MAKER MONDAY: MEET KAILEY
After opening Plume in November 2013 and surviving my first Christmas season I started learning more about what customers were looking for in a little shop like mine. While my original vision was to mainly have locally repurposed painted furniture and home decor, it became clear that my customers were also looking for, and buying a lot of, handmade gifts. To me…a gift-y, artsy shop is just not complete without some great smelling candles and I remember thinking I’d love to find a local candle maker.
Sometimes God just flat-out answers prayers in a very concrete way. Kailey Flemming walked into Plume in early March 2014 and wouldn’t you just know it…she makes candles! Not just any candles, but ahh-maa-zing, small-batch, hand-poured, clean-burning soy candles that smell soooo good. I’m honestly not sure how she heard about Plume originally (I need to ask her) but she happened to live right down the road and so, she became vendor #075.
People always walk into Plume and say “It smells so good in here!” We’ll you can thank Kailey for that.
Especially this time of year when the fall candles come in. {And YES!! PUMPKIN SOUFFLE & APPLE JACK are now in stock! We’ve also added Cranberry Marmalade and Pomegranate Cider this year}.
Kailey grew up in Mobery where her parents and Brian’s parents were friends and they attended the same church. When she was a freshman in high school, Brian asked her to homecoming (he was a junior) and that’s all she wrote. They’ve been together ever since.
Kailey followed Brian to Colorado for college where she graduated from CSU with a degree in Restaurant & Resort Management. In June 2005, amidst 8 inches of snow in Steamboat Springs, Colorado they married.
Kailey & Brian are active and fun-loving and raising 4 sweet kiddos together; Baron (10), Braden (8), Bretton (6) and Ainsley (3).
Kailey loves doing anything where she can breathe fresh air and enjoy God’s creation with family and friends; gardening, biking, hiking, skiing, trail running & camping. Any opportunity to reflect on His beauty is life giving to her.
It was after baby #2, Braden, was born and started eating solid foods that Kailey realized she was accumulating quite a stash of empty baby food jars. Research and a few trials later, she was able to perfect her candle making skills by filling those baby food jars with soy wax. Once she had gifted all those away she moved on to other unique vintage containers she had around the house. It was then that Lotus Soy Candle Co. was born.
When I first met Kailey…this little gal was in her tummy. (Shout out to Brady Lou for the flower headband!)
For Kailey, it’s not so much about just building a business making candles, but also building one that’s eco-friendly. Since soy wax is non-toxic, unlike candles made from parafin wax, Kailey can melt the wax and pour her candles right in her kitchen with kids in tow. I totally relate to Ainsley. I could just sit and sniff these little hobnail votives all day too.
Kailey is passionate about being able to re-use materials and that led to her ordering containers made from recycled glass whenever possible. She and I also worked out a program at Plume where customers can exchange empty candle containers for a discount off their next candle purchase. We also help customers create custom candles out of their own vintage items like Grandma’s teacups and other family keepsakes. Just bring your containers in and drop them off and Kailey will fill them with the scented wax of your choice.
I’m thankful for Kailey and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her so much. She’s kind and soft spoken. She’s always willing to help others. We also belong to the same Makers Mastermind group where we support one another, along with 5 other small biz makers, through all the ups and downs of being in small business. Being a wife & mom and running a small business is challenging so it’s invaluable to have peers to lean on.
For me, there are few things that make me feel more at home than having a candle burning in the house. I love the smell and the warmth & coziness that little flicker of light creates.
We know you have lots of choices out there when you shop for candles. Kailey and I appreciate you choosing Plume when it’s time to stock up. And speaking of stocking up, don’t forget Lotus Soy Fall Candles are hitting the floor this week when we re-open Thursday at 10:00.
Bring on Fall!!
P.S. Don’t forget this Saturday, September 9th when you visit Plume and 4 other participating locations you have a chance to win all this when you drop a food item or $1 into the collection Jar!!! Checkout our Shop & Score event benefiting the Central Missouri Food Bank on our Facebook Page, here.
SATURDAY SEPT 9, 2017 10:00 – 4:00 PM