By Mae Whitaker · October 18, 2026
Blue Ridge Fir started with a notebook on a cold October morning at a Parkway overlook, trying to describe what the air smelled like.
Balsam fir was the obvious start. But on its own it smelled like a car air freshener. Cedarwood gave it depth, and a small amount of vetiver made it feel like earth rather than a holiday aisle.
The woodsmoke note was the last piece, and the hardest. Too much and the candle smelled like a campfire. We settled on just enough to notice when the flame goes out.
Eleven test batches later, it became the first candle we ever sold, and it is still the one people ask for by name.
