My Current Color Crush

Have you ever gotten a color stuck in your head? I know if I have a T. Swift song in my head for days, the best way to shake it off is to just listen to it. Somehow listening to the song that's stuck in your head makes it un-stuck. It seems counter-intuitive, but it always works for me! With that logic, I figured the best way to get a color un-stuck from my head is making a blog post about it. I'll let you know if it works.

Anyway, for some reason I can't get this chartreuse shade outta my brain! I've been planning for a while to use different neutrals, blues and blush in the living room of my new loft, and in the back of my head, I keep thinking I'll add in a little chartreuse. Merry and I toured the loft a couple months before our lease began, and when we got to move-in day, I was pleasantly surprised our hanging kitchen lights are this exact color. (Which is probably why I've been thinking about it... because it was Inception'd into my brain.)

So, here's a little mood board inspired by Mrs. Meyer's and my current favorite summery shade:

Links: (1/2/3/4/5)

I love how this color can feel young and vibrant, but in small doses, it can also feel sophisticated and modern (lookin' at you, West Elm rug!) I've also had to talk myself out of buying that Target candle (number two) about four times by now. P.S. If you're local to Springfield, MO, you can get the Capri Blue candle (number three) at The Market — it's one of the pretty things pictured in "The Dos and Don'ts of Burning Candles."

Leaving you with this lamp (also from West Elm) because, well, just look at it!

Heart-eyes emoji for days! Any colors you've been loving lately?

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The Dos and Don'ts of Burning Candles

I think burning a candle in your home is one of the simplest pleasures of adulthood. Gone are the days when your R.A. or boss demands you use a candle warmer; there’s nothing quite like the ambiance an open flame provides. When it comes to candles, if you want to let it burn for fifty-eleven days, um-teen hours there are some ground rules you should follow.

DO: The first and most important rule of candle care is the one that inspired me to write this post. I’ve been burning candles for way too long without realizing the first burn is insanely important as it determines the life of the rest of your candle. The first burn is called a “memory burn.” Since wax tends to follow the same patterns, the amount that you allow the top to liquify the first time is as far as it will reach in the future. You may know this frustration if you’ve had a candle that only burns down and not out; the biz refers to that as “tunneling.” Don’t let this happen to your candles, especially if you bought them at Anthropologie (because $).

DON’T: Don’t underestimate how long the “memory burn” will take, otherwise you’ll have to stay up later than intended watching Parks & Rec reruns while waiting for the top of the candle to completely liquify. I mean, I’m guessing that’s what would happen… The memory burn usually takes one hour per inch of diameter in the candle, so for the candles pictured here, you’d need to allow about 5-6 hours for this process to happen.

DO: Remember to keep the wick trimmed to ¼” at all times.

DON’T: Don’t put a lit candle on the back of a toilet stool because a few weeks ago I heard a story about how a guy caught his hair on fire while, y’know, using the toilet.

DON’T: When your candle has neared the end of its life, don’t burn it lower than ½” from the bottom of the jar. If you burn lower than this, the glass could break, and that sounds terrible.

DO: Remember you can use the jars your candles come in to make pretty stuff! After your candle has a ½” of wax left, you can place it in the freezer and gently remove the wax with a butter knife once it's hardened. You'll be able to remove the wick and reuse the glass jar for, oh, I don't know... maybe a succulent or something.

DO: Check out these candles if you're in Springfield, MO at The Market. I *love* them.

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