Introducing; Skye Candles

I am almost ready to get moved into the house, there is lots to be done but fingers crossed come Christmas I will at least be sleeping under that  roof! There are so many bits and bobs to think about that my brain is fully fried but if there is one thing I can count on now is that it will at least the new place will smell lovely and welcoming thanks to a lovely treat from Skye Candles.

I have bought so many of their products in the past as gifts for other people so I was delighted to have one just for me this time around. I never used to be particularly interested into scented candles but when I got my flat a few years ago I realised how big a difference they can make in creating an atmosphere. Now everyone might be going Hygge crazy right now, but I think we have always been pretty good at it here in Scotland thanks to our abysmal weather, and Skye Candles have the most gorgeous array of scents and sizes on offer.

Passing the 10 year milestone this year, the team at Skye Candles have been on quite a journey. starting in a family owned renovated Bothy set among some stunning landscape on Skye to their beautiful 5^thshop right in the heart of Glasgow on Buchanan Street, the company continues to build a huge following thanks to their quality products. I had always picked them up as gifts as I had heard  the burn time was excellent for the price  and the scents they use are just dreamy.

I have been trying out the 3 wick candle (sneakily before I move into the house), and I was surprised by how affordable it actually was at only £28 but giving a solid 45 hours burn time.I found it so hard to pick which one I wanted to try, with some really interesting sounding fragrance combinations such as Highland Gorse, Rasberry and white Ginger and Pimento and Cranberries but in the end I actually let Ally pick something out. He was keen to give the Wooden Heart version a go as he thought it had a masculine sound along with the Mango diffuser for our hallway as it would be bright and fresh. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with his reasoned choices and we were both so pleased with his decision. Wooden heart is the most enticing blend of the outdoors using tea tree, cedar and a little bit of orange. it has a beautiful earthy feel that is going to be perfect for our living room and the orange gives it this seasonal touch that is perfect right now. I have had diffusers in the past but always find their scent has never been strong enough but this one is a total breath of fresh air. With the refill bottles only £10, I will absolutely be getting more.

I have compiled quite the wish list of products that I am dying to try now, the little travel tins would make amazing presents and the individual tumblers are definitely getting purchased for our spare bedrooms. I am delighted i finally gave Skye Candles a go, they are well worth checking out for your Christmas shopping this year. 

Glasgow Reviewed; The Ideal Home Show

Last weekend I was invited along to experience the Ideal Home Show Scotland with the focus of the bloggers event being the reuse of older furniture and how upcycling can transform a home. Now it will come as no surprise that this aspect of it was right up my street, so much so that I will cover that in a post of its own, but for now I just wanted to fill you in on my time at the show generally. This was my first time going along but have been at similar from big crafting expos, to Girls Days out, but the Ideal Home Show was by far the absolute best. There were three huge halls absolutely stacked full with 400 exhibitors selling things like food and drink to beauty to the obvious homewares to gardening too, without a doubt there something for everyone and it was such a good laugh to go and explore.

Ally and I headed into the show not knowing exactly what to expect and were really impressed with the line-up of stalls and products to take a look at, the good offers that were being extended and the all round fun element it brought to a day out. We had a fantastic time racing between the big garden pods, to trying samples of gins to watching cookery demonstrations and learning about products and brands we had never heard of before. We got to chat to the owners and creators of lots of Scottish made products which was lovely, and it was great to store away some ideas for when we have a bigger home of our own. I was really impressed with the whole day and totally recommend heading along next time- my top tips would be to go early before it gets too rammed, take some cash out before you head in to beat some of the queues and be sure to check out the timetable for demonstrations and talks on the main stage so you don’t miss any!

We had such a good time we sent my mum and dad along on the Sunday to enjoy it too and they couldn’t get enough either! They were there most of the day and left with a lot of the same stuff we did ( Heck sausages, the gorgeously packaged Rock and Rose Gin and a print from Urban Rebel Designs ) I think all four of us will definitely be heading along next time around, I am already excited!