people. I was thrilled to see my candles there amongst all the beautiful displays!
Amazing Manhattan views from the upper floors. I want to move in.

Tatine Garden + Forest Infusions at Anthropologie in Manhattan

2009-08-23T15:09:00.003-05:00

Stepping out to dinner one night after the show in Soho, my sister and I were excited
to see my Garden + Forest Infusions candles on display at Anthropologie on West Broadway in New York. They did a great display with signage, they looked really good in there!

Tatine Garden + Forest Infusions Collection Wins Best New Packaging Award in New York

2009-08-23T14:40:00.005-05:00

My Garden + Forest Infusions Collection wins best new packaging at the New York International Gift Show, August 2009!

tatine candles at the New York International Gift Fair August 2009

2009-08-23T13:12:00.009-05:00

Just returned home from10 days away on the road travelling to New York City for the Gift Show. Many days and nights out in restaurants, working the show all day, convention food, miserable New York heat, cocktails, order writing, non stop working, etc. It was a successful and very, very busy show for me. We did manage to have some fun though! Driving to Cleveland on the way and visiting the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. {We found it to be lacking and very mainstream} Unlike the amazing John Lennon Exhibit we saw at the R+R Annex in Soho in New York. Really moving, really well done by Yoko Ono. Equally moving was the short rock film we saw before entering the Lennon exhibit. It made both Denile and I really choked up. The accomplishments of some of the musicians was so, so moving with music cranking. We welled up with tears! We also went and Saw It Might Get Loud in New York the night before the show opened. We set the booth and off we went to see my favorite guitar player of all time, Jimmy Page in this documentary. He deserves his own movie. A bit too Jack White and Edge heavy, and many bits of Jimmy were not included that should have been, to educate. It was still well done though and we really enjoyed it! It inspired me.

The show opened the next day and brought many new stores and contacts to my booth.

Here is my sister hard at work in the booth, which I style differently for each show. We always enjoy the set and designing of putting the booth together, with great anticipation of how things will go.

I wanted the product to speak for itself, so I designed a clean, plain, modern booth for this show. The lines were set up on old barnwood tables from the 1800's, left over from our ceiling in our loft. I had my husband attach industrial legs that come off for ease of transport to the show. The white background was perfect for the packaging to stand out. And it did. It was well received. My Le Vieux Monde collection sold out at Market, the Rustique pillars and Tapers got tons of orders and the Garden + Forest Infusions line won a best new packaging award and out sold all my lines combined. The buyers really responded to my fragrances, which I hand blend and infuse myself. They also responded to the glassware, that I had custom made to my specifications. They loved the quality and uniqueness of the glass. They loved that it wasn't just a highball glass, mass produced and filled with wax in a factory, with a sticker on it. No designer names printed all over it or blazing emblems of any sort. Plain, vintage modern was what I was after. It could fit in a cottage, in a loft or in a modern space, that's what I wanted to create. Alot of thought and care went into that line and the packaging was painstakingly thought out and designed. Sourced from FSC stock with recycled wood fibers, and letterpress printed with vegetable based inks. The packaging is the perfect holder for my garden inspired vessel. It carries a high percentage of recycled content and is made with all natural waxes. You will find no paraffin anywhere near my products. Which is my goal, beautiful scented candles in beautiful recycled packaging, entirely made by hand. My fragrance blends got alot of compliments for being different. I feel sort of funny boasting about this on the web. But I worked so incredibly hard for this and spent months upon months and hours upon hours of my time and income developing this line. I poured everything into it. It's absolute joy to have it get such recognition at this show.I got so many orders for this line, my Garden + Forest Infusions Collection, that I had to put another 4,000 of my custom glass pieces into production right away while still in New York, to meet the needs of all the buyers. Once I get the new batch of my custom glass delivered, I will be extremely busy scent blending and pouring all the candles by hand for the orders. In the meantime, I will be filling orders with the glass I have on hand and making all the other candles that were ordered at the show.
I haven't had much chance to breathe or rest this year. But it's a good thing. It's a happy feeling to see people responding to my creations in such a positive way. I am happy to be back in Chicago though and extremely happy to be home in my loft. Which I haven't seen much of this year. I only wish my husband was here too, he is on tour with his band and I haven't seen him in two weeks. But my kitty Lester {named after Leicester Square in London} is happy to see me too. I have hardly been home this year to hang out with him!

It is all worth it though, but I must figure out a balance to all the work I have in front of me and future work that is to come. All my products remain 100% hand made, by me, and I intend to keep it all in house. The balance is in finding a day off, and not working 12 hour days 7 days a week, which I have done this entire year.
I am also busy creating a new product that will launch at the New York show in Jan 2010. It's so exciting to create and develop new products! I love seeing what is inside my head turn into a viable, beautiful product. I am filled with excitement over it due to the great response in New York. For now though, I am tired, we drove 13 hours straight to get back to Chicago {we were really dying to get home and chill and be out of hotels!}-- I want to relax in the loft with a magazine, finish Patty Boyd's book "Wonderful Tonight". I'm going to have a glass of champagne with my sister and watch this stunning live bootleg dvd of the Led Zeppelin at Earls Court in London. Oh to be home, I love it! I'm so tired, but oh so happy to be home........................

Off to the New York International Gift Fair

2009-08-11T19:45:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow morning I hit the road with my sister Denile and head towards New York to show my candles at the International Gift fair.
These shows are a tremendous amount of work for vendors, so I always like to add a little enjoyment onto the trip. Mainly, some rock n roll!
Last summer we drove to the Atlanta Market and saw Robert Plant + Alison Krauss front row center, then drove through the deep south along the blues trail straight to the crossroads. What a treat that was.
This year we head for the rock n roll hall of fame, then on to NY the next day through the rolling hills of Pa with great tunes under the summer sun. Friday we set and prep the booth then we go to the premier of It Might Get loud, featuring my favorite guitar player, Jimmy page! We will also be visiting the John Lennon Exhibit in Manhattan in between or hectic work load and long days at the show.
I am looking forward to our stay, the rooftop pool at our hotel in the Meat Packing district and seeing Dana from dbO Home again and having dinner with her at a quaint West Village spot talking about the business of hand made.
It will be interesting to see what transpires at this show! Full report upon my return!