Happy July, lovelies! How’s everyone’s summer going? We’re currently under the sweet cancer new moon energy (more on that in a bit…), and there’s no better time to celebrate all things whimsical. Ready? Let’s go.1
Whimsy Spotlight: Candles
This month’s “whimsy spotlight” is brought-to-you by whimsy-in-arms pal, Rebecca Rocket. Her Substack is one of my favorites and filled with lots of gorgeous visual guides, along with her amazing artwork and musings.
Nothing can transport you quite like the power of scent. Candles and incense are also a key component in rituals, so you know this particular topic fits my “venn diagram” of interests perfectly.
I have several candles around my house and tend to pick my “scents” by season:
Summer: Apple, Strawberry, (any fruit, really), “Beach” themes like coconut, sandalwood, fresh skies.
Fall: Pumpkin spice everything, warm, woodsy, think: Gilmore Girls, coffee shops, Folklore. Autumn is candle-season, basically
Winter: Gourmand, baking, “champagne” / “new start” themes a la sage, huckleberry, myrh. I also always get a pine candle to place next to the tree.
Spring: Florals, florals, and more florals. Jasmine, lemon, mint, eucalyptus, fresh and fun energy, babe!
Here are some favorites:
The one that started my love of candles. If you entered an Antropologie store between 2006-2019, you know the iconography of this precious candle. You know it’s been a good year if I’ve got this full three-wick candle burning year-round in my house.
When I got assigned my first script, a writer/producer gave me the advice to purchase something “luxurious” but not too expensive for myself, and this was what I bought. This scent is gorgeous and the color just gives off good vibes. I’m a fan of all voluspa candles, and have the Mediterranean lemon burning in my room right now.
A local L.A. company run by a husband and wife, their California-based scents make my third-gen L.A. heart so happy. These are always a great gift, especially for friends and family who have moved away from the golden coast.
Someone once tried to argue with me that B&B candles cause cancer and a bunch of other stuff, but that’s never been proven and I no longer talk to that person. I’ve been trying to reclaim the high of spritzing myself with “strawberries and champagne” as a high-schooler, to be honest. During fall, I dare you to walk past a bath and bodyworks without being sucked in.
LOCAL ARTISTS
The best option by far. There’s nothing better than browsing a farmer’s/artisan market and finding a candle that just speaks to you. Hmm, should this be a new craft project?
Entertain Us 🎬 📺 🎵 🎮 🤩
Love Island USA has crowned its’ winners2 and has left a summer-size hole in our hearts (along with at least 6 hours every week).
My son and I have decided to embark on a “movie a night for the rest of summer” quest and our neurodivergent brains broke it down by watching A-Z. Here’s what we’ve watched so far. And my suggestions for the latter half of the alphabet.
A- Aristocats
B- Big Hero 6
C- Cars 2
D- Despicable Me
E- Encanto
F- Finding Nemo
G- G-Force
H- Hoppers
I- Ice Age
J- Jack
K- Kung Fu Panda
L- Lilo & Stitch*
M- Monsters, Inc.
N-Nightmare Before Christmas, National Treasure, NeverEnding Story
O- Oliver & Co, October Sky
P- Princess Bride, Princess & Frog, Prince of Egypt, Pirates Movies, Peter Pan, Pee Wee’s Big Adevnture, Pinnochio, Palm Springs, Princess Diaries… P is stacked
Q- Quantum of Solace?! (Conversely, Q has no movies, apparently… screenwriters: more Q movies, I guess!)
R- Rescuers, Ratatouille, Robin Hood (animated)
S- Spider-Mans, Sandlot, Sword and the Stone
T- Tangled, Toy Stories, Turning Red
U- Up, Uncle Buck
V- Vertigo (lol)
W- Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Willy Wonka, Westside Story
X- X-Mens
Y- Young Frankenstein
Z- Zootopia, Zathura
Music
A “Perfect” Summer Day 🎧
pssst… Your Perfect Day podcast will be premiering in ONE MONTH! Subscribe to my Patreon for access to the video podcast: Joelle's Patreon
It’s in the Stars ✨
Cancer season is one of my favorites. You have the carefree nature of summer, with the emotional pull of the stars. We’re also currently in a retrograde, but unlike most of those bad-boys, this retrograde isn’t here to cause trouble. It’s asking us to really take stock of what we want, what’s not working, and what we have to let go of for good.
The new moon pull confirmed all this and then some. It was a simply stunning new moon in cancer spread, my dears.
Get ready for your biggest dreams to become a reality. The truth is, they don’t seem that far off anymore, do they? The pieces are coming together, support systems in place, and YOU have all the magic you already need to go on this fantastic journey. Welcome to your next chapter… it’s going to be a real page turner
Would you like a free card pull or consultation? Click that message button below.
Parting Thoughts 💭
If you’re not a subscriber yet, there’s no better time than now! For just $5/month (I know, less than a cup of coffee), you help me pay my bills, volunteer in my community, and be a more present mother to my son, while also giving me time to write and focus on my own projects… so, thank you 🙏
Until next time! Remember to be kind, but take no sh*t. xx
Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader 📣
Brinity from Day 1, baby!
Yay! So many candles to explore.
Nomination for letter Q https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120800/