A clean house shouldn't smell like bleach. Martha Stewart, to paraphrase, believes that a clean house smells like freshly cooked food and fresh, washed sheets. To me, it should smell pleasant, whether it's using potpourri, candles, fragrance plug-ins or otherwise. My personal choice is candles.

The day I discovered Voluspa's candles was the day I learned that you don't need an arsenal of candles to have a room (or several) smell good. These candles burn clean, they make the ENTIRE house smell awesome (my living room has 25 foot ceilings) right up to the second storey. My favorites are the three-wick candles from their Japonica line - the flat, round tin at the bottom of the picture - that last about 80 hours. They come in a range of scents that should suit any preference.

Previously, I ordered them from, or picked them up when I had the chance at Anthropologie. Today, while walking around Hillsboro Village after lunch with a friend, I walked into Fire Finch (which btw is having a HUGE sale - 30% off Jonathan Adler merch) at the corner where the service station is and noticed amongst their array of home fragrances, the same candles I've been paying shipping for like a sucker. Another retailer that carries the Voluspa range is Obelisk in Green Hills. These candles are great, well worth the cost (About $18 - $19).

Besides, who needs to have eleventy votive holders or ugly jars sitting around the house when you can cut clutter and get just one, maybe two candles burning at a time?