Ready for our New Tenants

Bees!  Yeah, you read that right, real, honest-to-goodness bees.  Specifically, honeybees.  If you knew me in person, you'd know how huge this is.  I'm not generally a fan of anything with more than 5 legs.  Six legs... not a fan.  Six legs and wings... really not a fan.  Six legs, wings, and a stinger... well, I'm sure you get the point.

So this started with Eric, of course.  He's the daredevil in the family.  I've lived nearly 43 years happily mostly avoiding bees together with pretty much every other insect.  I'm not nervous about bees specifically; I've only ever been stung once and I don't remember it hurting all that much.  Plus, I know it was my own fault to an extent.  I scratched an itch without looking and it happened to be caused by a bee walking up my arm, which of course thought I was attacking.  Reasonable.

Eric, while he hasn't got my aversion to insects in general, has been scared of bees since he was a kid and stung repeatedly when a bumblebee hive funneled its way into his bedroom.  And he hates being scared of anything.  So it occurred to him that a good way to get over the fear would be to own bees.  That's my Eric.

He did a little reading, and what he read convinced me too.  Did you know that there's a honeybee shortage in the world these days?  Apparently, in China the bee population has been so decimated that humans are being employed - at a pittance, of course - to hand-pollinate the farms with little paintbrushes.  And the honeybee populations here in the states are dangerously low too.  Whole Foods released a picture of what its produce section would look like sans bees.  It wasn't pretty.  It was pretty empty, in fact.

The upshot is that we as a species, as a world, need bees.

Add to that the more selfish idea that we could have our own fresh, natural honey to eat, with which to bake, to sell, and to make our soaps and other honey-laden products.  And on top of that, there's the beeswax, perfect for our lip balms and candles.  And mead, since we both know Eric would be making mead from some of it.

The next thing I knew, he'd signed up for the Northeast NJ Beekeeper's Association, went to visit hives with a local beekeeper, and bought a book on beekeeping.  And nearly immediately after that, we both owned beekeeping gear.

How cute am I?

I've already used the gear too.  Check me out holding a frame full of bees!

I rock, I tell ya.

In addition to gear, Eric bought all the bits an pieces to put together a hive.  He put it all together, I primed and painted, and then we brainstormed so I could have some fun with it.  It wasn't hard to settle on a Winnie the Pooh theme.  So I painted some more.

As of yesterday morning, the whole hive was finished, sealed, and set up, ready for bees!  And since I've been asked by others, yes, although I obviously copied the characters, I did draw them freehand.  It's good to know I've still got my abilities.

We're hoping to still get some this season, though it's late in the year.  If we do, the bees will have to be left to produce whatever honey they can for their own survival, and we'll have to feed them over the winter.  We've already got the food for 'em.  Now we're just waiting for a viable "nuc" (nucleus hive of bees) to be ready for the move to our hive!

Fingers crossed that we get 'em soon.  And then?  We get a kid-sized suit for the nephews & kids' friends to come learn about bees!

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There's Lilac and There's Lilac

And no matter what sort of lilac it is, I adore it.  Seriously, it's my favorite flower and was the one bloom I really wanted to carry in my wedding... and was so happy when the florist told me I could!

(Flowers designed by Angie at the Metropolitan Plant Exchange,

Photography by Sharon Ann Curia of Sharon's Wedding Art)

And so when Eric and I were making our latest batch of candles, I lobbied for Lilac.  In keeping with our new look, we did them two-tone pink and purple, but the scent is gorgeous, springy, unadulterated Lilac, and they're already a hit with customers.

The 15" round pillar has already sold, but you can find the square pillars here, the small round pillars here, and the votives here.  If you're not sure how much you'll love it - or the other spring candles we've made - you can also try one of each votive in our sampler pack!

But back to the lilacs.  I can't forget about them for too long, that's for sure.  The lilacs.  I love lilacs so much that one year my sister and I got a small lilac shrub for our mom for Mother's Day from the NJ Botanical Gardens.  OK, that gift wasn't quite as self-serving as it sounds.  My sister and mom like lilacs too, and mom likes to have nice, flowering plants around the yard.

Well, back in September, Eric and I moved here to Franklin Lakes, where we have a nice little house... with a whole lotta land.  There's a forest in our backyard, for real!  Well, OK, it's a small foresty area but still.  It's foresty enough that we've had not only squirrels and chipmunks but also possum, a bunny, deer on more than one occasion, and at one point... bear tracks in the snow!  And the rest of the back yard and all of the front is a lot of lawn.  Lots and lots of lawn and trees and bushes.  So I was lobbying for a lilac shrub for our own yard.  I was hoping that during their annual plant sale earlier in the month, Eric and I could go to the NJ Botanical Gardens in the hope that they had lilacs again.

Didn't need to.

Just a week or so before, I was getting into my car for work in the morning and I glanced at this big tree that was on the other side of the driveway.  It was budding.  It was budding purple.  I went for a closer look... and quite literally danced around the driveway.  Lilacs!  A whole huge lilac shrub the size of a tree!  All mine!

It's been blooming ever since, and the smell makes me smile every time I pass by.  It makes me so, so happy.  And while we've added Lilac Candles to Reef Botanicals, I've added a new photo to Fabric of my Mind.

That beauty can be found right here, if you want your own print of it.  Can't you just smell them?

Ah, I'm smiling again.  Just can't help it!

New Stuff - And a Mother's Day Pre-Sale!

Eric and I have been seriously busy.  We've got a new spring line of candles that smell just amazing and are gorgeous too!  We've gone with a new look, that we sort of started with the Home for the Holidays candles for the winter season.  We like color.  Love color.  So we've given each candle two of them!  The colors, of course, go with the scent.  First, I'll introduce you to the new kids in the shop, and I'll get to the sale in a minute.  So take a look...

Country Garden

These are pale yellow and a pretty pink/lavender, and scented with our own gorgeous blend of hyacinth and honeysuckle.  Seriously awesome.  The 9" pillar is here, the square pillars here, 3" pillars here, votives here, and tea lights here.

Ginger Peach

These pretty candles smell exactly like they sound, and like they look - ginger and peach!  Fresh and fruity, with a bit of spice.  Awesome.  The 9" pillar is already sold, but the square pillars are here, 3" pillars are here, votives are here, and tea lights are here.  Getting the two colors actually requires three pours of wax and close attention to temperature, and we've got it down to a science at this point!

Cucumber Cantaloupe

These are the most colorful of the new line, in light green and pale orange, and for those who aren't into the flowers, these are also the freshest and most fruity.  It's a great, clean scent.  And all of our new line of candles have a pretty, rustic, mottled look.  You can find the 9" pillar here, the square pillars here, the 3" pillars here, and the votives here.

Eastern Serenity

These are the least colorful of the new line, but in our opinion, the most amazing.  With a very subtle color, half cream and half a very, very light peach, the impact of these candles is in the scent... sandalwood and jasmine.  It was Eric's idea to try it, and wow, did he come up with a winner.  I can't even describe what this smells like, other than to say it's incredible.  I wish I could do a scratch-n-sniff post for you, I really do.  The cool thing, too, to me at least, is that both sandalwood and jasmine are from Asian countries, both highly valued, and both used in various rituals.  You know I like things with a story like that.  The 9" pillar is already sold, but the square pillars are here, 3" pillars here, votives here, and the tea lights are here.

The amusing thing is that Eric loves sandalwood, and to me it's too musky, a little dusty.  But I love jasmine, which Eric finds too flowery.  With these, each scent cuts and complements the other just enough to make it work for both of us.  A friend of ours, who's also not a jasmine fan but likes sandalwood, commented that he liked it because the floral was cut with the wood, and that it's good for both men and women as a result.

Personally, I think these all are perfect for Mother's Day, which leads me to the pre-Mother's Day SALE.  Finally!

From now until midnight on April 21 (a full two weeks), we'll be offering 10% off all candles at Reef Botanicals, plus you'll want to browse the rest of the shop, because there's free shipping on all orders over $35, including gift baskets.  The adjustment for a refund of shipping charges will be made by me through PayPal after the sale has been completed.

Happy shopping!

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