Temporarily Closed

This has been the sign in almost all aspects of my life for the past  6 weeks anyway.

We are in the midst of closing on a house that we were to move in in August.  It's been a nightmare since then.  I am seriously thinking of starting a blog on venting about house buying and what NOT to do.  We moved out of our old home the end of July and we're currently living with family out of suitcases as all of our belongings are in storage. 

Oh, then there was the earthquake.  I thought I was just dizzy from all the chaos in my life but he felt it too.

Then there was the hurricane and the mandatory evacuation of our temporary home.  Then no electricity, flooding and road blocks that make it impossible to get to anyplace on time.

But then I put it all in perspective and I'm thankful that I am able to purchase a house when so many are losing theirs.  Even though I joke and say I'm homeless I'm greatful for for the roof over my head and that my friends and family are safe and sound.   Watching all the coverage of that 10 year old tragedy knocked some sense into me that I don't have it so bad.

We hope to be opened back up in 6 weeks (toward the end of October).   Hope you enjoyed your summer!

Soapy Sensation! Giveaway

Over the past few weeks we have been adding a whole new line of SLS-free and Paraben-free Mega soap bars! Many of these are vegan-friendly, made with natural and organic ingredients, smell amazing and clean amazingly well too!

So far we have 11 new soaps but hope to add over a dozen more by the end of the year.
Citrus Sunrise,  Cranberry Vanilla Peach, Cucumber Melon, Grapefruit Aloe Surprise, May Chang, Melon Mango Sugar,  Pacific Reef,  Peppermint Tea Tree, Star Anise, Vanilla Mocha.   Several of these are currently at introductory prices for a limited time so grab them while you can!  Which is your favorite and which would you like to try?

Feeling Lucky?  We are giving away two soap bars of your choice this month!

 Here is how you can win

Just for following & commenting about our soaps you are automatically entered in our giveaway!

1. Be our fan on Facebook and leave a comment about the topic or website.
2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about us using nikkicandles or Nikki Makes Scents (sorry private tweets can't be seen and therefore cannot be counted)
3. Follow our Blog and leave comment about any of our post for the month (sorry private follows cannot be verified therefore cannot be counted) .
4. If you made a purchase, leave comments on our "what people are saying" page
   

It's that simple for a chance to win two gourmet luxury soaps from us!!  (Please provide a way for us to contact you.)

Do all four this month and that will count as 4 entries to increase your chances!!

Comments such as  "comment" or   "I'm following you" are not considered comments! Please comment on our post, our products or whatever subject we are chatting or tweeting about this month.

(Previous winners within the year are not eligible to win again although we appreciate your support so let's hear from you too!)

Giveaway Ends June 26th 2011 (11:59pm)

Giving

I'll miss the Oprah talk show as well as the Oprah the host.  Her warm real personality made you feel like you knew her.  Through the years I have loved and admired her, been sick of her, respected her and questioned her.  However,  I think one of my greatest lessons from her and her show was the enormous power of giving.  Although I have had many struggles throughout my life I recognize there are many with far worse problems and have been able to give back or encouraged others to give back like I have many times on this blog.  Nikki Makes Scents and out customers have been able to give through donating money, volunteering time and knowledge or donating products from Natural disasters around the world to disease and war.
Recently we found a program that allowed us to donate 2 dozen soap bars to domestic violence and homeless shelters in Connecticut and realized that a donation of some bath & beauty products could brighten their esteem with just showering and smelling like one of our fantastic fragrances.  My mom has always been a great giver of her time to organizations and friends and so the seed was already planted to give but I think Oprah's show showed me visually why it was so important for not only the recipient but the giver as well.

"What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you."

                                                          ---Oprah Winfrey

Diva Giveaway Winner...

Congrats to Karen A. for commenting and following our blog and therefore being our Diva Needs Set Giveaway winner for May!!

Picture This!

Let's face it, many of us consider ourselves to be proficient picture takers these days.  Thanks to technology we can automatically erase a pic and take a better one.  Even phone cameras can detect when you need a flash and have auto focus.  Thanks to photo editing software we can erase blemishes (or an ex), red eye, center the pic and even make us 20lbs lighter!

But there is nothing like the skilled craft-woman and talent of a true photographer.  Instead of taking a picture to tweak and fix they capture the right lighting, form and setting to result in a perfect picture.

Laura Herr Photography is a photo artist located on Long Island New York and captures people's greatest and happiest moments  from weddings, births and every day happy moments.   I was lucky enough to be able to be affiliated with her and she took a few pictures of my favorite summer candles.  Making these candles was fun but now that she took pictures of them they look stunning (if I do say so myself)!  You must check out her website and blog with happy pics of people I want to know and places I want to be.  That's the feeling her pictures evoke.

For a limited time if you visit her blog and comment on our feature  "Making Scents of it All" one lucky person will be randomly selected to use a $20 credit on our Etsy shop!  Offer ends May 21st so hurry!

May is Lupus Awareness Month

About 10 years ago I participated in a Walk for Lupus when my mother was newly diagnosed.  I was already familiar with the disease as her brother died from complications related to Lupus a few years earlier.  It just so happened that the Walk was in October and when attempting to raising money many people were unfamiliar with Lupus and much more familiar with Breast Cancer Awareness especially in October.  Our walk is now in May and our voice is stronger than ever providing awareness to the growing disease.  Here are just a few facts about Lupus straight from the Lupus Foundation Of America:

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self") and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

• Lupus is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better). Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.
• Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot "catch" lupus from someone or "give" lupus to someone.
• Lupus is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, as described above.
• Lupus is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In HIV or AIDS the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive.
• Our research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus. The actual number may be higher; however, there have been no large-scale studies to show the actual number of people in the U.S. living with lupus.
• It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus.
• Lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age (15-44). However, men, children, and teenagers develop lupus, too.
• Women of color are 2-3 times more likely to develop lupus.
• People of all races and ethnic groups can develop lupus.
• More than 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported annually across the country.

As with Breast Cancer I have made a candle collection for Lupus to assist in awareness, education and research. 50% of every candle and bracelet sold will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America.  I will be posting bi-annual updates of what was donated thus far.  You can find the Lupus Awareness Candle w/bracelet exclusively on Etsy and Artfire.

These candles are also available in bulk for fundraising events.

DIVA Giveaway

Are you a Diva or know somebody who is?  Then you need to enter this Giveaway!!

Enter to win a
Diva Needs Set

(a $17.25 value)

For the independent woman that worked long hours at the office/home and is ready for a night out on the town. The necessities to start the evening off right.

Set includes:

• DIVA Butter Bar - We call it the Butter Bar because it is made up of all natural ingredients including moisturizing shea butter. (4oz)
• DIVA Shimmer Soy Lotion - a wonderful moisturizer with a non-toxic sparkle. (2oz)
• DIVA Dry Perfume Spray - Top it all off with a non-alcohol spray that goes on dry. Use as a perfume, body spray or a sheen for hair in our DIVA fragrance. (1oz)

Here is how you can win

Just for commenting you are automatically entered in our giveaway!

1. Be our fan on Facebook and leave a comment about the topic or website.
2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about us using nikkicandles or Nikki Makes Scents (sorry private tweets can't be seen and therefore cannot be counted)
3. Follow our Blog and leave comment about any of our post for the month (sorry private follows cannot be verified therefore cannot be counted) .
4. If you made a purchase, leave comments on our "what people are saying" page
   

It's that simple for a chance to win this Diva set from us!!  (Please provide a way for us to contact you.)

Do all four this month and that will count as 4 entries to increase your chances!!

Comments such as "comment" or "I'm following you" are not considered comments! Please comment on our post, our products or whatever subject we are chatting or tweeting about this month.

(Previous winners within the year are not eligible to win again although we appreciate your support so let's hear from you too!)

Giveaway Ends May 31st 2011 (11:59pm)

It's Spring!

We've had three major snow storms here in the north east and I can't tell you how happy I am that Spring is finally here. Even though my allergies will flair up to the point that people think I've been crying for days I enjoy seeing all the flowers about to come in bloom.

 Scent of the Month - Bunny Burps

This April we were in a fun-loving mood and choose Bunny Burps as our Scent of the Month.  Check out our special on this scent for the month of April!  This is a fantastic fresh scent!   If your looking for something sweet for the holiday/spring season what about Jordan Almonds or Jelly Beans!

These egg-shaped votive holders in delightful spring colors are the perfect size for our round votive candles.  Happy spring everyone!

Estians for Disaster Relief

In the wake of this most recent disaster several independent artisans from Etsy put together a team called Etsians for Disaster Relief.  We post national and international disasters, organizations to donate, what is needed and what we can do to help.  Many shops have donated a percentage of sales to organizations in an effort to help raise money.

Like I've mentioned before, giving is the absolute best feeling in the world.  I highly recommend volunteering your knowledge or time with an organization that is always happy to have the help.  It's free and priceless to those who need it.  If that's not possible then money is always the next best option.

Besides donating to organizations, why not also do your shopping at some shops that are also donating a portion of their proceeds.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Kosmika

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Kosmika?ref=seller_info

These lovely Pink Dots Earrings in Pastel Pink w/ handmade Hoops and Porcelain Clay Charms are adorable.  60% of the sale will go to any charity of the buyers choice on this link www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html.

Tickled Paisley

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TickledPaisley

This Modern Clutch - Kate Spain Central Park makes me wants to set a date with my mom for Sunday Brunch in the heart of New York City!  50% of sales will go to the AmeriCares Foundation Inc.

Melissa Bee Art

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MelissaBeeArtDenver

For all of us animal lovers let's not forget all the misplaced pets.  50% of sales from this shop will go to the Japan Animal Relief Fund.

AmiAmigos

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amiamigos

This Silly Doggy Crocheted Hat just makes you want to smile like this adorable model.  50% of sales for March goes to Direct Relief International.

Amy Fine Design

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amyfine

I love these Red Leather Bangles (I bought a set for myself)!  For every set sold $5.00 will be donated to the Red Cross.

 By My Touch

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bymytouch?

It was hard just picking one bag but I just love this Charcoal Grey + Pink Coral Purse.   This shop uses eco-friendly materials and net profits from all sales will be donated to to the Red Cross for the month of March.

 

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

I'm not Irish and never thought to find out what St. Patrick's Day was about. To my surprise, according to History.com it was a religious event.  I guess the part that says "Saint" should have clued me in. 
These days everyone around the globe celebrate St. Patrick's Day regardless of their culture in some kind of way.  I love finding out the origin of different beliefs and celebrations.  Even though the U.S. is a melting pot it's important to preserve rich cultures and traditions we can all benefit from. 
Also, like most holidays or celebatory days we equate things that have very little to do with the day..i.e margaritas for Cinco de Mayo, bunnies for easter  etc.
So I will continue the tradition with a collection of Funky Green Things:

'Funky Green things' by nikkicandles

All this green makes me want to say "top of the morning to you"! Enjoy

Teardrop Vibrant Peridot Stu... agustinajewelr... $48.00	Taxidermy Unicorn No 3 hitree $80.00	Plastiche Brooch UNUNODESIGN $15.00	8x10 owls more colors availa... zeppiprints $17.00
St. Patricks Day -100 Origam... Deliverance05 $12.00	Pool Table Messenger Bag - P... luxfordst $79.00	Green Sleeves 2 long dress (... idea2lifestyle $59.00	Little Man Button Hat in Gre... OopsIKnitItAga... $18.00
Springtime LostArtsStudio $30.00	Dipping dish - leaves in cha... hopejohnson $24.00	Saint Patrick's Day Bow ... ToScarboroughF... $15.00	Tiny theaircastle $20.00
Light Green LEGO brick ring ... ChocolateMintC... $4.50	Green Tea, Tassimo Recycled ... MoLStationery $3.95	Margarita Fudge. No Butter, ... PernillasSS $9.50	Luck of the Irish. The Chart... jrpummel $195.00

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