I woke up Saturday morning feeling the culmination of hitting the ground running in 2022 and not letting up since. I’ve come to realize that I can only push myself so far before I start feeling the inevitable burnout that comes with neglecting to take care of yourself. And, lately, I had been trending towards that spot. I needed a nice day away from it all and as my self-care kings already know, it’s important to take that time for yourself. After a busy schedule that hasn’t let up since what feels like 2015, I finally had time to call and make an appointment for Aura and myself at Paddywax Candle Bar (thanks Steven and Heather!) last Saturday. We made a nice date night out of it.
You guys know how much I love candles. I mean, hell – I’ve built an entire bit on SoBros Network out of my passion for candles. But, for those of you who don’t know, tl;dr: I have a weird obsession with candles and matching fragrances with the season. So, this was the perfect gift (again, solid work, Steven and Heather). Paddywax is out near the Berry Hill part out of town, located just off Sidco Drive. The gimmick? Well, you get to pour your own candle! And, even better, there’s booze involved!
That’s right – we showed up for a 5PM appointment about a quarter ’til. We signed our waivers, and we moseyed around their retail space for a bit before we were guided to our seats at one of several work stations. There was a pitcher, a beaker, and a scale – at first, I felt like I was back in chemistry class. But, my dreadful reminiscing of high school was quickly broken up when we were instructed to pick out a fragrance and a vessel from the wide variety of options. Pretty cool – we walked along the shelves, picking up a scent here, another there, trying to make the most informed decision we could. Aura landed on ‘Earl Grey and Lavender’ while I landed on ‘Whiskey and Smoke.’ Before we got started, our teacher informed us that we could grab a frosty adult beverage from their bar. I must’ve looked like I was craving one or something, but she was right – I wanted an ice cold Mill Creek Lil Darlin.
Then, we learned a little bit about Paddywax’s history and the space we were occupying before getting into the nuts and bolts of candle-making. We gathered our fragrances, carefully set the wicks, measured our ingredients, and poured the candle. I don’t want to give away too much about the process – part of the fun of it was learning a new skill and sharing the experience with others. But, I will say, for fucks sake, do NOT touch the pitchers when they have hot wax in them. Our appointment was set to last an hour, but it felt like we blinked and it was over – time flies when you’re crafting your own candle. I will say that stirring the wax and the fragrance oil was probably the most relaxed and centered I’ve felt in a long time. I’m not convinced there wasn’t some sort of magic and/or hypnotization going on.
As for the candle itself, we picked ours up the next day (along with my fiancé’s credit card that she left behind). I burned Earl Grey and Lavender in the bedroom and not only was it every bit as relaxing as it smelled in the store, it was strong enough to smell throughout the entire house. Between the fun, bonding experience of a good date night and the quality of the candle itself, I couldn’t recommend Paddywax enough. And, no – it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s right up the road from the Black Abbey brewery, so you can get yourself a brew or 15 on your way out of town.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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