From Sticky Mess to Sweet Success: The Journey Behind Just BE Candle Co. by Blue Eden Stone Harbor

Every entrepreneur has that one project. The one that looks picture-perfect in your mind, but turns your kitchen into a complete disaster zone. For me, that project happened around Christmas in 1985. It was the year I decided to become a master candle maker.

Spoiler alert: It did not go well.

The 1985 Bee Disaster

I had what I thought was a stroke of genius. I bought tiny terra cotta flower pots and meticulously painted them with adorable little bumblebees. The plan? Fill them with pure, natural beeswax to create handmade holiday gifts. It sounded charming, rustic, and incredibly thoughtful.

Then came the actual crafting.

If you have never worked with beeswax, let me paint a picture for you: it is sticky, stubborn, and completely unforgiving. Hot wax got everywhere. It gripped my countertops, fused to my utensils, and coated my hands. The cleanup was an absolute nightmare of scrubbing and scraping. So disgusted

Just BE Candle Co. by Blue Eden - hand made, handpoured - we even design all the labels!

I threw everything away.

That single, chaotic evening completely killed my desire to make candles. I hung up my apron and swore off the craft entirely. My short-lived adventure was officially over before the new year even arrived.

The Outsourcing Experiment

I stayed "gun shy" about candle making for over three decades. Fast forward to 2019. I had a vision for my stores: a beautiful line of candles that perfectly coordinated with the existing scent collections.

Because of my lingering 1985 trauma, I decided to outsource production. I hired a company to make them for me. While the candles were nice, they just weren't mine. They didn't capture the exact aesthetic I wanted—especially since standard mason jars just aren't my thing. I knew our customers deserved something more unique. 

The Pandemic Pivot & Workshops

Armed with a bit more business knowledge and a clearer vision, I decided it was time to conquer my old fears. I began researching professional candle-making suppliers and enrolled in several hands-on workshops. Watch so many YouTube videos (I still do!).

Each workshop was a turning point. I came home every time with a beautiful finished product and a deeper understanding of exactly what I wanted my in-house candle line to look and feel like.

Introducing Just BE Candle Co.

In March of 2020, I officially introduced Just BE Candle Co. by Blue Eden to our customers. What started as a tentative exploration blossomed into a beautiful addition to our store. Today, our candle department offers a gorgeous assortment of clean-burning soy wax candles housed in beautiful, curated containers. 

In 2024, we launched The Candle Studio @blueeden to let customers experience the joy of candle making as I have. Our Candle Making Workshops offer an ideal morning or afternoon activity for those on vacation, girls' getaways, couples, or bachelorette parties. You can even bring food and drinks - we'll set it up for your party.

But here's the best thing about handmade, handcrafted: It's Therapeutic to Create.

Reflecting on it, I understand that returning to the candle kitchen provided me with far more than just a new product line. Crafting candles, along with our other in-house creations, is profoundly therapeutic for me. It serves as a tranquil and creative escape that helps balance the hectic demands of managing a business and handling various responsibilities. Someone recently remarked that I am setting myself ablaze to keep everyone warm. Indeed, creating calms my mind. It's a positive thing.

Mindfullness and Gratitude. Two overused words but...

Every single day, I remind myself how lucky I am. I feel immense gratitude to live in such a beautiful place and wake up doing what I truly love. Over the years of being in business, I have experienced the high highs and the challenging lows. But through it all, I am driven by the pure love and passion that keeps every entrepreneur moving forward.

From sticky beeswax failures to a thriving, therapeutic soy candle line—thank you for being part of this beautiful and somewhat confusing journey.