Made the move to WordPress

We jumped on the bandwagon and moved the Things That Make Scents blog over to WordPress which runs right off our our website now.

We hope you will head over and follows there instead of here. I just put up a new post about the Ladybug picnic... check it out...

www.ThingsThatMakeScents.com/blog

Hope to see ya there!!!

The sun will come out..... tommorrow

Or so we are hoping! Its been gloomy & rainy here in NJ for what seems like an eternity!
I have been waking up everyday thinking maybe I was transported to England or Seattle or something.

So maybe if we pay homage to the sun it will shine brightly on us once again.

I tried to find a prayer to the sun god, but they seemed a little bit over the top.

So instead, I'm just going to say.
Sun, please come out, shine again, we miss you, we need you. Hope to see you soon!

Congratulations to our 3 lucky winners in our April Giveaway!

Lori Vann, Georgia
Monique Rizzo, Washington
Vicki Ladd, New Hampshire

Don’t see your name on that list? Well you have to be in it, to win it, as they say!
Enter here.

Well, lots of candles to pour today, I better get started!

ttyl

Fly Butterfly, Fly...

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

I started typing and got interrupted by the phone and lost my train of though… Drats…. Its not like I had tons to say today, at least I don’t think I did! LOL

In case you care, I am enjoying my Acai breakfast smoothie from re-Juice-a-Nation. They are right over on Main Street in Manasquan. So next time you come visit me, you should stop over there and get a smoothie. They have great soups too…

Today is the last day to save with our candle Buy 1 get 1 50% off sale, and also the last day to enter the April gift certificate giveaway. We pick the winners tomorrow. So if you want a chance to win, go enter!

You better sit down for this… I actually got the window done last Saturday, and ahead of schedule! It’s a butterfly garden theme compete with gnomes. And June’s window is underway in my head, and its coming together nicely.

I almost forgot! We will be making a cool announcement shortly about our new line we just brought in to the store! Stay tuned!!

Gotta make this quick today, wax is being delivered this morning and I have to make some room for it!

ttyl

From the Candle Kitchen...

I have been creating away in my candle Kitchen, working on those new cupcakes that I have been mentioning. The red velvet cupcakes came out ok, I think the next batch will be better. I tried out the carnival cupcakes and they turned into psycho circus cupcakes. Don’t ask! And then today I attempted the black & white cupcakes. These came out awesome! I’m very pleased, they look just like the black and white cookies and they smell delicious! Ya win some, ya lose some... So all I have left to make now is the real carnival cupcakes and the raspberry lemonade cupcakes. I know you want to see them, so here is a few photos.

Photo 1 is Red Velvet Cupcakes, Photo 2 is Psycho Circus Cupcakes, Photo 3 is Black & White Cupcakes.

The store has been pretty busy this week and I have been making all sorts of favors as well. Sure keeping me hopping! And I’m getting a bunch of stuff ready to bring with me to the Lakewood Chamber Staff Appreciation Lunch next Tuesday. They let me set up a table and hock my wares so to speak. Its really fun, I did it last year for the first time.

I’m in a bit of a panic about how to make big flowers for the window for May. I have everything else just no big flowers. I'm going to have to do a Google search for some ideas because I'm running out of time! Any suggestions just pass them along!!

ttyl

Watch out for April 1st, Don’t be a fool!

Over the years I have come up with quite a few good April fools day pranks. These days my brain is just way too packed with other things to try and play tricks on anyone. I spent yesterday morning switching out the display window. It actually came out better than I had expected it to. I'm pleased with it.. for now anyway…. Before I start stressing about the May window! UGH So do you wanna see it???

Remember I make better candles than I take pictures, and these have quite a glare on them. Sorry! You can always come by the store for a better look!

My friend Michele from Life, Lightly Salted stopped by on Sunday with the most delicious cupcakes ever!
Raspberry Lemonade Cucpakes.. mmmmmmmmmmm I stole her picture so you can see them but if you want the recipe you have to go visit her site www.LifelightlySalted.com for it! I must say, she is a pretty darn good cook! Everything she makes for me is awesome.

Anyway, we are working together on some new yummy smelling cupcake candles, along with the delicious recipes for the real thing. I already have 3 new cupcakes in development and now with the addition of the raspberry lemonade cupcake that makes 4. I finally finished my first batch of the Red Velvet Cupcakes. Not bad for my first try. The pics came out bad so I have to retake them. So you will just have to wait to see them until next time!

Hubby and I are also very excited about a new product line that we will be bringing into the store… we aren’t ready to spill the beans, just yet though. (hint, hint) But we will be making the announcement soon.

ttyl

Soap & Cupcakes...

Got home from the store today to find some goodies that I bought from Pixie Soap. I found them last Saturday while looking for their Saturday night secret on Etsy. I couldn’t find their secret but I found some soap I liked a pumpkin soap and an Oat’s gone wild soap.

For those who don’t know, I have a very serious soap addiction! I have a stock pile of handmade soap bars. I cant help myself! I know I needed two more bars of soap like I need a hole in my head, but I just had to do it! They smell so good I cant wait to use them. I also got a vanilla chap stick. Another one of my addictions, but I will save that for another day!

Surprisingly enough, I’m not in a panic over the window for April. I pretty much have it all down and ready to go maybe this weekend or Monday. Sooner the better because I’m sick of looking at the gigantic rainbow! One of my goals this week was to create 3 new cupcake candles. I know what they are going to be but I haven’t had any extra time to whip them up. I have the bases for the Red Velvet Cupcakes ready, I just need to make the tops now. So that goals getting moved to next week! Ugh! I think I might need to pick one more red velvet cupcake over at my favorite Cameo Bakery on Rt. 71 for inspiration. Ok, perhaps that’s just an excuse to get the cupcake so I can eat it. I have eaten 3 already, but hey its research right? RIGHT??

See the yummy pic of what a real one looks like, well that's what I'm trying to duplicate, but with wax....

Well im off to relax now. I just wanted to check in with a post since it has been a little bit since the last one.

ttyl

There really is a pot of gold at the end of my rainbow...

Ahhhhh if only it were real.

Yes, as promised here is photo of the window. Not much to look at though. It’s a big giant rainbow complete with a big pot of gold at the end. Im still cleaning up glitter! Ugh!

I have some ideas for the April window already, so that’s a start. You would think that after 2 years of doing this window I would get good at it! Fat Chance!

Congratulations to our 3 $20 gift certificate winners in our Feb. giveaway.
Cindy Berg, New Mexico
Latisha DePoortere, Wisconsin
Val Pearson, South Carolina

Be sure to enter our March Giveaway for your chance at a $20 Gift Certificate to our store! In case you are new, we give away a $20 gift certificate each and every month. And lately we have been giving away 3 of them!

Our March scent of the month “Lighthouse” has been a huge hit! This is a brand new scent and its growing in popularity quickly! I can’t make it fast enough! And I finally have my bright yellow candle like I always wanted. No, lemonade stand doesn’t count because that’s a seasonal scent. I expect Lighthouse to be a hit year round like Summer at the Shore and Surfs Up!

Well, back to work for me!

ttyl

Celebrate with us!

In honor of the 2 year Anniversary of the Things That Make Scents retail store we are having a special sale. So from now until Sunday March 8th you can enjoy 30% off your next purchase.** Even Candle of the Month will be 30% off during that time.

Retail store shoppers, just bring in the coupon below to ensure you get your discount! Online shoppers use coupon code: 2YEAR30 at check out.

**Cannot be combined with any other sale or promotion. Cannot be used on candle of the month club, bargain bin, consignment or wholesale merchandise.

Offer exp. 3/8/09

www.thingsthatmakescents.com

Don't ask about the window just yet. Its changed, but I think it needs some more work before pictures are taken... I will keep you posted!

ttyl

Love is in the air...

Valentine's Day is 2 days away! Enjoy the day with your sweeties!

Speaking of love, I bet I know three people that love us right now… Who are they you ask? Well they are the three winners of $20 gift certificates in our January giveaway!

Congratulations to:

Karen Presley, New York
David Richards, Connecticut
Jennifer Rockwell, Montana

Wanna win too? Head over and enter the February giveaway!

In case you were wondering, I got the window done in time for Feb. 1st. It's not exactly as I had pictured it, but its not too bad. It looks really pretty at night.


I’m in a panic for the March window… I have nothing…. Nada… zilch…. I sure hope Mr. Allen’s Florist has something that will spark an idea or I’m in trouble! Maybe some local sculptor would like to display their stuff in there??? Maybe a leprechaun or two will sit there all month? If you know anybody have them call me! Quick!

I’m so happy that its been a lot warmer out… I really hate the cold. I’m looking forward to spring, so it better hurry up and get here already! In case you missed the newsletter or if you are not on the list we are having a winter blues sale. Take 25% off your purchase* Just mention you saw the sale on the TTMS Blog if you shop in the retail store or use coupon code: winterblues25 when shopping online.

· Discount cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Cannot be used on consignment items or on candle of the month club.


Back to work for me…..

ttyl

In the Window We Can Build a Snowman

And that’s exactly what I did. Ok maybe I didn’t exactly build them, but I did drive them over in my car and gently place them in the window. So that kinda counts, right??

Luckily I came across this adorable snowman family that needed a home, and they were a perfect fit for my January window display… However, they were a little upset about the “Snowman Poop” candle. They didn’t think it was funny at all.
Those snowmen just have no sense of humor! Sheesh!

Here some pics of the cute little guys…

Sorry, i'm a better candlemake that picture taker... but at least you can sort of see them.

I will end with a short little story. The other day I was up at the counter ringing up a customer. We were chatting a bit, and I look out the window and see this lady standing up against my display window and a guy was taking her picture. Tourists?? Maybe… but its cool to know that my snowman window will be part of someone else’s scrapbook too, besides my own that is!

Time to make the candles...

ttyl

Welcome 2009

2009 is here. I hope everyone had a great holiday! We sure did. Its always great to take time and spend it with family. And also have a day off! LOL

Before I forget, we would like to congratulate our 3 $20 Gift Certificate Winners from our December Giveaway!

So, Congratulations to:

Joyce McAulay from Grass Lake, Michigan
Craig Varney from Belfast, Maine
Robert Aliff from Ridgeview, West Virginia

Your gift certificates were emailed out yesterday so go check your inbox!
Our January Giveaway has already started and the entries are pouring in!

Candle of the Month for January is a new scent in our candle line From the Vineyard

Scent description: Bright citrus bergamot intermingled with fruity apricot and a pulpy grape complex, followed with a soft vanilla base. This fragrance is based on a blend of the aroma & taste of Chardonnay & Merlot wine.
And it’s a really cool shade of purple!

Oh, and the good news is, I got the window done! Yay!!! I will take some pics and show them in the next post!

Time to make the candles….

ttyl

Ringing in the New Year

It's almost time to ring in the new year. Time to make those new years resolutions and stick to them! I feel 2009 has many great things to come and I cant wait! I usually don’t make too many resolutions because then I get overwhelmed and drop them all. I do know that I must get back to the gym! And I have a few other resolutions floating around in my head. What are your resolutions? We would love to hear them!

New Year’s Day also brings with it something special for me, yes a beloved day off! Our retail store will be closed for New Year’s Day. We will be open on New Year’s Eve day from 10 -2 just in case you might need something. Then we are back to our regular store hours. But our online store is always open!

We have three new scents on deck so far for the new year, and all 3 are pretty great if I do say so myself. One of them being From the Vineyard which will be January’s Candle of the Month.

You only have 3 more days left to enter the December Giveaway! Remember we have THREE $20 Gift Certificates up for grabs!

ttyl

Merry Christmas!

Only 2 shopping days left!

Yes, there are only 2 more shopping days left!

Need some last minute gifts and some stress free shopping? Pop on by our Things That Make Scents retail store. We are here today 10-5 and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) 10-5pm and we are having a 20% off sale too! Give the gift of soy candles this year. And the best part? We will even wrap it up all nice for you, so all you have to do is hand it over! Gift Cards are available as well! What more could you ask for? Ummm Ok, maybe don’t answer that!

Does anyone know exactly how many renditions of Frosty the Snowman there are?? We are listening to Sirius Satellite Radio's special Holiday channel called Holly and I swear, I hear frosty at least 12 times a day, but its a different singer each time. On the bright side, I only heard Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer once so far, and have not heard Dominic the Donkey at ALL!

Last year I was humming that song for weeks! UGH. (Oh, dont worry, I have included the links for your listening pleasure... You're Welcome!)

I have to say it has been a pretty stress free holiday season here at TTMS. Except for maybe the day our credit card processing company was down, last Saturday in the middle of a busy afternoon. That was pretty stressful! Thanks QuickBooks Merchant Services for the extra grey hair that day. I'm sure we are not the only ones less than pleased about the outage! But other than that it has been good. All of our customers are great and it’s been a pleasure chatting with them and helping them choose scents for their gifts and for themselves, and that includes all of our online customers that I have spoken with or emailed. We appreciate your business and love your feedback and suggestions. Feel free to contact us anytime!

Well back to work for me, we are almost out of Summer at the Shore. Oddly enough it has been a huge seller this holiday season. Go figure?

ttyl

So close now.............

Christmas is just around the corner. I cant believe how fast the time flew by! It’s been busy at the store this week and will probably get busier once people realize they are running out of time.

Snowman Poop, our December candle of the month has been a huge hit. Tom is very proud of his creation! If you haven’t tried it yet, its 25% off until the end of Dec.

We have been working on some new scent and will be featuring them as the next 3 candles of the Month.

Don’t forget we have three $20 gift certificates to be won in our December Giveaway. If you haven’t entered yet, go enter! Just ask the three winners from last month how easy it was!!

And in case you were wondering, the next display window plan is pretty much all set. Which is always a good thing!

Better get back to work now.. lots to do!!

ttyl

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Been trying to update the blog all week and just kept running out of time.. Typing away as I eat breakfast this morning… I wonder if that’s how all the crumbs get into my keyboard??

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! We did, it was nice to relax and enjoy the day with my family.Black Friday was crazy at the store. If you were there you know what I mean!Christmas is just around the corner now and I haven’t even really started shopping yet! Maybe everyone would like candles for Christmas?? LOL Oh wait, that’s what they got last year… oh boy I better get cracking! I wonder when the Malls start staying open later??

As promised we drew 3 names out of the hat for the November $20 TTMS Gift Certificate Giveaway.

And the winners are….. (Pretend you hear a drum roll)

Rachel Smith, Mayfield, KY
James Palmer, Linden, NJ
Judy Bernecker, Miami, FL

Sad that you didn’t win? We don’t worry, you can enter again in the December Gift Certificate Giveaway!
We once again will be picking 3 winners! Ho Ho Ho!

The window is done and I have some pics. I'm pleased with how it came out. Stringing the lights on the ceiling wasn’t as easy as I was hoping it would be.Take a look…..

Baby its Cold outside!

I like to think of myself as pretty observant, and I happened to notice a few things this morning on my way in.

First thing, man it is cold! I almost froze walking across Main Street to get my favorite cup of Kona coffee. I must find my gloves!! Then I noticed that gas is now $1.75 at the gas station across the street from the store, which is a really good thing because I'm almost on “E”. And last but not least, as I pull up to the store, I see other tenants in the building are parked on the side of the building AGAIN!! Even though its only 1 hr parking they still park there all day.
Which is a bad thing because its hogging up the parking spaces for my customers. And now that its getting colder, they have starting complaining that there is no parking.. UGH!

But on the bright side, I have no window torment this time around. I have a plan and will be in on Monday to make it happen! YAY! Its January’s window I have to worry about!

We have been in overdrive getting stocked up for Black Friday! We will officially announce our sales plan on Monday. (Hopefully)

I got all our gifts for the Candy Cane hunt wrapped and over the Chamber as well as all the bows I helped make for the Christmas Trees in town. Check that off the list. I think they are putting them up this weekend. I can’t wait to see it. I love the look of a decorated street; it reminds me of a Christmas card. If I can, I will try to get a picture of them once they are all up.

Back to work for me now… I have favors to wrap up and candles to pour!


ttyl

Wednesdays Random Ramblings

I have been trying for days to get this post up. But time keeps slipping away, and by the time the end of the day rolls around, my brain shuts off and I can even complete a sentence. So I’m multi-tasking this morning, eating my huge egg sandwich and in between bites, typing this post.

We have a bunch of food donations dropped off so far for the food pantry! Thank you so much for helping out!

Over the weekend, I had customers who have ordered online from us in the past, drive up from Maryland to visit me. How cool was that?? They were both very nice people, I hope they had a nice lunch in Manasquan and a safe drive back home.

We have been trying to crank out the palm pillar candles, I keep putting it off but they have to get done. I don’t have a pic for this post, I will take one when I have more colors made up so you can see them.

We have extended the Tart Cups BOGO (Buy one Get one Free) and all wax dipped critters 25% off sale until midnight Nov. 21st. And don’t forget about the 25% off candle of the month, Pecan Pie. mmmmm smells just like the real thing!

I have the Black Friday specials all ready, I just have to type them up and shoot out a newsletter. Perhaps during breakfast tomorrow? LOL I can’t believe how fast time is just flying by! There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Well I better finish this sandwich and get to work; I do think I'm going to need some more coffee before I do anything else though!

ttyl

Tom the Turkey saves the day

I got the window switched over first thing Saturday morning. It’s not half bad, if I do say so myself, but we got the finishing touch from my Mom. She let me borrow Tom the Turkey. Thanks Mom!

Its no masterpiece mind you, but it works… Soon enough it will be time to switch it to Christmas. I had trouble getting a good picture through the window, so you only get to see one shot. Sorry.


Congratulations to William Singelman from Georgia! He was the winner of our October $20 Gift Certificate Giveaway. We have 3 $20 gift certificates to give away for November. Enter now and maybe you will be one of the 3 lucky winners! Good Luck!

We are working on our Black Friday specials and will be announcing them very soon.
If you are not on our newsletter list, perhaps you should go sign up. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of the specials we have planned.

Well, that’s all I got for ya today. I have to get back to working on the newsletter and I'm almost finished!

ttyl

Happy Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! It stinks that I'm at the store until 5pm today, because I can't wait to get home and give out candy! I love seeing all the kiddies in their little costumes!

And I have good news… Ok well maybe its only good news for me. I have an idea for the display window! Yay! The challenge now is taking that idea out of my head and making the window. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well with it this weekend. I will keep you posted and maybe show you a pic or two. I'm going for a more simple look since its only for 3 weeks. You can let me know what you think when you see it.

Last night on my way home I stopped at Mr. Allen’s Florist in Brick to see if I could get some inspiration for my window. And thanks to the help of the very nice woman there I left with not one, but two awesome pieces that will be perfect in the window. I know I should have gotten her name so I could thank her properly, but it was late and I was hungry and not thinking. They have a lot of beautiful things in there, it actually got some good ideas for the Christmas window too… so it appears that I'm off to a good start for that one.

Well, have fun trick or treating today! Make sure you check that candy first!

ttyl