Diamond Candles {Review and Giveaway}

I was recently contacted by Diamond Candles with the opportunity to review one of their candles and host a giveaway.  Like most women, I'm constantly burning candles around my home and I was excited to have the opportunity to test a candle from a brand I had yet to try but had heard wonderful things about.

For those who haven't heard of Diamond Candles, they are a unique company that offers scented soy candles with a twist.  Inside each 100% soy candle, crafted in North Carolina, is a hidden surprise: a ring worth $10, $100, $1,000, or $5,000!  The value, style, and size of rings vary candle to candle, so each experience is fresh and new.

Choosing a scent was hard as Diamond Candle offers a pretty wide selection of scents.  I had my eye on a candle that would be a good kitchen scent and something that would transition from summer to fall.  Their Apple Slice Candle seemed like a perfect fit: "A fresh green apple.  We took a blender, several apples, a ring, and a candle wick and voila!  Apple Slice Diamond Candle.  Well not quite exactly but that's what it smells like."  I would say the description is pretty accurate here: this candle smells like straight up fresh green apple.  It's fresh and crisp and fruity; a scent you could truly enjoy year round.

On the back of each candle is a golden circle to note the approximate location where the ring is hidden inside the candle.  There is also a little description about how to enjoy your candle and (safely) retrieve your ring:

"We know you can hardly wait to find out which ring lies hidden in your candle.  So this is how it's done.  Simply light the wick, let the candle burn and enjoy this unsurpassed, high quality fragrance.  Once the ring's foil pouch is revealed, extinguish the flame and wait for the wax to cool.  Then, remove the pouch with something other than your fingers, like a pair of tweezers.  Now, unwrap the foil pouch, and enjoy the rest of your candle and your beautiful new ring from Diamond Candles."

According to Diamond Candles, it usually takes 10-15 hours of burn time before most rings will be uncovered.  When I first lit my candle, I let it burn for about three hours.  Unfortunately mine didn't seem to burn completely even and I had some tunneling that began.  After the second burn (around four hours), the tunneling was even more pronounced but my ring had begun to appear.  An hour or so into my third burn and I felt there was probably enough of the foil ring pouch exposed to remove it.  So, in total, it took about 8 hours of burning before my ring was uncovered enough for removal.

As instructed, I let my wax cool and (mostly harden) before using tweezer to remove my ring.  Each ring is protected inside a small plastic bag that is covered tightly with gold foil.  The rings will be completely safe and protected from wax during burning.

And... the ring reveal!  I received one of the $10 value rings.  While it's definitely a piece of costume jewelry, the ring seems sturdy and well made.  As I mentioned above, the style and size of rings will vary candle to candle.  The ring I received was a size 8 (I wear a 9 on my ring finger) and was, honestly, a little young for my taste.  The surprise of not knowing what ring I would receive was quite fun though, despite the likelihood that the ring I received wouldn't fit or be my personal style.

I really love the fun surprise aspect behind these candles.  The inclusion of a ring really elevates these 100% soy candles and sets them apart from other offerings.  These would make such a fun holiday, birthday, or wedding gift for the women in your life.

Diamond Candles retail for $24.95 for a 21 oz. candle ($1.19/oz.) which is cheaper than Bath & Body Works candles, for example, which retail for $20.00 for a 14.5 oz. candle ($1.38/oz.).  Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, I did experience some tunneling with my candle.  Diamond Candles offers some instructions on their website for ways to fix a tunneling candle, so I'll be sure to give them a try.  I also want to note that while I chose my candle with the intension of use in the kitchen, I found that the scent throw wasn't strong enough to be noticed in the space (though we have a large kitchen which is open to our living room) so I've instead been enjoying it in my smaller office and our bathroom where the fragrance is more pronounced.  All in all, I'm pretty happy with my first Diamond Candles experience.  I would certainly consider purchasing from them in the future for myself and for gifts.

Enter the giveaway using the widget below for a chance to win a Diamond Candle of your choice.  Once the winner has been chosen, he/she will be contacted with a code to redeem their candle.  (Unfortunately Diamond Candles currently ships only to addresses in the US.)

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If you've experienced Diamond Candles in the past, I'd love if you left photos of your ring reveal in the comments!

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*For anyone interested, the macaron print in the photos is by Jayme of Delectable Deliciousness.

Disclosure: Diamond Candles kindly provided me with a candle of my choice to review and will be providing one giveaway winner with a candle as well.  I am not being paid for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Vintage Campaign Desk Reveal

Last week I shared a before photo of a vintage campaign desk I had found at my local Salvation Army for only $30.  I mentioned that I was planning to paint the desk a vibrant coral to add a pop of color to liven up the neutral colors of my office.

As you may recall, this is what my vintage campaign desk looked like after I brought it home, before I began removing hardware, sanding, priming, sanding some more, and painting it.  Though the desk was in pretty great shape, I wasn't crazy about the dingy cream color and decided to paint it and give the tarnished brass hardware a good polish.

After several days of work to the desk itself, and several hours of polishing hardware, I'm pretty happy with the cheerful result of my hard work!

The high gloss coral paint has a beautiful sheen that really makes the desk shine.  The color itself is pretty unique and dimensional.  In some lights the desk appears like a warm, pale orange, in others the pink in the coral stands out (it's definitely leaning more orange in these photos).

Polishing the brass hardware that had over 30 years of tarnish was the most tedious part of refinishing the desk.  First I let the hardware soak in Brasso for a good hour and tried polishing it with an abrasive sponge.  That lifted a little tarnish, but didn't provide the shiny result I was looking for.  Next I used a paste of Bar Keeper's Friend and water on a wash cloth and, after lots of scrubbing, that did the trick.  The hardware is far from pristine, there are lots of scratches and still a good bit of discoloration present, but for a desk this old I'll accept the character.

Overall I'm really happy with how my desk turned out!

For those that are curious what steps I took to to refinish the desk and what products I used, keep reading.

Desk Plans

Last week was a really good furniture-finding week for me.  First I found a gorgeous Thomasville dining table at HomeGoods for a steal (I'll share that in another post soon), then I found this lovely vintage campaign desk at Salvation Army for only $30!

This desk is in pretty great condition for it's age, but there were a couple little chips in the wood and the original cream color needed a little freshening up.  I decided a paint job and a polishing of the brass hardware was in store.  Deciding on a color for this desk wasn't easy.  Honestly, I was immediately tempted to just paint it white and call it a day.  But with so many fun and vibrant pieces of campaign furniture out there, I decided to be a little adventurous and go for a pop of color with this desk.  The walls in my office are a neutral gray (Behr's Dolphin Fin), so the room could withstand a little color.  I'm a big fan of the painted furniture trend, but I've been too shy about adding any vibrant pieces to the main living areas of our home.  I figured my office would be the perfect room to experiment in.

After searching Pinterest for some ideas, I ultimately decided to paint my desk coral.  After reading great things about the Advanced formula of paint from Benjamin Moore, I decided on using the shade Coral Gables in a high gloss finish.  I think the coral will look lovely with the brass hardware on the desk and will be a welcome pop of color in my office.  I'm hoping the new desk will finally jump start a long overdue makeover of my office.  Aside from painting the walls last August, I really haven't done anything to the room since we moved in two years ago.  Since I spend most of my time in my office, it really should be inspiring and fabulous!

Hopefully I'll have a finished desk by the end of the week to share with you all, and updates on the progress of decorating my office over the coming months.

Pleasant Changes

I have some pretty exciting news to share. I've been waiting to share the news for several weeks as I wanted to hold off until everything was confirmed. There are still some final steps we have to take before everything is completely official, but I am overjoyed to share that...

The hubby and I are buying our first home!

We feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to even entertain the thought of home ownership so early in our lives. I just turned 23 and my husband just graduated college and started his first "real" job. I feel so blessed to be able to take such a huge step two and a half years into our marriage. Purchasing our first home makes me feel all grown up. Long story short, what started out as a hunt for us to find a single-family home to rent turned into our first house hunt! We found a 3 bedroom/2 bath, 1,521 square feet new construction home that we love. The layout is ideal for us and the home feels so spacious and is perfect for entertaining. Currently we're on schedule to close around August 6th!

What will become my studio/office is at the very front of the house, which will be perfect for having clients stop by. You enter the large, open living room/eat-in kitchen after a short entryway/hallway. The hallway to the rest of the bedrooms is off the living room. The master bedroom (complete with master bath and a walk-in-closet), the guest bathroom, a linen closet, the third bedroom and the laundry room/mudroom are all in this area. I really like that there is a separation from the main living area. I'm extremely excited about the space and have been pondering ideas for decorating. I'm looking forward to adding DIY and decorating posts to the blog. We'll be purchasing a few furniture pieces right away, but, for the most part, our home will be a work in progress for some time. I'll be sharing some of my inspirations and my ideas for the different rooms of our home on the blog over the coming weeks.

First I thought I'd share a few ideas I have in mind for our entryway. While I love the look of adorable coat racks and umbrella stands, our entry is somewhat narrow and does have a coat closet, so they aren't quite as practical or necessary for the space. I knew I wanted to include some simple wall art and a place to drop keys, mail, etc.

After seeing John and Sherry at Young House Love add these adorable wallflowers by Umbra to their guest bedroom, I was completely smitten and knew I wanted to find a place to add them to my home one day. I'd love to add these white flowers to the right wall of my entry, sprinkled in sort of a random horizontal pattern, leading into the living room. I love the clean, graphic look of the flowers and their playful, whimsical feel. I think they would be the perfect thing to add a "wow" factor to our narrow entry.

Originally I was hoping to find a place for a cute console table to use as a drop for keys, mail, etc. Since there isn't an ideal space for one in our future home, I was sort of lost for ideas. That is until I saw this cute and functional letter organizer, also from Umbra. I love the simple, sleek look of the brushed aluminum organizer. There is plenty of room to hold mail, a flap to hold notes, shopping lists, etc., and even a few hooks for keys. How perfect! I think there should be just enough room on the left wall of our entry, before the door to my studio/office and the coat closet, for this darling organizer.

I think these two additions would be just enough to add some function and interest to our entry without overwhelming the space. I'll be back soon with some ideas for my studio/office!

Office and Studio Inspiration

I love the clean and simple display of art above this desk.

Design*Sponge has posted some of their favorite offices recently and I thought I'd share my favorites out of the bunch as well as some other inspiring studios I've seen around the net. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

This wall-mounted organizer is fantastic.

I really love the soft, neutral colors of this space.

I love inspiration boards!

The "Hand Made Love" sign in this space is so unique and creative.

I have posted about this space more than once before, but I can't help being smitten with everything about it!

This space looks so loved and productive.

I am really drawn to the look of colorful fabrics stacked neatly in open or glass front shelves.

No list of inspiring studios would be complete with mention of this space from Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy. This was the first studio space that made my heart skip a beat and I think it will always be one of my absolute favorites!

An Elegant Retreat

I stumbled upon this bedroom today and immediately fell in love! I've seen several bedrooms in the past that utilized crisp, clean whites and neutrals and have always enjoyed the sophisticated look and calming effect. This is by far the most lovely example I've seen and I would love to use this as inspiration for the day the hubby and I can invest in furniture and really decorate our bedroom. There is an elegance and grace about this room that really captivates me. It certainly has a feminine touch without being overwhelmingly girly. I think I could get my hubby on board for a knock-off version of this room for our future.

I am drawn to this neutral look the most when various textures are thrown in to create visual interest and drama. I've seen some gorgeous white and ivory bedding lately with pretty pin-tuck and rosette details that would be perfect for this application. I love the soft beige walls, crisp white trim, and dark wood accents in the furniture. These neutral palettes are perfect for adding pops of color which can be changed around daily, weekly, with the seasons, or just whenever the mood strikes. You could even work in a soft accent color more permanently with something like this gorgeous robin's egg tweed bench.

I do love color, but I find I have difficulty finding color schemes I could really commit to. While some folks can afford to change out furniture or mix things up every few years, I just don't see that kind of luxury in my immediate future. With a neutral backdrop such as this, you could easily switch out relatively inexpensive accessories such as pillows and art to completely change the way the entire room looks. A room full of crisp, clean colors will always look elegant, sophisticated and luxurious.

Share Your Favorite Home Decor Blogs

Photo of Young House Love's John and Sherry's gorgeous living room!

In the midst of searching for a rental home, I am dreaming of a future (hopefully not too long) down the road where I'll slowly be able to purchase new furniture and actually decorate our home. The past two years the hubby and I have been living in a very old, very neglected apartment in a converted 100 year-old-home. I graduated a year ago and the hubby just graduated this May. In the past two years while living here the only furniture we have purchased are a cheap kitchen island (bought with housewarming gift cards) and two ugly bedside tables we got in a yardsale for $10. Our apartment is a hideous mismatch of hand-me-down furniture and bachelor style pieces my husband purchased from Goodwill before we even met. Nearly half of the furniture pieces we do have are broken. I've never had the opportunity to buy furniture or even really decorate a room. I find that I am drawn to a couple different visual styles and I'm afraid I won't be able to decide on a cohesive decorating style when I am finally able to indulge in decorating.

One of my dream furniture pieces found by Rachel of Smile and Wave.

There is a huge part of me that has the urge to decorate everything in florals and sweet candy colors, but I know that outside my studio and kitchen, my husband would never let me indulge in this girly style (and honestly, I'm not sure I would want to let myself either). I also enjoy the clean, modern, nature-inspired look from folks like John and Sherry of Young House Love. I think I could please my husband with a simple, understated style along these lines but part of me craves a bit more character and whimsy. This is where the trouble comes in. I've seen so many homes featured on blogs like Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy that I've loved that I can't even pinpoint what I'd like for myself and my home. I am set on mixing new and vintage pieces in our home to create a unique look (and also to save money by buying used). I really love the look of mid-century pieces mixed in with inexpensive new furniture with simple, clean lines. I think I'll probably bring in some whimsy via accessories and art, that way I can change things around without breaking the bank if we ever decide to go for a different look.

I love the whimsy and vintage vibe of this workspace of Liz of say YES! to hoboken.

I do have a general idea in my head of how I'd like to style my home, but I'd like to start an inspiration folder on my computer to keep an extensive inspiration resource at my fingertips. So, I'm hoping you all will be willing to share some of your favorite home decor blogs with me, and/or share photos of some of your favorite spaces! I'm definitely most interested in spaces that are welcoming and cozy with a bit of whimsy. I'd really love to see spaces that blend vintage and new pieces beautifully and make use of budget-friendly resources such as Target and Ikea. Thanks so much! I look forward to seeing all your favorites!

From Frumpy to Fabulous!

I am crazy about this Before & After over at Design*Sponge today. The makeover was submitted by Joëlle from Umbu Lumière and I think it's fabulous! Something about the finished chair screams preppy to me, which isn't my usual style, but I am absolutely drawn to it. I really love how Joëlle left the two middle pieces on the back of the chair unpainted, while giving the rest a crisp, clean coat of white paint. And that plaid fabric on the seat? Repurposed from an old shirt. How fantastic is that?! This amazing before & after is going to be stuck in my head for quite some time.

Farmhouse Character

{click photos for link to original sources}

I've been a fan of farmhouse tables for quite some time. I love their rustic, loved appearance and the way they perfectly compliment mismatched vintage dishes and chairs. I love the way a worn butcher block top makes for a hardy work surface and an interesting background for photos.

I particularly love the pairing of crisp, white legs with a stained wooden top. I love the way a farmhouse table can look so rustic while being effortlessly feminized with a beautiful doily table runner or a vase of flowers.

I love how simple they can look. They appear humble yet trustworthy, as though they've witnessed generations of conversations around breakfast and again at dinner between family members and close friends.

To say it simply, I just love their character. I've been dreaming of making one of these beautiful tables my own. I was standing in my kitchen today, arranging vintage china on pink open shelves and I was imagining how perfect a farmhouse table would accent my space. Though I often long for modern conveniences (oh, to own a dishwasher!), sometimes I really love the character of my kitchen. There's a 1940's farmhouse drainboard sink and a mishmash of furniture to add storage and workspace to otherwise open space. There are interesting architectural details and quaint little windows. It can be really charming when I look past the ugly floor, stained walls, and noisy pipes. I really think that a farmhouse table would be just the thing to add cohesion and create the illusion that all the little quirks were intentional.

Desk Inspiration

I am absolutely crazy about this desk makeover from Liz at say YES! to hoboken. I love the clean white top with the wood--reminds me of John and Sherry's mid-century dresser makeover. As I mentioned back in November, I have been planing to refinish my mid-century hand-me-down desk for a while. I've been busy and time has gotten away from me. Now that the hubby and I will likely be moving sometime in the next few months, I figure it'll be best to wait until we're settled into a new place before I tackle refinishing my desk. I was originally planning to paint the entire desk white, but seeing these two-tone pieces lately has been pondering a different look. I'm sure I'll wait and see how I want to decorate my new studio space before I settle on a new look for my desk, but I definitely think I'll end up utilizing this two-tone look in one of our furniture pieces.

Another thing about Liz's desk that I love? The IKEA jars next to that big spool of red and white baker's twine. I actually have almost the exact same setup on my desk. Three IKEA jars (one of the four in my set was broken and I didn't notice until I got home with my loot) holding vintage buttons, and a huge spool of baker's twine. Though I'm afraid mine aren't as artfully displayed.

Closet Inspiration

After seeing Freckle Chick's closet makeover at Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone, I have been dreaming of pretty closets. I thought I'd post some of the prettiest and most practical closets from some of my favorite bloggers as well as some professionally styled closet inspirations. With spring cleaning on all our minds, I think closets are a great place to focus. Behind closed doors--out of sight, out of mind--our closets are often anything but glamorous. As these closets show, a clean, organized closet can be one of the most cheerful and inspiring corners of one's home.

The first two photos are from Making it Lovely's Nicole Balch. Nicole uses a freestanding wardrobe from IKEA to organize all her clothes and accessories.

I really love Nicole uses interesting knick-knacks and display pieces to organize and show off her jewelry.

All of her clothes and shoes are neatly and attractively displayed. While very full, the wardrobe is neat and everything is visible and easy to find. I love this inspiration for those who don't have a typical built-in closet to work with. See more photos and read more about Nicole's wardrobe here.

Next are two photos from Freckle Chick's closet makeover. What I find most inspiring about this closet is how well the space is utilized.

Clothes are neatly hung on the bar to the left, a simple bookcase is brought in to organize and display a gorgeous shoe collection, and a shelf above the bar helps to utilize height for storing purses and other items.

I am crazy about the beautiful display of jewelry and accessories and that fabulous little mirror! Freckles Chick added style and organization to her small closet for under $100. I really admire the way she was able to transform her lackluster closet into a really chic, practical space. This is a very attainable inspiration for those of us who don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on fancy closet systems. See more photos and read more about the makeover here.

Ladies, get ready to be totally and utterly jealous! Lola B's Kasey has transformed a small room in her gorgeous home into her own little boudoir.

I love the separation and definiion of space. This space really feels like a trendy little boutique!

I am crazy about the bright light streaming through the window. The room is so sunny and inspiring. I would love to get dressed every morning in this space! I adore the use of dressers in this closet space and the table in the middle of the room is beautiful and incredibly practical for folding and putting away clean laundry. I really love when form and function meet. Click here to see more of Kasey's fabulous closet.

Lastly, for those with space and money to spare, the Elfa closet systems from The Container Store are a real dream come true! I admire how many different organization solutions these systems offer. There are racks for hanging garments, pull out drawers for folded pieces and intimates, and beautiful boxes for small or out of season items. I am totally a sucker for the way these closet systems are styled with a focus on a single color. I tend to gravitate to the same colors and I think there is something so chic and whimsical about a closet filled with similar-hued fashions.

These systems offer a really sophisticated way to organize one's wardrobe. Different finishes are available, but I am most fond of this beautiful walnut finish. It looks so rich and luxurious.

I think having a closet this beautiful would be all the inspiration I would need to stay on top of laundry and keep everything pressed and perfect. I could spend all day in such a beautiful space.

I am really drawn to how decluttered these closets look. I like that they aren't filled to the brim. Each and every item of clothing looks expensive and fabulous. With room to breath, these clothes look crisp and clean. With everything in a similar palette, it would be easy to imagine countless different ways to pair outfits together.

These inspirations have me dreaming of making over my closet. My current closet is a dark, unfinished cave. It is anything but glamorous and, aside from tearing the whole thing out and starting over, there is no way to make it feel spacious and inspiring. The hubby and I will be moving sometime in the near future and I look forward to the possibility of having a little more space to utilize. I think one of the best investments you can make when adding some glam to your closet is to invest in matching (wooden) hangers. Sturdy, matching hangers instantly make a closet look more sophisticated and expensive. Utilizing containers, shelves and other storage solutions will make the most of a space and keep everything tidy and organized. And to best utilize a small space, think vertically!

Vintage China Love

As promised, I'm back to share photos of the gorgeous vintage china and napkins I purchased at Street Scene yesterday. This set of eight cups and saucers (with matching lace-edged napkins no less!) caught my eye immediately and I was hooked. I would have been heart broken had I not purchased the set. And the price was fantastic! I love the unusually large size of the cups, they would be perfect to serve everything from coffee to soup to ice cream to homemade granola, in this case. Honestly, I will be eating anything and everything possible out of these gorgeous cups! I am absolutely crazy about the cheerful blue and green rose pattern. It's feminine without being overly sweet, if you know what I mean. This set really makes me want to have an outdoor dinner party with a table full of gorgeous blue and green and white accents.

The vintage china is always my biggest weakness when I visit Street Scene. With my current kitchen situation (we hardly have ANY cabinet space), I really shouldn't be building a collection of vintage china. However, sometimes there are some pieces that I just can't pass up. Thankfully my jewelry has been selling like hot cakes at Street Scene, so I don't feel quite so naughty when I treat myself to a little something when I stop in to replenish my stock.

Unfortunately there are no markings on the china so I have no clue the age or maker of the set. I'd love to know if the pieces were part of a larger set. I would kill to have a whole set of china with this gorgeous rose print. If anyone knows anything about this particular set or knows of any great resources for researching china, do tell!

Currently Loving... Paper Straws

Photos from hungrygirl* on Flickr.

I am currently loving the adorable look of paper straws! These simple little straws add such a fun, vintage whimsy to any beverage. I may just have to order some asap!