I started making candles in 2013 & officially started this online candle business in 2014! You can read more about the story of why I started a business here. When I was first making candles, I was experimenting with all kind of scents! Some of my personal favorites were anything Vanilla-driven. Even a pure, extremely sweet Vanilla that smells SO SWEET (probably too sweet for most) that it smelled like icing that is so sweet it hurt your teeth. Haha! It was a fun time in my life learning how to make candles. After a lot of testing, burning candles in my house, giving them as gifts to family and friends, I settled on a few that I felt others might like, too! Now, I had the hard job of naming these scents so I could share them with the world. Yay!
One of the scents I really, really enjoyed was a scent that I like to describe as apple pie with some fresh pine mixed in. It has tart green apple, cinnamon, and a healthy balance of pine with slight hint of peaches. And when ya smell it….boy, oh, boy. It’s just comforting, not too bake-y, not too sweet. It’s stronger than the average candle (in a good way). Gives a pretty strong "throw", fills a large open space, and just feels safe. "Throw" is just a fancy word for the strength or scent profile that the candle puts off into the air.
I remember adoring this scent in 2014. I was trying to think of a candle name that would fit. Hmmm..... Apple Pie doesn’t fit. Apples & Peaches didn’t fit. Apple & Pine didn’t sound like it fit either. What should the name of this candle be?
I remember this candle reminding me of the notion of heartwarming, simple, safe comfort. What is that feeling? A mom. My mom. My momma. Momma Kathy. Growing up we called her “Momma” and I don’t even think that’s spelled right, haha. But it’s how I’ve always spelled it. She was a natural loving, kind, gentle, patient mom.
I’m her first born & her only daughter (she eventually had 4 more, all before turning 30 years old - she was a busy momma). She went on to have four boys. Three of the four have worked at Antique Candle Co. at some point (two still do) and all 4 have had to help me pour candles during busy periods over the years. Including my mom! It really is a family business in many ways. Here’s a few photos of the Momma this candle honors:
Over the years, my momma has joined me on my pickin' adventures! These are road trips where we find vintage or antique vessels for our antique candles (the original business idea!). My love for upcycling and decorating with vintage pieces came from my momma and granny.
The “kitchen” part of Momma’s Kitchen seemed to be the perfect fit because of the green apple, peaches, and food notes of the scent. Although my mom doesn’t love cooking, she did spend a good amount of time cooking for all the 5 kids. For some years, she was a stay-at-home mom. When she wasn't a stay-at-home mom, she really enjoyed the years of her professional work and did spend some years as a school nurse, waitress, and even a night shift stint as a pizza maker when Meijer had a pizza section at their store! She made my childhood feel safe, inspiring, and lots of room to play, be creative, and be myself. I enjoyed it when she described her adult life and what she did at work.
Momma’s Kitchen is a scent that is pure nostalgia. Truly a cozy, familiar feeling that simple and heartwarming. Fun fact: Momma’s Kitchen is one of the only candles that we still make from the days I made candles in my kitchen in 2014. Only one other seasonal candle has been around that long (Christmas Day!), but the rest have come and gone into the Candle Vault. Momma’s Kitchen is also our #1 best selling candle.
There is no one like a mom. A mother. A mama. A momma. Moms are the best, aren’t they?
Brittany
founder of Antique Candle Co.®
