Lavender & Sage: September's Candle Club Collection

Lavender & Sage was made for the first weeks of spring: opening the windows, noticing what’s growing in the garden and taking a deep breath after winter.

Wild lavender gives the scent its soft floral beginning. Earthy sage brings it back down to earth, while driftwood and sea salt add a fresh, coastal feeling.

To me, it smells like stepping outside after a long winter, then coming home to a bath, an open window and nowhere else you need to be.

Let’s unbox it together...

This Month’s Cozy Gift: Coco Lavender Soap by R Gallery

For September, I wanted the cosy gift to feel calming, useful and made with care. I chose a Coco Lavender soap from R Gallery Soap, made by Rika, whom I first met at Smales Farm Market.

Rika’s soaps look like little works of art. Coco Lavender was inspired by a lavender bavarois she once served at an Italian restaurant; she loved the pairing of lavender and milk, and used coconut milk to give the soap its creamy lather.

I love the thought of members lighting their Lavender & Sage candle, then taking a little extra time for a bath or shower. You can read more about Rika and the story behind her soaps in our maker interview.

A Spring Field Guide to Keep

September’s Candle Club Field Guide is an invitation to notice the new season. Inside are journal prompts, a spring checklist, a lavender sugar recipe and a place to save your candle label when it has burned its last light.

We also tucked flower-pressing paper into each box. You can gather a small flower or interesting leaf, press it between the sheets inside a heavy book, then keep it in your Field Guide, make a bookmark or add it to a handwritten card.

It’s a simple way to hold onto a little piece of spring.

Alongside the candle, soap and Field Guide, members found a sample of next month’s scent, a spring playlist and a chocolate treat.

If you’d like a closer look at everything in September’s box, you can watch the Lavender & Sage unboxing here.

A September to Remember

This month marked one year since we opened the doors to the Little Batch warehouse in Pukekohe. It has become the place where we pour candles, pack Candle Club boxes, host workshops and welcome you in for a smell and a chat.

September brought another milestone too: Candle Club reached 100 members.

When I started sending these boxes out, I hoped each one would give someone a little something to look forward to. Thank you to everyone who has made room for that monthly ritual in their lives. It means so much to me.

Candle Club is currently full while I keep each box thoughtful and manageable. If you’d like to hear when a place opens, visit the Candle Club page and select Notify When Available.

Lavender & Sage was made for open windows, flowers on the table and finding a little time to enjoy the season you’re in. 🌿

And if you’d rather never miss a collection, you can join the Candle Club waitlist here:

[JOIN THE CANDLE CLUB WAITLIST]

Worn Pages: August’s Candle Club Collection

Worn Pages was made for rainy winter afternoons, old books, soft blankets and staying in a little longer.

Mirabelle plum opens the scent with a dark, slightly sweet fruitiness before patchouli and distressed leather settle in underneath. Warm Madagascar vanilla softens everything.

The result feels like finding a well-loved book on a rainy afternoon — creased corners, leather bindings and dark wooden shelves filled with stories waiting to be told.

The kind of scent that makes you want to put the kettle on, light a candle and read just one more chapter.

Let’s unbox it together.

This Month’s Cozy Gift: A Pure Beeswax Taper

For August, I wanted the cozy gift to feel simple, useful and a little nostalgic.

Each Worn Pages box included a pure beeswax taper candle — something to light at the dinner table, beside your book, or on a quiet winter evening when you want the room to feel a little softer.

Made from pure beeswax, the taper burns with that beautiful warm glow that feels especially right in winter.

I loved the idea of Candle Club members having two different kinds of candlelight in the box this month — Worn Pages for scent, and the beeswax taper for those slower everyday moments.

A Winter Field Note for Reading Season

August’s Field Guide leaned fully into the feeling of winter reading.

Inside, members found seasonal prompts, little things to notice, ideas for slowing down and a few pages to enjoy alongside the candle.

Worn Pages was really about making space for the kind of evening that doesn’t need to be productive.

A Reading List from Book Lover Bookshop

Because a book-inspired candle box absolutely needed a reading list, we also included a curated selection from The Booklover Bookshop.

The idea was simple: a few books to reach for when you want something immersive, cozy or easy to disappear into for an afternoon.

If you’d like to see everything that was tucked into the Worn Pages box, I shared a full August Candle Club unboxing.

You can watch it here:

[WATCH THE WORN PAGES UNBOXING]

Two Years of Candle Club

August also marked two years of Candle Club.

When I first started sending these boxes out, I really had no idea what they would become.

Now every month has its own scent, story, Field Guide, cozy gift and little world built around the season.

Worn Pages felt like a particularly lovely box to celebrate that milestone with — quiet, nostalgic and full of the kinds of things I personally love most about winter.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of Candle Club over the last two years, whether you joined right at the beginning or only recently found us.

It still feels very special every time I see a stack of boxes ready to head out the door.

And if you’d rather never miss a collection, you can join the Candle Club waitlist here:

[JOIN THE CANDLE CLUB WAITLIST]

Worn Pages was made for winter afternoons, books with creased corners and the kind of evenings that make you forget to check the time.

A Cozy Conversation with Ed & Kelly from Dusty Studios

This month's Candle Club box, Winter Road Trip, was inspired by slow weekends on the road.

The kind where you take the scenic route, stop for a hot coffee and arrive at a cozy cabin just before dark. It's a reminder that sometimes the best part of the journey is slowing down enough to actually enjoy it.

Alongside your candle, you'll find a "Take It Slow" mini pennant, created by New Zealand makers Dusty Studios.

As soon as we came across Dusty's work, we knew it was the perfect fit for this month's collection. Their nostalgic pennants capture everything we wanted this box to represent—adventure, meaningful moments and gentle reminders to slow the pace of everyday life.

We asked Ed and Kelly a few questions about the story behind Dusty Studios, where they find inspiration and what "taking it slow" looks like for them.

From Side Project to Spreading Happiness

Q: For those discovering Dusty Studios for the first time, can you tell us a little about who you are and how Dusty began?

A: We are Ed and Kelly the small but mighty team behind Dusty Studios.

Honestly, it all started when Dusty Studios randomly popped up for sale online in 2024. At the time, we were on the hunt for our ultimate dream side project—something outside of our day jobs that would totally fuel our creative fires and let us build something beautiful together. We already loved working together and knew we made an awesome team, so we jumped in a van, travelled the length of NZ, learnt the business and relocated Dusty to Christchurch.

At the end of the day, we just want to create things that bring genuine joy and huge smiles to people's faces. That's what Dusty is all about for us now: keeping it growing with lots of love, pure creativity, and a massive desire to spread some happiness!

Inspired by Road Trips & Nostalgia

Q: Many of your designs feel nostalgic and adventure-inspired. Where do you find inspiration for the messages and places you create around?

A: We are totally obsessed with that warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia.

A lot of it comes from Ed's childhood memories of collecting car aerial pennants on classic family road trips. We also draw a ton of inspiration from vintage Americana—our trusty '83 Bronco company car is a major muse, and it definitely fits since about 90% of our orders actually head out to the USA!

Beyond that, our biggest inspiration is day to day life!

We're always keeping our eyes and ears open for great sayings, witty lines from friends, or song lyrics (we love live music) and some just hit right.

We love crafting custom banners, hearing the back stories to the messages and seeing them in their new, happy homes!

For us, it's all about sparking feelings of encouragement, support, or a bit of nostalgia. We're all about spreading love, so we strictly keep things positive—no hate, no politics, just good vibes!

Dusty is such a happy business ✨

Taking It Slow

Q: What are a few things helping you slow down and enjoy the season at the moment?

A: Finding time to slow down can definitely be a beautiful challenge, but it is so worth it!

While the world around us can feel a bit fast-paced and overwhelming at times, it really just anchors us in deep gratitude.

We are trying to consciously remind ourselves to pause, look around, and appreciate how incredibly lucky we are.

Practicing thankfulness for us is about being consciously aware of the gift of today and celebrating the wonderful people we get to surround ourselves and share this life with!

We are blessed with 4 children between us, our fur baby Buddy and a home and business that we love to spend time in. How lucky are we (that's even on a framed banner hanging in our living room!)

Why We Chose Dusty Studios

One of my favourite parts of Candle Club is introducing you to New Zealand makers whose work complements the feeling behind each month's collection.

For Winter Road Trip, I wanted to include something that would last long after the candle had been burned—a little reminder to carry with you.

The Take It Slow pennant felt like exactly that.

Whether it's hung in your home, office, caravan or tucked into your favourite little corner, I hope it reminds you to slow down, enjoy the journey and find joy in the everyday.

A huge thank you to Ed and Kelly for sharing their story and creating something so special for our Candle Club community.

If you'd like to explore more of Dusty Studios' beautiful pennants, be sure to check them out online.

P.S. Stay tuned! Dusty Studios and Little Batch Wax Co. have something exciting planned together very soon... we'll be announcing a giveaway over on Instagram. 🤎

Closing

Each month brings a new seasonal candle, a thoughtfully chosen cozy extra and an introduction to another New Zealand maker or small business we love.

If you'd like to join us for next month's box, we'd love to have you.

Subscribe to the Candle Club here!