Stories in Scent: Grounded, Escape and Refresh
When I’m out at the market, people often ask how I chose my candle scents.
The truth is, I don’t start with scent at all.
I start with a feeling. A memory. A place I want to return to—or carry with me.
These three scents were among the first I created.
They hold my beginnings.
Maybe they’ll speak to something in you, too.
Grounded
A couple of years ago, I finally made it down to the Oregon Redwoods. It was an early spring day, with the gift of sunshine instead of the coastal drizzle we expected.
Although we weren’t all that far from civilization, we were the only car at the trailhead. For a couple of hours, we had the forest to ourselves.
I’ll admit, at first it was uncomfortable being the only humans there—visions of all the horror movies I watched as a teen lingered in the corner of my mind. But once we were on the trail, I began to realize how very UN-alone we were.
There was a surprising lack of birdsong or forest creatures.
But there were the trees.
Ancient. Massive. Deeply rooted.
I started thinking about how long they had stood there—how many decades of humans they had witnessed. And it wasn’t that my problems suddenly felt small in their presence. It was more that they slotted into the very fabric of the universe. They were both mine and not-mine.
In that moment—and for the rest of our hike—I felt as if I could plant my own roots and join in their deep rhythm.
I wanted to capture that sense of being deeply connected to the earth. And so Grounded was born.
So when the world is feeling particularly unsteady, I reach for that scent of sun-warmed cedar and soil and mossy undergrowth, knowing it will bring me back to that forest—and back to myself.
Escape
I grew up in Colorado with the Rocky Mountains in my backyard. In fact, the first time I saw the ocean—as a teenager—I thought I was seeing a really tall sea wall at the end of the road. It took a few seconds for my perspective to shift and for me to realize that the flat grey “wall” was miles and miles of water.
So unlike most Oregonians, the ocean and I had to get to know each other.
But over time, I’ve come to understand and love this wild place where the land meets the sea.
The Oregon Coast isn’t softened by surfers, boardwalks, or beach umbrellas. It’s not the scent of coconuts or suntan lotion. It’s wind and salt spray. It’s forest trails that lead to hidden coves and rocky cliffs. It’s mist and moss and the sound of waves breaking on stone.
I wanted to capture that feeling—the untamed, windswept meeting place of ocean and forest.
And so Escape was created.
The scent of sea salt and evergreens carries the memory of fog-draped hills, mossy trails, and the steady rhythm of the tide.
So on those days when life feels crowded or close, I return to Escape—the scent that reminds me of wide horizons, salt air, and space to exhale.
Refresh
Because I grew up in Colorado, I couldn’t leave out the scent that honors my first home. After all, the mountains were my first love.
Brilliant blue skies. Crystal-clear, icy streams. Sunshine almost every day. And ponderosa pines whispering in the breeze.
This was the place where I ran through wildflower fields and climbed granite boulders. The place where worries fell away, and simple joy was close at hand.
I kept thinking about the kind of scent that could capture that feeling—the lightness of twirling through a mountain meadow, the cool lift of alpine air, the brightness of early summer.
And that’s what Refresh is.
Crisp air, sharp pine, and a clean spark of sunshine.
So when I need a little boost—a reminder of freedom, joy, and open skies—I reach for Refresh to help me find it.
From My Story to Yours
These were among the first scents I ever made. Each one carries a story, a memory, a moment that I wanted to hold onto.
But they’re not just mine anymore. I’m passing them along to you now.
These scents are meant to be lit and lived with—to move with you through your rituals, your rhythms, your real life.
May they help you create and carry your own stories.
