12-year-old me in rural (read: cornfield) Illinois always dreamed of making her mark, and creating her own brand - her own world. I always knew it would be called Fleurish, a word steeped in my namesake French roots, with floral ties and a spirit of growth and abundance. From the moment I saw the word, I knew one day it would be mine.

As someone who has suffered from an acute form of occupational asthma from my time working in a bakery (baker’s lung, it’s a real thing, look it up), lighting candles in my home was a rare indulgence, one that I knew would come at the cost of coughing and wheezing. Sometimes the symptoms were worth it, a trade for the calm and tranquil setting I could instantly create with one single match. As a serial crafter since childhood, and always needing at least one (or 5?!) creative outlets at any given time, I decided to make the perfect candle with clean ingredients, one I knew I could burn in my home without it stirring up a host of allergic reactions. One trip to Hobby Lobby later had me hacking chips off an economy block of wax with my kitchen knife, into the double boiler I assembled with my trusty mac-and-cheese pot and a pyrex bowl from the back of my cupboard, ultimately poured into a small glass jar. My first candle wasn’t pretty, but after I made it, I felt like I could do anything. I obtained a chemistry laden science degree many moons ago, and the alchemy of candle making captivated me. A little more this, a little bit of that, faster, slower. Magic. From my kitchen, to my basement, up to our attic, and ultimately into our commercial retail and production space, Fleurish Co. has arrived. 

I create candles so people can always create a safe space, a reprieve away from the troubles of the world. As someone who moved around frequently growing up, I know that the idea of “home” can take many forms. For some people, it’s a house. For me, it’s a feeling. Whenever I burn my Desert Flower candle, I feel like I’m home. I inhale an instant sigh of relief. It makes me teary eyed knowing my little girl will be able to light the very same candle wherever her adult life takes her, and be instantly enveloped in a warm hug of love. It will take her home. 

From our family to yours, may our candles light your way home.