LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY CANDLES FOR SALE!

After a two year hiatus, I have decided to come out of retirement and make two rounds of holiday candles this year. Part of this is because I haven't made them in such a long time that I had an itch to make them again, and had a design in mind that came to me a month ago that was unlike any that I had ever done. The other part was for some additional Christmas income, which everyone needs, but especially actors!

These color families are the traditional red and green, and a more winter/ Hanukkah inspired purple and blue and white. The red and green are scented with Douglass fir and Macintosh apple. The purple are scented with fireplace, winter night, and winter berries. I can ship these if you will include an extra $6 (for local shipping), for distances greater, contact me and I will figure the postage out. The sooner you place orders, the quicker you will receive them, so email me at stephenishome@yahoo.com and I will get your order to you as soon as possible. These make fantastic and unique gifts, and by purchasing from me, you are supporting a local artist!

Pricing is as follows:

Extra Large Pillar= $25

Large Pillar=$20

Star Pillar=$15

Oval Pillar= $12

Medium Pillar= $12

Sphere= $8

Thank you for choosing to order my handmade candles for your holiday gifts! xoxoSGS

PRE-ORDER HOLIDAY CANDLES NOW!!!

In a rare moment of insanity, I am offering holiday candles for sale again for the first time in over 2 years. Themes are red and green and purple and blue. Photos will be up in the next day or two. Pre-order here by emailing me at stephenishome@yahoo.com. Give to a local artist by ordering candles made by a local struggling actor. Photos/prices will be posted in the next 2 days. I will be making a limited amount, so reserve your candles ASAP.

xoxo

SGS

Yard Sale: Saturday at 8AM - Mark Center

Yes, shoppers - you have the chance to own crap that I don't want in my house anymore!!! Old shirts, DVD's of things you would probably never want to watch, Decor that looks like it came from some other country, CANDLES - MY GOD - SO MANY CANDLES, and...are those...by God...ACTUAL VHS TAPES!!!
The prices are CRAZY down here at CRAZY EDDIE'S CRAZY SATURDAY YARD SALE....wait...my name isn't Eddie.
Anyway,
Yard Sale
Mark Center Club, Alexandria, VA
Saturday Morning 8AM-11AM
Look for a very sleepy me, who will have got up way too early for a Saturday morning and chugged 2 tall cups of coffee to wake up.
Proceeds from this yard sale will go to feed one very surly pug.
*no guilt intended*
*kind of*
*But please come and buy my stuff? Pretty please?*
luv,
SGS

Hump Day Check In

Hey there folks. What's new? What's going on in your lives? How is your summer going?
Mine is off to an interesting start.
I am working at my part time day job for a couple of days a week, but that is about it, so for the first time ever, I have filed for unemployment.
I start teaching camp in about 2 weeks, so I don't plan to be on it for long.
It's just these 2 weeks that will get a bit scary in the wallet department...so if any of you want to cook me dinner, I wouldn't object...haha.
Speaking of which, I signed up to sell some stuff at our community's yard sale this Saturday from 8AM to 11AM. I have been making some candles to sell there, and drudged through many dvds, videos, clothes, etc. I am sure to have a strange, interesting and wonderful sales table. Drop on by and buy some stuff!
My cabaret this summer will be entitled "Mixtape"
and will feature an eclectic blend of folk, pop, gospel, show tunes and more, featuring Gabe Mangiante on the piano. July 15th at Signature Theatre. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
What else?
I am kind of obsessed with The Weather Channel's

VORTEX2: The Great Tornado Hunt
It is an amazing show, fascinating and breath taking all at once. I feel a little heartsick watching it, because I know that I am watching what I truly should have done with my life (career wise). Not just being a tornado chaser, but being a field meteorologist. This show is almost over, but you can catch 2 more days of it on The Weather Channel and also catch their streaming web casts from 12-2PM tomorrow and the next day as they drive to whatever their new chase locations will be. Check it out.

Ok...that's my hump day check in. Hope you are all well and that life is treating you good.
Chat more tomorrow.
SGS

February Candle Sneak Peek

The last monthly candle of CBS is out now. The February candle is chocolate brown and pink, featuring the scents of roses, chocolate, and champagne.
This is the last candle of the month to be offered by CBS. From here on out, there will only be one candle offered per season.
So send your orders to candlesbystephen@yahoo.com.
For pricing details, go to the Candle Website.

December Candle Preview

December Candles are now available for pre-order at my CANDLE PAGE. They make perfect holiday gifts and help support a local artist amd artisan (namely me). Check them out HERE, and email your orders to candlesbystephen@yahoo.com

November Candles...GIVE THANKS!

The November Candles have popped up over at Candles By Stephen. CHECK THEM OUT!

October Candles

October Candles are finally posted over at Candles By Stephen. CHECK THEM OUT!

September Candles Now Available!

September Candles are now available over at Candles By Stephen. This is seriously one of my favorites yet. One of the most dark colors and scents yet!
Go over to the website and CHECK THEM OUT!

WRAP UP

I am wrapping up August candle sales and looking forward. September candles are dark, and the most masculine scents so far for me.
Scents are: Mid-Summer Night, Midnight Blue, and Campfire.
Less than one week remains for August orders.

Send your orders to candlesbystephen@yahoo.com

Back on Track

We now have a new computer at home. Our new computer is a used computer, so not new, but newish. It is from Hilary Clinton's campaign, and we got it through a friend who knew she was selling them off cheap and we took advantage of it.
I am glad to be back up and running at home, where I write the best.
I am discovering and uploading photos that I forgot I had. I have been offline at home all summer. Hard to believe.
So...
what is up?
Insomnieoke is over. I loved doing it, but am glad that it is done. I got very naked doing that one. Very naked.
Emotionally, that is.
And somewhat physically, I guess.
Thank all of you for coming, and for coming to Signature's Open House.



It was fun, if not exhausting.

















Fred, Kurt, Matt and I went to see Jerry Springer the Opera tonight.
What a funny show. The cast is great, and I laughed VERY hard.
The problems I had with the show are directed at its book, and the direction the show goes in Act 2. That being said, I still had a great time.

We did quick cocktails pre-show at Playbill, then went and had a blast.
I don't think I have had as much profanity in one day since the last tech rehearsal that I have had.
What's up with me other than that?


I will be performing at Kensington Arts Theatre's Benefit, which in their words "Saturday, August 23rd, will be hosted by and starring KAT favorite Diego Prieto (Side Show, Cabaret, Closer Than Ever, The Rocky Horror Show, Company) and Brad Oscar, who originated the role of Franz Liebkind in the Broadway production of The Producers and received a 2001 Tony nomination for his performance. Brad later succeeded Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock for over 1200 performances on Broadway, on tour, in London, and he originated the role in the Las Vegas production at the Paris Casino. "
Matt and I will be appearing there. I will be singing from One Red Flower and 110 in the Shade. A package of my September Candles will be up for auction there.
Check it out HERE.

Also, On Monday, September 1st, we will be back at Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for our annual Signature Theatre hour. This time it is a little bit more exciting for me, because it is an hour of totally my husband, Matt Conner's work.
New things that no one has even heard yet.
Here is their take:
"September 1, 2008
Signature Theater presents a showcase of three new musicals by one of The Next Generation–commissioned artists, composer Matt Conner—Crossing, Senior Moments, and Sleepy Hollow (with book writer Hunter Foster)"
You can even watch it LIVE on the day of.
My August Candles are doing VERY well.

The smells are amazing, the design is one of my best, and they are flying off of my shelf.


Get yours at my link over there on the right.
So that is what is up right now. Expect to hear more from me now that I have a computer at home now again. I have missed this.
I have MUCH to share with you.
My 1000th post is like 2 away, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading, and goodnight (morning?)
NIGHT.
Love,
Steve

Candle News

This is the last day that July's patriotic pillars are available, and also the LAST day that one year subscriptions may be ordered. If that means nothing to you, then ignore this post, but if not, send your order right away!
Also, Orders for the August Beach Candles have been pouring in and I have been slaving over a hot stove most of the past few weeks. These candles smell AMAZING, I must say.
So go ahead and send in your August Candle orders ASAP!

Full details over at CANDLES BY STEPHEN.

August Candle News and Pricing Changes News!!

Due to popular demand and inquiry, my August design and scent will be the special design that I did back in the Spring, The beach themed candle. For those of you who don't recall, I took a picture of the beach while vacationing there this past winter, then crafted a candle design to match the picture exactly. The scents in the candle are Sun and Sand, Ocean Water, Ocean Breeze, and Midnight Beach. When you look at the candle, you glimpse what looks like an actual photo of the beach. I thought that this design was appropriate to the month of August, when everyone crams in one last beach trip before September begins and everyone goes back to school.
So bring the beach into your home for the last month of the summer by ordering your candles today at CANDLES BY STEPHEN.
The pricing has changed for candle orders, effective with the August candle orders.
I hate to raise prices, but along with everything else, the prices of my supplies have gone up in the past 5 months, and it is simply not cost effective for me to keep the candles at the old prices. Also, July will be the last month that you will be able to purchase a one year candle subscription. Effective August 1st, no more subscriptions will be sold. Current subscribers will be able to finish out their current subscriptions, and the price hike will not be reflected in either their current subscriptions, nor any others ordered before August 1st. I regret cancelling the subscription packages, but again, cost effectiveness is forcing my hand. So after August 1st, you may only order single orders or my package orders for the month.

NEW PRICING IS AS FOLLOWS:
PRICING
The Star Pillar - ($10.00) - This candle measures 4&1/2 inches tall and is 3&3/4 inches wide. This candle burns for over 40 hours, but we recommend that it remain lit for only 2-3 hour increments at one time.




The Oval Pillar - ($8.75) - This candle measures 4 inches tall. This candle burns for over 40 hours, but we recommend that it remain lit for only 2-3 hour increments at one time.

The Votives (6 Votives = $10.00) These candles measure 2 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches wide. These candles burn for about 3 hours by themselves, and about 7 hours in a glass votive jar.

6 Tarts or Floating Candles = $10.00

PACKAGES
1 Star Pillar with 2 Votives = $13.50
1 Oval Pillar with 2 Votives = $12.25
Deluxe Basket, with 1 Star Pillar, 1 Oval Pillar and 6 Votives = $24.75

That being said, pre-orders for individual AUGUST BEACH CANDLES begins today, so pre-order them at the new prices above at the CANDLE website. Also, the July Candles are still available at the former prices.
www.candlesbystephen.blogspot.com

Wednesday

It's Wednesday, and my computer is still messed up. :(
And the July Candles are available for sale OVER HERE!
More tomorrow!

JUNE CANDLES

Here is the official promo shot for June candles which are all different shades of white, eggshell, beige, and khaki. Not one of these is truly the same. I want them all to have differences, but retain the same theme of color and feel. The scents are Egyptian Cotton, Sun Dried Cotton, and Clean Linen.
They should make your home smell like sheets fresh off of a June clothesline.
To place your order, visit CANDLES BY STEPHEN.

CRASH!

MY COMPUTER HAS CRASHED!
We are not sure what happened, and it is now in the hands of an expert, and will hopefully be back soon. I am writing this from my computer at work, where I will post from until the laptop is back.

I wanted to let you all know that June candles are ready, but I have not had a formal photo shoot with them as of yet. This is the June Family preview:



They are several different shades of color, between white, eggshell, beige, and khaki. Not one of these is truly the same. I want them all to have differences, but retain the same theme of color and feel. The scents are Egyptian Cotton, Sun Dried Cotton, and Clean Linen. Prices are listed over at CANDLES BY STEPHEN.
Thanks to all of you for making May the most ordered candle yet! Let's see if June can beat May's record!

I also wanted to let you know that I had rehearsal for Signature and Lucy Bowen McCauley's Kander and Ebb Dance Extravaganza, A Smile to Hide the Pain today, and it went VERY well. To see the dancers dancing this gorgeous choreography to Kander and Ebb's music was truly an experience. Check out the details of it OVER HERE. I am very excited to be a part of it, and Eleasha and I are singing our ASSES off!

Ok...gotta go home to a computer less home...:(
Till tomorrow...
SGS

Keeping Afloat...

Well, as always, life goes on. Katie passed on Friday, and my family has been mourning her loss. In the interim, much has gone on.
I told you all earlier that I was going to start the tanning salon job last Thursday. That got postponed till (today) Tuesday. So I will teach children, then drive straight to the tanning salon. Details to follow.
I am financially in wreckage since SPIDERWOMAN closed, and yes I have several projects upcoming, including A SMILE TO HIDE THE PAIN at Signature in June, and an upcoming cabaret there in July, I am trying to make a living on many part time jobs. This is NO living. I had hoped for employment theatrically this summer, but that has fallen through, so it's CANDLES, teaching camp, Tanning Salon, and TICKETplace for me all summer. Sleep? I'll sleep when I'm dead.
So also adding to this attempt at making what I would were I employed gainfully theatrically, I agreed to do lawn maintenance on a beloved friend's yard this coming Sunday. This was a fantastic development, as I often forget that I know what the hell I am talking about when it comes to landscaping (a career that I careered out of back in 2005). Walking through his yard and observing what needed attention with the trimmers, I was reminded what an eye I do have for lawn care and maintenance, and was actually excited to start work on it Sunday. Anyone need lawnwork? I love transforming something. Whatever the product that I am transforming is: an old piece of furniture that I refurbish, pieces of cloth and rubber into a ghoul, wax blocks into candles, whatever the clay, I love to shape it.
Can I just say that ...wow...gas is almost $4??? Food is more expensive than ever....a clear measure of that is this: I bought 2 ears of corn tonight for $1.00.
This same time last year (I always hanker for corn on the grill this time of year), I could buy 4 ears for a dollar. This is only a small indication of how your money flies out of your pockets. With a piece-meal life like mine, when you are broke one month and barely treading water the next, it gets trickier.
On a movie front, I am REALLY into mutated nature-creature films right now. Mainly from the 50's...(atomic age radiation based terror of giant crabs and spiders attacking a city)...just becuase they make me happy. I feel like this genre of horror is going to make an Eco come back soon. It is the next phase of horror now, as environmental horrors are larger than ever. Horror will go here next. You wait and see. Soon enough giant insects will ravage Washington, DC on the silver screen again.
Eco-horror has been high on my must watch lists of Netflix rentals. More on this soon.
What else?
I saw the Stephen Schwartz Project at Metro Stage, which has one week left. I enjoyed it, and while I had a few issues with staging, thought that the ALL DC CAST sang their ASSES off, and sounded amazing. Go check it out, the tickets are inexpensive.
I also reconnected with another friend tongiht, who recently installed an addition into her house, and a lap pool into her house. (hence the photo at the top of this post). We swam and had a great time tonight. We will surely be going over there more in the future.










Oh, it also has a High Def TV that you can watch as you are swimming...ahh, the life...








SO all in all, life is hand to mouth for me, as it is for most.
I am exploring cabaret themes right now, and have stumbled upon (thanks to Matt and my Mom) a funny premise that I will just say would be a TV show setting. More to come on this hatching idea.
So, in closing on this early Tuesday morning, if you need candles, lawn care, or a man to sing his ass off, call me. I'm free all summer.
;)
Love,
Stephen

Tuesday

Well, I thought I would open with a cute image of Buddha and Albert.
A brief synopsis of my life right now:
I am still working at Ticket Place, started teaching theatre games for Fairfax County Schools after school on Tuesdays, making candles, and just got another job at a tanning salon in Old Town Alexandria, which I start on Thursday.
Whew!
I also am doing this in June:
Bowen McCauley Dances Kander & Ebb

Bowen McCauley Dance company puts their contemporary style and spin on Kander & Ebb standards. Signature regulars Stephen Gregory Smith and Eleasha Gamble will accompany the dancers and sing the music of Kander & Ebb.
It’s an exciting evening in the theater by “the area’s premier dance company” (Danceview Times).

Tickets range from $34–$150.
June 12 – 15, 2008
In The ARK

And I have word that yes, you will see a new cabaret by me this summer at Signature...details to follow!
I designed a SUPER Deluxe Basket of candles for Kathy Fuller's daughter's high school silent auction. Here is what it looked like at the end:



She seemed happy with it, and if she is so inclined, will comment and let readers know where and when you can place your bid on this auction piece.


Other than that, I have watched 4 great movies that I will post about tomorrow, but till then, I am posting this while talking to my Mother, who is having trouble formatting Word documents as I am talking her through it.
So I must go.
Till tomorrow eve,
Steve

Candles By Stephen in your home...

Here is a picture that my Mom sent me tonight. This is a picture of her table already set for Mother's Day dinner tomorrow. I love how she used the green cloth napkins and the white linen table cloth with her Mother's Day gift (the May candle) as a centerpiece. I also love the Mother of Pearl base that ties it all in.
And with this photo, I thought of something fun to try to do. Those of you who have purchased Candles By Stephen and have them in your home, send in photos of how they are displayed. We will have a vote in poll and the winning photo's display will win 6 June candle tarts or floating candles (winner's choice).
So those of you who have purchased my candles, start sending in your photos! E-mail them to candlesbystephen@yahoo.com

I would love to see them in your homes!

Can you guess what I'm doing?

Look at the scene of mayhem in the Smith-Conner/Halbrook kitchen. Yes, the crazy candle maker has been slaving away over a hot stove most nights this past couple of weeks. Business is busy, which is good. But look at this crazy mess!






I have now expanded my equipment and gotten multiples of things that I need, but man, they are everywhere! I do clean up after myself when I am done so that Matt and Ryan don't dump me into one of my own vats of wax.
















But despite all of this mess, look at what my recent work has yielded! Here in this picture you see much of the May candles, some April candles, a beach themed candle, and a preview of the June candle. Can you guess which one it is?














I'll take you a little closer. How about now?














Yes, here is a preview of June's candle. I think I am going to make the white stripe near the top instead of the bottom, but the same colors will apply. It is scented with Sun Dried Cotton, Eqyptian Cotton, and Fresh Linen. It is clean and crisp and the perfect complement to the clean air of June.




And may I remind you all again that Mother's Day is the 11th, one week from tomorrow!
A Candles By Stephen purchase or subscription would make the perfect Mother's day gift. Imagine the joy of your Mother recieving a different scented and beautiful candle each month of the year starting with Mother's Day!
Visit CANDLES BY STEPHEN today and place your order before time runs out!