Thrill of the Week: Coolest Candle Award

To wrap up our world culture week, I’m spotlighting one of the coolest decorations we own. And it is an India original!For those of you scratching your head (“should I know what that is???”), it is a candle holder made of carved stone. The idea is to put a candle inside and the light is reflected through the carving, creating beautiful shadows in the room. I’m telling you, this piece is mesmerizing!

Just like most things around here at Oh, the Fun, it comes with a story… when in India, we stopped by the shop of a few stone carvers (this was on the second leg of our journey, in Mahabalipuram… yeah, say that three times fast). They all make amazing things, with such intricate carvings!

I fell in love with the handmade candle holders and decided to buy a medium/large one for my mom and give it to her for her birthday. Sometimes I feel so lame about the presents I give and I figured that this would actually be a really cool gift. And then, of course, I had to have one myself, so I treated Mitch and I to a smaller one. Fast forward a couple months (and that loooooong plane ride home) to my mom’s birthday- she loved it! And not but a day or so later did it roll off the bed onto the (carpeted!) floor and break into tiny pieces… I now know where I get this from. She was really bummed and I was sad that she no longer had the pretty piece. So I gave her mine, of course!

Fast forward about six MORE months… for MY birthday, the wonderful Reindel family (with whom I went to India with and who knew the whole story) gifted me with another one! I was thrilled and have been loving it ever since. There is really good news here: Although we got the originals from India (hence the reason that it was such a bummer that it broke!), the Reindels were able to find my new gift in 10,000 Villages (a store that showcases multiple artisans from various countries). So, if you were hoping for a lucky break, there it is! Hankering to add some Indian flavor to your space? 10,000 Villages is your solution! And let me tell you, this is a sure-fire way to add instant character to your house/apartment/dorm (and if you can’t burn real candles where you live, the Dollar Tree sells battery operated tea lights that flicker like real candles!).It is gorgeous in the day time and acts as a really neat piece of art all by itself. We have it sitting on our dresser in our bedroom and it pairs nicely with the Precious Moments figurine and picture frame.

Coolest part alert: When wet, the colors of the stone come to life and it turns from gray to beautiful reds and pinks.

Oh, and did you think it was great with the lights on? Let me just show you what some darkness and a bit of candle light do to this little one…Awesome, I know. With that, I’ll leave you with one final picture to drool over. Don’t worry, I’m drooling as I upload them- you’re not alone.

Are you dreaming of your next adventure abroad yet? After this week of imaginary travel, I know I am… and I’m also interested in knowing: have you ever traveled anywhere that changed your perspective on life? Do tell!

Oh, the fun of adventuring 🙂

-Leslie