A lot of you really seemed to enjoy my bookshelf tour from a few weeks ago, so I’m back today with an update. Shelf 3 aka The Floor Piles? Still there. Renee Ahdieh’s fourth book? Still unaccounted for. ARCs in dated piles? You wish. But I have been able to make one huge improvement–guys, I have been allowed to put some things on the top shelf:

They aren’t even light things! These are heavy-ass candles! 8 of them! What’s the difference between these and books? WHO KNOWS? But the husband even helped me put them here so he’s fully on-board with their placement.

But guys? These aren’t just any 8 candles. Have you heard of the Homesick candles before? I’m not a sponsor or being paid, I just really love these things, and I finally have one for each place I’ve ever lived. And I have lived a lot of very different places. Have you been dying to know a little bit more about me? You’ve come to the right place.

I now present you with–8 candles: A Bookshelf Update aka I Have a Slight Candle Obsession

PA: I grew up in Pennsylvania and lived here until I left for college. According to Homesick, PA smells like caramel, maple, buttery rum, and malty molasses. Like a perfect bite of a fajores, that sweetness is balanced with dark cocoa and a dry tonka bean finish. (What is a fajores or a tonka bean? Hell if I know, but the maple and molasses is right on.)

OH: I was in Ohio for all of my college years at Youngstown State University, where our mascot was a penguin #PetethePenguin4Ever. Carnations, honeysuckle, and a burst of bright orange zest remind us of the great Buckeye State. Undertones of powdery musk and a herbaceous blend help balance this fresh, floral fragrance.

Miami: After I graduated college I didn’t know what to do, and my best friend from high school (hi, Laura!) was going to grad school in Miami, so I moved in with her and found a job. I wouldn’t want to live there now, but it was SUPER FUN when I was 22. There is NO LAST CALL AT BARS IT IS MADNESS (fyi the police will yell at you if you take your shoes off to take a drunken stroll down the sidewalk). Orange slices and cold water with lemon sipped on a hot day by the ocean. Coconut and lavender pair with patchouli and palm trees bending in the breeze.

Los Angeles: After a year in Miami, Laura and I road-tripped across the country to L.A., where I lived for 2 years until I met my now-husband. From bright mornings to star kissed nights, enjoy the best fragrance of the City of Angels, from the clean sea breeze to desert sand kicked up from a hike in the hills. Citrus notes of orange zest and lemon slices combine with a floral bouquet of jasmine and rose to perfume any occasion. 

San Francisco: My then-boyfriend and I moved to San Fran so he could start a post-bac program prior to applying to med school, and we lived here for 3 years. I have nothing but fond memories of this place, except that it was a bit cold living on Nob Hill. This is also where we went from a 1 pug household to 3. I also had one of my favorite jobs here, with a small team at Comcast. Free cable and internet! Working from home! Good times. We had a lot of great friends in the city, and the husband’s mom lives in Marin County so we got to see a lot of her. She’s one of my best friends, so this was a fantastic treat. Like a walk along the shoreline, this scent is reminiscent of small-batch coffee, sea waves rolling up against the wharf, and a floral note of delicate iris. Hints of chocolate and sea moss round out this nuanced fragrance from the Golden City. (For one of my favorite cities, this candle actually smells like nothing).

Boston: The now-husband and I (we got married while living in San Fran. We went to Maui and didn’t invite anyone, I highly recommend it) moved to Boston after he was accepted into Tufts for medical school. It was part of a joint program with the state of Maine, so we spent two years in both places. We were actually living in Boston when the marathon bombing took place, and seeing how the city came together and was very “WE WILL NOT STAND FOR YOUR SHIT” was really inspiring. Spiced tea with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove; orange citrus and ginger with notes of vanilla sugar recollect memories of the City on a Hill.

Maine: Another two years here while the husband finished med school, and I loved it. Portland is a beautiful city, and it was the first time I had a group of girlfriends since high school. I had my favorite job ever in this place–I liked going to work every day, they valued employees and their health, all my friends were there, we had a free gym, and all the sparkling water you could ever dream of. Take a stroll through the Pine Tree State with scents reminiscent of fresh Maine blueberries, pine wood, and Autumn hayrides. Woody notes of cedarwood and patchouli are balanced by a floral bouquet of lavender, honeysuckle, and a light mossy finish.

SoCal: So that brings us to my current home, Riverside, California. It’s part of the Inland Empire, about an hour east of L.A., and an hour west of Palm Springs. We’ve been here for two years, and will be for at least four, while the husband completes his medical residency at U.C. Riverside. It’s a little too far inland for me. It was legit 122 degrees last week. 122 DEGREES. The plus side is that my best friend from high school still lives down here, and so does all of my mom’s family. Being able to see all of them makes it seem more like home. Inhale a perfect mix of SoCal lemon and zesty oranges along with fresh sea breeze and aloe. A floral bouquet of rose, carnation, and jasmine completes this invigorating and clean fragrance from California’s bountiful south.

SO has anyone lived where I have? Do you think the scents make sense? WHY AM I ALLOWED TO PUT ALL THESE CANDLES ON THE TOP SHELF BUT NOT BOOKS?