2026 – Bronze Butterfly

As someone who absolutely adores home fragrance, I’m always on the hunt for a candle or room spray that feels elevated and memorable. I love putting my personal touches into my space, and that means making sure that the aroma of my rooms match the mood I’m trying to invoke. Something about scent – how it decorates a space without visuals or sound – is practically magical to me!

I recently had the pleasure of being contacted by The Gooch Gardener Candle Company, and they kindly sent over two of their candles for review. The first candle that I tried is the one that I’m sharing today, the Orchid and Teakwood scent. Let me tell you, this one made quite the impression on me!

Let me start with the basics of the company. The Gooch Gardener Candle Company is a business that’s local to Virginia (Goochland County) and they participate in farmer’s markets, however, the candles are also available on the website. The scents range between $29 and $37 per candle, depending on the size selected. The scents reflect the beauty of nature, through floral, citrus, woody and fresh notes. Before I lit the candle, I was struck by the care in presentation. The packaging was secure and clearly designed to protect the product well during shipping. Inside, I found a handwritten note from the owners and, as you all know, I love those sorts of details. The note shared that the Orchid and Teakwood scent is one of their bestsellers, which I’m happy to share has been restocked since I got my candle. After experiencing the fragrance, I can see why it’s a fan favorite.

The candle itself is substantial: it’s 16 ounces and features a 3-wick design, a hefty glass container and a perfectly fitting wooden lid to preserve the fragrance when unlit. It has a grounded and understated elegance that works well in a variety of home decor themes.

When I opened the candle, I was met by a lush and layered fragrance. It’s a beautiful blend of floral notes and woody tones: it’s a great dance between soft and structured elements. But what really struck me was the subtle watery notes that came through: I wasn’t expecting that, especially since marine notes weren’t listed in the candle fragrance description. I loved this unexpected touch, which makes the geranium, orchid and lavender transition seamlessly into mahogany and teakwood notes. In fact, I’d argue that the marine notes are what actually tie together the floral and woody notes, eliminating the jarring experience that can happen when two distinctly different fragrance families are combined. There’s a compelling duality in this fragrance: it’s very yin and yang, which makes it so broadly appealing. This balance between delicate and rich notes is a key factor in what takes a fragrance from simply pleasant to truly unforgettable.

Funny enough, I accidentally tested this candle in ways that I usually avoid. Normally, I don’t let my scented candles burn beyond two or three hours at a time. However, I lit this candle and forgot to extinguish it before I left my home to run errands. I returned home – 12 hours later – and was met at my front door with the most luscious scent I’ve had in quite a long while. Please, don’t leave your candles burning that long. And also, please know that I enjoyed the scent lingering in the air for the next 36 or so hours.

Even with my mishandling, the candle performed beautifully. It burned clean and evenly, and there is still a lot of product left in the container, even after my extended burn time. The scent remained extremely smooth and filled the space without overwhelming it.

I love that this candle is versatile, working for a variety of different seasons and occasions. It’s light enough to enjoy during the warmer months, and rich enough to be suitable for cooler weather. It’s effortlessly adaptable, making it a great investment as a home fragrance.

This candle was an absolute pleasure. It’s beautifully designed, thoughtfully crafted, and performs well. If you’re searching for a luxury candle that has a strong scent throw, balanced floral and wood fragrance, and high quality soy wax, then this candle is one that you must check out. I love it so much that I did a video review of it, too. You may view that video here:

If you’ve enjoyed The Gooch Gardener Candle Company, please let me know! I’d love to hear which fragrances you recommend that I try next!

My daughter and I recently took a trip to Temecula, CA, and spent some time with one of my good friends. During my time there, she took us to several places, including Old Town Temecula. The highlight of our time in this charming neighborhood was brunch at Corbeaux Wine and Tea House. This lovely restaurant features delicious food, beautiful decor, and an easy elegance that dwells in the sweet spot between welcoming and exclusivity. This tea house does a great job of feeling luxurious without the stuffiness that often comes with luxe experiences.

I knew, quickly, that our trip to Corbeaux had to include caviar, so we ordered the caviar tasting platter. We also got the charcuterie board, and I ordered the cucumber and apple salad for myself. It may sound like a lot of food – and it was! – but we were splitting it between three people, and we were famished. It was our first meal of the day!

Despite looking at the menus in advance, we missed the disclaimer that explained how the afternoon tea service needed to be reserved in advance. However, not one to be deterred by a disclaimer, I figured I’d gently inquire whether we could get some of the items available for tea. Fortunately, our server Tiffany explained that there was one tea tower available for a walk-in customer, and I quickly told her that I wanted it!

I was entranced by the lovely decor in the space. I particularly loved the gallery wall near the rear of the restaurant. It has some fun interpretations of classical portraits, a few still life paintings, and a picture of Marilyn Monroe’s famous subway grating moment from “The Seven Year Itch”. The wall is a blend of art styles, periods, and media, all combined together beautifully.

The decor was great, but the food was spectacular. Let’s start with the caviar. The tasting platter featured three different types of caviar: Polish osetra, Siberian sturgeon, and smoked trout roe. Hands down, the Siberian sturgeon was my favorite (though they were all delicious). It was slightly smoky, earthy and salty and did not have the strong fishy flavor that I usually associate with caviar. It also had a buttery finish that I wasn’t expecting. Oh my, it was delicious! I enjoyed the Polish osetra and smoked trout roe tremendously, too: these tasted like what I expect when enjoying caviar, with the salty, fishy flavors that play really well with creme fraiche and blinis.

Caviar platter (left to right – Polish osetra, Siberian sturgeon and smoked trout roe)

The star of the meal was definitely the tea tower, along with the delicious tea served with it. The tower consisted of honey tea cakes, apple and chai caramel cream puffs, pumpkin tea shortbread cookies, rosemary lavender salted scones, mushroom quiches, assorted seasonal fruit, and three types of sandwiches: baked cinnamon apple and brie, curry chicken salad and egg salad. We ate the delicate pastries and sandwiches as we sipped on the maple cream oolong tea. My favorite sweet pastry was a tie between the honey tea cakes and the apple and chai caramel cream puffs. My favorite savory sandwich was the curry chicken salad. The entire tea menu was spectacular!

Tea tower with fruit and butter on top, pastries on the middle layer, and sandwiches on the bottom layer

My cucumber and apple salad was perfect: crunchy, sweet, tart, and fresh. It was a great dish to balance out the carb-heavy tea tower dishes. It was light and effervescent, which was a nice contrast to the rest of the meal. I really liked that the salad incorporated miso for savory notes, and peanuts for earthier flavors.

The charcuterie board was divine: three different meats (I can’t remember each one, though I’m pretty sure one was soppressata, and another was calabrese), and three different cheeses (again, I can’t remember each one). I tasted a little of each, but I didn’t consume too much, because I had already had a fantastic time with the tea tower and my salad.

I loved our time at Corbeaux, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Temecula. I enjoyed brunch but I saw the dinner menu and I was equally impressed with the offerings. If you’re looking for a beautiful brunch experience, Corbeaux is a must!

Tag: 2026

Candle Review: The Gooch Gardener Orchid & Teakwood Candle

Dining At Corbeaux – Tea Time in Temecula