Bright Idea

Sure, candles are nice. In that "Oh, goodness. Thanks for the fruitcake" kind of way. And, sure, they set the mood, sooth the senses... But they can turn disasterously cheesy with one false move.

Vanilla amaretto? Mint Musk? What will they ream up next?

Time to spark things up. CandleScapes.net provides a welcome break from the humdrum of pillars, stikcs, and tea lights. Its creations, which look like bowls of rice, are infinitely customizable. You select a container (ceramic, glass, vases, and cookie cutters, whatever), then add wax pastilles (the rice-looking things), wicks, scent... Bingo! Burn, baby, burn.

Even the most artistically challenged will be inspired by how easy it can be to make something not already owned by every Blonde, Drew, and Harry.

And it smells a hell of a lot better than the vanilla-amaretto-fruitcake number you were eyeing.

Available online at candlescapes.net