Light Up Your House – Atmosphere Counts!

Ten minutes before my guests arrive, I like to go around and light all of the candles.  Candles create a wonderful atmosphere in your home, both, because of the light they produce and, if they are scented, the perfume they give off.  This week we are sharing some fun tips on “party giving” and welcoming your guests into your home and, one of the things we most heartily suggest is having lots of candles around.  They give life to a mantle, romanticize a small table or warm up a buffet.  They can be a mixture of scented and unscented BUT, if you are using scented candles, use all the same scent.  Using several different scents can get a little suffocating for even the strongest of noses!

Our very favorite scented candles have been, for many years, the Rigaud candles.  They make many different scents but, alas, they no longer make the two scents we absolutely LOVE!  They were the royal blue one (gardenia, jasmine scent) and the bright yellow one (citrus).  For reasons known only to them, they have discontinued those  colors and saddened we are!  They were always a staple in both of our homes.  These candles became popular in the United States when Jack Kennedy was in the White House and Jackie Kennedy discovered them.  The scents were true and lasting.  Quite honestly, there has never been another candle like them.  They still do make candles but the scents they now make are nothing compared to those two.

A couple of candles have replaced our beloved Rigauds, the first one being from Anthropologie.  Anthropologie makes a great scented candle – actually there are a couple that we like – Volcano and Aloha Orchid.  They are well worth what they charge and they last a long time.  They come in different types of jars and also in a travel size.

The other candle that will often be found in our homes is Red Currant by Votivo.  The packaging on this one has been the same for years but, around the holidays, you can sometimes find different packaging.

We have found that the best deal on unscented candles can be found at Ikea.  Ikea has the best non-drip candles.  They are very affordable and work really well.  They also have great tea lights, the small and the large ones.  Many a candle have we bought from Ikea and they are GREAT!

Again, we cannot stress what a mood changer candles can be!   One New Year’s Eve, we hosted a Black Tie dinner for our families.  There were about twenty-five of us at a long table and all along the center of this table were about 100 candles – different heights in different shaped crystal holders.  Such fun – oh what a fabulous time we had!

Light candles the next time your family sits down to dinner.  It will be magical!