Summer is here! I love to sit outside in the late afternoons with a good book. But in the late afternoon the pesky mosquitoes also like to come out. So to keep them away, I light several pillar candles scented with Citronella.

If you have mosquitoes, you should read the recent post concerning West Nile Virus that I have posted below. To protect your family from mosquitoes it’s important to stay informed and use a safe insect repellent.

We offer Citronella candles in over 10,000 different combinations of shapes and color, to keep the mosquitoes away. To order just click below and select “Citronella” from our scents:
http://giantcandleco.com/candles.html

More info on the West Nile virus and mosquitoes: www.cdc.gov/westnile/

Have a fun and safe summer!

The National Candle Association tells us that candles have been used for more than 5,000 years and yet little is know where candles were first used. Many feel that candles were designed by the ancient Egyptians who used torches or “rushlights” made from soaking reeds in animal fat. However these “rushlights” had no wick to speak of. Although the Egyptians were using wicked candles in and around the early 3,000 B.C., many experts have said that the ancient Romans used papyrus dipped in either tallow or beeswax to make their candles way before that time period. These early candles would have been used to illuminate homes, traveling in the dark, as well as for important religious ceremonies.

The National Candle Association credits the early 19th Century for the most improvements in candle making. In 1820 a french chemist found a way to extract stearic acid from animal fatty acids. He found that the use of stearic made candles much harder and more durable. The use of stearic wax is still used today. Then in 1834 an inventor by the name of Joseph Morgan invented a machine that could make candles easier and faster as well as more affordable. In the 1850’s paraffin wax was created from petroleum. Paraffin was found to work perfectly in the making of candles because it burned well, was odorless, and was cheap. The only problem was that it was soft and had a low melting point. Soon it was discovered that by adding stearic acid to the paraffin wax you ended up with the perfect substance for making durable candles.

Candles have been around for a very long time. What is interesting is that as candle makers we each have our own way of making candles. Many candle makers create and develop their own unique wax formula. My husband, Duane, who I think was a chemist in another life time, created our companies wax formula by using 3 different kinds of wax (beeswax is one of the elements) and by adding stearic to our formula has come up with a very special wax mixture. Duane spent countless hours perfecting our formula.  We are proud of the way our formula produces not only beautiful mottled candles but also candles that are both durable and safe.

From the early days of candle making to today, candles have gone through many stages. Their popularity has continued to grow into a billion dollar industry today! Candles may not be required today for lighting our homes but they can provide us with joy, warmth, and romance in our every day life!

We are closing out our wrought iron stands and while the supply lasts you can get a free stand to go with your candle. The qualifying sizes of candles are 7″ square and round, 8″ square and round, 10″ square and round. If you place an order for any one of those size candles in any height  from 7 1/2″ or taller we have listed on the website you’ll receive a free stand in either double or single scroll design and in either black or rust color.

Don’t wait, we are already out of the 8″ double scroll round rust color stands and have between 2 and 20 left of each of the other sizes so they won’t last long. This is a great chance to get a super high quality wrought iron stand worth $47 to $52 for free.

When placing your order our shopping cart system will not deduct the stand online but please rest assured when we process your order, which we do manually, we will deduct the price of the stand from the total bringing the price down $47 or $52 depending of which stand you have ordered with your candle. The invoice you receive with your order will show the correct amount.

If you select a stand that we are out of we will substitute the closest stand we have in stock. Once these are gone they are gone forever.

To plan a wedding is a lot of work. Even with the help from family, friends, and an event planner there is so much to to do. We here at GiantCandleCo.com would like to make things a bit easier on you. Our custom made pillar candles make for both beautiful and affordable table decorations. Not to mention lasting reminders of your special day. With 53 colors to choose from it will be easy to find one or more colors to enhance your tables and decor. We also make unity candles and specialize in multi-wick candles for your special wedding ceremony. Perfect for you and your groom as well as your newly blended family.

We have been lucky to work with some of the top wedding and event planners. We have chosen a few of our favorite events that we have had the pleasure of making candles for. Hopefully you can get an idea of what we do from these photos. If you like what you see we hope that you will allow us the pleasure of creating beautiful pillar candles for your special day!

Let’s face it, going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day can be both expensive and a headache. Most nice restaurants require reservations made weeks in advance and often offer only pre-fixed dinners at exorbitant prices. This year instead of spending lots of money at an over crowded restaurant and driving yourself crazy trying to find a restaurant that has an opening, why not treat your Valentine to a romantic evening at home! Your sweetheart will appreciate all your efforts and with all the money you will be saving, you can splurge on custom candles to enhance the mood for your special Valentine!

First you will need to set the mood for your romantic evening at home. Candles are an easy way to create romance. Here are just a few of the candles that you should consider for creating a romantic atmosphere. Start with tall dinner candles for your table. A set of 4” X 10” pillar candles are perfect for any table. Choose either pink or red tones for a more traditional Valentine centerpiece or you can go with lavender, orchid, or purple that will surely add passion to any Valentine dinner!

To add further drama for your cozy, and intimate dinner why not surprise your Valentine with a custom fireplace candle? A sure way to add romance to your special evening. We offer two different sizes in four different heights. Or you can design your own. You can put 3 or 4 large square custom candles or make your own arrangement. The benefit to our fireplace candles created by GiantCandleCo.com is that they last a very long time. They can burn for many, many hours. No need to worry about them melting and creating a horrible mess all over your fireplace (my husband and I just replaced our fireplace candle that we had for over a year and a half ). The two of you will be able to enjoy your fireplace candle for many more romantic evenings to come! We offer our customers 53 colors to choose from, as well as over 400 scents. In a previous post I gave a list of some suggested scents perfect for Valentine’s Day. Scents like “Forget Me Not”, Wine & Roses, Romance, Exotica , Champagne, Egyptian Musk, Chocolate or Patchouli, or Helitrope (which means devotion and faithfulness) all are great mood enhancers. Also popular are the Designer Scents. You can select either a scent that you or your sweetheart wears. Whatever you choose, your Valentine will think of you every time he or she lights their custom candles!

Last, but not least, after dinner surprise your Valentine with a special bubble bath! As your Valentine is sipping the last of his or her champagne, sneak into the bathroom and start the bubble bath. For added romance light candles instead of turning on the lights! I have a small little table besides the tub with a 5” x 5” square gold candle scented with Sage & Chamomile set on it. It’s perfect beside the bath because it won’t fall over easily and helps me relax after a long day of running my little one here and there! Remember to order a set of our 4” X 5” round pillar candles. Set them on coasters and spread them around the tub and bathroom for an extra special touch. We hope that our suggestions and our custom candles will help you to create the perfect romantic Valentine’s Day evening!