bugs rock

no hearts in these new candles, but lots of love

2026-02-09T00:00:00Z

i know we're already well into february, but happy new year! january is not a month when people normally buy candles; it's a well-deserved break for not only holiday shoppers, but many of us who make and sell gifts. it would be totally reasonable to assume that i'm back with a valentine's day collection, but i'm not. i did make candles, though, but to celebrate some more personal february milestones. here's the february release:

"lavender smoke"

i did a very small run of these over the holidays and have been asked to bring them back, which is my pleasure. this is a moody and smoky lavender-scented candle that comes in a beautiful periwinkle glass. i don't like making candles in glass, but these glasses are dead stock so i jumped at the chance to use them before they went away forever. and now you can have a glass, too, by getting one of these.

for this release, the candles will ship in a Luxurious Cardboard Tube. i hope the receiver of the candle gets good reuse of it - it's a great, sturdy container worthy of such a pretty glass.

"somewhere green""

like i said before, i don't like making candles in glass, so instead of making more of my well-praised green hex candles i made a sculpture worthy of this custom fragrance blend. it smells like the color green: pine, freshly cut grass, green leaves, and comes in a 2-tiered pillar candle with a sorta terrazzo tile style. this may be the greenest candle to ever smell this green, i would love to be proven otherwise.

also in the shop

bugs rock core, aka the "classics", are continuously available! touching grass, the 3-tier unscented pillar, has 4 sky color options. nice tomato is also back with the same fresh fragrance and a small change to the colorway. and nothing has changed about the eggs because they're already perfect.
under "vintage" i've got some original watercolors from the debossed pixel art collection left over. shipping on these are free.

february brings the one year anniversary of me registering bugs rock llc, my commitment to myself (and i guess the state of new jersey or whatever) to launching this business. my birthday is also in february, so it feels like my new years - everything from that point forward feels like a crisp clean sheet of paper. while january is a slow month as far as sales go, i got a lot of brainstorming on not just products, but how i want to do releases going forward. these two candles are my way officially pivoting away from holidays and more towards a predictable r&d and launch schedule. they would absolutely make great valentine's day gifts, of course.

xoxo your smelly valentine, jenn

fill up on the leftovers holiday shop

2025-12-05T00:00:00Z

the "feels like" temperature out right now is 13 degrees fahrenheit, the wind makes the walls creak, and my fingers are still defrosting after walking home from aerial yoga. but the warmth of a candle with the lights turned low is the right kind of coziness that makes me love winter so much more than summer. on the topic, i'm excited to share with you my newest batch of candles that i've called the "leftovers" holiday shop.

here is where i give you a little blurb/pitch for each candle, going from top and clockwise:

a green hex i had some leftover hexagonal glass jars that i go for a sweet hex - which, by the way i found some inventory of to add to this batch. anyway, a green hex is imho a perfect outdoorsy pine blend with added scent of green leaves and grass.
good apple i took bad apple and removed the slime and cherry. you're welcome! this is pure apple scent, and a cute little leaf.
bad (cherry) melts i still had cherry and apple scent leftover from bad apple and so i figured i'd try out a new product, wax melts. i know not everyone can have candles lit for safety reasons, so i've been wanting to get into wax melts and this collection was me finally just doing it. the hearts are just a mold i had laying around lol.
nice twomato i'm going to have to start adding a changelog to candles i think. this is version two of nice tomato. get it? everyone in bugs rock nation is smart, you get it.
sky watching this is touching grass but with brighter yellow "suns", a lighter green "grass", and options for different colored "skies". i love all these candles like they are my children, but sky watching is my favorite. i'll probably rename this to "touching grass" and add a changelog.
lavender smoke this scent is probably my all-time favorite, as are the periwinkle glasses they come in. i want them to show up to your home safely and adorably, perhaps ready to gift to someone, so they will be packed in a Luxurious Cardboard Tube with a lid i've adorned with faux lavender roses.

for an Added Holiday Bonus: i figured i'd should also make the eggs available because they're fun. you're fun!

let's talk processing and shipping. i'd like to keep processing to 2 business days (mon-thurs) max and then ups ground shipping could take up to 8 days depending on how far from jersey city, nj, you are. your best, dangerous bet is to get your orders in before next friday, 12/12, if you need them in time for christmas. i have added shipping options for "ups 2nd day air" and "ups 3 day select" for folks who love to live fast and cut it close - just remember to add that onto the processing time that i've added to the top of this page. if you have any concerns, don't hesitate to email me!

i hope you enjoy this batch, and have a cozy, safe holiday - no matter where you're from and what you do or do not celebrate, so long as you wish the same back and for all others.

xoxo jenn

ps. if you're not new here: yes, i have redesigned this page, good eye! i've got more to do, but i didn't want to keep postponing "leftovers"!

candles, but scary! out now

2025-10-08T00:00:00Z

i have exciting news, bugs rock nation, and i'll spare you the jump scare: my first spooky candle collection is now in the shop!

it was exactly 3 months ago when i launched the "first!" collection, and before i even launched i knew that i wanted to make a "scary" version of these candles for the fall/halloween season. your favorite eggs have gone evil, the sky has gone mischievously dark, and...

the tomato turned into an apple? terrifying! this collection comes with a couple of firsts building off of the "first!" collection. bad apple is my first time making a custom fragrance blend: a sinister mixing of potions that smell of crisp apples and black cherries. each of them are hand-dipped and then get an oozy topping of green wax. disgusting!

i'm also introducing my first candle jar, a sweet hex. i hand-paint each hexagonal glass jar bottom with red and yellow candle dye before pouring in wax that has the subtle, soft scent of the caramel, honey and vanilla ingredients that make up candy corn. call me a monster, but this candle replicates one of my favorite smells in the world: old candles in the dollar store that have a hint of vanilla in them.

i am so glad to finally be able to share these scary candles. even once halloween concludes, i am confident these wax creations will continue to bring whimsy and warm light to whatever spooky dwellings you bring them to. but you gotta get them soon, or else!! 😱

xoxo jenn, but scary

original pixel watercolors are now in the shop

2025-09-23T00:00:00Z

two of my passions alongside candle-making are pixel art and watercolors, and i've been mixing those two together for several years now. for the first time ever, i'm trying out Selling Paintings Online™, starting with some special 6x6" debossed graph watercolor paintings i made late last year. case for making doesn't make the 1/4" graph paper anymore which breaks my heart but we will continue to live, laugh, and love regardless.

pay what you want with a $100 minimum. shipping is free and i'm also going to put into your ownership a surprise, mystery airbrush sketch on newsprint. it could be blobs, skulls, your name, really whatever i feel compelled to do in the moment inspired by your much-appreciated support of my art.

xoxo jenn

ps. try not to take up all the space on your table with halloween decorations from michael's–i should take my own advice–because spooky candles from bugs rock are coming very soon!

you made me do a restock! this is it though...

2025-09-02T00:00:00Z

happy september! it's been almost 2 months since the launch of bugs rock and because of all of you freaks who like freaky candles, i ran out of said freaky candles. it turns out that not only do "bugs rock" but you rock too!

as we stumble, sweatily and boobily, into september, the pressure is on for the candle-making community to put out a "pumpkin" candle that smells like an amount of cinnamon and clove that i would never put into my body. i probably won't do that, but i do have a spooky, dark collection coming out early next month. but when it comes to current stock, as i said in the soft launch post:

"don't worry, i'll make more if i run out 😈" - me, i blogged it

bugs rock nation, i am a candle-maker of my word and wax, so today i have restocked all three candles of the first! collection. i may not make these candles ever again, so get them while supplies last. i need to get back to working on that next collection!

xoxo jenn

ps. if you're curious about the scent of a tomato candle, toss in a baby tomato sample. i never add free scented candles to orders of unscented candles, so this is my way of letting you and your olfactory system to opt-in.

a less soft launch...

2025-07-21T00:00:00Z

one (probably rainy) night on july 8th, i turned my store on but didn't tell anyone. several eagle-eyed watchers noticed, though, and they became my first ever customers - members of bug nation, if you will. their orders and feedback have empowered me to expand the world's softest candle launch to everyone who subscribed to the bugs rock newsletter. thank you for being here!

i have a lot more to say about this launch collection soon, including behind the scenes photos, tutorials, and melting timelapses - but i will tell you now that the nice tomato has been described as "heckin' fresh". and now you too can get your own heckin’ fresh candles on the shop. 🍅🕯️

until next time, bug nation!
xoxo jenn

drumroll please...

2025-07-08T00:00:00Z

that's right, it's time for a very soft launch of my first candle collection. if you see this, you're a lucky early bird and my candles are the worms. i'll have more details soon, but enjoy this drop while it lasts!

don't worry, i'll make more if i run out 😈

xoxo jenn