I met Katie, owner and maker of Soy Much Brighter candles in Somerville, on purpose. I went to The Black Market (art / record / flea / artisan market) in Harvard Square this past September. While browsing all the tables at the market (most were awesomely punk) I was drawn to one table: it was filled with perfectly brown packaged soy candles with a young man working the counter (which I later found out was Katie's boyfriend/partner in crime, Tyler). Being addicted to all things smelly, I floated over and ravaged the spectacular-font-swirled candles, shoving each one non-elegantly in my face. That's when I met my still current favorite scent of Katie's candles, "Fancy Face". It reminds me of my grandmother's warm powder room as she got ready for bed when I was a little girl.
"I'll take them all!" I joked. "No, but seriously, did you brew all these?" Tyler laughed and told me that his partner Katie did. I immediately knew that not only did this woman have great taste in packaging and product, but that I had to meet her.
Upon returning home from the market, I promptly smelled my unlit candle, lit the candle, smelled the candle some more, then emailed Katie how much "Fancy Face" rocks my world and scheduled a coffee-and-a-photoshoot date. A week later, we met in Davis Square, enjoyed some Diesel Cafe black tea, and Katie showed me her candles on sale at the fantastic gift shop, Davis Squared. Meeting her was wonderful; she had such a light and warmness to her that it's no wonder she's an amazing candle maker.
