One of my happy places...Yankee Candle!

Today was a good day. Any day I shop at Yankee Candle is a good day.

But, this was not a quick run to my local YC shop around the corner from my house. Nope. Today, we made the long drive out to S. Deerfield, MA to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store! Kevin and I have been several times, but today we went with Christa & Kevin and it was their first time there. I think they loved it as much as we do!

Now, truth be told, I can get the same candles at my local YC stores that I can get there, and not have to drive 2.5 hours out to a rural part of the state to get them. But this place is so much more that just shopping for candles. It is an experience......and one I that I didn't take a single picture of. I know! Me! No pictures!

Never fear, though! You can click here to view a slideshow of pics from the last time Kevin and I went with our friends Sue & Steve! Somehow from that trip I posted pics but didn't really write about it. So I guess this time I will write a bit about it...then post pics of what I bought (which I took when I got home).

So, how can I explain this place? Well, for starters, its HUGE. Like, a gajillion square feet. OK OK, I don't know the actual square footage because frankly I am too lazy to look it up, but it is probably pretty close to a gajillion. ;-) I do know (from the website) that there are over 400,000 candles for sale under this very big roof. But that is not all. They have housewares, garden stuff, home decor, edible goodies (including Stonewall Kitchen yumminess!), books, artwork, and every candle accessory you can imagine. Oh, and did I mention the life-size Christmas-y winter wonderland with bazillions of trees lavishly lit and decorated and the room where it snows every few minutes?! Yeah, they have that, too! And they have Popcornopolis popcorn! And Dylan's Candy Bar! And a charming candle-lit restaurant on the grounds. And an entire section of the store dedicated solely to all things New England. And they sell Vera Bradley and Pandora (two of my {costly} obsessions...). And cute pet stuff. And did I mention all the candles!!!

I also have to add that they have THE nicest people working there! So friendly and personable and very helpful without being pushy. And the sweet girl that rang up our stuff, bless her sweet heart, informed of something I never knew....they let you use up to THREE coupons in one transaction!!! So I didn't have to take time dividing up all my stuff!!!

So, yeah. It is big and huge and overwhelming....but that doesn't stop me! And I pretty much knew where in the store I was headed to do maximum damage.

Wanna see what I got?!?

 Oh happy day!!! Lots more jars to add to my collection!!!

(One of these days I will take a pic of all of my candles....you all may think I need some serious help after I post that!)

~* Pineapple Cilantro *~

The website describes it as "...sweet, island pineapple served with a citrus touch of cilantro and sweet coconut." I swear you would not think this would smell good but it smells AMAZING!!! It si burning right now two rooms away from where I am typing this and the soft tropic scent is wafting down the hall and making me think "I wanna go back to the Caribbean!"

~* Mango Peach Salsa *~

The website describes is as "...juicy mangoes and peaches, livened with citrus, ginger flower, and pink pepper." I mostly get the peach notes when I sniff this one (I haven't lit it yet...I will hold off till late spring/early summer) but the other notes are definitely there. Peach is one of my summer favorites (to eat, drink, sniff...) so I am thinking this will be a great choice for warm nights!

~* Pink Sands *~

The website describes it as an "...exotic island escape in the beautiful mix or bright citrus, sweet florals, and spicy vanilla." When I sniff I think, "Ummmm....can I go back to Bermuda, please?!" That is exactly what I thought when I picked up this candle, which is a miracle in and of itself because I am so NOT drawn to pink candles BUT I loved the label. Yes, I am a bit of a label snob...with my candles. Sometimes a bad label can turn me off of buying a good candle. And if I do buy it despite a bad label I will keep it turned around so the label is not seen. Anyway, back to this candle...love it! And I am usually not in to anything floral either, but there is a nice balance between the citrus, the floral, and the vanilla leaving us with a soft, soothing fragrance that I know will be perfect for my guest bathroom.

~* Country Lemonade *~

I love lemon anything! So I was NOT leaving the store till I had a lemon candle in my cart. Country Lemonade won out with its "...bright lemony aroma and just the right touch of sweetness." This will be a kitchen candle for the summer, and I think the scent will nicely complement all of the lemony-scented meals, treats, and drinks I whip up during that time of year. Love the label, too!

~* Sun & Sand *~

My ultimate summer favorite, with it's "...tropical beach breeze of sweet orange flower, lemony citrus, fresh lavender, and powdery musk." I call it "Coppertone in a candle." Seriously! Take a whiff of this fabulous candle and you will instantly be reminded of the Coppertone no-SPF back-in-the-day suntan lotion you and your giggling girlfriends slathered on at the beach during summer vacation. For the past few years this has been my favorite candle to burn in my bathrooms in the summer!

~* God Bless America *~

It was the label that caught my eye. I don't really decorate for most holidays other than fall and Christmas, but I thought this would be nice to have out in July. I hoped it smelled good. I wasn't disappointed. I couldn't quite pick out the notes in it, but I liked it. And I knew it was familiar. The website describes it as "...cooked apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar." Well, there ya go! As American as apple pie! And some of my favorite candle scents all in one!

~* Blueberry *~

My all-time favorite! The candle I have burned for many, many, many years! The one I freaked about them discontinuing (sorry but Blueberry Scone and Blueberry Muffin just did NOT compare!). The one when I am at the YC Outlet in Tilton NH I stock up on (when they have it). And the one I head straight to the Rare Treasures section at the flagship store to grab! This was just another to add to the many I am currently hoarding in this house! It is described as "...a pure, delicious burst of juicy wild blueberry aroma." I describe it as heaven!

We also bought a few multi-packs of Car Gels air fresheners, and a couple bottles of Sun & Sand Anti-Bac Hand Soap (I keep this in our guest bathroom...smells great and the bottle looks so cute on the vanity!).

Yep...it was a great Saturday!