MCGREGOR, TX — Texans pride themselves on their independent spirit and can-do attitude. One McGregor mom is a shining example of that.
When the walls of the pandemic closed in, she found a way to open a new door on a business venture.
When her family's catering business took a hit from the pandemic, Rebecca Cummins started stirring the pot.
"My husband and I just talked about it for a while like, we should start making candles because it would be fun, and he does open fire cooking so it's like flame and flame. We just decided to pull the trigger last summer and start making candles," Cummins says candles became a way to supplement her family's income.
The benefits of working from her McGregor home during COVID are obvious, "cons are also that I'm working from home and you know, I have kids to take care of."
The process begins with flakes of wax, she fills up a batch and heats them up to 170 degrees to melt. Every once in a while, she burns herself.
While waiting for the wax to melt, wicks are placed into mason jars and a shot glass-sized dose of fragrance is mixed into the piping hot wax.
Finding the right combination is a trial-and-error process.
"I had bought like a bottle of it, and I was like, I can't use that. It smells too like fake."
There's nothing fake about the scents that make the final cut.
"They were just scents that kind of reminded me of different regions of Texas."
Some are based on cities like Lockhart, "it smells like oak, smoke, and leather."
East and North Texas are the most popular, "cause East Texas is pine and leather so, for the pine trees and North Texas is kind of it kind of reminds me of like men's cologne called rugged patchouli."
Waco smells sweet with magnolia flower, peach, and raspberry.
"You can go on a tour of Texas through the scents of the candles."
And that's what makes her candles uniquely Texan.
You can find Uniquely Texan Candle Co. at the handmade farmer's market in Waco on the third Saturday of every month and at Hidden Talents in McGregor.
